(soaring instrumental music) - Cooking is really at its best when it's shared.

(drums bang) (Mary gasps) Wow.

So I'm off to visit inspiring communities across the country to see how food brings them together.

(people cheer) That's a bit of all right.

- Hey!

- Exploring some exciting places.

It's extraordinary!

It's huge, isn't it?

- Look at that.

Beautiful.

- I can think of no better place to be While sharing mouthwatering recipes of my own.

That looks amazing.

I can't wait to eat it.

I'm at the ready!

So let's get to it.

(people cheer and clap) (cheery upbeat music) I've spent a lot of time watching cricket in clubs just like this one because my husband and boys love to play.

Breaking for tea during a cricket match has been a tradition as long as the game itself.

It always reminds me of summertime.

I used to pretend that I was there for the cricket, but it was the cricket teas that were my forte.

I have some wonderful recipes to share that are perfect for any sporting picnic, and right off the bat, my brownies are always a hit, and there are never any leftovers or the next innings.

Who doesn't love a chocolate brownie?

I've got the ultimate recipe here.

It is very, very rich, gooey in the middle.

It's got a crust on top.

It's very, very good.

(pleasant bright instrumental music) All made in one bowl, this is a no-mess, no-fuss treat, just pure indulgence.

Start by melting 360 grams of dark chocolate with 225 grams of butter.

Just go on, just pressing against the side, mixing that until it'll run smoothly.

It's got a lovely shine to it.

Then add 225 grams of light muscovado.

It's the perfect sugar to give the brownies a really gooey center.

Then I'm going to add four beaten eggs.

In it goes.

I've done a lot of baking in my life, and I find it's the thing that I go and do when I've got time on my hands, but most importantly of all, if you make good bakes, you're friend of so many.

That's perfect.

Absolutely smooth.

Then in goes the self raising flour, just 75 grams.

You add it at the end because the chocolate was fairly warm, and it wants to have cooled down.

Beat that in, and it wants to go in smoothly.

That's beautifully smooth.

No sign of any flecks of flour.

A teaspoon of vanilla extract will add to those rich flavors.

(pleasant upbeat music) Vanilla and chocolate go very well together, and it gives a really lovely flavor.

Finally, 75 grams of dark chocolate chips.

This is the perfect indulgent chocolate brownie, and just to come across those few lumps of hard chocolate is lovely.

No dividing up needed.

Simply pour into a greased lined tin 38 by 23 centimeters.

And if you think there's lumps in there, it's not.

It's those chocolate chips.

This gloriously gooey mix will need a little encouragement to make it level.

Into the corner over here.

That is perfect.

Pop into an oven 160 degrees fan for about 45 minutes.

(soft bright orchestral music) I've been drawn in by the smell of chocolate, and the time is up for the brownies.

Just look at that.

A perfect brownie.

Should have that lovely shiny top.

Don't worry about the odd crack.

Part of its charm.

Wait for it to cool before sharing.

It'll be worth it.

This reminds me of feeding my husband Paul and our boys when they played cricket in the village.

We wives would all do it together.

It was all a social thing, great fun.

So cut it into 24, and then just cut these across.

(parchment paper rustles) Little pieces because it really is very, very rich.

It's melt in the mouth.

It couldn't be more chocolatey.

Rich, gooey, and totally irresistible, this is a treat that goes a long way, perfect for sharing.

This really is the ultimate brownie.

(heels clack) (pleasant orchestral music) (birds chirp) My family have always loved cricket, and I have always cheered them on, but not on pitchers as impressive as this one.

I may have made a lot of cricket teas for my village club, but feeding the England team is a first.

Fresh from their test match success against New Zealand, in just two days time, England will face off against India here in Birmingham.

I'm so excited to meet two of our top stars, Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow.

You really must be on a high because New Zealand was so successful and we were so proud of you.

- Yeah, no, it's been an amazing few weeks, and this guy's obviously been pretty special as well, leading us to the last two test victories really, but yeah, hopefully long may it continue.

- So you both bat and wicket keep.

I know all about wicket keeping 'cause my husband was a wicket keeper, and Hobie, my grandson, is wicket keeper, and I've spent many, many hours on the cricket pitch but making the teas.

- It's good fun, wicket keeping.

I mean, it's not grand.

The fingers, a lot of broken fingers along the way.

- Actually, it must be bad on the knees 'cause you're always down there, aren't you?

- Bad on the knees.

Bad on the fingers.

I think you've done all right making the teas, I reckon.

- I think I'm on the right side.

(players laugh) (jaunty music) (bat thwacks) I'm more at home with Battenberg than batting practice, but my husband and grandsons wouldn't forgive me if I didn't have a go.

Have I got my hands right?

- Yep, that's perfect.

- You ready?

- Kind of.

- I'm terrified.

- (laughs) One, two, three.

- Ah, straight drive.

- It's not six, though, is it?

- It's not six, - Got the ball.

probably four.

- That's the straightest four.

- I didn't miss anyway, did I?

- Absolutely not.

It's gone for four.

- [Ollie] It's a better technique than mine.

- Correct, and mine.

I've only been trying to do it for 20 years.

(Ollie laughs) - [Mary] My first four at Edgbaston.

Maybe I've got a six in me.

- Right, we'll go again.

- Wait a moment.

They usually roll the sleeves up.

- Always roll the sleeves up.

- Get the guns out.

- Right.

- One, two, three.

- Ah, that's a shut.

- But not far enough.

I wanted to get it right over to your stand.

- Well, that's what Ollie said for a little while there as well, so you've hit it further than him.

- Yeah, exactly.

I couldn't even hit it that far.

(players laugh) - Spending hours on a pitch like this one, you certainly would build up an appetite.

Cricket tea's when I used to do them with sort of ham sandwiches, scones, a nice fruit cake.

- Oh, those are the days, weren't they?

- Yeah.

Every now and again you get cheese and ham toasty, don't you as well?

- Well, every now and again.

I wish we were having that these days.

It's more like a protein shake and the more sensible options.

- Mind you, it does work, doesn't it?

- Every now and again.

- That's a good thing because I have a special dish to share that I know will bowl them over.

(soft jaunty music) Jonny and Ollie have certainly earned themselves a lovely lunch.

This is a beautiful salad of rice, hot smoked salmon, and asparagus.

It's light, it's nutritious, and full of flavor.

I've got 300 grams of rice and wild rice, and I've cooked it according to the packet.

The wild rice is a grass, and it gives it extra texture.

Six finely sliced spring onions, a bunch of flat leaf parsley, and another of chopped dill create the perfect balance of flavors.

(pleasant instrumental music) I love the brightness of the herbs.

It's got to look good as well as taste good and, of course, be very nutritious.

So far, this is all about the herbs, but my mustard, honey, and lemon dressing will give the dish a real boost.

Good to make it in a jug because I'm not gonna splash it all over myself.

(whisk clinks) (soft bright piano music) Steadily pour in 180 mil of olive oil to emulsify into a thick dressing.

Then add the zest of one lemon for extra bite.

Right, now the rice is well blended with all those herbs.

I'm going to add the dressing, A little pepper and salt, and it will give it a real depth of flavor.

(spoon clinks) Pop the rice into the fridge to absorb all that gorgeous dressing.

Then it's onto the asparagus.

You don't want all that tough old stalk there, so you just snap these off.

If the spears are thick, cut them in half length ways, but these young asparagus look the perfect size.

I'm going to take these, make all the heads level, they're like little soldiers, and then shred up the ends.

So people will get perhaps little short pieces of nice tender asparagus, or they might get the end.

Just a little salt in there like that.

Only boil the asparagus for three minutes.

I don't want them to be soggy.

And while that's doing, I'm going to cut the eggs up.

I've soft boiled the eggs for about six minutes.

That's just perfect.

God, I got bright yellow yolks.

That means that the hens have been beautifully fed.

Eggs are ready and so is the asparagus.

Run them immediately under cold water.

It will stop the cooking and keep them green.

There we are.

And now for the final ingredient, hot smoked salmon.

It comes already prepared, and I'm just going to flake that up, and you'll be surprised when you actually break it up.

It's a lovely pale pink.

Normally, salmon is smoked raw.

Always has been.

This salmon has been salted first, then smoked at 50 degrees rather than the normal 25.

(soft bright music) All that's left is to bring these wonderful ingredients together.

So often a rice salad is absolutely boring 'cause there aren't enough exciting things in it, and I'm not sort of doing a pattern or anything.

I'm doing it fairly informally.

So where's there a gap?

Just there.

There we are.

And top it off with that hot smoked salmon.

I do like to keep these flavors separate, and I'm not going to toss it or anything 'cause that will spoil the appeal.

That's it.

Just a tiny sprinkling of pepper over the top.

That really does look tempting, doesn't it?

Just these gentle colors.

Now when it comes to the rice, that's bold flavors, beautifully seasoned, and the salmon tastes soft and beautiful.

Not only is it very, very healthy and nutritious, I think that it's something that maybe Ollie and Jonny haven't had before.

That should certainly set them up for a win.

Fingers crossed.

I hope you're going to enjoy it.

- Oh, I love salmon.

Not the best chef, but I think I can cook salmon, so that's one of my most popular dishes back home.

- So you cook for yourselves.

- Sometimes.

I keep it as basic as I can.

Jonny puts on a good barbecue like he did the other night, so if he's doing that, then I'm pretty happy.

- You do a barbecue?

- Yeah, I do enjoy a good barbecue, yeah.

- So come on, let's be hearing what you think about this then.

- This is lovely.

Couldn't be happier.

- If I tried to do this, I'd get it very, very wrong.

- Not if you followed my recipe.

- Well, this is a very good point you make.

I'll have to get that off you after this.

(everyone laughs) (soft bright music) - I'll send the boys my recipe with pleasure, of course, but let's see if it's going to give them the boost they'll need on the pitch.

Look at that!

- That's about as far as yours.

- No it isn't.

That was amazing.

I love the sound, the willow on the ball.

- One of the little sounds, isn't it?

- Yeah, it's- - That was amazing.

- Thanks so, so much.

- Whether you are batting for England or just having a knockabout in the garden, my next dish is perfect for a lazy Sunday in the sun.

Jumbo lentil spiced rolls, an alternative to sausage rolls.

Great to eat outside, perfect to put in a lunchbox, take on a picnic, hold them in the hand, and enjoy them.

(bright music) The key ingredient of this dish are the Puy lentils, which I simmered until tender, then drained.

So to add great flavor to them, first of all, I've got some soft goats cheese here.

Sun dried tomatoes.

I've chopped them up a bit.

Just a little bit of oil there.

That's all better.

Then it's in with freshly chopped mint and some grated mature cheddar before I spice things up with cumin.

I'm going to add two teaspoons.

Don't expect it to be strong.

It's sort of mellow and warming.

The moisture from the soft and creamy goats cheese will help to bind everything together.

It's just a little pepper and salt.

And that's it.

All we need is half a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry.

So I'm going to put half the lentil mixture in a row all the way down there, but, first of all, I'm going to put some beaten eggs so it sticks well.

Brush on both outer edges to get a really good seal.

That's it.

Now for that lightly spiced lentil filling.

It does look a bit like sausage mixture, doesn't it?

I'm rather under doing it at the moment.

Let's see how we go on.

I need a little bit more in the middle there, and always add to it 'cause you can't take away.

That's perfect.

I'm then going to pull this over the top.

Carefully now.

It's a warm day.

It's not the easiest thing to do.

Push that right over like that.

Then I'm just going to press that down all along with the back of my hand and 'cause I don't want the filling to fall out.

Then take a fork and just press along there, and that'll make sure that it holds together.

That's it, all the way along.

(soft bright instrumental music) Make a second roll and brush them with a little beaten egg to give a lovely golden color as it bakes.

25 minutes at 200 fan will do the trick.

I'm really pleased with those.

I think they look quite incredible.

Right, I'm gonna cut them into three.

Well, it's going through beautifully crispy.

I think I better have a taste.

Mm, my teeth went through like butter.

That is really, really tasty.

I never thought that anything could beat a sausage roll, but these lentil rolls really are pretty close.

(light upbeat instrumental music) In the world of competitive sport, good food can give the players an edge.

At Edgbaston, head chef Scott Marini is the man in charge.

He keeps the players well fed along with the thousands of fans.

It's a hive of industry here.

- Well as you can see, we're in full flow getting ready for the test match.

Here at Edgbaston, we have 11 kitchens.

- 11 kitchens?

Well, how many are you catering for?

- Major match day, we're looking at over 2,000 covers.

- Oh!

The mind boggled.

(people chatter indistinctly) (upbeat music) The kitchen is abuzz with activity.

I'm keen to see what's on the menu for the England team and their guest, India.

- [Scott] What we're gonna do with this, Paul?

- We've got squash steaks I'm gonna char grill, and I'm gonna do like the onions and the rest of the butternut squash, and I'm gonna do the butter bean cassoulet and infuse it all together.

- Sounds very delicious - I love that bean cassoulet.

- and pretty healthy, too.

- Oh, delicious.

- Well, that's to the players, so only the best.

- [Mary] It's great to see that the teams are so well looked after.

That cassoulet sounds scrumptious.

- Finished are the days where we used to do cakes and sandwiches for afternoon tea.

- So, in fact, that you work closely with a nutritionist to get the right food for the right team.

- Yes, correct, so make sure that everybody's happy and they are eating the correct foods at the correct times to get the best results when they're playing cricket.

- [Mary] The players may want healthy options, but thankfully, Scott also caters for fans who still like a treat between innings.

- So we're in the pastry area right now, and we've got some nice pineapple and ginger cake if you'd like to try a piece.

- Oh yes!

That sounds right up my street.

- There we go, Mary.

- Oh, it's just a little bit like a pineapple upside down cake, but it's got the moisture of a carrot cake.

I dunno if I can open my mouth like that, but I'll have a jolly good go.

That's a bit of all right.

- Hey!

- It's not too sweet.

- No.

- Well, I absolutely love it.

- Glad you enjoyed it.

Really, really nice, and it's one of my favorites, too.

- Like Scott and his chefs, I think a rich warming castle is a wonderful dish to serve after a day playing sport or simply to satisfy hungry teenagers.

Chipchip cassoulet.

Why that name?

It's got Chipolatas in, and it's got chipotle, if I'm saying that correctly, which is a hot paste from chilies.

Looks a bit like tomato paste, but it's, I promise you, pretty hot.

(soft upbeat music) (sausages sizzle) Fry off 12 Chipolata sausages in some sunflower oil.

Immediately that they touch the pan, they'll begin to stick, so just move them like that and keep turning them.

I think Chipolatas are great because you get a lot of crispy outside.

Keep moving them.

The more color they take on, the more flavor.

Beautifully brown.

Oh, I could eat one of those right now.

So tempting.

Now straight away, I'm going to put two onions that I've sliced up in there, then one pepper which I've deseeded, and then some garlic.

(food sizzles) Cook down for a few minutes to soften.

The moisture released will help lift that caramelized sausage from the bottom of the pan.

And now I'm going to add some more flavoring, first of all, the paprika, two teaspoons.

That's to give color, and it's not a very strong flavor.

It has that smokiness.

Then it's in with a teaspoon of that smokey chipotle paste and a tablespoon of tomato puree.

(bright upbeat music) (food sizzles) Now that really is a waft of smokiness coming up.

It's almost as though I've been barbecuing, but here I am in the kitchen.

Time for the liquids.

Stock, first of all.

That's 200 mil and about 100 mil of white wine.

(wine splashes) The alcohol will cook off, but the same quantity of stock could be used instead.

That's it.

(spoon bangs) Then I'm going to add the baked beans.

Always a favorite with children and extra flavor from that tomatoey sauce.

There you are.

The beans make it a cassoulet.

Season with a little pepper and salt, then back in with those lovely brown sausages.

So I'm going to simmer that for 25 minutes with the lid on 'cause I want the onion and the pepper to be tender.

As the cassoulet simmers away, all those sweet, smokey flavors are coming together as one.

Oh, the first thing that hits you, that lovely smoky aroma.

Finally, add 275 grams of fresh cherry tomatoes to that delicious smoky sauce.

Just push them down into the juices, and it'll only take a few moments till they've softened.

A cassoulet is great for teenagers.

They eat for Britain.

It fills them up, it's colorful, it's inviting, and they'll love it.

(bright jaunty music) To help satisfy those big sporting appetites, what's better than a baked potato?

There we are.

That'll help fill them up.

Just gonna check that they're done.

Perfect.

That looks amazing.

(sauce bubbles) Really yummy, and what I like is the extra smoky sauce that will go so well with those potatoes.

You can spoon it over, and it'll make a complete meal.

(bright instrumental music) Birmingham loves its cricket.

Clubs, schools, and local teams are busy training up the next generation, ready to score a century for their country.

(people shout indistinctly) (bats thwack) - [Paul] Good shot.

(claps) - Daisy, you will be gentle with me, won't you?

- Yeah.

- [Mary] I've stepped into the crease at a local primary school.

- Good shot.

- Oh, that was encouraging.

Well, I'm going out (laughs) while I'm winning.

You were a very good little bowler.

- Thank you.

Yeah.

- Do you like playing cricket?

My best batting days could be behind me, but head teacher Paul Sansom is making sure these players have a bright future.

- We've been playing cricket here for at least 15 years.

Okay, the children love it.

Still play a bit of football, but cricket seems to be really growing in popularity.

(people shout indistinctly) - You can't take your eye off the ball, can you?

- [Paul] Here are our Canty cricket players.

This is Hannah, and this is Issa.

- And you're brother and sister?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- [Mary] And what age group do you play?

- I play for under 11s.

- You should be very proud of that.

And which group do you play for?

- Warwickshire under 11s as well.

- And do you enjoy it?

- Yeah.

It's best game ever.

- And what's it like having your sister as well at the same time?

- Sometimes it can be annoying, but it's good practice.

- Well I think I'm better at cricket teas.

Would you like to come and help me?

- [Hannah And Issa] Yeah!

(soft upbeat music) - Thinking up snacks for children can sometimes be hard, but my recipe is perfect for young children and teenagers to make and share.

So these kebabs are great for a cricket tea.

I've got a skewer with a nice point.

This is mango going right through the middle there.

If you don't put it through the middle, it'll drop off.

Then a strawberry.

- Okay.

- Then pineapple.

Right through the middle, strawberry.

I've cut some of them in half, and then pineapple, and that was simple.

Have you made kebabs before?

- Yeah.

The meat ones, not these ones.

- That's perfect.

That's it.

Put them over there.

Pile them up.

But it's quick to make isn't it?

- [Issa] Yeah.

- Is this the sort of thing that you would like to have once you've done cricket all day?

- Yeah, it's nice.

- There's more to come, a lovely sauce to dip them in.

This is yogurt, and I'm going to add lemon curd that's straight out of a jar.

It's deliciously lemony.

(spoon clinks) That's it.

A little fresh mint.

You have mint in a lot of cooking, and I love it, and then I'm just going to mix it enough so it's a little bit streaky.

So it's not difficult at all.

That's it.

You couldn't have simpler ingredients, and it goes so well with the kebabs.

Just have a dipping and see what you think.

What do you think?

- It's very nice.

It's got the good taste.

- That's good, and what about you?

What do you think?

- You can really taste the lemon and the mint a lot.

It's very nice.

- So I'll drizzle it on before we get the team in.

Just a little over the top like that.

Delicious.

Here they are.

Lovely.

Can you stretch over?

Right, shall I pass you one?

There we are, and we want to know what you think about them.

There we are.

- Thank you.

- [Mary] Fresh fruit drizzled with rich lemon yogurt.

Tasty and simple.

Don't just tape my word for it.

- I think they're really delicious.

- I liked the strawberries and the pineapple in it.

It tasted very nice.

- The way you combined all the fruit with the lemons made it scrumptious.

- [Mary] Who would like to go home and make them?

- Me.

- Right.

Well, I hope you do 'cause it's very good for us.

(bright upbeat music) My family and I have always loved cricket, especially because it gave us time to share some wonderful food between innings.

What a treat meeting the England cricket team and the children that are the future of the sport.

And given the right nutritious boost, that future looks very bright indeed.

(uplifting music) Next time, I'm going back to Britain's blustery Jurassic Coast.

Saving the hat.

Exploring the world of hand diving.

- [Diver] I'll see you later.

(dog barks) - Plus an exciting new ingredient.

This is really tasty.

And some delicious food of my own.

Yummy.