THE
VEGAN NEWS
THE
VEGAN NEWS
SPRING
2005
- Recipes
- Vegan Product Review
- Don't Miss! This Month's Article - Radish Roundup
- In the Veganic Garden
- In the Wildlife Garden
- Web Sites
- Book Review(s)
- The Wildlife Database
Spring Recipes
Source: Own recipe
Ingredients
- 125g firm tofu, cubed
- 1 potato/sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 2 mushrooms, wiped and thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, washed and sliced (best peeled if not organic)
- 1-2 green vegetables in season e.g. sprouting broccoli florets/spinach/cabbage leaves
- Any other vegetables in season e.g. broad beans, peas, parsnips, cauliflower florets etc.
- 1 tsp tamari (optional)
- 1 tsp olive/flax oil
- Nori seaweed flakes (to taste)
- Engevita yeast flakes
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Wash and prepare the vegetables and place them in your steamer. If you have a multi-tiered steamer, then quick-cooking vegetables such as green leaves, broccoli, peas, mushrooms and the tofu should be placed in the top basket and vegetables that take longer to cook (e.g. potatoes and carrots) should be placed in the bottom basket.
- Add enough water to the steamer pan. Then, steam the vegetables for about 15-20 mins, until lightly cooked.
- When cooked transfer the steamed vegetables to a serving plate and top with crushed garlic, olive oil, tamari, yeast and nori flakes. Enjoy!
Serves 1
Note: This dish can be adapted and served all year round using a mixture of seasonal vegetables. It makes a quick, nutritious and tasty meal for one that doesn't create a lot of washing up. To vary: Omit the potato/sweet potato and serve the steamed vegetables and bean curd with a cooked grain such as quinoa, couscous, or millet.
Spring Product Reviews
YAOH Apple & Cinnamon Bar with Apricot & Hazelnut
YAOH have now produced three raw, vegan organic hemp bars, which are high in essential fatty acids and have no added sugar. Choose from Apple, Apricot & Cinnamon, Date & Walnut and Coconut & Pineapple.The latter was awarded the 'Best Organic Product Award 2004'. I personally prefer the taste of the Apple & Cinnamon bar, which has a moist, chewy texture and a lovely cinnamon flavour. Made from uncooked fruit, seeds and nuts, look out for these bars in your local health shop. Price £0.99. (Updated January 2009 - This product is no longer available)
The Revolutionary Sprout Sack and Yoghurt-Cheese Maker (Updated January 2009 - This product is no longer available)
Produced by Jessy Dowling in Australia, this 100% hemp sprout sack can be used to grow wonderful sprouts, the hemp fabric allowing the sprouts to breathe easily. Simply add your soaked sprouting seeds to the sack and hang it up somewhere where it can drip. Then dunk the sack into water twice a day and hang it back up again. Can simply be used at home, but because it's highly portable it's ideal for taking on walking and camping holidays too. And at £4.50 it's much cheaper than the Sproutman's Sack reviewed in an earlier issue. Hand or machine wash.
Tisserand Aromatherapy Organic Lavender & Mint Conditioning Shampoo
Containing lavender and mint pure essential oils and jojoba oil for conditioning the hair, this two-in-one shampoo/conditioner has a very refreshing smell, lying somewhere between lavender and mint. Leaves hair clean and shiny. The bottle contains just 150ml shampoo, though a little bit does seem to go a long way. Vegan Society approved, use for all hair types. Ingredients include parabens and sodium laureth sulfate. Price £4.50. Available in some health shops (including Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth, Herts). Top of Page
What's Happening in the Veganic Garden this Spring?
Spring Sowing and Planting Schedule:
- March: Plant out untreated onion sets and shallots and continue to make sowings of early peas (e.g. Feltham First), broad beans, summer spinach, parsnips, carrots, turnips, salad onions and lettuces such as 'Winter Density' or Little Gem'. Cauliflowers, cabbages, Brussels sprouts and leeks can be sown, either indoors or in a cold frame. Towards the end of the month sow tomato seeds in trays of compost, placing the trays in a warm place such as on a sunny window sill indoors. Why not grow some herbs this year? Parsley, chives, basil and mint taste delicious and have many culinary uses. Whereas hyssop, lavender, lemon balm and oregano are great for attracting bees/butterflies into your garden. Either grow the herbs from seed yourself, or buy ready-grown plants from a local garden centre. (See the Herb article for more information.)
- April: Continue to sow parsnips, lettuces, carrots, peas, broad beans, spinach and radishes. Landcress and parsley can also be sown outside this month. Plant out chitted second early potatoes, protecting the potato shoots with polythene if night frosts are likely to be a problem. Young Brussels sprout plants can be planted outside as soon as they are big enough. Make indoor sowings of tomatoes in early April (if not previously done) and sow sprouting broccoli and kale in a coldframe.
- May: Sow French beans, runner beans and sweetcorn and continue to plant out young Brussels sprouts. Make further sowings of kale, winter cabbage/cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli in trays of compost for planting out later.
Crops in Season:
- March: Jerusalem artichokes, Brussels sprouts, leeks, spinach, sprouting broccoli.
- April: Asparagus, sprouting broccoli, cabbage, early lettuces.
- May: Asparagus, broad beans, spring cabbage, lettuce, spring onions, rhubarb, spinach.
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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 for easy reference.
Honesty (Lunaria annua)
Growing to a height of about 100cm, this biennial has scented, white or purple flowers (more usually the latter) and green serrated leaves. The seeds are contained in silvery seed pods, which can be dried and look good in flower arrangements. Prepare for use in flower arrangements as follows: (1) Allow the pods to completely dry out. (2) Carefully peel off the outer layers from the pods and remove the seeds. (3) You should be left with the silvery transparent part of the pods still attached to the stem.
Don't forget to leave some plants outside with their seed pods intact for the birds! Finches especially like to eat the seeds. Honesty is also a valuable caterpillar food plant for white and orange tip butterflies. Plant seeds in May/June in a sunny position in well-drained soil. Honesty seeds can be ordered from John Chambers or Chiltern Seeds.
Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)
This attractive plant has rose-red petals and grows well in moist soil. Consequently, it does well in wetland areas such as by ponds, in wet meadows or in marshy areas. However, it will also grow under trees, providing it's not too dry, or even a damp area of a lawn. It is a very good butterfly plant, providing nectar to many kinds of butterflies and is especially popular with white butterflies such as the Wood White. It's best to grow plants in a mass if you wish to attract butterflies. Ragged Robin is also used as a caterpillar food plant by many types of butterfly and moth caterpillars. Seeds are available by mail order from Chiltern Seeds, the Organic Gardening Catalogue, John Chambers and Suffolk Herbs.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Red clover is a low-growing plant that prefers a poor, chalky, or dry soil and a sunny position. Its flowers are eye-catching and very attractive to look at. I sow red clover on the paths running in between my vegetable beds for an attractive display.
Clover flowers are very popular with bumble bees and will also provide nectar for many kinds of butterflies including the silver-spotted skipper, common blue, pale clouded yellow and clouded yellow. In addition, clover is used as the larval food plant by idas blue, mazarine blue, common blue, clouded yellow, wood white and pale clouded yellow caterpillars and by various moth caterpillars such as the larvae of the six spot burnet moth and grass eggar moth. Its seeds are also eaten by birds.
Red clover is often used in a grassland or meadow area, but because it has nitrogen fixing properties it also makes an excellent green manure plant. Grow it as a green manure plant in an unused area of the garden, or alternatively it can be sown underneath certain vegetable crops where it will provide nitrogen directly to the crop. (Contact the Vegan Organic Trust for more information. Tel: 0161 9283614, e-mail: p.a.white@ukgateway.net). Seeds are available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue, Chiltern Seeds, John Chambers and Suffolk Herbs. Note: White and crimson clover are also well worth growing for wildlife purposes.
Supplier Details:
- The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG. Tel: 0845 130 1304.
- Chiltern Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 7PB. Tel: 01229 581137.
- Suffolk Herbs, Monks Farm, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Essex CO5 9PG. Tel: 01376 572456.
- John Chambers, 15 Westleigh Road, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northants NN15 5AJ. Tel: 01933 652562.
Other Interesting Websites
The Vegan Society (UK)
An excellent site and a particularly good source of information for new vegans, or for anyone who is thinking of going vegan. You can also shop online.
Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute, Inc
An organisation promoting self-healing through the Living Foods Lifestyle™ which was created by Dr. Ann Wigmore (see book reviews below). Situated by the sea in Aguada, Puerto Rico, the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute runs a variety of living foods programs, providing practical experience in hands-on workshops that teach you amongst other things about planting, composting, sprouting, harvesting, food preparation, detoxing the body, breathing and yoga.
Aconbury Sprouts
The UK's leading mail-order supplier of ready-grown organic wheatgrass for juicing. They also sell suitable juicers, wheatgrass growing kits, organic spelt grain and compost. To order your wheatgrass online visit http://www.wheatgrass-uk.com/.
Vegan Passions
A free online dating site for single vegans. Seems to be a mainly USA-based single's database. Definitely needs more UK vegans to register! Why not sign up now to enjoy free chat, message boards and email?
Top of PageGreen Earth Travel
A useful database offering information on environmentally friendly travel options for vegetarians and vegans. Covers worldwide travel, and includes details of vegetarian retreats, hotels, B&Bs, spas, tours etc. Makes it easy to find out where to stay and what to do there. Read the travel stories and the free newsletter, or shop online at the Vegetarian Travel Store where you can purchase items such as cruelty free luggage, insect repellent, sun cream, walking boots and guide books. Don't miss the discounts and free travel. Well what are you waiting for?!
Greek Vegetarian Travel
Greek Vegetarian Travel is run by Portoclub Greece, a family owned touring business, specialising in ticketing, tours, adventure holidays, cruises etc. This company now offers tours that are especially designed for vegetarians and vegans. So, if you are interested in travelling around Greece veggie-style do see what's on offer.
Spring Book Reviews
The Hippocrates Diet and Health Program by Ann Wigmore (Avery, 1984). ISBN: 0-89529-223-8.
What you eat can profoundly affect your health. Ann Wigmore, founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute in the USA, once again points out that the modern, highly processed diet is a prime cause of illness and overweight. This natural diet and health program provides a nutritious alternative to a convenience food diet.
The Hippocrates diet is based on uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, sprouted seeds/grains/legumes, home-grown salad greens and fermented foods and includes fruit, vegetable and green juices such as wheatgrass juice. High in fibre and bursting with vitamins, minerals and enzymes, these foods should help to prevent ill health and thus enable you to fight disease and maintain a healthy body weight.
Contains useful hints and detailed growing instructions on how to grow your own sprouts, salad greens and wheatgrass for juicing and over 70 living food recipes. Price £8.99 + postage from Amazon books at http://www.amazon.co.uk.
The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore (Avery, 1985). ISBN: 089529-234-3.
This comprehensive and clearly written account will provide you with all the information you need to grow your own indoor, all-year-round supply of wheatgrass for juicing. Learn about the amazing nutritional and healing properties of wheatgrass juice and how it can be used to help overcome diseases such as cancer and anaemia. This book also contains some recipes for green juices and a detailed account of wheatgrass fasting. Price £8.99. It's also available from Amazon books at http://www.amazon.co.uk for £8.99 + postage.
Vegan Cookbook by Tony Weston and Yvonne Bishop. (Hamlyn, 2004).
I haven't seen this cookery book yet myself, but here's what the publishers say about it:
Inspirational vegan, vegetarian, dairy free nutritious and delicious recipes that everyone can enjoy. Published by Hamlyn to coincide with The Vegan Society Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of veganism, this innovative cookbook shows how far you can go without using eggs, cheese, meat and fish and other animal products high in saturated fat.Luscious dairy free vegan desserts such as cherry chocolate cake, ice cream, creme caramel, chocolate cheesecake and bannoffee tart.
Breakfast, snacks and lunch ideas including egg free omelettes, pancakes, a cheesy ackee quiche and probably the best vegan dairy free pizza your friends have ever tasted.
If you live outside the UK you can purchase a copy of this book online from Amazon.com for about $11.21.
To find out what the critics have to say about this book visit: http://www.foodsforlife.org.uk/recipes/vegan-cookbook.html.
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