No. 74 - February 2009
Welcome to the first Recipes4us Newsletter of 2009 which I'm sending a little early to remind you about a couple of food celebration days which occur right at the beginning of the month.
As usual, if you have any suggestions, additions or interesting questions for the newsletter, please write to me at Newsletter@Recipes4us.co.uk . Also, if you come across any publications mentioning Recipes4us.co.uk, don't forget to let me know.
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Happy Cooking !
Florence Sandeman, Publisher
Sunday 1st FebruaryBritish Yorkshire Pudding Day
Source: www.fitday.com
I've also done a price comparison below of ready made frozen Yorkshires vs home made. Even more reason to make your own. |
This Month What's in Season in
Click here to see what's in season this month, how to cook it and to find a UK Farmers' Market near you. _______________________
February Weekday Menus
Click the picture to find this month's weekday menus to help you plan your meals and shopping weeks ahead. Each weekday has a main course, suggested vegetable accompaniments plus a dessert which have been planned to supply you with a balanced diet.. It's also been designed so that you can interchange one day's menu with another in the same grouping.
Most of the main courses are ready to serve in less than 40 minutes - great for working people. ___________________________ |
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Per 12 individual popovers- prices taken from www.mysupermarket on 15.1.09
For sage and other alternatively flavoured Yorkshire pudding recipes click here and make your British Yorkshire Pudding day special.
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Tuesday 3rd February National Carrot Day
Did you know that the original carrots eaten were white, purple or red?
Carrots are also said to have been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, and even the wild carrot, despite being no better than a weed, bears a royal name – Queen Anne’s Lace.
Maybe it should be Royal Carrot day, but if their royal connections don’t impress you, perhaps the following will.
Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene which is linked with reducing the risk of heart disease as well as being beneficial to the eyes. They are also a good source of fibre, potassium and Vitamin C and contain phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, and calcium. If that's not enough, for most of us they are cheap and available most of the year.
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Updated |
14th February is Valentine's Day |
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Culinary Videos
Click the picture to find the latest additions including the first of Phil Vickery's new Pudcasts and, of course, the latest Recipes4us productions
Food in Film
Click the film to see the next in the series.
Food and Health
Click the picture to find the latest addition to the Food & Health section |
Don't forget to visit our Valentines Day page for information about its history, a list of love foods, tips on what to feed your loved one, recipes and menu suggestions. Here's an example of one of the menus featured
(vegetarian) Steamed asparagus with melted butter Great to feed to each other and needs little prep * * * * * Parsley Lemon and Pine Nut Linguine The carbohydrates in the pasta are an excellent source of slow released energy * * * * * Champagne Fruit Salad Pasta can be filling so finish with this light dessert which can be prepared ahead of time
Make everyday recipes extra special using our specially selected Valentine cookware
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Have things mushroomed out of control?
The
group of dieters swapped meat for mushrooms in various recipes
such as:-
You can find all of the above recipes plus more details about the eating plan and its philosophy at www.mushroom-uk.com, but just to whet your appetite, below are a couple of them. If you want to know more about mushrooms including nutritional values visit our Mushroom Analysis page and for preparation and cooking details see our Preparing & Cooking Fresh Mushrooms page.
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Here's my very latest video which isn't due for general release until 2nd February so, as a subscriber, you will be one of the first to see it. It's perfect for Pancake day on 24th February....or any day. For the full sized video plus the written recipe click here. |
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How will organic food hold up in the recession?
Market analysis have expressed concern that demand for organic food will shrink in the tight economic situation, as consumers become less willing to part with a premium. > > > > More External Link |
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Recipe of the Month Apple and Ginger Pancakes Here's a lovely recipe which combines Bramley Apple Week with pancake day
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The Kitchen Garden |
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Buy all your vegetable and herb seeds online here
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Last year I set myself the challenge of growing two items which I had never grown before - a challenge which I have to admit, I didn't do very well with.
This year, I'm going to do more of an experiment, rather than a challenge.
The practice of sowing seeds according to the phases of the moon began with the Aztecs and through the ages, many farmers have adhered to lunar planting.
Currently there is no scientific or horticultural evidence that this is true, but some still believe that plants respond to the same gravitational pull of tides that affect the oceans, which alternately stimulates root and leaf growth.
So, I'm going to give it a go. I'll be using one large trough container (about 12"x4' ) outdoors and I'll plant half the trough according to the moon phases and half at a time when I see fit.
I'll probably use a "cut and come again" leaf lettuce for the experiment, as it is usually easy to germinate, relatively fast growing and crops over a long period of time.
As with last year, I'll be posting monthly results and pictures so you can see if there's anything it and hopefully the weather will be good enough to sow seeds in March so I can start reporting the results in April's newsletter.
I'll let you know which seed I will be using in the March newsletter...haven't quite decided yet. |
February in the Kitchen Garden
By now you should have ordered all your veggie seeds, but even if you haven't, they will be appearing in garden centres and stores very soon and you still have time to order them online.
If you're thinking about growing potatoes you should buy "seed" potatoes now. These are just small potatoes which have been certified as virus free. When you've got them, set them with the rose "eyes" uppermost in a light frost-free place. They will begin to sprout in about 6 weeks.
You can start sowing the seed of Aubergines and peppers, including chillies, in late February indoors in small pots 7.5cm/3" diameter filled with compost.. Peppers in particular require a relatively long growing season so to avoid disappointing crops it's a good idea to start them off indoors before acclimatising them to outside conditions.
Hold off sowing outdoor seed until the end of February and even then, sow with caution as cold soil conditions hamper germination. Unless the weather has been very clement, it's best to wait until March.
For detailed growing instructions visit our growing herbs and vegetables section |
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Whether you're looking for everyday, exotic or unusual food and drink, visit
UKFoodOnline.co.uk Food shopping has never been easier !
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Next Newsletter due out 1st week in March - to unsubscribe click here
Orange carrots as we know them, were only bred in the
1500s by Dutch scientists and although the main purpose was to
create a sweeter more palatable root, the new variety was
adopted as the national vegetable and the emblem of the Dutch
Royal House of Orange. 
Apparently,
by simply swapping meat for
mushrooms in just four meals a week as part of a healthy
balanced diet, 10 volunteers in a north London (UK) diet study
group managed to lose an average 12.71 pounds over five weeks.
Food in the News . . .
