wholefood kitchen

You’ll never buy commercial hummus again. This is so simple, quick, easy and delicious. A can of Organic Chickpeas, drained and rinsed. 1 clove of Garlic, chopped. A good pinch of sea salt. A tablespoon of Tahini. Hot water. Lemon Juice, Olive Oil. Then your choice of Fresh herbs (Coriander, Basil, Parsley) or maybe Sundried Tomatoes, Cooked Beetroot for flavour and colour. Blitz in a blender, add more Olive Oil, Hot Water, Lemon juice or Sea Salt to taste. Easy as 1, 2, 3.

A delicious lunch prepared by Nat, comprising a Zuchini & Carrot Soup, followed by Homemade Hummus, Cooked Beetroot & Vegetable Salad with Alfalfa Sprouts and Wholegrain Toast, Sunflower & Sesame Seeds.

A hearty Spring dish for a cold day made with a combination of freshly podded Peas, Chinese Cabbage, Potatoes, Garlic, Butter, Sea Salt, Vegetable Stock and chunks of Smoked Ham and Bacon.

The nourishing lunch prepared with Jean Torne during Day Three of Basic Alchemy, the weekend workshop run by Michael Rossoff at the Concord Institute.

A one pot Udon Noodle Broth with vegetables, topped with a Soya pancake and Toasted Nori Roll, served with Blanched Cabbage with a Sesame Oil and Brown Rice Vinegar dressing and Cauliflower Tempeh, Radishes in Ume Vinegar, Sesame Seeds and a Green Chilli Gomasio.

Followed by a Melon Soup dessert, with Melon Balls, Strawberries and Boysenberries. Served with thinly sliced Mint and a pepper garnish.

A hearty lunch prepared with Jean Torne during Day One of Basic Alchemy, the weekend workshop run by Michael Rossoff at the Concord Institute.

A Spring Vegetable Consomme, Millet cooked with Onions, served with a light Mushroom & Onion Sauce, Blanched Carrots and Asparagus Spears, a side plate of Rocket with Tempeh chips with an emulsified Wholegrain Mustard and Balsamic Vinegar dressing.

Followed by a delicious fruit Tart, using Wholemeal Flour, Coconut and Safflower Oil. A Blind baked Pie base, filled with a Apricot and Strawberry puree, and topped with Summer Fruits.

Dinner for 7 at Zach’s, prepared with the able assistance of Yu Ling. Panfried Polenta with Puy Lentil sauce, Blanched Cauliflower in a Tarragon Vinaigrette, Blanched and Sauteed Asparagus with Sesame Seeds. Followed by an Apple & Plum Tart with Cashew Nut and Oatly Custard.

Fresh Rhubarb and ‘textbook’ Cauliflowers on display at last Saturday’s Stoke Newington Market. The Spring produce is starting to make an appearance.

Inspired by a visit to the Stoke Newington Market, I picked up some Minced Organic Beef and some Organic Vegetables to put together a pasta dish, with some Carluccio’s Fettucine.

Sauteed Onions, Leeks, Carrots and minced garlic, with Olive Oil and Sea Salt.

Minced Beef added, together with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Wild Garlic and some Vegetable Stock made with Onion, Carrot, Kombu and Shittake Mushrooms.

The final dish, served with grated parmesan and a side salad of Mixed Greens with a Balsamic dressing, and a Wild Garlic flower garnish.

Juliette’s wonderful recipe for homemade Granola, shown here with Fresh Blueberries and a Hazelnut Milk. This recipe uses a dehydrator, but is worth testing baked in an oven on a low heat. 2C Almonds, 2C Pecans, soak together overnight. 1C Pumpkin Seeds, 1C Sunflower Seeds, soak together overnight. Rinse Nuts & Seeds thoroughly. Blend nuts roughly, then Seeds. Take 3 3/4C Raisins & Dates (soak raisins) Blend together to form a paste. Grate 3 Apples, mix with paste. Combine all ingredients with 1t Celtic Sea Salt, 3T Cinnamon Powder. Place in Dehydrator, or place in Oven on low heat for several hours.

A visit to Growing Communities’ Plant Sale and organic market garden on Sunday 2 May in Springfield Park. New Salad Leaves and Chard springing up, and baby seedlings slowly coming to life under cover in the nursery. A fortuitous meeting with grower Sara Davies and Ed Posey from the Gaia Foundation.