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: bury_rd@btinternet.com or fill in the form provided.
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Recipe of the MonthQuick Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
Method
Variation: Try adding a small amount of cooked chickpeas, or white beans, to the sauce for extra protein. This pasta dish is nice served with a green salad. Recipe serves one.
Spring
Product Review Zedzfoods manufacture vegetarian, vegan and special dietary foods. I tested five of their vegan muffins and two of their savoury slices and this is what I found:
Banana, Coconut and Date Muffin
This muffin has a nice coconut taste and the dates make it seem quite sweet, even though it has no added sugar. The coconut also gives a rather interesting chewy effect to an otherwise light spongy texture. In fact this muffin reminded me of the syrup sponge pudding I used to eat when I was a child! Highly recommended. Price: 0.65 each (6 for £3.90). Also available in batches of 24 or 36.
Chocolate Orange Muffin
Made with organic cocoa, this muffin has a rich chocolate flavour and more than a hint of orange. Rather crumbly, but the delicious taste more than makes up for this! It has a lovely soft spongy texture and contains 13% sugar. Price 0.63. (6 for £3.78.) I also tested the coffee and walnut, cherry and coconut and poppy seed and lemon muffins in this range. They all had a very light texture and I especially liked the crunchy pieces of walnuts in the coffee and walnut muffin.
Tofu and Ginger Slice
This savoury slice is made from millet, tofu, red and green peppers and onions. It has a distinctive gingery flavour and is soft in texture with a slightly crispier outer layer. Each slice is individually wrapped, making these slices ideal for adding to lunchboxes or perhaps taking on a picnic. Tofu and Ginger slice can be served cold with a salad, or it can be heated in a microwave or under the grill and served with stir-fried or steamed vegetables. Makes a nice quick meal. Price £1.05 (6 for £6.30).
Mediterranean Style Aubergine Savoury Slice
This slice has a mild, mellow flavour and a stuffing-like texture. It can be served hot or cold and like the tofu slice above is individually wrapped. Price £0.70 each, or 6 for £4.20.
Zedzfoods also produce a sage and onion slice (£0.70 each) and sun dried tomato, garlic and oregano muffins (£0.78 each, 6 for £4.68.) both of which are suitable for vegans. They also offer a vegan Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies. A vegan celebration cake is available to customers living in the Manchester area.
If you would like to purchase any of these products, they are available from more than a dozen suppliers in the Manchester area. For more information on suppliers in the Manchester area, contact: zarenaallen@appleonline.net. By mid March it should also be possible to order Zedzfood's products nationwide by mail order and product information should then be available at Zedzfood's new website. If you would like to order any of the above products by mail order, then orders and payment can be made either by telephone using debit or credit cards (0161 835 1442), or by writing to: Zedzfoods, Unit 4, Arena Court, Mirabel Street, Manchester, M3 IPJ. Minimum order is of 6 batches of 6. There is a delivery charge of £4.50. (£3.50 for batches of 10 or more.) Note: these charges are for mainland areas of England, Wales and most of Scotland only. Please ring for more information on surcharges, if you live elsewhere. Deliveries within the M60 are free.
* Note: Zedzfoods products may contain traces of nuts. All of the products can be frozen, except for the Tofu and Ginger Slice.
In the Wildlife Garden - Attracting Squirrels into Your
Garden
The
grey squirrel is officially regarded as a pest. However, I have
several grey squirrels who regularly come into my garden and I
thoroughly enjoy watching their antics as they frolic around and
jump from tree to tree. So far they have done little damage,
despite their bad reputation for damaging the bark of trees. And
of course on the plus side, it shouldn't be forgotten that when
squirrels bury their nuts and forget where they have put them,
they are often responsible for planting new trees!
I have two grey squirrels nesting in my garden this year, so I may see a baby squirrel or two before too long. The squirrels have made their drey (or den) behind the ivy growing up the bark of an old plum tree at the bottom of my garden.
If you would like squirrels in your garden too, there are several things that you can do to attract them into your garden:
Incidentally, if you are interested in feeding garden birds, then you may like to know that it is now possible to obtain a free 76 page copy of the 'Handbook of Garden Feeding'. Ring Freephone 0800 731 2820 for a copy, or order a copy online from CJ Wildbird Foods Ltd. This booklet is full of interesting information on what to feed to birds and other creatures such as squirrels, badgers and hedgehogs. You can also order bird boxes, bat and hedgehog boxes, binoculars, books, highly squirrel-resistant metal bird feeders, squirrel guards and the product 'Squirrel Away' which is made from capsicum peppers and can be added to your bird food to deter squirrels from eating it. (Note: 'Squirrel Away' is also available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue.)
What's
Happening in the Veganic Garden this Spring?March Sowings:
March can be a busy month in the veganic garden. This month you will need to plant out untreated onion sets and shallots and to sow broad beans and early peas such as 'Feltham First'. In March, it is usually possible to make outside sowings of parsnips, early carrots, turnips, salad onions, radishes and hardy lettuces such as 'Winter Density' or 'Little Gem'. And cauliflowers, cabbages, celeriac, celery, brussel sprouts and leeks can all be started off indoors, or in a cold frame. Towards the end of the month sow tomatoes in a warm place indoors. In the herb garden lift and divide clumps of chives, replanting them 7.5cm apart.
April Sowings:
Continue to make regular sowings of parsnips, lettuces, carrots, peas, broad beans, turnips, spinach and radishes. Plant out chitted, second early potatoes, but don't forget to protect the potato shoots by covering them with polythene when night frosts are forecast. Towards the end of the month it should also be warm enough to start making some sowings of beetroot as well, but watch out for late frosts. Asparagus beds can be planted up in April and it's also a good time to make sowings of Land Cress (American Cress), a very useful, easily-grown, salad green. Plant out home-grown Brussels sprout plants, as soon as these are large enough to go outside. In April you will also need to make indoor sowings of kale (e.g. 'Nero di Toscano', 'Cottager's Kale' and 'Tall Green Curled'), calabrese, sprouting broccoli, outdoor tomatoes (if you didn't do this at the end of March), autumn/winter cauliflowers and late Brussels sprouts. Many herbs (mint, basil, chives, hyssop, lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano) and butterfly plants (e.g. buddleia) can also be sown indoors this month.
Every year I like to try out some new crops as well as my usual old favourites. This year I will be trying out several heritage seed varieties (all obtained from the Heritage seed Library) including 'Golden Sweet' - a golden podded mangetout pea which grows vigorously to the height of 4-5 ft and is drought tolerant; 'Hugh's' tomato - a yellow beefsteak tomato which is supposed to be very good for juicing; 'Sweet Banana' - a pretty, yellow Hungarian pepper; 'Spis Bladene' - an old Danish variety of kale (probably perennial) and 'Tellus' which is a kind of celeriac. I am also going to try to grow some celery for the first time in my garden this year. I will be trying out the variety 'Tall Utah', an organic green celery that doesn't require any earthing up. This variety is available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue and is ready in late September.
March: Jerusalem artichoke, Brussels sprouts, leeks, spinach and sprouting broccoli.
April: Sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, spring greens, turnip tops, kale, leeks, asparagus, winter lettuces.
Your
Queries
I have quite a few slugs in my garden and over the winter they have eaten most of my spring cabbages. What should I do? I have tried putting out grapefruit halves, but it doesn't seem to have cured the problem and I don't want to use slug pellets.
Sent in by: Ms Anne Wilkinson, Sheffield.
Editor's Reply:
Slugs can do a lot of damage and can be quite difficult to get rid of. In the veganic garden they are especially like to hide under mulches and often live in composters. However, it is important to avoid using slug pellets, as these can be very toxic and can harm other wildlife e.g squirrels, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, pets and birds. The Organic Gardening Catalogue sells a good range of environmentally friendly products which will protect your crops against attack by slugs. First of all, you could try their slug and snail tape (£8.30). This self-adhesive barrier tape can be applied to pots, plants and garden furniture etc and contains a small electrical charge that repels slugs and snails and thus protects your plants. Then of course there is the beer trap method. For this you will need a supply of beer (or slug dough) and some jam jars, or else you can purchase special beer traps, (3 for £7.99) again from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. If using jam jars sink them down into the soil so that the rim is level with the soil's surface. Pour in some beer and don't forget to empty your traps regularly! Another easy method that can be used to catch slugs is to walk round the garden regularly and remove any slugs you see by hand. Wear washing up gloves if you don't like touching slugs and put them in a suitable container such as a jam jar. Early in the morning, or after it has been raining, are the best times to collect slugs. These can then be released elsewhere. This is actually quite an effective method of controlling slugs, provided you do it regularly. Look carefully under stones, fleeces, pots, carpet and cardboard mulches etc as this is where the slugs like to hide.
Nemaslug is another means of controlling slugs (£12.95 to treat 40 sq m). This product contains microscopic nematode worms that reproduce inside the slugs. It is mixed with water and watered onto the garden and should give protection for up to six weeks. However, it needs to be kept in the fridge and requires moist soil for optimum performance. When I tried it, it didn't rain for weeks after I had applied it and thus didn't make a lot of difference to my slug population. Also it can be quite tricky to co-ordinate the delivery of the product with the weather forecast and unfortunately it has to be used up within a certain time too. Best used in areas with good rainfall. (Although with the amount of rain we have been having lately, it will probably work well in most areas of the UK at the moment!) For best results the soil temperature needs to be between 10 and 25 degrees C, thus this product is supplied from April onwards. Not recommended for use on heavy clay soils.
Fito Slug Stoppa Granules is a new product offered by the Organic Gardening Catalogue. I have just received a packet and will test it out soon. It's safe to pets, wildlife and children and provides a long-lasting barrier which slugs and snails will not cross, as it sucks up their slime. It's very easy to use, you just sprinkle it on to the soil around the plants you want to protect and at the end of the season work it into the soil to improve the soil condition. It can also be used in containers, hanging baskets and window boxes. (£7.45 for 3kg.)
Finally, if you don't mind using a non-organic product Chase Organics also sell 'Growing Success'. This product is also environmentally friendly with minimal risk to wildlife. It contains aluminium sulphate and kills slugs by contact. (£5.99 for 800g.) Incidentally, it is usually possible to purchase this product in large DIY shops and gardening centres, if you don't want to buy it by mail order.
All of the above products can be ordered from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. If you would like a copy of their catalogue, then phone: 01932 253666 or email: chaseorg@aol.com. You can also obtain a copy from their website.
Another new slug product is the 'Flowerfortress' which can be used to protect your pot plants. It's about 17" wide and is suitable for a 12" flowerpot. It acts as a barrier and uses no chemicals. Made from ultra-violet-protected terracotta colour polypropylene, this product is available by mail order from: Ladybird Garden Essentials, Ladybird House, 27 Harwood Vale, Bolton, BL2 3QU. It costs £9.99, plus £2.95 postage. For more information call: 01204 389192. Or if you live in Manchester and can collect it yourself, you can get one for just £9.99 by ringing: 0161 860 4869.
Last, but not least, there's Snail Ban, a slug and snail repellent, produced by Earth To Earth. It's a 100% natural and environmentally responsible product, made from mineral rock mined in Australia. It costs £6.95 for 2kg, or £19.50 for 10 kg. It's stocked by Great Mills, Homebase and Wyvale. Ring 0151 448 9100 for more information.
Organisation
ReviewHemp Union
Hemp Union was formed in 1993, its aim being to re-introduce hemp as a sustainable environmental resource. For the past seven years Hemp Union have been manufacturing and selling hemp products in order to finance a UK hemp-growing program. Profits from the sales of Hemp Union products are invested into grower groups, enabling them to produce hemp using good farming methods and also to create rural employment.
Did you know that over 25,000 products can be made from the hemp plant including paper, plastics, fuel, insulating materials and food? Growing hemp improves the soil. In addition hemp will grow in most climates and unlike cotton requires no pesticides and herbicides.
Hemp Union produces a wide range of hemp products. Why not support the re-introduction of hemp by ordering some of their products!
Their product range includes: Organic hemp seed (350g) for £2.40; hemp seed oil (250ml) for £7.00 (plus £3.00 postage); hemp seed flour (350g) for £2.00; hemp seed burger mix (350g) for £2.40. Muesli bars - 4 different flavours available, all vegan, prices ranging between £0.75-£0.85. These bars are also available in packs of five for £3.25-£3.75. Their range of cosmetics includes: shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, cleanser, bubble bath, soap and deodorant. All of their cosmetic products are registered with the Vegan Society and some are also available as gift sets. Hemp T-shirts are available in many different designs and sizes and range in price between £11.00-£28.00. Other items of interest include: hemp twine (£4.00), various hemp bags, writing sets and packs of A4 tree-free stationery suitable for laser and inkjet printers.
For more information, or an up-to-date product list e-mail: admin@hemp-union.karoo.co.uk or visit the Hemp Union website. Please note that not all of the products offered by Hemp Union are vegan. Also that the above prices do not include postage costs.
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.
Wearable art! Why not take a peek at Harry Brown's animal-painted t-shirts and sweatshirts? Mugs and mousepad also available.
An interesting site with a discussion forum, FAQ on the main reasons for being vegan, a personal section for people seeking vegan contacts, some good links and there's also going to be a recipe section soon. So send in your favourite recipes now!
This site seems to cover all things vegan. There's an activist calendar, links, some fun diversions, recipes, top vegan stories and vegan products to buy. Oh and I love the little animated chicken at the bottom of the page!
Le Guerrat B&B is a converted stone barn, situated in the French Pyrenees. The owners grow their own organic vegetables and use them to make tasty vegan food. And there's excellent walking and cycling on nearby forest trails.
Fox Hall vegan B&B is based in Kendal, Cumbria. Visit their website for price details and to find out what's on the menu and what there is to see in the area. There's also a self-catering cottage for hire.
Spring Book Review
How It All Vegan: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet. By Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. (Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver, 1999.)
How It
All Vegan contains a wide selection of easily-prepared vegan
recipes, including juices, milks and smoothies, vegan breakfast
ideas, soups and stews, salads and dressings, cheeses and
spreads, breads, desserts and main meals. There's also an
interesting chapter on kid's food which includes some recipes for
them to make for themself and some activities for them to do
whilst you're busy. And incidentally, this section also includes
some tips on how to get kids to eat healthy foods and some
suggestions for fun snacks!
In addition, at the back of the book there's a very interesting section on household cleaning products, enabling you to clean without buying products that harm the planet. Here you will discover 45 uses for vinegar, including the removal of skunk odour! Finally there's some information on how to make your own beauty products using ordinary kitchen food items. And at the back of the book there's a useful appendix of animal products. Look out for a copy in your local library or bookstore.
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