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CALENDAR Sunday 2 October: Twenty-seventh Sunday of the Year (Year A) Monday 3 October: Feria Tuesday 4 October: St Francis of Assisi Wednesday 5 October: Feria Thursday 6 October: Feria or St Bruno, Priest Friday 7 October: Our Lady of the Rosary Saturday 8 October: Feria Sunday 9 October: Twenty-eighth Sunday of the Year


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Independently audited certified average circulation per issue of THE TABLET for issues distri buted between 1 January and


30 June 2011 is 20,976. Volume 265 No. 8915 ISSN: 0039 8837


THE ETHICAL KITCHEN


Prime cuts ROSE PRINCE


HYPED AS A sop to cash-strapped con- sumers, the supermarket price cuts will have to be paid for somehow. Who will lose out, the suppliers and farmers, or will the supermar- kets take a cut in next year’s profits as they shoulder the cost of the price reduction of basics such as milk, fresh vegetables and bacon? When Tesco, market leader of the “big four” supermarkets that retail more than 80 per cent of the food sold in the United Kingdom, announced the “Big Price Drop” this week, promising savings on 3,000 items, they effec- tively ratcheted up an ongoing price war. Such battles among the chains have a phoney ring since, while fighting to undercut one another, massive dividends continue to be brought home to delighted shareholders. In all cases, it is usually the suppliers that


finance the cuts. This time, however, farmers’ leaders are warning that farmers have no more in the pot to give. The higher cost of fuel has been driving prices up on all foods, an irre- versible trend that must be faced by shoppers. The simple truth is, unless we pay more for certain foods such as pork, lamb and milk, British farmers will stop producing them. So will others much further afield. For ex-


ample, while the nations battle on the rugby fields of New Zealand, the host country’s farm- ers are fighting to stay in sheep farming – also due to the high cost of fuel. There is no such thing as cheap lamb any more, unless it is being subsidised by farm- ers who expect fluctuation in their market. But just to reiterate, the fuel price rises will not fluctuate in the coming years but will be likely to rise again and again. The UK supermarket chains are claiming


they will fund price cuts by making savings within the business. I’d watch that space – they are apt to change their minds, especially when


under pressure from disgruntled sharehold- ers unhappy with trimmed profits. It will be a brave supermarket boss who faces up to this and does not penalise the farming industry while offering modest cuts to shoppers. But it would be the right and responsible course, not least for those with the money to invest in the supermarket business. At some point all of us have to face a future of higher prices on certain foods, especially protein. Lamb is actually under threat as a meat eaten regularly – and likely to become a luxury. There is value in it, however, if you use it well, as in these little patties, made bulkier with delicious bulgar wheat. Eat with a colourful salad of radish and peppery leaves, fresh Greek yoghurt and a little red chilli, all wrapped in a flat bread.


Lamb patties with bulgar wheat Makes about 12, serving 6


240g/8oz bulgar wheat 480g/1lb lamb – a combination of belly and neck fillet, or shoulder meat 1 onion, grated 2 tbsp chopped mint and parsley leaves 2 tsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix) ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper


Soak the bulgar wheat in cold water for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid. Cut the lamb into 2cm/¾-inch cubes, discarding any hard skin, and put it in a food processor. Process until nearly smooth, then put in a bowl and add the bulgar with the onion, spices and black pepper. Shape into patties 1cm/½ inch thick and cook gently on a grill over a medium heat for about six minutes each side. Eat while hot.


Glimpses of Eden


HALFWAY UPthe village, a small four-legged figure crossed our path. Without looking for traffic, the hedgehog shambled over


the road and disappeared into a wonderfully overgrown garden on the other side. At that moment a car seethed by: a narrow escape. We stood on the night-time pavement listening to the hedgehog’s progress as he snuffled through the undergrowth, a satisfied crunch revealing the boon of a slug. Not all hedgehogs are so lucky; this week research is published warn- ing that their numbers are so low that they might be extinct in a decade. Not surprisingly the Hedgehog Preservation Society is begging us all not to tidy up our gar-


40 | THE TABLET | 1 October 2011


dens this autumn. Without suitably cluttered accommodation of high-rise log piles or sprawling, out-of-control heaps of slowly rot- ting vegetation, these small mammals can’t make it through winter. Such news makes the Grimm’s Fairy Tale,


“Hans the Hedgehog”, even more poignant. In the story, Hans is a hedgehog, born through no fault of his own to human parents. Unwanted, abandoned to make his own way in the world, he wanders the forest all alone except for his bagpipes, which he can play like a maestro. To cut a beautiful tale short, love reveals to Hans that he’s really human after all. Hedgehogs have lived so close to us for so long, how could we bring their story to an end? Jonathan Tulloch


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