Making mealtimes happy times

Stokes Award-Winning Fig Relish

September is a time of change as the kids go back to school, so too do the busy unsung heroes who are their teachers and support staff. The roads get busier, the nights longer and the barbecues are put away for another season.

We see changes too on the supermarket shelves. Deliciously green Savoy cabbages add iron and vibrancy to our bangers and mash; beetroot roasted with potatoes give an earthy accompaniment to the Sunday roast; root vegetables abound in time for one pot suppers; and figs add flavours to both sweet and savoury dishes.

We're entering a period of slow cooked suppers with the curtains closed, as well as quickly turned around teas for hungry after school tums.

Make mealtimes happy times. 

Whatever you are preparing, we hope to help add flavour, fun and smiles with a drop of this or a spoonful of that from our range of hearty Stokes sauces.

Read on for some seasonal servings and tea time treats.

And please don't forget, we are always eager to hear about and to share your own seasonal favourites: Please tell us: tweet here, or post here. 


September Fruit & Vegetables

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fruits available and a joy to have in the kitchen.

They are a member of the nightshade family along with aubergines, peppers and chillies and are as welcome in a salad as they are served hot with pasta or simply on toast with lots of black pepper.

As a fruit, I keep them in the fruit bowl rather than the fridge. They look good, smell great and keep their flavour better this way.

As a salad, their marriage with torn basil leaves is famous. Drizzle a lush coating of Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing (left) over them and serve with mini balls of Mozzarella for a tasty take on the Italian 'tricolore' salad.

You can really intensify the flavour by slow roasting them. Place a couple of dozen cherry tomatoes in a shallow ovenproof dish, drizzled with oil, a scattering of thyme leaves and crushed cloves of garlic. Spice them up with a couple of spoonfuls of Stokes Chilli Jam before putting them in the oven and roast them gently for two hours or so on a low heat 140°C, gas 1 or 2. The chilli works so well with the sweet intensity of tomatoes and gentle hints of garlic and thyme.

British tomatoes are in season at the moment, delicious in all their varieties, shapes, colours and sizes. However, because of the volume we need to make Stokes Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup, we need access to the finest plump fruits all year round. Ours ripen in the Mediterranean sunshine on the hillsides of southern Italy.

We pack 200gms of these beautiful tomatoes into each 100gms of ketchup to really concentrate the natural flavours. Then, we add the twists to make Chilli, Chipotle, Bloody Mary and Curry variations on this wonderful theme.

Once you've made the difficult choice...

...just add bacon:

Three seasonal veggie suppers

On the days we give meat a rest, and for many that of course is every day, it's nice to add something new to our meat-free repertoire - so here's a couple of ideas to try this Autumn...

...and you'll probably be surprised which sauces put the biggest smiles on the plate:

Let's show you how:

Roast Cauliflower & Squash Macaroni

Peel and cut the squash into inch squares and coat in a couple of spoons of Stokes Chilli Jam. Floret the caulli, put both on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil (we're using rapeseed oil at the moment, which is British and delicious). They'll roast until soft on a moderate 200°C, gas 6 in about half an hour to forty minutes.

Cook the macaroni as directed and the cheesy white sauce as normal. In a big bowl, mix the mac, veg and sauce together, add a couple of good shakes of Stokes Brown Sauce and spoon into an ovenproof dish. Grate cheese on the top - Red Leicester gives a good colour - bake, serve and smile.

Bloody Mary Penne

So simple - so good. Cook the penne (or whichever pasta you prefer) as directed. For the sauce: soften chopped shallots, celery and sliced courgettes in a pan (butter, oil - you choose). Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and reduce with a spoonful of Stokes Chilli Jam.

Now for the Bloody Mary, just add a couple of shots of Vodka and two desert spoons of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup to taste. Add the sauce to the cooked penne and enjoy - perhaps with a shot of vodka on the side.

Veggie Harvest Pie

This is sort of a Shepherd's Pie but without the meat. Now this does need a 'meaty' texture to bulk it out. You could use quorn, portabella mushrooms, cannelloni beans etc., or to make it simpler still, add chopped veggie burgers once the vegetable base is ready.

Try Stokes Creamed Horseradish in your mash

Make your mashed potatoes whilst preparing the veg. For the veg - use whatever you like really, for instance chopped carrots, onion, celery, turnip, parsnip, courgettes. Soften them all in a pan with butter, seasoning, fresh thyme leaves and garlic.

Add vegetable stock, a tablespoon of Stokes Tomato Ketchup and a tablespoon of Brown Sauce and simmer until everything is just so and umami.

Add the chopped veggie burgers and combine in an oven proof dish layering the mash on top and finish as you would a Shepherd's Pie. You might not want a meat version again!


September Roast Veg

I went into my local fruit and veg shop at the weekend and 'September' was waiting on the shelves: wonky carrots, squash, parsnips, Swede, potatoes, beetroot, red onions and more.

But this was all we needed for a roasting tray of seasonal goodness:

Peel as you prefer and chop everything to similar but fairly large chunks.

Season and liberally scatter chopped thyme and rosemary over the top. Drizzle with oil, honey and three or four good teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam. Cover with foil for the first hour on a moderate 200°C, gas 6. Remove the foil and finish for a further half an hour on a high 245°C, gas 9.


Stairs Crumble

- or 'apples and pears' if you prefer.

Peel, core and slice your collection of British apples and pears and soften in a large pan with sugar, butter and cinnamon.

To make a truly seasonal crumble, add some beautiful raspberries and intensify the flavours with two or three good spoonfuls of Stokes Raspberry Extra Jam.

For a foolproof crumble recipe and method, click on the image (right) - there's a useful 'how to' video too.

Ice cream, cream or custard?
It's ice cream for me. And to be truly indulgent, drizzle some Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing on the vanilla ice cream ... hello September !

Earthy juliennes of beetroot cook in claret 

to tenderise the rich ruby shards. 

No pickling, pure preserve, just 

great recipes cooked superbly.

Beetroot Risotto

This is a very tasty dish with vibrant colours and the earthy flavours of beetroot.

Peel and chop about 400 gms of beetroot into 2cm cubes.

In a roasting tray drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200°C, gas 6 for half an hour or until soft, then blitz with a hand blender - not too smooth, the texture adds to the dish.

Make up the risotto as you would normally: soften finely chopped red onions (in butter) with fresh thyme and a little garlic; add the Arborio risotto rice as directed; stir in a couple of glugs of dry white wine and, stirring constantly, add hot vegetable (or chicken) stock.

After 20 minutes add the beetroot mixture, heating through with more stock if necessary until the rice holds with just a light crunch.

Finish off with three desert spoons of Stokes Beetroot Relish and a generous crumble of feta cheese.

 Try these tasty twists using our Creamed Horseradish to liven up your day.

• Serve with scrambled or poached eggs - you can even add salsa!
• Add to hummus for a dip with extra zing.
• Pop a generous spoonful into your coleslaw for a side with a real bite.
• Stir into white wine and cream sauce, superb with smoked salmon!
• Mix into mash to make your roast super special.
• Turn tomato soup into a real winter warmer by stirring in a spoonful!

Velvety Celeriac Purée

You can also spoon Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce into a velvety celeriac purée. The sweetness of the celeriac sits beautifully behind the creamy textures and warmth of the horseradish.

DID YOU KNOW: 
A chap called Robbie in Essex supplies our horseradish. He mixes half wild and half cultivated, shreds it and washes it and it's this combination that helps us get the 'smooth to wow' ratio just right.

September Matchmaking

Romance on a plate is pan roasted duck breast, fried skin down with thyme and cherries then finished in a hot oven for 7 or 8 minutes. Let the meat rest, slice (cheffy style) and serve it on the horseradish celeriac purée. Finally, finish with a glaze of Stokes Hoisin Sauce. 

It's a sweet, rich, spicy, smooth and warming combination to make you smile.


Back to School

Simple really doesn't mean it has to be bland.

Stokes started with a passion for great tasting food, with full natural flavours that simply make us smile. This fuelled out enthusiasm for 'food made better'. So we created sauces, relishes and dressings that flatter the flavours of the food we eat - making mealtimes happy times.

'No fuss' Spanish Omelette

It's 'no fuss' because it's not really an omelette, just the general components of one. 

The trick is eggs (of course) and cooked potatoes (always cook far more waxy or new potatoes than needed and keep them in the fridge).

Now, get a wok and let your imagination do the rest. First heat some healthy oil in the wok, then:

Fry up spring onions, mixed herbs, sliced potatoes, a small tin of beans then add a couple of eggs. Serve with a salsa of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and a little Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce.

Try sliced red onions in a little oil; one inch lengths of streaky bacon (smoked); chorizo sausage slices; cooked potatoes and broccoli spears; a few cherry tomatoes and a glug or three of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce - then add the eggs to bind it and serve.  

It is actually a healthier option to chips and with endless possibilities ... it could even end up looking as healthy as this:

Tacos, tortillas or toast ?

Well it's unlikely to be toast when there is so much you can do to excite the after school palate with readily available tacos and tortillas. 

Chicken slices, peppers, onions and tomatoes can be wrapped with a coating of Stokes Real Mayonnaise.

Sliced sausage, chorizo and fried onion is a wrap just asking for Stokes Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup - or perhaps Stokes Brown Sauce.

Make it fishy with breaded cod fillets wrapped with spring onion in little gem leaves, served on a taco with Stokes Tartare Sauce.


Tortilla Lasagna

This is a special treat indeed. Make a delicious savoury mince either with minced beef or Quorn - fried onions, garlic, ground cumin & coriander, a few herbs, tin of chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. 

If you like it rich with tomato add Stokes Burger Relish. If you prefer a little extra zing, try Stokes Award-Winning Chilli Jam. You can add corn, chopped peppers, courgette - anything goes.

Now, in a round spring form pan (the diameter of the tortillas) place the first tortilla. Spoon a third of the mince on the tortilla and a sprinkling of strong cheese. Add the next tortilla and repeat to the last tortilla on top with lots of grated cheese to finish.

Bake at 200°C, gas 6 for 15 minutes and stand for 5 minutes before making everybody happy with generous slices and a salsa side.

When it comes to tortillas - you've got tea wrapped.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

 














 

Sustainable cod, a homage to British fishermen, 'Simple Twists' and AWARDS !

Great news for fish 'n' chip lovers

We can now enjoy North Sea cod with a clear conscience after the fishery was awarded sustainable status by the Marine Stewardship Council last month. Stocks have reached their highest levels for over 35 years.

Whether you love them or hate them, whether you're a weekly devotee or have them as 'an occasional treat' - there's something special about a freshly fried piece of cod and chips 'how the chippy makes them'. With gravy, with curry sauce; with mushy peas or without. Salted and vinegared, wrapped good to go.

Then there's the question - what to have with them. We all have our favourites: tartare, mayo, ketchup or brown sauce - Stokes of course.

What's your favourite sauce or chippy ritual? Please tell us: tweet here, or post here. 


Forties, Fisher, Dogger

Three of the met regions surrounding the British Isles fishing regions and announced in the Shipping Forecast on the BBC. It's essential listening for the brave crews who do what they do in all weathers give us our catch of the day.

Mustard Crust - a lovely addition to succulent fresh fillets of cod.

Combine three or four tablespoons of good olive oil, a weighty teaspoon of Stokes Classic English Mustard (add more later to taste), two grated garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves in a bowl. Mix in a cup of breadcrumbs, squeezing or pressing to saturate bread, until evenly coated; season with salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon.

Put the fish fillets skin side down in a large buttered ovenproof pan; press the breadcrumb mixture on the fish; and bake in a pre-heated oven 180°C, gas 6 until the crust is a golden brown crust texture, 10–15 minutes only.

Andalucian Cod Bake- really easy and packed with cod-loving flavours.  

Trim and season a couple of decent sized cod loin steaks and set aside. For the Andalucían tomato sauce (our take) in a large skillet (with a lid); soften one chopped Spanish onion, one sweet red pepper, a chopped stick of celery and roughly chopped pieces of chorizo sausage (as much or little as you like) to add that smokey paprika depth.

Now add a tin of chopped tomatoes and bring to the simmer. Add a dozen black stoned, chopped olives; two tablespoons of washed capers; a sprig or two of fresh thyme; and the grated zest of half a Seville orange. Season, adding three teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam and a few glugs of our Award WinningTomato Ketchup. Reduce to a thicker intense simmering sauce.

Pop the cod loins onto the simmering sauce, put its lid on (or seal the top with foil), turn the heat off and leave for 10 to 15 minutes until the cod has steamed to perfection in all those Andalucía flavours.

Bloody Mary Rose Sauce - a delicious alternative to Marie Rose sauce.

The North Atlantic Prawn is a truly delicious thing. A pealed pile of the little beauties on crispy iceberg lettuce with this wonderful sauce is pure heaven. Simply use three parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise to one part StokesBloody Mary Ketchup and enjoy.

Grub on the go for busy August gastronomes

It's been the usual eclectic British summer so far, switching from heatwave to chill from one day to the next. I don't really like to spend too much time in the kitchen during August but do still want to share meals to make us smile and flavours to make our taste buds tingle.

So, here are some recipes and ideas for snacks, lunches, simple suppers and tasty food tips for you to try.

We will introduce sauces, dips and other Stokes goodies, sharing the team's favourite twists to make Stokes Sauces work even harder to excite and challenge the palate.


Simple Twists

Egg & Bacon Salad

Make a three egg omelette rolled tightly and sliced into roulettes (or eggy strips). Sauté cubes of smoked bacon. Use the bacon and omelette strips to garnish a green salad dressed and dress with Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing.

...add chilli salsa:
Roughly chop some vine tomatoes, cucumber, sweet red pepper and stir with our Olive & Balsamic Dressing, spooning in Stokes Chilli Jam to taste. Add this to the salad before garnishing with the bacon and omelette. (Melting cheese in your omelette works really well too.)

American Salad
They would call this a Cobb Salad in the States. For this British twist: chop bacon and begin to brown; cut boneless chicken into strips and cook with the bacon.

Toss romaine, watercress or rocket with chopped tomatoes, avocado, spring onion and crumbled feta or blue Stilton cheese. Add the meat and dress with Stokes Caesar Dressing.

Pasta Romana
A simple Italian classic: Lightly cook plenty of grated garlic in good olive oil (watch it so it doesn't burn). Add half a dozen anchovy fillets and a dozen stoned, sliced Kalamata olives.

 Finely chop and add a hot red chilli (two if you like more fire). Coat with olive oil and Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing and serve with pasta. The Mango & Orange offers a gentle sweetness against the salty anchovies.

Pasta di Mare
Really simple and truly tasty. Whatever seafood you want, warm or cook it in lots of olive oil with fresh garlic, thyme, basil, marjoram and parsley.

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and two tablespoons of Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce and a couple of good glugs of Stokes Award Winning Tomato Ketchup. We love Guiseppe Cocco pasta, to whom the image ( above right) pays homage.


Winners !

We couldn't be prouder of the Great Taste Awards announcement this week and the veritable larder of Stokes products that are winners.

Not one, not two, but eight delicious ticks in the winners box. You are not just shopping for Stokes - you're enjoying Award Winning Stokes:

Bloody Mary Ketchup
Chilli Ketchup
Tomato Ketchup
Original Barbeque Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Chilli Jam
Red Onion Marmalade and
Fig Relish

National Burger Day

24th August is National Burger Day. Organised by Mr Hyde, there are burger events being organised nationwide and the chance to collect vouchers offering 20% off. Moreso, this is an opportunity to try venues you might not otherwise have considered visiting.

Take a look at their website (here) and you might find something interesting near you.

The burger (right) is one of those @AubreyAlley will be serving on the day, with @StokesSauces of course.

Alternatively, get together and make your own fabulous stack of yumminess. Or pop down to the butcher for a selection of their own posh patties. Whatever you do, don't forget the Stokes Burger Relish.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

 

Strawberries & cream; the great outdoors; and a bounty of British produce

Schools break up, the holidays start and another British summer rolls in off the Atlantic, up over the West Coast and out again over Northumberland. But what will it bring?

If you follow Lord Byron's pessimism: "The English winter - ending in July, to recommence in August", you'll be preparing for the worst. But if you take our foodie optimism, you'll simply be catering for all occasions.

At least store cupboards and fridges can enjoy playing host to a bounty of British produce. So, hats off to Summer and let's share some tasty thoughts.


Summer Salads need Summer Dressing

The great thing about salads is that there are no rules - you can mix, add and dress them however you choose. The variations are limited only by the imagination, or perhaps our willingness to play. These are a few salads we have enjoyed playing with so far this summer. You may get a few ideas you'd like to try or suggest some variations of your own: tweet here, or post here. .

The simplest and most refreshing salad on a hot day is a Greek Salad. Try this little twist - before assembling the salad, marinate the sliced tomatoes in Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing which uses wonderful Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil, full of the flavours of Greece.

Caesar Salad is an al fresco favourite. Take it to a higher level by coating the chicken pieces with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce before char grilling. Add to the salad with anchovies and chopped hard boiled eggs, then generously coat with Stokes Caesar Sauce (it's delightfully creamy, made with free range eggs, parmesan cheese and garlic).

A further tasty dimension is to add crisply grilled shards of pancetta for its texture and flavour.

Fruity Additions. Take a basic peppery salad, the peppery pre-packed trio of rocket, watercress and spinach works well. Add a sprinkling of crumbed walnuts for texture and thinly sliced rings of red onion for zing. Cubed ripe avocado work well here too.

Now slice and add some juicy strawberries and a scattering of healthy blueberries. Balance the sweetness with stilton or feta cheese and dress with Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing. The combination of textures and flavours is mouthwatering.

Mint & Basil Tomatoes. The simplest things are often the best. This makes the perfect accompaniment to barbequed meats. Torn basil (or preferably the little leaves on Greek Basil plants - Waitrose have them) and chopped fresh mint.

Pour a generous amount of Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing and leave to marinate. Serve with a sprinkle of good sea salt flake to punctuate the flavour. Yummy.

The Broad Bean - dilemma

They're in, they're fresh, they're a symbol of summertime and they're deliciously versatile - but can I be bothered to buy an armful of pods for a handful of beans ... not really, truth be told. If you have children at home, have a phone and tablet-free hour ... instead of an i pad, have a you pod!

Broad beans are an excellent vegetable source of protein and fibre. Rich in folate and B vitamins - great for blood cell development, cognitive functions and energy.

However you buy them - frozen, podded, or in pods for hours of podding fun, broad beans are so versatile. They absolutely love fresh mint, crispy bacon or pancetta and cheese such as pecorino or a dry crumbly feta.

Here's a tip, 1.4kg of beans in the pod deliver about 350g of podded beans.

Broad Bean & Wasabi Salad
Make the wasabi mayo with 7g of wasabi paste, 50g of Stokes Real Mayonnaise and the juice of one lemon mixed well together. Add and coat cooked, cooled beans with the wasabi mayonnaise and plate on a nest of pea shoot salad.

Broad Beans with Tomatoes & Anchovies (optional)
Using 350g net weight podded beans to 450g halved cherry tomatoes. Sautee the tomatoes in olive oil adding chopped marjoram and crushed garlic to taste. As they caramalise add the cooked, cooled broad beans and warm through. If using the anchovies, add four chopped beauties now and stir in with two teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam. This is delicious on toasted ciabatta.

Minty Potato Salad
Boil some lovely little new potatatoes with two or three sprigs of fresh mint. Add equal quantities of peas and broad beans for the last five minutes and set aside to cool. Coat well in a dressing of equal parts of greek yogurt and Stokes Real Mayonnaise, the juice of half a lemon, lots of fresh chopped mint leaves and two teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam.

Pea & Broad Bean Hummus
Another easy one - mash equal parts cooked, cooled peas and beans to a spreadable paste, holding back some of the broad beans. Mix the paste with a tub of hummus with lots of fresh chopped mint and the remainder of the beans more roughly crushed for texture. Stir in two tablespoons of Stokes Chilli Mayonnaise until the consistency is right to serve on toasted pitta bread. Yummy with a few olives and sun dried tomatoes on the side.

Basically - while they are in season - make the most of them.


Getting the most from your Stokes Sauces

I don't know if you are like we used to be, but we were always left with half or quarter finished bottles and jars of sauces whenever we tried something new. That's why we are determined to help our Stokes friends use every last teaspoon of goodness with fresh ideas for using your sauce.

We have created a set of recipe cards for our most popular products, each offering ideas beyond the usual 'dollop on the side of the plate'. There is so much you can use the sauces, ketchups and preserves for.

Recipe cards are available at participating Farm Shops, Butchers, Delis and other independent retailers.

If you remember in last month's newsletter (here) we suggested a number of ways to mix two or three sauces together, adding additional ingredients to create new flavours all of your own.

It's not only good fun, but you might discover whole new taste experiences. There are a few ideas for our original BBQ sauce. Just click the image (left) to see a larger version.



Gravy with a twist

Here's a tasty tip to add a delicious twist to your gravy. Whether you make your own from a stock, reduce it from a jus, or - hmmmmm shake it from a jar, try this.

For an earthy sharpness stir in a spoonful of Stokes Brown Sauce; for a sweeter depth of flavour add a spoonful of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup; and for a richer hint of eastern spices add a good dollop of Stokes Curry Ketchup.

You'll know how much to add when it tastes ... yummy.


Leftover Chicken ? - give it a right Royal Coronation

 

Before we get to the Coronation Chicken, to make your roast chicken taste better still, add a spoonful or two of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard to your gravy, stir it in to taste and enjoy the combination of sweet cider, hot horseradish and juicy pops of mustard grains running round the plate.

Coronation Chicken

For the perfect, speedy Coronation Chicken, mix two parts of Stokes Coronation Sauce with one part of Philadelphia cream cheese and fold to coat the shreds of cooked, cold chicken. Instant, smooth and oh so full of flavour.

It's great on a jacket potato, with a salad, or in a sandwich for supper.

Read on here for more Al Fresco favourites...

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

The Joy of June : Fresh flavours and beautiful British produce.

Best of British

Best British Food Brand. We have been nominated for the 'Best British Food Brand' in the 'Great British Food Awards' 2017.

The Awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country's finest home-grown ingredients, as well as the hard-working folk who produce and cook with them.

Behind the scenes our team of judges, including John Torode, Rachel Allen, Val Warner and Nathan Outlaw are busy taste testing the very best in British food and drink. Their findings will be unveiled in the October issue, out September 8th. Have your say across 20 foodie categories.

Vote now and you'll automatically be entered into The Great British Food PRIZE DRAW to win one of 36 fantastic prizes worth £7000! 

You can help us by voting here by 17th July.



Al fresco or picnics - we're eating outside !
It's National Picnic Week 16th - 25th June. Read on for some tasty al fresco foodie thoughts.


Sandwich Saucery

Forget the old days of British Rail's dried up curly tasteless sandwiches, a good sarnie can be a taste-bursting delight. Whether it's in a roll, batch, sliced bread, cobbler, ciabatta or even a wrap - the filling is King and the sauce its flavoursome Queen.

From the simple, to the extravagant, the variety of sandwich fillings and picnic side dishes is limited only by the imagination. Even the simple favourites can be given a lift with an extra dollop of this or spoonful of that.

A firm favourite is egg mayonnaise. Free range eggs boiled (just), peeled whilst warm and coarsly broken up with Stokes Real Mayonnaise and some freshly snipped peppery cress. Try adding a teaspoon (or more) of Stokes Chilli Jam. I've just had it for lunch and it is really very very good.

Mixing and matching Stokes sauces and relishes is not only good fun, it opens the door to all sorts of new taste experiences.

Go on, try it, get them all out and let your imagination run riot. This was the making of 2 parts mayonnaise to 1 part chilli jam for a delicious accompaniment in a chicken and avocado sandwich.

The taller bottle at the back is one of Stokes truly scrumptious salad dressings, it's the Mango & Orange Dressing. Add this to the mayo chilli jam combo and coat lukewarm new potatoes with it in a salad.

Hand carved Wiltshire ham loves both mayonnaise and English mustard. Here though the twist is not to mix them together but to put Stokes Real Mayonnaise on one slice of the bread and Stokes Classic English Mustard on the other, laying the ham in between. You actually enjoy the individuality of each rather than the dilution of both.

Try your own combinations and please share your favourites with us: tweet here, or post here. 


 'Al Fresco'


Al fresco is derived from the Italian for 'in the cool' but is no longer used in the language. In fact it is more commonly a reference to spending time in jail. I know I've been glad to be released from one or two dismal outside dining occasions myself - but - there is hope ... it's all a question of taste.

Whether it's al fresco dining with friends on the terrace or a picnic in the park with the children, there are hundreds of truly delicious ideas that can turn the ordinary in to the extraordinary food to go.

 Caesar Salad is an al fresco favourite. Take it to a higher level by coating the chicken pieces with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce before char grilling. Add to the salad with anchovies and chopped hard boiled eggs, then generously coat with Stokes Caesar Sauce (it's delightfully creamy, made with free range eggs, parmesan cheese and garlic).

Seafood Salad - yummy. Turn it into a pesce fritto by tossing the calamari, prawns, small fish pieces in seasoned flour. Fry quickly in a hot wok, adding Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce for the last minute or two - it's great hot or cold.

Coronation Chicken - simple ... just add Stokes Coronation Sauce. Here's a tasty tip: if you want to soften the flavour of this wonderfully intense sauce, fold a spoon or two of Philadelphia creamed cheese into it.

Butter Bean & Potato Salad. Just mix a washed tin of butter beans with cooked and cooled baby new potatoes. Add a finely chopped sweet red pepper (for colour as well as taste) and coat with a smooth mixture of equal parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise and our Olive & Balsamic Dressing.

Stokes dressings offer two absolute classics in the form of the caesar and the olive & balsamic - but be assured they're classics made classically - using fabulous ingredients for fabulous taste.

If you haven't tried them yet, our Raspberry & Balsamic and our Mango & Orange are inspired. (Click the image above to find them all).

Be adventurous with them. At the weekend we marinated a new season lamb loin fillet in the Mango & Orange, adding fresh rosemary and thyme. This was followed with a bowl of mixed soft fruits soused in Raspberry & Balsamic dressing - or try drizzling the same onto a lush scoop or three of vanilla ice cream.

Keep watching as we will be adding more picnic and al fresco foodie thoughts next week.

In the meantime, this is an excellent link to the National Picnic Week website and a range of their own picnic ideas; here.


Happy (belated) Father's Day

We're simple souls at Mr @stokessauces, more into fine food than fine dining. If we can have ketchup with it, we are very happy - hence the efforts made to create our Tomato Ketchup and our Real Mayonnaise.

We tend to avoid restaurants unless we know they serve Stokes. Why do you think we started producing generous servings of easy to open sauce sachets for Stokes taste on the go!

And when we visit friends and family for supper, our 'bring a bottle' is usually ketchup, mayo and brown sauce.

Bubble 'n' Squeak. Turn this up to full yumminess by elevating it to a hash with corned beef and flavouring it with Stokes Brown Sauce. Served with a fried or poached egg and a dollop of Stokes Tomato Ketchup - heaven.

Another father favourite is mashed potato champ with Stokes Creamed Horeradish Sauce.

Smooth mash with oodles of butter, chopped spring onion greens and a spoon or two of our horseradish - it's pure foodie joy.

DID YOU KNOW

We get our horseradish from a small supplier in Essex. He combines half wild and half cultivated horseradish from his own fields. By adding the wild variety we create a stronger, more intense flavour but without making it so fiery it spoils rather than supports your food.

Now, depending on the weather, Father's Day @stokessauces will either be indoors with a gammon joint or outside with a barbeque.

The beauty of a lovely gammon joint is that its is so naturally tasty and juicy fresh from the oven, though perhaps that's as much a credit to Mrs @stokessauces' culinary skills as it is to Suffolk's pig farmers. It's sweetness can be set off by our Cider & Horseradish Mustard or the traditional full flavours of our Classic English Mustard.

And then next day, we have cold cuts. Whether it's with a salad and relishes, or with chips and a fried egg (ketchup, ketchup, ketchup!), it is bound to turn this Father's Day into a wonderful Father's Weekend.

If the sun shines and we take to the great outdoors for a walk with the wallabies and a barbie with the peacocks (yes really - more soon) - we can be sure that whatever we 'char', we've a great tasting sauce to go with it.

Happy dining - inside or out.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150