Delivered in December’s Flavourly box, these ‘Toppers’ are naturally sweet sprinkle toppings using whole ground dates infused with coconut, seeds, and nutrient rich superfoods
The Go Green version contains dates, coconut, wheatgrass, maca and cinnamon, and is perfect for topping porridge, pancakes, muffins, cookies, or pretty much anything. It’s a wonderful flavour that’s led by the natural caramelised taste of the dates, with a subtle crunch of the coconut. Our favourite way to serve is with blueberries, yoghurt and a dash of honey.
Created by Jo, the health conscious foodie behind the holistic health website ‘Including Cake’, the products were originally an extension of her active lifestyle and nutritional ethos, but became something bigger after she completed a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition, and qualified as a Certified holistic health coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
Eating seasonally is important in many ways; you get the freshest, best quality produce, support local growers & are more sustainable, save money, access a better variety of foods – and much more. That’s why we’re launching a monthly guide to some of the produce that’s best to buy right now, and how to cook it. This is our first one for January 2016.
But it’s often hard to get excited about long lists of what to buy, so we’ve teamed up with Miss Magpie Spy to bring these to life in a more beautiful, engaging way. We’ve followed Niki Groom on Instagram for ages and are thrilled to be working with her on this project. She’s a UK-based illustrator with over 15 years experience in the fashion industry, having worked with Clinique, Accessorize, Links of London, River Island and BBC Radio 1 –  but this is the first time she’s drawn food!
We’re also very lucky to have sourced our veg from Rushton’s Greengrocer (thanks to Russell Norman for the introduction), which provides fresh daily fruit & veg to London’s restaurants and bars, and all of the illustrations feature gorgeous plates that are currently on sale in various retailers.
1. Sprout tops
What are they? The clusters of leaves that grow at the crown of the sprouts’ stalk
How much? £2/kg
How do they taste? Sweet and cabbage-like, with a hint of brussels sprouts but none of the sulphur
How do you cook them? Quickly, for about 3-4 minutes in boiling salted water. We love Delicious’ idea to serve them with browned butter, lemon and hazelnuts.
What are they? ‘Russeting’ on apples is actually the name for a particular type of skin; slightly rough, usually with a greenish-brown to yellowish-brown colour. Many apples have some natural russeting, but others are almost entirely covered in it – most notably the Egremont Russet, but there are about 20 varieties, from Blenheim Orange to Winston
How much? 40p each
How do they taste? Characteristically sweet, with a dry “nutty” flavour
How do you cook them? Eat fresh, great with cheese as it’s more dense & moist than crisper varieties. Also great for baking due to the same reason; try a classic apple pie
What are they? These ugly little things are masters of disguise; they look like ginger roots, aren’t actually artichokes (though the two are distantly related as members of the daisy family) and don’t come from Jerusalem! In fact, they’re a variety of sunflower that have lumpy & brown-skinned tubers, and are named from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole.
How much? Roughly £3.50/kg
How do they taste? Slightly nutty, like a cross between an artichoke heart and the best potato you’ve ever had.
What are they? This variety of pear was developed in Britain by Thomas Rivers and owes its name to the fact that it won first prize at the National British Pear Conference in London in 1885.
How much? 50p each
How do they taste? Conference pears are long and thin with a bright green skin that is mostly covered in russet from the bottom up (same as the apples). Taste really does depends on how ripe they are when you eat them, you need to let them ripen for up to 4 weeks on the counter or 2 months in the fridge. If you do that, they’ll be sweet and juicy with a smooth-textured flesh (which sometimes has a slight pink tint to it)
How do you cook them? Eat fresh as is, or add to a salad (amazing with blue cheese & walnut). If you’re cooking them, don’t mess with them too much. Â Poach pears in simple syrup with a cinnamon stick or bake them in a tart.
Now that Christmas is tucked safely back in to bed, New Year’s Eve is next on the list. If you’re looking for a lighter dessert to serve, or even just a palate cleanser that’s a bit special, Lushice should most definitely be on your list.
Lushice was part of Kitchen Table Projects’ Artisan Springboard pop-up at Old Street; a food incubator that helps emerging artisan food producers kickstart their businesses as part of a unique 12-week retail incubator programme.
Founded by Laura Lewis a few years ago when she decided to start making dairy-free frozen desserts for her friends, Lushice is a sorbet company for adults, with cocktail-inspired recipes made from natural fruit purees and juices sourced from the West Country, hand-potted and made in England.
The sorbets are available in four popular cocktail flavours, each with a dash (under 2%) of alcohol; Mojito, Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri and Margarita. The Mojito sorbet has already received a Gold Star at the Great Taste Awards 2013.
Lushice sorbets are available in 100ml single portions (at roughly 100 cals) for £1.99, and 500ml pots for sharing at £4.99.
You can serve straight from the individual pots, or in little ramekins if you’re going for the palate cleanser route. A squeeze of lime and a few curls of lime zest really brings the Margarita one to life.
The Pina Colada version is a little more like granita, and goes perfectly with a slice of fresh pineapple.
My favourite though is the Strawberry Daiquiri, which is more like a classic sorbet. I’d serve with some berries and an extra drizzle of rum (well, it *is* New Year!)
Buy from Ocado, Partridge’s on Sloane Square or Bayley & Sage in Parsons Green or Wimbledon Village.
Ok, you’re really cutting it fine now. BUT, never fear, the trusty subscription box is there to come to your rescue.
Plus, it’s the gift that keeps giving, so even though it’s last-minute, it’ll probably impress even more 🙂
The Savoury One: Cure & Simple
Bacon. Through. The. Post. Guys! It doesn’t get much better.
Not only is this proper Suffolk bacon, delivered to your door, but it’s done with a heap of integrity, reared the right way. I can’t explain it better than the video below…
You can either buy original cured packs, those flavoured with bespoke mixes like thai spices, pancetta with thyme & sage, bourbon and old english, or a mixture of all. Select how many packs you want to buy (4 for £23.80, 6 for £35.70 as a guide), pick the ‘Merry Crispness’ gift card – and when you give the gift, your loved one can select whether they want the delivery weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Hobbs House Bakery was established in the Cotswolds in the 1920’s as a family business, and now has five generations of baking experience, from legendary sourdough to amazing burger buns & sweet treats.
With an awards list as long as your arm, you can now get your mitts on their brownies from the comfort of your own home. The bakery’s brownie club subscription is £52.50 for a four month subscription, where you get a different tray of mouthwatering brownies each month. These are no ordinary flavours though, we’re talking chocolate orange, peanut butter (show above) and honeycomb delights.
If you’re more of a cake fan, they also run a cake club, which is £80 for six months – and you get a tray of brownies or cakes each month. Enough to serve six amply.
I started my subscription to Flavourly back in August, and haven’t been disappointed with a single delivery. It arrives once a month, full of products from over 500 of the best artisan producers in the UK – all of which are small-batch independents.
At £17/month plus P&P (which drops to £16 when you sign up for a three month subscription, £15 for a six Month and just £14 for a year), you get sent a box PACKED full of 12 amazing snacks or ingredients.
The sign up process allows you personalise your selection, choosing whether you’re vegetarian, if you prefer to cook from scratch or keep it simple, savoury or sweet, which snacks you prefer, your preference of drinks, spice levels and more. You’re then offered up a ‘Better for Snackers’ box or a ‘Better for Cooks’.
Pomora is a new premium olive oilsubscription service with a difference, which makes an ideal Christmas gift for food lovers.
Adopt an olive tree on behalf of your friend or loved one this Christmas and you’ll be giving them quarterly deliveries of some of the finest Italian olive oil they’ll ever taste, while also supporting hardworking, highly-skilled olive growers and offering them in insight into the craft of olive oil production.
To be honest, this is my favourite on this list. I love the ‘adoption pack’ idea, and the updates you get directly from your farmer of choice (Antonio or Carmelo).
Shipment one brings you Olio Nuovo, the youngest, freshest olive oil that’s bottled directly after harvest. Shipment two brings three flavoured oils (lemon, chilli and rosemary), number three brings extra virgin olive oil, and the last of the year gives you seasonal flavours; basil, garlic and white truffle.
Adopt a tree for £29 a quarter (minimum of 2), or ‘foster’ for £39 for one shipment.
Shaken creates cocktail boxes containing all the ingredients and recipes you need to make fantastic drinks at home.
I’m a particular fan of their Explorers’ Club — which is a different box delivered to your door every month and is the perfect way to discover drinks you never knew you loved.
Each month you get all the ingredients you need for four bar-strength cocktails and a nightcap, each focusing on a different spirit; from gin, whisky and rum to the more unusual, with two cocktail recipes each month to boot.
You can buy a digital gift certificate within 24 hours of payment, which is £144 for six months (which works out at about £5 a drink)
