Cibare food magazine Issue One

Cibare

Issue one, September 2014

www.cibare.co.uk

Contents Health and Nutrition

Shopping Local

Getting back on track after the

Where to Buy Local

holidays

Shopping local to make your own Desert

Flirting with Fat

Grow your own garden A French Tale Feature: 5

Raw Confidence for a day.

The Nettle

Reviews

Future food

Tea

Cookie Corner

Coffee

Food Gadgets Sources and Credits

Alcohol Beer Soft Drinks Snacks Mediterranean Restaurants Secret Cafe

Food Breakfast Lunch Cheeses Dinner The Farmers Market Tomato Sauce with Prawns

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Welcome to Cibare!

We are not full of celebrity gossip or chefs telling us what is fashionable to eat now, we are just normal people who enjoy our food and health nuts who work with food and nutrition, sharing our ideas and passions with you.

We buy our food from local people and go to restaurants in our area to have a great meal. We are your friends and neighbours who love a good meal and a drink and every now and again might go for a run.

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Editors Note

From the Cibare team, enjoy our first issue, and tell your friends!

Best wishes, The Editor.

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REVIEW

It’s all about Tea.

by The Editor

There is something to be said about having a hot drink. I don’t know if it’s because we’re British or if it’s just a being part of human nature but there is nothing like a relaxing cup of tea that just makes you feels so good. It all started for some of us when we’re young and our parents drank tea and we wanted to be like them I know I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t drink tea. Throughout my life it has been there for me to make me feel better when I was ill or feeling upset. From having friends round for a cup of tea and a chat or going out for tea and cake. Whether it’s a part of our family traditions or a part of our social interactions, it’s an important part of our lives, well or at least it it certainly is for me.part of mine and I love that.

I’ve looked at a few different companies and their teas ranging from The London Tea Club to some that you can buy in your local supermarket such as Tea Huggers. I’ve found There are 4 different companies that you may not have heard of that all make a great cuppa.

Chash Tea

Chash very kindly gave me the most beautiful tea that I’ve ever seen. A Flowering Tea Ball. You pop a ball into a cup of hot water and watch as it slowly opens up to show a beautiful red flower. It’s very impressive and looks beautiful in a glass cup. But it 4

doesn’t taste like it looks, it’s very nice but it’s taste is closer to a camomile or single herb tea like a nettle tea. Both of these teas are really gentle on your stomachs and that is exactly what it did for me. I wasn’t feeling too good and it seemed to have settle my a delicate stomach. A lovely tea.

The London Tea Cub

This company is a club that you sign up to and they send you a little box in the post with a few little bags of wonderful tea, all loose but they also give you little bags for certain types of the tea for you to have in a tea bag.

The China Pearls , that come as a loose tea and but you simply just pop one of their pearls into your cup and watch it open up slowly. The tea pieces are quite large and sit at the bottom of your cup so you don’t have to worry about drinking them, but it looks really nice in your cup. The tea itself initially smells and tastes like a grassy tea but then as it strengthens it changes, I may have tasted it too soon. All I can taste, now that its flavour has come through, that is a watered down whiskey taste which I personally really like.

It is a lovely relaxing tea that works perfectly for your own personal consumption or in your personal cup of in a teapot to share for sitting on the sofa or spoiling with a friend.

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Phom Teas

Almond and Cherry loose tea, it smells instantly amazing!, iIt is nice and sweet and the almond flavour is nice and strong but not too much to over powering the fruit. It also leaves an almond feeling in your mouth as if you have been eating them.

Tantalising kiwi and strawberry. Again it smells wonderful and it tastes of a lovely strawberry, although I don’t get much from the kiwi. They are both lovely fruit teas that you could drink it every day.

Tea Huggers

The ‘Chill Out’ tea full of strawberry, basil, chamomile and positivity is really quite calming. It’s like a sweeter chamomile tea so you still get that grassy taste coming through but with the fruit and the basil it just tastes better. If you are trying to drink chamomile for health reasons then try this as it’s much nicer but with the same effect.

‘Good Night’ tea - This is a great tea. It is a rooibos with fruit, lemon balm and lavender tea and it really does calm down your mind and your body for a restful nights sleepbed time. It tastes sweet from the rooibos but with a calming lavender smell it relaxes you whilst you are drinking. You will find these teas in my cupboard.

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REVIEW

Time for a coffee.

Coffee Beans

by Dorothy Martinez

Has Bean Coffee HasBean is a coffee subscription service, offering a wide range of beans delivered to your door. We were sent a selection of coffee from El Salvador, Costa Rica and Ethiopia.

We commented on the freshly ground coffee and then tested them in two different coffee makes: a French press cafetiere, and an Italian, stove-top Moka Express.

El Salvador

Ground coffee: Citrus with undertones of cream and tobacco with a bittersweet, creamy aroma.

Espresso: noticeable citrus flavour still there but with a wisp of flora – slight tobacco after taste.

French press: The creaminess came through to a greater extent and the distinctive zing in the first stage of the mouthful, this gives way to a rich, mouth coating creaminess. The tobacco taste was much mellower, making this a smooth, creamy mug with a pleasant strength behind it.

rounding sense of chocolate.

French press: the sharp bitterness of the ground and short-brewed coffee mellows into a more rounded smoother chocolatey flavour.

Ethiopia

Ground coffee: incredibly sweet smelling, like fermenting grass silage and dare I say it – horse manure. A strong, distinctive, pungent aroma.

Espresso: the aroma of manure survived the brewing. Because of the sweetness, it was mellower than the other coffees reviewed.

French press: the longer version of the coffee was creamier and almost allowed the floral, grassy flavours to emerge, making the overall flavour less intense.

Costa Rica

Ground coffee: dark chocolate aroma with a bold bitter-citrus – almost vinegary kick.

Espresso: Strong, bitter flavour with the 6

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Pact coffee Pact Coffee is an online supplier, produc-

ing short-run roasts which are generally available for about a week.

I tried Date and Pecan , a really lovely smooth coffee blend. While the beans smell divine, with a sweet, pecan aroma, the flavour in drinking isn’t really evident. However, the smoothness of the coffee is reminiscent of the creamy sweetness of dates.

It isn’t bitter at all and naturally sweet - I normally take sugar but there was no need with this. It’s a great coffee that I would happily drink every day. http://www.pactcoffee.com

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REVIEW

Booze

by Andy Tudor

Three Barrels Honey Brandy With a cleansed palette and not a thought on my mind, I sit by the warm fire with the drape of my smoking jacket inches above the warm rug. Listening to the crackle of the wood and, with the warmth of my moustache taking me to a happy place, the grandfather clock chimes distantly to remind me that another hour has passed in the annals of time.

Wistfully, I reach for my crystal decanter to pour another short of Three Barrels Honey brandy and as the golden nectar refracts off the light of the fire dancing across the glass I bring it to my lips to taste its syrupy pleasures.

Actually, I’m sat in my lounge with the X Factor on in the background and my laptop on my legs. But there’s something about a good brandy y’know.

This one has a heritage going back to 1814 and is blend of their VSOP with natural honey flavourings, making it smooth, aromatic, and moreish. Perfect both at room temperature straight and on the rocks (why not add some orange zest for even more zing!), the team at Raynal & Cie have put together a great little number that melts on your palette and glides down your throat like velvet (unlike some other honey-based attempts *ahem Mr Daniels!*).

With competition from Stara Stokolava and

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Christian Brothers, and the Goa favourite, Honey Bee Premium, only time will tell if the Scots can spread the word beyond Sippinghurst and into the mainstream lexicon but it sure is promising.

ANDY’S TIP: Try if you like a good brandy now and again and want to slip into your slippers with a good book or equally if you want to make some Sidecars with a twist after a dinner party.

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Koko Kanu Coconut Rum As not much of an eater of coconut-based delicacies or a white rum aficionado, the aroma of “Jamaica’s finest coconut rum” initially brings a sense of apprehension. Remembering downing a pint of Bacardi in my former years, I ice a glass and pour a double leaving it to cool for a second. Intriguingly, it smells completely different now - far less potent than from the bottle neck and as the ice starts to crack I take a tentative frosty sip.

Syrupy initially and with a (nice) bite as it reaches the back of your throat, it has a fragrant, subtle aroma that actually keeps me coming back to sniff repeatedly. Of all the white spirits, (i.e vodka, tequila, sambuca etc.)

I think only gin would beat coconut rum out on a hot day at the beach, and subtlety is what’s winning me over here as the taste is so delicate. It’s making me forget my anti-coconut dispensation and instead presents something far more appealing to my palette - a clean almost candy floss-like taste that acts as a great base for any fruity cocktail.

Far better than Malibu and available widely in the UK, the importers at J. Wray & Nephew have struck gold here and it’s something the Arawak Indians would be proud of.

ANDY’S TIP: Forget the competition, next time you head to a supermarket grab one of these authentic bottles instead. www.cibare.co.uk

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REVIEW

Warm dopplebock, anyone?

Beer is so much more than a quick pint

by Paul Ralhan

Hearing someone describing ‘a warm dopplebock with a thick and sticky mouthfeel’ may raise a few eyebrows, but for many it’s the prelude to a sensory experience crafted to please. Before you read any further, pour yourself a beer.

Before you raise the glass to your lips, pause to contemplate what you’re about to taste.

Look at it; watch how it slides into the glass as you pour it. Study it closely. Immerse yourself in the rich colour and how the light around you highlights the hue. Watch the bubbles leisurely ascend and congregate at the summit. Behold its beauty before raising the glass to your mouth. Baptise your lips with the velvety cloud of foam floating at the top; now gently tip the glass into your mouth and liberate the beer from beneath it.

Is it cool and crisp or does it blush your taste buds with a tantalisingly rich and warm tingle? Place the glass down before you, and look through the veiled void left by what has now become a cinematic symphony of sensations within your soul. Watch the laced shade sliding slowly down the smooth glass.

A beer is more than liquid refreshment. It’s a romantic pleasure; an ever-evolving fusion of flavours and sensations which predate written history.

Despite this undisputed antiquity, it is incredible how little a lot of people know about the universal beverage. Suggestions on which 10

stout to serve with sirloin are rare, and you’d be hard-pushed to find a recommended India Pale Ale as the perfect medium-bodied ale to accompany an almond Bakewell. Even the most basic perceptions of beer are hazy: What is ale? What is the difference between ale and lager? “Does it taste like bitter?

Beer simply does not get the kind of attention it deserves.

It is worth noting that beer is an agricultural product. Its raw materials are barley, hops and, by an overwhelming majority, water. It seems simple enough but there are many taste experiences to explore in a beer, and this complexity begins with what most would say is a tasteless component. Referred to as ‘liquor’ when destined for brewing, water influences the flavour of a beer. It has its own flavour which it picks up by dissolving minerals as it travels through incredible time spans to get to the brewer’s vat.

Tasting beer is an exploration of carefully crafted contrasts, perfect harmonies, subtle layers and hidden surprises. The best brewers have the ability to reach out and give us an experience, and not just a volumetric glass of beer. Brewing good beer is a combination of developing new ideas and perfecting older styles.

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“A man who doesn’t care about the beer he drinks may as well not care about the bread he eats”.

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Brewers brew by them. Consumers buy by them and competitions are judged by them.

Beer styles honour age-old traditions which have been flowing out of casks for centuries. Some brewery buffs assert that beer is art, and any attempt to restrict it to a list of preordained categories diminishes its greatness. They say styles are nothing more than a crutch for an unimaginative mind.

But style is a beer’s bloodline. Styles honour and acknowledge the past and give rise to the present. The style of a beer is illustrated with a kaleidoscope of colours. It presents a lively demonstration of culture, chemistry and creativity.

“A man who doesn’t care about the beer he drinks may as well not care about the bread he eats”. In 1977 author and journalist Michael Jackson opened his magnum opus, The World Guide to Beer, with this strong salutation as he embarked on a journey to increase awareness and appreciation of beer to a higher level. We are now better guided by tasting notes and drinking checklists, all of which will reward the 12

discerning drinker with a rich and enjoyable experience.

Just as important as ensuring the beer is at its optimum temperature, matching the correct – and squeaky clean – glassware to the beer, topping a good pour with a tight and long-lasting head, is the expectancy of the drinker. Reading a guide is no substitute for experiencing different beers, and just as each brewer’s recipes are different, so too are the histories each drinker brings to the table. Everyone sees things differently. We all vary in our sensitivities to different chemicals. A beer which may seem sickeningly buttery on one palate may be perceived comfortably caramel-like on another’s. Drinking alone is fine, but there is a fuller understanding of beer – as well as a stronger community – waiting to be discovered when pursued in pairs or in the company of others.

Light, dark, strong, weak, fizzy, flat, canned, bottled or draft, beer has fluidly adapted to fulfil every role it has been asked to play. Its versatility makes it a complicated subject, even harder to study than wine in terms of deconstructing what is in the glass. It is perhaps abstract, but certainly not esoteric.

Beer tasting however, can find itself caught in a paradox, playing a bit-part role.

Like any aspect of a consciously lived life, enjoying beer to the fullest requires education, knowledge and wisdom which can only come from acquiring experience. It is with each drinker’s understanding – following each journey of discovery – beer can step out from the dark shadows and into the brilliant limelight. Despite indications that wine and beer developed around the same time, it seems that right from the outset wine was a much more luxurious product mostly reserved for royalty and the wealthy. Beer, however, was drunk by everyone. Perversely, even with such popularity and a profoundly deep-rooted ancestry, the beer

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family is easily overlooked and widely misunderstood. Yet it remains humble. Some fans feel it’s time for beer to enjoy a renaissance.

Championing a craft beer revival with brands such as 5am Red Ale and Dead Pony Ale is BrewDog. Aiming to reinvent lager with a product which celebrates how the drink was originally made, joint founders James Watt and Martin Dickie feel that, “lager is often demonised or derided as the choice of drink of chavs and louts, which is the result of laddish marketing that diverts attention away from taste and enjoyment and undermines the potential of lager as a creative and artisan beer”.

Brewdog is on a mission to make the drinker feel as passionate about the taste of its craft beer as the brewers are. Brandishing a bright blue bib to spearhead what they’re calling a revolution is the aptly named Punk IPA. Its remit is to “blow the drinker’s mind” and it does this by leaping off the shel, and surfing over the crowd to get your attention.

Light golden in colour, with hints of tropical fruits and light caramel aromas passing through your nasal cavity, Punk IPA possesses enough complexity and body for beer connoisseurs as well as being drinkable enough for the craft beer novice.

Sourcing its liquor from the ‘green lungs’ of London, Redemption Brewery is another up-and-coming urban craft beer producer, rooted deep in the heart of industrial Tottenham. A passion for creating cutting-edge, hand-crafted beer has clearly been the inspiration, and netted an impressive collection of awards including a Services to Real Ale award for founder Andy Moffat.

Redemption has a core range of six cask ales, each proudly boasting its own individual category award. The Fellowship London Porter is a tremendously drinkable ale, and an interesting one to deconstruct and describe on a tasting record. With coffee aromas, toasted malt and liquorice flavours, www.cibare.co.uk

it’s easy to see why this dark brown ale was awarded a Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) gold medal in its category.

Just three ingredients - grain, water and hops – are transformed by yeast. Beer is surprisingly simple yet dazzlingly versatile in a range of rich sensations it can offer. It has been the collective efforts and imaginative innovations of brewers, entrepreneurs and beer connoisseurs to enthuse the limitless adaptability of beer through centuries of its evolution. Its greatness depends on a community of enthusiasts to complete and continue its purpose. It is only as good as the people who seek, covet it and enjoy it. Now raise your glass, pause for a final sniff and toast something great or someone special.

Good health!

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REVIEW

My Secret Cafe Letter from a happy Customer by a Happy Member of the Public

I was walking through Hilly Fields park in Enfield with the kids and we decided to go for some lunch. We were aiming for the street, when I saw your sign in front of the church and decided to go in and take a look. I’m so pleased we did.

We found a hidden gem of a little cafe hiding inside the church that not only served us great sandwiches and a toasted panini with cheese and chilli jam, but you actually made a great coffee (which was all I really wanted). The kids had somewhere to play after we ate so I got to relax with one of your papers and have not another coffee a sneaky slice of cake. To my surprise, not only did you make your own cakes but they were gluten free!

I couldn’t be more happy with my morning. We ended up staying for over an hour (well, two). Three coffees and two happy children later, we left for home full, relaxed and ready to tell my friends of where I had been.

Thank you for my lunch and lovely day.

Yours, Your new customer who will be returning soon.

(I will need more coffee) If you wish to tell us about your Secret Cafe then tell email us: editor@cibare.co.uk 14

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In conjunction with Karen’s Kitchen and The Buggy Network

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REVIEW

Snacks

Snack for you to enjoy at home and on the move Nom bar

An organic oat-based bar, Nom is like a flap jack but without the syrup. Instead it uses agave nectar which makes it just as nice and sweet. It’s filling and full of good ingredients, chewy and full of texture. It’s a great snack to give you a slow release of energy.

Available in Whole Foods, Planet Organic and independent retailers. www.nomfood.co.uk Bounce Natural Energy Ball These are great. Gluten-free, high energy protein snacks that come in lots of flavours.

They are quite small, about the size of a lime, but fill you up as if you have eaten something much bigger. They taste different to any other snack that I’ve tried but I love them. My favourite is the Coconut and Macadamia ball but the peanut one is good too.

Available at retailers nationwide. www. bouncefoods.com/uk The Raw Chocolate Co Wow. This is delicious stuff. I tried the Mint Raw Chocolate bar, and the Raw Chocolate-covered Raisins and Goji Berries.

The bar is nicely minty and complements the dark raw chocolate perfectly. It’s got no sugar added but is instead sweetened with Xylitol, a chemical sweetener used in diabetic confectionery. It is vegan too. But it tastes good to my palate and eases the guilty pleasure of enjoying chocolate. www.therawchocolatecompany.com 16

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Pana Chocolate Made in Australia from organic and raw ingredients, this is just delicious. I had the plain chocolate. which highest in cacao, but because it’s a raw chocolate it has a more intense flavour. Having said that, it’s as easy to eat as any other dark chocolate bar but, because of the good ingredients, with less of the guilt.

I will most definitely be buying this again and I look forward to trying another flavour.

Available through independent retailers. www.panachocolate.com

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HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Personal Trainer for the Ladies.

Getting back on track after the holidays

by Anne Iarchy

The holidays are over and it’s back to school week. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you for the kids, and back to work for the adults. have to have a massive workout six days days a week - three or four should be someGoing back to work, or getting back into a thing to aim for. The other days are for cross routine after some time off, is very hard. training: doing some activity unrelated to Generally, the bare minimum is the first what you are training for. thing we start with. Making sure we get up on time and arrive at the school gates and/or So, for instance, if you are training for a at work on time is probably the first priority. running event, cross training might mean But what about getting back into your exer- cycling, swimming, walking, strength traincise and healthy eating routine? ing or anything that has nothing to do with running.If you are working towards a weight Let’s start with exercising. loss goal, cross training would be any carAlthough you might have been more active dio exercise you enjoy doing on the days you during the holidays, going for a swim here don’t do any strength training. Remember to and there, walking along the beach or tour- have one full day a week of rest. ing a city, it’s not the same as focusing on your exercise regime.

Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is the key to success and seeing results.I For exercise to be effective, there are two often see people doing the same workouts important things to keep in mind: Do it reg- over and over again, not really making a speularly, and push yourself just outside your cial effort. The fact that they went to the gym comfort zone each and every workout or their exercise class is a big enough effort.

However, if you want to see results and imHow regular is regular enough is an inter- prove, the only way to achieve it is by pushesting question. It all depends on what you ing yourself beyond what’s comfortable. I’m want to achieve and what your goals are. Are not talking about pain due to an injury, but you training for an event? Do you want to get muscle burn and tiredness. Muscle tone only rid of those extra pounds you put on during changes if the muscle is broken down and the holidays? Or do you finally want to make then allowed to rebuild over the next 24-48 a lifestyle change once and for all? hours, together with the right nutrition.

Ideally, you should do something six days a 18

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So how do you get back to your exercise routine?

The day before you go back to work, book your workouts into your diary. The first few weeks are especially important. You might not know what workload is waiting for you, but if you don’t plan your workouts in the same way you plan your meetings, you will never get to them.

You might have to rejuggle the workouts a little after the first couple of days, but don’t cancel them. Just time them differently even if it means getting up earlier or doing it at different times. Otherwise, it will just drag on and on and chances are that two weeks later, you still won’t have gone back to your normal routine.

Now on to your healthy eating routine.

You probably overindulged a little over the holidays - isn’t that what holidays are for?

However, it’s very easy to come home and keep overindulging. You got used to that extra dessert, meals out and not having to cook, and that extra glass of wine was really nice.

Getting back on track is hard. Here are my top tips: The few days before going away are always hectic, trying to finishing everything off, packing, making last minute purchases. But pre-cooking and freezing a few meals for your return is well worth it. At least you will know that your first meal coming back will be a healthy one.

be to get back into healthy eating habits.

If you do leave things to luck/chance, you will end up eating take-aways or processed food.

Once you have planned your meals, schedule some cooking time. Remember, most of the food you had when away was freshly cooked, so keep up the good work. Just make sure you cut down on those holiday portion sizes.

Cut out the desserts for at least 10 days to get rid of after-dinner sugar cravings. Replace them with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, or some healthy snacks from my Snacks & Treats cookbook, which are wheat free, sugar free and mainly diary free.

Take a good multi vitamin to rebalance your vitamins and minerals. That will help with cravings caused by overeating. Drink lots and lots of water or herbal tea. Don’t forget to plan your next supermarket trip or delivery!

Planning on the exercise front as well as on the nutrition front is the key to success.

Don’t delay and you will be nicely on track to get rid of the holiday overindulgence, but also get back on track to achieve the health and fitness goals you had planned for 2014.

Cookbook can be purchased on http://www. barnetpersonaltrainer.co.uk/cook-books. html

If you can, book a supermarket delivery for the day or day after your return. Make sure it contains a lot of fruit and vegetables, and anything fresh you normally have in your fridge. Schedule some meal planning time in your diary for the day after you come back. The more you plan, the easier it will www.cibare.co.uk

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HEALTH AND NUTRITION

The Herbalist The Nettle

by Jo Farren I’ve just spent my first summer in my very first house with a garden. Previously I had lived in flats, so I was really excited to get the chance to try and grow my own food and herbs at last.

I classify myself as a ‘brown bottle’ herbalist, meaning that I buy my herbs from producers to make teas and tinctures rather than grow my own. To be honest, I’m not great at growing plants so I doubt I would get the yield needed for business purposes. But, for my own personal challenge and use, I was really keen to have a go.

I started with some ‘easy’ plants - tomato, blueberry, strawberry, lavender, rosemary and thyme. I actually managed to grow some strawberries and was thrilled to be able to successfully grow something I could eat. And whilst picking the strawberries, I discovered that I’d also managed to cultivate a small patch of nettles. Nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a plant which is well used amongst herbalists. So, although this ‘weed’ had emerged, I was really thrilled!

Herbalists use the leaves and the root of the plant for different things, which is quite common. (Dandelion for example is another wild plant where we use root and leaf for different ailments.) But here I’d like to focus on using nettle leaves.

As I look out of the window I feel that is fairly safe to say that summer is officially over. But it will be back next year and so will various seasonal ailments. Nettle leaves 20

contain high levels of flavonoides such as quercetin and formic acid, and carotenoids like beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. Herbalists use nettle leaf very commonly to help reduce inflammation and to provide relief to hayfever and similar allergies. It is not a very well-known fact, but nettle provides an antidote for its sting. As a child, I remember being told by my grandmother that dock leaves will provide relief when rubbed onto the stung area and that they always grow in close proximity to nettle. This is true, but crushing the nettle leaves and rubbing them against the area will also help to make it feel more comfortable, providing you can deal with the initial pain of the sting!

It has been said that during World War I, troops in the trenches used nettle on their swollen, rheumatic joints to provide pain relief from the inflammation which came with trench foot. And this is not the only anecdotal use of herbal medicine in WWI. It is said that garlic and thyme were also used as anti-inflammatories too, as the number of casualties was enormous and the provision for medical care was minimal. Thus herbs, which had previously been considered a poor mans’ medicine for many years, had become incredibly useful once again due to their availability and low cost. Nettle is a great example of a low-cost, highly available herb which is massively underused today.

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In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, it can also be used nutritionally as it contains a high amount of Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene. I often recommend nettle tea to folk, including breastfeeding mums, because of its nutritional content, and nettle soup is a delicious way to get the health benefits of this fabulous plant.

Now, don’t be put off by the fact that it is stinging nettle. Don your gardening gloves and go foraging. If you are collecting wild nettle, do ensure that it is in fact nettle and not another plant, there are many which look similar. Being stung is always a good indicator of finding the right plant! You should also avoid foraging from private land, near high traffic/highly polluted areas or too close to the ground, as you may have animal urine on the leaves.

Once you have your nettles, try making a soup!

Ingredients • • • • • •

1 onion 3 large potatoes 2 pints chicken or veg stock Oil or butter for cooking Seasoning A few handfuls of nettle tops (picked prior to flowering)

Method • • • • • •

Dice the onions and cook in oil or butter until soft Dice potatoes and add, along with stock Simmer until the potatoes are just off being fully cooked Add a handful of nettle tops (more or less depending on taste) Continue to cook for five minutes Blend with a stick blender and serve

This recipe can be adapted according to your taste. Peas are a great addition for example. Enjoy, and please drop me a line with your stories and adaptations.

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Paleo Pancakes Ingredients 2 Eggs 1 Banana

Method: Mix

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Breakfast

FOOD

Orange and Macadamia Granola from Graze www.cibare.co.uk

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FOOD

Lunch

Peanut butter24and bacon on a sesame seed bagel Cibare Food Magazine

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Chorizo and onions sautĂŠed25with balsamic vinegar, Cibare Food Magazine brie and spinach on which bread.

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FOOD

Dinner

What to do with: Pasta and Prawns

by Dorothy Martinez When I have an excess amount of prawns, which I occasionally do when I buy in bulk from Hoo Hing supermarket and they wwewon’t all fit in the freezer, there are a few ways in which I use them up. One of my favourites is a fantastic and slightly edgy pasta sauce that I first enjoyed at La Porchetta in Stroud Green Road, London N4, known as Penne Vodka. Essentially it’s a creamy tomato sauce with prawns that is slightly de-sweetened by using a dash of vodka. The amount of alcohol in this dish is not enough to affect the kids, so yes, I definitely do feed it to them, but you have to make your own call on that. If you’re cutting down on carbs, using extra prawns to slightly less pasta is a more expensive but delicious ratio to play with. Use large prawns in the main, but you can add small cooked ones as well if you want more of them and you plan to eat it all at once.

Another good addition is a pack of ready cooked shell on pint-o-prawns, as they make the finished dish look just that bit more special. If you use them you’ll need to provide finger bowls as they have to be shelled at the table – which is something I quite enjoy doing.

Which pasta The shape of the pasta can make a huge difference to the way the final dish works out.

I would always use penne with this one, but you might feel differently. Generally I use supermarket own brands, but if it’s on spe26

cial offer, I might go for the slightly smaller quills that De Cecco (the yellow and blue packet) make and if I’m feeling flush (and close my local deli, Marino & Roberto on Green Lanes, London N21), I might stretch to a box of Barilla. But you may prefer a different shape, and fancy using farfalle, fusili or even a long pasta. It’s up to you.

The great thing about this dish is that there are no particular rules, just what works best for you.

Timing is quite important with this sauce because you have two items - prawns and pasta – that will taste overwhelmingly better if they are not overcooked. I start by making the tomato sauce, then I cook the prawns (and reheat cooked prawns if I’m using them) and then mix the sauce and the prawns together with a good splash of cream and a dash of vodka, to be served immediately.

I’m normally a bit fussy about using Parmesan on fish, but it’s a rule I happily flout with this dish - unless I’ve run in to the food gatherer and have to hand some Botarga di Muggine (the dried roe of the grey mullet), which is ideal and would probably meet with greater approval among Italians themselves. And please, for the love of Good Food, make sure the pasta is properly ‘al dente’ and give it a splash of cold water when you take it off the heat, to stop it cooking.

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Recipe for Penne Vodka Serves 4 (2 adults and 2 children in our house) with some left over for lunch the next day 400g Penne pasta For the tomato sauce 1 small onion (finely chopped) 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or otherwise crushed) Couple of tablespoons of olive oil 1 can of tomatoes, cored and hand squished 400g large prawns (mainly raw prawns but you can add a few cooked shell on pint-o-prawns if you like) About 100ml single cream 25ml Vodka Flat leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish Method Soften the onion and garlic in the oil in a large frying pan until translucent – this should take 7 or 8 minutes Add the tomatoes and salt to taste, stir well to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick and a lot of the liquid has evaporated; After about 5 minutes, put the pasta on to cook.

In the last few minutes, cook the raw prawns in a frying pan with a little olive oil until almost, but not quite, cooked – they will finish off in the sauce and you don’t want to overcook them.

If using them, add the cooked prawns to the frying pan and stir them about a bit. Then add the sauce to the prawns in the frying pan and mix well. Once it’s simmering, add the cream and stir it in. Bring to a gentle simmer, and then stir in the vodka.

Drain the pasta, giving it a quick sprinkle with the cold tap and then return to the pan in which it was cooked. Stir in the sauce, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately from the pan.

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FOOD

Dinner

What to do with: Pasta and Prawns

by Daniela Gavriel

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Teapigs Matcha

Super power green tea drink with Elderflower

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REVIEW

Alexandra Palace famers market

Hidden away in at the Muswell Hill side of Alexandra Palace, this weekly farmers market is probably the most famous in north London.

The first stall I passed sold nothing but different kinds of tomatoes, I got very excited and bought a mixed bag immediately. Other stalls sold locally produced raw honey, garlic, truffles and mushrooms, and of course, lots of cheese. of course.

There were also products that were new to me. My favourite was a real find: Mr Prempy’s makes raw and organic cakes free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar, wheat and soya, and they taste amazing.

I spent a morning perusing vegan food, cured sausages, fruit and vegetables as and even a dairy supplying milk and butter. It was wonderful.

I went home with my raw cakes and bag of tomatoes as well as raw local honey from the Local Honey Man (I this his business name? if not, I think we should take the highighted part out). I bought vegan and Paleo cave man bites from Nyborgs, cookies, cheeses for our cheese pages, as well as lots of vegetable.

It was a great market with some good food. I will be going back soon and highly recommend that you go too. Â 30

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HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Raw Confidence

Raw Confidence The One Day Recipe Plan

by Alison Matthews Have you thought about trying raw food but don’t know where to start? You may think it’s complicated, or will take ages to prepare. There are many complex books and recipes out there and there are lots of pieces of equipment you could buy if you wish to – such as a dehydrator or expwensive blender.

The good news is that you can introduce raw food into your daily diet very easily with little or no equipment at all and without buying lots of unusual foods. I recommend having a blender as it does make it easier to combine ingredients quickly and thoroughly.

If you want to give raw food a try, here’s a one day meal plan which will show you that there is more to raw food than just salad and fruit.

BREAKFAST Buckwheat & Chia Seed Porridge

- 1 large handful of buckwheat groats (raw buckwheat) soaked over night in 11⁄2 times their volume of water

- Half dessert spoonful chia seeds soaked overnight in 11⁄2 times their

own volume of water

- 1 handful raisins soaked overnight in a little water

- Small cup of nut milk, juice or filtered water

- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon - 1 banana

Other fruit, nuts or seeds if you wish Rinse the soaked buckwheat and blend with chia seeds and the water from raisins. The chia seeds will be ‘gloopy’ when they have been soaked – discard any which are still dry.

Add half the banana then add the nut milk, juice or filtered water a little at a time and continue blending. Serve with soaked raisins, the remaining banana and add other fruit, nuts or seeds to taste.

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LUNCH Sunflower Pâté

- 2 handfuls sunflower seeds - 4 sundried tomatoes

- Salt if required

- 1 spring onion - Water as required Blend all the ingredients together to form a pâté. Go steadily with the water or the mixture can become too runny. Serve with salad. If you wish you could also serve the pâté with oatcakes or rice cakes (which are not raw!).

Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days

DINNER

Guacamole Stuffed Mushroom(s)

For the mushroom:

- 1 Portobello mushroom or 3 to 4 small mushrooms per person *

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- Juice of 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 lime (to taste)

- 1 teaspoon tamari or nama shoyu Mix olive oil, lime and tamai / nama shoyu in a bowl. Prick the bottom of the mushrooms with a fork and marinate for 1⁄2 to 1 hour.

For the guacamole:

- 1 large avocado

- 3 sundried tomatoes

- 1 clove garlic

- Pinch Himalayan salt

- 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder or paprika

- Juice 1⁄2 lime Blend the avocado, sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, chilli powder / paprika and lime together.

Stuff the mushrooms with the avocado mixture. Serve 1 large mushroom (or 3 to 4 small ones) with a little salad. * If you don’t like mushrooms, you could use the guacamole to stuff red or yellow peppers, but without the marinade.

Chocolate Delight

- 1 avocado

- 2 tablespoons cacao powder

- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave (to taste)

- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence Water if required Blend all the ingredients together, adding water slowly to avoid the pudding becoming too runny. Refrigerate and serve slightly chilled.

W: www.rawconfidence.com E: Alison@rawconfidence.com T: 07976 246151

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HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Nutrition 101: Flirting with fat

Fat is not the enemy. The right kinds of fats are essential to our health

by Thomas Bisson

What is fat?

The primary functions of body fat are to provide energy, to insulate and to act as protection for the vital organs of the human body.

What we have trouble understanding is that the fat in food is not the same kind of fat that is stored in the body. Additionally, different people have different body types, so the way fat is used and absorbed is unique to each person.

When we consume food, the elements of threat food are broken down and separated into what needs to be absorbed, stored or disposed of. The misconception of eating fat is that it is directly distributed to our stomach or thighs as a fat deposit. The reality is that fats, along with the other nutrients in our food, are stored as a fuel source for the future. The extra fat layer over a person’s stomach or thighs is not the direct result of eating fat - it is the result of over consumption of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, as well as sodium, processed sugars and any number of other nutrients. When you exercise, those stored nutrients act as a fuel for the body. An increased level of physical activity will help eliminate the excess stored nutrients over time. That extra layer on your stomach is a fuel source waiting to be used, and if you don’t use it, it will just accumulate.

So where can we find the best source of healthy fats? First, step away from the 34

confectionary and head to the produce section. There you will find foods that are naturally abundant in healthy fats. Nuts, avocados and chickpeas are all healthy fat alternatives. Consider replacing your butter or margarine spread with a natural oil such as coconut oil. 100% peanut butter is a great source of natural fats and carbohydrates.

Be sure to take a look at the label to ensure you’re getting an additive-free variety so it remains a source of natural nutrients and healthy fats and carbs.

Your body needs fat to keep it healthy and functioning properly. Even your brain is made up of fat, controlling your nervous system through your entire body. It is the fats in your body that help to carry the signals from the brain to the various body parts efficiently and effectively.

If you’re struggling to read the nutritional label, consider taking your eyes off the general fat and carbohydrates and focusing more on the content levels of sodium, sugar and trans fats. It’s proven that reading the nutritional label is an important part of living a healthy life - just make sure you are reading it the right way.

Fat is the misunderstood nutrient of our time. Make fat your friend and embrace it as an element of your healthiest and happiest self.

Thomas Bisson www.supergene.co.uk

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FOOD

Fakeaway

Gourmet burgers

by Dorothy Martinez

Strictly speaking, you’d probably have these in a restaurant rather than taking them away, but here’s how to fake them anyway.

You’ll need: Burger buns Extra lean mince (I get mine locally from Joanne Gubb and it’s marvellous) Salt and pepper Red onion Gem lettuce of some sort Large tomato Sliced cheese (you choose which) Jar of sliced pickles Jar of pickled jalapeños American mustard Tomato ketchup A burger is one of the simplest things to make, ever. Whenever I make burgers, everyone and his dog starts discussing the various things they use in their burgers, including the obligatory egg “to bind it”. I try not to roll my eyes at this, but instead wait for them to try my burgers, which consist of nothing but extra lean minced beef, a bit of salt and a good few grinds of pepper. And that’s it. You don’t need to bind them with anything; just shape them into burger shapes (make them quite flat as they’ll contract when they cook) and they will hold themselves together if you don’t bother them too much while they are cooking. They taste awesome.

Of course, if you want to add onions, garlic, pickles, herbs, spices and lord knows what else, then do. But the wonder of burgers is, in my opinion, the combination of simple ingredients and simple accoutrements, stacked just as you likes them.

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Cheese Of course, you don’t have to have cheese, but I personally like a cheeseburger. If you shop around in places like M&S, you can sometimes find a wide range of ready sliced cheese, which is great for burgers. I have a preference for Emmenthal, but many people like the classic slice of processed orange cheese, the sort that comes in individually wrapped slices in packs of 10. There is nothing wrong with this at all. Others prefer a slice of blue cheese, some like to go Italian with mozzarella, or Tex Mex with chilli cheese or Monterey Jack and some jalapeños.

Accoutrements The basics are gem lettuce, tomato, sliced sandwich pickles, sliced onions and cheese, with American mustard and tomato ketchup on offer. And a jar of jalapeños is perfect for those who like a bit of a kick. It’s perfectly acceptable to serve these salads with a choice of Emmenthal and orange burger cheese. However, if you’re going to use mozzarella, try adding some slices of avocado; guacamole, sour cream and jalapeños with Monterey Jack; and maybe some caramelised onion marmalade or griddled courgette, pepper and mushroom if you’re using a goat’s cheese. It depends how far you want to go. If you’re cooking for a crowd, allow people to get stuck in and stack their own.

Sides There’s always a huge array of sides available in fancy-pants burger joints, and most of them require a sizeable deep fat fryer to do properly, which I don’t have and I imagine most people won’t want to be bothered with. For special occasions, I might make onion rings, but generally I just by some really nice ones and some decent oven chips and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. When making burgers at home, more elaborate sides, such as Mac and Cheese, usually get over looked entirely. Burgers with mac and cheese is not really part of UK culture, but if you’re giving it a go, try a good spoonful of Cajun spice and a mixture of cheeses, including one blue cheese.

Bread You choose. I am never that successful with making my own bread so usually I get some sesame seed buns from the supermarket, lightly toast them and then swish them around in the pan the burgers have been cooked in to soak up the flavours a bit. However, there are lots of bakeries in the area, so if you want something a bit more special then pop in to your local and discuss your needs with them.

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FOOD

Steak Tar Tar

by Dorothy Martinez

Steak, white onion, red onion, baby gerkins, fried mushrooms, makrel and an egg yolk.

Serve with fresh bread and real butter.

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SHOPPING LOCAL

Buying your food locally

by The Editor

My perception of food has changed drasti- back into your local community and helping cally ov er the last few years with it be for your neighbour and, after all, who doesn’t health reasons or just personal preference. want that?

I’ve become very intolerant to certain foods and so getting used to that in itself was very hard, especially after thinking that I could eat anything I wanted! When you have children you suddenly find everyone telling you to ‘buy organic’ – seriously, have you any idea how expensive it is to do that. I have to say I did try but it was so expensive that I just couldn’t keep doing it, I ended up peeling and washing regular produce a little better, as it was cheaper, and found this to be just as good - although I have stuck with organic milk as we prefer it as a family.

After searching my local area on twitter I from your local shops in Enfield and they will deliver to your door. They only use small businesses in the area and the local farm / orchard at Forty Hall for their fruit and vegetables (they do only deliver within a small radius at the moment).

I also found Farm Drop, a company that works in a completely different way where you can pick up from a local drop-off point with produce essentially coming directly from your farmers and producers. If you can’t get to a local collection point, you can Throughout this year I’ve been learning so still buy online. much more about how food is produced and how different processes affect the tastes and Both of these business are helping their comit is really quite shocking at what some busi- munity, just in slightly different ways. You nesses / brands do. We are surrounded by can see more about Farm Drop and The large corporations making a lot of money Food Gatherer below. out of us regular folk, but what about quality? What about the little guy?

It turns out that the little guy lives closer to us and produces a much better product and although their prices are similar to organic produce, if you stick to the seasonable food you’ll find that it can be great value. A bigger benefit is that you are also putting money 40

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Farm Drop Farm Drop has been set up to help the local farmer make more money out of their produce by selling it back to their local community. They can also help local individuals, who would like to become a shop owner / keeper, create their own small business by supplying them with the produce. You can buy online or meet your keeper every week at a pre-arranged pick-up point where the famers also drop-off too. Everything is within a short distance of itself creating a community of producers, keepers and buyers, in a small radius. Why travel to the ends of the earth for your food when it is being grown up the road or around the corner? Admittedly you can’t find everything you need but with a butcher, a baker, some fruit and veg, juices, cheese and jams and chutneys you are not far off. I’ve even bought freshly made pasta as well as sauce from our local supplier. The quality was just wonderful and I didn’t pay very much either. It makes you ask yourself “why am I spending money in a large stores where food has been sat in freezers for extended periods of time”, when I can go and buy fresh and local without spending more money. If anything I only spent pennies more on organic and local produce but what I got in return I would have spent more far more in that large store. The only thing I’ve not seen is a sale or a multi-buy deal, but I guess if a farmer had an abundance of something, that would be offered to customers when they placed their orders.

the other people that come to buy their produce every week. It was nice to see the children coming and picking up the food with their parents, asking to see the carrots and sausages that they had bought online. Such a healthy and fun way to take the kids shopping and so lovely to see their enthusiasm for food. (One I certainly hope will rub off onto my children).

All in all a wonderful experience. The Farm Drop are working hard to build up their business whilst creating more business for farmers and communities in turn. They help each of the keepers get set up and running as well as continuously working on their website so that it is up to date and full of great images of food to entice you to buy more. The company seems really lovely, welcoming and happy to chat. They spoke to me about their crowdfunding project which is going really well, and although it has had some large investors, it goes to promote their wanting to be a part of a community projects. It is all working though, the websites are being upgraded and they are expanding so that everyone has enough help to run their programs properly. It seems like a great project to be a part of and a lovely little business to have on the side if you have space or if you are a producer. It won’t make you rich but it will make you a great person to know and work within your local community, and if you have a bakery or you make food yourself, what a wonderful way to promote yourself. I would love to set one up myself, but where?

I really like Farm Drop, even the lovely keeper that I’ve been meeting in Muswell Hill at the Clissold Arms and who also works for the bakery at the Farm Drop. Tara organises all of the bakers market stalls so she really knows her stuff when it comes to setting up these types of events. It is lovely to stand and chat to her and, of course, all of

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When Emma Lundie moved to Winchmore hill, it was a shock that her favourite local shops were so far away from each other. She was used to her deli, bakers and butchers being tucked away on the same road, within easy access. Now that she has relocated to a different area, the best shops seem to be scattered all over the place. How hard does it have to be to get great locally produced food? Why do we have to travel so far to get amazing food when it’s more convenient to go to Sainsburys or Tescos, and why oh’ why can’t I choose what I want online and get them to deliver directly to me?

Emma Lundie already had her own food business and a lot of knowledge in the food industry, so when she had the idea of creating a group of businesses who would join forces for delivery it was a great extension of what she already knew. The obvious benefits to this were that she could choose businesses that reached the high standards that she would want and that many locals would expect also. Thanks to these high standards she has combined, some would say, the best food producers in Enfield creating the perfect online delicatessen.

This is how the Food Gatherer was born. It’s worth mentioning that in Enfield they have an ‘’Enfield Innovation Award” which Emma Lundie won a few years ago with the idea of the Food Gatherer. This gave her that extra help financially that she needed to get the business up and running. It’s taken her almost two years but after having a family and working on her other food business, she decided to take it slowly and steadily and to ensure that it was done in the right way.

She really has chosen some amazing businesses to be a part of the project. With Ebbys 42

Kitchen, Forty Hall Farm, Holtwhites Bakery, Peatchey Burtchers, The Larder, Village Wholefood and Palmavera, her own business, they are a great group of places to shop in person as well as online. With them all, in one way or another, being local producers they all massive advocates of shopping local and eating as locally produced or grown food as you can. You don’t need to buy from your local supermarket either when you can buy from this group of stores. Yes you will need your toilet roll etc but your food can come from your hometown and made by your neighbour. Not all of the food is locally produced, Palmavera may be imported food from Sardinia but she is selling in a very locally produced way too, so it’s not being transported more than it has to be.

The thought of buying your food that has been produced on your doorstep is right here. The Food Gatherer has gone one step further than some businesses, where she is arranging delivery too, so the buyer doesn’t have to travel, which can be quite handy for evening times when you are at home or back from work. Emma also does all of the deliveries herself too, so as to test out how they are going and can speak directly to customers herself and get important feedback plus she absolutely loves it. For some people, Forty Hall is a fair distance away and can be difficult to get to from the other side of the borough but the Food Gatherer makes it easier to get their veggie boxes as well as their products from Village Wholefood store which is a great health food shop too. Ebby’s Kitchen only usually sell at market stalls so it’s nice that you can buy freshly made food by them too online. It’s a wonderful array of foods that you can get online and delivered to your door. Now you just need to live in Enfield, and to be honest it is worth moving just to get your deliveries from such a wide array of wonderful local producers.

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Photography credits to: Ian Pierce and Katrina Campbell Photography for the Food Gatherer

Food Gatherer

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REVIEW

Mediterranean Food Restaurant Reviews

by The Editor Thalassa

Named ‘the sea’, Thalassa’s sea food is certainly exceptional. My extended family soaked up the traditional Greek atmosphere with a table laden with prawns and scallops wrapped in Parma ham during our starter.

We managed to savour several of the main dishes on the menu between us and all were gratefully received. Fish, Prawns, Surf and Turf and a huge and expertly cooked Steak (as attested by two dear friends and steak connoisseurs). The variety of dishes is impressive and both meat and fish mezes offer a satisfying smorgasbord. We were all enraptured with our own food at the same time as eyeing up everybody else’s. After Thalassa’s performance in starters and main dishes we were only too keen to sample what the desert menu had to offer and we could not have been more pleased. I devoured a traditional rose petal sorbet, just a fraction of a second too slowly to avoid the wandering spoon of one of my companions who couldn’t resist ordering another as their second desert! I was tempted to make it two myself (but: hips!). The restaurant offers great value and is perfect for family events and intimate soirees that is regularly full of music and dancing.

Thalassa 110-112 Chase Side, London, N14 5PH- closest Tube: Southgate

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Kervan Sofrasi

A pub conversion with understated glamour and authentic contemporary Anglo-Turkish food. Kervan Sofrasi can cater for large gatherings over two floors and the lively atmosphere is renowned to kick off weekends thoroughly for both the locals and junkets from further afield who keep the team consistently busy in this efficient and warm establishment. Another Southgate restaurant with a celebrated steak, they also serve platters overwhelmed with pieces of lamb and chicken, ribs and lamb,chicken and shashlik kebabs- accompanied by comforting mounds of rice, couscous, salad and humous.

Kervan Sofrasi, 107 Chase Side, London, N14 5QD- closest Tube: Southgate

Skewd

Premium Turkish cuisine ‘for the discerning palate’ in a dark, sleek and modern restaurant that caters to a variety of guests. We commenced festivities with ballooned pitta bread, I can’t think of another appetizer that’s more fun (though alcoholic Danish breakfast could be a contender). My modest starter consisted of shredded coconut coated prawns fried and served with chili lime and coriander aoli. I cannot deny that the main I followed that with: Chicken Shish and rice- was the best Chicken Shish and rice I have ever eaten in my extensive experience with Chicken Shish and rice! I couldn’t stop smiling- or eating... My friends and I shared that magic moment when the table suddenly becomes aware that we’d fallen into ecstatic silence over our food. And then, their creme brûlée is just perfect. Absolutely worth a visit.

Skewd, 12 Cockfosters Parade, Cockfosters, London- nearest tube: Cockfosters

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FEATURE

Future food: Inhabited London Bridge A growing population and dwindling supplies mean we face some tough questions for the future.

by Elizabeth Hobson

“Over the last decade, world grain reserves have fallen by one third. World food prices have more than doubled” according to Lester R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute in his book, Full Planet, Empty Plates.

The current global population is 7.2 billion, by 2050 this is projected to rise to 9.6 billion.

Also increasing the demand for food crops is the rise in biofuels (“the owners of the world’s one billion motor vehicles are pitted against the world’s poorest people for grain,” says Brown) and growing appetites for meat (because the conversion of grain into meat involves significant energy loss).

Nearly a third of the world’s cropland is being lost to wind and water. Overgrazing and over cultivation strip protective layers of vegetation, leaving soil vulnerable to erosion.

The United Nations estimates that 18 million acres of forest are lost every year and agriculture is the leading cause. Only 31 per cent of the Earth is now forested and the pressure to clear more and more land is great (especially considering the power dynamics between rich countries with insatiable appetites for resources and poor countries with the lion’s share of undeveloped land).

Not only are poor countries clearing land to grow crops they can sell, but importing countries have acquired land in other countries to cultivate themselves. There is 46

at present at lack of comprehensive information on these land grabs but a 2009 World Bank report found that much land was being set aside for biofuels, industrial and cash crops with only 37 per cent purchased on which to grow food.

Along with our forests, we are losing biodiversity and altering hydrological cycles but forests are also natural carbon stores, so clearing them releases emissions that intensify global warming.

The average amount of food one person consumes in a day takes 2,000 litres of water. According to Brown, 70 per cent of world water use is for irrigation. Most growth in irrigated areas was traditionally fed by surface sources such as dams and rivers but by the 1970s such opportunities were pretty much exhausted so the emphasis shifted to underground sources. Significant fossil aquifers that will never refill are being depleted at an alarming rate and the majority that are replenished with rainfall are being pumped at a rate greater than they can recover.

Despite the massive proportion of our water use that goes to irrigation, irrigated land only accounts for 40 per cent of food production, the rest is rain fed. Unfortunately, climate change is responsible for creating instability that is regularly destroying entire crops in entire regions.

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With a half life of 5730 years, the carbon we’ve been busily spewing into our atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution is going nowhere. Now at the highest concentration for at least 800,000 years (British Atlantic Survey) we have no reference for what to expect - but continued reliance on consistent and predictable weather for farming is appearing increasingly unwise.

PICTURE CREDITS: Chetwoods Architects

The way forward

But there are solutions. Some are very simple like incentivising farmers to adopt integrated approaches to their work: growing shade-loving varieties of cocoa in Ghanian forests, for example, or eating less meat (this is not happening globally but is in the U.S. which is a fairly reliable indicator of future global trends).

Some are a little more high-tech than this.

Vertical farming is one. Vertical farming can be incorporated into residential architecture or commercial/industrial, taking the form of skins around buildings or making use of rooftops as well as occupying dedicated futuristic ‘towering gardens of Eden’ (Dickson Despommier). Some use soil, many use hydroponic systems with nutrient-enriched water, most take advantage of conveyor belts that carry the plants around the area so each one gets the same amount of sunlight. Pesticides are unnecessary inside and many vertical farms follow sustainable and environmentally friendly practices throughout their work in keeping with the ethics of their operation.

In Linkoping, Sweden, Plantagon is building the International Centre of Excellence for Urban Agriculture, a 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque monolith which will be a working vertical farm for scientists to test new technologies. In Vancouver, Alterrus supplies a number of local restaurants with a farm on the roof of a car park. Producing 68 tonnes of leafy green vegetables and herbs a year, it

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requires only 10% of the water required in traditional farming and produces considerably higher yields.

Laurie Chetwood designed the winning entry to The Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects’ and The Royal Institute of British Architects’ London Bridge competition with an inhabited London Bridge. The architect’s website explains that “it includes solar-powered spires, housing a self-sufficient hydroponic organic farm and commercial centre, taking advantage of renewable energy generation, harvesting and efficient re-use of water, solar heating and natural ventilation’.

The commercial centre consists of a public and a wholesale fresh food market, cafes, restaurants and residential accommodation.

Vertical farms can help feed people. This is so important. Even in the UK we have families depending on food banks and prices won’t stop rising. They can help to ease up demand for our precious land. And, they can cut carbon emissions exponentially.This is what we need to pursue.

Elizabeth Hobson writes the Radical Mother blog and has particular interest in future farming methods. elizabethhobson.wordpress.com

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GARDEING

Grow your own garden How did my garden grow?

September is the time when gardeners habitually mull over the growing season and make a mental note – or proper record if they are the organised type – of which plants have fared well and which have been disappointing. We also tell ourselves, and anyone else who is prepared to listen, that it’s been a good or bad year based on nothing more scientific than what happened to us.

Gluts and pests

If I was to sum up this growing year in terms of the hits and misses then the key words would have to be gluts and pests. The mild and wet spring here in north London meant every plant started into growth a good few weeks early, much to the delight of the slugs and snails, who were awake early too and ravenous. Slugs and snails are always my number one pest but I’ve never known a year as bad as this one. I tried a combination of all the usual organic methods – letting nature take its course, barriers, traps, picking off and sacrificial planting – but I could not get on top of the problem. Having lost all my broad beans and French beans I resorted to using ferric phosphate pellets (approved for organic gardening) and within days the numbers became manageable again.

Growing from seed

I grow annual crops from seed, starting them off on the kitchen window sill and moving them into the mini greenhouse once they have been picked out into individual pots and are putting on strong growth. As light levels were low, I delayed seed sowing by a few weeks. I find plants will always ‘catch up’ 48

and unless you have the benefit of a well-lit, heated greenhouse it is better to wait until conditions are right rather than adhere strictly to the sowing instructions and risk having weak, leggy seedlings.

I sowed basil, broad beans, cape gooseberries, chillies, courgettes, cucumbers, French beans, tomatoes and tree spinach. Everything germinated well with the exception of the courgettes, which I can only assume were a duff batch because I’ve never had problems with them before.

Other crops

Last October I planted two rows of shallots from sets and two rows of garlic in the same bed as the two globe artichokes I’d grown from seed earlier in the year. I think this may have been a mistake because despite lots of rain, both the shallots and the onions were rather small when I harvested them in July and I suspect the artichokes, which thrived, deprived them of water. So this year I’ll give them a bed of their own and water regularly and see if that makes a difference.

Herbs

The permanent herb bed has been a delight.

The fennel is about six feet tall and a magnet for all manner of insects. I rarely use the leaves but love the seeds. The standard bay tree, chives, hyssop, lavender, mint, rosemary and sage are also thriving, but the thyme was a disappointment so I’ve replaced it with oregano. I’ve never been successful with thyme and I must have tried over a dozen types over the years. I can’t grow it in containers and now I’ve discovered I can’t grow it in a raised bed either. I wonder why?

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PICTURE CREDITS: Carole Stanley

by Carole Stanley

a mild and sunny September to ripen the In the fruit bed I have a thornless blackber- cape gooseberries. It was disappointing not to have any beans, but next year I’ll get on ry, Raspberry Autumn Bliss, and a dozen top of the slugs and snails before I plant strawberry plants. What a difference it has them out. Over winter I’ll be growing shalmade growing these fruits in a raised bed lots and garlic again and this time I’ll water compared to containers. The raspberries and blackberries have been plentiful, plump more often. And as the days get shorter and and sweet and have clearly benefitted from cooler I’ll be poring over my records and being able to get their roots down deep. The planning what to grow – and what to leave strawberries also seemed happier but were to others – next year. Yes, I’m one of those gardeners who keeps all sorts of records. not prolific, and the slugs and snails ate And when I glance of my list of what not to quite a few. I raised the plants from rungrow and why – it’s nearly always because ners a few years ago but they are past their best and I shall be replacing them with new they get decimated by slugs and snails – will I take any notice? I doubt it! plants.

Fruit bed

Conclusion

All things considered it has been a good growing year for me. Fabulous fat raspberries, more cucumbers than I could give away and kilograms of ripe tomatoes were the highlight, and as I write I’m hoping for www.cibare.co.uk

Carole Stanley write the Little London Garden blog www.littlelondongarden.blogspot.co.uk

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A FRENCH TALE

Pierre and the pig Life across in France, c’est simple, non?

by Gillian Balcombe

Pierre and his wife live in a lovely house built on restanques or terraces on a wooded hillside. He is justifiably proud of their home and the surrounding land, which over the years he has transformed into a verdant, tranquil haven, where they raise chickens and all manner of fruit trees, and enjoy the produce with equal enthusiasm.

For many years, however, Pierre has been plagued by the attentions of a single wild boar, un sanglier. This wily old beast shows no respect for Pierre’s land and has made a mockery of the fences has erected against his frequent invasions. He has regularly caused mayhem and considerable damage to Pierre’s property, as well his temper.

Five or six years ago, to the great amusement of his family and friends, Pierre designed and constructed a large, humane trap in which to ensnare his tormentor. This he placed on the lower part of his land, near the thicket of trees where the boar hid. Pierre is a very patient man and over the years his home-made contraption has caught rabbits and other small animals, which he gently put back into the undergrowth (if they didn’t scoot out of the cage too fast when he opened it!) and even his own goats. But the porcine intrusions continued, the boar avoided the trap and hope gradually faded.

Until, that is, the end of this summer, two days before Pierre and his wife were due to leave their home to attend a family celebration in another part of France. As he 50

was working in the gardens, Pierre heard the unmistakeable clack of the door of his trap closing. His first thought was that yet another rabbit had ventured in. It wasn’t until he registered that the cage was swaying violently and heard furious squealing and grunting (which, translated from the original sanglier means ‘Get me outta here’), that he realised he had finally been granted his wish – the pig was his!

This was all well and good, but what should he do with it on the eve of departure? His first thought was to release it but this would mean the battle of wits could continue for the next decade, and he was getting a bit old for all this. And his wife thought it was one of the most ridiculous ideas she’d ever heard, given the constant complaints she’d endured.

Pierre is a soft hearted man. None of the chickens he raises hit the family pot, they all spend a very happy life scrubbing around the terraces and at the last count there were nearly 40 of them. But this time there was no alternative – it was him or the pig. In fact, it was his wife or the pig. So he steeled himself for the inevitable and with a heavy heart went to his gun cabinet and did the deed, cleanly and instantly.

It’s one thing having a wild boar in a cage in your back garden, quite another when it’s transformed into umpteen kilos of something requiring the skills of a master butcher.

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And it became even more of a problem when Pierre announced to his wife, having despatched the creature to porcine heaven, that he really wasn’t feeling terribly well and that had to lay down. This, to her, simply would not do. No way was she prepared to have a large boar carcass rotting on the lower terrace till they returned from their trip. Being a practical woman, she suggested Pierre telephone some of his former hunting friends for advice. A few calls later, and the problem was solved: one of their number was expert at turning hunting spoils into (reasonably) recognisable cuts of meat.

Jean arrived at their home and set about his

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task with great alacrity. By the time Pierre surfaced from bed, the job was done. By way of thanks, he very gratefully handed over half the resulting meat to Jean, who set off home to create patĂŠ, sausages and whatever else one does with the stuff.

This is why, when I visited them shortly thereafter, I was advised not to open the spare freezer unless I wanted to confront various parts of the now deceased boar.

Needless to say, I followed that advice to the letter. And thus ended the saga of Pierre and the pig.

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SHOPPING LOCAL

Sourcing your meals locally

by Daniela Gavriel

Warm spiced apple and raisin crumble Serves 4

Ingredients

Preparation method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 To make the crumble, finely chop or grate the butter into the flour. Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, mix and set aside.

For the crumble topping 90g cold butter 90g plain flour 40g soft brown sugar For the filling: 30g butter 3 large apples cored and chopped 40g soft brown sugar 3 tbsp white wine 50g juicy raisins pinch ground cinnamon pinch freshly grated nutmeg

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Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the apples and cook gently for around five minutes. Add the sugar, wine, raisins and spices and cook for a further five minutes. Pour the filling mixture into an oven dish and top with the crumble. Cook for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Serve with double cream, ice cream or custard.

Stockists Details: The Village Wholefood Store 23 Forty Hill, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9HT 020 8366 5108 www.villagewholefood.co.uk Deli on the Green 251 Hoppers Rd, London N21 3NP 020 8882 5631 www.facebook.com/pages/Deli-on-theGreen Ebby’s Kitchen Forty Hall Farm Holtwhites Bakery Palmavera Peatchey butchers The Larder via The Food Gatherer www.thefoodgatherer.com/ Cibare Food Magazine

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SHOPPING LOCAL

Can’t cook, won’t cook?

Lizzy Steinhart Nobody taught me to cook. I’ve never been on a cookery course, to a demonstration, or worked in food. How is it that I can cook when other people can’t? Mainly because it doesn’t intimidate me.

That’s where I think every thing’s gone a bit wrong. This country’s gone mad in the last few years with our love of all things cooking: Jamie and Nigella, the Hairy Bikers, Lorraine Pascale, James Martin. MasterChef and the Great British Bake Off... there is no end to the cookery programmes on TV. In some ways it’s good. It’s engaged people with food in new ways. We’ve watched the series, bought the celebrity cookbooks, looked up recipes on the internet and, in some cases, spent vast sums of money on cookery courses and equipment to develop fancy skills.

But this hasn’t lead to more people cooking overall. I think people have actually been put off cooking for their friends. The bar is now so high that you can no longer just invite your friends over for a casual supper, put a bowl of crisps in front of them when they arrive and serve up a bowl of pasta and salad, finished off with some shop-bought pie and ice cream.

Back to basics

bring people together with a meal. Somehow it always felt important.

From weekday evening meals when my father came home from work, to dinner parties at the weekend, food was the centre of our home.

I remember the sense of the exotic these dinner parties created: the cooking and preparation, the smells of food, musty mahogany, leather chairs, cigar smoke and smoke. It’s the smells that overwhelmingly bring back these memories.

When, as an adult, I started entertaining, I slowly realised many of our guests didn’t return the invitation. I started to hear mumbled excuses: “We’d love to invite you over, but there’s no way I could put on a meal like you do”, “Our flat’s a mess”, “We don’t have a dining room”. When all I wanted was a simple supper with friends.

Simple pleasures

Whether it’s cheese and crackers, fish and chips from the local take-out or an M&S pizza and salads, eating is ultimately about sharing and being sociable.

Put aside ideas of the perfect three-course gourmet dinner party that you aspire. Invite a friend for a meal. Don’t apologise that it’s not going to be ‘gourmet’. Put aside the fancy cookbooks, do what you can, cheat as much as you like and enjoy the simple pleasure of a meal with friends. In short, relax and you’ll learn to love cooking again.

Like many, I learnt to cook without even knowing. I simply absorbed the smells, flavours and techniques of my mother’s cooking as I grew up. She let me help her set the table, stir the soup, whisk the eggs, go to the butcher’s shop and the local green grocer Lizzy Steinhart is an independent food conwith her and without actively teaching me, sultant based in North London. showed me how not only to cook, but how to @foodielizzy www.cibare.co.uk

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FEATURE

BISCUIT TIN V COOKIE JAR

by Roz Lishack

Crunchy versus Squidgy Smooth versus Chunky Yes, dear dunker, it`s the one you`ve been waiting for. In the red, white and blue corner, weighing in at whatever it says on the side of the box, it`s the one and only… BISCUIT TIN! That`s right folks, this reigning British champ, the bickie tin, is a worthy container: with its crunchy and somewhat snappy personality this selection of British biscuits is certainly a contender to sink your teeth into.

With a huge variety of original flavours ranging from the nation’s favourites, the smooth and creamy Bourbon and his sidekick the exemplary custard cream, to the fruity Jammie Dodger with its cheeky little grin, who could dismiss this traditional selection. We salute you all, the chocolate finger, the suggestive Digestive (with or without its chocolate coat) and even the pink wafer, an underdog these days and a bit of a lightweight, but still a firm favourite with its younger fans. Let’s hear it for them all, as our homegrown square biscuit tin steps into the ring to meet his match.

Travelling all the way across the Atlantic, in the Stars & Stripes corner, please welcome the new kid on the block - the COOKIE JAR! Say howdy to the American cookie which weighs in bigger, rounder, deeper and ever so slightly softer than its British opponent.

But don`t be fooled by its deceptively mellow 54

nature - the range of variety in texture and taste in the complete cookie experience is as wide as the Grand Canyon. There’s Double Choc Chip, Maple Pecan, White Chunky Choc, Peanut Butter Crisp, Oatmeal and Raisin, Ginger Dark Choc Chip, Spicy Pumpkin and any number of variations on these themes, to name but a few.

Now, you may well be thinking hold on here, a cookie is a biscuit and a biscuit is surely a cookie? Oh, no, no, no! There are many subtle and even some obvious differences between the two, enough to ensure a most satisfactory contest. The main difference between the two contenders is that the soft, chewy and melt-in-the-mouth cookie has chunks of ingredients INSIDE, added to the dough before it’s baked so that the whole mixture is full of textural surprises with every bite. On the other hand, the crispy, snap-happy biscuit variety is happy to display its attributes on the OUTSIDE with coverings and fillings added to the biscuit after baking, whether a chocolate coating or a creamy and jammy filling. The baked dough is simply the biscuit, the whole biscuit and nothing but the biscuit.

So, there ya have it baking fans, be it the soft-hearted American born cookie or the stiff upper lipped biscuit of the Brits….we enjoy them all and will continue to bake them to the limit!

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Back to the very first bake: All this has made me wonder just who baked the very first cookie? Who had the spark of inspiration that resulted in the magical moment of creating the very first biscuit?

Did you know that one of the earliest encounters of the cookie kind took place in 14th century Paris, where Renaissance cook books were rich in cookie recipes? In Elizabethan England, in 1596 to be exact, a recipe for the early parchment cookie was found in a book by Mr Thomas Dawson. In Olde English, in a piece of text that is just begging for spell check and which is not the fault of your writer, Mr Dawson states:

© Copyright Firebox.com Ltd

“To make fine Cakes, take fine flowre and good damaske water you must have no other liquer but that. Then take sweet butter, two or three yolkes of eggs and a good quantitie

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of sugar and a few cloves and mace as your cookes mouth shall serve him, and a little saffron and a little gods good, about a spoonful if you put in too much they shall arise. Cutte them into squares lyke unto trenchers and pricke them well, let your oven be well swept and lay them uppon papers and so set them into the oven. Do not burn them if they be, three or foure days they bee the better.”

Is there any crumb of a cookie moral that we can glean from this fascinating recipe above?

For me, it would be who actually gives an ounce about measurements in baking - and if you do burn your biscuits, just wait a few days and nobody will notice!

So what’s your preference? Dressed and layered biscuits or crumbly, chock full cookies?

Whichever it may be, until next time dear dunkers, and may the bake be with you!

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Simply Cook Home cooking re-invented

by Dorothy Martinez

Cod and chorizo

Summary: Nutritious and warming,

guilt- free comfort food. The boldly spicy broth and salty chorizo contrast wonderfully with the sweet and smoky fish.

Difficulty: None really. It was very easy

and quite quick to make – actually it’s opened up a new world of possibilities for me with “broth” and meat dishes. The pots are very handy to use and the instructions straightforward. It helped to prepare the shortlist of ingredients beforehand, then it was just a case of throwing it all together.

Did the kids eat it? The beans were too spicy for them; one of them ate the fish, but the baby – who is admittedly going through a fussy stage – didn’t even try it.

Would I recommend it? Yes. What could be better? Slightly bigger portions for the whole family.

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GADGETS

All kitchen iteams are from:

notonthehighstreet.com Firebox.co.uk KeepCup.com and Vektra.co.uk

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Sources and Credits © Copyright notonthehighstreet.com © Copyright Firebox.com Ltd

Special Thanks to: Koko Kanu Three Barrels Honey Brandy Redemption brewery Brew Dog

Future food: Inhabited London Bridge Bounce Natural Energy Ball PICTURE CREDITS: Chetwoods Nom bar Architects The Raw Chocolate Co Ian Pierce and Katrina Campbell for the Food Gatherer photographs

Has Been Coffee Pact Coffee

Oli Sander Photography for Karens Kitchen Review

Chash Tea The London Tea club Teapigs Phom Teas

Anne Iarchy image taken from http:// actionpotential.org.uk Photo Credit to Carole Stanley for her article on ‘Growing your own garden’ All kitchen iteams are from: notonthehighstreet.com Firebox.co.uk KeepCup.com Vektra.co.uk

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Simply cook Farm Drop The Food Gatherer

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