The Herb Gardener - Introducing a New Blogger…

Phil Mizen turned his back on a long career in the electronics industry to grow herbs and seasonal vegetables in a 2 acre walled kitchen garden in the heart of rural Suffolk. From there he operates a home delivered vegetable box scheme, and grows culinary and decorative herbs that he sells at his local Farmers Market. Phil believes passionately in the ‘chemical-free’ approach to food production and is a member of the Wholesome Food Association.

www.langhamherbs.co.uk

Tags: Food Blog, Food Bloggers, Restaurant Blog, Wild Game, Recipes, British Food, Italian Food Blog, Coffee Blog, Inn Keeper, Tea Blog

The Wine Merchant - English Wine Week

English Wine Week is nearly upon us once more, must mean that another year has flown by. Whilst this may not be the biggest or most publicised event of the calendar it is a lovely time of the year. The last week of May where the sun should be shining, …

Tags: Food Blog, British Food, Italian Food Blog, Drink, Kitchen Blog, Food Bloggers, , Pub Blog, Coffee Blog, Restaurant Blog

The London Forager - Cropping up

Still waiting for the BBC news feature to happen- it’s been trundling on for a few weeks now, with me having to cancel one week, them the next. In terms of foraging though, the further we get into spring the better as I’ll have lots more camera-worthy stuff to show them.  Should happen this week, fingers crossed.

It’s been a great week for foraging. I’ve found enough three-edged leek to feed hundreds down an unkept path near my parents’ house. It’s the most fantastic ingredient in potato salads and chinese-inspired dishes, and the flowers- delicate, white bells that you’d expect to smell perfumed and pretty- have an intense spring onion flavour and are fantastic in a mixed leaf salad. Also lots of Wood Sorrel out at the moment. The leaves are like big, cartoony clovers and the taste is very special, like dry apples.  Cleavers (stickyweed) are edible at the moment too, though they’re about to reach the stage when they get tough and stringy and not worth bothering with at all.

Most exiting of all though has been the discovery of hundreds of violets which have sprung up on the lawn of my block of flats. They’re escapees from a flower bed I think, but that’s wild enough for me (they do occur wild too, just rarely in London). I’m going to gather some this week (so long as I don’t get shouted at by the residents’ association president) and make them into an ice-cream. 

Anyway, as soon as Easter passes I’ll be picking, pickling and preserving in earnest. I’m going to be making a series of Youtube short films as well, so I’ll be nice and busy. The first one I’ve got planned is of a foraged Indian Thali , as follows:

Dandelion poori

Borage raita

Gorse Biryani

Sag Paneer (with nettles and hedge mustard)

Tags: Coffee Blog, , Inn Keeper, Wild Game, Pub Blog, Italian Food Blog, Kitchen Blog, Tea Blog, Food Bloggers, How to Cook

The Inn Keeper - Can’t Get The Staff

Can’t Get The Staff

We take over another pub tomorrow. My biggest problem will be the existing staff. They have been running a pub that has been on its arse for over 6 months and they have made themselves a little comfort zone. They are the type of people end up holding a bad pub and become part of the problem of why it is bad rather than having the energy and self discipline to do what they are paid for.

There will be a clash of culture between a good pub and a bad one. We are running here a top class pub – we have just won the 2009 Publican Awards for Freehouse of the Year and Pub of the Year. The team in the bad pub have not looked after the customer, shut early, open late and really have just pleased themselves at the expense of their company, customers and the pub.

I am outraged that this behaviour has been allowed to go on from the last owners and area managers. And the pub staff! I just don’t get why they have killed the pub? They also expect us to take them on and change nothing! My analysis is the pub is on its knees because of the staff. The operation is currently grim and offends the professional senses.

My job will be to change the pub’s operation in favour of customers and then decide what to do for a refurbishment. I have always liked to find the pub’s personality before I make visible changes. We are buying a pub with the location rather than an operation comfortable pub. Get the people right and the rest will fall into place. Most pub chains plough back their fifth or sixth years profits to re-energise their pub because they can’t get the staff to be passionate in their jobs.   I like to re-generate only once and leave it. I believe customers like the familiar and constant in an ever changing speedy life.

You cannot beat a business run by a passionate team.

Matthew O’Keeffe

www.rsoe.co.uk    Freehouse of the Year 2009    Publican Pub of the Year 2009

Tags: Recipes, Inn Keeper, Wild Game, Italian Food Blog, Tea Blog, British Food, Food Blog, Pub Blog, , Restaurant Blog

The Pig Farmer - Don’t condone cruelty in farming.

With the risk of sounding somewhat like a suit from the Exeter Met office, what a glorious week for pig farmers!. We have had more than our fair share of rain over the last two years so the golden rule is take advantage when its dry - so we did, there has been another flurry of activity, the missus has prepared our veg patches and planted a years supply of veg seed,  and  our ploughing and  rolling and seeding of forage crops has been done- six weeks earlier than last year. Bring it on rain! When I first moved to Devon I asked a respected and wise old local how I would know when to do certain tasks on my land; he said “folla me bay” and proceeded to a high point on my land that has a panoramic view of Dartmoor and the surrounding farmland; I waited in anticipation for the old sages advice, ” cum ta this spot ere of a mornin bay and cast ya eye, whatever ya sees ya neighbours doin,  do the bloody same!” - the best advice I ever had!

We have two sick piglets this week, not quite runts of a litter but the smallest two of 8 and although weaned from the sow they are not taking to the solid food and are falling behind the others. We are doing our level best to save them and have been mixing up a nutritious full fat milk drink with iron and glucose in order to give them a bit of help. The piglets wouldn’t drink the milk so we have used a drencher; which a type of gun that syphons the milk, this is gently placed along the inside of the mouth and the milk is then pumped into the piglet. They are certainly looking brighter and more active after only two days of this so hopefully the next step will be moving them onto porridge.

Whilst using google to find a supplier of replacement sow milk, for when problems like this arise,  I came across an undercover video of Intensive pig rearing on a British Farm. My god it was horrific and I was ashamed and astounded that anyone could bring themselves to treat an animal in such a base way, the level of cruelty shown not only by the pig keepers but the slaughter house was criminal.  Unlike our two little babes, that are enjoying the warming drawer of the aga,  the piglets  that fall behind and considered not financially viable were held by the back legs and the heads were slammed onto the concrete floor to kill them. OK I accept what I do is miles away from the world of commercial farming and on a commercial level some animals will not be viable, but hell, surely the basic principle is the same, why can’t they be humane about it. As the human race we are so irresponsible - every time we make the decision to buy cheap meat or poultry, or from sources not monitored or approved, we condone this behaviour. We cannot only rely on the disgust of celebrities like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley, who relentlessly champion the animals cause and try to change public attitude, we need a government and agencies that spend our money  wisely  and get off their corporate asses and do something pro active, this should not be happening. We need every individual to say hang on I can do something no matter how small. Don’t make the excuse that you cannot afford free range or organic meat,  go without, You don’t see vegetarians falling over and dying in the street for lack of meat, just don’t buy any, and this will help this barbarism to stop. Take a look on Google Videos at the undercover videos if you disagree with me, it might help, but be warned its stomach churning stuff.

I was tickled to see Heston Blumenthal cooking a whole pig in a vac packed bag in a hot tub on his programme this week, A novel approach, if somewhat off the wall - but that’s Heston.  I am very keen to try new ways of preparing and cooking what I produce, and Heston is motivational,  but apart from the fact that my vac packer will not accomodate a whole pig, my missus has told me in no uncertain terms that I will not be putting a pig in our hot tub.! ….yes dear…. but what about that ejaculating pudding!!

Tags: Coffee Blog, Restaurant Blog, Italian Food Blog, Recipes, Food Bloggers, Inn Keeper, Pub Blog, , Food Blog, Drink

The Hen Keeper - Waiting for a Broody Hen

The lack of young pullets in our flock of pure breed Orpingtons has resulted in a shortage in the egg department, so I’m looking for the signs that one of my hens is broody, so we can hatch out some chicks, that’ll be next year’s top layers.

Broodiness has been bred out of commercial hybrids and some of the best-laying hens. No serious egg producer wants his stock to stop laying while they hatch out chicks. My ladies, however lay what they consider to be a clutch of eggs - about a dozen or so, (even though they have been taken for the kitchen) then bingo, they stick to their nest and fluff up aggressively if they’re disturbed. Sometimes, if you don’t need a broody, you can distract them in the early stages, by removing them from their nestbox, taking them to the other end of the garden, introducing them to a cabbage or the avian equivalent of Johnny Depp, but usually they rush straight back to their nest, and there they stay for 21 days whether you introduce eggs for them to hatch or not.

You don’t need to keep a cockbird for your hens to lay eggs, just for them to lay fertile eggs. My old boy at 5 years is probably too old, though that doesn’t stop him trying, so this year I’m buying (for £1 each) fertile eggs from a breeder friend to get some new bloodlines into the flock. So I’m watching my two laying hens for signs, and keeping fingers crossed. Some breeds are more likely to go broody than others. Silkies are the most prone, even gamekeepers use them to hatch out pheasant poults.

If you fancy hatching some pure breed hens (or just as likely cockerels), visit us at the Kitchen Garden on Easter Saturday, and meet a selection of local breeders with their birds, taking orders and selling eggs. For more details, see www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk.

Tags: How to Cook, Italian Food Blog, Tea Blog, Kitchen Blog, Restaurant Blog, British Food, Drink, Wild Game, Food Blog,

The Food Stylist - supermarket styling

Recent economic situations are really taking their toll on the  world of editorial, which would normally make up a good percentage of a food stylists work. Although it seems that supermarkets are one of the only corporations not suffering in this recession. So this is what has been occupying my time and …

Tags: Italian Food Blog, Inn Keeper, Tea Blog, Pub Blog, Food Bloggers, Recipes, , Food Blog, Coffee Blog, Kitchen Blog

The Wine Merchant - A Great Day Out

Many thanks to Carr Taylor Vineyards as wel as Moppy & Alison at Plumpton Races. The hospitality was superb, making a good day out into a great day out.

Red Hot Poker was the tour which incorporates two experiences for this day tour. First stop was Carr Taylor Vineyards near the …

Tags: Recipes, Italian Food Blog, Restaurant Blog, British Food, , Kitchen Blog, Pub Blog, Food Bloggers, Wild Game, Drink

The Whisky Expert - What’s hot and what’s not?

Forget about flicking through hundreds of pages of whisky compendia. Forget about confusing websites and sophisticated search engines sponsored by distillers. I give you the only whisky guide you need this season. Three whiskies that are steaming hot and thee that are not. Plain and simple (just like me!).

Hot – New Glendronach Range

Long anticipated and, presumably, outrageously good new range from Glendronach distillery, recently acquired by BenRiach (Icons of Whisky: Distiller Of The Year 2008). It is not only repackaged but also includes super fresh bottlings: 15 yo, 18 yo and a no-age-statement called Genesis. The word around was that they were to launch it in March but it seems like there is a delay there… Patience.

Hotter – Black Bull 30 yo

Oh yeah. The brand new incarnation of the famous Black Bull blend is out and about. The official launch took place in New York yesterday. There is no escaping it, you are fated to face the Beast this spring!

Hottest – Ardbeg Supernova

Limited Ardbeg Committee release of this whisky took place a month ago. There were also official and semi-official tastings left right and centre throughout March. Public launch, however, is due in May.
This malt may not be highly acclaimed by critics, may be overpriced and all that. But this year belongs to the Peat Monster. At 100ppm, this whisky will fly off the shelves, so get your £70 ready and keep the engine running if you want one.

****

Cold – Scapa 16 yo

My beloved Scapa is out in another, even older, expression. It is repackaged completely to match even higher quality of what’s in a bottle. Sounds right? Well, the £55 price tag doesn’t. Even the most dedicated Scapa fans, like me, will think twice.

Colder – Springbank 1919

In 1970 24 bottles were filled with Springbank 1919. It took them a long time to get rid of them but there is only one available for purchase now. The asking price is £50,000. In the current economic climate this is one poor deal.

Ice-cold – Michael Jackson Blend

Wine and spirit merchant Berry Bros and Rudd, in cooperation with the Whisky Magazine, created a blend to commemorate one of the greatest whisky writers and journalists of all times, Michael Jackson, who sadly died in 2007.
They blended it from Michael’s personal collection of over 1000 opened bottles. This level of blend content complexity is unprecedented and the outcome, I can only imagine, impossible to control. ‘So what?’ would they say, this whisky is not for drinking, it is a unique opportunity to own a piece of Michael’s collection, a chance to pay tribute to one great man. What’s more, “a proportion of the proceeds will go to the Parkinson Society”.
How noble would the whole idea be, if not for the word “proportion”.

www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com

Tags: Drink, How to Cook, Food Bloggers, Recipes, Italian Food Blog, Pub Blog, Wild Game, British Food, Food Blog,

The London Forager - Exciting times

The blossoms are out at the moment, and Blackheath looks beautiful. Little dabs of white and powder pink are dotted all over the increasingly green landscape.  Spring has definitely sprung.

Blossoms are more than visual treats though- they show the forager where his fruit is going to come from later in the year, like marker pins on a map. If you’re after plums, damsons or  sloes (blackthorn), then take a walk and make a note of where the blossoms are. It’s ten times easier to locate fruit trees at this time of year than later on when they’re thick with leaves.  

Hawthorn blossoms are worthwhile picking early though-  they make lovely wine and cordial. The hawthorn berry makes a nice (ish) jelly, but it’s such an abundant plant that you’re not going to compromise your crop by taking the flowers early. I actually think the flowers are more worthwhile, and the young leaves are a pleasant addition to a salad, too.

Aside from that, get out there and pick nettles. There’s no excuse to spend money on any other green leaf at this time of year- nettles are delicious, easy to find, full of iron and folic acid, and incredibly versatile.

Try an omelette- a couple of handfuls of nettles, 3 good eggs ansd some parmesan. rinse the nettles and wilt them, saving the desertspoon or so of broth left in the pan. Roughly whisk together the eggs with the broth (and a grate of nutmeg if you wish). Heat a knob of salted butter in a small frying pan, and when it’s bubbling, tip the egg mix in. Immediately start pulling the sides in. After 15 seconds, add the nettles and parmesan to the centre, leave it for another 20 seconds or so, roll the omelette to one side of the pan and tip it straight onto a plate, oozing and baveuse.  Fast healthy food for about a pound.

Things have been going well for the forager this year. We’ve been asked to take part in a Camden borough art project/exhibition, giving workshops and guided walks. We’re also doing a piece with BBC in the next couple of weeks- I’ll post the link when it’s online.

I should be posting more regularly from now on- sorry for being so sporadic.

Tags: British Food, Wild Game, Recipes, Inn Keeper, Restaurant Blog, Food Blog, Italian Food Blog, , How to Cook, Food Bloggers

Next Page »