National Trust Family Cookbook (National Trust Food)

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They should set the table or pour the water. There's a community to being in a family; I don't want to be running a restaurant for my children until they're 18 and leave home!" Claire Thomson in the kitchen with one of her daughters The National Trust Family Cookbook is Claire’s new book and it’s full of beautiful and delicious family dishes with easy to follow recipes. They’re all family friendly and there are over 100 ideas for breakfasts, lunches at home, lunchboxes and evening meals plus desserts and bakes. It's really important to get them to help you, otherwise the food lands in front of them and they're expected to eat it," Claire adds. Her travels have shaped her love of food and the dishes she serves up at home, as well as when she cooks in schools.

Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess fat while you fry the remaining fish cakes. They're excited by the food in front of them, the kitchen is the axis of my home life and I want them to feel that food is a really normal thing, that it's not fetishised or not given enough credence. To serve, add the fish cakes to the rolls with a leaf or two of lettuce, some mayonnaise, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Squashed-fly cherry spelt biscuits Claire Thomson wants to revitalise cooking for the family – making it less of a chore, with separate meals for children and adults, and more of an enjoyable way to refresh your culinary imagination and make cooking for the family something to look forward to. Bake the biscuits in the oven for about eight minutes until they are just beginning to turn golden.

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As a mother and a chef, Claire gives real insight into what makes food appealing to all the family and how to shop, cook and eat as a family so that meal times are something for all the family to look forward to. And she's not a total stranger to fussy eaters, admitting that "Dot's not a saint - there are some days she just wants to eat boiled eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner". Melt two-thirds of the butter in a large wide pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon if using, the onion and leek and cook for about eight to 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the creamed butter mix, add the cherries and stir through. Mix thoroughly to combine. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.

Stir the mustard, mayonnaise, egg and half teaspoon salt into the mashed potatoes. Gently fold in the flaked fish with two tablespoons of breadcrumbs and the chopped herbs until everything is evenly distributed and holding together nicely. If you think the mix is too wet, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs. We've got a tiny kitchen but a great big kitchen table, because I think it's important that Grace should be sitting there doing her spellings, or Dot will be colouring in while I'm cooking - it's just day-to-day a real normalcy around food." In the new book, Claire's recipes are categorised by how long they take to cook, with sections for on-the-go breakfasts and lunch box alternative I’m really pleased that the book has so many vegetarian recipes too as I’m vegetarian and my family eats mainly vegetarian food. There are lots of yummy sounding recipes in here for me to try out. The photography is beautiful too and I love that there’s a mix of food photography and photos of the actual family cooking and kids enjoying the finished result. The only thing I would change is to include photos of all the dishes as that is something that I look for in a cookbook. Other than that, it’s pretty perfect!Claire Thomson wants to revitalise cooking for the family making it less of a chore, with separate meals for children and adults, and more of an enjoyable way to refresh your culinary imagination and make cooking for the family something to look forward to. Well-illustrated, practical cookbook, a must for any busy young parent' - Sunday Express, March 2017 In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, cream the butter with 75g of the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat to combine.