RecipesUK 
Ploughman's Lunch
A traditional British cold lunch platter with cheese, pickles, and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1-2 handfuls lettuce leaves
- 1-2 tomatoes, sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 1 apple, sliced
- 100g cheddar or preferred cheese
- Chutney or pickle
- Crusty bread or crackers
Method
- 1
Wash and slice lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and apples
- 2
Create a platter with cheese, bread, chutney, and vegetables
- 3
Add protein if desired (eggs, ham, nuts)
- 4
Sprinkle with herbs or cracked black pepper
Swaps & variations
- Add boiled eggs
- Add sliced ham or roasted chickpeas
- Add radishes, celery, or beetroot
- Add fresh herbs like parsley or chives
Storing & freezing
Assemble fresh. Vegetables keep 2-3 days refrigerated separately.
Grow it yourself
- Lettuce: Sow regularly spring-autumn. Grow in partial shade in summer
- Tomatoes: Grow in greenhouses or sunny patios. Feed weekly once fruit sets
- Cucumber: Grow in greenhouse or warm corner. Provide vertical support
- Apples: Plant bare-root trees in winter. Prune annually
- Basil near tomatoes: improves flavour and repels pests
- Chives deter aphids on cucumbers
- Companion flowers attract pollinators
- Bird nets protect ripening apples
- Lettuce: Pick outer leaves first in cool morning
- Tomatoes: Pick when fully coloured
- Cucumbers: Harvest when skins are glossy
- Apples: Lift gently—if it comes away easily, it's ready
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