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Food news: April 2011

 

Enjoy our roundup of some of the best new food products out there, including a new fish from Vietnam, top teas, artisan cheeses from Wales and Ireland and more... By Delia Online editor Jo Hill

food news field and flowerMeat by post...
Field & Flower, based in Somerset, supply fresh, grass-fed beef and local lamb, pork and organic chicken by post, allowing customers to ‘build’ their own box depending on their favourites. The quality was superb: really juicy burgers and steak – so much so, that they’ve been included in the Good Produce Guide 2011. Joints, steaks, chops, burgers, sausages and mince are all options, from just £55 per box with free delivery or one-off deliveries with no minimum spend. During their first year, the company has sent out over 1000 boxes, so the proof is obviously in the eating. Take a look at www.fieldandflower.co.uk

food news mr soup makerSoup in a flash!
Morphy Richards Soup Maker did, initially, strike me as a gadget too far... but I was soon won over. Given that it’s such a quick operation, the chunky veggie soup had a good depth of flavour and consistency. Not much bigger than a kettle, it’s quick and easy to rustle up bowlfuls of tasty soup: just add your ingredients, 800ml-1 litre of liquid, select smooth or chunky texture and switch it on! In just 15 mins (smooth) or 25 mins (chunky) your soup will be ready. It also boasts a blender for those who want to move from chunky to smooth... £99.99 from kitchenware departments or at www.morphyrichards.co.uk

food news welsh cheesesTastes of Wales
Welsh cheeses are well worth trying for their diversity and flavour. Many are produced by small artisan companies: iconic Welsh Caerphilly is now being produced across the Principality. Wales the True Taste Award-winning cheeses include varieties as wide-ranging as the traditional Caerphilly from Gorwydd, and the smooth and creamy Pembrokeshire Mature Cheddar, made with 100% Welsh milk, to my favourite, Golden Cenarth: an organic washed rind soft cheese with a pungent aroma and Hafod Cheese, a buttery, nutty flavoured cheese made with raw Ayrshire milk. Next time you’re putting a cheeseboard together why not try something different? Many of these cheeses are now available at Waitrose nationwide.

food news ummera salmonThe luck of the Irish...
Many of Ireland's best food products now make it across the Irish Sea, courtesy of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. I particularly loved multi award-winning Ummera Organic Smoked Salmon (from www.ummera.com) which has an unbeatable freshness to it and a gentle smoked flavour. Irish Farmhouse cheeses are another highlight, with 50 farms making over 150 unique cheeses: try Crozier Blue, made from grass-fed ewe's milk to give a wonderful creamy flavour (available from Waitrose, Fortnum and Mason, and www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk) and Coolea, a seasonal hard cow's milk cheese which, with age, is similar to mature Parmesan in consistency (from www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk).

food news numiThere’s tea, and there’s Numi tea...
Not all tea is born equal, and this was apparent when I tasted the range from Numi – all natural, organic and mostly Fairtrade, the teas did have a clarity of flavour that was quite addictive. The flavours are also unusual. I particularly liked Velvet Garden White Rose – white tea with organic rosebuds, and Gunpowder Green. £4.29 per pack of 80 whole leaf teabags from Wholefoods, Planet Organic and Ocado.

food news DR piesPie eyed?
Donald Russell has diversified massively in the last few years and now sells much more online than simply excellent Royal Warrant Aberdeenshire beef! One of my favourite products is their new Pie Selection Box: 4 different pies on offer at £18. They look attractively home-made and have a generous amount of filling. The selection comprises 1 beef pie, 1 steak and kidney pie, 1 shepherd’s pie and 1 cottage pie. A boon for busy cooks, they can be heated and served from frozen. Visit www.donaldrussell.com for info.

food news thai tasteTalking Thai
April is the month of huge celebrations in Thailand for New Year, so it’s fitting to include Thai Taste, which featured in Delia’s How to Cheat at Cooking book: the range has been redesigned and revamped, but still includes all the old favourites (brilliant curry pastes etc), plus an innovative new idea: Easy Red and Green Thai Curry Kits, which include everything you need to conjure up a curry (except for the meat).

food news monaghanThe magic of mushrooms
We Brits eat over 115,000 tons of mushrooms each year but very often we cook them inadequately: apparently you need a very hot, heavy-based pan for the best results. Monaghan Mushrooms has enlisted the help of TV chef Simon Rimmer to get us all cooking our fungi fully – plus recipe ideas. Visit www.monaghan-mushrooms.com for more details.

Look out for...
Golden Island, a new potato variety from Cyprus, £1.47 per kg. They cook well with a good texture and brilliant flavour: creamy and delicious butter-coloured flesh. They have an appealing freshness to, being shipped to order to the UK rather than kept in cold storage. Available until May; find out more at www.goldenisland.co.

food news cobiaI also really enjoyed cobia, a Vietnamese fish available from www.regalfish.co.uk, costing £5.95 for two portions of skinless, boneless Cobia loin. It’s a good one for those who steer clear of fish bones and skin, as it comes in fillet form, with a flaky white flesh and quite meaty texture somewhere between cod and monkfish. I pan-fried it then served it with an Oriental dressing of soy sauce, ginger and chilli.

 

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