Vegfest 2015

More good food in Bristol at the 2015 Vegfest - a fantastic vegan festival showcasing vegan products from vegan cheese to vegan shoes. Here are some of the highlights.

Lalita's

I cannot resist a good dosa so this masala dosa was a must eat.  Delicious. Lalita's are a vegan pop-up/festival stall based in east London.  This is going to be a pop up I am going to track down when next in London.  Find on facebook: www.facebook.com/lalitaskitchen.

Lalita's dosa 

Deborah Durrant of Deliciously Raw gave an inspiring cookery demonstration on raw vegan  fine dining including a raw mushroom alfredo which you cold smoke the mushrooms.

Rice Noodles With Purple Sprouting and Nori Flakes

Ingredients
Rice noodles for 2
Purple sprouting (about 10 small sprigs)
5 radishes sliced thinly
1/2 pack firm tofu  cut into thin strips (I use the Taifun smoked tofu with sesame seeds and almonds)
Sheet of nori (whizz up in a blender to make into flakes)
Sesame oil
Rapeseed oil
Soya sauce (I use tamari)


Instructions
1. Start by ta king your purple sprouting and brushing the sprigs with rapeseed oil or other vegetable oil.
2. Heat a griddle pan or frying pan on a medium heat.
3. Place your purple sprouting in the pan  and cook until tender. You can baste your sprigs some more during the cooking time. Keep turning the sprigs so that some sprigs will be slightly charred and others will be just tender.
4. In the meantime oil some water and cook your noodles for the time instructed on the packet.
5. In a bowl mix 1 tbsp of sesame oil, 1 of rapeseed oil and 1 of soya sauce.
6. When the noodles are ready drain and toss in the mixture of sesame oil, rapeseed oil and soya sauce. Gentle fold in the tofu, purple sprouting and radishes.
7. Sprinkle with the nori flakes and serve.

Bristol Food Connections Festival

It is so great to live Bristol and the thriving food scene there.  Back in May I got the chance to check out the Food Connections Festival celebrating good food from growing to eating!

Queens Square with tipis

Moroccan wrap filled with aubergine, herby salad and a glorious pesto from Moorish

Loved the food at Moorish.... http://bristoleats.co.uk/moorish/ . amazing flatbread wrapping up  smoky aubergine, a fresh pesto and a crunchy herby salad.....

Millenium Square and the Moorish food stall

Queens Square Bristol Food Connections Festival

Ah Ma's Dumplings

The highlight for me were Ah Ma's Dumplings.  Fresh Cantonese style dumplings made with savoy cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, cashew nuts, ginger and spring onions..... They regularly appear at the Tobacco Factory at the Sunday market and at Temple Quay Market.  Really something to seek out if you are in Bristol. http://ahmasdumplings.com

Ah Mas Dumplings

South Indian Coconut Curry

Grow Bristol

Great to hear about this project in Bristol. Grow Bristol is a new urban farming enterprise developing innovative and sustainable ways of growing food in the city for the benefit of all its inhabitants and the wider world. They are starting with Grow Box; a system of aquaponics to produce vegetables and fish right in the middle of Bristol. What an exciting project to follow.  Check out more information on www.growbristol.co.uk. 

Nettle Soup

We are back in the hungry gap again... that time of year between the last of the winter root vegetables and winter greens and the spring vegetables of broad beans and peas....  so what do you fill it with.... nettles!.  Nettles are the ultimate free food; rich in iron, silicon, and potassium. They are very high in vitamins A and C and when dried, nettles are 40% protein. Pick your nettles with care... use thick gardening gloves or rubber gloves so as not to get stung.  And pick the nettle tops... these are the most tender part. Don't worry - when they are cooked they lose their sting.

4 handfuls of nettle tops
2 medium potatoes cubed
1 onion diced
1 litre of vegetable stock (you can use a high quality stock cube)
1 tbsp of vegetable or rapeseed oil
Couple of mushrooms diced (optional)
Seasoning

1.  Wash the nettle tops in cold water remembering to keep your rubber gloves on or use tongs... they will still sting.  If you are in any way wary that the nettles have come in contact with animals then rinse the nettles with water with vinegar in. Rinse and drain.
2. Gently fry the onion and potatoes together for about 10 minutes - the onion will be soft.

3. Add the mushrooms if using and the nettle tops. Give the pot a stir around.
4. Add the stock and keep on a gentle heat for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

5. When the potatoes have cooked place in a blender.  Whizz up the mixture until smooth.
6. Spoon into bowls and enjoy.