OK so here’s the deal: I’ve got 4 pairs of free tickets to give away so I’m running a little competition. All you need to do to win some is tell me a little food story. It can be as short as a few words or as long as your arm; as simple as telling me the name of your favourite dish; a  joke; a guilty pleasure you’re happy to embrace or a moment of consumption that you’re genuinely ashamed of. Get it off your chest – I’m all ears.

My 4 favourite comments will win the tickets, so the judgement will be based on my whim and fancy; there will be no random number generator or witness present. I’m easily impressed so fire away.

There’s also a 2 for 1 deal up for grabs – that’s 2 tickets for a bargainous £12 for a runner up, should they wish to take the deal.

The Real Food Festival is taking place in Earl’s Court again this year, but don’t let that put you off – many of the people inside are selling some really lovely stuff. I know because I went to visit some of them last year and wrote about it on the RFF blog. I’ll be there myself, serving up tea at the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, which will involve Henrietta ‘tea lady’ Lovell and those crazy kids Bompas and Parr. Do pop over for a cuppa.

I’ll choose the winners on Monday 3rd May.

www.therealfoodfestival.co.uk

You could say I’m fond of jerk, but you’d be making one hell of an understatement. The Jerk Cookout Festival has been my event of the year for the past three and I’ve struggled the rest of the time to make a solid version at home. Smokey Jerkey in New Cross (one of the best) and various places in Brixton and Peckham fill other gaps.

Caribbean ingredients are piled high on every reasonable bit of pavement here and you could buy the ingredients for a jerk marinade in almost every food store on Peckham Rye; which one you choose depends on personal preference. I’ve been here about a year and half now and I’ve fallen completely in love with the ramshackle collation that is Khan’s Bargain Limited and the lively stalls on Choumert Road.

I never stop being amused by the interest from Jamaican people who seldom fail to spot the ingredient combination in my hands and stop me mid-browse to ask what I’m cooking. For some reason ‘soup’ is always their first guess. You say you’re making jerk and eyes flicker with excitement. They love the fact you’re loving jerk but at the same time you can forget the idea of ever getting a hint at their recipe. Great jerk recipes are guarded like treasure. They are highly personal. You know the exciting ones are always the product of many tweaks over many years, passed between relatives and best friends who keep it locked against their chests like a family jewel.

A few months ago now my friend introduced me to Josh’s recipe and I was intrigued by the fairly large amount of sugar it. It made me think about what my jerk had been lacking – stickiness.

It was one of those situations where you kick yourself for not realising what the obvious and crucial omission has always been. What I had before was always hanging on the side of being a raw flavour base; kind of like eating a curry paste on its own with no sauce. The use of dark sugar melts the lot down to a fruity, perfumed glaze that chars at the edges into delicious smoky nuggets.

I used three de-seeded scotch bonnets and the heat was pretty spot on; the warm and tingling hum allows for a dollop of hot pepper sauce if it tickles your fancy. I served it with a white cabbage slaw with nigella seeds, not because it was the best match but because I had a lot leftover from the day before. It is one of my favourite accompaniments to grilled tandoori chicken.

The jerk was my most successful attempt to date; thank you Josh for the inspiration. Nothing more satisfying than moving along a long term recipe commitment. There is always one major problem with cooking jerk at home though and that is the fact that most of us will never own a proper steel drum ‘jerk pan’, although believe me when I say that once I have my own garden, I will build one. Until that day, a BBQ is the best bet.

Jerk Chicken

[EDIT DECEMBER 2011: I now have a new and even further improved jerk recipe, which I shall reveal soon. Hopefully in a very exciting way!]

1.5 tablespoons allspice
100g dark packed brown sugar
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 bunch large spring onions (about 5)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded
Juice of 2 large limes
1 tsp salt
Black pepper

Chicken pieces (I used 2 legs and 2 breasts)

Blend all the marinade ingredients together and smother over the chicken rubbing well in. I use gloves for this, as I do when I chop the scotch bonnets. Refrigerate overnight.

Allow to come to room temperature and brush off most of the excess marinade before grilling on the BBQ. To set up your BBQ for the indirect method, light the coals in the middle in a kind of volcano shape then wait for the flames to disappear, leaving you with coals which have a light grey ash coating. Move them to the sides. This gets the indirect heat circulating around the kettle when you put the lid on. I find it helps to also brush the grill with a little oil. The chicken pieces will probably take about 30 minutes (although it depends on size) – always check the juices run clear.

To cook in the oven, place in a baking tray and cook at 190C for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear.

White Cabbage Slaw with Nigella Seeds

This is a perfect match for Tandoori chicken, not so much jerk.

1 medium sized white cabbage, shredded
1 yellow pepper, grated
60ml red wine vinegar
55g sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon nigella (onion) seeds

Mix it all together and let the mixture sit for a few hours. Serve.

You may be aware that I also blog for The Real Food Festival website where I’ve been posting about some of the producers. The 2009 festival may be over but the blog will keep running, although now it will be more recipe focused. I’ll love you forever with a cherry on top if you take a look now and again. There will be a larger set of pictures on the RFF blog soon but for now here’s my favourite bits.

The prize for the most animated market stall most definitely goes to the guys at Gaby’s Hot Stuff. Top marks for the music, dancing and banter. Their chilli sauce (below) is certainly ‘lively’ on the palate too. My friend and I dived in enthusiastically. Silly really, considering we should have learned our lesson the day before when we literally laughed in the face of a man who asked if we could ‘take the heat’. Turns out we couldn’t. It nearly blew our heads off. Eyes watered, tongues burned and there was sucking of air through teeth.

We later roped our mate into trying it too, knowing full well what he was in for but allowing him to carry on for our own entertainment. The look on his face afterwards though filled us both with remorse as we re-lived the pain vicariously. He left us to find his fiancée soon afterwards.

I did buy a bottle of the super strength stuff even though it packs a hefty punch, because it also has the most incredible fruity scotch bonnet flavour. I actually bought it for my boyfriend but I am the one who’s become addicted. I’ve eaten it with eggs, chips and I might as well admit that last night, I actually ripped the corner off a loaf of bread, just so I would have something to dunk in it to get my fix. If you’ve got a problem with chilli sauce like me, then how about trying this little game for jinks, courtesy of the chilli men themselves; next time you are feeling the burn, try putting the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and holding it for as long as possible. When you really can’t take it any more, release and savour the ensuing endorphin rush you chilli freak.

Now on the hunt for something to cool and soothe, we turned our attention to oysters. These Jersey Oysters were an irresistible bargain at a mere 50p each, which is why the guys above were constantly opening them, poor shuckers (sorry). I promptly ordered six and waved goodbye to the fire plus the last lingering effects of over-indulgence the night before. Oysters are one of the best hangover cures going in my opinion, just make sure you get the most of their delicious sea flavour by giving them a good ol’ chew.

Cheese is also an excellent soother of palate and among the many on offer I found the Laverstoke Park Farm fresh buffalo mozzarella the most interesting. Made in Hampshire, it has an excellent flavour which kind of explodes in your mouth in a milky burst. Slightly unusual in texture, it is firm and almost grainy although not unpleasantly so.

I had to stop by DeGustibus too – for the entertainment as much as the bread. The guys here are super friendly and always up for a bit of banter. Take Jim (above) for example – if he’s not waxing lyrical about the latest loaf or cake from the DeGustibus kitchen, he’s having a laugh. Kneading clearly gives you great biceps.

This young chap from realale.com was also in fine spirits. He seemed slightly surprised (or possibly scared?) by my excitement at finding he had Brew Dog beers or perhaps he just doesn’t get that many female customers. Don’t worry though sisters, I’m representin’.

I also packed some Halen Mon smoked salt and a bulb of smoked garlic from French Flavour into my bag nestled next to a jar of excellent aubergine pickle from Cafe Spice Namaste (above), which gives me a great excuse to make a curry this weekend.

As much as I had a good time filling my belly and emptying my wallet, I’m sorry to say I didn’t catch any cookery demonstrations or tastings. Although, you can probably tell from the pictures that I most enjoyed talking to the producers anyway. The RFF recognises the value of the small producer, subsidising them – enabling many to attend that could not otherwise afford it. The benefit for the customer is that we get to taste the difference in something made with a bit of love and for that reason alone the festival made me a very happy lady.

Covent Garden Night Market has returned to the famous Piazza this year with the same promise of many good things for our bellies. A group of London food bloggers and I were invited down to sample the wares and generally indulge and immerse, as is our nature. I was delighted to finally meet writers of blogs I regularly read, such as Niamh, Julia and Ros - so wonderful to put faces to names and find that everyone really is as nice as you hoped.

So, the market? Anyone who has ever visited Covent Garden will know that it is busy, drawing tourists and city-dwellers alike. This is no matter to a hardened foodie Londoner like myself however, a regular at thronging food markets such as Borough and akin to my fellow residents in having given up on the concept of personal space. Let’s face it, any market with as many fabulous products as this is going to be busy, that’s the point.

Regular readers will know that I am not overly-partial to overly-sweet things. They will also know that there are a few exceptions to this rule, amaretto being one of them. Well, here’s another – it’s cupcakes. My appreciation stems partly from the moment of sinking my teeth into that sweet, unctuous butter cream, followed by light spongy cake beneath but I mostly love the cute factor. How gorgeous are these bite size sweet treats from Lavender Bakery? I opted for the raspberry cupcake with vanilla buttercream (pictured above – really good, pillowy topping with subtly fruity cake), while Chris chose a disgracefully large slice of flourless chocolate cake, polished off the second we got home, with beer.

There are plenty more sweet treats for those of you more ‘normal’ than me – the old-fashioned candy above (loving the aprons), along with Middle Eastern style pastries, fudge and coconut ice. A definite country fete, blast from the past, so-sweet-it-makes-your-teeth-hurt kind of theme here. We all know however, that no-one gets their pudding until all the dinner is gone, but what to choose? I would say the market definitely leans more towards food that is cooked right then and there and products that need no more than removing from the box when you get home. That said, there are some raw ingredients like meat and vegetables available too.

The carnivores are spoilt for choice with bangers, burgers and all kinds of meat-in-bun scenarios. There was a particularly enticing scent coming from Carluccio’s (I could not even get close) and from this Bratwurst stall below. Also check out the hog roast, two of them slowly turning and getting all juicy on their spits.

I was gutted to find that the wild boar sausage had all sold out but I had my eyes on another prize and remained resolute in my determination to find it above anything else – I had heard of a stall selling squirrel meat. I know this might sound disgusting/weird/heinous to some people, but I have to say I’m really curious. I had plans for it and everything. Alas, it could not be found. I asked a vendor at Manor Farm Game if he knew of the whereabouts and he replied that everyone in the market had been talking about it but no-one had seen signs of the furry ones. Apparently, he had been inundated with requests, so it seems I’m not the only one who is curious. No matter, I snapped up some pigeon breasts instead. I’ve had a recipe waiting all summer for those little beauties.

I kicked myself when I realised I forgot to buy some Girolles (below), the colour is beautiful and I can just picture them eaten simply on toast. I may have to go back. This could get a little strenuous on the wallet. OK, so the market ain’t cheap and I can see where others are coming from but the products are high quality and let’s think about the area, it’s Covent Garden, one of the most popular tourist areas in London. I certainly don’t like paying over the odds at markets (e.g. Borough) either but then I don’t shop there every day and I do enter fully into the experience. I live in hope that the higher the demand, the lower the prices…

So, what else did we actually remember to buy? Well, some wonderful marinated feta, redolent with oregano and some silvery anchovies, again, marinated, with a hint of chilli and the most wonderful texture. It must have been the way they were preserved but they seemed much drier than a lot you can buy and much the better for it. As you can see, there was lots of fragrant lavender too but I am emerging from my lavender phase and so managed to resist.

We started looking around for something more substantial to feed on as the smells wafting around started to get the better of us. There were rows of pretty tarts and pastries, paella, risotto, grilled halloumi and falafels among the stalls.

As always, we passed the lot in favour of heading straight for the oyster bar which was a bit weird, being the middle of summer and all (supposedly), but they were perfectly passable and washed down very nicely with a glass of bubbly.

I was in the market too for some spelt bread but disappointingly couldn’t find any. It seems to be catching on rather too slowly for my liking, I really enjoy the texture and my local bakery (The Blackbird Bakery in East Dulwich) does a great one (available on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s).

As usual, I needed zero persuasion when I spotted the sushi stall. It seems I will never tire of eating it – the cravings are getting out of control. These two gents were making endless California rolls with crab, salmon and a veggie option. Not an extensive selection but good nonetheless. Enough to satisfy a craving which was quite mild really, for a Friday.

They even managed to persuade me to try tofu (again). Oh tofu, how I have tried to like you! I realise that you are oh so good for me and a great source of protein, anti-ageing blah blah blah but you taste of NOTHING. I have tried marinating the tofu but obviously didn’t try hard enough because this was actually really good. To be fair, there wasn’t much tofu involved. It’s that brown thing on the right which is basically rice coated in tofu and then deep fried. It was sweet and delicious. Maybe frying is the answer?

If you haven’t eaten enough by this point you can grab a decadent ice or milkshake from the van on the way home. I also like the sound of the ‘brownie fudge sundae’ – who wouldn’t.

Cost and thronging masses aside, this is a great addition to the London food scene. Anything that encourages people to shop in this way is a major bonus in my book. Buying food direct from producers is something that is much talked about but how practical is it really? Well, imagine a wonderful future where everyone has a local market stuffed to the brim with people who care about what they sell and offer real food, not intensively mass produced at God knows what cost. We all thought the vegetable box was a funny idea at one point didn’t we? It is markets like this that get people interested in food and where it comes from and to me, that is a wonderful thing.

We’re not the only ones who think so of course – the Hairy Bikers were there too…

Covent Garden Night Market is in the West Piazza every Thursday and Friday in August. Open from 4-10pm on Thursdays and 12-9pm Saturdays.

The Real Food Festival was a 4-day food heaven extravaganza. It was better than I hoped it would be. Imagine Borough Market but a whole lot bigger! In fact, a selection of Borough Market producers were there, along with hundreds of others from around the UK. The best thing about our visit was the opportunity to talk to like minded people – people who love good food to the same degree and are willing to talk about it for ages. I found a place where you don’t have to hold back on the food-talk for fear of people getting bored.

The variety and quality of the produce was outstanding and as someone has written on the graffiti board (top photo), ‘I left with my own body weight in food.’ Well, not quite, but we did buy a lot, it was hard to resist. A highlight was definitely the donkey salami, yes – donkey! The seller was so excited when we tried it and liked it that he said, ‘yes! proper human beings!’ Proper human beings eat donkey – now you know. The flavour is strong and it tastes like donkey (bear with me), it’s like you always knew what it would taste like – it tastes a bit like the smell of a donkey but in a nice way.

We also picked up some Atlantic sea lettuce (great for my new adventure with sea vegetables) and some exciting spices. The long peppers (they are catkins) in the left of the photo are apparently like black pepper, you crush them up and they are stronger and more aromatic. We also nabbed some dried limes (add to soups or curries) and a Japanese seasoning called Schichimi Togarashi which contains among other things, chilli, sansho, nori, orange and sesame (here’s where you can get it).

We ate well as we browsed too, samples galore. To settle our rather sensitive stomachs (too much wine), an olive, tomato, vegetable-stuffed bread – like a calzone but shaped like a pizza slice (From DeGustibus). I also could not resist a scotch egg – the best I have ever tasted. The seller (I wish I had the name) said that his wife made them. She is a very talented lady and he is a very lucky man. We also treated ourselves to some oysters, duchy specials. They were gigantic! The lady selling them was lovely too, recommending them as a first class hangover cure. We can reveal that she is correct. In her words, ‘it has the opposite effect than you expect, they completely refresh your mouth.’ I also nabbed a ‘liver cure’ juice – beetroot, apple and lime, just to make sure. The earthy flavour of beetroot was just right.

The garlic relishes and mayo are from The Garlic Farm on The Isle of Wight. We chose a ‘Vampire Relish’, a gift for a friend, a rhubarb-garlic chutney which is totally inspired and some ever-reliable garlic mayo. So, now for the cheeses. We chose a raw goat’s milk cheese which was soft but dense – creamy and really goaty with a peppery finish. As it warmed up on arrival back home, it started to ooze slightly at the bottom which pleased me immensely. The unpasteurised ewe’s milk cheese was strong, nutty and creamy and had a sharpness, a bit like that of a blue cheese. It was fantastic with the rhubarb chutney.

We ate a bit of everything for dinner last night, tonight and most likely tomorrow too. I think some of the best meals are made in this way, lots of bits and bobs all with a story and some good memories behind them.

When I’m walking around Borough Market, I enter this sort of dream-like state. It’s as if I’m floating around, too stunned and excited by what I see to utter even the most basic pleasantries. It was fortunate then, that my most recent visit to Borough was with my oldest and best friend, after our planned visit to the design museum. For that is one of the best things about knowing someone for so long isn’t it? You don’t need to say anything just for the sake of it, you can just get on with enjoying yourself and each others company.

We stopped for paella with chorizo (below) before heading in, which is when I spotted people carrying Borough Market shopping bags. Not plastic bags, but ethical bags* like the ones we are all supposed to be using now, except with Borough Market stamped on the front in bold green. Being the food geek that I am, I had to have one and so we tracked them down, hastily handing over 3 quid each for the pleasure. As I admired my bag I became aware of my friend frantically rummaging and squealing with excitement. Food! There was food inside! A selection of the traders had sacrificed some of their wares by way of advertising and inside we found, organic dry cured bacon, a walnut loaf from DeGustibus, an ‘ultra’ chocolate brownie, a bag of coconut ice from the award winning Burnt Sugar, a Bramley, an orange and finally, a bag of farro.

Now strangely, I’ve never got around to cooking with farro. My first instinct was to use it in an autumnal broth but I wanted something to see Chris and I through the week for lunch and so I came up with this salad instead. I added chickpeas to enhance the nutty flavour of the grain and threw in lots of Mediterranean flavours, along with some radishes for a Turkish twist. Everything then gets a good dousing in a dressing made with Rose Harissa. If you haven’t tried this special harissa, I urge you to do it. Belazu do cute little jars of the stuff. It will set you back about 3 quid, but it’s well worth it. So much more punch than a regular (shop bought) harissa, but then balanced by the delicate perfume of rose petals. The dressing is particularly good if you use the oil that the marinated tomatoes come packed in.

There is something so satisfying about making up a batch of a salad like this; wholegrain goodness mixed with all kinds of delicious morsels – varying textures and flavours with every bite. I must admit I also feel a slight smugness when I pack up those neat little lunchboxes and hand one to Chris with a piece of fruit, flashing my, ‘aren’t I an organised domestic goddess smile’ . In reality, it’s a case of a bit of chopping (very therapeutic), a bit of mixing (couldn’t be easier) and then a lot of chucking everything into the same bowl (an idiot could do it – and it’s healthy!). Minimum effort for maximum reward.

I’ve been writing this post sat on the floor in an empty room, not because I’m masochistic, but because we are moving into a new flat this weekend. All our belongings are in storage and we are kipping in our friends’ living room for the next few days. As a consequence, I don’t expect to have the internet for a few weeks and so no posting for me. I will however, be like a whirling dervish in my new kitchen, so it’s just a case of manically posting here when I return.

Farro Salad with Rose Harissa Dressing

Farro (I used the entire bag you see pictured. The original bag was cooked and eaten too quickly), cooked according to packet instructions. I have used various brands since and found they all take 20 minutes or so.
15 kalamata olives, pitted
10-15 marinated tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped (I used Sainsbury’s ‘sunblush’ tomatoes marinated in oregano and garlic).
A handful each of basil, mint and parsley, roughly chopped (this is just what I had in the fridge but basil and mint are fantastic together I think).
1 standard pack of feta, crumbled
6 spring onions, chopped
1 standard tin of chickpeas packed in water, drained.

For the dressing

Rose harissa (I used Belazu)
Olive oil from the marinated tomatoes – about 4 tablespoons. (if you are using regular olive oil, add a crushed clove of garlic to the dressing).
Juice of ½-1 whole lemon.

- Cook the farro according to packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, chop everything, drain the chickpeas and add all the salad ingredients to a serving bowl.
- Make the dressing by stirring 1 ½ tablespoons of the harissa into the oil followed by a good squeeze of lemon juice.
- Allow the farro to cool slightly before mixing it with the other ingredients. It really makes a difference to add the dressing now while the farro is still warm.

* On the subject of bags, I’m so pleased that we are finally waking up to the fact that carrier bags are so unnecessary. I have been trying (not always successfully) to cut down on them for a couple of years now and it’s a relief that I no longer have to say, ‘no thanks, I don’t use them, we throw away 13 billion a year’ at the checkout. On reflection, I must have sounded like a self-righteous idiot but never mind. The advantage now is that shops are beginning to offer their own (ethical) shopping bags more readily. Forget Anya Hindmarch’s, ‘I’m not a plastic bag’, I’m talking about your local grocers, markets and the like. Of course, its symbiotic – you get a free bag and they get free advertising. Although I do try to avoid the supermarket, sometimes (quite often actually) it just isn’t possible and so I’d rather be carrying my groceries home in my trusty SMBS (health foods shop in East Dulwich) shopper than in a supermarket equivalent – aside from being bad for the environment, I don’t want to do them any favours.

The supermarkets are apparently now required to recycle their bags and as a consequence are making them thinner. I found this out first hand a few weeks back when I found myself with no option but to use a Sainsbury’s carrier. As I was leaving the store, I heard an almighty crack and felt a sharp pain in my foot. When I came to my senses I realised the bag had broken and my bottle of cider had smashed on the floor. As I was waiting for a replacement, I chatted to the lady at the customer services desk, ‘happens all the time now’ she said, ‘several times a week – they’re making them thinner’. Now of course, I can’t vouch for the truth of this, but it all seems a bit silly to me. Let’s get rid of them and be done with it. We’ll all get used to it in the end.

We returned to Borough Market yesterday as promised and picked up some of those mushrooms that had caught our attention last week. We opted for the Buna Shimeji or Brown Beech mushrooms. These were perfect cooked in white wine and cream and eaten with some fat ostrich steaks. The flavour of the meat was rich and earthy and we cooked them rare, just like beef, as the seller suggested. Because the meat is so lean, it can be quite tricky to cut but once in the mouth, it is really tender. Next time though, I think thinner steaks will make for better eating.

We ate it with this fab yellow, round courgette, a little sweeter than the standard variety. The trusty barbecue came out for the steaks and courgette slices, drizzled with olive oil and seasoning and cooked just in time before the first few drops of rain.

Ostrich Steak with Brown Beech Mushroom Sauce and Yellow Courgettes

2 ostrich steaks
An average clump of Buna Shimeji (Brown Beech) mushrooms
Dash double cream
Dash white wine
Small handful thyme leaves
Olive oil
Generous knob butter
1 yellow courgette

- Slice the courgettes, coat with olive oil and seasoning (not too much salt) and grill on the barbecue.
- Cook the ostrich steaks for 2 minutes each side, then rest in a warm place for 6 minutes or so (I keep the oven on low) until the sauce is done.
- For the sauce, saute the mushrooms in the butter and a drop of olive oil for a couple of minutes before adding a healthy splash of white wine and allowing it to reduce nicely.
- Add the thyme and a dash of double cream, remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning.

Yum, yum yum! The sauce was so flavoursome; although not overly strong, the mushrooms had a nice little kick to them. We finished the meal with one of these ‘coconut drops cakes’.

They consisted of chunks of coconut, glued together with a sweet, gingery coating, very, very moreish, although not the kind of thing you can eat all at once.

For lunch this week, we ate some really fresh, hand dived, seared scallops, served with stir fry, bacon bits and bread. The scallops were perfectly cooked and juicy. How cool is Borough Market?! I could go there every week and it would take me a very long time to tire of it. Sadly, my bank balance will not allow this. Borough Market isn’t the cheapest place to shop, but you are paying for the quality of the produce. If more people started shopping in markets and local shops, then obviously the price would go down, although this is a tourist attraction too, which partly contributes to the prices. The crowds don’t seem too bad when you are there however, because it’s just so damn impressive.Next week I’ve promised myself a different farmer’s market, but it won’t be long before I return to Borough.