A truckle of hard cheese made with cow's milk, made like cheddar. It has a pale golden paste and a rind coated with paprika. It is made by the Ilchester Cheese Company, Ilchester, Somerset. This cheese is made with pastuerised, whole milk. The curds are cooked and pressed. It is made with vegetable rennet so is suitable for vegetarians. This mild cheese was traditionally smoked over apple wood but nowadays the flavour is constructed by adding flavours to the cheese as it is no longer smoked.
The Silver or Large Appleyard duck is a good layer as well as being a good table duck. It is so attractive that it is often used simply as an ornamental breed. First developed in the 1930s and 40s in the United Kingdom by Reginald Appleyard, the aim was to produce an all-round duck. They are broad and alert, active ducks with orange legs. The dark green head of the drake has silvery markings and a white/silver line separates the claret feathers at the base of the neck and the shoulders. The claret feathers of the breast have white beneath and the bib fades into silver under the body. Over the back the claret merges into dark grey feathers and the rump is solid dark green, as are the feathers under the tail. The tail itself is grey with broad white edging. Their wings are chestnut, grey and white with a iridescent blue flash. The drake's bill should be yellow - green. The duck's head and neck are silver white with a band of brown flecked fawn over the crown and back of the neck. This band merges into the heavily fawn flecked feathering of her back without a break. A fine fawn line marks through the eye. Most of the body from breast to flank is creamy white. The tail is darker fawn as are the wings. Her bill is yellow with a brown saddle.
The apricot is a round, yellow to orange fruit with velvety, quite tough skin having tender, sweet and fragrant flesh with very little juice. It has a stone which contains an edible kernel which is used in jams (US: jelly), confections and liqueurs. It dries well and cooks well and is an excellent table fruit when it is ripened properly. It is usually best to select smaller fruit as they are inclined to have more flavour. Apricots are related to the peach, are highly perishable and have a short season. The finest are said to come from Hungary. It originated in China and moved slowly westward, died out and then recovered in the 15th century.
The most famous apricot brandy is distilled from the fruit, rather than flavoured, and is called Barack pàlinka, 40%, from Hungary.
The small flat kernel of the stone of the apricot. Because these are naturally toxic they must be blanched and then dried in an oven before use. Famously used to make amaretti.
