Book Review – The Hedgerow Hand Book

I recently purchased The Hedgerow Hand Book by Adele Nozedar. It is a really good guide to wild edible plants in the UK. Clear illustrations are used to help identify plants. I like this feature as I think that illustrations are better at aiding you to find the key features of a plant.

A number of recipes are also included, as are medicinal and some folklore. I generally never use recipes, I find them too faffy. However for I followed the recipe for crab apply jelly – it came out pretty well.

All in all a good buy and small enough to throw into your backpack.

Zen and the Art of Hiyashi Chuka

There is a Japanese concept called Zazen. It literally means moving Zen. For me this applies well to the making of Japanese food, especially sushi. Right from the start, washing the rice, I find it creates a meditative atmosphere. Making Hiyashi Chuka produces the same effect on me.

Hiyashi Chuka means “Chinese Noodles”. It is cold noodles with a variety of toppings with a citrus dressing. It is fresh, light and perfect for a summer evening.

1. Cook ramen noodles then drain and chill. Add cress and a bit of sesame oil, combine well.

2. Make a thin Japanese style omelette, season with salt and a hint of sugar. Chill.

3. Slice and prepare any other toppings. There are no rules to this. A bit like okonomiyaki. I juliened some carrots, sliced gerkins, cucumber and added baby corn. I also added some goma tofu (See previous post).

4. The dressing was a mix of grated ginger, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar.

5. Add toppings to noodles and liberally apply dressing.

I garnished with sesame seeds and shredded basil

Goma Tofu

An aspect of Japanese food that I really like is their wide range of food that is suited to cooling you down. Here is my take on a more unusual dish (I’ve yet to see it on the menus of London restaurants, which a shame.).

Goma Tofu isn’t really tofu. Rather its a well set sesame paste savoury custard. The texture is similar to firm tofu but with a more pungent, nutty taste. Served chilled it is perfect for summer. I eat mine on its own, with a soy dressing or as a topping on hiyashi chuka.

Ingredients:

500ml water
100g tahini
1/3 cup corn flour
Salt

Whisk the above ingredients together. Bring the mix to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep this up for a few minutes, once well thickened, add to a rectangular dish that has been soak and drained of water. Cover to prevent a skin forming, let it cool and then into the fridge to fully set.

Served chilled.

Basic dressing:
Soy sauce
Dash of ponzu
Wasabi

London Kool-Aid

Summer is when London is at it’s best. Skimpy and slinky it oozes pheromones for the tastebuds. And right now we’re having the hottest weekend of the year. To chill out we need some Kool-Aid.

Blend the following with well chilled water:

Rasperries
Lemon juice
Mint leaves

Finish by straining into a glass of ice.

A nice variation is to swop the rasperries with pear and a bit of fresh ginger.

Wild Raspberry Jam and Brioche

A week long hike in Scotland’s West Highlands has presented some excellent opportunities for a bit of foraging.

Most notably on the first day has been the wild raspberries. Unlike their domesticated cousins these are intensely flavoured and very sweet. I decided to make “jam” to go with my brioche. Ok it’s not really jam, more of a compote – but it tastes good. Its also a good way to use them if they get a bit squished!

After washing them I macerated the berries in my cup. Sugar wasn’t needed as the berries were already sweet. It went well with the rich buttery brioche, with coffee on the side. Best enjoyed outdoors.

Lochside Coffee

I love coffee. One could even say I’m addicted. On a warm day, I like it cold. It tastes even better when you have a view like this. Loch Lochy, Scotland.

Foraged Herb Pesto

I’ve just returned from a three day hike in the Welsh mountains. By chance I happened upon a mini field of sorrel. Their taste was not as stringent as in Spring, but they were good to eat. As I had planned on making bannock for lunch, pesto seemed a good idea.

I ground the sorrel (with a pinch of salt) against the inside of my mug using a spoon. A bit of effort but worth it. Cheese and good quality olive oil was added.

It is best cooked and eaten outdoors.

Fresh Pomegranite and Apple Juice

I’ve spotted some really good pomegranites recently – so I juiced two of them with an apple. Seriously good. I don’t use a juicer though, I prefer to blend to a pulp and then squeeze through a fine clothe, kind of like muslin thats used for making jam.

Green Lanes on a Plate

I’ve recently been spending a lot of time walking along Green Lanes. Originally built by the Romans, it winds it’s way through North London. If you like food, you’ll love Green Lanes. It’s packed full of restaurants and food stores from all four corners. Greek, Caribbean, Italian, Cypriot, Turkish, West African – Its all there, ripe for the eating!

The following is a dish inspired by Green Lanes.

Spicy Lamb
Cube the lamb
Marinade with lemon, cumin, olive oil, coriander and garlic
Briefly fry on a high heat, don’t overcook!

Peperonata
A classic from Sicily.
Slice peppers, garlic and onion
Fry together, add chopped tomato (the tomatoes are awesome right now, so use fresh!) and oregano. For a Roman flavour I added fish sauce. Don’t overcook, keep it al dente.

“Little Village Bread”
Ok, I didn’t make this myself, but came across it in a Greek bakery. It has no yeast and has a slightly sour taste.

Ulka Cikolata
Again, guilty as charged, I didn’t make it, but wow it’s good. Made with cocoa butter, it’s smooth with a little crunch from the nuts.

There you go, Green Lanes on a plate.

Cherries and Dates Smoothie

Here is something healthy to do with all those cherries that are in season right now…

Blend together:
Good handful of destoned cherries
Dates, pitted to taste (adds sweetness)
Soya milk, unsweetened
A heaped teaspoon of milled seeds

The end product tastes pretty good. The milled seeds are optional – I bought mine at Holland and Barrett.