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

Wow.

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

That's a bit of all right, isn't it?

- Hey.

- [Mary] 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.

(crowd cheering) (gentle music) (gentle intense music) Scotland will always hold a special place in my heart, not just for its breathtaking scenery, but also for the memories it conjures up.

I'm in Scotland's beautiful city of Edinburgh.

My mother was a Scot, and I feel really at home here.

(bright music) This weekend the city is simmering with excitement.

Thousands of people are here to share one particular passion, running in the annual Edinburgh Marathon.

- I'm all giddy.

- You're all giddy.

- [Runner] I'm very giddy.

- How long do you think you're going to take to do it?

What's your- - Hopefully between five and five and a half hours.

- Graciousness me.

(runner laughing) That's a long run.

I wonder what they've eaten to give themselves the energy to make it across the finishing line.

What'd you have for breakfast?

- Porridge.

- Certainly did.

- Lots of porridge.

- [Runner] Hi, how are you?

- Are you excited?

- Very.

- Nervous, but excited.

- So have you had a good breakfast to set you on your way?

- Porridge.

- Yeah.

- Everybody's had porridge.

- Porridge, it's the only way.

- Well, you know, when in Scotland.

(laughing) - Thankfully I'm not running today.

But what an incredible atmosphere, filled with characters who are raring to go.

Gracious Batman and Robin.

- Good morning, gracious Mary Berry.

- Lovely to see you.

What difference does it make when the crowds shout out?

Will that encourage you?

- Absolutely, yeah, it gives you the energy then to keep goin'.

I know the children have always got the big smiles on their faces, 'cause they're like, "It's Batman and Robin."

- What did you have for breakfast?

- Porridge.

- But if you're not a fan of the oat and are looking for something to have on the go, I have a very hearty alternative to put a spring in your step.

(gentle music) Eggy bread was a very much part of my childhood.

I make it for my grandchildren, and they love it.

They've got very good appetites.

I've lightly buttered the bread.

Now I'm going to spread some chutney or pickle.

I've got pickle here.

I love pickle chutneys in anything.

Goes so well with cheese and ham.

(bright music) Top with the avocado and two slices of ham.

Then I need cheese to hold it all together.

A grated, well-flavored cheddar cheese.

Right, there's my layers and pop that on top.

And you really have to press it down, otherwise it'll fall apart.

Now to turn this into magical eggy bread by dipping the whole thing in egg.

(fork clanking) And you just want to beat them as if you think of making scramble or omelet.

In it goes.

Something flat that will just take it.

So in the sandwiches go, like that.

You just take two.

That's it.

Let it run.

Now you can see that's really well covered with the egg.

And the other one all ready to be absorbed.

How quick was that?

Just heat up some butter and sunflower oil to fry them in.

If I just use butter, it's likely to burn.

(bright music) Now just leave that to sizzle and bubble.

The cheese will melt, the ham will become hot, and I want it to be golden brown.

They should only need three or four minutes on each side.

Fried bread is a real treat.

It's one of the things that if my husband has been very good and I've got some bacon fat, to have a piece of bread fried in bacon fat, there's not much better than that.

Right, I need to see if that's ready.

That is perfect.

And easy, they're quite easy to just flick over like that.

There we are.

I'm good at flipping pancakes, too.

(spatula banging) Crisp.

Don't they look fabulous?

A delicious alternative to get you going.

Oh, I love the fact that they're rich, golden brown.

There they are.

And these wait for no one.

So I'm gonna eat it straight away.

(gentle bright music) It really is cram-jam, full of flavor.

(gentle bright music) I can tell you that's going down a treat.

It's magical.

It's so good.

(bright gentle music) (whimsical music) Having stretched and warmed up, the moment these runners have been waiting for is upon us.

I'm so honored to have been asked to start this year's marathon.

Quite a nerve-wracking experience.

Well, good luck all of you.

You look amazing, and you've done your training.

All you've got to do is complete the course, and I know that you can do it.

Good luck, everybody.

(crowd cheering) I hope I've geed these runners up as they make their way to the start line.

I'm at the ready.

Just one more job left on my part.

(gentle intense music) And they're off.

(upbeat music) Go on.

(intense music) Good luck.

Over 30,000 eager souls from all over the world have come to challenge themselves on this marathon course around the Scottish capital.

(intense music) Hooray, go on.

Imagine how hungry these hoards will be when they finish.

(bright music) My next recipe is a real crowd pleaser, and you don't have to run a marathon to deserve it.

This is a rich short crust pastry, and it's got added Parmesan, and it makes it easy to handle and also it has a wonderful flavor.

The pastry should be about five millimeter thick, so it easily lines the sides and base of the tin.

Just trimming that extra bit of pastry off, it'll give a nice finish.

And then I'm just going to push the pastry in so it's proud with the edge, all the way along.

Next I'm going to prick the base with a fork.

Why?

Because when it gets in the oven and I'm baking it blind, it would rise up if I hadn't pricked holes, and you'd have a sort of bumpy surface.

(bright music) While the pastry chills in the fridge, slow roast a kilogram of sliced tomatoes.

This is better than putting them straight onto the pastry, as they would make it soggy.

I'm going to add garlic.

I've peeled it, and then cut it into slices, and then just put those in the gap, and that wonderful flavor will go into the tomatoes.

Then just drizzle the oil over the top.

It's bound to be good, isn't it?

(bright music) Season well and pop in the oven at 180 degrees fan along with the pastry to bake blind for about 20 minutes.

(bright music) Then remove the beans and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

(bright music) Once ready, the pastry will be golden and the tomatoes gently roasted and full of flavor.

Now comes the fun bit, putting it all together.

Because I want a really intense flavor of tomatoes, I've got some sun dried tomato paste here.

I'm gonna take about three tablespoons.

(gentle music) Spread that all across the base.

(gentle music) Then carefully arrange the roasted tomatoes on top of it.

It's holding together well.

These have nicely shriveled.

That means it's driven off any moisture, but they've kept their shape.

That's why it was so important to leave the skins on the tomatoes.

Also, one less job, no skinning.

So put that in like that.

Actually, once they're roasted like this, you can move them in so they fit like a jigsaw together.

Don't forget the roasted cloves of garlic.

If you've any leftover tomatoes, they can just be popped in salad or you could quickly eat them yourself on the side.

Back into the oven it goes at 180 fan for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Just enough time to make that delicious pistou topping.

It's similar to pesto but without the pine nuts.

I've chopped the garlic, added the mint, basil, a splash of lemon juice, and a good glug of olive oil, and just whiz it.

(food processor whirring) That's done.

(gentle guitar music) That just smells of fresh herbs and garlic, and doesn't it look great?

Absolutely vibrantly green.

(gentle guitar music) There's just one last layer to add to the tart.

Oh, it's knocking me back.

Wonderful garlicy smell.

So that's just heated through.

Then I'm going to put some brie on top.

It could be Camembert, any of the soft cheeses, and I'm just going to pop that back in the oven to melt.

So just put that over haphazardly.

A very good way of using up cheese when you've had a mixed cheeseboard and you have a little bit left.

So, back in the oven, same temperature, until that cheese just begins to melt.

Don't go anywhere, as it only needs about three minutes to melt.

(gentle bright music) Just looks so tempting.

(gentle bright music) With the pistou drizzled over the top, I can think of nothing more rewarding.

(gentle bright music) Each slice that you take out of this tart looks like a picture.

You don't have to do an extra garnish or a sprinkling of parley.

It is just perfect.

Basil and mint go really well together.

You've got the crispest of pastry with that Parmesan in, and then you've got the sun dried tomato paste, the intense flavor, then the roasted tomatoes, then the pistou.

Wonderful.

I'm not sure it's the dish for training, but it's certainly the perfect reward after a huge effort.

(crowd cheering) Only another 25 miles.

Look at them all go and still smiling.

Come on.

(crowd cheering) - Yeah.

(crowd cheering) - [Mary] What an admirable group of people.

(majestic music) While they forge on, I'm going to break away to visit one of my other favorite spots in Edinburgh, the Royal Botanical Gardens.

(majestic music) Just one mile north of the City Center, these 70 acres are used by so many.

One of the most passionate is local school, Pilrig Park.

- Remember we we just squeeze the pot a little bit and then we bring them out.

(indistinct chattering) - Hello, and what are you up to?

- We're using a pea frame to grow our peas.

- They're going to trail out beautifully.

Learning how to grow our food is so important.

These students come here once a week to take part in the Botanical Gardens Plot to Plate project.

- We've actually been gardening with children for over 25 years.

Food growing is such a brilliant thing to bring people together.

It's a great thing for health.

- I can see the joy on these young people's faces, because they're out of their routine.

They come here and look forward to it.

- I think there's just something great about being outside and just being able to get stuck in and have a go, grow your own things, get the joy of them growing.

We have a great time, actually.

It's one of the highlights of my week, working with Pilrig Park School.

- I bet it's the highlight of their week, and they look forward to next week, and they come back again.

- Yeah.

- It's clear that they are inspired by this wonderful garden.

Feeding this group won't be a problem.

I have the perfect dish that has peas at its core and will keep them all happy.

(bright music) Here's a spaghetti dish that's great for a crowd, and you can do it and be on the table in 15 minutes.

It is my go-to recipe of the moment.

A food processor makes light work of this sauce.

Throw in 125 grams of peas with two cloves of garlic.

Then I've got cashew nuts.

They're unsalted.

In they go.

Cashews will add such a lovely creaminess.

Fairly finely grated Parmesan cheese, that gives it a lovely flavor.

There we are.

And then a nice good size bunch of basil, and it's best, really, to give that a little chop.

And I put the stalk in as well, because it's going in a processor.

Give it a blitz, and slowly add a hundred mil of olive oil, a little at a time.

It's the most gorgeous color, and it took no time at all.

So the spaghetti I've cooked exactly as the instructions were on the packet, and that was 12 minutes, and I've drained it, but I've kept the water, because I need a little bit of that water to maybe make it a little bit slacker.

All that's left is to mix in more peas with the sauce, cooked spaghetti, and a splash of the pasta water.

Don't forget the salt and pepper.

Smells delicious.

I can't wait to eat it.

(bright music) And finally, the moment I've been waiting for.

(bright music) Oh, that's heaven on a plate.

I must get to those gardeners.

Have it while it's very hot.

(birds chirping) (gentle music) I hope you're hungry.

- Yeah.

(cheering) (indistinct) - Here we go.

- I'm starving now.

- It's pasta with peas and pesto.

- [Cath] Whoa, look at that.

Who likes spaghetti?

- Delicious.

- It's delicious, that's what I like to hear.

Well, you enjoy.

- Thank you, Mary Berry.

- It's been a pleasure and I hope that you are going to make this when your peas have grown up those sticks and you'll be picking them, shelling them, and putting them in this dish.

- [Student] Thank you.

- Do you think we'll have a go?

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- Yes.

(student clapping) - Now I might, yeah.

- You're quite good at that.

Twisting it 'round.

What an experience.

(gentle music) It takes me back to my own childhood with my mother.

She loved the garden and was a remarkable cook.

She taught me such a lot.

My mother grew up in a family where nothing was wasted.

Leftovers from Sunday roast were turned into a weekday wonder.

And this next wonderful recipe is just perfect for feeding the family today.

(gentle music) (bright music) It reminds me of all the wonderful casseroles that I used to have when I was young, and mum was the cook.

Start by browning off 1.2 kilos of diced lamb neck fillet.

I brown the meat, because it seals in the flavor and also adds to the color of the casserole.

Right, I'm now going to lift that out.

Once seared, put the lamb to one side.

In the same pan, add a drop more oil, and the sliced shallots, leaks, and carrots.

(bright music) In goes the garlic.

Now that's all the vegetables in there, and they just need to be tossed well together.

They don't need to be browned.

I find to get a really smooth result I'm going to mix the flour with wine and stock and then put it in.

It works for me.

So I've got 55 grams of flour.

I'm then going to add the wine.

I don't use expensive wine, unless there's expensive wine left, but I promise you at our house, it's never left.

(bright music) And I'm just going to blend it as you would do with old-fashioned custard.

Carefully pour this sauce in with the vegetables.

So I'm going to give that a good stir and bring it to the boil.

And our sediment that's at the bottom, that will all add to the flavor of my casserole.

(gentle bright music) In goes some soy, Worcester sauce, and mint sauce.

This is all to add to the flavor, and to the color, too.

And lastly, two tablespoons of red currant jelly.

So give that a really good stir, and at the end, before I serve it, I will taste it again and maybe add a little bit more of one of those sauce.

Don't be worried that it looks a bit too thick at this stage.

Once those vegetables have simmered down and the juices have come out of the meat, it will be thinner.

Season well and return the lamb to the pan to finish cooking in that rich sauce.

All I've got to do now is to bring it to the boil and then put it into the oven at 140 fan for about an hour and a half.

It might take longer.

Wait until the lamb is beautifully tender.

And the last addition to my minted lamb casserole, chestnut mushrooms.

(gentle bright music) I'm adding them at the end because I want to keep a lovely texture.

If I put them in the casserole for one and a half hours, they'll become very soft.

I want a little bit of bite still in them.

(mushrooms sizzling) (gentle bright music) Give them a toss in that butter.

They should be a gorgeous golden brown.

There they are.

(mushrooms sizzling) (gentle bright music) And I'm going to add them to the casserole when it comes out of the oven.

(gentle bright music) After 90 minutes, the slow cooked stew will be glorious.

(gentle bright music) Stir in the mushrooms, and it's ready to share.

(gentle bright music) I know it's going to be hot, but I do want a taste.

Mmm.

You must taste this, it's good.

And I think my mother would've approved.

(gentle bright piano music) (bright music) Back at the marathon I'm overwhelmed.

Where do they find the energy?

(crowd yelling) You're doing well.

Glad to see Batman and Robin are still powering through.

Come on, you can do it.

Just watching them makes me hungry.

I have a fabulous treat for them when they cross the finishing line.

It's a very indulgent recipe, with a very apt name for this occasion.

(bright piano music) And now for a little bit of sheer luxury, Honeycomb Rocky Road, and it is absolutely beautiful, and a lovely reward for our runners.

I've got milk chocolate here, and it's 400 grams just broken into pieces.

Add 225 grams of butter and six tablespoonfuls of golden syrup into a bowl over simmering water.

Oh, so good.

Very naughty, but once in a while, we need a treat.

Stir slowly until the chocolate and butter are melted.

Oh, it's lovely.

Gosh, this looks so tempting and I'm not dipping my finger in or licking a spoon.

I'm doing what I should do, stirring it 'til it's all melted.

This combination of butter, milk chocolate, and golden syrup is perfectly balanced.

And it looks lovely.

Beautifully runny.

In it goes.

Look at that.

I don't want to waste any, so let's scrape the last little bit out and in goes the digestive biscuits, 500 grams.

And I've broken them into little pieces, 'cause you want a bit of texture and you want to see that biscuit.

Just look at how easily that rich chocolate coats the crunchy biscuits.

Absolute heaven.

Then we're gonna put that straight in the tin.

Push it into the corners.

It can be as higgledy-piggledy as you like except for this one trick.

If you don't level it off, what happens is it breaks when you actually cut it up when it's set.

If you thought that was enough chocolate, then leave now.

I'm dividing four Honeycomb bars into thick slices.

You might say this is gilding the lily, but I don't think so.

It's just making it the very, very best rocky road.

So just put this in fairly sort of higgledy-piggledy over the top.

That's it.

How about that for a cook's perk?

Mmm.

That was my reward.

Take 75 grams of plain melted chocolate and use it as the crowning glory.

I love this bit.

It's always nice to think you've done the job and you've just got to make it look magnificent.

That will firm up in the fridge in about two hours, but of course I can't wait that long.

Pinch a bit from the corner so that nobody notices.

That's what I call a touch of luxury.

I reckon that our runners are going to really enjoy this, and they'll be queuing up for it.

(bright music) (crowd cheering) (bright music) The runners have finally come to the end of their rocky road, but they have another waiting for them in the wings.

And I've been joined by someone very special to me.

Would you ever have a go, Abby?

- I have done a half marathon with dad, but I think a whole marathon will be a whole different ballgame.

- [Mary] My granddaughter, Abby, is a student at Edinburgh University.

You take the Rocky Road?

- Yes.

- And is here to help share out my Rocky Road.

- Hi.

- Hello.

- It's Rocky Road.

- Rocky Road.

- And what do you think of it?

- It's really good.

- Take this.

- Thank you very much.

- Mary Berry's Rocky Road.

Wow, amazin'.

- Would you like a Rocky Road?

- I'd love a Rocky Road.

(Abby laughing) - [Mary] There they are.

It's an inspiration talking to some of the people who've completed this extraordinary task.

(bright music) - Oh, wow.

- Oh, fantastic.

- Try some Rocky Road.

- Oh my goodness.

- [Runner] This is amazing.

- [Mary] Do you think you need a treat now?

- Yes.

(laughing) - Okay.

(bright music) - It is delicious.

(laughing) (bright music) - [Mary] So how did you do, mum?

- Good, I got a PB for me, 3:12.

- Whoa, that's so good.

- Thank you.

- [Abby] Well done.

- So I've raised nearly £2000.

- £2000?

- Yeah.

- That's amazing.

Well, they seemed to enjoy all that.

- Yeah, they loved it.

- A great reward after all that work.

(gentle moving music) I'm so glad I returned to Edinburgh, and what an adventure I've had.

I've loved my time in this city, with it's warm and welcoming people, even if it's a little bit chilly.

Scotland is always close to my heart, and I will certainly be back.

(bright music) (bright music) (bright music)