THE VEGAN NEWS THE VEGAN NEWS
The Vegan News is written and edited by P M Lloyd. Please e-mail your contributions to the editor at: pauline@bury-rd.demon.co.uk or fill in the form provided.
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Recipe of the Month(Source: This was one of Rose Elliot's own recipes, as demonstrated at the Living Without Cruelty Exhibition recently.)
Note: To use up cold leftovers, try adding some extra chopped cucumber, chopped tomatoes and perhaps an oil and lemon dressing.
May
Product Review Green People Mint Toothpaste
Have you ever
wished that you could find a vegan toothpaste that was completely
organic too? Well here it is - the only one of its kind, produced
by Green People. This organic toothpaste is Vegan Society
Approved and is also certified by the Soil Association as well.
It comes in four different flavours, but please note that the
Fennel variety is not vegan as it contains propolis (a bee
product). However, that still leaves you with the citrus, mint
and mandarin flavours to choose from!
Green People's toothpastes are made from 100% natural ingredients and contain no artificial sweeteners, colourings, flavours or preservatives. In addition they are fluoride-free and do not use Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) - a commonly used detergent which can damage the mucosal membranes. All of Green People's toothpastes contain Stevia, a sweet herb used by the Guarani Indians for centuries and which may help to prevent tooth decay by retarding the growth of plaque in the mouth.
I tested the 'Herbal Fresh Mint Toothpaste' in this range. It seemed to clean the teeth well and despite being non-foaming didn't tend to dribble out of the mouth during cleaning in the way the Sarakan one I reviewed last month sometimes did! This mildly mint-flavoured toothpaste would be ideal for anyone who dislikes strong-tasting toothpaste. A 50 ml tube costs £2.99. It can be purchased by mail order direct from: The Green People Company Ltd, Brighton Road, Handcross, West Sussex, RH17 6BZ. (Tel: 01444 401444, or e-mail: organic@greenpeople.co.uk for a catalogue). And you may also be interested to know that many of Green People's products are also available by mail order through the Clearspring catalogue (e-mail: mailorder@clearspring.co.uk or telephone 020 8746 0152 for a catalogue.)
The RSPB Visa Card - Help put wildlife back into
wetlands...The demand for water, poor land management, agricultural drainage and built development are threatening our wetlands. Many of the species of wildlife that depend on them are also in danger. Numbers of wading birds such as curlews, lapwings and redshanks are falling. Ducks, geese and wading birds are losing their areas for breeding, feeding and wintering.
The RSPB is trying to raise £1 million for endangered wetlands. So, if you would like to help, why not consider getting an RSPB visa card? When you first open a RSPB visa account the Cooperative Bank will donate £10.00 to the RSPB. Plus a further £2.50 if you are still using your account six months later. In addition, every time you make a transaction on your card the RSPB receives 0.25% of its value. Another bonus is that there's no annual fee either. Oh and the card is almost entirely biodegradable and has a lovely picture of a kingfisher on the front. If you would like more information on the RSPB Visa Card contact: The Co-operative Bank, FREEPOST, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6BR.
What's
Happening in the Veganic Garden This Month?May is bean-planting month! If you are interested in growing your own beans, but aren't too sure which varieties of beans to plant, then you might like to look back a few issues and read my earlier article Growing Your Own where I extol the virtues of this marvellous group of plants! Peas and beans, as well as being a valuable source of protein in the vegan diet, are very useful plants to grow in the veganic garden because as nitrogen fixers they make excellent waste material for the compost heap. In my opinion, it's well worth devoting some space to legumes in the veganic garden.
So what to plant? This year I will again be sowing the climbing French variety of bean 'Barlotta Lingua di Fuoco' which did very well in my garden last year and makes an excellent substitute for a pinto bean. And I will also be planting the dwarf French bean 'Annabel' which is a pencil-slim green bean, delicious eaten either as a cooked vegetable or used cold in salads and which I particularly like to grow as it usually costs a small fortune to buy these beans in the shops. 'Coquette' will definitely be grown again this year. This plump, white bean is better than any baked bean I have ever tasted! And in addition, this year, I am going to try out two new heirloom varieties of beans: 'Early Warwick' and 'Hutterite Soup', both obtained from the Heritage Seed Library and both very good for drying.
French beans are generally quite hardy and can be sown as early as the end of April in some areas. But I usually wait until early May before I sow mine and sometimes even then sow them under a fleece. Runner beans are best sown towards the end of May because they don't like frost. Or alternatively you can sow them indoors and transplant them outside towards the end of May, or even at the beginning of June. Runner beans like a rich soil, so add lots of vegetable compost and of course they also like plenty of sun. If you can't grow climbing runner beans in your garden, then try 'Hammond Dwarf Scarlet', a bush runner bean which is ideal for the small garden. But 'Scarlet Emperor', 'Kelvedon Marvel', 'Czar' and 'Painted Lady' are climbing varieties of runner beans that are all well worth trying.
Sweetcorn is another crop that can be sown this month. I sometimes cover my newly-sown seeds with plastic bottle cloches, or a fleece, for extra protection. Sweetcorn is best grown in a block, rather than in rows, in order to ensure good pollination. Courgettes, marrows and cucumbers can also be sown outside this month and so can parsley now that the ground has warmed up somewhat. Continue to make sowings of carrots, beetroot, salad onions, lettuces, radishes and peas. The dwarf variety of pea 'Little Marvel' can be sown in May and in June and is ideal for an early autumn crop.
If you have raised your own Brussels sprouts, then continue to plant them outside when they reach a suitable size. I usually plant mine along the outer edge of a bed of early peas. I use the dwarf variety 'Peer Gynt' which matures early and produces nice brussel tops as well as tasty but fairly small sprouts.
Asparagus, broad beans, spring cabbage, lettuce, rhubarb, spinach and salad onions.
Vegan Organisation Review
The Humane Research Trust
The Humane Research Trust is a registered charity, providing funding to medical researchers who use alternative advanced techniques in their research programmes, instead of experimenting on animals. In order to gain such funding a scientific research programme must pass an exacting screening test and also meet the protocol and assessment of qualified referees.
Research without animals is practical and suitable non-animal alternatives include:
Non-animal research methods tend to be quicker and cheaper. They also tend to give more consistent and relevant results. The Humane Research Trust has financed research into the following areas: cataracts, brain tumours, rheumatic diseases, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, Parkinson's disease, heart disorders and leukaemia. For a complete list of their research areas see their Policy Statement.
If you would like to make a donation to The Humane Research Trust, or if would simply like more information on their work, then please write to: The Humane Research Trust, Bramhall, Cheshire, SK7 2DN. (Tel: 0161 439 8041.)
Your Queries
I have an autoimmune disease called 'Relapsing Polychondritis'. If anyone has any information about the effect of a vegan diet personally, I would be interested in finding out about it. Thanks!
Sent in by Linda Lee (USA)
You can e-mail any relevant information to Linda at: LLNEWBERRY@NETSCAPE.NET
Other
Interesting WebsitesAn excellent site and a particularly good starting point for obtaining information for the new or intending vegan. You can now visit their online shop or become a member.
Find out how to join BCTV and all about their conservation opportunities, working holidays and job vacancies.
Campaign Against The Arms Trade (CAAT)
Here you can read CAAT's newsletter. Find out all about the arms trade and CAAT's campaigns and purchase books and other useful material.
Stop The Clock! Find out what this welfare and conservation charity is doing to help to protect elephants and sign their online petition to stop the ivory trade. Read up on their latest news and discover many interesting facts about animals. Become a member, or help to raise funds by a gift adoption or by purchasing from their online shop.
This UK based company offers advice on green, ethical, environmentally-friendly and socially responsible investment funds. Find out how to invest your money without investing in cruelty!
Animal Friends provide a competitive, quality insurance. And 100% of net profits go to worthy animal welfare causes! Read their press reports and news bulletins to find out more about them.
The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay (Prima Publishing, 1995)
The Vegan Gourmet
contains over 100 tasty recipes, styled on food from all over the
world. Many of the recipes definitely have a Mediterranean feel
about them, but you will also find recipes based on Oriental,
Mexican and Far Eastern food too. Many of the recipes are quick
to prepare. Look out for the 'Almost Instant' label, seen on
recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or under. There are
delicious appetizers, a wide variety of salads (many
grain-based), chapters on vegetable and grain dishes, a good
selection of soup and stew recipes and some interesting saute and
stir-fry dishes. I can't wait to try out some of the pasta
dishes, particularly the quickly-prepared 'Simple Spaghetti
Sicilian-Style' and the 'Five-Minute Couscous! And for that
special occasion there's a wonderful Porcini Mushroom Nut Loaf.
Oh and plenty of unusual breakfast ideas to try out, if you fancy
a change from your usual cereal. Japanese style porridge perhaps?
Or maybe a curried tofu scramble or even a quickly prepared fruit
bowl?
This is an American book, so ingredients are sometimes measured in *cups, but are often given in pounds and ounces. And in any case there is a useful conversion chart at the back of the book. Useful nutritional data is also provided at the end of each recipe.
This book is available by mail order from the Vegan Society for £8.99, plus £1.50 postage. E-mail: order@vegansociety.com.
* It is now possible to purchase a nice set of stainless steel cups for £3.99 from both Sainsbury's and Tesco's supermarkets. Look out for sets of cups in cookware shops too.
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May
Book Review