Hello!

I’m delighted to write to you from my kitchen table here in London.

(And yes - before you ask - all the photos here and on my website are taken by me on this very same kitchen table!).

My aim with this newsletter is to bring a little joy into your life in these very strange times. Do let me know if I’m succeeding, and if there’s anything in particular you’d like me to cover in the months ahead.

First... Judith has written in with a question.  ‘My biggest challenge,’ she writes, ‘is finding a plant based milk to replace skimmed dairy milk in my tea! I drink black coffee but do not enjoy tea without milk. Have you any suggestions?’

Well, I use a sweetened soya milk in my tea. I like my tea quite strong and I find the soya milk is just the right consistency to complement a cup of ‘builder’s tea.’ However, when I have a tea such as Darjeeling or Earl Grey, I quite enjoy a smaller amount of oat or almond milk – both of which are delicate and go well with the lighter teas.

Do ask me a question... and I'll be more than happy to answer in thr next newsletter.

I realized the other week that I have lived in Britain for four decades! No one is more surprised by that than me; but I haven’t been in London all that time. In fact, I took nearly ten years out to run a smallholding in the remote English countryside. That experience taught me a lot about growing food and preparing it… right from scratch.

Moving to London, I brought some of those rural skills with me to create what I call an ‘urban homestead.’ Living bang in the middle of a big city means that you are mostly dependent on other people to grow your food. Even so, there’s a lot you can do to make sure you’re getting high-quality vegan foods that give proper nutrition.

Farmers’ markets are a life-saver in many ways, and we’re fortunate to have a good one in our neighbourhood every Sunday. Much of the food is organic; all of it is very fresh. It’s also cheaper than the supermarket equivalent – I know that might be a controversial thing to say, but I’ve costed it out. Plus, I’d prefer the grower to get my money directly. I’ve been a grower myself and I know it makes a big difference. Getting to know them as individuals is also a real bonus.

One particular stall at the market seems to specialize in pumpkins, squashes and gourds. At least, they will for another fortnight or so: the pumpkin season is coming to a close! Fortunately, they store well and you can freeze the flesh, too. So, if you see a handsome one, I suggest you snap it up.

I looked (unsuccessfully) for my favourites, a Kabocha or Blue Hokkaido. In the end, I opted for a good old Butternut Squash and a medium-sized Crown Prince but, once I’ve used those, I will buy one of the large French pumpkins sold by the local Egyptian grocer. I like pumpkin flesh to be as deeply orange as possible so that the flavour is strong and the nutrient value top-notch.

Generally, I have found that the quickest way to cook a few wedges of pumpkin is to steam them. The colour and flavour are retained and it is easy to lift the whole steaming basket out of the pot so the portions can cool a little. However, in my opinion, roasted pumpkin is even better; in fact, I think it is out of this world! Roasting emphasizes the sweetness of the flesh and, if a little bit of it gets overcooked, somehow that becomes a delicacy. Whether steamed or roasted, any left-overs become pumpkin soup the next day. This classic, amber soup is a perfect match for a cool autumn or winter day.

Now I will tell you a not-quite-secret theory of mine. That is, the ingredients which best suit an earthy flavour, such as the flavour of pumpkin, are ingredients that grow deep in the earth. So, for instance, my Pumpkin and Parsnip Soup recipe includes a single parsnip. And parsnips, as you can tell from their shape, are tap roots that reach a long way into the earth. I find that, while the parsnip adds its own sweetness, it also has a unifying effect, bringing all the other ingredient flavours together. Try it and see if you agree.

Pumpkins are a terrific proto-source of vitamin A, along with carrots, apricots and sweet potatoes. If a vegetable or fruit displays a rich red, orange or yellow colour, the chances are that it’s a great source of carotenoids. These plant pigments are converted by your liver into vitamin A. That means there’s no need to eat another creature who has done that conversion in their liver; you can do it yourself in yours!

I hope you have a wonderful day and a healthy year. Catch up with you soon!