“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did”
Dr William Butler (1536-1617)
A Fruit By Any Other Name Would Taste As Sweet ...
There are a few theories as to how the ‘strawberry’ got its name. The ‘straw’ bit could come from the fact that straw was used to keep the strawberries fresh – with some growers still using straw around the growing fruits to protect them. Or ‘straw’ could come from the word ‘strewed’, meaning ‘to spread wide’, describing the runners which spread outward from the central plant. Another theory is that strawberries were named in the nineteenth century by English children who would pick the berries and string them onto grass straws which they then sold as ‘straws of berries’.
A Few Fruity Facts ...
Strawberries are the ONLY fruit that grows seeds on the outside – in fact the strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries are said to have their seeds on the inside – such as blueberries or cranberries ...
There are over 200 seeds on every strawberry ...
The strawberry was a symbol for the Love Goddess Venice ...
A Strawberry A Day Keeps The Doctor At Bay ...
Ancient Romans cultivated strawberries for their medicinal properties – they believed the fruit could cure fever, bad breath, gout, sore throats, kidney stones, depression, fainting and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.
A Little Bit Of Elf ...
Farmers in Bavaria tie small baskets of fruit on to their cow’s horns as an offering to the elves – they believe as a ‘thank you’ that the elves (who love strawberries) will help produce healthy calves and increased milk supply.
A Little Bit Of History ...
Situated 8km south of Namur in Belgium, is Wepion the capital of the strawberry. Strawberries have been grown in Wepion for over 150 years – in fact in Wepion is the perfect microclimate for growing strawberries with plantations exposed to the sun on the west slope and a schistose soil. In fact the growers in Wepion are so proud of their crops that they have built a museum entirely dedicated to strawberries - with five exhibition rooms given over to the local area and the strawberry growing history.
In 1368 Charles V of France ordered that twelve hundred strawberry plants should be grown in the Royal Gardens of the Louvre in Paris – I’m guessing he was abit of a strawberry fan! – and in 1375 the Duke of Burgundy had four full blocks of his potager near Dijon dedicated to strawberries. In fact, the strawberry was often described as a luxury item, enjoyed by royalty – it is said that King Louis XIII ate strawberries everyday and that Louis XIV enjoyed strawberries so much that he ate them to the point of indigestion. It was down to the Kings gardener Jean de la Quintinie to ensure Louis XIV could enjoy strawberries on such a scale – Quintinie kept the first detailed accounts on how to develop larger berries, how to prepare the soil and deal with insects who also liked to feast on the strawberries.
A Bathing Beauty ...
A prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, Madame Tallien was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries for their healing properties – she believed it would keep her skin radiant. She used 22 pounds per basin. Needless to say, she did not bathe daily and she became known as ‘MadameThermidor’!
It Must Be Love...
Folk lore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex; you’ll soon fall in love ...
Some consider strawberries as a symbol of Venice, the Goddess of Love.
In medieval times in France, strawberries were thought to be an aphrodisiac – in fact a soup made from strawberries, thinned sour cream, borage and powdered sugar used to be served to newlyweds at their wedding breakfast. Modern studies may give credence to this - according to the British Summer Fruits study eating strawberries may even enhance your sex drive – a result of their high levels of zinc found in their seeds which are eaten (unlike many other fruits when the seeds get left).
During the same period stonemasons used to carve strawberry designs into church decorations as a symbol of flawlessness and virtue.
And Finally ...
Strawberry birthmarks (of which I have one so must concede that this point is completely accurate!) were thought to be a sign of Royalty – although it didn’t do Anne Boleyn much good did it??
“This will be a fantastic step, especially for organic growers. We are about inner quality, not outer appearance – that is our hallmark. Fresh, local and seasonal is better than a bland but cosmetically perfect piece of fruit or veg.”
Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association
As we all know , Mother Nature doesn’t spend all her energy ensuring our fruit and veg grow exactly the same … and as gardeners we know they taste just the same whatever their shape!! So thank goodness the EU Commission has seen sense and from yesterday – 1st July – supermarkets are now able to sell 26 types of produce which previously would have had to be binned as unsuitable for sale…
However…
The top ten most popular types of fruit and veg will still be subject to meeting ‘stringent’ standards – unless they are labeled as “product intended for processing”. These are:
On the 1st July the EU will lift its ban on misshapen fruit and veg – as a result supermarkets are vowing to reduce costs and we’ll see more ‘less than perfect’ shaped fruit and veg on the shelves … With the promise of prices being reduced by up to 40% I think we’ll all be keen to fill our carrier bags with curly carrots and cucumbers!
EU Bonkers About Barmy Rules On Regulation Veg …
Cucumbers were the first vegetable to be targeted by the EU in 1988 when they ordered all member states to ensure every single piece on sale met a raft of conditions … including:
i) Class I
Cucumbers in this class must be of good quality. They must:
- be reasonably developed
- be reasonably well shaped and practically straight (maximum height of the arc: 10 mm per 10 cm of the length of cucumber).
... man in white overalls with ruler starts to check the straightness of thousands of cucumbers … blah blah blah
Quickly followed by rules regulating dozens of vegetables … which has resulted in farmers binning up to a fifth of their produce which breached the rules.
Don’t Tell Them Your Name Pike …
Sainsbury’s is hailing Wednesday as the day the ‘wonky veg war’ was won and says “It’ll reduce waste” – a war I’m sure Captain Mainwaring’s home guard troops would have happily fought…
Legislation will be lifted on 26 foods including apricots, aubergines, beans, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, melons, onions, peas, plums, sprouts etc.
However the EU is not removing all of its counter-productive regulations as rules controlling the appearance of apples, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce, will all remain. As will the famous “bendy banana regulation”, (EC No. 2257/94) which insists that bananas remain “free from abnormal curvature of the fingers”….
Tesco added “We look forward to selling curvy cucumbers and knobbly carrots.”
Whilst Asda says it will be selling wonky fruit and veg for customers to turn into jams, juices, soups and casseroles.
Richard Hirst, horticulture board chairman at the NFU said “Farmers and growers work extremely hard to produce quality food, but nature does not always comply with a perfectly rounded apple and poker-straight carrot. People should be given the chance to buy odd-shaped fruit and veg as they taste just as good.”
With the hottest week upon us … I’m sat melting in 26 degrees in the office as I read my copy of Kitchen Garden to see it’s already time to be thinking about planting potatoes ready for Christmas!
If you plant potatoes now – ideally in containers so you can move them into your greenhouse or polytunnel as the weather turns later in the year – you should have a delicious crop of new potatoes in the winter.
Although growing potatoes ‘out of season’ can be tricky by planting them in containers you are going to bypass many of the potential problems – you can control the warmth of the compost and prevent the conditions becoming too wet (which can happen if planting directly into the ground) and you have the option to move the containers or cover them with fleece when it starts to get cold.
You can read more about growing Potatoes for Christmas in the August issue of Kitchen Garden … work now and enjoy later!
The worlds BIGGEST potato weighed a massive 3.2kg and was grown in Germany in 1997.
On average a person will eat 103kg of potatoes in their lifetime – that’s about 500 medium sized potatoes – WOW
Potatoes have even been grown in space – not by little aliens I’m afraid (or I don’t think so anyway!) – they were taken into space aboard the shuttle Columbia in 1995 and they were the first food to be grown in space
Britain can claim the fame of being the third largest consumer of potatoes in Europe – just below Portugal and Ireland
Potatoes first became popular when Marie Antoinette paraded in France wearing a crown of potato blossoms whilst Louis XVI wore potato blossoms in his buttonhole
Vichyssoise – a cold potato soup – was invented by Louis XV of France – he was so worried about being poisoned that he had a number of his servants taste his food – so by the time his soup arrived it was cold, yet he liked it so much that from then on he always ate it cold
Worth their weight in gold – during the Alaskan Klondike gold rush (1897-1898) potatoes were practically worth their weight in gold – they were so valued for their vitamin C that miners traded gold for potatoes
Crisps – or Potato Chips as they are called in America – were invented at Saratoga Springs, New York in 1853. Commodore Vanderbilt complained to his steward that he made his chips too thick – the steward was alittle put out and so sliced some potatoes as thinly as he could and dropped them in boiling grease before serving them. Needless to say they were well received!
Vodka was first made from potatoes in Poland around the turn of the 20th century. Previously made from wheat, the cost of making vodka was halved. It takes 5kg of potatoes to produce one litre of vodka
In olden times potatoes were reputed to be a powerful aphrodisiac – in Shakespeare's time potatoes were labeled as "Apples of Love"
One out of every four British potatoes are made into chips – that’s about 1.5 million tones every year - WOW
Mr Potato Head (born in 1952 in Hasbro) was inspired by the potato … what more can I say … potatoes are a classic!!
Have You Got A Spare £165,000 In You Back Pocket??
If the answer is ‘yes’ ... are you single? Seriously though, you’ve just missed out on a gorgeous gourmet treat ... a seriously special white truffle ...
The World’s Most Expensive White Truffle ...
Gourmet history was made at the annual Tuscan Truffle Auction this month when a 1.5kg white truffle ‘tuber magnatum pico’ sold for the princely sum of £165,000 – just £110,000 per kilo ... more expensive than gold ... but not quite as long lasting.
No Leftovers ...
Stanley Ho, the lucky bidder, has only got a short time to enjoy his purchase ... a truffle lasts for just 20 days after being unearthed ... after that time it’s off! So, if you’re a friend of Mr Ho’s I’d say you should be sniffing out an invitation to a very special dinner ... mmmm
Walking The Dog Never Sounded So Good ...
There can’t be any better reason in Italy to take you dog a walk than managing to sniff out a truffle worth £165k! Truffle hunters use dogs to sniff out these most expensive delicacies and Luciano Savini and his son had an excellent find last week when their mongrel dog ‘Rocco’ dug up this white truffle near Pisa in Northern Italy.
So what I’m wondering is ... could I train my dog to find truffles rather than sticks when we go a walk? I’m thinking my chance of a truffle find in North Yorkshire to be fairly remote ...
If You’re Looking For Something A Bit More Long Lasting ...
So if you have got a spare £165,000 burning a hole in your pocket, maybe you’d be after something that would last longer than 20 days ... I would! Here are a few things you could consider ...
A three bedroom retreat down south – it’s in need of a little renovation ... but a snip at just £165k ...
If you’re after a classic why not this 1933 Rolls Royce ... classy
Or if you’re a speed demon you could get you’re hands on this 1997 Jaguar XJ220 ...
But they say diamonds are a girl’s best friend ... so I’m choosing this little gem from Harry Winston ... perfect for the office Christmas party I’m sure ...
Get Out The Way Jamie Oliver; Take A Break Nigella Lawson ...
I’m Going Back To Basics ...
"Good Eating" Suggestions for Wartime Dishes A new selection of Daily Telegraph Readers’ Tested Recipes
Like many gardeners, I also like to cook ... I get to use fresh veg from the allotment, bumper crops can be preserved and when the weather’s too bad to get into the garden I’ve got time to make something sweet ...
As a child I remember standing by the side of my Nana, following recipes from a stained Bero cookery book – in fact it had seen some action ... it had even got ring burns from an old fashioned electric cooker! The piece of advice she gave me over and over and over again was "when you’re making pastry have cold hands" ... saga advice, especially for a youngster who would have hot, sticky fingers ...
I’d love to be able to find that book again ... basic recipes to remind me of my childhood ... but whilst I continue to search I found this book of ‘Wartime Dishes’ on Saturday and thought I’d share a few recipes and advice … I’m sure many of you will be transported back to your childhood ... when weight gain wasn’t a worry, when we didn’t know about cholesterol ... there were less supermarkets providing us with microwavable meals ... and many of us grow up on fresh meat from the local butcher, fruit came from our local greengrocers ... oh happy days!
I hope this week’s recipe stirs your memories ... if you’re looking for a particular wartime recipe just let me know ...
"Dried Eggs In Modern Cookery"
Women are taking kindly to new ways of cookery (‘didn’t they talk nicely to the little women?’) Powdered eggs, regarded critically when first put on the market as a substitute for the shell eggs in short supply, now have their own and it may be an enduring place in good home cookery. (stop laughing now ... I know your love dried eggs ...)
Here’s the first recipe ... how to make hard boiled eggs from dried eggs (sounds magic eh?)
Reconstitute dried egg, beating well.
Add seasoning and if liked a little chopped chives and parsley.
Grease a cup, fill with mixture, put it covered into pan of boiling water and steam for about 10 minutes.
Can you believe this recipe? Can anyone remember having boiled eggs like this ... 'cause I’d love to know what it tasted like ... or looked like ... mmm
Yes ... I’ve been trying a new, exotic fruit ... and I must be having a run of luck ‘cause it tasted absolutely yummy!! In fact, so far, I think this is definitely the best tasting fruit so far ... that’s if you like things sweet ...
Looks Aren’t Everything ...
Don’t be put off by the unappetizing appearance of these little fruits! About the size of a small apricot or tomato and the appearance of a raw potato ... in fact they have been compared to a wrinkly potato as if grows and when ripe, a rotten potato!
But please ... don’t let this deter you from taking a taste ... for hidden within this unassuming skin hides an exceptionally sweet centre which tastes like caramel ...
When ripe you’ll be able to slice open the fruit to reveal a centre with the same grainy texture of a ripe pear and ranging in colour from a pale yellow through to a caramel brown (as you’ll see from my photo).
The flesh is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon ... all you need to avoid are the shiny black seeds (you’ll find anywhere between two to ten within each fruit).
About the size of a runner bean they have a slight ‘hook’ on one end which can scrape your throat if you accidentally swallow one.
What’s In It For Me ...
So, apart from tasting gorgeous ... are sapodillas good for me? Well these little sugary fruits are on exactly good if you’re on a diet ... with over 100 calories in every 100 grams.
But for all that they are a natural source of energy ... an outstanding source of fibre, phosphorus and vitamin C ... are rich in protein and iron ... whilst being low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat ...
So, all I can say is, not everything that tastes good is bad for you!! Hoorah!!
What’s In A Name ...
When the same fruit is grown in different parts of the world you always find it’s known by lost of different names and the sapodilla is no exception ...
living in the Bahamas you’ll know this fruit as a ‘Sugardilly’ (I think this is the most descriptive name of all because of its’ sweet taste ...)
move to Brazil and you’ll be shopping for a ‘sapoti’ ...
hop over to Costa Rica where you can enjoy fresh ‘korob’ ...
take a swift trip to India and you’ll find little has changed with this fruit now known as a ‘tree potato'(very descriptive of its appearance this time!), ‘Sapota’ or ‘Chikoo’ ...
this is the same name for this gorgeous fruit in Bangladesh, Pakistan or South Asia ...
and as you continue to travel the world you’ll find the fruits called ‘ciku’ (Malaysia), ‘chicle’ (Mexico), ‘naseberry’ (West Indies), ‘rata-mi'or sapodilla (Sri Lanka), ‘sawu’ (Indonesia), ‘tsiko’ (Philippines) or ‘zapote’ in Cuba ...
In fact these are just a few of the common names for this little fruit the Chinese call the ‘fruit of life’ ...
I Had A Little Fruit Tree ...
Well, actually not so.o..o small, with the sapodilla trees growing as high as 40 metres tall ...
A very slow growing tree with a long life, the trees are evergreen, with glossy, dark green leaves of between 7-15cm in length.
The tree produces small, white bell-like flowers several times a year and bares fruit every two years.
A Bit Of A Chewy Tale ...
Although I’m enthusing of the fruit of the sapodilla tree in times past you would have also found these trees treasured for the ‘sap’ or ‘latex’, a white, gummy substance known as ‘chicle’.
Harvested from the bark of the tree by workers known as ‘chicleros’ who would cut zigzag lines into the trunk of the sapodilla tree to allow the white chicle to drip out and be collected into small bags.
This would then be boiled together with corn syrup, glycerin, sugar and flavoring.
After this mixture had been allowed to dry it was rolled out and cut into pieces of a sweet, chewy substance known as ‘chewing gum’ ... yes, the chicle formed the basis of chewing gum when it was originally made ...
Location, Location, Location ...
The sapodilla trees are native to Yucatan, northern Belize, northeastern Guatemala and other areas of southern Mexico. From these areas it was introduced into the Philippines during the Spanish colonization, throughout tropical America as well as southern parts of Florida and the West Indies ...
India is now one of the main producers of Sapodillas, whilst they are also grown for commercial purposes in Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and other Central American countries.
You Could Give Miss Marple A Run For Her Money ...
Wow ... and wow again ... you guys are way too clever for me (thank goodness we aren’t playing poker ...). Only two days of clues and lots of correct guesses ...
Or if it just the power of the mighty Google ... I’m hoping there’s no one out there who cheated and let google do the work ...
I’ve been trying the ‘Custard Apple’ this week. Also called the ‘Cherimoya’ it’s about the size of a cooking apple (maybe slightly smaller) but although the skin looks tough and leathery ... It’s disguising a soft flesh – you should be able to squeeze it with your fingers to tell if it’s ripe.
It slices open really easily to reveal a creamy, white flesh similar in consistency to a banana. I then scooped out the flesh and ate it with a spoon (but I’m quite posh!!) ... I think it would be gorgeous with ice cream ... and it’s supposed to be good blended with milk as a creamy milkshake!
Now ... is it me ... but of all the things I’ve tried so far ... it seems those that look the strangest (like the Dragon Fruit and Custard Apple) taste the best ... and those that look good on the outside (life the Granadilla) taste awful!! Or is it just me?
Now for the winners ...
Winners of my admiration for pure brain power are ... Jenny ... a complete swot I’m sure Soo ... a new visitor via McBurros legendary blog Mark ... or should I say Mark’s girlfriend …
Closely followed by the TOGs who can’t remember that we’ve looked at Dragon Fruit before ... Mildew ... thanks for trying Mel ... you think Dragon Fruit are good ... Custard Apples would blow your socks off!
And finally those who say they know ... but kept the answer to themselves ... I know I know McBurro ... actually I believe you did know on the first day but didn’t want to embarrass me Joce ... it’s OK saying you know when other people have already made suggestions!
My admiration is winging its way to the winners ...
Really easy to cut open, the soft flesh can be scooped out with a spoon and tastes absolutely gorgeous ... there's not many new things I try which I really like (although the guava fruit was good to ...) but this is something I'd buy again.
If you still don't know what I'm trying this week, here's another clue ...
This tropical fruit originates from Spain and Chile ... but it's been known by a very British name ...
Yes ... it’s that awful time of year that we’re stripping all the remaining tomatoes from their plants – whether they’re red, yellow or still green – and turning them into chutneys and pickles to enjoy in the winter months ahead ...
If, like me, you’ve got carrier bags full of greenhouse tomatoes why not try combining them with other vegetables from the allotment to make your own yummy pickle ...
My favourite Mustard Pickle recipe ... one of the best ways to use up lots of greenhouse tomatoes and remember the lovely summer days in the greenhouse as you tuck into cheese and pickle when it’s cold and frosty outside ...
What You’ll Need ...
2lb Mixed Vegetables – tomatoes, cauliflower, courgettes (or marrow), runner beans, strong small onions or anything else you fancy adding
2oz Salt
1 pint Water
1 pint Malt Vinegar Pickling Spices – between 1-3 teaspoons depending on your preference
½ teaspoon of Cornflour
1 tablespoon of Mustard powder
2 teaspoons of Turmeric – for that distinctive ‘yellow’
Ground Ginger – 1 or 2 teaspoons it’s up to you
2oz Sugar – or if you want to make a sweet pickle make this up to 4oz
A Bit Of Preparation ...
First thing to do is make the brine – in a larger bowl mix the water and salt together. Into this you add all the vegetables – washed clean and cut into bit size pieces remembering to leave the skins on the tomatoes. Then leave to soak overnight – they should be in the brine for at least 12 hours.
After this time, rinse all the vegetables in cold water and leave to dry.
Here’s The Hard Work ...
Add ¾ pint of vinegar and pickling spices to a large pan and bring to the boil. To make a strong flavoured pickle boil for 5 minutes ... the shorter the time the milder the flavour. In the remaining ¼ pint vinegar mix the rest of the ingredients (excluding the vegetables). Then slowly stir the hot vinegar into the cold vinegar mixture, stirring as you pour. Then put the vinegar back into the pan and warm over a low heat until the mixture starts to thicken ... At this point, add in the vegetables and simmer for around 5 minutes. It’s now ready to spoon into warm, clean jars.
All you have to do now is sit back and relax ... ready for cheese and homemade pickle ... yummy
Yes ... I’m feeling very healthy at the moment as I’ve found yet another exotic fruit to try ... and again it’s a fruit that’s really, really good for you! However, unlike the Granadilla I tried recently the Guava not only looks OK, it has a gorgeous aroma and actually tastes good ...
Hurrah! Something that tastes good as well as being good for you ...
On this basis, if you haven’t tried this unusual fruit get down to your local supermarket or green grocers (I got my guava from the packed shelves at Tesco’s) and buy one. Relatively expensive – about 70p each – for a fruit slightly smaller than a dessert pear, I’m sure you’ll not regret the expense when you try it.
Just A Quick Hint Before You Buy ...
To eat raw guava it needs to be very ripe so when you select one, squeeze the fruit gently to see if it is gives under the pressure of your fingers ... if it does it’s ready to eat.
You’ll see from the photo that Tesco’s were really looking after their guava fruit – wrapped in clear film and protected from damage with a little foam cover ... I knew it was going to be good just from this extra packaging!
If my praise of the guava isn’t enough for you, here are a few facts to tempt you even more ...
What’s Good About A Guava ...
Guavas are said to be one of the best fruits available and that’s because they are not only a very rich source of vitamin C (a guava contains more of this vitamin than a typical citrus fruit – the rind contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange!), they also contain high amounts of calcium – which is unusual in a fruit.
A fresh guava fruit is also a valuable source of vitamin A and B, nicotinic acid, phosphorous, potassium, iron, folate and is high in fibre. Coupled with all these vitamins and minerals (I’m feeling healthy just writing about it!) guavas are also low in fat and calories, with only about 25 calories per fruit ...
To top all this talk of health off, guava fruit are said to help lower cholesterol, protect your heart and are good for your immune system ... what more could you ask for!
Usually things packed with all this goodness are found within something that tastes really bad, but with the guava it’s actually the opposite ...
What's It All About ...
As you can see, the guava is very similar in looks to a small pear or apple – in fact it’s often called the poor man’s apple of the tropics. Available in a range of varieties, the pink guava which I tried had a thin, yellowish-green skin which concealed a very deep pink flesh soft enough to eat with a spoon. Other varieties which you might see can have a skin anything from yellow in colour through to purple-black, with the flesh ranging from a creamy white to a bright red.
What’s really distinctive about the guava – even before you cut it open – is its really strong, sweet fragrance. After I bought is and took it home with the rest of my shopping in the car, the fragrance was almost overbearing. And even now, whilst I’m still eating the fruit its fragrance is able to fill the whole room ...
And finally the taste. Its flesh has a grainy texture just like a pear, but there are three distinctive parts of the guava – all of which can be eaten:
the thin, outer rind – which I think leaves something of an after taste but does contain lots of vitamin C – so if you can eat it, do (IT’S GOOD FOR YOU ...)
the firm, inner flesh – a distinctive layer just within the rind which is almost identical in texture to a pear
the soft, central section – containing hard little seeds (which you can eat) surrounded by a softer, stringy flesh – a little but like strawberry (in taste – although not as sweet and the seeds are much more noticeable as you eat them) or tomato (in texture). I like this part the most – and it’s easy to scoop out with a spoon ... yummy.
What’s The Use ...
Although I ate my guava raw, you’ll also find guavas being used to create purified juice and drinks, in desserts (its aroma makes it really useful for flavouring sherbet and ice cream) and in fruit salad. Guavas are also popular for making jams and preserves, together with sauces and dressings.
And finally .. you can finish off your evening with a guava martini … shaken, not stirred I guess ...
With Tomatoes Tumbling From Our Plants ... What’s My Plan?
OK ... there’s no thing as having ‘too much of a god thing’ is there? Actually, in the case of ripe tomatoes, I think there is ...
At this time of year, are you like my, and absolutely flooded out with fresh tomatoes all over the place ... in fact we’ve got so many ripening on the plants at the moment it’s hard to pick them fast enough ... they’re simply tumbling from the plants like raindrops from the clouds ...
What’s My Cunning Plan?
I’m no Baldrick ... but I do have a cunning plan ... Fresh Tomato Soup ... mmm I’ve dug out my old recipe book this weekend, and found my favourite soup recipe ... I know it’s a good recipe with the number of ‘food splashes’ staining the page ... good recipe books always seem to bare the scares of there colourful cooking pasts!
Do You Need A Plan To?
So, if you’re looking for a good tomato soup recipe to, here’s the one I recommend ... borrowed and adapted from my Marks & Spencer’s ‘Family Meals’ cookery book from 1977 ... how time flies when you’re having fun in the kitchen ...
What You’ll Need:
Recipe’s are all in the preparation, so this is what you’ll need to have ready ...
One small onion
- as a fine coincidence, you should be able to get this from your allotment at the same time as you’re tomatoes ... if you don’t want to get emotional as you peel try putting it in the freezer first before using it ... about ten minutes in the cold should keep you tear free ...
A stick of celery
- washed clean and chopped into small chunks ... I haven’t got celery growing so this is one ingredient from the supermarket shelves I’m afraid ... maybe I should grow these next year ...
A pound and a half of ripe tomatoes
– skinned and chopped ... I find the easiest way to skin tomatoes is to drop them into a pan of boiling water and when the skins start to swell up ready to burst, lift them out with a spoon, pierce the skin with a knife and peel it off .. especially easy if you have asbestos fingers!
A pint of chicken stock
- I bring in a sub here ... vegetable stock (being a veggie) instead ... I don’t think it affects the flavour (although I’ve never used chicken stock ...).
A teaspoon of dry basil
A tablespoon of flour or cornflour
Optional ingredients
- which I only include if I have them to hand in the cupboard ...
Four teaspoons of tomato puree
A tablespoon of medium sherry
A rasher of bacon ... this is in the recipe and for those who want to add it cook it in with the onion ...
What To Do ...
This recipe is really simple, so here goes ...
Fry the onion and celery in some butter until tender but not coloured. Add in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Mix in flour followed by the stock, basil, tomato puree and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about half an hour.
After this time pass everything through a sieve ... a messy process but this is what I used to do before I got a blender ... or use a blender to turn everything into a scrummy ‘soupy’ consistency.
Return to the heat and season again ... adding sherry if required.
It’s now ready to eat ... yummy!!
Yes, buoyed up by my successful venture into the more exotic fruits now available in our supermarkets – i.e. my Dragon Fruit experience – I thought I’d give it another go ...
My latest visit to Tesco’s (other supermarkets are available ...) resulted in the purchase of a ‘Granadilla’ ... a more innocent fruit I don’t think I could have found ...
Shaped like an egg and being about 8cm long, the Granadilla has an attractive orange outer skin. Unlike many fruits, the skin of the Granadilla is smooth and hard – you definitely need a knife to cut it open. And ... unlike other hard fruits (apples for example) you can’t eat the skin ...
So, once home, I got out the old chopping board and sliced into the Granadilla ... urh! It’s hard to believe that such an innocent looking fruit can contain such an unusual inner. Those of a delicate nature should look away now ...
Yes, it looks like frog spawn ... what more can I say? Hence, it was definitely a case of ‘I’m not eating that’ … and then my old grey cells came into play, so ... ‘Who can I get to try it first?’ ... Using my very persuasive manner I skilfully coerced (or should I say, ‘conned’) my cousin and aunt to try it ... with the resulting response ‘Oh ... that’s not as bad as it looks ... tastes quite sweet really’. This gave me the green light to give it a try ...
Basically, my opinion of the Granadilla is that it’s fairly expensive (can’t remember exactly what I paid ... I think about 80p) for a fruit where you can only eat the inner part. And, it’s got no distinct flavour ... maybe abit like the taste of a pomegranate but not as strong. And it’s not very filling ...
However, I’d love to hear from anyone who actually likes eating Granadillas ... and for those who haven’t tried them please don’t let my opinion put you off! I’ve done abit of research which may tempt you to give this fruit a try ...
It’s Good For You ...
Most things that look bad tend to be good for you ... so if you like to eat healthy this could be a fruit to try.
It provides you with vitamins A, C and K together with calcium, iron and phosphorus. If you can eat a 100 grams of a Granadilla (remembering you can’t eat the skin or outer shell) you’ll be getting approximately 3.2g of fibre, 1.5g of fat and a hint of protein ... 0.3g.
However, what you should take into account is that a Granadilla is fairly light ... in fact when you pick one up it’s so light it feels almost unreal!
It’s Got Good Relations ...
The Granadilla ... also known as ‘Passiflora Cigularis’ is part of the passion fruit family. You’re likely to be familiar with the dark purple skinned passion fruit with it’s wrinkly, dry skin ... well this is related to this more brightly coloured, smooth skinned fruit.
Granadillas Like It Hot ...
In fact the Granadilla is a sub tropical (not tropical) so can be found growing where it’s warm (it likes temperatures of 15-18º C) and damp (between 60 to 100cm of water a year in rainfall). So you’ll be looking abroad to find it growing happily ... you’ll find it in the mountains of the Andes, Africa and Australia. It also grows in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Hawaii, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and Venezuela.
Now ... if that isn't enough reasons to give it a try I don't know what is! It's healthy, it's similar to other fruits such as the passion fruit and pomegranate ... and it's an exotic fruit which we're likely to find when we're on holiday ... go on, give it a try and let me know what you think!
Ok then, I know you won’t believe me, but I bought a dragon in Tesco’s last week ... or should I say a Dragon Fruit. A bit on the expensive side (£1.79) this astonishing looking fruit measured about 5” and as I’ve never seen or tasted one before I was tempted ... but before I risked a taste I did a bit of research to see what I’d got myself into. Here’s what I found out ...
What’s In A Name ...
For such an unusual looking fruit being called a ‘Dragon fruit’ seems fairly acceptable.
Also known as the ‘strawberry pear’, ‘pitaya’ or ‘pitahaya’ it’s the fruit of a several species of cactus ... and once you know this it’s easy to imagine ... if you think about it lots of cactus have bright coloured flowers so why not such bright coloured fruit ...
It’s Hard To Describe ...
The dragon fruit I bought is fairly round in shape, very bright pink in colour and with very prominent ‘scales’ around it. However, you’ll find other varieties which have yellow skin ... it just depends on the variety.
When you cut through the flesh – it feels a little like cutting into the skin of a melon – you find the stark contrast of the flesh inside. In my case I was faced with an opaque white inner with dark seeds throughout ... similar to the seeds found inside a kiwi fruit. Or you could encounter a red flesh inside with the same black seeds depending on the variety.
A Few Varieties ...
There are three different varieties of dragon fruit:
Hylocereus undatus – this has a pink skin and a white flesh … so that’s what I bought. A climbing cactus, it has a red skin, triangular shaped stem and minimal number of spines.
Hylocereus polyrhizus – again a pink skin but this time when you cut into it you’d reveal a red flesh. Similar in nature to the hylocereus undatus, this variety of cactus has more spines.
Selenicereus megalanthus – in contrast this variety has a yellow skin and white flesh. The fruit are smaller than the other two varieties (which can weigh up to 1kg) and contains higher levels of sugar.
How To Eat A Dragon ...
Or should I say Dragon Fruit.
Faced with such a strange looking fruit it was a bit intimidating to think how to eat it ... did you bite into it like a apple ... eat the centre like a pomegranate ... was it best raw or cooked?
In fact you don’t eat the skin of the fruit, just the flesh from inside. I scooped out the flesh with a spoon (it scoops straight out just like scooping out sorbet) and it tasted a bit like melon or kiwi ... actually the taste is very bland considering how exciting it looks!
If you’re thinking of eating dragon fruit it’s best eaten chilled and if you don’t want to eat it on its own have it as a desert with a sorbet.
Other recommended ways of eating dragon fruit are within ice cream, or turn it into a drink by putting the flesh through a juicer or it can be fermented into a wine.
The Benefits Of Eating Dragon Fruit ...
Rich in fibre, vitamin C and minerals the dragon fruit is also low in calories ... so an all round good fruit to eat! This fruit is also rich in phytoalbumins which have antioxidant properties.
Growing Dragon Fruit ...
The cactus which dragon fruit comes from can grow anywhere between a few inches up to 20’ long (that’s for the more mature plants ...). Growing best in tropical, sub tropical or dry climates where there’s about 20-25” rain per year theses plants can cope with extremes of temperatures – from temperatures as high as 104ºF to short periods of frost. Although they don’t like being too wet (this will affect cropping) or long periods of cold weather (which can kill the plants).
These plants survive by growing on trees – they grow out of the soil and over it until they find a tree they can grow on using their aerial roots. They’re not particularly fussy about the type of soil they grow in although grow best when the soil is kept high in nutrients by adding in organic matter.
What’s quite unusual is that the ornate flowers that the plants produce only appear during the night and last only one night ... so pollination has to take place at that point to get a crop of dragon fruit. However, to counter this plants can product 4-6 crops of fruit each year.
Propagate Your Own Cactus ... And Maybe A Dragon
Ok ... so I’ve been less distressed over the cost of the fruit since I read how easy it is to grow your own cactus from the seeds found within the fruit. By simply scooping out some of the flesh and separating out the seeds you’re ready to start planting.
Simply sow in pots containing gritty potting compost, water and then enclose the whole within a polythene bag. It’s as easy as that!
You’ve then just got to be patient for about two weeks before you’ll see the seedlings starting to appear. As I’ve never grown cactus, I don’t know if this is common or not, but the seedlings have two leaves on them ... in fact these are the only leaves this plants will every produce. From this point onwards a spiny stem will begin to grow between the centre of these leaves ... with the leaves being discarded after a few months.
In theory, you should then be able to grow your own dragon fruit ... although let’s hope that they don’t grow to 20’ high!!
Where You’ll Find Dragon Fruit ...
Although grown in tropical climates, it’s unclear where these plants originated although they are native to Mexico, Central and Southern America. Now being cultivated in Southeast Asia the dragon fruit is now the leading fruit export of Vietnam.
And Finally A Legend ...
Well it had to have really ... this exotic looking fruit is crying out to having a legend so here goes ...
Thousands of years ago fire breathing dragons created the dragon fruit. During battle, when the dragons breathed fire the last thing to come out would be the fruit. If the dragon was slain the fruit would be collected and presented to the Emperor as an indication of victory and as such was a prized treasure.
Whilst the slain dragon would have been eaten by the victorious soldiers ... it being believed that if you ate the flesh of the dragon you became empowered with the dragon’s strength and ferocity.
In fact, it is said that the meat from the base of the dragon’s tail from where it was believed the dragons fire originated, was the sweetest and best tasting. It is said that the thirst for these meat is what brought about the destruction of all dragons ... or so legend goes ...
