The Food Club

Local Markets

Posted on 21. Apr, 2009 by Justin.

I've just had a long weekend away in London and decided to look round Borough Market during my stay. This was an incredible experience and I've attached some of the photos from the market below.

This experience made me think about the culture we all seem to have become accustomed to of going to our local supermarket. I'm not saying don't goto the supermarket but how about thinking about how we shop a little more carefully. The retailers in this market are extremely passionate about the food they sell and think about quality before price. Most of the food being sold was sourced from the UK and this market is clearly is a great advert for British produce.

Every major city will have a least one market but people seldom visit them as the convenience of the supermarket is an overriding factor. How about over the next month you make an effort to visit your local market? Here are a few reasons why:

1. Save money - markets are on the whole cheaper than a supermarket as they don't have the same high overheads / staff costs.
2. Better quality - find out who are the really good suppliers in your market. Ask questions such as how long have you been here? Where does your meat come from? How long do you age your beef etc. You will soon get an idea about their ethos and passion for the produce on offer. 
3. Get to know your food and the retailers - a lot of people buy the same food every week from the supermarket as it seems less terrifying when it's covered in a plastic tray. By talking to the retailers in the market they can help you choose a delicious cut of meat or new vegetables to try. Market traders have knowledge which you can't find in a supermarket. In fact next time you are in your local supermarket ask a member of staff where a particular cut of meat comes from in the animal. 9 time out of 10 they won't know!
4. Good fun - a market has atmosphere and there is an air of excitement. 

Enjoy your local markets and enjoy the photos below!

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Buying Good Beef

Posted on 26. Feb, 2009 by Justin.

All my friends know I’m extremely picky when it comes to the quality of my food but when it comes to beef I go to extremes. Last week I bought what I hope is going to be a fantastic piece of beef. I’ve taken a picture so you can see what I’m talking about.

This cut is called “Wing Rib” and I have several reasons why I think this will make an exceptionally tasty meal.

1.       Marbled Fat – you will see from the photo that the meat is what I call marbled with fat. A piece of meat with no fat is likely to be dry and tasteless when cooked. I personally like to eat the fat on meat but even if you don’t always pick a piece of beef with plenty of fat as it will pay dividends when cooked. Don’t forget that any fat (dripping) that comes out of the meat can be collected and later used to make roast potatoes.

2.       Dark Colour – you will also see that this meat is not bright red but is slightly darker. This is because it has been matured by the butcher which will increase the flavour. Beef can be matured for up to 21 days and the longer it’s matured the better it gets. In the supermarket you will see a lot of the beef will be bright red and this signifies it hasn’t been matured so the taste will be poor. You can also see that my piece of beef is not swimming in blood like a lot of supermarket meat. This is a sign that the animal was not stressed when slaughter and has been treated with respect until its final moments. I happen to know that the butcher where I bought this meat actually has an abattoir on site and the animal only had to travel a few miles from the farm.

3.       Cost – your all thinking so how much does a piece of beef like this cost. I’m very lucky that I’ve got a fantastic local butcher so only paid £12 for the cut. Let us consider a few hard facts; the supermarket is cost driven and even the best ones out there are still looking to keep the shareholders happy. By supporting a local butcher you get better quality, value for money and you know where your food has come from. If you’ve ever looked at supermarket packaging you will see a lot of the meat we buy comes from abroad where quality control and standards could be poor. Meat from a local farm down the road should benefit from better quality and lower transport costs.

If you are looking for a cheap meal try asking your butcher about some of the cheaper cuts of beef. By getting to know you butcher he will in most cases recommend what to buy and how to cook it. In my view some of the cheaper cuts are often the tastiest. 

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Lemon Posset / Lemon Cream Pudding

Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by Justin.

My friend Rob gave me a fantastic recipe over the weekend which I made for my good lady for Valentines Day. I was blown away by the simplicity and taste; so I thought I'd share it with you all. He describes this as a lemon posset or a lemon cream which is ideal to cleanse the pallet after a big meal. As the pudding can be prepared in advance it's ideal for a big dinner party. 

Serves 6 people.

Ingredients:

• Espresso cups or shot glasses
• Blueberries (a small pack from the supermarket will be fine)
• 300ml double cream
• 85g Sugar
• 3 Lemons

Method:

• Put the cream and sugar in a small pan and bring to a rolling simmer for 3 minutes. Be careful not to catch the cream on the bottom of the pan. 
• Juice the 3 lemons and add the juice to the cream. 
• Remove from the heat.
• Put half a dozen blueberries in the bottom of each cup or glass then pour in the liquid from your pan. 
• Put in the fridge to set for 2 hours. 
• Garnish with a blueberry once set.

I put my puddings in espresso cups as the puddings are very rich and this provided just the right amount for one person after a big meal. You could use blackberries instead of blueberries as long as you are getting the tart contrast in flavours. Apparently the lemon causes a chemical reaction which makes the cream set once cooled. All I know is that it tastes delicious! 

Bon Appetite!

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Tea Loaf

Posted on 29. Jan, 2009 by Justin.

If your looking for a great snack while waiting for your fruit and veg to grow this should keep you satisfied. I like a slice of tea loaf with a cup of tea and lashings of butter. If you've got ingredients left from when you made your Christmas Pudding that your not sure how to use; this is a great way to use some of them up. 

225g / 8oz sultanas
50g / 2oz cut mixed peel
100g / 4oz soft light brown sugar
150ml / 1/4 pint warm tea
1 egg 
225g / 8oz self raising flour

Place the sultanas, peel and sugar in a bowl. Add the tea and leave to soak for at least 1 hour. If you can stand the wait leave it over night. Once soaked, grease a 450g / 1lb loaf tin.

Stir the egg into the fruit mixture and beat well. Sift the flour on to the fruit and mix well. Add the mix to the loaf tin and cook at 160c, 325F , gas mark 3 for 1.5 hours but take a look after an hour. When cooked the loaf should be springy when pressed with your finger. Leave the loaf to cook for 10 mins and then turn out to cool. Stores very well when kept in an airtight tin and I think it improves if you keep it a few days.

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