Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

July, What’s in Season This Month

To us July means long warm lazy days spent outside having picnics or barbeques, not had much luck this July with the picnics or barbeques however the variety, and quality of the fresh food available, from home grown produce to the imported foods are simply the best.

The salad leaves such as lamb’s lettuce, lollo rosso, oak leaf lettuce, curly endive and frisee, are wonderful simply served with a little lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or do as we do mix extra virgin olive oil with a little walnut or hazelnut oil for an extra special taste.


Berries are in season along with strawberries, loganberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, tayberries, melon and peaches, and blackberries make their first appearance,

Sweetcorn, broccoli, beetroot, and courgettes come into season as well as summer cabbage, spring cabbage, new potatoes, broad beans, fennel, the first outdoor French beans, tomatoes, watercress, new cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, cucumber.

Seafood lovers can enjoy fresh, seasonal scallops.


Fruit at Its Best

Apricots, Bilberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Greengages, Loganberries, Peaches, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Strawberries, Tomatoes And Whitecurrants.


Vegetables at Their Best

Artichoke, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Lettuces And Salad Leaves, Mangetout, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes (Maincrop), Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Spring Onions, Turnips And Watercress.

Herbs: Basil, Chives, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Parsley (Curly), Parsley (Flat-Leaf), Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Tarragon, And Thyme.


Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Rabbit, and Wood Pigeon.


Fish and Seafood at Its Best

Cod, Crab, Dover Sole, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Plaice, Pollack, Prawns, Salmon, Sardines, Scallops, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Shrimp, Whelks And Whitebait.


The Latest Grocery News for July 2011

  • Consumers will have to be told where most of their meat comes from under new EU food labelling rules. The European Parliament has approved new food labelling laws designed to help consumers make more informed choices. Beef already had country-of-origin labelling but this is now being extended to poultry, pork and lamb. The new system will be implemented over the next 5 years. But consumers hoping to see country of origin marked on dairy produce and on processed meat such as sausages and ready meals will have to wait as EU ministers rejected including these in the new rules. So you still don't know if that British banger, Cottage Pie or ice cream really is British.
  • Sainsbury's gave away 6 tonnes of sustainable fish this month as part of its Switch the Fish initiative. Sainsbury's offered free portions of 6 alternative sustainable fish species to shoppers asking for cod, haddock, tuna, salmon or prawns at its fish counters. Rainbow trout emerged the UK's favourite ‘alternative fish’!
  • Londis has pledged to get its British strawberries on shelf nation-wide just 36 hours after picking – a commitment that beats the large supermarket chains by 12 hours!
  • Asda is claiming it stocks over 6,000 local products in partnership with more than 600 suppliers. The supermarket says it is working with some of the smallest UK suppliers to give them the opportunity to grow their businesses and at the same time increase the amount of local products available in its 400 stores.
  • An array of celebrity chefs – including Jamie Oliver, Aldo Zilli and Raymond Blanc – have all signed up to a new campaign to promote British pork. A new recipe book, ‘Choose It and Use It’, has been launched featuring the chefs’ pork, ham and sausage recipes and encouraging shoppers to buy Red Tractor-assured British pork.
  • England's vineyards have grown 75 per cent to more than 1,300 hectares in the last 7 years.
  • The Women's Institute is gearing up to launch its first range of WI-branded food! The range will include the obligatory jams and baked goods and cakes all ‘home-grown with British produce’
  • Asda is stocking a new premium East Anglian potato, Norfolk Peer, from Heygate Farms, which is said to be ‘smaller and tastier’ than other new potatoes.
  • A quarter of all British pigs are now being reared to Freedom Food standards. The rise in Freedom Food pigs and pork products highlights the demand for higher-welfare pork products, even in economically hard times.
  • Sainsbury's has announced increased prices to its pig farmers will continue until the end of August at 3p extra per kilo. Sainsbury's originally stated they would review their commitment once DAPP reached £1.50 per kilo but when the DAPP reached this figure earlier this month Sainsbury's decided to continue its support.
  • UK pear growers will soon be tapping into the premium market for Sweet Sensation pears. AG Thames, a supplier of top fruit to the multiples, is creating the first UK orchard for Sweet Sensation in Kent and produce is hoped to hit retailer's shelves by next year. Sweet Sensation pears have been sold in small quantities in the UK for several years, but have always previously been imported from the Netherlands and Belgium.
  • Trade talks have officially opened up the lucrative Chinese market to pork exports. Pork prices are currently at a record high in China and there's a fantastic opportunity to improve the returns from selling all parts of the pig, which is much-needed as pig prices in the UK still lag behind the cost of production. China has also lifted the ban on British poultry exports but the beef and lamb sector are still waiting to gain direct access to the Chinese market.
  • Worthington's Ale has been certified by the Red Tractor assurance scheme. Worthington's ales are made using 100 per cent British barley sourced from Red Tractor-certified suppliers!
  • Welsh MEP, John Bufton, has hit out against the EU's labelling rules which prevent meat under the age of 24 months being labelled as ‘Welsh’ despite Scottish farmers being able to use country of origin labels on meat of any age. The disparity in the labelling rules is the result of the wording of Wales and Scotland's applications for Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) scheme.
  • Red Lion Foods, which has raised £400,000 for Help for Heroes and other charities, has admitted it cannot guarantee its products are from the UK despite its patriotic packaging. A typical package of Red Lion ham reads ‘Support our UK Forces. Purchase this ham” on the front but on the back reads ‘cooked and packed in the UK using pork from the EU and South America’. Make sure you read the fine print labels!

    Dates for Your Diary:

    British Food Fortnight 17th September – 2nd October 2011, British Food Fortnight is the biggest national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces.


    Local Shopping

    Tachbrook Street Market

    imageAddress: Tachbrook Street, SW1

    Trading hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 6pm

    Nearest tube: Victoria or Pimlico

    Bus: 2, 24, 36, 185, 436

    Open every day except Sunday, the number of stalls in this ancient street market increases as the week moves forwards, the market offers a wide array of goods from home furnishings and gardening equipment, to fruit and veg, fresh meat, fish, shellfish and bread and cakes, the market is home to an array of events counting late night shopping, gourmet lunchtime offers, ‘Fashion Thursdays’ and it will be hosting a brilliant Christmas market. Managed by Westminster Artisans Ltd on behalf of Westminster Council it is set to be a community hub thanks to its lively diverse array of stalls with scrumptious international hot food the paella is superb, fresh food, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, bread, funky fashion, and lots more. Discover different stalls on different days.


    On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

    imageOn this stall they have it all, Artichoke, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Lettuces And Salad Leaves, Mangetout, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes (Maincrop), Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Spring Onions, Turnips And Watercress.

    Herbs: Basil, Chives, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Parsley (Curly), Parsley (Flat-Leaf), Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Tarragon, and Thyme.

    Be prepared on sunny days to have to wait your turn, although they can move pretty fast when they have to.

    imageimage


    Freeman’s of Lupus Street, Our Local Butchers have been getting in

    imageSome outstanding chicken with a superb texture and colour and it’s at the right price too!

    Chicken is the definitive healthy convenience food; it cooks up fast and is an excellent source of protein to help keep you feeling full. We like boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they're a real diet bargain at 140 calories and 3 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving. But don't rule out dark meat, while it's slightly higher in fat and calories (174 calories and 8 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving), it has a richer flavour and stays moister than white meat, plus, there's more iron and almost twice the zinc, not bad for a small increment in calories.


    Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market Has Been Getting In

    imageMost all Jon’s fish is from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts, and there’s a great selection of fish being landed at local Cornish ports of Looe and Newlyn on the south coast and Newquay on the north coast at the moment.

    Jon’s stall was a picture, not only did we see Line-Caught Mackerel direct Cornwall, there was also some superb quality Bass, Brill, Monkfish, lovely large fish which remain it seems are in great demand and don’t forget those silver jewels of the west coast the Sardine fantastic on the BBQ or under the grill.

    Silver Mullet, in season now, is jam packed with flavour and Bass, Hake, Haddock, and Pollack all remain in season, We can't recommend the Wild Black Bream highly enough, it's fantastic! And the Gurnard is a really tasty, underrated fish, why not give it a try? At the moment Crab is exceptionally flavoursome and it would be near the top of our list from all the shellfish Jon has to offer at this time of year, his Lobsters are also fantastic, and don’t forget Jon’s smoked fish offerings you can’t go wrong.

    imageimage

  • Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

    Fresh Whole Fish

    1. The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
    2. The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
    3. The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
    4. Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
    5. Oily fish like herring, mackerel, and salmon should have a light, fresh oil smell, like linseed oil. If they smell of rancid oil, don’t buy.

    Fresh Fillets

    1. The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
    2. The texture should be firm, with no mushiness. Some separation of the muscle flakes (caused by the filleting process) is completely normal, but it shouldn’t be excessive.
    3. As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
    4. Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
    5. The general rule of not buying bi-valves during any month spelled without an ‘r’ (i.e. May to August) still holds true, as this is the spawning season and quality will be poorer. When raw, the shells should be closed tight. Any slightly open shells that don’t close up in response to a few light taps should be discarded. When cooked, the shells should open – discard any that don’t.


    In The Garden

    Nothing this month except for greenfly


    Recipes for July,

    Our recipes for summer can be found at MyDish just click on the links;

    Molly’s Egg and Bacon Salad, Bacon and eggs are not just for breakfast, try them this way for a starter or brunch its a very tasty dish

    Californian Cioppino, A generous seafood spectacular of crab, clams, mussels, monkfish, calamari, shrimp, and tomatoes braised in a fennel perfumed stew, served with fresh crusty sourdough

    Lamb Steaks with Rosemary and Redcurrant Glaze

    Mmm Lamb and rosemary! The redcurrant glaze tastes so good. Good idea for the BBQ as well.

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  • Sunday, 6 March 2011

    March, What’s in Season This Month

    In March, the weather starts to warm up (or so it should be doing), the time from now until about the middle of May is a tricky one for the shopper, grower, and greengrocer, winter vegetables are fading out whereas the spring veggies haven’t so far really got under way, however there is plenty of purple sprouting broccoli around so make use of it. The commencement of the purple sprouting broccoli season heralds a much wanted addition to the winter vegetable enjoyment.

    Merely steamed or boiled, this lively cousin of broccoli can be used in the same way it is leafier and deeper in colour than Calabrese; it always adds vitality and crunch to vegetable dishes and it goes well with almost any fish or meat dish. Broccoli is a cruciferous plant, from the same genus as the cabbage, and is associated to the cauliflower; cruciferous foods are nowadays hailed as having a number of significant health benefits. Purple Sprouting Broccoli contains the phytochemical sulphoraphane, which is thought to help prevent cancer. Furthermore it could provide resistance against heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. It is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of caretenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre, and vitamin A.

    Did I mention that it tastes great just simply steamed and served with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice?

    As with the British asparagus season, the Jersey Royals season and the first of the British Artichokes we always look forward to the first of the purple sprouting broccoli, in our opinion events like these are what makes British seasonal produce the finest in the world.


    Even so we are seeing more and more spring vegetables in the markets and some supermarkets earlier than in the past (Climate Change?), so with excited expectation our thoughts are turning to lighter dishes as we see Chicory, Chives, Mint, Parsley, Radishes, Rosemary, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Thyme, and Watercress coming into their season, and Cornish Spring greens are also becoming more plentiful and are very tasty jam packed full of flavour and very sweet, the two biggest enemies of cabbage are water and overcooking, the one thing you don’t want to do is boil it to death in a large saucepan of water. Simply remove any damaged outer leaves, cut it in quarters, removing the tough white ‘core’ in the middle, and slice it finely then you can either stir-fry it in a wok with oil, a little water and soy sauce or tip it into a saucepan with about 3 cm boiling water and cook it fast for about 3 minutes, turning it over as you go. Drain it thoroughly, add a good chunk of butter, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. A small to medium size cabbage will easily serve four persons.

    In the spring month of March (yes it’s a spring month), Saint David’s day proclaims the month of March, and with St Patrick's Day on the 17th, now is the time to think what we can be doing with all those tasty expected spring veggies, Lincolnshire starts to harvest carrots, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli and calabrese broccoli as do other regions of Britain, so make the most from the first bloom.


    New season's artichokes from Italy, Cyprus, and Egypt are making their first appearance on the shelves, together with the first of the tomatoes with taste from Sicily and the black volcanic soil of Tenerife and Fuerteventura. Fast on their heels will be new potatoes from around the Mediterranean, asparagus from the Murcia and Valencia provinces in Spain, and strawberries from Huelva in Andalucia.


    Leeks are good in early spring, and we like to use them, not only as vegetables to go together with poultry, meat and fish, but in soups, salads and tarts for first courses we like to lightly braise baby leeks as a lovely light side dish.

    Don’t be afraid to buy them loose and covered with dirt the taste is much better than ones that have been washed and pre-packed.

    Just cut off the top half of the green leaves and remove the root and any damaged outer leaves, cut vertically down the leek almost to the base and wash thoroughly between the leaves with cold running water slice the leeks thickly and wash again then cook in a little butter and oil. They also make superb soups and we think they are very good in egg and cheese dishes.


    Tasty tender spring carrots, you can get a good sized carrot enough to make a salad for under 15p which makes it a brilliant student buy. Even organic ones which generally have much more flavour are affordable. Use them raw and freshly grated or just slice them, toss them in a pan with a little oil and melted butter, season them with salt, pepper and a pinch of ground cumin or coriander, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil and let them cook very slowly in their own juices for about 20 minutes. They also make great soup and are a must for casseroles stews and stir-fries
    The one (and only) awful feature about the appearance of spring is that our beloved native mussels are off the seasonal menu until September we still have the rope grown imported mussels but they are not quite the same so, fill up on these juicy morsels while you can native oysters are now becoming more difficult to find and will soon be out of season however the pacific or rock oyster will always be a good substitute (just about) as they offer smaller portions with a more subtle taste.


    Fish And Shellfish At Their Best This Month Are:

    Brill, Clams, Cockles, Cod, Conger Eel, Crab, Dabs, Dover Sole, Eel, Elvers, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Plaice, Pollack, Scottish Wild Salmon is back in season, Sardines, Scallops, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Skate, Squid, Turbot, Whitebait, and Winkles.


    Vegetables At Their Best This Month Are:

    Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (new), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Spring Greens, Swede and Turnips.


    Fruit At Their Best This Month Are:

    Apples, Forced Rhubarb, Pears


    Meat, Poultry, and Game This Month;

    Beef, Chicken, Duck, and Pork are all very good and we are eagerly waiting for the first of British Spring Lamb, make the most of Rabbit this month wild rabbit meat, which is leaner and tastier than the farmed kind, has a wonderful delicate, gamey taste, very different from splendidly flavoured hare. Local Rabbit dishes reveal the fact that rabbit is very flexible and works well with those flavours used in chicken dishes, such as mustard and cream, tomato and herbs, and believe it or not chilli, I have had some superb rabbit dishes in Mexico, Turkey, Venison and Wood Pigeon are still good.


    The Latest Grocery News for March 2011

    Bringing you the hottest news on products in the high street, markets, corner stores, supermarkets and other major items of interest about British food; here is our analysis of what we think is of interest.

    clip_image001 Following on from channel 4’s fish fight campaign sales of sustainable fish species such as Atlantic Pollock or Coley have risen. Sainsbury's say sales of Pollack have jumped 167 per cent and Waitrose state an increase of 163 per cent on Dover sole. The campaign has even encouraged Waitrose to start new fish selections like Sprats and Welsh flounder.


    clip_image001[4] Asda and Tesco's have been criticised for rejecting home produced pork and chicken in support of cheap imports. An NFU Scotland investigation found that Practically all' Asda's bacon is imported, as are their gammon and bacon joints, while its value range of pork chops is a mix of French and German. A recent 3 for £10 offer in Tesco was on Dutch chicken and pork and no British bacon appeared to be had. In contrast Morrisons was found to continue to demonstrate a substantial allegiance to Scottish and British produce.


    clip_image001[5] Sainsbury's is gearing up for a major push on regional foods. New signage, such as local images and claims about the products and number of farms involved, has been rolled out to stores in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales this month, with plans for Devon and Cornwall to follow in the next few months. Sainsbury's currently sells about 3,000 regional lines.


    clip_image001[8] Tesco has started a new website about the local foods it sells in an attempt to boost online sales of locally sourced products. The site will display all Tesco’s suppliers within 50 miles of your nearest store and gives you the choice to change this to either 30 or 100 miles. The site what's more permits you to propose a supplier as well as letting producers put themselves forward as probable suppliers. Click here to visit the site.

    clip_image001[9] A group of 40 Yorkshire based farmers are launching the first ever regional frozen pea brand, Yorkshire Peas


    clip_image001[10] Blueberries have overtaken raspberries as the UK's second favourite fresh berry. Strawberries remain the UK's best-selling fresh berries, but shoppers bought 11.4 per cent more blueberries last year than previous while volume sales of raspberries fell 12.9 per cent.


    clip_image001[11] The British Beekeeper's Association fear we may lose all our bees within a decade if we are not careful. Honey bees are essential for the pollination of nuts and berries and play varying roles in pollinating apples, onions, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes, and broad beans.


    clip_image001[12] US cereal maker Kellogg has said that it will support the development of sustainable palm oil by purchasing GreenPalm certificates to offset all of its palm oil use.


    clip_image001[13] Last but not least elevated worldwide wheat costs are a massive expenditure for farmers using wheat-based grain to feed their animals. If the meats on the shelves are a few pennies more please don't be tempted to switch to a low-priced imported substitute. Join in supporting our farming industry and buy British!


    Seasonal foods at their best to look out for in the supermarkets this month:

    Vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (Maincrop), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Swede and Turnips

    Fruit: Apples and Pears

    Herbs: Chives, Coriander, Mushrooms (Cultivated), and Parsley (Curly)

    Meat: Beef, Chicken, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Mallard, Partridge, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Venison, and Wood Pigeon

    Fish: Brill, Clams, Cockles, Conger Eel, Crab, Dab, Dover Sole, Eel, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Oysters, Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, Skate, Turbot, Whitebait and Winkles


    Dates for Your Diary:

    Spring 2011 - Pimlico Food Festival at Tachbrook Street Market

    23rd April to 21st June 2011 - British Asparagus Festival, The town of Evesham is launching the world’s, first-ever Asparapancake Race as a prelude to the British Asparagus Festival which runs from 23rd April to 21st June. Evesham will host the race at 11am on Shrove Tuesday and participants, including Gus the Asparagus Man, will all be sporting green in tribute to this special vegetable. Local celebrity chef, Felice Tocchini, will be cooking up the pancakes for the race which will incorporate – you’ve guessed it - asparagus.

    12 - 13 March, World of Women Festival, Southbank centre, London

    Listen to Fatima Ali and Harriet Boatemaa, two cocoa farmers from Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana (which owns Divine Chocolate); speak at the World of Women Festival (WOW) at the Southbank Centre in London. Fatima Ali at 29 is the youngest person ever to be voted onto Kuapa Kokoo’s National Executive, while Harriet Boatemaa, at 27, has aspirations to be the co-operative President so she can inspire other young people to stay in villages and farm rather than migrate to the city in search of non-existent jobs.

    18 – 27 March, Dine on Deeside, towns and village across Deeside.

    This is a new foodie event which celebrates passion for regional cuisine. Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms produce is some of the finest quality in the UK and chefs from towns and villages across this beautiful area (including Ballater, Braemar, Banchory and Aboyne) will be serving up seasonal spring menus of everything from rustic bistro to fine dining. Special menus in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars will be on offer in price bands – - up to £10; £11 to £20; £21 to £30 and over £30

    18 – 20 March, Cheese and Wine Festival, the Southbank Centre, London

    This gastronomic delight of an event is now in its third year and is going from strength to strength. The weekend will host a whole array of cheese and wine specialists giving talks and demonstrations including Patricia Michelson founder of La Fromagerie, the Guardian’s wine writer Fiona Beckett, French Chef and Baker Richard Bertinet, renowned restaurateurs’ such as Henry Harris from Racine, Luisa Welch and John Quilter; and specialist premium suppliers such as Vintage Roots, Casa Leal and Auswineonline. Don’t miss it!


    Local Shopping

    image

    Tachbrook Street Market Address: Tachbrook Street, SW1

    Trading hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 6pm

    Nearest tube: Victoria or Pimlico

    Bus: 2, 24, 36, 185, 436

    Open every day except Sunday, the number of stalls in this ancient street market increases as the week moves forwards, the market offers a wide array of goods from home furnishings and gardening equipment, to fruit and veg, fresh meat, fish, shellfish and bread and cakes, the market is home to an array of events counting late night shopping, gourmet lunchtime offers, ‘Fashion Thursdays’.

    Managed by Westminster Artisans Ltd on behalf of Westminster Council it is set to be a community hub thanks to its lively diverse array of stalls with scrumptious international hot food the paella is superb, fresh food, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, bread, funky fashion, and lots more. Discover different stalls on different days.


    image

    On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

    Sonny’s stall this week again was a picture it is great to see such fresh produce full of lively colours, especially the Rhubarb it really looked vibrant and cooked up a treat when we made one of our favourite puddings so what else was on offer?

    Well there were Apples English Braeburns and Bramleys, Artichokes, Beets, English Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, English King Edward Potatoes, Fennel, Field Mushrooms, Leeks, Mache (Lambs Lettuce), Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radish, Watercress, you can plainly see that all of what was available was in first-rate condition.


    image

    Our Local Butchers have been getting in

    Beef, lamb, and pork is good this month and our local butcher Freemans has some ox-tails and beef brisket in that is just so tasty his fore-rib of beef looked just about perfectly hung and at under £14 per kilo is probably the cheapest in London you really must give the classically trained butcher a go and just to see a real traditional butcher shop is a treat.

    His special offer this week was corn-fed chicken leg portions at half price and very tasty they were too.


    image

    Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market

    Once again Jon has brought to market a fantastic array of fish and shellfish including some plump tasty razor clams (see below)

    Every time we go to his stall we see more and more people queuing up for his wares and this week was no exception especially as he had plainly been taking advantage of all that fishing in British waters can produce.

    He put on good show as usual with Cornish Brill, Clams including Razor Clams, Cod fillets, Cod steaks, Crab, Haddock, Cornish Hake, Halibut, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Megrim Sole, Dover Sole, Gilthead Bream, Cornish Gurnard, grey Mullet, Lobster, Scottish Mackerel, rope grown Mussels from the Shetland Isles, Monkfish, Cornish Octopus, there was Plaice from Scotland so plump and sweet, Prawns in the shell, there were Native Oysters, Rock Oysters, Scallops from the Isle of Man, wild Sea Bass, Skate, Sprats, Squid, Turbot, and Cornish Whiting.

    And remember almost all Jon’s fish is sourced from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts and his prices are so reasonable you have got to give this gifted and extraordinary fishmonger a try, you won’t be sorry, I promise.


    Razor Clams

    Clams, Razor ShellFor the most part people couldn’t describe a razor clam, as they can be tricky to find, but like the name suggests they are shaped like an old-fashioned cut-throat razor and when we were small and went to Wales on holiday I can remember my father warning us to be careful not to cut ourselves on the razor sharp shells of this strange looking creature.

    This extraordinary mollusc lives nestled in the sand and is collected by hand. The razor clam can reach 25 cm (10 inches) in length and is usually six times longer than it is wide, the Atlantic razor clam is sharp enough to cut skin, while other variety have an oval shape.

    They are extremely easy to cook and have a superbly rich flavour the only way I can describe it is as a fusion of cockles and scallops that’s sweet and salty all at once, which means with a little seasoning of some lemon juice and maybe a splash of Tabasco they are simply superb.

    Buying, Most likely to be found January and early summer, I mainly see them on the stall of my local fishmonger Jon Norris and the one place I see them all year round although infrequently is in oriental supermarkets.

    They will usually be sold in bunches of half a dozen or so, and must be alive, this is easy to check Many of the clams will have extended themselves beyond the reach of their shells and will retract when picked up and they should smell of the seaside but not be pungently fishy.

    Storing, It is always best to use bivalves the day you purchase them but if you need to keep them, wrap razor clams in a damp tea towel and leave them in the fridge. It is an error to soak all clams and cockles overnight as you can drown them.
    Preparing and Cooking, It's best to give them a quick wash first under cold running water then lay them on a baking or roasting tray and give them a very quick go under a hot grill for a minute or so This should jolt open the shells as soon as they open remove them from under the grill.

    As soon as they are cool enough to handle, take out the long, white, meaty clam. The digger (the dark bit at one end) needs to be cut off, as it is always gritty. You might also slice the clam open lengthways to check for sand.

    Once they are clean, the clams can to go back under the grill, back in their shells and with another two minutes of cooking and they should be ready.

    • As I said before, razor clams love a simple seasoning a classic recipe, popular in France and Spain, is to serve them plainly grilled, in the shells, with sizzling garlic butter spooned over at the last minute.
    • Salsa Verde or Aioli set off all clams beautifully.
    • If you don’t feel like grilling the clams, try steaming them open in a covered pan just add a bunch of razors, a tablespoon of olive oil and about half a glass of dry white wine or cider for tender clams in a mariniere style sauce within two minutes.
    • Cooking in water seasoned with salt and pepper takes about 10 minutes for 30 or so razor clams (enough for 2 people).
    • Cook in boiling water, and then finish in a frying pan with cream, garlic, and chives and serve with tagliatelle or rice.

    Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

    Fresh Whole Fish

    1. The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
    2. The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
    3. The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
    4. Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
    5. Oily fish like herring, mackerel, and salmon should have a light, fresh oil smell, like linseed oil. If they smell of rancid oil, don’t buy.

    Fresh Fillets

    1. The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
    2. The texture should be firm, with no mushiness. Some separation of the muscle flakes (caused by the filleting process) is completely normal, but it shouldn’t be excessive.
    3. As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
    4. Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
    5. The general rule of not buying bi-valves during any month spelled without an ‘r’ (i.e. May to August) still holds true, as this is the spawning season and quality will be poorer. When raw, the shells should be closed tight. Any slightly open shells that don’t close up in response to a few light taps should be discarded. When cooked, the shells should open – discard any that don’t.


    In The Garden

    Nothing happening on our little balcony garden at the moment, although we are still cutting Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary and Sage, it will soon be time to have a good clean down and sow our salads, radish and spring onion seeds outside and tomato seeds inside.


    Recipe for March

    Rhubarb Sponge Pudding

    Perfect for a Sunday lunch served with rich, smooth, velvety custard or thick Jersey cream, Maureen can’t remember when she first made this it was probably at home in Longridge when she was small, Maureen says “ I have been making for a long time and John calls it real comfort food and always asks for it when the new season rhubarb appears”.

    Serves / Makes: 4 servings, Prep-Time: 15 minutes, Cook-Time: 45 minutes

    You Will Need

    1. 100 grams soft butter
    2. 100 grams caster sugar
    3. 2 large eggs
    4. 100 grams self-raising flour, sifted
    5. 500 grams ripe rhubarb stalks
    6. 100 grams, extra caster sugar

    Method

    • Heat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F/gas mark 4.
    • Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until light and creamy add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Gently fold in the sifted flour until you have a batter of dropping consistency.
    • Cut the rhubarb stalks into 2cm lengths; discarding any, leaves arrange loosely in a buttered one-litre pie or baking dish and scatter with the 100 grams of extra caster sugar.
    • Spoon the batter mixture on top of the fruit in clumps then smooth out the clumps to cover the rhubarb bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
    • Serve with rich cream or with velvety smooth custard and enjoy


    Notes

    The outlandishly coloured vegetable that thinks it's a fruit. Rhubarb makes deliciously comforting puddings but its sharpness works extremely well with meat and oily fish dishes (the duck recipe below is a resounding success). Forced rhubarb (grown in the dark) has yellowish leaves and usually appears in January. The field-grown variety replaces it around April and is less tender but often more flavourful. Rhubarb was used as a medicine in ancient China. It was brought to Europe by Marco Polo and has been eaten as a food since the eighteenth century. Rhubarb is a good source of fibre and contains moderate levels of vitamin C and calcium. Studies have linked the fibre from rhubarb in the diet with reduced cholesterol levels. When buying choose crisp, firm, plump stalks with good colour. When kept in the fridge, fresh rhubarb will stay in reasonable condition for 1-2 weeks. Raw and cooked rhubarb freeze well. To prepare, wash and trim both ends of the stalks, and discard the poisonous leaves. Rhubarb, in particular the later field-grown variety, is very tart and requires considerable sweetening.

    As with other relatively acidic foods it is recommended that it’s not cooked using aluminium pots



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    Friday, 10 December 2010

    Students or Vandals? You Tell Me

    Tuition fees protests students march against education cuts

    Protesters set fire to an empty security guard shelter in the middle of Parliament Square, sending a massive plume of black smoke across the road towards Parliament.

    Others set off red flares and I don't for one minute believe these violent incidents are the acts of genuine students and if any are students they should lose their place in University.
    And to say it is the fault of the police is either the most stupid or most dim-witted headline of the day!


    What did the police get wrong? Did they throw paint, break windows or start fires?
    The police can only act in response to a given situation, we live not 10 minutes away from Parliament and even we were a little afraid of these so called peaceful protestors charging their way down our street. In our too liberal society the police after an event are blamed for lack of policing and yet if they pre-empt action like this they are considered as too violent.


    We must PUT the blame where it clearly lies, on the managers of the protest and the student leaders.
    These student leaders, typified by one I saw on the BBC appear to be professional agitators in training and the only item on the agenda is gratuitous devastation that makes no proclamation at all about the tuition fees.


    This is not about the rich dominating the poor; it is about paying for education and from what I remember further education is a privilege not a God given right you must pay for your privileges!


    Londoners and taxpayers have to pay for the students’ right to protest, how much has it cost Londoners to pay for all the policing including the cost of 3 helicopters and crews for about 10 hours yesterday and in the last 3 weeks about 120 plus hours!!! And with all the police costs, clean up, and damage to private property all these protestors have done is made sure that some other section of society will now have less money for their needs.


    The police are a bit player here they must respond, and that response is brought about by the action of the protester, and how they control a disruptive rabble should have our full support.

    Aggressive protest is one thing but the genuine students should be aware that their protest is being taken over by major trouble makers who have no interest at all in student fees, just meaningless aggression against the state that they sponge off; we want to see these violent vandals arrested and punished.


    And don’t forget inadequate politicians equals weak policing, so don’t blame the police blame the rioters and then the government for its liberal soft approach this sort of action is going to continue till it’s stamped out and stamped out hard.


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    Thursday, 23 September 2010

    Sunday, 19 September 2010

    Well we haven't any photos of the carboot sale in fact we were very let down with it, even though it was the first one held at The Pimlico Academy I would have thought that a company like Capital Carboot would have got their organization right.

    I couldn't see anyone who was in charge when we arrived there was no table (as is normal with carboot sales) with anyone behind it to take your entry fee, eventually we saw 2 young girls running around trying to collect the entry fees but they could have been anyone as neither of them were wearing a visibility jacket or seemed to know what was happening.

    As you know I have a mobility problem and use a mobility scooter or wheelchair and there was just no way I could go inside to view the tables as they had been situated in such a way that I observed even people without mobility problems had to turn sideways to make their way through and I believe that if a fire officer saw the chaos with items of every description all over the floor he would have closed the venue at once, all in all we were their for 15 minutes and that was because we were stopped from moving about by cars trying to get in and out now this is a problem as cars and vans that are not staying on site are supposed to leave by 12 noon, we arrived at 13:15.

    We will try the next attempt just to see if Capital Carboot can do what they say and give a really good experience and I am sending this part of our blog to them just to see if anyone is taking note.

    On a more positive note the new Pimlico library situated at the Pimlico Academy is a site for sore eyes we have already mentioned in a previous letter that it opened on Wednesday 8 September and today was our first chance to have a look it was a pleasant surprise as you enter you get a feeling of such light and space there is a manned reception desk and a really nice refreshments bar and seating area with comfortable seating, when we were there it wasn't open but the person on reception assured us that they served very good coffee and very affordable snacks.

    You enter the library proper by stairs or lift and this is very disabled friendly as is the space between the stacks and it is laid out in a very easy to find way.

    The children's library had plenty of children in it and this about 2pm on a Sunday and the computer area was also being well used.

    I especially liked the way you check in and out your books, cd's and DVD's by scanning them yourself this means that the library staff are always there for enquiries and other problems and as the library as a dual purpose serving both the general public and the pupils at the academy,

    This freedom for the library staff not always being tied to checking out borrowed items is very crucial.

    So with more books, cd's DVD’s and computer space the library is in our eyes a great success and don't forget it also contains the Westminster Adult Education with an exciting new learning facility with 8 high-tech teaching rooms.

    Open seven days a week with a term-time homework club, a reading club and regular sessions for under fives as well as activities for children during school holidays it looks to us that this library is going to be a well used service for the people of Pimlico, well done Westminster for having such vision for Pimlico.

    John & Maureen Glen Tags: , , , , ,