Forum Food Corner

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ardross
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I'm utterly frustrated by the difficulty in buying good, locally grown vegetables in this area. We have a monthly farmers' market in Towcester but it is on a Friday morning and, in common with a good deal of the population, regrettably, I have to be at work then. We have no local greengrocers - they have been driven out by the supermarkets - but even when we did, all the fruit and veg came from Covent Garden. Even the local farmshops buy the majority of their fruit and veg from wholesalers.

I'm looking into box schemes but, again, most of the schemes that deliver to not-so-sunny rural South Northants quite obviously get their goods from wholesalers.

:angry:
 
Talking of chickens, I know someone who's just bred two young quail. The eggs were given to her by a friend who bought them in Sainsbury's.

Apparently, quail hens won't lay until they've been "seen to" by the male, but the embryos don't start to develop until temperature and other conditions are right.

Not many people know that, well I didn't.
 
I have to say, I also have a fundamental objection to buying organic fruit, veg and meat that comes from outside the UK. To me, it defeats the object.
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I don't get this line of thinking. If the British refused to eat imported food half of them would starve, simple as that. It is probably 250 years since the UK produced enough food to feed its population.

I question for example whether African countries should be growing French beans for M & S when some of their population is starving .
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I don't think the Kenyan beans sold in M&S are depriving anyone of food back in Kenya, apart perhaps from times of crisis. Nevertheless I still face a dilemma about buying them.

On the one hand, if the likes of Kenya can't start off by selling premium vegetables to us then how will they progress economically and what chance have they of generating the income they need to buy essential imports such as oil, medicines, machinery, etc? On the other hand, can the ozone layer withstand the freighting around the world of out-of-season vegetables by air?
 
At dinner last night I searched eagerly for Jacobs Creek or Blossom Hill on the wine list. Alas, they were not there. So I did what I always do and ordered the second cheapest red, which happened to be 'Cheateau Nijinski' from the wineyard of David O Brien. I had never encountered his output before and wondered if any of you had and what you thought?

(The wine itself was mischievous if not a little assertive for €21.50.)
 
Reverting to subject from some appaling one liners there! I went to Newbury show today & did the usual stint round the Food Hall trying anything on offer & was very impressed by this lot

www.onlinefoodhall.com

The company is Atkins & Potts (although they stock other products as well hence the Heinz Beans on there!) Their chocolate spread is pure heaven and their jams, jellies etc very, very good. Some interesting new items such as purple basil jam - a foodies paradise!
 
Bollocks, Jinnyj - forgot it was Newbury Show this weekend - utterly gutted that I was in the country for it & didn't go..... :cry: :cry: :cry: My favourite weekend as a child that was.....

I was more worried that PDj found 5 mins to look up the terms of the original Sancerre bet wiht James.... :confused: :lol: :lol:
 
So I did what I always do and ordered the second cheapest red
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According to Paulo Tullio (sp?), it is a well known trick in the trade to put the slow movers and big earners as the second cheapest on any section of the wine list. People generally want a reasonably cheap bottle of wine when drinking out (if you want a nice wine, get it in a wine shop and drink it at home), but don't want to be seen as "cheap" so avoid the cheapest. The cheapest wine is often better than the second cheapest.

That said, getting a 'Cheateau Nijinski' in a restaurant for €22 is excellent value, I've seen it retailing for over €16. I like a place that doesn't overcharge for wine, so, what was the name of the place?
 
It was The Horse and Hound in Cabinteely. Actually - I think I exaggerated - it may have been cheaper, and they also sell the 1/4 bottles.
 
I suppose it's fair enough for Lounge prices. I was only in there once, waiting for the now deceased Rodney's to open around the corner. Now that was a nice little place food-wise, you'd struggle to get your elbows on the table though.
 
I used to eat at Rodneys a lot. He was ex Rolys and kept a lot of the style. It is now just another bog standard Thai place.
 
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