The hidden truth behind marketing meat

Environment & Economy

I encourage all of you to watch this video. I don't have much to say about this post because I feel like the video speaks for itself. 
We have all fallen for these marketing traps but with the state of our economy how can we avoid these 'cheap' purchases? I am not saying that I am innocent when it comes to this topic because I am far from it. I just want this to be an eye opener and for you to reflect upon this issue. 

Please click here to watch!

Home-Made Elderflower Cordial

Elderflower cordial has a strong Victorian heritage but some say it dates back to the Roman times. Elderflower trees can be easily found within Europe, north-west Africa and south-West Asia.

You have probably brushed by elderflower trees down country lanes or even on roadsides. The plant is easily identified by its lush cream flowers and with a strong floral grapey fragrance. Summer is said to start when the flowers start to bloom. The flowers come into bloom mid-May to mid-June, so now it’s possibly your last chance to get picking!

Elderflower cordial is refreshingly thirst-quenching. The cordial can now be found on a large scale within supermarkets. Or you may have seen it on the shelves as a fizzy pop.

But why not have a go at making it?

Ingredients for Elderflower Cordial:

2.5 kg of sugar (granulated or caster)

2 unwaxed lemons, peeled and sliced

20 freshly picked elderflower heads, stalks trimmed

85g citric acid (from chemists or purchased on-line)

Method:

1. Place the elderflower heads in cold water, shake off to remove any unwanted dirt/insects

2. In a large pan place the sugar with 1.5 litres of water. Gently heat without boiling so the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved bring to a boil, then turn off the heat

3. Pare the zest from the lemons and slice the lemons into rounds

4. Place the zest, lemon rounds, citric acid and elderflower heads into the syrup. Cover the pan with a lid and let the mixture infuse for 24 hours

5. Line a colander with a clean tea towel, then sit it over a large bowl or pan. Ladle in the syrup – let it drip slowly through. Discard the bits left in the towel. Use a funnel and a ladle to fill sterilised bottles (run glass bottles through the dishwasher, or wash well with soapy water. Rinse, then leave to dry in a low oven). The cordial is ready to drink straight away and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. Or freeze it in plastic containers or ice cube trays and defrost as needed.

Note: The recipe above makes 4L of Elderflower Cordial but it can easily be doubled or halved.

Tips: A secret in making good elderflower cordial is to pick the flowers that are creamy-white in colour (not brown). Pick the flowers on a warm sunny day. And make sure to use the flowers straight away.

Uses: Elderflower cordial can be diluted with still or sparkling water which is perfect for children. For adults it can be diluted in sparkling white wine or used in cocktails. Also, be adventurous and see what other sweet treats you can make with the cordial.

Elderflower Cordial Is The Drink Of The Season!

To forage or not to forage?

That is the question I ask myself...

Foraging is in our genes, we are natural hunters and gatherers. Wild foraging is the act of harvesting natural edible plants and fungi. Yet as the world evolves (too quickly), the human race is playing with Mother Nature. By force feeding/growing plants by using chemicals and pesticides. Pushing nature to its limit, making nature almost unnatural.

Think about your weekly visit to the supermarket, you are in the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle where out of season produce has become “in season”. As humans we don’t acknowledge the true value of nature.

Foraging is a traditional, respectable way of survival. If harvested responsibly, the herbs, shoots, greens, berries, nuts, seeds, and roots are renewable resources that protect themselves from herbivores by regeneration.

My personal favourite produce to forage for is wild garlic. Wild garlic is a relative of the chive family that is also known as “allium ursinum”. Wild garlic is in season during the spring months. It grows in woodland areas surrounded by bluebells. It is identifiable by its strong garlic-like smell and long lush green leaves and has a similar appearance to Lily of the Valley as it bursts into bloom with white flowers at the end of the season. 

Wild garlic can be used in various ways; stir fry, soups, salads or used in pesto instead of basil. Here is a link to some tips and recipes ideas for foraging wild garlic: Click here!

Another ingredient that can be easily cultivated are elderflowers, the flowers can be used to create a refreshing cordial. The flowers burst into life mid-May and continue to flourish through to mid-June. (Future post to come on how to make home-made Elderflower cordial).

So why not escape into the wild and forage around?

NB: Be careful as some specimens may be poisonous so do some research beforehand. Also foraging courses are available and becoming very popular.

Futuristic Frenzy or Reality?

Do we ever stop and think about our environment? The effects we have on our planet; affecting crops & livestock. I just took an on-line survey (www.wwf.org.uk) to calculate my carbon footprint. According to the results if everyone lived my lifestyle we would need 2.28 planets but as we all know we only have ONE. This is the equivalent to 14.7 carbon tonnes!

Due to our carbon footprint(s) we have created environmental concerns for our planet which have resulted in the rise of food prices. With prices rising and the population growing there is a huge concern; “How are we going to feed ourselves in the future?”

What might we be consuming in 20 years’ time? After some reading and research here are the answers to the question:

·         "Rising prices mean we are now starting to see the return of meat as a luxury. As a result we are looking for new ways to fill the meat gap." Meaning we’re going to have to find alternative food replacements.

·         Insects will be referred to as “mini live-stock” and will become a staple of our diet. Insects such as; crickets and grasshoppers will be ground down and used as an ingredient in things like burgers.

Insect nutritional value /100g

Food source	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)
SOURCE: MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Caterpillar	28.2	n/a	35.5
Grasshopper	20.6	35.2	5
Dung beetle	17.2	30.9	7.7
Minced beef	27.4	n/a	3.5

·         “Sonic enhanced food”: a current study at Oxford University has discovered that certain sounds can affect the taste of foods. Certain tones could make things taste sweeter or bitter.

·         Lab grown meat. Yes, I agree it does sound rather disturbing and quite frankly shocking. However, growing meat in a lab rather than slaughtering animals would reduce greenhouse gases, along with energy and water use.

·         Algae (seaweed) is predicted to become the world’s largest cropping industry. There are over 10,000 varieties in the world, with 630 species grown in UK waters but unfortunately only 145 are used worldwide. It has been said that seaweed granules could be used to replace salt in ready meals, sausages and even cheese. This would reduce our salt intake that has become a major concern within the UK.

Has this become reality or do you think it is madness? As a population we need to think about how we treat our planet, do we really want to be eating grasshopper or lab grown burgers? Some of the solutions above could help our planet and also us; protein intake would be higher and our salt/sugar intake lowered. Creating a win-win situation. 

Tear & Share

Family & Food= Love

Why has it become so hard for us to sit around a table and share a home-made meal?
We have become a fast food nation. Why? Because it’s cheap and easy. However, cooking home-made food is not necessarily expensive. So step back and take some tips from the Spanish (Tapas), Italians (Antipasti) and the North Africans (Tagine). These cultures embrace the good things in life; food, family & friends. Sharing what we eat creates a sense of togetherness which is a feeling we all desire. This used to be a daily routine for us Brits but now about half of the Nation struggle to make this happen. Getting together around food creates closeness, good conversation and also has health benefits. So put aside those TV dinners, gather together, get involved and enjoy the things that truly matter in life.

How often do you sit at the dining room table with friends/family and share a home-made dinner? 
It’s important to get everyone involved, including the little ones. What are your views on this topic?

Broccolicious

Continuing on the theme of food waste this evening. Last night when I was catching up on episode two of "Food & Drink" I was inspired by one of Tom Kerridges dishes. The subject was based on cooking luxury food on a budget but the dish also linked back to not wasting food. The element of the dish that was inspiring and cost saving are broccoli stalks. So say Sunday lunch is over, you've eaten all the broccoli florets and you're left with the stem. Don't chuck it in the bin, use it for Monday nights dinner:

• Cut the stem into quarters and trim down the ends/edges (removing any woody parts, as you would do with asparagus)
• Once prepared place into a pan of salted boiling water. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they're tender but with a bit of crunch
• Finally, drain and coat the stems in a tsp. of butter and some cracked black pepper

To be honest, I wasn't sure on how it would turn out but I'm delighted to say it's absolutely delicious & flavoursome ( far better than the florets themselves).
So why not have a go? Remember, you'll be reducing waste and saving pennies!

Other ideas to use up leftover stems: Sliced up and used in a stir fry or cut into chunks for soup. Maybe it will work with cauliflower stems too?

Is our food too cheap?

Food Waste

I have been following the BBC TV series "Food & Drink" presented by Michelle Roux Jr. The first episode of series two was based on the topic of food waste. Watching this got me thinking about how easy it has become for us to just bin excess food. This has inspired me to write about the problem at hand and hopefully open peoples eyes whom may not realise.

Food waste has become a major issue in the U.K. Here are a few shocking statistics I found about the problem:

• British families are throwing away the equivalent of 6 meals per week in food waste
• Resulting in throwing away an average of £60 a month for a household
• Foods that are commonly thrown away; bread, milk, fruits & vegetables
• 86 million chickens were said to be discarded each year

This just gives us a small view into this major situation, but what can we do about it? Here are a few handy tips that can help:

• Understanding the difference between "use by" and "best before". These are labels that have to be used for legal reasons. However, we as a consumer need to use our senses to decide whether a product is perished or not. Vision, smell and touch are key elements on deciding if a product is gone off and NOT the date on the packaging. Note: For health safety reasons please follow them when it comes to meat & fish products.
• Your freezer is your best friend. If you have excess food building up in the fridge why not turn into those 6 meals? You can freeze and store them for up to 3 months.
• If the vegetables are looking a bit sad you can bring them back to life. Prepare your vegetables, place them into a pan of boiling water for a couple minutes, drain them and pop into ice cold water. Once that process is completed place them on a tray and into the freezer. Finally, when the vegetables are frozen store them in a container safely in the freezer.
• Help yourself by gaining knowledge on preservation methods. For example, left over fruits can be preserved by turning them into jams.

Questions I have been asking myself: How have we as a nation let food waste build up? Why don't we have the knowledge on how to purchase and preserve sensibly? Do we buy more due to constant offers in the supermarkets? Is our food too cheap?

What are your thoughts and tips on this subject?