I would love to keep up the weekend traditions of big lunches with family and friends, but since I have moved away from home I have found I have neither the time nor the space. I know I know, these are excuses and every now and then I do attempt to rouse my inner hostess and try to impress my friends with some home-made dishes. Last weekend was the perfect opportunity and with a little help from The Black Farmer I think they were left suitably impressed.

The Black Farmer is a range of gluten free foods, including 100% British premium pork sausages, chicken, sweet mature cheddar cheese and a new range of sauces. The Black Farmer is based at a farm in the Devon hills, true cattle country with views of North Cornwall and Dartmoor. In addition to their award-winning Sweet Mature Cheddar Cheese, Premium Pork Sausages and The Black Farmer Bacon, they have also produced three delicious sauces. The Ginger and Lime, honey sweet with a lovely balance of ginger and garlic, is truly a zingy sauce for Indian meals and Chinese stir fry. The Spicy Muscovado, a mix of dark muscovado sugar, red wine and soy sauce, goes wonderfully with fish, meat and cheeses. The Sweet and Spicy Tomato Sauce, with 72% tomatoes and a hint of hot chilli and garlic, tastes great stirred through cooked pasta and as a topping for pizza. I got a bit inventive with the Sweet and Spicy Tomato sauce by topping cooked pasta with it, some mushrooms and a sprinkling of cheese and baking until the cheese began to bubble, delish.

Congrats to The Black Farmer whose free range, corn fed chicken products were recently awarded the Good Chicken Award by Compassion in World Farming’s Good Farm Animal Welfare 2011.

Check their website for more information and recipes.