Try these super Country Food Trust recipes to serve wild game for supper, created by Tim Maddams for the charity feeding people in need with game. The spicy partridge ‘cowboy’ beans and garlic crust are guaranteed to impress, while the quick pheasant and broccoli pasta is the perfect midweek supper.

The Country Food Trust was set up to ensure everyone, regardless of economic circumstance, has access to a balanced and nutritious diet, by feeding people living in poverty using countryside produce. Their aim is to feed 1 million people in food poverty in their first five years. To find out more about the Country Food Trust’s super work, and to donate today, visit their website.

THE COUNTRY FOOD TRUST RECIPES, BY TIM MADDAMS

I have been involved with shooting almost as long as I have been involved with food. Both are a fascination but food comes a close first for my attentions – and wild food is a passion. This month we will be reaping the bounty of spring’s wild greens – wild garlic, sorrel, alexanders, sea beet and more.

Shooting, stalking and fishing are a natural extension to foraging for me, so rabbit, rook, venison and pigeon will be making an appearance on the menu as soon as I get all that leftover game out of the freezer (I like to capitalise on the glut of pheasants during the season). Excess gamebirds should never be an issue but as the sport grows and the market for some shot game takes its time to catch up, there is the consideration of potential waste lurking in the background. It is never right to waste food and certainly not with so many people in need of a meal.

The Country Food Trust has been feeding people in need with its delicious, game-based meals for years. As well as creating long-life ready meals for food banks it is keen to get charity kitchens using fresh or frozen game. To that end it has teamed up with a host of well-known chefs who have come up with tasty, simple recipes that anyone can make from the kind of ingredients likely to be on hand in a charity kitchen. The brilliant James Murphy has donated his time and that of his staff and studio to create the images, some shown here. Enjoy the wild harvest and the places it will take you this year – I know I will.

SPICY PARTRIDGE ‘COWBOY’ BEANS & GARLIC CRUST

Serves 4

• 8 partridge breasts, thickly sliced or diced, or 350g diced partridge/pheasant
• 2 tins baked beans or cooked beans or chickpeas
• 1 dsp treacle
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp each of ground coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper
• 1 dsp smoked paprika
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small tin chopped tomatoes
• 8 slices of bread, well spread with garlic butter

In a large casserole, heat the beans and add the rest of the ingredients bar the partridge.

Cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the partridge.

Top the mixture with slices of garlic-buttered bread and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes.

QUICK PHEASANT AND BROCCOLI PASTA

This quick pheasant and broccoli pasta is the perfect, midweek supper.

Serves 2

• 250g minced pheasant meat
• 100ml olive oil
• 1 head broccoli, stem finely sliced, florets roughly chopped (other greens can easily be substituted, cabbage, chard, courgette, spinach, and so on)
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 500g dried pasta
• Salt
• Grated cheese to serve

Allow the pheasant meat to come to room temperature for half an hour or so.

Place a large pan of salted water to boil on the stove.

In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and begin to sweat the broccoli stalks, chilli, onion, garlic and herbs in the oil.

Once the broccoli stems and onion have softened a little, turn up the heat and add the pheasant meat and tender broccoli florets.

Cook the pasta in the salted water.

After the pheasant mince and florets have cooked turn the heat off and add a ladle of water from the cooking pasta pan.

Once the pasta is ready drain it and add it to the pheasant and broccoli mix. Toss well, adding more oil if it looks dry and a squeeze of lemon, grated lemon zest and chopped parsley if available.

Serve in bowls with grated cheese to garnish.