I am just writing this quick post as a response to my food waste at Christmas post from a couple of weeks ago. I popped into my local supermarket yesterday to stock up on lemonade and such and noticed the mountains of food on offer. After investigating food waste over the past month, I found myself more aware of all the bright yellow reduced stickers on boxes of canapes and desserts.
After hoping that customers would bulk buy for the approaching Christma-pocalyse, there was a serious amount leftover! Mothers (including my own!) took advantage of the freezable items, but I am still curious of how much of this will still end up in the bin!
Ready made mash - have locals taken to
making their own this year?
I was shocked to see that supermarkets had
even over estimated the amount of milk
to buy in for the Christmas rush!
So how did everyone do this year? Waste much? Or has everyone been eating turkey sandwiches in front of the Tele for the past three nights? I think we did well this year, with big bags of crisps being about the only major throw out. We have a worrying amount of chocolate in the house though. Part of me wishes they had an early sell by date - because my waist line is going to suffer big time!
Whoops indeed: Even local food from Conwy was on offer.
Couldn't resist this one - meatballs are in the slow cooker as I type!
Spaghetti meatballs for tea!
Don't forget to have a read of these tips to use up your food, whether it's leftover in your fridge or if you succumb to the special offers in supermarkets this week.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly fa la la la la la la la la! Tonight I am going back to my roots with a Christmas Eve baking tradition.
A few posts ago I said that I was going to try out a few of the Hairy Bikers12 Days of Christmas recipes and I have spent the past five days lazing about, becoming once again acquainted with my PJs and making yummy treats.
After delivering the last of our presents to people around the island, Mum and I came back home this evening to bake Lebkuchen.
A German-style biscuit which can be used as decorations as well
My usual Christmas Eve biscuits are gingerbread men which make great gifts. These weren’t far off – just with more of a kick. Rich with seasonal spices and slightly cakey from ground almonds these would definitely be appreciated by Santa with a sherry tonight!
We didn't have festive-shaped cutters so we
added glace cherries for decoration
Other recipes I attempted this week:
Last Wednesday we had our traditional Christmas party with friends and family. My mum cooked a celebratory joint of pork and jacket potatoes. I contributed by assembling Nigella’s festive cous cous and a few of the Biker’s new recipes:
Nigella suggests adding pomegranate seeds to add colour to boring cous cous
Christmas Panna Cotta
I was really really looking forward to making this gelatine delight after watching the Hairy Biker’s excitement in their 12 Days of Christmas programme last Monday. But I don’t think we took it out of the fridge soon enough and the panna cotta was set more like glue than jelly, removing 20 minutes before serving would have softened this up perfectly. However, it was still a great alternative to the stodgy and cakey based puddings favoured at this time of year!
Rum soaked raisins and spices give this Italian pudding a Christmas twist
Roulade with a twist We had no chestnut puree so we edited the recipe slightly and added raspberries and cream flavoured with whisky! Ho ho ho! This was such a success we’re going to make it again for Boxing Day.
A feast of desserts
Cranberry and Lime Vodka Jelly Shots Beware! After an hour or so out of the fridge, they melt a fair bit and become more sloppy. I found this out the hard way! After a few shots and a cup of mulled wine I offered my friend, Grace, a shot. I swung round a little too quickly and this resulted in my other friend, Claire, being splashed by a flying vodka jelly!! (Sorry again Claire! - Sorry that I wasted it, they were so good! Hehehe!)
A couple of festive additions made the party memorable. I made an advent orange as a “prize” for the evening’s entertainment and Mum and I turned the dining room into a grotto with hundreds of lights, candles and glitter on the table. I also made simple place name cards which went down well, along with the traditional crackers and party poppers.
This old fashioned sweet shop sells a selection of fine chocolates and traditional sweets in Llangefni, Anglesey. The purple front of Da da da catches your eye immediately along with their charming seasonal window displays. Stepping inside, you immediately find your inner child through the bright wrappings and the luscious smell. This could easily be the confectionery department within Santa’s workshop!
Da da da on Church Street in Llangefni
Run by the delightful Dilys and David, their shop is crammed full of treats – a feast for the eyes and stomach! The shop is appropriately named because "da da da" means "good sweets" in Welsh. Jarred sweets include Walkers Toffees, Black Jacks, Pineapple Cubes, Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, Kopp Kops and No. 8 Welsh Rock. There is a beautiful selection of glossily wrapped goodies for all and they specialise in locally made, additive free, fair-trade and special diet confectionery.
Angharad's Jam has won two Great Taste Awards this year
Lovingly homemade Christmas cake
Along with jars of sweets lining the wall from floor to ceiling,
packets of handmade sweets clutter the shelves
Available at Da da da:
Angharad’s Jam from Anglesey
-Angharad Holmes has been making preserves her whole life and can now make jam in seven minutes, producing up to 60 jars in a day! A favourite of mine, I received a blackberry jam as a present a few months ago. Whole blackberries sit on your toast, which makes it luxurious!
-£1.10 for a generous and decorative slab of chocolate. Raised sections and engraved flowers make this treat extra special, along with wrappings and a ribbon. A perfect stocking filler.
A decorative and generous bar
The ribbon is a special touch
There is a huge range to choose from including chilli and orange, but I decided to play safe and go for my favourite milk chocolate which was creamy and delicious.
-Pemberton's is a Welsh Chocolate Farm which produces luxury chocolates. They also run tours of the factory from April through to October. Dilys and Dave have a wide selection of Pemberton's in Da da da.
Too good to eat!
Too much choice!
Christmas gifts with a difference:
Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company
- A box of chocolates with a difference. Presented as a pizza in a cardboard pizza box, with a selection of toppings such as marshmallows and jelly beans!
Unusual shaped chocolates
- Da da da has the usual snowmen and Santa shaped chocolate figures, but also handbag and shoe shaped delights! This is something a little different and makes a gift really personal.
A selection of Welsh choccies
- Dilys can gather your choice together in pretty boxes or how about a solid chocolate manger to hold your chocolates? Or a teacup?!?
Dilys working hard to wrap up all my last minute presents
While food waste is at critical levels, Cardiff Council has been praised for its recycling schemes. However, as new treatments for food waste come to light, it is discovered that Cardiff is not yet involved in the more environmentally efficient plans.
Food waste at Christmas
Over the Christmas period a staggering 230,000 tonnes of festive food does not find itself in satisfied bellies across the country, but thrown away. Waste Awareness Wales have calculated that the average family of four throws away £12 worth a food a week and with our shopping trolleys buckling under Christmas pressures, this amount is likely to be much more in the aftermath of the big day.
Food miles
The term food miles has become familiar over the past decade. Today, we are encouraged to think about the carbon emissions harming the environment when transporting our bananas all the way from Ecuador to our kitchen table. However, the next stage of food miles - transport to waste treatment facilities - is hardly on anyone’s radar. In fact, after quizzing Cardiff residents many did not know where their food waste goes after it is collected from their front door.
What happens to our waste food collections?
In Cardiff, if we follow the council’s food waste advice, our unwanted food will be popped into household caddies and collected for recycling. This food waste is then taken to Gloucester to be treated in an IVC facility which turns the waste into compost.
Green kitchen caddies provided by Cardiff
Council to all households in October 2008
and then to flats a year later
In recent years the Welsh Assembly Government’s policy has changed in regards to IVC treatment plants. They are now providing funds for the development of Anaerobic Digestion plants, explains the Welsh Assembly’s Waste Strategy Officer of Infrastructure and Technology, Adrian Jones.
Mr Jones goes on to explain that AD plants are more environmentally friendly. IVC is carbon neutral, whereas Mr Jones states, “AD plants capture all of the escaping and potentially harmful gases and is carbon positive as it uses these gases to replace fossil fuels.”
Cardiff's Carbon Footprint
Areas in Wales are in the process of being banned together to gain a critical mass which would produce the correct amount of waste for the AD plants to treat. However, Cardiff is not currently involved in these plans, along with Monmouth, Wrexham and Anglesey.
Some time ago, Cardiff was interested in building its own IVC facility. Plans for such facilities take years to come together, therefore Cardiff is currently left out of AD plans until it decides otherwise. “They are considering a change towards AD, they probably will, but nothing official as yet” says Mr Jones.
Residents are currently being encouraged to separate their food waste into their green or brown caddies for collection. This food is then transported 40-50 miles away for treatment, which is more convenient for the time being.
What's under your sink?
Returning food to the soil
“All technologies to reduce emissions and recycle are good. The important thing is that it is in the nation’s interest to return organic material to the soil it originated from.” says Peter Segger, a member of the Soil Association Council with over 30 years of experience in organic farming.
After 20 years of encouraging recycling in Europe, 80% of organic waste is still sent to landfills or incinerated. He praises the Welsh Assembly, saying ,“They have good leadership and aims in actually tackling this problem.”
Mr Segger highlights the problem of food miles within food waste transport, insisting that it is ideal to have many small, lower capital plants on lots of different farms, so that the compost comes straight out of the plant and into the original soil. “The emissions involved with transporting food waste, anything between 10-20 miles makes composting, in climate change terms, redundant” he explains.
Food life cycle which would aid in fighting climate change
Waste not, want not!
Mr Segger also agrees with local chef Deri Reed, who says, “It’s important not to waste food in the first place. We can do this by resisting supermarkets’ bulk buy offers as we usually don’t eat it all anyway.”
Deri Reed, The Ethical Chef, with a bag of compostable
material after one day's work in the kitchen
Although Cardiff Council's recycling scheme has generally been well received, some residents have their reservations. There are those who think the bags are unhygienic and they are angry at animals tearing them open, which make a mess on the roads.
“A lot of people don’t bother; it’s a myth that it’s dirty and smelly and will cause rats! It is much better to be segregated rather than in one bag.” exclaims Jenny Sadler, Planning Sustainability Officer at Lamby Way landfill.
Vox pop of Cardiff residents who do not use Cardiff's food waste recycling scheme:
This scene in Rhymney Street is all too familar to many of Cardiff's residents
Citizens are disgusted to see rotting food on their streets
which has escaped their bags due to interference from animals
These kerbside caddys prevent unsightly waste bags
on the side of the road. This trial, with a select number
of Cardiff residents, will last until 31st March 2011 Photograph provided by Cardiff Council
Citizens may think they can do little to change how food waste is treated, but more thought can be put into our eating and recycling habits. Choosing to use up food that would normally be thrown away is one way of helping the environment. Also asking the council to supply more kerbside caddies will show support for the recycling of food waste, which in turn may encourage Cardiff Council to go ahead with the plans for a carbon positive AD plant.
Vox pop of Cardiff residents who do use Cardiff's food waste recycling scheme:
If you have any positive or negative comments on composting or recycling in any county, please feel free to comment. I have also set up a Flickr group where you can upload any photographs of your food waste recycling experiences.
When you notice that your bananas have gone brown or you have made too much for supper last night, don't always chuck it straight into your recycling caddy or on top of the compost heap! There are a few clever tips and recipes out there that can make the most of your food - which in turn helps the environment and your bank balance.
Mushrooms which have browned or peppers which are a bit soft - Peel the mushrooms, chop them up and pop them into a bolognese or risotto, the cooking softens them up anyway!
Sour milk - a friend of mine told me that sour milk makes really good pancakes, I found this sour milk pancake recipe online.
Mushrooms which have gone a bit brown and slimy are not very appetising,
and soft peppers are no good in salads - cook them up in a satisfying bolognese
Use mouldy peaches to create your own liquor and impress your friends:
6 "rotten" peaches
4 pints mild beer
4lbs sugar
Pierce peaches all over with a fork
Place ingredients in a bowl and cover
Stir every day for 30 days
Strain off and bottle
Nigel Slater's Banana Cake Never throw away black bananas again after reading thisrecipe
Nigel Slater had an inspiring episode of Simple Suppers a couple of weeks ago, which did exactly what this post is encouraging and there are a couple of weeks left to watch it on BBC iPlayer.
There's something about visiting markets in the Christmas season that makes me happy and as you can see from my recent and upcoming blog posts, I am visiting a fair few at the moment. The opening of a new farmers' market in Llandaff is therefore very timely, attracting a good amount of interested shoppers in its first two weeks. The market at the moment is a three week trial and here's what I found out when I visited in week two...
Friday afternoons have seen a steady business so far at Llandaff
Olives dressed with different oils, herbs and spices
Dressed in hats, scarfs and gloves in this crisp winter weather, browsing for original presents, lusting over festive food and warming yourself up with a well deserved cup of mulled wine. To repeat what Steve Garrett, Director of Riverside Community Market Association (RCMA), said to me a few months ago - it's not just about your weekly shop, it's the rich experience that goes with it.
Just what you've earned after completing your shopping!
I had never travelled to this area of Cardiff before and from Roath it should have taken me 15/20 mins by car, but my SatNav failed me and I got very lost ending up in Fairwater. I finally arrived and saw many familiar faces and friendly traders who were braving the cold to sell their goods. It didn't seem very busy to me, but the first trader I spoke to, Andrew Shakespeare from Caerphilly Preserves, was very enthusiastic. He said, "There's a good foodie community in Llandaff North. They are people who expect to have good quality and have the money to pay for it."
The market had a wide open space and some of the stalls on either end looked a little lonely. There was also no where to sit down and enjoy any purchases. But these are all things that can be adjusted as the market continues. Tom from The Parsnip Ship, told me I was a little early, being there just after it opened at around 3pm. He explained, "It gets busier later on - when the sun goes down." I can imagine it being quite festive once it gets dark, making it different from Riveside and Roath markets which are open in the mornings.
Celia Thomas, from Penrhiw Farm, sells organic beef and lamb and she happily explained how she was reaching out to new customers. "I've had people come back for a second week saying how much they liked the meat and buying some more" she said. Celia also described how great the market's location was in the car park of the Railway Inn. It has a captive audience because it gets attention from parents picking up children from school around 3pm and then later with commuters making their way home from work at about 5pm.
Last week was apparently very busy, but was brought to a sudden end because of the snow. Linda Parfitt from Rhyd y Pwllau Farm exhibits poultry and sells their eggs at the market. She described how the snow had disrupted trade at the last Rhiwbina Farmers' Market as well.
You don't get unusual shapes and colours at your local supermarket.
Six eggs for £1
But all the traders are crossing their gloved fingers for success so that the market can continue in the New Year. The last trial market in Llandaff is next Friday 3pm - 6.30pm and it will be reviewed before hopefully continuing on a regular basis.
Slideshow: What to expect at Llandaff Farmers' Market?
This morning Roath Farmers' Market was bustling with Christmas spirit. A portable cabin was set up, selling with logs, trees, wreaths and mistletoe, and live Christmas music was blaring across the stalls.
If you missed out, Christmas trees will be available at both Roath and Riverside Farmers' Markets this weekend.
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...
The Holly and the Ivy...
I warmed myself up with a lovely cafe latte from the Caffeine Kid for £1.80 and a veggie Indian breakfast for only £3.75! Who said these markets were expensive? This meal was really filling and this trader uses local ingredients.
Yummy veggie breakfast, with potatoes, bhajis, curry and mint sauce
I had some work to do at the market this morning; asking the shoppers questions for a feature I am writing later this week. I must say walking up to strangers in farmers' markets is lovely because everyone is so friendly, however after buying some mistletoe to cheer up my flat, I did start getting strange looks off wives as I approached couples asking them if I could ask them a few questions. Ooops! Wrong idea!
In the New Year the Ethical Chef is heading to Roath Market on Saturday mornings with veggie friendly goodness in the form of a Saturday Soup Stand. It looks like he stepped up to Back To The Roots' earlier challenge of making local food cheaper as he is now "offering Cardiff local and healthy food at affordable prices."
As well as soups to warm you up at the market, he is offering useful ready to freeze portions and "grab bags" with everything you need to make it yourself. There will also be a container scheme and an option to volunteer if you still can't afford the small £1.50 charge!
Soups bubbling away at Deri's stall at Riverside on Sunday mornings
He is also hoping to attract the masses of students who reside in the Roath area with a further reduced price when they present an NUS card
Until then get yourself down to Riverside Market for a taster or be ahead of the game and try his parsnip or smoked pumpkin soup yourself at home.
Smoked pumpkin soup to warm you up on a cold winter's day
Last Friday afternoon saw the launch of Llandaff Famers' Market. This was the first of a three week trial organised by Riverside Community Market Association. The next two will be from 3pm on the 10th and 17th of December in the The Railway pub car park - have a look at the map in the sidebar if you're not sure where that is.
Good luck to everyone there and I hope to visit soon!
It is so exciting to see so many local foodie events going on in South Wales at the moment, it's hard to keep up - and it's my hobby! Also check out Caerphilly's Medieval Fayre this coming Saturday and Sunday, with entertainment and over 150 stalls which include crafts, gifts, continental and local food.
Puppeteers at last year's Medieval Fayre
10,000 people flocked to last year's event
Food and gifts available from the 150 stalls lining the castle walls
I volunteered to spend a Saturday afternoon in the Ethical Chef's kitchen, hoping to get a better idea for the food, business and passion Deri puts into his food before selling it at the market.
Queueing for an order of bread, I'm amazed to see
this hidden treasure
- a real bakery in the heart of Roath!
My day started off by picking up ten loaves of organic bread from a bakery down the road from me. Allen's Bakery on Arran Place, could this be the "secret bakery" a friend and I had heard of but never been able to find? Oh yes it was, finally!
I couldn't believe this national treasure hidden away in a back alley off Arran Place. I awed at the traditional, jet-black ovens and the narrow entrance way, where there was a constant queue of people eager to buy their bread and patisseries.
Ten organic loaves = £11.50
Pan au chocolat AND a mince pie =80p!
MADNESS!!!! But proof that local is cheaper.
After that little adventure I drove down to Deri Reed's temporary kitchen in Riverside.
I adorned the glamorous kitchen uniform: a big apron and a hair band (very important, but not fringe friendly!) and got washing, peeling and chopping a big bag of carrots, while Deri finished off his heavenly-smelling red wine gravy. Oh my, it was going to be difficult to stop myself from eating all the produce!
Karen and Deri in the kitchen
While the veg was roasting Deri started to layer the sage infused pumpkin and roast cashew loaf (video to be added at a later date), while I made the vegan stuffing. Firstly working on my chopping skills, I was confronted by a knife so large it looked like it had just stepped out of a horror film. I was finally taught how to chop properly by a real chef - much less likely to lose fingers now! Onions, breadcrumbs, sage, chestnuts and oil went into the stuffing and it was my pride and joy. I can't brag about it that much, it was so simple; chop up very finely and mix together! But it was really delicious and delicate.
While in the kitchen I also got to meet Karen, who is an experienced baker. She began on the mince pies, delicately rolling out the pastry and dusting with cinnamon. The extra deep pies were filled with mincemeat, then her slim fingers expertly cut out extra pastry in shapes of holly leaves to decorate the top.
The Ethical Chef's mincemeat: number two hit on google!
I had never seen cooking on such a super size scale before and it was really interesting watching all the different sections of the menu come together seamlessly. Deri is constantly bouncing around in his kitchen. He has so much energy and is always on the go. Immediately after finishing in the kitchen, his car is being packed for one of several journeys to Riverside Farmers' Market the next morning. That morning he is up at 4am making Christmas puddings and off to the market for a long and chilly day of selling his Christmas meals. All of which were sold. (Note: I've been told that all the customers chose my vegan stuffing over the vegetarian option!)
It makes me exhausted just listening to his regular day, never mind doing it! Although his hard work definitely pays off, Karen said that he has achieved more in two months than many can in six. One of this month's great successes was to discover that his veggie mincemeat cropped up to the second hit on google, above BBC and Delia Smith. After having a sneaky taster, I think it definitely deserves this spot - sweet, moist and not to rich - easily eaten straight out of the tub it's stored in. "Nom" is all I have to say. This, I have to try out very soon.
There will be more opportunities for volunteering with The Ethical Chef in the New Year as he launches his Roath Market Soup Stand. In return for volunteering in various ways, Deri is offering a week's supply of soup and a voucher to use on his stall.
