Starter :

Javelin Speared Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 tbl spoons of Olive Oil

2 Large Echalion Shallots Finely Chopped

1 Clove Garlic Finely Chopped

400 g Asparagus Spears

500 ml Rich Vegetable Stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 Table Spoons Crème Frech

Preparation method

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and fry for four minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute

2. Add the asparagus and cook for another two minutes.

3. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reduce the heat to simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the asparagus is cooked through.

4. Add the crème frech  and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

Main course:

Runner Bean parcels with Olympic swimming seared Tuna and Jersey Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 Tuna Steak per person

Olive Oil

5 or 6 New Jersey potatoes per person

100 g of Runner Beans per person

100 g Chives – cut long

1 clove Garlic

50 g Butter

Method:

1. Put  the new potatoes In a saucepan with boiling water and cook on a medium heat for 12 minutes.

2. Whilst the potatoes are cooking Blanch the Chives in boiling water.( Insert for 3 minutes into boiling water) Prepare the runner beans and tie them into parcels with the softened chives

3. Steam the Runner bean parcels for about 5 minutes

4. Heat the Olive Oil Till Hot and Sear each Tuna Steak for 2 minutes on each side. Depending on the thickness of the steak – it should leave a little bit of Pink meat in the middle.

5. Chop the Garlic Fine and heat gently in a Pan with the butter till melted.

6. Serve all together and Use the Garlic butter as a dressing over the Tuna and Beans

Dessert:L'ile Flotante served with golden canoe biscuits

(Serves 4)

For the meringues

6 organic medium egg whites

Juice of 1 small unwaxed Lemon

120g golden caster sugar

1 ltr whole  milk

Seeds of 1 Vanilla Pod

For the custard

10 medium organic eqq yolks

85g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp cherry Liquor

For the caramel

50ml water

100g caster sugar

Poaching the meringues

· Place the egg whites into a clean bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice.

· Whisk to soft peaks then add the sugar a third at a time, whisking all the time

· Whisk to firm peaks

· Put the milk and the vanilla  into a large shallow pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to just below simmering.

· Using two tablespoons dipped in hot water, scoop out 8 quenelles of meringue and drop into the simmering milk.

· Cover with a lid and poach for 7-10 minutes, carefully turning them over halfway through.

· Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on a small tray, reserving the poaching milk.

· Place in the fridge and chill until ready to assemble.

Making the custard

· Place the egg yolks and caster sugar into a mixing bowl, and whisk together lightly. Strain the reserved meringue poaching milk into a clean pan and heat until nearly boiling.

· Pour over the egg yolks whisking all the time then pour back into the saucepan.

· Place back on the heat on a medium heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the custard begins to thicken and coats the back of your spoon.

· Pour immediately into a large serving bowl, add the kirsch and cool over a bowl of ice

To assemble the dish

· Place the poached meringues on top of the cooled custard.

· Place in the fridge and chill for up to 24 hours

Making the caramel and serving

· Pour the water into a straight-sided sugar pan and then add the sugar and cook over medium heat until dark golden brown.

· Dip the base of the pan into a bowl/pan of cold water to stop the caramel cooking on.

· Spoon over the chilled meringues and serve immediately

Golden Canoe Biscuits:

Ingredients

130 g soft butter unsalted

60 g golden castor sugar

130 g plain flour

60 g cornflour

Preparation method

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the plain flour, corn flour and salt, and stir well until the mixture is smooth and uniform. (I find it easiest to keep pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl to mix it.)

2. Bring the mixture together and Roll out.

3. Cut into Canoe Shapes

4. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.

5. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

6. Remove the shortbread from the oven and sprinkle over some caster sugar. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing it from the tin and cooling on a wire rack.

D

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Worth watching we think.

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I have been manufacturing GRP products in Kent for eight years now, and in that time I have seen great changes in the sector. When I first started, some of the modern manufacturing tools and techniques were being drip-fed down from the big boys (Toyota, Ford...) to be adapted and adopted by the SME community. That is where MAS has been - encouraging us, sharing best practice, bringing in experts from different industries to show how these theoretical pieces fit into their operations.

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