Beet Relish - There are two types of beetroot: long and globe shaped. Use either for this spicy pickle, which makes an excellent accompaniment to cold meats. This is a good recipe for using up large, maincrop beetroots, available all year, which are tougher than the younger, small beetroots which are available in early summer and are so good in salads.
Brandy Snaps - Brandy snaps can be kept, unfilled, in an airtight container for up to a week.
Cheese And Chive Scones - So simple to make, and so mouth wateringly good, these cheesy scones are the ideal teatime treat.
Courting Cake - This is a real summer treat and a good way of using up slightly bruised or over-ripe strawberries or making just a few go further. It was originally made in the North by young girls for their betrotheds, hence the name.
Cumberland Rum Nicky - This rich and sticky tart is a northern speciality incorporating several of the exotic imports which came from Cumberland's trade with the West Indies. Dates, ginger and rum feature widely in many local dishes. This version also includes dried apricots and is made with wholemeal flour, making it a dish high in fibre.
Cumberland Stuffed Herrings With Mustard Sauce - Mustard sauce makes a good accompaniment to the oily flesh of herrings and English mustard has the 'bite' needed to make a good contrast with the rich fish. If herrings are unobtainable, you can use small mackerel or if only large fish of either type are available, serve each person a half.
Damson And Apple Tansy - Tansies originally always included the bitter-sweet herb called tansy, which still lends its name to many custard and omelette-type puddings. This sweet/tart combination with Cox's apples traditionally used the Witherslack damsons which grow south of Lake Windermere.
Eccles Cakes - Baked originally at Eccles in Lancashire, but now available countrywide, these cakes are pastries with a sweet spicy mixture enclosed in a puff pastry case. They should have a shiny coating and are best eaten warm.
Gingerbread Men - Gingerbread has always been popular in the North. Children love these shapes.
Griddle Pancakes - Today's cookers make cooking on a gridde much less of a hit and miss business than when the griddle or bakestone was perched over the coals of the fire. These pancakes or drop scones should be eaten as soon as they are cooked. They are quick and easy to make but don't reheat well.
Pan Haggerty - A warming filling dish at a bargain price. It's a good choice if you're planning an evening at the pub or for satisfying hungry teenage appetites. Use firm fleshed potatoes such as Desiree, Romano or Maris Piper as they will keep their shape and not crumble into mash at the end of the cooking time.
Rhubarb And Orange Flan - The use of orange juice in this flan offsets the natural tartness of the rhubarb, while the ginger adds a touch of spice. Rhubarb flourishes in the north of England and 81 per cent of the forced early crop is from there, though rhubarb is grown outdoors throughout other parts of the country.
Salmagundi - Salmagundi has been a popular cold dish for centuries, often incorporating other cold meats, fish and a variety of vegetables. This recipe can be made using chicken only and leaving out the duck. Select firm-textured vegetables and arrange the ingredients in ever-widening circles to create an attractive effect.
Shepherd's Pie - Few seemingly simple and traditional dishes have so much controversy about their names. There are those who hold that it is shepherd's pie when made with lamb and cottage pie when made with beef- and vice versa. Some people say it should be made with raw meat, others with cooked. This version has more flavoursome ingredients than some recipes and tastes excellent.
Steak And Kidney Pie - Crisp and light shortcrust pastry tops a mixture of richly flavoured meats in this all-time classic winter dish.
Stuffed Hearts - This traditional recipe for lambs' hearts was originally called Love in Disguise, one of the many fancy names given to offal dishes to mask their origins. The fresh, zesty stuffing ingredients complement the meaty taste of their casings.
Stump - This tasty vegetable puree combines three of the best of Britain's traditional root vegetables. It is a particularly good method of using up older carrots and swede, which tend to be tough unless cooked well You can vary the quantities if you prefer one vegetable to predominate but do include enough carrots to give an attractive colour.
Treacle Toffee - Many areas of the North have their own recipes for toffee, ranging from the dark, sticky Harrogate variety to the lighter, lemon-flavoured Everton version. When making this recipe keep brushing the sides of the pan with water to stop sugar crystals forming. Do not stir the mixture or it will crystallise.
Tripe And Onions - Lancashire claims to be the home of tripe and onions, an inexpensive and filling dish. Tripe is the stomach linings of an ox; the first stomach's lining is called blanket, the second honeycomb and the third thick seam. They all taste the same, only the appearance is different. Tripe is always sold dressed and parboiled.
Westmorland Pepper Cake - If youve never tried adding pepper to a sweet dish before now you'll be pleasantly surprised by its effect. It adds unusual spiciness to what is otherwise a fairly standard fruitcake and is just one example of the huge variety of fruit-cake recipes that come from this part of the world.
Yorkshire Curd Tarts - Perhaps a forerunner of today's cheesecakes, these small, rich tarts combine the savoury flavour of curd cheese with the sweetness of currants and peel, plus a kick from spices and a spoonful of brandy. Don't leave out the latter unless you have to - the dash of spirits makes all the difference to the taste.
