Tag Archives: Vegetables

Sausages!

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Didn’t we do well?!

Back in June, my husband Dan and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary in Lockdown with a day of sausage-making followed by a socially-distanced barbecue with our next-door-neighbours, Aidan and Sophia.

The art of sausage-making involves some scientific know-how and there is an obvious difference between making fresh sausages and those that you do not intend to eat right away.

Fresh sausage does not normally need curing salt, just a teaspoon of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, whatever herbs, spices and other flavourings you like such as apple, sun-dried tomatoes or ale, breadcrumbs or oatmeal and the best quality meat you can afford. However, if you intend to experiment with curing some of the mixture or wish to store fresh raw sausages in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, then you will need to substitute curing salt for sea salt. You may also store your fresh sausages in the freezer well-wrapped for up to 3 months, but freeze them on the day you have made them and consume them within the time frame. Making your own sausages also gives you control over the quality of the other ingredients as shop-bought sausages often contain more unsavoury parts of the animal such as snout, gums, connective tissue and so forth.

If you want to keep your bangers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days before eating them or intend to have a go at producing air-dried sausage, such as chorizo, it is important to add a special curing salt, such as potassium nitrate or pink curing salt, to your sausage recipe in order to avoid botulism. The amount of curing salt varies according to which curing salt you choose and which type of sausage you are making but in the case of chorizo, for example, it is common practice to add 0.5g of potassium nitrate per kg of meat or 2.5g of pink curing salt per kg of meat, which is about half a teaspoon.

The method of curing also varies and is often very precise. Chorizo is often air dried by hanging up in an area with a steady temperature of between 50 and 60F and a humidity of 65-80F, but some people prefer to use an air dryer. Temperature and humidity are very important to avoid problems such as case hardening, which occurs when the cases cure faster than the meat inside. This usually happens when there is not enough humidity and the meat inside will not cure properly, although it is more of a problem with fatter sausages such as salami.

Occasionally mould will form on the sausage casing. White powdery mould is usually safe, but if it forms simply wipe it off with apple cider vinegar. If green mould forms on the outside of the casing do likewise, but if it is another colour such as blue or black you will need to throw the sausage away.

If the sausage does end up dryer on the outside than the inside, wrap in waxed paper or cling film and pop it in the refrigerator for a few days which will usually correct the problem, as the humidity left in the sausages will even out, leaving a more balanced sausage.

Air dried sausage is ready to eat when it has lost at least 35% of its original weight, so make sure you weigh the sausage before you hang it up to dry and then weigh it again before cutting, when it is firm to the touch by squeezing it.

If you are thinking about curing your own sausages in this way, making a small batch of fresh sausage (containing curing salt instead of sea salt and a variety of other seasonings) for eating right away and air drying one or two of the links to experiment, may be a step forward.

Dan and I chose to make fresh sausages by hand after grinding the ingredients in a food processor, as we did not have a sausage-maker or meat-grinder.

Mixing the ingredients – this was the beef mixture

Because I wanted to make some vegetarian haggis sausages for myself, I bought one stick of Viscofan 30mm diameter 100% plant-based sausage skin from the Ebay UK seller butcherssundries_online, which cost me £8.99 including free p&p for one 15.24 metre stick. Viscofan are world-leaders in producing the finest quality sausage skins, using state-of-the-art technology to form their ingredients into casings. The casing I bought is 100% vegetarian, gluten-free, GMO-free, allergen-free and are also suitable for vegans. They are also marketed as having an excellent natural look with good frying qualities and a tender bite. The all-one-length stick is sectioned at approximately 2.5 cm intervals in folded form, which we found produced an average yield of 6 sausages and also allowed us to cut off the length of casing we needed without wasting any, knotting the cut-off end to secure before stuffing.

We started with the ingredients for the vegetarian haggis sausages, then the pork and tomato and finally the beef and red wine ones, washing the food processor thoroughly afterwards between each batch of ingredients to avoid cross-contamination. As we had no sausage-maker we first tried piping the mixture into the skin, which wasn’t very effective, but I had a brainwave and we inserted a small funnel into the open end of the casing and pushed the mixture through the funnel with clean fingers and the handle of a wooden spoon. We made sure the sausage casing was well-filled before twisting at each interval to form the individual sausage shapes, but this was the tricky part as the casing seemed less pliable than we expected so we needed to twist it several times to stay in place.

Stuffing the skins

All the sausages cooked perfectly on the barbecue, the skins did not burst and had a tender bit. We set the grill higher over the coals to allow the sausages to cook evenly. There is nothing worse than a sausage burnt on the outside and still half-cooked on the inside. We wrapped the haggis sausages in foil and placed them in a foil tray with some water and steamed them over the barbecue. All the sausages had a good consistency and tasted delicious and we all enjoyed what we ate. I served all the sausages with a good vegetarian red wine reduction, a foil tray of onions gently fried and then placed over the barbecue covered with heavy-duty foil and some creamy mashed potato, and we shared a good bottle of Champagne.

Below are my sausage recipes – simply combine all ingredients in a food processor or meat grinder before making into sausages. I eyeballed most of the ingredients based on instinct, but if you’re not a confident cook then feel free to use your own weights and measures.

BEEF AND RED WINE SAUSAGES

  • 500g minced beef – drizzled with a good glug of Merlot and allowed to marinate overnight
  • A good handful of fresh breadcrumbs or oatmeal
  • Fresh thyme, leaves only
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

PORK AND TOMATO SAUSAGES

  • 500g minced pork
  • A good handful of fresh breadcrumbs or oatmeal
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • Chopped sun-dried tomatoes if liked
  • Fresh thyme and chopped sage, leaves only
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

VEGETARIAN HAGGIS SAUSAGES

  • Can butter beans, drained and mashed
  • A good handful of oatmeal
  • Chopped garden herbs, leaves only – thyme, rosemary, marjoram
  • A good handful of vegetable suet
  • A glug of sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • Sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

We have since invested in a combined sausage-maker and meat-grinder and had a date making turkey and chorizo sausages seasoned with hot and smoked paprika, which turned out really well. We gave some to my brother and he loved them!

Basil Gnocchi with Mediterranean Vegetables

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During the Lockdown period I have seen a few TV programmes featuring celebrity chefs preparing gnocchi.

Now, I have tried pre-packaged gnocchi from the supermarket several times in the past but it was never to my liking. It often has a strange, slimy texture and is under seasoned, tasting of very little at all; an underwhelming dining experience, it must be said.

For me, texture is a very important consideration when preparing meals. If something looks and tastes ‘wrong’ to my palate I am unable to eat it and I am sure many people share my sentiments. Gnocchi has usually had this effect upon me, thus I tend to avoid it.

However, recently having watched TV programmes showcasing tempting plates and inventive recipe ideas with gnocchi, and then discovering that gnocchi is a slightly healthier alternative to traditional white pasta, I did wonder whether I might be missing out on a taste sensation and might perhaps have more luck making my own gnocchi and, at the same time, make it gluten- and egg-free, so I decided to give it a go.

Gnocchi are little Italian soft dough dumplings often made with a blend of semolina or wheat flour, mashed potato, egg and seasoning and can be fried, baked or boiled. Other ingredients might include cornmeal or breadcrumbs, cheese or egg, and flavourings such as vegetables, herbs, cocoa or prunes.

I used Doves Farm plain (all purpose) gluten-free flour which is a blend of rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat and is also suitable for a Kosher diet. Recipes online suggest baking rather than boiling gluten-free gnocchi but I saw no reason why the little dumplings could not be boiled as long as handled with the love and respect any handcrafted product deserves.

One of the most important things is to use floury potatoes and make sure they steam dry before mashing and that it is well-seasoned with salt and pepper. The potato can be boiled first or baked in its jacket in a microwave oven before mashing A potato ricer, if you have one, makes it easier to get a nice smooth texture with no lumps, otherwise use a conventional potato masher and some elbow grease, but for my recipe do not add milk or butter or any beaten egg. Simply combine the potato with the plain flour, add chopped sage or any chopped herbs of your choice, and season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Form the gnocchi dough into little balls or lozenge shapes and use the back of a fork to create a crinkle effect, before boiling in a pan of salted water for a couple of minutes. When they are ready, the gnocchi will rise to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon on to kitchen paper to drain and then serve with any sauce of your choice – or even a simple drizzle of garlic infused olive oil and torn basil leaves, or a little pesto or sun dried tomato tapenade.

For a heartier plate and to keep this recipe vegan, any tomato-based sauce goes well with gnocchi, whether you roast whole cherry tomatoes in an oven with garlic and balsamic vinegar or use tinned chopped tomatoes. For a vegetarian, gnocchi can be enjoyed with roasted butternut squash and goat’s cheese or perhaps some spinach and ricotta. I decided to serve the gnocchi simply with a side of roasted Mediterranean vegetables – diced aubergine (eggplant), roughly chopped onions, tomatoes, courgette, tomatoes and bell peppers and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

I found the gnocchi cheap to make and easy to prepare, and the time taken was worth the effort as the result was delicious. I have discovered a liking for freshly-prepared gnocchi, they are tasty, filling and versatile and I will enjoy experimenting with different flavour and texture combinations.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the gnocchi

  • 400g   Potatoes, mashed
  • 50g     Gluten-free Plain flour
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • Finely chopped fresh or dried basil

For the vegetables

  • 1 Aubergine diced into 2cm chunks
  • 2 courgettes diced into 2cm chunks
  • Whole cherry tomatoes or quartered vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 2 red onions, roughly chopped into chunks
  • Red and Yellow Bell Pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
  • Crushed garlic cloves (optional)
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Torn basil leaves (to serve)

 

  1. Boil floury potatoes in their skins in salt water, drain thoroughly and return to the pan to steam dry. Alternatively, microwave potatoes in their skins until cooked through.
  2. Wash and prepare the vegetables, drain well on kitchen paper and place in a roasting tin with some crushed garlic cloves if liked and a good glug of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a medium oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
  3. On the hob, heat a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil.
  4. Meanwhile, as soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins away with clean hands and either push the potatoes through a potato ricer or mash to remove any lumps. Turn potatoes out on to a large board.
  5. Measure out 50g plain flour on to the board and gently mix into the potatoes, along with chopped fresh or dried basil to your liking and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a little more flour if you think it is necessary, but only add one tablespoon at a time to avoid the dough becoming too dry.
  6. Carefully knead the dough for a few minutes until pliable and then roll into four thin sausage shapes 2-3 cm thick and cut each sausage into 3cm slices. Then either roll into balls or carefully mould into lozenges, using the back of a fork to create grooves which will help the sauce to stick to the dumplings.
  7. Carefully place the gnocchi in the pan of salted water and boil for about 2 minutes. They are ready when they rise to the surface and they will have puffed up a bit. Cook the gnocchi in two batches of two servings to ensure they do not stick together.
  8. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, toss with a little garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil and serve with the Mediterranean vegetables and torn basil leaves.


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STIR FRIED SWEET & SOUR SEA LETTUCE WITH RICE AND VEGETABLES

12 Sunday Apr 2020

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Earlier this week my husband Dan and I enjoyed a pleasant stroll on our local beach for our hour’s walk, in compliance with the current Covid-19 Lockdown regulations.

Whilst walking towards the incoming tide, I noticed what looked like sea lettuce growing on the rocks. Dan looked on the internet via his mobile phone to check what we had found and that it was safe to eat, so then we picked just enough of the sea lettuce to take home and incorporate into an evening meal. It had attached itself to the rocks quite firmly so we picked it quite carefully applying light and deliberate pressure so as not to risk tearing the ruffled fronds.

Sea lettuce is a common seaweed found all over the world attached to rocks and other surfaces. It attaches using a small holdfast or sometimes lives in rock pools if it has become detached. The detached fronds will continue growing and are capable of forming large floating colonies, although sometimes sea lettuce will also be found washed up along the beach.

The fronds of sea lettuce are unique; they are ruffled, bright green and translucent as they are only 2 cell layers thick. They are not classed as endangered and are a sustainable food source.

Sea lettuce is an important source of nutrition for grazing marine creatures including crustaceans, molluscs such as sea snails and slipper limpets, and echinoderms such as sea urchins. Brant geese also feast on sea lettuce at low tide.

In recipes, sea lettuce may be eaten raw in salads and cooked in soups or stir fries. It can also be dried and sprinkled on food for a cheffy twist. Although sea lettuce has a thin appearance, it is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. It contains a high amount of Vitamin C, protein and fibre and is a great source of protein.

Having harvested this ingredient and enjoyed our walk, we went home and thoroughly soaked the sea lettuce in fresh salted water to remove any impurities and rinsed it through a colander and fresh running water, before draining and shaking it well and placing it in a covered bowl we transferred to the refrigerator.

The following evening I incorporated the sea lettuce with a few leftovers and store cupboard ingredients into a delicious stir fry for supper. This stir fry is so tasty and healthful and you can chop and change ingredients with whatever you have in the store cupboard. If you don’t have sweet and sour sauce you could use black bean sauce, a tablespoon or two of soy sauce or even a tablespoon of curry paste. You can use cooked rice noodles instead of long grain rice, if you prefer. If you don’t like bell peppers (or don’t have any) you could use diced zucchini instead or include a finely chopped leek instead of the onion. Simply use whatever raw leftover vegetables and whatever seasonings you have.

You do not need to add prawns and/or egg if you are vegetarian or vegan, instead you could add a few tablespoons of protein-packed crunchy nut butter instead of a Chinese sauce or curry paste, or you could add a liberal handful of cashew nuts.

Whatever you do, have fun experimenting! This recipe is a cheap and nutritious “freestyle” meal you can make again and again.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 50g-100g Foraged sea lettuce, rinsed well and drained
  • Half yellow or red bell pepper
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
  • 25-50g red cabbage finely sliced
  • 1 medium carrot sliced into batons
  • Handful of cold cooked prawns (if liked)
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed, sesame or sunflower oil
  • Leftover cooked long grain rice
  • 3 tbsp sweet and sour sauce from a jar or sachet
  • 1 tsp ginger puree (or 1” piece of chopped fresh ginger)
  • 3 finely peeled and chopped garlic cloves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chilli flakes or freshly chopped chilli (optional)

 

Method

  1. If including the egg, put 1 tbsp oil in a small non-stick skillet (frying pan) and put it over a high heat. Crack the egg into a cup and whisk well with a fork, turn the heat down to medium and pour the egg into the pan, swirl round and allow to cook through on one side until set. Flip egg over and cook through on the other side. Turn out of skillet on to a clean board and allow to cool.
  2. When cool, roll up the egg omelette and slice into strips. Reserve.
  3. Put 2 tbsp oil in a wok and place on a medium-to-high heat. Add the onion, cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, ginger and chilli and stir well to combine. Allow to cook through for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the onion does not char. Adjust cooking heat if necessary.
  4. Add the chopped garlic cloves, black pepper and salt to taste and stir well to combine.
  5. Add 3 generous tbsp. of sweet and sour sauce to the mixture and shake/stir well to combine. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes, then add the rice and the prawns if using. Add the egg strips. Stir or flip all ingredients in the pan until thoroughly combined and leave on the heat for another minute or two.
  6. Finally, add the sea lettuce and combine well to cook for a further minute.

Serve immediately.


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KINGSTON YOGA AND VEGAN FOOD FESTIVAL

25 Tuesday Oct 2016

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Me and my stall!
Browsing the Crafts
The folks from Panacea!
RUDEVeganz was ‘ere!
Food for Thought
Shabari, Tropic Skin Care and Beauty Consultant
A selection of the Tropic product range
The Saf of (Raw) Life!
Busy for lunch
Kriti with the Mayor of Kingston, Geoff Austin, and his wife Sheila
Posture-checking with the chiropractors!

Last Saturday (15 October) the Performing Arts Centre at Kingston Grammar School hosted the town’s first ever Yoga and Vegan Food Festival, a charity event organised by Kriti Sachdeva of Yogific and her team of volunteers. Admission was just £3 per person (free for children under 12 years) and included the talks, live music and the nine 30-minute yoga sessions, as well as the food and craft stalls. The yoga sessions included one specifically for children.

I had taken a stall, selling my handcrafted cards, jewellery, incense and other gifts. There was a wonderful array of stalls selling everything from cruelty-free cosmetics to tee-shirts and jewellery, vegan and raw vegan food to aloe vera and other ethical and organic products, as well as those publicising Yoga classes for the over 60s, a ‘stop the (deer) cull’ petition, free ‘posture checks’ and chiropractic consultations, reflexology and massage, the list was endless.

An attendance of 200-300 people was expected, but some 500 visitors actually came through the door – many with their colourful clothes and T-shirts proclaiming: “Vegan”, and carrying rucksacks and brightly rolled-up yoga mats, and eagerly browsing the many stalls and chatting with exhibitors, on their way to the classes and talks, and inevitably the event was a resounding success.

Doors opened at 9.15am for the day’s first yoga session and by this time there was already an orderly queue. Food and gift stalls were officially not open until 10.15am, although many exhibitors had finished setting up before trading was set to begin. There are many different styles of yoga available from teachers in the Kingston area, and each 30-minute session enabled visitors to try as many types as they wished.

Vegan and raw vegan food was offered by volunteers of Bhakti Yoga Institute – spicy samosas, chickpea curry with rice, ‘power balls’ (which contained an assortment of nuts), vegan lasagne. I tried some vegetable pakora, £1 for four with a spicy dip.

The Mayor of Kingston, Geoff Austin, and his lovely wife Sheila, and MP for Kingston, Mr James Berry, also attended the event. I met the Mayor as he and Sheila browsed my stall, and he bought one of my Fred and Merlin photo art cards. Fred and Merlin, for those of you who are unaware, are my two cats.

All proceeds from the event were donated to Momentum, which is the Mayor of Kingston’s charitable trust, and an animal welfare charity called Miracle’s Mission.

Founded in 2004, Momentum is an independent Kingston-based charity, which supports children and their families across Surrey and South West London who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, and at any given time they are supporting over 150 families. Recognising that all families are different, the charity offer support tailored to the needs of each family through their Family Support Programme, which offers both emotional and practical help as well as a variety of therapy services including music, dance and drama. Momentum seek to alleviate some of the stresses that are part and parcel of a demanding treatment plan, by providing trips and treats and respite holidays. They also work closely with local hospitals in order to improve facilities and healing atmosphere during the times children spend in hospital.

Miracle’s Mission was founded in April 2015, and is a UK charity based in Carlisle Cumbria, which aims to protect animals worldwide. The charity was inspired by a stray puppy called Miracle, who was found living on the streets of Borneo. The charity is funded entirely by their own events and by public donations and they receive neither government nor grant funding, and all profits are spent on saving the lives of animals in need and distress.

Miracle’s Mission are setting up their first big project in northern Borneo, known as the Trap, Neuter, Release and Manage Program. In Borneo, too many un-neutered stray dogs and cats are roaming the streets as they compete for too few homes and resources, which has resulted in a population crisis that may only be solved humanely through a neutering program. Constantly competing for food, water and shelter every day means that stray animals lead short and arduous lives that often end in cruelty.

Over 10,000 stray animals wander the streets and by neutering or spaying just one dog it is possible to save the lives of thousands of others being born on the streets. The charity will work alongside local Governments, schools and communities in order to promote the benefits of neutering and spaying and teach people why it is important to care for animals, especially strays who are more vulnerable and in danger of cruelty and violence. Unless urgent action is taken to reduce the number of stray puppies and kittens being born and protect those already in need, many thousands more will spend every day of their lives struggling to survive.

A word or two about a few of the exhibitors.

Panacea Health & Beauty natural health store. Established in 2006 at Kingston-on-Thames, this family-owned business has 5 branches in London and Watford, the Kingston branch is based at The Bentall Shopping Centre. They offer a wide range of the latest products to bring you a natural and healthy lifestyle and have a loyalty card scheme. Products include nutritional supplements, sports nutrition, aromatherapy, homeopathic remedies and herbs, natural and chemical-free cosmetics and skin care, and health foods (including wheat- and gluten-free and lactose-free). The health bar snacks are absolutely delicious! To find out more, visit panaceaonline.co.uk

Food for Thought health food store. Voted Independent Retailer of the Year 2016 in the Kingston Business Excellence Awards 2016, the business sells raw, vegan and vegetarian and ‘free from’ organic health foods, natural skincare and body care, vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements and homeopathy, as well as many of the more unusual products that are difficult to source elsewhere. I was offered a sample pack of BonPom Raw Organic Mulberry Crumble. This is a very versatile sprinkle comprising nothing but Turkish organic dried white mulberries and is a healthy substitute for sugar. It is also ideal for snacking or for sprinkling over ice cream or porridge (perhaps along with some sliced banana or chopped nectarine, for example) or stirring into yoghurt. The local shop premises are based at 38 Market Place, Kingston. Their website is foodforthoughtuk.com to find out more.

RUDE Veganz. A new business launched at the beginning of September, their website is currently under construction. Their quirky products include limited edition hand screen-printed garments, including T-shirts, for all ages, and fashion tote bags. Their products are 100% ethical, fair share, eco-friendly and vegan – style with attitude! Check out their Facebook page fb.com/RUDEVeganz or send a direct message to @RUDEVeganz.

Tropic Pure Plant Beauty. An affordable, natural, vegan and cruelty-free range of skin and body care, sun care, tanning products and cosmetics, backed by Susan Ma and Lord Alan Sugar of The Apprentice. I met Tropic Skin Care and Beauty Consultant Shabari, who has been vegan for over 20 years and looks glowing. The products are available either directly from Shabari or from her online shop and she also offers pamper packages which range from facials and hand treatments to makeovers and brow definitions for a range of special occasions such as office parties, baby showers, hen and pre-wedding pamper parties, along with a variety of gift sets. I tested one of the eyeshadow palettes and found the colours to be ‘true’ – they blended well and smoothly and did not rub off or fade, and a little goes a long way. I particularly like the sparkly silver! To find out more about Tropic or Shabari’s services, follow her on Twitter @ShabariTropic or Facebook fb.com/LoveTropic or visit her website at lovetropic.info.

Saf Life. Raw vegan products certified organic by the Soil Association. The business was established back in 2006, the driving force being to help people achieve their optimum health and wellbeing through holistic nutrition. Some of the snacks are also certified organic. The nutritious products are developed in-house and are packed with flavour. Grab-and-go packaging, ideal for quick and healthy snacking. Gluten- and dairy-free, the products are made at 46oC and are packed with protein and fibre, and contain no refined sugar. Choose from kale crisps (kale tossed in seasonings and then dehydrated for crispness – delicious!), cereal bites (a blend of fresh and dried mixed fruit, seeds, nuts, and superfoods to make a crunchy snack for under 90 calories) and activated crackers (a combination of fresh fruit, vegetables and seeds/nuts) to name a few. To find out more, visit saf-life.com or follow them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Yogific, organisers of this event, offer Yoga and Bollywood Dance in Kingston, Staines and Egham. To find out more, please visit their website Yogific.com or contact Kriti Sachdeva on 07481 898608 or Yogific@gmail.com

 

 

Catherine

 

NETHERGONG VEG BOXES

09 Sunday Oct 2016

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Last Thursday morning, Dan and I received our first Nethergong small vegetable box (which hardly looked small), a wooden pallet-style box (recyclable, of course) containing a variety of vegetables: a large Romanesco cauliflower, celeriac, watercress (from Wingham), a large red cabbage, and Red Kuri squash, as well as the staples of bunched carrots, potatoes and onions – all that, for just a fiver.

We had met the people from Nethergong the previous Saturday afternoon, where they were exhibiting at the annual Broadstairs Food Festival. With over 100 exhibitors, The Food Festival showcased the very best food and drink that local producers have to offer, and the event was attended by some 40,000 people over the weekend. Better still, entrance to the event was absolutely free although donations of £1 per person were welcomed on the door.

Nethergong was running an introductory offer of any half-price vegetable box for a first delivery and, having received Riverford organic boxes on many occasions and knowing what we might expect, did not hesitate to sign up for one. We chose to receive a £10 box every fortnight delivered to our door on a Thursday and we paid the £5 up front for our first box.

While we were there we also bought a bunch of the most beautiful watercress, which we were told came from Wingham. Earlier in the summer while we were house-hunting, we were due to view a delightful period cottage on Watercress Lane, Wingham Well, with stunning views over open fields towards Wingham parish church and a 200 feet rear garden backing on to woods. Excited at the prospect, our joy was cut down to size when, two days before we were due to view it, the property was under offer – less than a week on the market. All worked out well in the end though, as we had a second viewing of an early 1930s period semi at Dumpton Park, on the Ramsgate-Broadstairs border, and it had our name on it. So here we are now, settling into Kentish life!

Run by the Jenkins family of Netherstreet (8 miles from Canterbury), Nethergong Vegetable Boxes were established 7 years ago. The business owns a smallholding and Nursery at Nethergong, growing a variety of herbs and specialist vegetables. The Jenkins family got the idea for Nethergong Nurseries after growing tomatoes in the back garden over the past few summers. The tomatoes tasted so much better than anything one might find in a shop that the family began to think that there must be a market for fresh, local produce and the concept was born. The vegetable box scheme works with a group of local farmers around Thanet and Canterbury, in the heart of the Garden of England. Most of the suppliers are small growers, the smallest farming only ten acres, so the vegetables are an important source of regular income.

With its rich and abundant natural resources, East Kent has been described as the new Gastronomic hot spot in England, attracting talented, quality chefs to the kitchens of Canterbury, Faversham and Whitstable, who are inspired by the high quality produce that Kent has to offer.

Also with our vegetable box was a cheerful, friendly and informative newsletter, which included tips on how to store the vegetables and two recipes; the first, Jamie Oliver’s spicy Squash soup, which serves 8 people, and the second, for a Celeriac and Walnut salad. I shall certainly look forward to trying both.

To store red cabbage, simply keep it in a cool, dark place. We keep ours in the pantry. After all, in the old days, before the days of domestic freezers and refrigerators, that is what a pantry was for. Indeed, refrigeration was unheard of until after the end of the Second World War and many homes were without such appliances until at least the 1950s.

Each Monday, Lewis of Nethergong posts the contents of the week’s veg boxes on the home page of the website. The logo and design of the website reminds me of the Riverford one and I wonder whether they use the same website builder or provider or the same web consultants, although I have been reliably informed that Riverford has now taken their website in-house and reworked it. The big difference is that Riverford has a team of self-employed distributors, or franchisees, whereas Nethergong is a small, family-run business offering service with a more personal touch. Another difference is that Riverford deliver produce in recyclable printed cardboard boxes.

Lewis emails customers to advise them of weekly ‘specials’ that they might wish to add to their boxes. These include free range eggs, fruit and fruit boxes in season, local artisan bread, cheese, and fruit juices. All the customer need do is respond with their choices and they will be delivered with their box. Payment is online by debit or credit card or over the telephone and cheques are also accepted, made payable to Nethergong Nurseries – the same payment methods then, as Riverford.

So on Thursday evening I decided to start cooking with the vegetables and served sliced carrots, mashed potatoes and a homemade liquor with our pie. The carrots were bunched and tied, with their tops on and were irregular and covered with soil like a ‘real’ carrot should be – no namby-pamby prewashed supermarket carrots here. I gave them a good wash and rinse in cold water and they peeled easily. I cut them into round slices and popped them in the basket of the steamer. I used one large and one small potato, again, nice and dirty with soil, washed and peeled those and chopped them into small chunks and popped them into salted water in the pan section of the steamer. One end of the large potato was disappointingly mottled with bruises and I had cut this end off, but they were ‘real’ potatoes after all.

With the pie in the oven and the vegetables cooking, I made some liquor using some of the watercress which I added to a roux made with a knob of butter, tablespoon of cornflour, about ¾ pint blend of semi-skimmed milk and water, and salt and freshly ground black pepper. I then removed the sauce from the heat and whizzed it with a stick blender until the softened watercress was fine and blended with the sauce, then added a good handful of fresh chopped parsley, returned the sauce to the heat and checked the seasoning.

The carrots were just al-dente and the potatoes nice and tender; I transferred the carrots to a dish and kept them warm, then I drained the potatoes and mashed them with milk and a good knob of butter and seasoned well with salt and pepper.

The carrots and mashed potatoes were delicious and flavourful and the liquor had a delightful peppery zing, which really complemented the plate.

Since then I have simply steamed some of the Romanesco cauliflower and served it alongside homemade lasagne (made with Scottish minced beef, fresh tomatoes, a glug of red wine and a diced onion from the veg box), and again it was tender (without being steamed to death) and flavourful.

Dan and I are looking forward very much to receiving our next veg box.

Nethergong delivers to the following areas: –

Canterbury

  • Faversham
  • Whitstable
  • Herne Bay
  • Thanet
  • Sandwich
  • Deal
  • Dover
  • Folkstone

And neighbouring villages.

To order your first veg box half price, simply visit the website:-

www.nethergongnurseries.co.uk

 

Catherine.