Great Britain GP 2019: Ploughman's Lunch
“The British-English noun ‘ploughman’s lunch’ denotes a meal consisting of bread, cheese, salad and pickle, usually eaten in a pub.
It was invented as a marketing term in 1957 by the Cheese Bureau, an organisation formed to promote the sales of cheese, when it began encouraging pubs to serve this meal.”
I am supportive of anything that promotes the sales of cheese. No one pays me to say this: Buy more cheese!
The Ploughman’s Lunch, from what I have seen, can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. A few slices of cheese, bread, and something pickled seem to be the only necessary criteria. The addition of ham, hard boiled eggs, fruit, or small vegetables such as tomatoes or radishes are all optional, but tasty.
Of course as soon as I saw “cheese” I immediately found my way to my local cheese shop (read: Whole Foods) and found all the cheese with little British flags sticking out the tops. In this case I found a delicious Stilton, a mustardy cheddar, and an aged Lancashire. A nice excuse to make a hearty whole wheat bread, and buy some adorable gherkins, I was totally on board with this meal.
The part I didn’t expect was the “pickle”. As an American when I think pickle, I think brined cucumber, most likely dill, often sliced — sometimes called a gherkin or cornichon if it is tiny and imported. I know you can pickle other things, like pickled beets or japaleños (two of my favorites), but I had never heard of “pickle” other than perhaps the “cheese and pickle sandwich” spoken about between Endeavor and DI Thursday. As it turns out, it is a sweet relish made of vegetables often served on sandwiches, and a popular component of a Ploughman’s Lunch.
After figuring out what it was, I quickly decided to become acquainted with it! I made Karen Solomon's Ploughman's Pickle which made enough to feed an army and then some. And I can absolutely see the appeal. It is tart, sweet, tangy and lovely with some aged cheddar or other cheeses on a thick slice of bread. However, this particular recipe was also perhaps a little too sweet and chunky for my preference. I searched around and found a Small Batch English Pickle Recipe for American Kitchens which looks like a much more reasonably sized (and flavored) recipe. Next time I’m looking for a complement to a bread and cheese meal, I’ll definitely try that recipe from Good Cheap Eats.
Most sources I read also say a chutney can be used in place of pickle, and I can see this working quite well, in fact my mom makes a mean tomato chutney that would be perfect here. Once I wrangle that recipe from her I’ll make sure to share it!
Admittedly, Ploughman’s Lunch is more of a concept than a recipe, but here goes…
Ploughman’s Lunch
Ideas from Spruce Eats, The Guardian and good ole Wikipedia
Main Components:
Crusty bread
Butter
Cheese(s), 2-3 types
Pickle or Chutney
Optional Additions:
Sliced Onion
Pickles (gherkins/cornichons/whatever you call them)
Hard boiled eggs or scotch eggs
Sliced ham
Fruit: pear, apple, grapes
Vegetables: sliced cucumber, radish, cherry tomatoes, torn lettuce
Best served with a freshly poured beer!