THE VEGAN NEWS
THE VEGAN NEWS
AUTUMN 2004
- Recipes
- Vegan Product Reviews
- Don't Miss! This Month's Article - Carob
- In the Veganic Garden
- In the Wildlife Garden
- Web Sites
- Book Review(s)
- The Wildlife Database
Autumn Recipes
Source: SoyFoods CookBook
Ingredients
- 250g organic soybeans, rinsed.
- Garlic, chili powder, or Cajun spice mix (optional).
Home-roasted soybeans make a wonderful, easily-transported snack. They work out a lot cheaper than the shop-bought varieties, which also often contain salt. They are filling, packed with protein and are an excellent source of genistein.
- Soak the soybeans overnight in a large pot of water, then drain them through a colander and shake off the excess water. Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4 (350 degrees F).
- Spread the soaked beans in a single layer over lightly oiled baking sheets, using about two cups of beans per sheet.
- Sprinkle with flavourings, if desired. Roast the soybeans in the oven, shaking the trays about every 10 minutes to enable the beans to cook evenly. This process should take about one hour, the beans being ready when they are golden brown and crunchy. Remember to watch them carefully towards the end of the cooking time so that they don't get scorched. You may also need to swap the trays around half way through the cooking time, if you are cooking more than one tray at once.
- When cool the beans can be stored in an airtight container. I find that they tend to soften up again, if kept in the fridge so are best stored in a cool place.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. organic jumbo oats
- 1 tbsp. organic sultanas/raisins
- 10g wheatbran
- 25g organic flaxseed, ground
- 3-4 tbsp. plain soya yogurt
- 1 banana, peeled and sliced
- 1 apple, grated
Serves 1
- Place the jumbo oats, wheatbran and sultanas in a cereal bowl and add enough water to moisten. Mix well.
- Add the grated apple and banana slices to the dish, then top with soya yogurt.
- Grind the flaxseed in a coffee grinder just before use. The ground flaxseed can simply be mixed in with the cereal base in step 1, but I prefer to sprinkle it on top of the yogurt.
Did you know that roasted soybeans and some of the ingredients (e.g. wheatbran, flaxseed, soya yogurt) listed in the above recipe could be protective against breast cancer? See the Breast Cancer Prevention Diet (Newleaf, 1999) by Dr Bob Arnot for more information.
Autumn Product ReviewsNew Balance Training Shoe 752
(Updated January 2009 - This particular product is no longer available. However, information on current New Balance running shoes can be obtained from the websites listed below.)
This high performance vegan trainer is made in the UK by New Balance and is ideal for the mid to high mileage runner. I bought mine from Animal Aid for £69.95 + £5.00 postage (Tel: 01732 364546 to order), but they may still be available by mail order from Ethical Wares. My 752's were really comfortable right from the start. They are also lightweight, pleasing to look at, well ventilated and perhaps most importantly of all well-cushioned. The men's version is available in navy and white and the ladies in white and blue. These are excellent running shoes, but are not really suitable for everyday use, being mainly designed to keep your feet cool when running rather than for keeping the rain out.Organic Meditation Cushion
I was really impressed with this specially designed meditation cushion. I bought the standard version (height 15cm, diameter 35cm), which is slightly cheaper than the fat cushion at £29.95. However, if you are tall then you may find the fat meditation cushion (£37.50) with a height of 25cm more comfortable to use. Available in ecru, yellow and marine blue, these environmentally friendly cushions are stuffed with organic spelt and covered with a washable, 100% organic cotton cover. They are specially designed to support the natural curvature of the spine and help to distribute the weight and tension through the legs. I now find it possible to meditate comfortably in the traditional kneeling meditation position without developing distracting problems like pins and needles in my feet, sore knees, or a numb bum from sitting on a hard floor. (Updated January 2009 - This product is no longer available)Matstone 6-in-One Multipurpose Juicer (aka Samson/Oscar)
I have recently acquired one of these juicers and must say that I have been most impressed with its performance. It's a single auger, cold press machine that works like a millstone. It's excellent for juicing most kinds of fruit and vegetables and can also be used to juice wheatgrass. I must say that it's surprisingly quiet for such a powerful machine and is also very easy to clean and to assemble. It operates at a low speed (80rpm), thus preserving most of the food's nutrients and flavour. The Matstone has many other functions apart from juicing though. Use it to make healthy 'ice-cream' from frozen fruits such as bananas, to grind coffee beans or flax seeds, to make noodles, pasta or rice cakes, to extract oil from seeds, or to mince seasonings and other foods. I have also used mine to produce soya milk, although it was rather weak. It's still available from the FRESH Network for £155.65 (Tel: 0845 833 7017). Juices are easily digested, high in vitamins and minerals and are an excellent tonic food.
(Product still available and price updated in January 2009.)
Sproutman's Hemp Sprout Bag
Now you don't need jars or other bulky sprouting equipment in order to grow your own sprouts! Because they're easily transportable, these sprout bags are ideal for taking on holiday as well as for using in the home. Holding the equivalent to a 3 litre jar, they provide good air circulation and drainage and being made from 100% pure hemp and flax fabric, they're long lasting and won't mould or shrink (although they do tend to discolour if you sprout aduki beans in them). Simply place your soaked seeds inside the bag and dip in water twice a day, hanging the bag on a hook to drain afterwards. Suitable for growing all kinds of grains and beans. Most will be ready in just 3-5 days. Now what could be easier than that?! Produced in the USA. One bag costs £9.70, or order three for £27.55. (Product information updated January 2009 - This product is no longer available.)Top of Page
What's Happening in the Veganic Garden this Autumn?
Autumn Sowing and Planting Schedule
- September: The Organic Gardening Catalogue sells organic Radar onion sets. Plant these out in the autumn to crop the following June/July. Various winter salad vegetables can still be sown outside in September. These include corn salad, rocket and winter varieties of lettuce such as Winter Density or Rouge d'Hiver. Sowings of mizuna and mibuna can be made under cover.
- October: Winter hardy peas such as Feltham First, Pilot and Meteor can be sown in October/November, but are best grown with some protection. Slug attack can sometimes be a problem.
- November: Autumn sowings of Aquadulce broad beans can give good results in a mild winter, although spring sowings are usually more reliable. You could also try planting some field beans. Field beans are usually grown as a green manure crop, but if sown in November and allowed to flower and seed can produce a good crop of beans for human consumption the following year. Plant garlic cloves between November and February. Autumn planted bulbs produce the best yield. Use the variety Thermidrome for autumn planting.
For more information on what to plant please visit the Gardening Diary.
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In the Wildlife Garden
Many of our wildflowers and commonly grown garden plants are beneficial to animals and can be used to attract wildlife into your garden. Here, I will cover another three plants that are especially attractive to wildlife. Details of other suitable plants are given in earlier issues and these are now listed in The Wildflower Index.Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Don't be too keen to pull up your dandelions! Dandelions make excellent wildlife plants, providing nectar for bees and butterflies and the leaves provide food for many types of moth larvae. The cheerful, yellow flowers will brighten up any garden and look especially attractive when growning in a mass. Do be sure to let the plants go to seed after flowering to ensure a continual supply of new plants. Look out for goldfinches, linnets and bullfinches visiting your garden to eat the fluffy white seed heads. Incidentally, young dandelion leaves make a tasty and nutritious salad vegetable, supplying iron, calcium and vitamin C.
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
Both meadow and creeping buttercups (Ranunculus repans) can be used to attract wildlife into your garden. Buttercup's yellow flowers will attract many insects, providing nectar for flies, beetles, hoverflies, bees, moths and butterflies. And if you are really lucky you may even receive a visit from a granville fritillary! Birds such as wood pigeons eat the seeds.
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Daisies have small, white, yellow-centred flowers and are commonly found growing in gardens, usually in the lawn. If you have some growing in yours, why not leave them there and just mow round them? Daisies also grow well in cracks on a path and look attractive when used as a border edging. The white flower petals are often tinged with scarlet. The flowers shut at night and open up again when it's bright and sunny, in a similar way to dandelion flowers. Daisies provide nectar for bees and for butterflies such as the small heath and the holly blue and the seeds are eaten by birds. Apparently ants help to spread the plant's seeds.
You will probably find that nature supplies you with more than enough of the above three plants! However, if you feel that you need more of them, then you can order extra seed from the John Chambers Catalogue by phoning: 01933 652562.
Other Interesting Websites
The Vegan Society (UK)
An excellent site and a particularly good source of information for the those who are new to veganism, or for anyone who is thinking of going vegan. You can also shop online.
Foraging with the Wildman
Learn about edible and medicinal wild vegetables, herbs, greens, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms with NYC's favorite naturalist, "Wildman" Steve Brill. Find out about his public Wild Food and Ecology tours in local parks, and the work he does with kids. Read excerpts from his books, enjoy his botanical artwork and vegetarian recipes, and find out what happened after he was arrested and handcuffed by undercover NYC park rangers for eating a dandelion in Central Park!Beyond Skin is a vegan footwear company, which sells cruelty-free yet fashionable shoes. There are seven classic styles in stock at the moment, available in either beige or black. But do watch out for their new collection, due out soon, which will include some new flat styles and lots of exciting new colours and fabrics! For every pair of shoes sold, a donation will be made to an ethical charity of your choice.
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Autumn Book & Audio Reviews
Apples & Oranges by Bob Pyle (Apple Tree Records, April 2004).
Recently released, this vegan-orientated animal rights CD contains 12 original songs, dealing with the economic, social and health implications of eating and mistreating animals. The humorous lyrics are easy to remember and sing-along-with and send out a positive message about being or becoming vegetarian.
I especially like the tracks Petunia the Pig, the Mango Fandango and the Seaweed Song, which has lots of nice watery noises in the background. If you have ever had any doubts about eating seaweed, then this song could well persuade you to take the plunge. Other tracks include: A World Made Out of Spam, When They Close the Golden Arches (a humorous ballad about the perils of eating at McDonald's) and the title track Apples & Oranges.
For more information contact Bob Pyle at: bobpyle150@hotmail.com or visit the website www.bobpyle.com. Apples and Oranges can be purchased from Apple Tree Records, PO Box 99, Ellicott City, MD 21041, or online from: www.bobpyle.com, cdbaby.com, or amazon.com. Price around $13.99-$14.99 + postage. (Still available in February 2009)Eat More Raw: A Guide to Health and Sustainability by Steve Charter (Permanent Publications, June 2004). Simple Living Series. ISBN 1-85623-024-4
This clearly written and inspiring book is an interesting combination of raw food eating and permaculture. It explores what happens when we eat more raw food and grow more of the food we eat ourselves.
The first part of the book covers the philosophy, looking at many aspects of human and planetary health and introducing a variety of permaculture principles, including the principle of working with nature. Part Two focuses on the practicalities of dietary change and of setting up a permaculture system. Offering many useful tips on how to switch from a processed to a high raw diet, it also examines the role of permaculture in more depth, looking at permaculture techniques such as zoning, forest gardening, permaculture design and the use of perennials. In addition, the excellent list of Frequently Asked Questions should answer most of your queries when transitioning to a raw food diet. Part Three contains inspiring contributions by other authors such as an extracts from Robert Hart's Forest Garden Diet, an article from Elaine Bruce on Indoor Gardening and Living Foods and some information on the work being carried out by Plants for the Future. Finally, in the appendices, there are about 25 basic recipes, plus some meal ideas to help you get started on a raw diet. There's also some information on Ecoforest (an ecological vegan raw food forest garden in southern Spain), a list of useful international contacts and suggestions for further reading. Eat More Raw is available from Amazon Books for £12.95 + postage. (Still available February 2009)
Vegetarian Guide to the Lake District (VIVA!, 2004-2005 Ed.)
Easy to pack and light to carry, this little book is packed full of useful veggie information. It lists places to eat, accommodation and stockists of wholefood and cruelty-free products. Clearly written and excellent value at £1.00, it could save you a great deal of time when planning your trip to the Lake District and also once you are there. You can obtain a copy direct from VIVA! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol, BS2 8QH (Tel: 0117 944 1000) before you go. It can also be purchased online from Vegetarian Guides Ltd. Or you can write to them at: PO Box 2284, London W1A5UH. Tel: 870 121 4721. Alternatively, look out for it in Tourist Information Centres throughout the Lake District. (Still available February 2009)