Shoulder of pork is best for this long slow cooking method, as the meat is layered with fat which slowly melts away. Try to find a traditional breed, e.g. Gloucester Old Spot, Saddleback, Black Berkshire or Middle White.

The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from ‘hot hands’ don’t have to worry about rubbing in the butter.

Recipe for Irish Blueberry Drop Scones

Mushroom Hunt Sunday, October 5 in the grounds of Radisson SAS Farnham Estate, Cavan.

Pears, gooseberries, apricots, rhubarb and plums are also good and the custard could be flavoured with a little cinnamon instead of vanilla if you want to ring the changes.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

SHEEP farmers here and in the rest of Europe are having a challenging time. Several major supermarkets are offering two for the price of one, which means the farmers get half the usual price for their produce.

THIS Provencal pizza uses both tomato sauce and Mozzarella, for those who like to always use them on a pizza.

140g (5oz) basic pizza dough

THERE is a restaurant in Naples called Da Michele, one of the oldest pizza houses, where they only bake two types of pizza. Neapolitan and Pizza Margherita, and they are jam-packed, making pizzas non-stop, all day long.