The recommended 5-a-day advice for eating fruits and vegetables can be a challenging target for most families. Recent figures suggest that the average consumption in England is less than three portions a day, with even lower levels among children and people on low incomes. Sprouting seeds, beans and leaves are among the most nutritious and delicious ways to increase daily vegetable intake and the new ready to eat “And Sow On” range of Alfalfa and Mixed Beans varieties has taken the hard work out of a better eating plan.
The best oil for roasting potatoes
We all love a golden, crunchy roast potato and never more so than on Christmas Day. Whether it’s a turkey, pork, goose or beef dinner the one thing we all agree on is that it’s not right without a roast tater or two. But how do you make them perfect? Check in any recipe book, or ask your mum, and you’ll get all kinds of varying opinion on cooking times, type of spud and what kind of fat to use. At this time of year it seemed vital that we nail this dilemma quickly so we decided to get a top chef to cook up a pile of spuds to try and work out once and for all how best to get a right roast result.
Grow yourself a gold mine
London’s new food market, Food Inc. at Whiteleys W2, has taken delivery of a precious batch of Italian Truffle Trees from Emilia-Romagna. The young hazelnut plants have been inoculated with truffle spores and are guaranteed by the University of Perugia as being capable of producing truffles.
Petersham Nurseries restaurant
Not many restaurants are housed in a greenhouse, but then not many restaurants are like Petersham Nurseries. Originally the teahouse to the charmingly ramshackle garden centre located just a few steps away from the Thames, it has grown under Skye Gyngell’s inspirational cooking to become a real dining destination. Although the desire for alliteration obscures the fact that, to be accurate, it is only open at lunchtimes except on very special occasions.
Have a farmhouse breakfast on the farm
Members of Farm Stay UK, the biggest farm accommodation organisation in the UK, are preparing to crack hundreds of eggs and fry thousands of rashers for Farmhouse Breakfast Week which takes place from 25th – 31st January 2009.
Don’t get caught rootless
According to bellybytes.com, frost improves the taste of parsnips and some other root vegetables because the cold weather turns a lot of the starch into sugar. So why not sign up for a fortnightly delivery of vegetables when some of your favorite roots are at their best? Starting in January Riverford Organic Vegetables, will offer a “roots and greens’ box, aimed at thrifty cooks, to help families eat well through the credit crunch.
Picture perfect Candy Cakes for stocking-stuffers
The coffee, cake and shake connoisseurs have gone all out this festive season. Playful and fun, Candy Cakes has created a special Christmas range to get you in the full festive spirit. The eye-fetching cake designs include frosted mashmellow snowman, the evergreen icing gift of the red Bow peep, the arctic blue Penguin, the alabaster Nordic Snowflake, the exotically scummy Chocolate Snowman and every kid’s favourite- The Chocolate Coiner.
No Junk biscuits now available
Parents searching for healthier snacks for their kids will now find organic biscuits on many store shelves. “No Junk” biscuits flavored with ginger, orange, or cocoa are now going to be in Sainsburys and Waitrose from January. And every pack of biscuits contains details of a fun eco-activity that aims to get youngsters interested in the environment. At www.nojunkrevolution.com children can sign up to become No Junk Revolutionaries and learn more about how they can change the world!
Juice Brewery launches the world’s first ever ‘soft-brew’ Hoppers
The Juice Brewery is proud to launch Hoppers, an exciting new drink that is the very first of its kind – a ‘soft-brew’. Authentic beer ingredients, such as hops and malt, are complemented by the refreshing tang of fruit for a truly unique adult taste. With an eye catching frothy head, they also have fewer calories than beer, all-natural ingredients and no alcohol; leaving you invigorated, in control and without a hangover the next day. And we have free P&P for you!
Yule regret not eating before your christmas shopping trip
Shoppers could save themselves up to £100 if they eat a proper meal before hitting the high street this Christmas, according to one of the UK’s leading nutritionists. In a study commissioned by London food hall and restaurant Esca, Dr Sarah Schenker found that the concentration levels of shoppers who fail to eat the correct foods crash well before those who have eaten a nutritious breakfast and top up their energy levels as they shop.