Last updated 19:50, Thursday, 21 August 2008

ON A wet weekend earlier this month we did two cookery demonstrations at the Lowther Show.

Despite conditions that would give any muddy Glastonbury music festival a run for its money, we were pleasantly surprised by the turnout.

We were also amazed and very proud to see the quality and variety of local food and drink producers.

For us, it was worth visiting the show just for that aspect alone.

Here we are once more to champion their cause.

It really is worth buying local, where possible, not just to give support and decrease air miles; but because otherwise you’re simply missing out on great quality food that has been lovingly prepared.

The mundane gets a makeover this week with macaroni cheese getting the Cumbrian treatment.

We’ve chosen two ingredients from two different suppliers.

The first is pancetta from Barry Shaw meats. He is part of the taste of the lakes group we featured a few weeks ago at www.tasteofthelakes.com

His business is based in Wigton and as the website says is open 6.30am to 2.30pm Tuesday to Friday, but he also does mail order.

The second is our favourite Cumbrian cheese supplier, The Cumberland Dairy, based in Appleby and online at www.thecumberlanddairy.co.uk

We are using their cobble tasty cheese.

It is similar to mature cheddar with a sharp tangy flavour.

Ricky took it when he appeared on UKTV’s ‘Market Kitchen’. It was put forward for a cheese tasting challenge against Mrs Kirkham’s – a Lancastrian equivalent.

We are happy to report that the Cumbrian choice triumphed victory as the favourite.

Needless to say, if you can’t get hold of these products, you can by all means use substitutes.

Serves 4

750ml milk

50g butter, plus extra for greasing the dish

50g plain flour

1 bay leaf

175g grated cobble tasty cheese, plus a bit extra for sprinkling over the top

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 dollop English mustard

salt and pepper

10 rashers of Barry Shaw’s pancetta, sliced into small strips

300g/10½oz macaroni (you can use different pasta if you prefer, but adjust the cooking time accordingly)

Bring a large pan of water (big enough to accommodate the pasta) to the boil and add some salt. Cook the macaroni in the water for two minutes less than the cooking time stated on the packet. Drain well and set aside.

As the pasta is cooking, you can start the sauce.

Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook over a low heat for four or five minutes while stirring with a wooden spoon.

This process will remove the ‘rawness’ from the flour to improve the flavour of your sauce. The mixture will form into a ball which has the consistency of wet sand.

This is referred to as a roux.

Add a splash of milk and let it absorb into the roux while you continue to stir. Continue this process adding a bit of milk at a time, very gradually.

Keeping this slow and steady pace at the beginning will eliminate lumps from your sauce. Begin to add a little more milk each time after around a quarter of it has been absorbed as the mixture will become more stable.

Once all the milk has been added, pop in the bay leaf and cayenne. The amount of English mustard you add is up to you. We use about a heaped dessert spoon full.

Simmer the sauce on a low heat for around a further seven minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

While the sauce is simmering, lightly fry the pancetta (we just dry fry it in a pan allowing some of its fat to render out) then drain on kitchen paper.

Add the cobble tasty to the sauce and stir well.

Butter a baking dish.

Add the pasta and pancetta to the sauce and stir together. Pour the pasta mix into the dish and sprinkle over the extra cheese.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for around 25 minutes.

Serve with a crisp salad.