WINTER FOOD
turn it into jams, pickles and chutneys - one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and certainly the tastiest!”
Sally’s products include caramelised red onion marmalade, Spitfire honey mustard, apple sauce with cranberries & raspberries as well as a few quirky lines.
Above all we were keen to quiz her on the good food manifesto that underpins her products.
“My grandparents had quite a large garden, and during the war my grandfather apparently ploughed up part of it to plant fruit and vegetables.” says Sally. “My grandmother would make use of anything they grew and later, as a child, I spent a good deal of time with her in the kitchen. She taught me so much and I inherited not just her recipe book, but her food philosophy too.”
Sally believes that with supermarkets making most produce available all year round, we’ve lost our appreciation for seasonality. “I think it’s important to get into the habit of eating food when it’s in season because that’s when it’s at its most flavoursome. It also means you can use fruit and vegetables that have been grown at home, or at least locally, which cuts down on the air miles. The majority of The
Sally’s products are more vivacious than many; a consequence of her status as an artisan food producer able to produce her products in smaller quantities rather than in volume
Edible Gift Company range is created only when the main ingredients are available – rhubarb in spring and early summer, for example, or shallots in the autumn. The range therefore changes with the seasons.”
“Also, by growing food at home I know exactly what has
gone into it.” says Sally. “There’s nothing more rewarding, and the difference in flavour is incredible.”
“If you’re lucky enough to have plenty of space to grow your own, you'll probably have a glut of various crops.” says Sally. “As well as storing excess produce in the freezer, why not
“I also think it’s important to pass an appreciation for good food on to our children. Too many youngsters are detached from what good food is and where it comes from. Getting them involved as soon as they're big enough to wield a trowel enables them to make the connection between the seeds, the soil, the weather and the final product on their plate, which gives them so much more insight than a trip to the supermarket!”
Sally’s status as an artisan food producer allows her to be imaginative with her recipes. Because she is able to produce her range in smaller quantities rather than in large volume, she is able to create unusual flavour combinations alongside the more traditional. One example is the addition of Amaretto to her plum and almond chutney as a special edition for the festive season.
“Producing in artisanal quantities means I can experiment, provide something different and ultimately be true to what I believe in. I added lime zest to my blueberry jam in the summer which proved very popular, and my pear, fig and walnut chutney is a real winter favourite. Unlike manufacturers who produce on an industrial scale, I can tweak my recipes with each batch.”
With her grandmother’s appreciation for home grown ingredients, good food and seasonality still alive and well, Sally is keen that we should rediscover our relationship with what we eat and savour those flavours all winter long.
THE EDIBLE
GIFT COMPANY Tel: 07731 558743
The company’s products are available from selected craft fairs including Peterborough’s Farmers’ Market, on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.
Web:
www.ediblegiftcompany.co.uk Email:
info@ediblegiftcompany.co.uk
45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132