Tag: Eat Local

Categories
Mains Recipes

Asparagus Risotto

Yay – it’s the time of year when fresh asparagus appears in our shops. I came across the beautiful bundles of spears shown below in a shop on a vineyard this week, while visiting the New Forest.

They were grown just over the Solent on the Isle of Wight, so very few food miles have been travelled in getting them to my plate!

Asparagus has a unique and delicate taste, and is quick and easy to prepare and cook. Nutrition-wise, it has a lot to say for itself, packing high levels of Vitamins A and C, potassium, iron and calcium.

I decided to make it the main feature of this dish, supported by a mild tasting vegetable risotto. You can see the finished article in my main photo at the top of the post.

Servings

A meal for 2.

Timings

15 – 20 mins to prepare and cook.

You Will Need

  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 6 – 7 small chestnut mushrooms, chopped
  • 100g risotto rice
  • 500ml chicken or veg stock
  • 8 fresh asparagus spears
  • 2 – 3 scallions (spring onions) chopped
  • some blue cheese to crumble in

Method

  1. Heat some oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, pepper and mushrooms for a few minutes.
  2. Add the rice and turn the heat down while you stir it in. Then pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
  3. Wash the asparagus, and trim/discard about 1cm from the end of each spear. Place the spears in a steamer basket on top of the saucepan. Reduce the temperature to a simmer and let the risotto cook, and the asparagus steam, for about 10 mins.
  4. Remove the steamer basket and set to one side to stay warm.
  5. Turn up the heat under the saucepan if necessary to reduce the risotto to the right consistency – there should be minimal liquid left and the grains should be a little sticky with the coating.
  6. Stir in the chopped scallions and crumble in the pieces of blue cheese. Stir to combine so that the cheese is just melting in the residual heat.
  7. Spoon the risotto into two bowls and top each with 4 spears. Serve.

Customise it!

Feel free to add in any other fresh veg you have to hand – chopped celery, carrot, peas or green beans will all go well. I didn’t use garlic as I didn’t want to risk drowning out the delicate flavour of the asparagus. Avoid chilli or any strong spices, though some gentle fresh garden herbs torn in should be fine.

Spring is definitely in the air now, and daytime radio is starting to brim with those classic tracks I love to hear in the good weather, played driving along with the windows down, of course.

Lauren Laverne played this one on 6 Music this week, while I was out in the car, and it had my fingers tapping on the steering wheel. I especially like the dreamy guitar track, once famously sampled by Ice Cube. I still prefer the original however. Here it is to share: The Isley Brothers with Footsteps in the Dark, Parts 1 & 2.

Categories
Blog Snacks

The Twelve Apostles

While touring Australia’s Great Ocean Road, I’ve been enjoying the Twelve Apostles Gourmet Food Trail. More about the food in a moment, but firstly let’s explore the rather special wonders of nature from which the Trail derives its name.

The Twelve Apostles (see my main photo) are a series of spectacular rock formations standing off Victoria’s southern coast, amidst the crashing surf and spray. They have been carved from the limestone cliffs over thousands of years, by the ferocious wind and waves blowing up across the Southern Ocean from Antarctica. Today they are one of Australia’s most-visited tourist attractions.

Parking up and walking out the short distance to see them reminded me of past visits to other famous rock formations, like Stonehenge in England and Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. As with those, this visit doesn’t disappoint.

We experienced first hand just how dramatically changeable the conditions can be. My main photo shows how beautifully clear the skies were on our visit, but within 1 – 2 hours a thick sea mist and rain had descended. This isn’t called the Shipwreck Coast for nothing, with many hundreds of sailing ships having met their fate along this stretch of water.

There is a gorge named after one of them, the Loch Ard, which left England in 1878 on its three month journey to the new world. On sighting land, passengers and crew held an End of Voyage party, only to find the next day that conditions had dramatically worsened, the ship being washed up on the rocks with many lives lost. A reminder, if one were needed, not to celebrate any kind of journey in life until you have actually crossed the finish line.

My photo below shows the rock formation known as London Bridge. Originally a long, arched promontory extending out across the water, it was given its name due to its supposed resemblance to the British landmark spanning the River Thames in England’s capital.

However, in a rare case of geology mimicking a traditional folk song, London Bridge has, literally, fallen down. In the 1990s the stormy waves brought the middle section crashing into the surf, leaving two bemused tourists stranded on what was then Australia’s newest off shore island.

These days, a network of clifftop boardwalks and viewing platforms protect the fragile landscape, and make the outstanding views safe and accessible to all, whatever your level of mobility.

And so to the Food Trail. A group of around a dozen local independent food producers have banded together to offer a tour of local sites where you can taste and buy artisan foods. These entrepreneurs include a distillery, craft brewery, ice creamery, berry picking farm and vineyard. You can find out more about the Trail, and download a map, here.

Regular followers will know that A Different Kitchen likes to help promote independent producers, and I focused on two sites along the Trail that particularly took my fancy.

GORGE Chocolates are made and sold on site. My photo below shows an example of the selection available.

For a souvenir purchase, I chose dark chocolate shards with chilli (which pack a punch!), and a bar of salted milk chocolate. I also couldn’t resist these charming strawberry chocolate figures in the shape of a kangaroo and a koala bear.

Our second visit was to Dairylicious Farm Fudge, which also makes all its produce on site. They offer a tasting board with 6 or 7 different types of fudge to try. I settled on a bag of classic creamy caramel fudge, shown in the photo below.

If the bag looks a little light, it is because we had already started it while sat on the Dairylicious verandah, before my camera was ready!

Spectacular views and delicious local food. What more could I ask for – maybe the next track for the ADK Spotify Playlist! Here is Morcheeba with The Sea.

Categories
Blog

Warwick Food Market

For the next week and a bit I am based in the West Midlands with tickets for a number of events at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In between enjoying the great sport I am sampling the various foodie delights of the region – starting today with the Saturday Market in the old town of Warwick.

The Market was full of stalls from local producers selling fruit and veg, craft beer, coffee, cakes, cheese and much, much more. You can see a few of these from the photos.

We are self-catering in our motorhome while here, and managed to do our shop for the next few days. This includes a salmon and broccoli quiche and a slice of local cheddar coated in roasted hops – one of my favourite cheeses. Some more of these purchases will feature in future posts.

One of the best things about today’s Market was the big screen showing live action from the Games. So with shopping done, we could sit in a deckchair and watch the marathon live from Birmingham 2022.

Local markets are always interesting to explore, and a great way to get yourself some fresh tasty food while supporting local producers.