British Food Fortnight
- By Sonya Meagor
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- 01 Sep, 2018
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You may already be aware that it is British Food Fortnight at the moment. Held in the autumn at the same time as harvest festival, British Food Fortnight is the biggest annual, national celebration of British food and drink. “Love British Food and British Food Fortnight are the brainchildren of Alexia Robinson. Alexia founded British Food Fortnight in 2002 in response to the Foot & Mouth crisis and the fact that, though there were numerous food initiatives, projects and events taking place across Britain at that time, there was no overall flagship event to bring them to the public's attention.”
At this time of Harvest we thought what better timing than to write a blog post for you all about British food and incorporating it into your daily menus or for catering a special event.
At eco cusisine we always encourage you to look for seasonal British food whatever the time of the year. You can see our seasonal shopping list here: www.eco-cuisine.co.uk/seasonal-shopping-list-for-september/
It is officially Autumn and at the moment you should be able to find squashes, all shapes and sizes. We use them to make roasted squash with caramelised pear and blue cheese. It is a firm favourite and this could be incorporated into an Autumn salad or made small and served as a finger food on sticks.
Fresh peas are good now too and these can be used a side dish or combined with plenty of fresh mint to make a pea/mint puree and served on crostini (toasted and oiled slices of French stick) as a finger food. Both the squash finger good and the crostini are perfect for an evening soiree.
Beetroot is abundant and we combine with salmon – this is a great combo accompanied with horseradish cream served in mini cups as a canapé or as a cold starter.
Kale is popular now too and we use it in curries as a vibrant green colour and great texture.
We are also moving into the shooting season and game will be available - we use duck breasts to create a version of the duck, spring onion, cucumber rolls but we use wraps and black cherry jam and cut them small as a bite size finger food. Mixed game casserole as a warming main course or served in a pie with a puff pastry topping is a fantastic filling option too.
We try to encourage clients to use my suggestions of seasonal produce - so scallops wrapped in Parma ham is a popular choice currently. And if you're feeling in need of an aphrodisiac or just being indulgent, native Cornish oysters are in season. I like to serve them on ice with Tabasco and lemon...
Finally, English plums are here! I found them in my local supermarket at £1.75 kilo. I was delighted - seasonal produce at it's best and cost effective too.
If you have an evening event coming up that you are catering for, why not use British produce and try these suggestions? If you haven’t got much time on your hands, or the skill to prepare, you can always get in touch with us - we cater private events for xxx people and up.
Remember we cater for corporate and private events, so get in touch to find out more.
The Millfield theatre is home to eco cuisine and the events have been held here too for that reason.
OLIO (the food app) and NLWA (North London Waste Authority) CROPDROP (local Haringey boxed fruit/vegetable scheme) plus our very own Sonya Meagor (eco cuisine) are confirmed as our first speakers and we're For each event, we support a North London based charity related to the event theme - for this event we're delighted to collaborate with The Felix Project .
TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-packaging-tickets-61490383392?aff=website
With less than two weeks until Christmas and the holidays nearly upon us, the shops are stocked with delicious festive treats and people are already stocking up on Christmas food fit for a feast or two.
But, just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean we should not consider what is in season and keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds.
So, what is in season over December and the winter seasons in Britain? Well, thankfully many of the Christmas time favourites are favourites for a reason – they’re traditionally easily grown and sourced in the U.K. over winter. Cabbage, sprouts, potatoes and onions, celeriac, celery and carrots as well as parsnip and swede are all in season this time of year. Not forgetting chestnuts, beef and venison and even guinea fowl too.
So roast dinners with all the trimmings can be environmentally friendly! Of course clementines, pomegranates and dates are seasonal favourites too and these are obviously not sourced locally.
Whatever you buy and eat over the festive season, remember to consciously consume – making informed and conscious decisions about what you buy and eat.
In the lead-up to the Christmas break we enjoy hearty, warming foods, keeping us warm in the cold weather and suitably fuelled over this busy season.
We enjoy Rumbledethumps – for those who haven’t heard of it, it is the Scottish equivalent of bubble and squeak as it is often made with leftovers, though it isn’t usually fried. It is a lovely filling dish served as a side or when served with a nice piece of fish or chicken breast can even be a substantial main meal.
Rumbledethumps
550g large potatoes,
350g swede
60g unsalted butter
250g kale, finely sliced
1 small onion diced
Sprigs of thyme
25g cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Peel and chop the potatoes and the swede and chop into large chunks. Next, boil in a saucepan tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Heat three quarters of the butter in a pan on medium low heat and cook the kale and the onions for a few minutes, until the kale is tender and onions lightly browned.
Add the kale and onions to the pan with the potatoes and swede then add the remaining butter and mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the mashed medley into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. Serve with fresh thyme.
What winter dishes keep you going in the lead-up to the Christmas break? Let us know in the comments.
