Arundel's first ever Food Festival is going down a treat and celebrates Arundel's position as the gateway to Britain's newest National Park - the South Downs, as well as being by the sea. A unique combination providing the best of farmland and coast. On Monday 18th October a well attended discussion in the impressive surroundings of the Barons' Hall at Arundel Castle gave food for thought on the topic "Can we eat our way to a sustainable future?" Deftly chaired by Rosemarie Moon, four speakers gave a fascinating and wide ranging insight.
Vicky Johnson, a researcher for Climate Change at the New Economics Foundation, spoke about the global outlook and their "Think and Do Tank" approach combining sustainability, social justice for the environment and economic efficiency. In our inter-connected world we need to understand the impact of action taken and although climate change is the most urgent issue, soil erosion, the state of the oceans, declining fossil fuel (Peak Oil 2012 challenge when demand will exceed supply) and poverty eradication all need to be part of the mix. Nations need to learn to live within their environmental limits. Change is in the air.
Closer to home Caroline Harriott, a third generation local farmer as is her husband, spoke about food production in the Arun Valley. With a strong grasp on reality Caroline had a wonderful and direct approach to the seasonal farming they carry out on the South Downs with total empathy for tradition but with a view firmly in the 21st century. She painted an evocative picture as to how a hundred years ago Arundel used to be a thriving agricultural centre with a weekly livestock market, two slaughter houses and many local traders whose names are still linked with the surrounding fields they used to work (Kemps, Merriotts, Hargreaves). The river was used for transport and there was a strong community spirit. More recently the BSE, Foot & Mouth disease, and Blue Tongue problems have brought their challenges but farming continues successfully. 85% of the new South Downs National Park is farmed, relying on a much smaller, skilled workforce. The use of fertilisers is minimalised, the farmers are encouraged to promote conservation and tourism but as Caroline pointed out they must be allowed to be farmers and not to become park keepers. The monthly Arundel Farmers' Market must be supported and cherished, local shops need everyone living locally to use them and there needs to be a revival in family meal times to ensure a thriving Arundel community can evolve and be strong. As Caroline pointed out you only get out of life what you put in. Great common sense which should be taught in schools.
Toby Quantrill, Head of Public Policy at the Fairtrade Federation then spoke about the global perspective of fairness and justice in the food system - fairness of outcome, fairness of opportunity and fairness of voice (fair say). There were two main points to note. We have power as individuals in the choices we make (to be informed, know where our food comes from) and secondly as a wider economy we can create a sustainable food system. Otherwise bedded inertia will keep things as they are. Globally there is the need to feed more people and redistribute food more effectively. It is technically feasible and likely to happen. The current food system is failing globally as according to research by Oxfam out of the nine billion world population one billion go hungry and one billion are obese. Toby gave some examples of empowering local producers to be part owners (such as Ghanian cocoa farmers) and therefore sharing in the profits of their crops. Ultimately to create a sustainable future we need to share wealth more fairly through the food chain.
Maddy Harland, Editor of Permaculture magazine was an inspiring speaker to conclude, de-mystifying how permaculture is a design system and framework of common sense combining traditional techniques, new technology ideas and green architecture to achieve more ecologically sustainable systems. It takes nature as the model and sets out natural principles to put sustainable systems together. Explaining how Cuba transformed from being oil dependent to being the south American specialists in permaculture was a fascinating case study. On a local basis eating our way to a sustainable future is by us growing things and having a part to play with broadening the range of foods we eat. It's an exciting journey of discovery from planting to harvesting.
The question and answer session generated some good discussion on the need to challenge the power of the supermarkets (with the appointment of a new Government ombudsman); how to reduce our individual amount of food waste; and the need to reduce packaging; through to the need for us to treasure what we have in Arundel, to discover the joy of growing and eating as a community. An inspiring and thought provoking evening.
With an extensive programme running over ten days there is something for all interests in the Arundel Food Festival - from foraging for wild food, vinyard vists, butchery demonstrations and farm tours, to a town walkabout arount the ale and beerhouses of old Arundel. See http://www.arundelfoodfestival.org.uk/ for more details.
As an aside but still food related, Friday 22nd October is the UK's first national nut day...
Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona
Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Tuesday 12 October 2010
A Train Runs Through It
With Palma only a two hour flight from London, arriving to blue skies and warm sun was such a tonic having left behind Autumn advancing in the UK. My favourite part of Mallorca is the town of Soller, just half an hour's drive from the airport with the road soon passing almond groves and ancient olive trees. Once a major citrus exporting area with the port sited for ease of access to ship the crops to Barcelona and France, citrus made Soller's inhabitants rich in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The legacy being some beautiful old mansions dotted around town - one of which has been converted into a wonderful museum and art gallery, well worth a visit (the Can Prunera Museu Modernista).
If your experience of orange juice comes from a carton in the fridge a journey to Soller is a revelation to taste the delicious freshly squeezed "jugo de fruta naranje" using fruit taken straight from the tree. For 2.50 euros it's your own glass of liquid sunshine. Nectar.
Even though Soller is only 30km from Palma, 14km of those used to be via a series of hairpin bends snaking their way over the Tramuntana mountains. The rail line to Palma opened in 1912 and it wasn't until the mid-1990's that a 4km tunnel was opened to make Soller more accessible. Consequently it's an unspoilt gem with a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The original "Ferrocil de Soller" is one of the narrowest guage railways in the world and the traditional trains with their wooden carriages look like something from a children's fairy tale with banquette seating and brass fittings. In Soller the train station has a charm all of it's own and features small permanent exhibitions of Joan Miro's work and Picasso ceramics. The one hour train journey to or from Palma passes through citrus groves with the oranges, grapefruit and lemons in season almost close enough to pick. It's a delightful way to travel to the capital, although once in Soller it's hard to leave. For the best coffee and ensaimadas (light as air buns dusted with icing sugar) go to Cafe Paris on the Placa Constitucio which is the main town square and place to watch the day unfold, especially good on Saturday mornings when the market expands.
The ultimate new taste sensation in Soller has to be the delicious icecreams available from Eiscafe Giovanni, also on the main square. Everything from the mango to the chocolate chip looked seriously tempting. For the purposes of research I only tried three all of which were superb - creamy almond; zingy cherry; and a combination of chocolate, pistachio and marzipan all in one scoop which was seriously divine.
There's much to explore from the port at Soller accessible via a short tram journey, to inspiring walks in the mountains. Hot on my list for next time will be to go to the foodie emporium of Fosh Foods in Palma. I've been intending to go there for ages but once in Soller never seem to want to leave...At least I've brought my own bag of Soller sunshine home with me in the form of huge lemons which will be transformed into luscious lemoncurd, the taste of which will transport me back there until the next time.
Recipe for Lemoncurd (you'll never buy a jar from a shop again once you've tried homemade)
3 or 4 lemons - zested (depending on how strong you'd like the lemon flavour to be)
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4oz (110g) unsalted butter (melted)
In a glass or china bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and melted butter. You can then either cook the lemoncurd in the bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water on the stove, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens - which can take over half an hour, or for a quicker result you can use a microwave oven. With a microwave simply cook on high power for one minute at a time, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This process takes around 7 minutes. Just stir well and be careful to ensure there are no lumps in the lemoncurd as you don't want to over cook it. Once ready pour the hot lemoncurd into sterilized jars. Allow to cool and store in the fridge. It will last up to three weeks but doesn't tend to have a chance to.
If your experience of orange juice comes from a carton in the fridge a journey to Soller is a revelation to taste the delicious freshly squeezed "jugo de fruta naranje" using fruit taken straight from the tree. For 2.50 euros it's your own glass of liquid sunshine. Nectar.
Even though Soller is only 30km from Palma, 14km of those used to be via a series of hairpin bends snaking their way over the Tramuntana mountains. The rail line to Palma opened in 1912 and it wasn't until the mid-1990's that a 4km tunnel was opened to make Soller more accessible. Consequently it's an unspoilt gem with a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The original "Ferrocil de Soller" is one of the narrowest guage railways in the world and the traditional trains with their wooden carriages look like something from a children's fairy tale with banquette seating and brass fittings. In Soller the train station has a charm all of it's own and features small permanent exhibitions of Joan Miro's work and Picasso ceramics. The one hour train journey to or from Palma passes through citrus groves with the oranges, grapefruit and lemons in season almost close enough to pick. It's a delightful way to travel to the capital, although once in Soller it's hard to leave. For the best coffee and ensaimadas (light as air buns dusted with icing sugar) go to Cafe Paris on the Placa Constitucio which is the main town square and place to watch the day unfold, especially good on Saturday mornings when the market expands.
The ultimate new taste sensation in Soller has to be the delicious icecreams available from Eiscafe Giovanni, also on the main square. Everything from the mango to the chocolate chip looked seriously tempting. For the purposes of research I only tried three all of which were superb - creamy almond; zingy cherry; and a combination of chocolate, pistachio and marzipan all in one scoop which was seriously divine.
There's much to explore from the port at Soller accessible via a short tram journey, to inspiring walks in the mountains. Hot on my list for next time will be to go to the foodie emporium of Fosh Foods in Palma. I've been intending to go there for ages but once in Soller never seem to want to leave...At least I've brought my own bag of Soller sunshine home with me in the form of huge lemons which will be transformed into luscious lemoncurd, the taste of which will transport me back there until the next time.
Recipe for Lemoncurd (you'll never buy a jar from a shop again once you've tried homemade)
3 or 4 lemons - zested (depending on how strong you'd like the lemon flavour to be)
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4oz (110g) unsalted butter (melted)
In a glass or china bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and melted butter. You can then either cook the lemoncurd in the bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water on the stove, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens - which can take over half an hour, or for a quicker result you can use a microwave oven. With a microwave simply cook on high power for one minute at a time, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This process takes around 7 minutes. Just stir well and be careful to ensure there are no lumps in the lemoncurd as you don't want to over cook it. Once ready pour the hot lemoncurd into sterilized jars. Allow to cool and store in the fridge. It will last up to three weeks but doesn't tend to have a chance to.
Friday 8 October 2010
Providores Wine Maker's Dinner
Slightly crammed in to an upstairs dining room at The Providores Restaurant, High Street Marylebone on Tuesday 28th September, I joined over thirty other enthusiastic diners happy to devour Peter Gordon's delicious tasting menu and Michelle Richardson's fine wines at a special ticket Wine Maker's evening. Michelle introduced the wines with each course and both she and the wines were a revelation. No wonder these events are a sell out. Ex-Villa Maria where she spent 10 years, Michelle has been crafting her own wines since 2003. Following her microbiology degree her real interest was yeast and she's a "self confessed smeller" interested in subtle in aromatics and natural fermentation for her wines. With a natural feel for producing wine and sense of the characteristics important for each of her wines to showcase, I for one became an instant fan.
Personally I'm not usually keen on Sauvignon Blanc as the overriding gooseberry flavour and slightly metallic edge do not appeal, but Michelle's version was a revelation (2009 Richardson Sauvignon Blanc). Much lighter and easier on the palette, this was perfect as an aperitif. Next came the even nicer 2008 Waitaki Braids Pinot Gris, almost with a slighly smoky edge and perfect with the Panko crumbed chevre on nashi and apple salad with cobnuts and chilled manuka honey quince dressing.
As Michelle then pointed out lots of people had gone through the stage of ordering ABC (anything but chardonnay) and she set out to create a chardonnay that was lighter in alcohol content and without the heavy oak. Her own blend is exactly that and totally delicious. This went beautifully with the grilled squid and sauteed scallops with red Mojo sauce and deep fried capers.
Next we moved on to the 2009 Waitaki Braids Rose which was a sumptious raspberry colour and wonderful to drink. Michelle explained she had set out to create her own rose with a more robust colour as she didn't like the colour of French rose wines. The potato gnocchi, chervil and porcini with tarragon labne was a revelation with it.
Two rather special pinot noirs followed - a 2008 Waitaki Braids Pinor Noir and 2006 Richardson Pinot Noir (my favourite of the two), to accompany the roast Middle White pork belly on aubergine, cumin and sultana puree with damsons, wild mushrooms and apple cinnamon jus.
To conclude the menu dessert was a rather decadent Smoked chocolate delice with hazlenut praline and chocolate chilli wafer, Cashel Blue chocolate ice cream with walnut sauce.
I learnt a lot and would highly recommend seeking out Michelle's wines which are consistently excellent. Also, for anyone looking for a special food sensation in London, go to The Providores Restaurant for a truly delicious experience. Just remember to book in advance, they are always busy.
Personally I'm not usually keen on Sauvignon Blanc as the overriding gooseberry flavour and slightly metallic edge do not appeal, but Michelle's version was a revelation (2009 Richardson Sauvignon Blanc). Much lighter and easier on the palette, this was perfect as an aperitif. Next came the even nicer 2008 Waitaki Braids Pinot Gris, almost with a slighly smoky edge and perfect with the Panko crumbed chevre on nashi and apple salad with cobnuts and chilled manuka honey quince dressing.
As Michelle then pointed out lots of people had gone through the stage of ordering ABC (anything but chardonnay) and she set out to create a chardonnay that was lighter in alcohol content and without the heavy oak. Her own blend is exactly that and totally delicious. This went beautifully with the grilled squid and sauteed scallops with red Mojo sauce and deep fried capers.
Next we moved on to the 2009 Waitaki Braids Rose which was a sumptious raspberry colour and wonderful to drink. Michelle explained she had set out to create her own rose with a more robust colour as she didn't like the colour of French rose wines. The potato gnocchi, chervil and porcini with tarragon labne was a revelation with it.
Two rather special pinot noirs followed - a 2008 Waitaki Braids Pinor Noir and 2006 Richardson Pinot Noir (my favourite of the two), to accompany the roast Middle White pork belly on aubergine, cumin and sultana puree with damsons, wild mushrooms and apple cinnamon jus.
To conclude the menu dessert was a rather decadent Smoked chocolate delice with hazlenut praline and chocolate chilli wafer, Cashel Blue chocolate ice cream with walnut sauce.
I learnt a lot and would highly recommend seeking out Michelle's wines which are consistently excellent. Also, for anyone looking for a special food sensation in London, go to The Providores Restaurant for a truly delicious experience. Just remember to book in advance, they are always busy.
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