Cantaloupe salsa recipe

Okay, about that recipe that I mentioned a week ago...

Cantaloupe salsa

(serves 2 as a sauce)

200 g cantaloupe, diced

150 g tomatoes, chopped finely

1 large clove garlic

1 tbsp tomato puree/paste

fresh lemon thyme (because I had it to hand - feel free to use coriander or another herb o' choice)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Combine all the ingredients. Use the hand blender to blitz a tiny portion of it, and then redistribute - this will help make it 'stick' together.

Calories: about 100

This was absolutely brilliant with the prawn frittata - I highly recommend it as a brunch or lunch dish - or maybe a late summer evening like we had earlier this week. Prosecco would not go amiss either.

raspberries

...and vanilla yogurt. Pure heaven. Bring on the soft fruits of summer: raspberries, strawberries, nectarines, peaches, plums, blueberries - I plan on gorging myself guiltlessly on these for the next five months!

Blueberries to beat the blues

A new report suggests that eating wild blueberries – and other foods awash with antioxidants – at every meal can help prevent oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a result of the formation of free radicals, which can cause damage to other working cells, and has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Scientists believe that antioxidants may play a role in fighting free radicals.

Scientists leading a USDA-backed clinical trial fed participants wild blueberries, dried plums, cherries, grapes, kiwifruit, or strawberries and evaluated levels of stress after meals.

The lead scientist on the study, Dr Ronald L. Prior of USDA Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, explained the preliminary results: “It takes about 2.5 servings of antioxidant containing fruits and/or vegetables in a meal and a little less if you choose high antioxidant foods like wild blueberries to prevent oxidative stress following the meal.”

Dr Prior made another interesting point, saying “The more calories you take in the more dietary antioxidants you need.”

Blueberries to beat the blues

A new report suggests that eating wild blueberries – and other foods awash with antioxidants – at every meal can help prevent oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a result of the formation of free radicals, which can cause damage to other working cells, and has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Scientists believe that antioxidants may play a role in fighting free radicals.

Scientists leading a USDA-backed clinical trial fed participants wild blueberries, dried plums, cherries, grapes, kiwifruit, or strawberries and evaluated levels of stress after meals.

The lead scientist on the study, Dr Ronald L. Prior of USDA Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, explained the preliminary results: “It takes about 2.5 servings of antioxidant containing fruits and/or vegetables in a meal and a little less if you choose high antioxidant foods like wild blueberries to prevent oxidative stress following the meal.”

Dr Prior made another interesting point, saying “The more calories you take in the more dietary antioxidants you need.”

Supermarkets improving but still have a way to go as more customers try to go green

A new report out today shows that consumers in all income brackets are looking to buy green, but while food retailers are getting better with regards to sustainability, there is still room to be done.

The National Consumer Council’s report finds that all retailers are improving, not just Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose, traditionally seen as serving a higher-income bracket. Sainsbury’s got the best rating of all supermarkets in question, receiving a B, as did M&S and Waitrose.

Asda and Tesco improved their rankings from a D to a C. And in what the council calls “perhaps the most significant of all in terms of long-term trends,” Morrisons and Somerfield both gained higher marks this year, each earning a D rather than an E.

Some highlights:

-an Asda product, ‘Smart Price’ value fish fingers, which are sourced from a sustainable supply of pollack and display the Marine Stewardship Council certification. Pollack is recommended by the National Trust.

-another own-brand Asda product, toilet paper, dispaying the Forest Stewardship Council’s approval marking.

-Asda, Co-op and Somerfield selling more in-season, UK-sourced vegetables.

Despite these improvements from the bottom of the pile, the Council still voices some concerns, as not one retailer earned the A mark of a “truly green business.”

A few low points:

-No supermarket gained the top mark for UK-sourced, in-season produce.

-“Wildly varying” performance with regards to packaging and plastic bags was registered.

-Some stores contradicting their own green messages: for example, a Waitrose store advertised the plum season across the world, conflicting with its advertised policy of sourcing locally wherever possible.

The Council is calling on all major supermarkets to source more local produce, to stock more energy-saving lightbulbs, to implement carrier-bag incentive schemes, to sell more sustainable fish, and to use more recycled materials, and to set stricter targets for increasing organic ranges.

The Culinary Digest reckons that the National Consumer Council has pretty well hit the mark. Local, sustainable initiatives have filtered through society quite dramatically, with all consumers wanting to make a difference, so long as they can afford to. It is critical that these retailers look to change many of their policies as soon as possible.

One issue with packaging that The Culinary Digest has noticed, particularly in the case of Sainsbury’s, is the ‘Sorry, not yet recyclable’ mark on many plastic packages and cartons. Firstly, why are these not recyclable, when so many types of plastic are? Secondly, instead of spending money or time on printing fancy packaging, why are they not spending resources in this area? And finally, why are these types of packaging so common in the up-market ‘Taste the Difference’ range, when consumers are already paying a decided amount more for a top-quality product? Should not sustainability be an important part of this?

The NCC report Green Grocers is available here
The NCC report Greening Supermarkets: how supermarkets can make greening shpping easier (2006) can be found here

Supermarkets improving but still have a way to go as more customers try to go green

A new report out today shows that consumers in all income brackets are looking to buy green, but while food retailers are getting better with regards to sustainability, there is still room to be done.

The National Consumer Council’s report finds that all retailers are improving, not just Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose, traditionally seen as serving a higher-income bracket. Sainsbury’s got the best rating of all supermarkets in question, receiving a B, as did M&S and Waitrose.

Asda and Tesco improved their rankings from a D to a C. And in what the council calls “perhaps the most significant of all in terms of long-term trends,” Morrisons and Somerfield both gained higher marks this year, each earning a D rather than an E.

Some highlights:

-an Asda product, ‘Smart Price’ value fish fingers, which are sourced from a sustainable supply of pollack and display the Marine Stewardship Council certification. Pollack is recommended by the National Trust.

-another own-brand Asda product, toilet paper, dispaying the Forest Stewardship Council’s approval marking.

-Asda, Co-op and Somerfield selling more in-season, UK-sourced vegetables.

Despite these improvements from the bottom of the pile, the Council still voices some concerns, as not one retailer earned the A mark of a “truly green business.”

A few low points:

-No supermarket gained the top mark for UK-sourced, in-season produce.

-“Wildly varying” performance with regards to packaging and plastic bags was registered.

-Some stores contradicting their own green messages: for example, a Waitrose store advertised the plum season across the world, conflicting with its advertised policy of sourcing locally wherever possible.

The Council is calling on all major supermarkets to source more local produce, to stock more energy-saving lightbulbs, to implement carrier-bag incentive schemes, to sell more sustainable fish, and to use more recycled materials, and to set stricter targets for increasing organic ranges.

The Culinary Digest reckons that the National Consumer Council has pretty well hit the mark. Local, sustainable initiatives have filtered through society quite dramatically, with all consumers wanting to make a difference, so long as they can afford to. It is critical that these retailers look to change many of their policies as soon as possible.

One issue with packaging that The Culinary Digest has noticed, particularly in the case of Sainsbury’s, is the ‘Sorry, not yet recyclable’ mark on many plastic packages and cartons. Firstly, why are these not recyclable, when so many types of plastic are? Secondly, instead of spending money or time on printing fancy packaging, why are they not spending resources in this area? And finally, why are these types of packaging so common in the up-market ‘Taste the Difference’ range, when consumers are already paying a decided amount more for a top-quality product? Should not sustainability be an important part of this?

The NCC report Green Grocers is available here
The NCC report Greening Supermarkets: how supermarkets can make greening shpping easier (2006) can be found here

A question of organic

On the face of it, buying organic sounds like the best option: after all, it is considered by many to be the most ethical and natural choice. Of course, it is often the most expensive too, and some claim that the health benefits are spurious. Nonetheless, the organic food and drink market is growing at a steady rate of 10% a year, according to a recent Food-News market report, since 2000/2001, when even higher growth was registered. So what should consumers do?

Three options are available: buy all organic, buy no organic, or buy selectively organic, choosing those products likely to give the most benefits whilst still fitting into the budget. For some, this means buying all fresh foods that are labelled organic, whilst to others, buying organic milk and eggs. These choices are not always particularly informed.

According to the report, fruit and vegetables have increased their share in the growth of the organic market, as have meats and fish, fruit juice, and hot beverages. Dairy and bread products have remained steady, while multi-ingredient products have lost some of their share.

On the face of it, news that organic fruit and vegetables have seen increased growth is a good thing. Many fruits and vegetables are treated heavily with pesticides, according to the US-based Environmental Working Group. However, others aren't, they say, so if a choice must be made, the group recommends certain produce that should always be bought organic. based on its own analysis.

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes were found to have the highest amounts of pesticides. The group found that nectarines tested positive for pesticides most often, over 97% of the time. Peaches and apples were also particularly high.

The cleanest twelve - which often have protective natural outer layers that consumers do not eat - were onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant. Tropical fruits pineapple, mango and avocado were the lowest, with over 90% of the samples testing negative for pesticides.

The group's news should be helpful for consumers searching for the areas in which it is most critical to buy organic. The results for other fruits and vegetables not on the list can be found on the group's website.

Organic milk is another common purchase. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative reports that sales in the UK are growing at a rate of 30% each year, and the Soil Association claims that the milk is better for the environment, the welfare of cows, and the consumer's health, owing to the natural diet from the cows. And while one recent study has disputed the milk's environmental claims, though not its added nutritional value, the organic choice is not much more expensive than the traditional version, at about 8p per pint more.

The milk cooperative has published a family's guide to "going organic" that touches on the cost implications of the choice and offers advice on how to minimise the budgetary strain:

-buy free-range and organic meats and fish where possible. "Less is more," it says, because the average adut needs only 75 g (3 oz) a day.

-shop around at different supermarkets, or even online, to find the best deal.

-purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are often more nutritious, with less strain to the environment, since they grow naturally

-use the freezer more by making larger batches of recipes and saving them for future use.

Even taking all this information into account, how much will it cost the average consumer? A quick nip to an online supermarket offers an initial perspective:

Nectarines: organic, unavailable. regular, 40p each.
Peaches: organic, 50p each. premium, 40p each.
Braeburn apples: organic, 29p each. regular, 28p each.
Red grapes: organic, £6.22/kg. regular, £2.97/kg.
Celery: organic, £1.05/unit. regular, 68p/unit.
Peppers: organic, 89p each. regular, 68 p each.
Strawberries: organic, £8.30/kg. regular, £4.16/kg.
Cherries: unavailable
Lettuce: organic, 99p/unit. regular, 42p/unit.
Pears: organic, £2.65/kg. regular, £1.99/kg.
Spinach: organic, £6.95/kg. regular, £3.63/kg.
Potatoes: organic £1.33/kg. regular, £1.29/kg.

Milk (2 pints): organic, 81p/litre. regular, 61p/litre.

Chicken (whole): organic, £5.49/kg. regular, £2.39/kg.

Although the units are not all the same, by comparing the prices, the calculations show that the organic food totals £35.47, while the regular food adds up to £19.50. The organic food was 82% more. These numbers will not account for the actual tab at the supermarket, though give an idea of how much more one could expect to pay by simply choosing the most necessary organic foods.

A question of organic

On the face of it, buying organic sounds like the best option: after all, it is considered by many to be the most ethical and natural choice. Of course, it is often the most expensive too, and some claim that the health benefits are spurious. Nonetheless, the organic food and drink market is growing at a steady rate of 10% a year, according to a recent Food-News market report, since 2000/2001, when even higher growth was registered. So what should consumers do?

Three options are available: buy all organic, buy no organic, or buy selectively organic, choosing those products likely to give the most benefits whilst still fitting into the budget. For some, this means buying all fresh foods that are labelled organic, whilst to others, buying organic milk and eggs. These choices are not always particularly informed.

According to the report, fruit and vegetables have increased their share in the growth of the organic market, as have meats and fish, fruit juice, and hot beverages. Dairy and bread products have remained steady, while multi-ingredient products have lost some of their share.

On the face of it, news that organic fruit and vegetables have seen increased growth is a good thing. Many fruits and vegetables are treated heavily with pesticides, according to the US-based Environmental Working Group. However, others aren't, they say, so if a choice must be made, the group recommends certain produce that should always be bought organic. based on its own analysis.

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes were found to have the highest amounts of pesticides. The group found that nectarines tested positive for pesticides most often, over 97% of the time. Peaches and apples were also particularly high.

The cleanest twelve - which often have protective natural outer layers that consumers do not eat - were onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant. Tropical fruits pineapple, mango and avocado were the lowest, with over 90% of the samples testing negative for pesticides.

The group's news should be helpful for consumers searching for the areas in which it is most critical to buy organic. The results for other fruits and vegetables not on the list can be found on the group's website.

Organic milk is another common purchase. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative reports that sales in the UK are growing at a rate of 30% each year, and the Soil Association claims that the milk is better for the environment, the welfare of cows, and the consumer's health, owing to the natural diet from the cows. And while one recent study has disputed the milk's environmental claims, though not its added nutritional value, the organic choice is not much more expensive than the traditional version, at about 8p per pint more.

The milk cooperative has published a family's guide to "going organic" that touches on the cost implications of the choice and offers advice on how to minimise the budgetary strain:

-buy free-range and organic meats and fish where possible. "Less is more," it says, because the average adut needs only 75 g (3 oz) a day.

-shop around at different supermarkets, or even online, to find the best deal.

-purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are often more nutritious, with less strain to the environment, since they grow naturally

-use the freezer more by making larger batches of recipes and saving them for future use.

Even taking all this information into account, how much will it cost the average consumer? A quick nip to an online supermarket offers an initial perspective:

Nectarines: organic, unavailable. regular, 40p each.
Peaches: organic, 50p each. premium, 40p each.
Braeburn apples: organic, 29p each. regular, 28p each.
Red grapes: organic, £6.22/kg. regular, £2.97/kg.
Celery: organic, £1.05/unit. regular, 68p/unit.
Peppers: organic, 89p each. regular, 68 p each.
Strawberries: organic, £8.30/kg. regular, £4.16/kg.
Cherries: unavailable
Lettuce: organic, 99p/unit. regular, 42p/unit.
Pears: organic, £2.65/kg. regular, £1.99/kg.
Spinach: organic, £6.95/kg. regular, £3.63/kg.
Potatoes: organic £1.33/kg. regular, £1.29/kg.

Milk (2 pints): organic, 81p/litre. regular, 61p/litre.

Chicken (whole): organic, £5.49/kg. regular, £2.39/kg.

Although the units are not all the same, by comparing the prices, the calculations show that the organic food totals £35.47, while the regular food adds up to £19.50. The organic food was 82% more. These numbers will not account for the actual tab at the supermarket, though give an idea of how much more one could expect to pay by simply choosing the most necessary organic foods.