Khan’s Bargain Ltd. is my favourite shop in Peckham. It’s hard to know where to start with telling you about it but I think Khan puts it rather nicely with the hilarious tag line ‘walk in and see the variety’. This is not a joke. There’s a lot of stuff in that shop, much of it in random order and some of it, well…put it this way, I didn’t even have the nerve to set foot in the back aisles until my fourth or fifth visit.

The front of shop is stacked pretty much like any on Rye Lane; you’ll find the usual out of season pumpkin and tomatoes, plenty of sugar cane and of course yams, yams and more yams. What Khan’s does best though is monstrous bunches of herbs; mild Turkish peppers; melons; chillies; citrus fruits; curry leaves and those little cucumbers which are great for making Sichuan cucumber salads and the Ottolenghi recipe at the end of this post. You’ll also find packages of garlic, onions and ginger for 50p a pop. A bargain even if the onions do always contain, without fail, one rotten specimen.

Once you’ve selected your vegetables, I do think this is the best vantage point for appreciating what is undoubtedly the largest amount of strip lighting I’ve seen in one room outside of a Dan Flavin exhibition. Not quite the same skilled arrangement but much more on the comedy value side of things. The photo above shows the tip of the iceberg.

Once inside you’ll find that if Khan’s sells something, you can bet your bitter melon they sell a fair few different types of it and this is what makes me giggle. Pickles for example, take up an entire side of one aisle, including part of the floor. As a pickle enthusiast, I’m in heaven. Pickled garlic, cucumbers, limes, mushrooms and even tomatoes come in giant-friendly tubs. The garlic I see myself eating; the unidentifiable rainbow chippings described as ‘classic vegetable medley’ not so much.

The beany/grainy/flour section is nothing less than overwhelming. Lentils, pulses and grains in their whole and pounded form stacked before you like some kind of dusty desert coloured monster from The Mummy. Cow peas; moth beans; gungo peas; soya beans; red mullet beans; Nigerian brown beans; hominy grits; yam flour; bean flour and ground rice, which is even available in 10kg bags.

The spice selection (find them in the ‘luggage and pet food aisle’) has never let me down. Dried limes, Irish moss, dried round chillies and sugar coated fennel seeds. Need a 1.5kg bag of cassia bark? Khan’s have got one, I’ve seen it.

I think you’re starting to get the idea – Khan’s takes a comprehensive approach to stocking an item. One type of Bombay Mix is enough? Never – let’s have ten. One brand of palm oil? One blend of jerk seasoning? One type of er, plastic animal? No, no, no.

But I’m touching on the brilliant madness of the place before I’ve finished telling you about the stuff you might actually want to buy. There’s a rather useful cookery section where I recently bought a tava, which turned out some decent chapattis and will be turning out some parathas later this week. Four quid – bargain. There’s a dried fruit and nut section which I frequent (along with Persepolis) to buy those chewy little Iranian dried figs that are so addictive, plus dried coconut halves and date syrup. From the canned section I buy fairly normal stuff like tahini and coconut milk but always flirt with the idea of the hugely tempting ‘strained foul’ which I’ve been informed by many on Twitter is strained broad beans and a popular Middle Eastern breakfast dish. I’m not sure this canned version is a good place to start…although at 69p – bargain.

The further you go towards the back of the shop, the further things descend into chaos. The ‘party aisle’ for example, is filled with socks. Random strings of tinsel dangle bunches of fake flowers from the ceiling; a corner section is given over to rugs; stock is strewn all over the floor as they constantly rearrange and refill.

For a while, I did wonder if venturing ‘out back’ would lead me to a gateway into some sort of Peckham Narnia; a strange, magical land where Khan is King and drives his chariot of variety down a great river of yams. I was rather disappointed to find just a selection (a large one, naturally) of brushes, plastic laundry baskets and a tower of Super Malt, which appears to be holding up part of the ceiling.

I love Khan’s for many reasons; one is that I can usually track down hard to find ingredients – particularly pulses and spices – another is that everything is really cheap. The food police will be onto me soon I expect; most of the produce has air miles – I know this – but at least I’m supporting a local business.

What I really love about the place though is the way it brings a smile to my face so often. It has a ramshackle charm and a strange serenity about it, which I suspect comes from a kind of strip-light induced stupor. From the bustling front claiming its territory on Rye Lane to the shambles out back it is always, to me at least (and perhaps only to me), fascinating and utterly charming.

Ottolenghi’s Cucumber and Poppy Seed Salad (from ‘Ottolenghi, The Cookbook’)

6 small, Middle Eastern cucumbers (about 500g)
2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced
60ml white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
125ml sunflower oil
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons caster sugar
salt and pepper

Trim the ends off the cucumbers and slice them at an angle into 1cm thick pieces that are 3-4 cms long. Then you just mix everything together, massaging the flavours into the cukes. Adjust the amounts of sugar and salt to your taste. Ottolenghi says this should be sharp and sweet, “almost like a pickle.”

Earlier this week, The Kitchen at Parson’s Green was brave enough to fling open it’s doors to some friends of Trusted Places. Among our group – Su-lin, Chris, Bron, Lizzie, Alexthepink, terryturbojr, Lea, Lolly, Melanie, Tom and Niamheen. The idea behind the place is this; you choose some dishes online before you arrive, they get all the prep ready, you turn up and follow the instructions to assemble your meals which you then take home and finish cooking. Michelin starred chef Thierry Laborde came up with the recipes, which all take around 15 minutes or under to cook once at home.

We were welcomed with a glass of vino and all found our places around the long workbench, marvelling at how methodically everything was set up. All the prep for each dish is in front of you on a big tray, you simply follow the recipe to assemble everything, pack it in a tray and seal it ready to toddle off home with. I noticed people peeking into my bag on the tube with very envious eyes! Perhaps it was the veal saltimbocca with green beans and sicilian lemons (yum) one of my four chosen dishes. The others included salmon teriyaki with bok choy and shitake mushrooms, puy lentils and split pea dahl samosas with a creme fraiche dip and organic salmon and smoked haddock fishcakes with homemade ketchup. Not bad eh?

Apart from the food being mighty tasty, we had a really good laugh around that table, messing around with food and trying our hardest not to eat the ingredients.

Here’s a couple of the cooked dishes. I was really glad to see instructions for oven-baking the samosas – I’m not a deep-frying kind of gal – makes me feel ill just thinking about it actually. I made sure they were properly doused in melted butter before bringing them home so they crisped up beautifully, shame I had to share it (of course you can have some honey..). As usual, we both burnt our tongues because we couldn’t wait…

The teriyaki salmon was also delicious, beautifully caramelised and glazed with sticky marinade. I burnt my tongue on that too.

OK, so us food bloggers are not really the target market, we all make a lot of time for cooking and to us, the process is just as important as the finished product but, if you lead a hectic lifestyle and you’re not interested in/no good at/can’t find time for cooking but you want great grub at home, it could just be for you. And if all that assembly seems like a bit too much effort you can arrange to pick up the meals ready to go, just take ‘em home and cook ‘em. You won’t find a ready meal like that down your local Tesco…

The Kitchen at Parson’s Green
275 New King’s Road
Parson’s Green
London
SW6 4RD
0207 736 8067

So here is another review that is a long, long time overdue. I have been cooking from Sally Butcher’s book, Persia in Peckham (Sunday Times cookbook of the year) for over a year now and it remains one of my favourites. For those of you not familiar, the book contains not only some incredibly exciting recipes, but is also jam packed full of passion – for the food of Iran and its culture but also for the community in which Sally and her husband live, Peckham. She brilliantly conveys the message that, although Peckham gets a rough deal in some respects, it is still one of the most vibrant and buzzing communities in London – and I agree. After all, it is practically my manor – being just a short walk away.

I’m not the only one who is a massive fan of Sally’s recipes. Sam and Sam Clark of Moro fame are firm friends and fans. The first time I wrote about Persia in Peckham (a recipe for Persepolitan roast chicken), I also wrote about Moro East, completely unaware that the respective authors knew each other. Tuned in to some cosmic food energy maybe? My reason for visiting Persepolis on this occasion was for the final ingredient in a recipe I have been working on for years and one that I have finally, finally perfected. What is it? Well you will have to wait until next week to find out. I am going to bask in my own private glory until then. Of course, they had the ingredient. It was like slotting the final piece into a jigsaw puzzle and for that I am eternally grateful.

The shop, Persepolis, is exactly the same as the book in that it is like opening the door on an Aladdin’s cave. On entering, you are greeted with bright colours, floor to ceiling excitement, exotic ingredients crammed into every nook and cranny. Intoxicating smells waft across from the huge selection of sweets and baklava in the window display.

I spied these smoked sturgeon minding their own business in a quiet corner. The shopkeeper (Sally’s husband? sorry I forgot to ask your name amidst my excitement! Edit: Sally has since informed me that his name is Jamie/Jamshid), explained that this Iranian delicacy is traditionally eaten at New Year, fried or steamed and served with herbed rice (usually dill). Apparently it is delicious but is incredibly salty, so you therefore only need a very small piece.

I walked around the shop, frantically scribbling on a scrappy piece of paper, just to make sure I didn’t forget anything.The shelves are absolutely jam packed with all manner of spices, herbs and exciting jars of undiscovered foodstuffs.

There are dried fruits, including sour cherries (SO delicious), sour orange peel, figs, limes and seeds, including roasted and salted and black melon seeds, which I shall be rushing back to get my grubby little mitts on (visiting the day before pay day, perhaps not the best idea….).

I also want to stock up on some of the exotic teas, along with dried flowers – chamomile flowers, rose buds and ‘green flowers’.Time to start working out what to do with them!

You can also buy all manner of legumes, lentils, dried herbs (sabzi) and mixes for falafels, pasta for ash-e-reshteh (a kind of soup) and reshteh polo (Iranian noodles).

All ingredients are offered up with a good dash of humour. This is exactly the kind of thing I love about shopping in small independent shops, the personal touch. You wouldn’t get that in Tesco now would you?

Food isn’t the only reason to visit Persepolis though, you can find tagines, rugs, hookahs, tea sets, books, ‘I love Peckham’ stickers, shoppers, t-shirts and even greeting cards. Yes, greetings cards, specially commissioned with a unique Peckham stamp.

This is what makes Persepolis special, not only do the owners keep their shelves stocked with the most dizzying array of ingredients, they are a true local shop. Sally is a passionate and active member of the Peckham community, hosting story-telling evenings, promoting local events and artists and even producing a newsletter to keep us up to date on the whole lot. Yes, Peckham has its problems but Sally does what many others don’t and that is highlight the positives. The community is a proud, diverse and vibrant one and Persepolis is right at the heart of it.

Persepolis
28-30 Peckham High Street
London
SE15 5DT
0207 639 8007
Persepolis is open from 10.35am – 9.59pm (yes really) – 7 days a week.

(Photo by Chris Osburn for the Qype UK Flickr set)

OK, so I realised I don’t know much about cheese (apart from what I like) but hey, I’m more willing than ever to learn. Yesterday evening, I was invited to a cheese tasting at La Cave à Fromage by the lovely people at Qype. Among my fellow diners were Rob and Urbanite from Qype, Chris Osburn from Londonist, Lea from Unchained, Timinator (who is lactose intolerant – that’s dedication), John from GCap Media and the lovely Krista from Londonelicious (who even did a bit of live blogging!).

On arrival, we were each presented with a slate, upon which the La Cave people had lovingly placed wedges of different types of – you guessed it – cheese – and some fig paste. I can’t remember the names of all the cheeses (bad blogger, slaps on wrist..) but I can remember a little. The first (top right) is a brie, good and ripe, followed by a hard, ewe’s milk cheese called ‘Lord of the Hundreds’  with a long finish – the gift that kept on giving. I thought I could taste a slight nuttiness too. Our host and shop owner Amnon told us how the sensation of crystals (often mistaken for salt) in hard cheeses is actually the reaction of enzymes in your mouth – who knew?

The name of the third cheese I’m afraid I can’t remember but it was another hard variety, followed by a creamy, tangy blue and an oozing Epoisses. Finally, we tried a goat cheese, which was quite unlike any other I have tried – like a little fluffy cloud in texture and extremely peppery in flavour. Amnon suggested we taste the cheeses alone first, then take a sip of red or white wine and note how a completely new flavour is formed.

While we’re on the subject of drinks, I think I can confidently say we were all surprised when Amnon produced an “alcoholic drink” made from whey – yep, a tipple made from the by-product of cheese-making. Waste not want not that’s what I say. It was 12.9% abv if I remember rightly but it tasted far stronger. I thought it tasted a bit like sherry while Krista thought it tasted like port so you’re on your own with this one. Anyone out there tried it?

The staff were so passionate about the cheese and it was so, so good that I really felt embarrassed about some of the supermarket offerings that have previously passed my lips. Everything in the shop is carefully designed too – no counters or glass barriers, so the customer can really get up close and personal. It makes perfect sense – how are you supposed to feel when everything is behind a glass case? Say no to obstacles between you and your cheese.

I have to say, I am more than a little envious of South Ken residents at this point. They have the most fantastic selection of cheeses at their fingertips, delivered with a serious dollop of passion. Sorry, did someone say delivery? Because they do that too, of course.You can enjoy your own tasting at La Cave or just pick up greedy amounts of fromage to take home along with some cured meats, bread, wine and a warm fuzzy feeling..

La Cave à Fromage
24-25 Cromwell Place
Kensington
London
SW7 2LD
T. 0845 10 88 222