SOMETIMES even older children need a little guidance with activities during the long summer break. Following on from last week’s delicious lamb and vegetable crumble, this week we have a great recipe for a classic bacon and egg pie.

Let your youngsters impress their friends by inviting them around for a home-cooked tea, made from fresh, local ingredients bought at your next Worcestershire farmers’ market.

If their friends survive the experience – and I’m certain they will – why not have your budding Jamie Olivers and Delia Smiths cook a meal for the entire family once a week. They will feel good having accomplished something new – and you can have an evening off.

Hopefully, by this stage, you will know that you have succeeded in producing a selfreliant young person, who will be able to fend for themselves when they – eventually – leave home.

Send your young people off to the farmers’ market to pick up the following ingredients (although, some they will have to buy in a store):

CLASSIC BACON AND EGG PIE

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets of puff pastry
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 rashers of bacon, trimmed and sliced
70g peas
100g of grated cheese
2 tomatoes
6-8 eggs

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Lightly grease a pie or quiche dish and line with one sheet of pastry. Spread the onion and bacon over the pastry and cover with peas, grated cheese and slices of tomato. Then, crack the eggs over the top, keeping the yolks intact (if possible).

Lay the remaining sheet of pastry over the top and trim around the edges of the dish.

Cook in your pre-heated oven for between 40 and 45 minutes, or until your pie is golden. Serve hot.

This meal goes well with grilled tomatoes and a green leaf salad – all of which you will be able to buy at your next farmers’ market.

Today’s market is in Victoria Square, Droitwich, from 9am until 2pm. Next weekend’s markets are in High Street, Bromsgrove, from 9am until 5pm on Saturday, August 14, and in Angel Place, Worcester, from 9am until 3pm on Sunday, August 15.