The volunteers

It’s the nature of the Club that both members and volunteers come and go. Every year, a couple of the volunteers graduate from washing up or cooking to sitting down and enjoying the food - so the need for more helpers is on-going. The kitchen tends to be well-staffed on the day of the Lunch with servers and clearers working to Caroline’s brilliant rotas but new cooks are always needed. The more cooks on the list, the less the call on individuals over the course of the year.

Here’s Caroline:

You absolutely don’t have to be a star baker! We follow nice simple mostly traditional recipes and you can choose to prepare vegetables, main course or pudding. Cooking is done in advance, in your own home and taken to Brill Memorial Hall for me to heat through or serve straight away. I provide the recipe and the ingredients, dropping these off to your house if necessary. Dishes are for up to 12 people - although it’s fantastic if a cook is happy to cook for all 40 just once a year!

I need up to nine cooks every month, depending on how many portions each cook is happy to cook - so you can see why it’s good to have a long list of volunteers. It’s helpful if you can commit to three times a year - but once a year is equally helpful. Please email me if you can help.

The diners

Sarah and Tony Frewin of Temple Street in Brill have been coming to Lunch Club “for ever” - although, for many years, for Sarah this was an a server; “I used to come straight from work. I was so nervous, serving food to the older people!”

What do they like about Lunch Club? “Everything! Very good food - and good value. You couldn’t get two courses in a café fr a fiver, could you? And it’s friendly. Always good to see people and talk. We like that. It’s wonderful.”

Lunch Club favourite : Hot Plum Torte

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 110g soft butter, plus more for the tin 

• 110g caster sugar

• 150g self-raising flour

• 1.5 tsp baking powder

• 3 large eggs

• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

• About 1 Kg ripe plums (or plums as supplied by Caroliine), cut in half, stones removed

• 225g Demerara sugar

Directions

1. Generously butter a large lasagne type ovenproof dish or roasting tin about 4cm – 6cm deep. Alternatively, use two smaller dishes.

2. Measure the first six ingredients into a large bowl and beat until smooth.

3. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the tin or dish. Arrange the plums on top, cut side up and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar to form a thick layer. The torte can be made to this point and kept uncooked in the fridge for up to 12 hours. It is not suitable for freezing.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 - 40 minutes, until golden brown and the sponge springs back when pressed. Watch it doesn’t burn!

Either deliver to hall by 12.30 warm or deliver uncooked to hall and put in Memorial Hall fridge, covered in cling film and named, from 9am. Do not deliver to the hall any later than 1145 if uncooked!

Lunch Club favourite : Normandy pork

Ingredients

• 100g butter

• olive oil

• 2kg shoulder of free-range British pork, cubed

• 400g lardons or chunky streaky bacon, chopped

• 5 leeks, sliced

• 1 bag frozen sliced onion

• 4 celery sticks, chopped

• 5 carrots cut into 2-3cm chunks

• 2 eating apples peeled and cut into small cubes

• 500mls dry cider

• 500mls chicken stock

• 2 bay leaves and a sprig of thyme

• 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 3-4 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2tbsp water plus 150 mls crème fraîche (Caroline will prepare this and add to the dish in the Memorial Hall kitchen on the day of the lunch just before reheating)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 170 C, 150 C fan, 325 F, gas 3 (You can cook at a lower temperature for longer, if you wish.)

2. Put half butter and drizzle of olive oil (to stop butter burning) in a large casserole with half the cubed pork, season and fry for about 10 minutes until thoroughly browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and reserve. Repeat with the rest of the meat.

3. Meanwhile, in another pan, dry-fry the bacon until crispy. Remove, set aside, then fry the leeks, onion and celery for a few minutes, to soften slightly but not brown. Peel and chop the apples.

4. Combine the pork, lardons, leeks, onion, apple and celery in the casserole. Pour over the cider and chicken stock to cover. Cover and bring to the boil then cook in the oven for 1 hour before adding the carrots and herbs. Cook for a further 1 – 1.5 hours until the pork is tender. At this stage you can cool, chill and freeze the casserole for up to three months.

In the hall on the day: Add the crème fraîche, cornflour mix and mustard to the pan. Heat on the hob and stir until the sauce has thickened slightly.