The second of our "manly recipes" for Father's Day, by Simon Cave.

Ploughman’s Lunch (Serves 4)

  • 500g good quality cooked ham, cut in very thick slices
  • 1-2 large pieces of hard cheese, such as mature Cheddar and Stilton
  • 1 loaf farmhouse bread, sliced 2 apples, cut into pieces Chutney, to serve Pickled onions to serve Mustard, to serve

For the piccalilli:

  • 100g sugar
  • 1l cider vinegar
  • 1 cauliflower head, broken into small florets
  • 500g French beans, trimmed and cut into large pieces
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and thickly diced
  • 2tsp mustard powder
  • 2tsp turmeric
  • 1tsp honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 9tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • salt and black pepper

For the beetroot salad:

  • ½tsp caraway seeds, toasted
  • 4tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 shallots, finely shopped
  • 4tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 beetroots, boiled, skinned and roughly chopped
  • Salt and black pepper

For the piccalilli, bring sugar and cider vinegar to the boil. Add cauliflower, beans and cucumber. Cook for three minutes, then remove and drain.

In a mixing bowl, combine mustard powder, turmeric, honey, garlic with white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir well before adding sunflower oil. Put onion in a bowl, add vegetables and dressing, and toss. Keep refrigerated, use within two days.

For the beetroot salad, toast caraway seeds in vegetable oil in a hot frying pan. Mix together shallots, caraway seeds and vinegar in a bowl and add the oil. Add beetroot and stir gently.

To serve, assemble all the components, preferably on a wooden board. Serve with beer.