THE VEGAN NEWS

CHRISTMAS 2000

The Vegan News is written and edited by P M Lloyd. Please e-mail your contributions to the editor at: bury_rd@btinternet.com or fill in the form provided.

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In This Month's Issue:

Recipe of the Month

Christmas Cake

Below you will find my own Christmas cake recipe which was originally published in the December 1996 issue. Over the years I have modified the original recipe somewhat, removing the brandy and using soya flour instead of the EnerG egg replacement. This newer version tastes just as nice, but it's far cheaper to make. But you can of course still make the original brandy-containing recipe, if you prefer!

Ingredients

Method

  1. Chop the dried peaches, pears, apricots and the almonds into fairly small pieces.
  2. Put all of the dried fruit and the almonds into a pan with the orange juice and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
  3. Put the pan of fruit to cool in a large bowl of water. When the fruit is cool transfer it to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
  4. Grease and line a 9" round cake tin. Fill it with the cake mixture and smooth the surface of the cake mixture with the back of a spoon.
  5. Bake the cake at Gas mark 2 (300F/150C) for two and a half hours. A scewer should come out clean when it is cooked.

This cake can be made in advance and frozen. Defrost thoroughly before use.

To decorate:

Brush the surface of the cake with a few tablespoons of low-sugar jam e.g. apricot. (This is easier to do if the jam is melted a little first, so I usually put the jam in a small cup and microwave it for a short time.) Then sprinkle the surface of the cake with desiccated coconut, until the cake no longer shows through. Christmas cake decorations and a cake frill can also be used to decorate the cake, if desired.

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December Product Review

Green People Logo

The following products are produced by Green People. They are based on natural ingredients and are formulated with respect for the environment. They contain certified organic herbs.

1. Vita Min Fix

Vita Min Fix is an organic rebalancing day and night cream, ideal for anybody who wants to keep their skin young looking! It's alcohol-free and is made from pure, natural GMO-free ingredients. A 50 ml tube costs £11.99. There's also a 10ml trial size for £3.00 and a 50 ml 'No Scent' version for £11.99. This cream is non-greasy and has a mild pleasant smell. Vegan Society Approved.

2. Help At Hand

Is an organic skin care formulation for dry, rough hands or troubled skin. This mildly-perfumed, non-greasy hand cream is available in 50 ml tubes and costs £8.99. It contains aloe vera, rose and other herbs such as lavender which protect against moisture loss and leave the skin feeling soft and supple.

Sun Lotion Edelweiss SPF15

Made from pure plant oils and extracts, essential oils and minerals, this product contains titanium dioxide and cinnamon acid to filter out the sun's rays. Eidelweiss is also added as an additional filter and has important antioxidant properties. Avocado and olive oil help to protect the skin cells and maintain a beautiful tan. Ideal sun protection, either for your skiing trip or if you are heading off to warmer places this winter! Available in 200ml tubes. The 15SPF costs £14.99 and there's also a SPF8 version for £13.99 and a SPF22 version for £15.99.

Happy Kids Shampoo

The Green People 'Happy Kids' range is specially formulated for children using organic ingredients and is free from perfume, colourings, synthetic additives, alcohol and fluoride. A 150 ml container of Happy Kids Shampoo costs £3.99. Other products available in the Happy Kids range include mandarin toothpaste, bath and shower gel, conditioner and sun lotion.

Ordering: The above products can all by ordered from Green People from the following address: The Green People Company Ltd, Freepost SEA 4107, Brighton Road, Handcross, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6BR. (Telephone: 01444 401444, E-mail: organic@greenpeople.co.uk.) You can also obtain more information by visiting Green People's website.

* Please note that the above prices do not include postage. For orders under £20 add £2.50 and for orders between £20 and £100.00 add £4.50. Orders over £100 are free.

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Your Queries

My girlfriend suffers from a rare condition, which the doctors cannot even name, which means that she cannot consume dairy products at all!  She has not been able to eat chocolate now for three years and sometimes makes herself ill just so she can taste it once more.  I would greatly appreciate it if you would be able to tell me where I can find a supplier of chocolate made without dairy produce.

Sent in by: Daniel Holden (UK)

I decided to publish the reply to this query in the Christmas issue, just in case there are any UK readers who do not know where to buy vegan chocolate and who may want to give some to a vegan (or non-vegan!) friend or relative this Christmas.

Editor's Reply:

There are quite a few dairy-free makes of chocolate now available and the easiest place to find bars of vegan chocolate is in a health food shop.  Plamil make quite a few different-flavoured bars and all of their range is dairy free. If you want to purchase a box of vegan chocolates, perhaps for a special occasion such as Christmas, then the Vegan Society sells Organic Gourmet Chocolate Truffles for £9.99 and mint chocolates for £4.99. (Tel: 01424 427393 to order, or to obtain a mail order catalogue.) The Dr Hadwen Trust offers a very good range of vegan chocolates by mail order including chocolate brazils, chocolate-coated raisins and hazelnuts, orange bites and organic fruit and nut chocolate bars (2 for £5.99). They also sell a classic gold collection for £5.79, a magic selection for £14.40, organic truffles, butterscotch creams, mint creams and a giant vegan assortment (2lb!) for £24.95. (Phone 01462 436819 to order.) Many other animal charities also offer vegan chocolate by mail order. Animal Aid, for example, sells bars of Plamil organic chocolate in various flavours, as well as several different-sized boxes of chocolates and other confectionary (e-mail: goods@animalaid.org.uk or phone 01732-364546 for a catalogue.) The Natural Collection offers bars of Green & Black chocolate (see p.23 in their catalogue), most of which are suitable for vegans. Their orderline is 0870 331 3333.

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What's Happening in the Veganic Garden this Month?

At this time of year, when it's quiet in the garden I usually review what's on offer in next year's seed catalogues. So here goes!

Well first of all I was very pleased to see the large increase in the amount of organic seed offered in the 2001 edition of the Organic Gardening catalogue. It is now possible, for example, to purchase organic Barlotta Lingua di Fuoco beans. That's the nice red climbing French bean that I keep going on about all the time! It's a wonderful bean for drying and is excellent in winter stews. In all I counted a total of seven, new, organic beans in the latest catalogue, including a 'Super Aquadulce' variety which is smaller but just as hardy as the standard Aquadulce variety. Also of interest was a new organic type of kale called 'Westland Winter' which can be harvested for a long period between October to March. 'Mixed Leaves' is now offered as organic seed and I would thoroughly recommend that you purchase a packet. You will get a delightful mixture of different lettuces which look lovely in a salad bowl when they are all mixed up together. Other new organic lettuces which should be worth trying include: 'Smile' (an oakleaf variety), 'Rouge d'hiver' (an old French strain that can tolerate cold conditions) and 'Barcelona' which is supposed to be resistant to aphids! Also of interest is a new variety of corn called 'Honey Cream' which is a very early, organic dwarf variety that is ideal for use in the small garden. However, if you prefer taller varieties there are also three other new organic varieties of corn to choose from in the latest catalogue. For a tomato with a difference you could experiment with 'Yellow Pear'. Dating from before 1900, this tomato as its name implies has yellow, pear-shaped fruits. Or even more exotic is the 'Violet Tomatillo'!

One new product that I am all most certainly going to try out myself next season is the 'Slug Stoppa Granules'! Costing £7.45 for a 3kg sack, Slug Stoppa is a natural product that is harmless to pets, wildlife and children. These long-lasting granules act as a physical barrier to both slugs and snails, stopping them in their tracks by sucking the slim from them if they try to cross. There's no need to replace them after rain either and if there's any left at the end of the season, then you just dig it into the soil.

Crops Available This Month:

Leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale, winter cabbage, swede, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, spinach, celery and parsnips.

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2000 Crop Review

Well it has certainly been a peculiar year weatherwise! Unusually cold weather in the spring prevented proper germination of quite a few of my crops and the very dry summer which followed didn't help much either. And yes I did say dry - it may have been raining cats and dogs everywhere else in the UK this summer, but it certainly was not raining here in my backyard! True we did occasionally have a downpour which lasted for a few days at a time, but then after that it didn't rain again for weeks and weeks. As a consequence my water butt remained empty for long periods of time, cracks started to appear in some of my veganic beds and digging up crops such as potatoes became very difficult indeed. Of course now that most of the summer crops have finished it is chucking it down practically every day here. However, so far I have not experienced any flooding and I may even get a small crop of beetroot yet! Oh and my winter radishes seem to be doing nicely, even if most of the summer ones went to seed.

Cropwise then, my yield from both potatoes and onions was lower than usual this year and both beetroot and carrots failed to germinate well. The French beans were a dead loss and the Brussel sprouts failed to gain any height, although I do seem to be getting quite a few sprouts appearing on the stems now that its pouring down on a daily basis. The tomatoes also got off to a very slow start in the cool June weather. The Sub Arctic Plenty heritage variety yielded quite large numbers of smallish tomatoes, although the Early Outdoors variety (which I also tried for the first time this year) wasn't quite so prolific, producing more leaf than tomatoes. Despite the weather, I still managed to produce a nice crop of lettuces which kept me supplied with salad greens all summer and a reasonable crop of Barlotta beans for drying. And the rhubarb was also quite prolific, despite not getting any water.

This year I devoted a fair bit of ground to the production of seed, so my copy of The Seed Savers' Handbook came in very useful. I grew several varieties of French bean seeds (sent to me by The Heritage Seed Library) especially for seed production. And as my Cocarde lettuce went to seed easily in the dry weather, I saved quite a lot of lettuce seed this year too. (It really was quite amazing to see the lettuce flower and develop thistle-like seed heads!) Also, as many of my summer radishes bolted in the dry weather, I now have quite a large amount of radish seed put aside for next year as well.

As regards pests, things have not been too bad this year, the dry weather helping to keep the slugs at bay. My brassicas do seem to have suffered a bit though, with unusually large numbers of cabbage white butterflies visiting my garden this summer. Sadly, although white butterflies have been common, I do not seem to have had many coloured butterflies visiting my garden this year. Usually in the autumn I see large numbers of red admirals on my ivy flowers, but not this year for some reason.

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Christmas Present Ideas

Wondering what to buy for vegan family members and friends this Christmas? Want to avoid a last minute rush around crowded shops? Then why not purchase your presents from a vegan or environmentally-friendly mail order catalogue and avoid all the hassle? So what's on offer this year? I took a look through the latest catalogues to find out and came up with the following suggestions.

Many people like to receive a diary for Christmas. This year Animal Aid is offering an illustrated 2001 Animal's Diary which includes features on farm animal welfare and a useful directory of animal organisations. Great value for £5.00, plus postage. Alternatively, the Natural Collection is selling a Trees For Life diary (£12.95) and also a 2001 Trees For Life Calendar (£9.95), both of which are made from 75% post consumer waste paper and are illustrated with stunning photographs of trees from all over the world. If you are looking for something to put in the kid's stocking, then the Natural Collection is also selling paintboxes of plant-based paints for £9.50 each and funky, animal magic stationary sets which are also made from post-consumer waste and are delightfully illustrated with cows, sheep, or cats! At £1.99 for a set, they're ideal for those after-Christmas thank you letters! Also in the Natural Collection's catalogue I found biodegradable, maize Christmas tree decorations. These are supplied unpainted, so that your kids can have great fun decorating them. A set of 8 Christmas tree decorations costs £13.95. Incidentally, I also adore Animal Aid's hand-made children's glove puppets, but I think that these are only available to readers of their magazine, Outrage. Puppet prices range from £9.50-£11.50. Choose from badger, fox, grey squirrel, or rabbit.

The Dr Hadwen Trust offers a good selection of recycled gift wrap, xmas cards and Christmas labels and you can even buy a 3-D Christmas card from them this year! If you are looking for confectionary, again their range is excellent and they also do an animal-free Christmas pudding for £3.39. Interesting new items in the Dr Hadwen Trust catalogue include 'real' drinking chocolate, gift-packed in a gold churn tin (£4.99) and a gift set of cat soaps for £3.99. And if you just want an odd bar of soap, perhaps to fit in someone's stocking, then also new this year is 'orange blossom' soap which smells lovely and contains orange essential oil and poppy seeds to gently exfoliate the skin. If someone in your family is keen on birds, then perhaps they might like a bird nester for Christmas? In the Dr Hadwen catalogue you will find one made from cocoa fibre and larch which is suitable for all small birds. (£7.59) And a gift of RSPB membership is another possibility for people who care about wildlife. New members receive a free bird feeder with seed, plus a copy of Bird magazine four times a year and can also gain free entry to over 100 nature reserves. Children between 13 and 18 are given Wildlife Explorers membership and receive a special magazine called Wingbeat.

In the Vegan Society's catalogue, you will find a vegan, plum pudding (£4.95) and a range of vegan books. Or how about a game of 'The Cats in the Bag'? Costing just £14.99, this game supplies key facts and figures surrounding our use and abuse of animals. The Vegan Society are also offering special gift packs this Christmas. Choose from their Italian Gift Pack (£22.00), Japanese Gift Pack (£22.00) or a Lover's Gift Pack (£18.00). Or how about a Christmas Hamper for £56.00, including delivery?

And finally if you are looking for a Christmas present for a keen gardener, you may be interested to know that The Organic Gardening Catalogue sells a 19th Century Vegetable Collection gift pack. Presented in an attractive gift box, this gift pack contains a selection of Victorian vegetables and a descriptive booklet and costs £10.25. (You may get further ideas for gardening gifts by reading this month's gardening section.)

Ordering Details:

  1. The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 7 Battle Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN37 7AA. Tel: 01424 427393 or e-mail: order@vegansociety.com
  2. Animal Aid, The Old Chapel, Bradford Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1AW. Tel: 01732 364546 or e-mail: goods@animalaid.org.uk
  3. Natural Collection, Eco House, Monmouth Place, Bath, BA1 2DQ. Tel: 0870 331 3333.
  4. Dr Hadwen Trust, FREEPOST SG335, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 2BR. Tel: 01462 436819.
  5. The RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2TN.

* Please note: Prices given above do not include postage.

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Other Interesting Websites

The Vegan Society (UK)

An 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.

The Organic Gardening Catalogue

It is now possible to order a catalogue and to purchase your seeds from Chase Organics online. Watch out for special offers and promotions at this site!

Vegan Consumer

An organisation which aims to persuade food manufactors to remove unnecessary animal ingredients from otherwise vegan food products. Don't miss their 'No Whey' campaign and check out the interactive bulletin board where you can post your news.

Fern Tor Vegan & Vegetarian Guest House

A twelve acre vegetarian & vegan guest house, located in Devon and offering bargain breaks.

Rogans

A non-smoking, vegetarian restaurant that offers vegan food and is located in Birmingham. Rogans sells home-made, reasonably-priced, tasty food which does not contain any genetically-modified ingredients. Why not check out their Christmas menu!

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December Book Review

H.E.M.P. Healthy Eating Made Possible, by Paul Benhaim (Fusion Press, 2000).

Book Cover Healthy Eating Made Possible is more than just another cook book. It's a book which offers us an alternative way of living. In H.E.M.P. Paul Benhaim shows us how, by making more use of the hemp plant, we can live a much simpler, more positive and sustainable lifestyle. The author has thoroughly researched the background, the nutritional facts and the many uses of hemp, but the book's main emphasis is on using hemp as a source of food.

About a third of the book is devoted to delicious hemp recipes, many of which are vegan. There are basic recipes for hemp milk, bread, pesto, butter, cheese and yogurt. But you will also find out how to use hemp seeds and hemp oil in your salad dressings, smoothies, soups and juices. Plus there are exotic starters, main courses, sauces/spreads and desserts. Quite a few of the recipes are raw and throughout the book there is a strong emphasis on the living foods lifestyle, including chapters on juicing, fasting, food combining, holistic health and naturecure. At the back of the book there's an excellent resource section, listing suppliers of hemp products, both in the UK and worldwide.

H.E.M.P. is available from all good bookshops and can be ordered through the Fusion Press hotline on 020 7928 5599. It is also available by mail order from The Natural Collection for £9.99, plus £1.75 postage. (See Christmas present ideas section for address details.)

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