Lacto-fermented Roasted Beetroot

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I stumbled on this recipe many years ago whilst devouring the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. The book emphasises eating a traditional nutrient dense diet in much the same way as our fore-fathers had done, eating simple foods, as close to nature as possible and without lengthy ingredient lists. The premise is that if your grandmother doesn’t recognise the ingredients as food don’t eat it. Even so called “healthy food” can be overly processed and messed about with. This was one of the first recipes I tried and soon became a favourite. I always like having a jar of it in my fridge as it’s a quick and easy recipe that takes only three days from start to finish and with all the probiotic benefits that fermentation offers.

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Lemon Kefir Cake

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I was very honoured and excited this month to be asked to be a guest recipe contributor to The Marshwood Vale Magazine. I chose to include this recipe because it’s deliciously light and fragrant, it’s also super easy to make, and a great one to have on hand if you have gluten intolerant guests or family visiting. Read More

The thin and the thick of it. Making your kefir thick

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From the day I met my first kefir culture I have been in love. I’ll be honest it was a mothering instinct and a strong desire to nurture that first captured my heart, but as the grains built in strength and reproduced in quantity and I introduced it into my diet I began to feel the immense benefits to my health and I have never looked back. Read More

Homegrown Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

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There is a very old apple tree in my garden, the last of an ancient orchard that was never replanted. When we bought the house we were told that it hadn’t produced any fruit for years but that despite this it gave a splendid show of blossom in the Spring. Our first winter arrived and with it came a freezing blizzard which blew in and settled it’s heavy icy snow crystals on all the trees. Many of them were felled that cold night by the sheer weight of the ice on their boughs. Our old apple tree lost two branches and I thought it would never recover. The next Spring true to form it flowered the most beautiful blossom, but when Autumn came around no apples appeared. As an experiment I planted two apple trees nearby hoping that when they flowered they would cross pollinate and give the tree some new life. To my amazement my plan worked and now several years later my tree is laden with juicy red apples. Read More

Weekday Tarka Dal

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Sometimes I dream of a soft buttery comforting dal, and I remember how many years ago, when my first daughter Lily was born, we moved to a part of London far away from where I had grown up. This was mostly to do with the fact that as young parents it was an area of London where we could afford to buy our first home. Back then it was the ghetto, now it is a very cool and fashionable area!

I found myself alone with a young baby in a strange part of town where I didn’t know anyone. None of my friends had even thought about settling down let alone starting a family. To keep myself busy I would go for long walks pushing the pram hoping to escape the grey and dirty streets of East London. One day I found myself in Ridly Road Market in Dalston, and it was in complete contrast. This was a vibrant and eclectic multi-cultural community selling traditional and exotic fruits and vegetables on old fashioned barrows. I would lose myself for hours wondering around in a visual and sensual rapture inhaling the smells of fresh warm bagels and spices. Read More

Making Kefir and a Blueberry Smoothie

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Spring is in the air, the English countryside in East Devon is humming with bird song, the trees are suddenly bright with with electric green leaves unfurling from their sleepy brown branches. Blossom from the apple tree is fluttering down like flowery snow covering the ground like a carpet of petals, making everything feel brand new and fresh. There is nothing which connects me more to the here and now and with such gratitude than when England throws off her winter cloak and blesses us with a sunny day. Read More

Spring Green Kimchi

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Kimchi  is  a traditional Korean dish made from whatever vegetables are in season with the addition of salt and spices and then fermented. It is so popular in Korea that it is eaten with almost every meal and is very much a part of their cultural and national identity.

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It took me a while to convince my husband that kimchi was going to be the new and healthy  addition to our meals. His meal in particular, because unlike me, he has a passion for chilli jam and Jamaican hot sauce. He was quite skeptical at the thought of something new taking the place of these much loved condiments. He has since become a kimchi convert, which makes me happy, knowing that he is eating something not only extremely tasty but with enormous healing potential to boot.

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Dill sauerkraut 

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This a very simple and easy sauerkraut to make which doesn’t need any fancy equipment, it can be made in a large kilner type jar and with just a sharp knife and a cutting board. There are also only 3 ingredients, cabbage, salt and dill. Even if you omit the dill it will still be delicious. The addition of dill though gives the finished result a wonderfully clean and fresh taste which I love.

First of all do not be afraid! When I first got interested in the idea of fermenting I was quite nervous, making sauerkraut went against everything that that we are taught about health and safety. The thought of food being left on our kitchen counters for days on end at room temperature was very scary. As long as certain procedures are followed there is nothing to be afraid of. Make sure everything you use is clean. Wash hands, utensils and your jar. Straight out of the dishwasher is good. The salt to cabbage ratio is also important, 3tbs of salt to 5lbs of cabbage. You can halve this amount if you want less. Also the most important thing of all is that your cabbage stays submerged beneath the brine. Use the freshest cabbages, preferably organic. Also remember that preserving vegetables in this way has been practiced for thousands of years. Read More

Nightshades and healing psoriasis

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Nightshades are a family of plants which include tomatoes, white potatoes, aubergine, peppers (all except black pepper), tobacco, goji berries and paprika. They go by the scientific name of solanaceae and includes over 2,800 plants, shrubs and trees. They all share in common alkaloids that are naturally occurring pesticides. These are thought to protect the plants from insects and viruses. It is these compounds which can cause an inflammatory response in the body, especially those who suffer from arthritis, chronic pain or psoriasis. When I first saw the list I couldn’t believe it, my favourite go to meal had always been a baked potato topped with ratatouille and melted cheese, I have often read that you are addicted to your poison, and this was never truer than in my case! Read More

Fermenting day at Trill Farm

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Trill Farm lies nestled in a sheltered valley, surrounded by rolling hills and woodlands  just up the road from me in East Devon. It is a 300 acre mixed organic farm which the owner Romy Fraser runs as an education centre and hosts a community of small businesses complementing each other and making use of the amazing resources the land has to offer.

I’ve done a few courses here over the past few years and have always come away feeling both inspired and grateful.  When the opportunity came to do a day course on preserves and fermenting with the new chef in residence Chris Onions I leapt at it.

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