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Jo Thoenes: Seasonal Food and Wine suggestions for the month of June

Seasonal Food and Wine suggestions for the month of June

BBC Radio Oxford - Jo Thoenes, Seasonal Food and Wine suggestions for the month of June

Chef Paul Bellchambers & Wine expert Sophie Rudge with with seasonal food & drink ideas.

The Late Chef,Paul Bellchambers & Wine expert Sophie Rudge wet your appetite with this months seasonal food ideas and wine to complete the perfect picture.

WINE SUGGESTION OF THE MONTH:
Ridgeview ‘Bloomsbury’ Brut English Sparkling Wine, 2008 Vintage (prices vary but around £22).  

Stuffed Breast of Lamb
Serves 4-6
Preparation time – 45 minutes
Cooking time – 1½ hours
WINE SUGGESTION:  
Rioja, a red wine from Spain.  It comes in three quality levels from Crianza, Reserva to Gran Reserva.  I would suggest a Reserva for this dish as it has more spicy / savoury flavours that will harmonise with the complex stuffing ingredients.  There are lots of good ones around so ask your local wine merchant.  2004 was a particularly good vintage and is still on the shelves.  It doesn’t have to break the bank either – a good Crianza £7 and reserve £11-13 then the sky’s the limit.

If you are not a red wine drinker and would prefer a white with this dish, the Hatzidakis 2009 Santorini Assyrtiko is a delicious full-bodied dry wine that has plenty of acidity (to cut through the fat of this particular cut of meat), a herbal flavour and a delicious rich nutty character.  A light white would just be bowled over by the richness of this dish so ditch your Pinot Grigio for this particular dinner!

Ingredients
1 breast of lamb approx 800g
Cider or water
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Stuffing
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
Tablespoon of Calvados or brandy
1 teaspoon chopped thyme 
1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
120g mince lamb
100g lamb liver coarsely chopped
2 lambs kidneys with fat/sinew removed and diced 
50g fresh white breadcrumbs 
Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil for cooking

Method
For the stuffing, fry the onions, garlic and herbs in oil until soft (4-5 minutes), add the Calvados or brandy and flambé (allow the alcohol to burn off). Put in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and pepper then put to one side. 
Lay the breast of lamb skin side down. Spoon the stuffing on to the centre of the lamb. Then roll the joint up tightly and tie with cook’s string every 4 centimeters. Coat a roasting tin with some oil. Put the lamb joint in the tray and into a preheated oven (220C/400F/Gas Mark 7) for 20 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 180C/325F/Gas Mark 4, for another 1½ hours. If meat looks as if it’s burning cover with foil to protect the meat. When cooked set aside for 10 minutes. 
Deglaze the tin with the cider and use the liquid for jus to serve with the meat. 
Serve with spinach, carrots, mashed potato, spring greens or whatever you like to go with a joint of meat. Also make a rich gravy using the juices in the roasting tin. 

Balsamic Strawberries and Panacotta
Serves 6 individual servings
Preparation time – 40 minutes
Chilling time – overnight
WINE SUGGESTION: 
Brachetto is an Italian semi-sweet sparkling red wine with 5-5.5% alcohol.  It is perfect for picnics, a lunchtime tipple as it's got the lower alcohol and because it is slightly sweet, it goes sublimely with strawberries.  An alternative that's probably more available would be an medium-sweet red Lambrusco.

Ingredients
Balsamic strawberries
400g strawberries, quartered or halved
60ml light red wine
30ml or 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
15ml or 1 tbsp of runny honey

Panna cotta
10ml or 2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
320ml whole milk
Grated zest of 1 lemon
30ml amaretto or kirsch
1 vanilla pod split and seeds extracted or teaspoon vanilla essence
600ml double cream
50g caster sugar

Method
1.	Put 450ml of the cream into a pan with the vanilla, lemon zest and caster sugar. Slowly bring to a boil then strain into a bowl. 
2.	Put a pan with water on to heat, in a heatproof bowl put the liqueur and sprinkle with the gelatine. Stand the bowl over the simmering water and allow the gelatine to dissolve. Add a little of the cream mixture to the liqueur mixture and then add that to the rest of the cream mixture and leave it to cool.
3.	Whip the remaining cream until it forms soft peaks and fold into the cooled cream/liqueur mixture. Divide the mixture into individual moulds (150ml) and chill until set. 
4.	Put the wine, honey, and vinegar in a pan. Bring up to the heat until the mixture is combined, then turn off the heat. Add the strawberries and stir gently for 1 minute. Remove the strawberries and boil the liquid for 3-4 minutes to reduce to a syrup. Let it cool. 
5.	Remove the panna cotta from the fridge, run a knife between mould and panna cotta, turn over and tap sharply to release. Or dip the mold in a bowl hot water to loosen the panna cotta. Do not dip for too long as the panna cotta will melt. Serve with the balsamic strawberries and drizzle with the syrup. 

And author Sally Nicholls joins Jo to talk about her life, her involvement with the Witney Book Festival, and what her faith as a Quaker means to her.

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