The Village Kitchen

Starters

1. Choose even-sized potatoes. Scrub well.

2. Prick with fine skewer and rub with beef or bacon dripping.

3. Bake in a moderate oven, Gas 6, 400 deg F, 200 deg C, for 1 to 1/4 hours (according to size of potatoes).

4. Cut in half, lengthwise. Remove most of insides.

5. Mash insides with a good piece of butter, adding salt and pepper and 50 grams/2 oz of grated cheese per potato.

6. Spoon into potato shell, place in oven for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the mix to heat through.

Nice topped with a bacon roll. De-rind the bacon rashers of streaky bacon, roll up and place on large skewer on a baking tray. Cook with potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes.

Try also with egg. After spooning mashed potato and cheese back into potato case, make a hollow with a spoon. Crack in an egg, put a knob of butter (to stop egg going hard) on top and return to the oven to reheat the potato and set the egg.

1 marrow, about 990 grams/2 lb2 small onions190 grams/7 oz mushrooms1 small tomato25 grams/ 1 oz butter (or margarine)2 tablespoons of wholemeal breadcrumbshalf level teaspoon of sageSaltBlack pepperA little hot water, if necessary

Use a dish that will be a tight fit for the marrow

1. Peel marrow and cut off one end. Scoop out the seeds.

2. Peel onions and chop them finely.

3. Wipe mushrooms and chop them finely.

4. Skin and chop up the tomato.

5. Melt butter or margarine in a frying pan. Fry onions gently for 2 or 3 minutes until soft but not brown.

6. Add mushrooms and fry lightly for 2 or 3 minutes.

7. Mix together tomato, breadcrumbs, sage, a little salt and plenty of black pepper, freshly milled if possible.

8. Add to this the mushroom mixture and combine it all. It may be best to mix it with your hands. It should feel firm. If it is too dry add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water.

9. Stuff the mixture into the marrow and replace the cut-off end. Cover with well-greased, greaseproof paper and foil and put in a tight fitting dish.

10. Cook in a moderate oven, Gas 3, 325 deg F, 160 deg C for 2 hours or until marrow is soft all over.