National Bramley Apple Week -  6th-12th February 2012

The English apple is a favourite orchard fruit. There are over 2,300 varieties of dessert and cooking apples. Bramley apples are grown only in Britain and are highly recognised as the best apples for cooking! Their unique qualities make them one of the most versatile ingredients, in a savoury dishes or the traditional apple pie. For more information www.bramleyapples.co.uk

Find out more about our healthy apple pie recipe made with olive oil pastry.

In the UK, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day because it is the one day of the year when almost everyone eats a pancake! Shrove Tuesday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday and is the final day before the start of Lent, a Christian festival leading up to Easter Sunday. The name Shrove comes from the old word "shrive" which means to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before Lent began.

Lent is a time of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.

Check out our Greek pancake recipe with no butter.

Clean Monday also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, or Monday of Lent (7 weeks before Greek Orthodox Easter) is a Public Holiday in Greece that marks the beginning of Lent.

Clean Monday is celebrated all over Greece with a picnic at the fields, parks or nearby hills in the big cities. Flying kites is one of the common family  activities that take place in all towns and villages, which also feature plenty of music, dancing and delicious vegetarian food!

Lenten food, usually consists of vegetables, dried legumes and seafood such as kalamari, octopus, shrimps, oysters, cuttlefish, mussels and lobsters.

Halvas, is one of the main Lenten desserts served on Clean Monday. Check out our simple and healthy halva recipe made with olive oil.

Farmers’ markets offer the freshest local food to Londoners every week. Meet the farmers, fishermen, growers and bakers who all share a passion for home grown products. Get all the info about London farmers' markets at their new website www.lfm.org.uk