I came across a fascinating story which told about how people were coping with the UK’s present credit crunch. One publicans way of getting through was to offer a unique service to homegrowers and producers alike.  Basically the idea is if the pub’s chef can place it on the Menu you can trade that item in at the pub in return for pints of the best beer within the pub.  So if your vegetable patch is bursting with vegetables ready for harvesting, why not take them to your local Pub and offer your produce in return for pints of beer.  One customer regularly brings in rabbits caught on their land for the chef to serve in the restaurant.

From my point of view everyone is a winner in this situation. The ingredients are fresh from the land and the customers spend time in the pub to keep this community establishment open. The pub retains customers from great publicity and quality of food, as well as community spirit, fantastic idea. May be we can spread the word and get these scheme’s going up and down the UK.

Talking of rabbits here is my grannies favourite rabbit hotpot recipe for your to try.  (Basically rabbit is like chicken so you can actually take a recipe which uses chicken and replace it with rabbit if you have never cooked rabbit before.)

You will need:

4 Rabbit portions
2 x 15ml spoons flour
Salt
Black pepper - freshly ground
2 Large onions, peeled and sliced
2 Large carrots, peeled and sliced
300-450ml chicken stock
2 x 5ml spoons prepared mustard
1 x 15 ml spoon freshly chopped parsley
450g potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
25g Lard melted

Season the flour with salt and pepper and coat the rabbit portions, then place in a casserole dish. Add the onions, carrots, stock, mustard and parsley. Cover with the sliced potatoes, then brush with the melted fat. Cover and cook in a preheated moderate oven (150C / 325F or Gas Mark 3) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then remove lid and increase the heat to hot (220C / 425F or Gas Mark 7). Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are brown.

To help with the peeling of all those vegetables make sure you invest in a good vegetable peeler. It was the only way I could get my children interested in food preparation, as my daughter used to cut half the vegetable off with the skin when she was helping to prepare a meal until I brought her a vegetable peeler  You can now buy an array of vegetable slicers etc. Take a look as these items can make vegetable preparation alot easier and quicker for you, if you are not brilliant with a knive.

What would you trade into the chef at the pub for a pint of his best beer? Let me know, as it is great to hear from you all.