Taking Stock

Batches of vegetarian stock go a long way to making all the difference. Use homemade stock in soups, sauces, stews, gravy, risottos and biryani.

A very basic stock would include onions (or another member of the onion family ie leeks/shallots) plus carrots and celery. Then just go ahead and pimp it up. It's so easy to do and, best of all, uses up all your left-overs. Raid your fridge, pantry or vegetable rack. Vegetable leaves, peelings, stalks, tops and trimmings can all be thrown in the pot along with those droopy herbs. Go to the kitchen cupboard and maybe add a bay leaf and some peppercorns or a rinse out of your marmite, ketchup or mustard jar.

Chop everything up. If you have time to sweat off your vegetables in the pan or roast them in the oven before adding to the water they will give even more flavour.  Add hot water to the mixture, enough to cover. Once it comes to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for up to an hour on a low heat. Strain using a fine colander or sieve.

The liquid is ready to use immediately or can be cooled and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for up to three months in airtight boxes, freezer bags or ice cube trays. Literally stock up on stock!

Sunday Girl

Who doesn't love a Sunday Roast? Originating in England it was traditionally eaten after church on Sunday. Served with beef in the 15th Century it has gone on to be a popular meal with other meats and, for we vegetarians, nut roast. Accompaniments include roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding.

A Yorkshire Pudding was originally known as a dripping pudding and was a simple meal or starter made with flour, eggs and milk and served with gravy. The intention was to fill up on this basic meal when meat was not abundant. In America a similar dish is called a popover.

The Dog's Dinner - Part 2

Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dog got me thinking about vegetarian dog food. Was there such a thing? Did dogs like it? Were the dogs vegetarian by choice or not?

My own spaniel loves some raw veggie treats; cucumber, carrots, peppers, brocolli and cauliflower are all his favourites. I have never thought to turn him vegetarian, I haven't even imposed my own choices upon my family.

When I did some research it turns out that a vegetarian diet is possible for a dog and they can survive on both home-cooked vegetables with added protein such as quinoa, rice, potatoes, lentils, soybeans etc as well as some commercial brands of vegetarian dog food. They need certain nutrients such as taurine which is not always found in vegetarian dog food so some research is necessary. Also a check-up and advice from the vet is a good idea.

It should be noted that the Guinness Book of World Records tells the story of Bramble, a 27 year old border-collie who lived to be 27 years old on a vegan diet of rice, lentils and organic vegetables.

Some would say it isn't natural for a dog to be vegetarian. By nature they are omnivores, meaning they get nutrition from both meat and plants. Having said that, some would question whether any form of dog food is actually natural. The other thing to consider is what animal parts actually go in to prepared dog food? If we knew, would we really want to feed it to them?

There are some vegetarian treats available, other than the actual vegetables I have mentioned above.

I did hear about one vegetarian family who would only feed their dog raw meat. They turned up at a vegetarian hotel in the Lake District and asked if the dog's meat could be kept in the fridge overnight? You can imagine the response!

Showing off!

This weekend it has been our village show where people put their skills and wares on display for judging. There are many categories from best photograph to best wooden object and best nature display to best knitted item. There is usually an entry fee and items are entered by age and category and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes are a little bit of money and, of course, the coveted trophies.

Gardeners and growers, bakers and makers show off their best produce from fruit and vegetables to flowers, cakes and jams. When little, my daughter won for her display of pine cones in a basket which took her all of ten minutes to do! My sister has had prizes for her delicious mint jelly at her local show and has entered jams and chutneys whilst her husband entered fruit and vegetables.

To show fruit and veg you normally have to place three near perfect and of equal size and shape on a plate. That is unless you're going for the whopper or the most rudely shaped competition! 

These shows bring communities together and, whilst some may consider them serious, most people see them as a little bit of fun.

On a larger scale are the county shows which date back to the early 19th century. My nearest is the Great Yorkshire Show which started in 1837 in York and was held at different showgrounds around the county. In 1950 a permanent site in Harrogate was built. It is held every July and I remember, as a child, being allowed the day off school by my parents who said it was "educational!" In my twenties I worked for Calor Gas where we had a stand and demonstrated cooking on gas barbecues. Whenever the chance arose I would go and watch the showjumping or the show animals being led and judged around the arena. The white marquees held the craft competitions, food and drink judging and the produce displays. Whilst it isn't possible to eat or drink the entries, there is a myriad of stalls dotted around the show selling hot and cold food and beverages ranging from Pimms to Yorkshire Tea!

Unfortunately many people do not have the garden space to grow their own and in my local area the average time to wait for an allotment to become available is 8 years! I used to live opposite a lovely man called Bill who owned an allotment. I would arrive home from a busy day at work to find a bag of produce hanging on my kitchen door; everything from sweet apples to papery onions and soil covered potatoes! One time he delivered Jerusalem Artichokes and I had to find out what to do with them (roasting proved to be my favourite!) All the benefits of home grown without the work; it was bliss! 

With more people growing and making their own, living sustainable lives with a low carbon footprint and being environmentally aware, one can only assume the village and county shows are here to stay.

Hello Petal!

Now is the time when much of our food is grown; vegetables, fruit, salad, herbs and flowers. Yes that's right, flowers!

Amazingly many of the pretty flowers we grow in our gardens can be eaten; nasturtiums, violas, marigolds, roses, primroses, geraniums, cornflowers, fuschias, phlox, tulips, sunflowers ... an endless list.

From the vegetable garden the flowers of peas, pumpkin, squash, marrow, onion and courgette. From the herb garden the flowers of chives, borage, lemon balm, basil, fennel, oregano, bergamot, dill, mint and coriander. Also blossom from citrus and apple trees and strawberry flowers.

Whilst fancy restaurants and TV cookery programmes have made this fashionable, flowers have been used in cookery as far back as 3,000BC and was a particular favourite in Roman Times and by the Chinese.

Mandy, a girl I worked with in the 1980s, would eat the carnations off the table in any bar or restaurant! My own sister has sprinkled a handful of nasturtiums and pansies in her salads for the last ten years or so. I thought she was a bit of a crank but it turns out she was way ahead of the game with her edible flowers, homemade chutneys and jellies and herb infused oils and she was certainly the first person I knew who recycled on a regular basis 30 years ago!

Whilst flowers can be sugar frosted to go on cakes they can easily be used in salads and sauces, desserts and biscuits as well as being used as a garnish in a cocktail.

If you decide to eat flowers you should ensure that no chemicals or pesticides have been sprayed on them. If you haven't a garden to grow them in you can buy online, visit a farmers market or bob to your nearest Waitrose where they are sold in 5g bags to add to your salad leaves. 

Or, "if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair" - you never know when you're going to need a quick snack!