THE VEGAN NEWS

SPRING 2003

The Vegan News is written and edited by P M Lloyd. Please e-mail your contributions to the editor at: paulinelloyd1@btinternet.com or fill in the form provided.

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In This Issue:

Recipes
Vegan Product Review
Don't Miss! This Month's Article - Growing and Using Herbs
In the Veganic Garden
In the Wildlife Garden
New Garden Products
Websites
Book Review(s)
The Wildlife Database

Spring Recipes

Crunchy Apple Avocados

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

Ingredients

2 avocados

2 red apples, finely diced

2 tsp hulled hemp seed

1 tbsp of hemp seed, coarsely ground

1 handful raisins

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

Half a lemon, juiced

1 tbsp hemp oil or 3 tbsp hemp mayonnaise

Pinch of cinnamon

Method

Cut the avocados in half. Remove the flesh, keeping the skin. Mash the flesh with the lemon juice.

Add the diced apple, hemp seed, raisins, celery, oil/mayonnaise and cinnamon to the mashed avocados and mix well.

Divide the mixture between the avocado skins. Garnish with hemp seed or a slice or two of apple. Enjoy!

Serves 2

* Note: Don't worry if you don't have these ingredients. It's possible to miss out the hemp oil and I often use two tbsp of ordinary hemp seeds instead of the hulled and ground hemp seed mentioned in this recipe. Also when I make the recipe I add one tsp of cinnamon instead of a pinch.

Cream Spread

Source: This very quick and tasty sandwich spread is also from H.E.M.P by Paul Benhaim.

Ingredients

1 banana, mashed

1 tbsp of hulled hemp seeds (if these are unavailable use ground hemp seeds instead)

1 tbsp barley miso

1/2 tbsp tahini

Method

Combine the mashed banana with the rest of the ingredients, mixing thoroughly.

Serve with starch free crackers, on fresh bread or with a luscious salad.

Serves 1

For more information please visit the author's websites at HFIA and Alive Foods. You can order a copy of H.E.M.P. through your library or bookstore (ISBN: 1-901250-64-4). And watch this space for further details of Paul Benhaim's new, 100% vegan, living foods book, due out in August 2003!

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Spring Product Review

In this issue I am going to review some of the delicious caffeine-free herb teas that are now available. So if you are looking for a change from ordinary tea and coffee, read on!

Heath & Heather Rosehip & Hibiscus Herbal Tea - This is a warming, rich and fruity tea that is especially good for winter use. Rosehips are an excellent source of vitamin C, therefore this tea should help to keep those winter colds at bay, but it is equally tasty and refreshing, served ice cold in summer. Made from 50% rosehips and hibiscus, this tea is free from all artificial flavours and like all Heath & Heather products is packaged in materials sourced from sustainable forestry. Available from Holland & Barretts, a box of 20 tea bags costs £0.99. It is also possible to purchase a large box of 50 tea bags for £2.05.
Heath & Heather Organic Nettle Herbal Tea - You'll be stung by the taste of this tea! Soil Association Approved, its somewhat salty, but pleasant taste reminded me of the sea. In fact it was rather like sipping a seaweed dashi and I imagine that with the addition of some shiitake mushrooms and perhaps some noodles this tea could be used to make a nice clear soup. Nettle tea is an excellent tonic and is used by herbalists to treat many ailments including uterine haemorrhage, cystitis, diarrhea, chilblains and arthritis. It can also be used to treat anaemia, being a good source of vitamin C and iron. Available in Holland & Barretts, 20 tea bags cost £1.15.
Sainsbury's Pure Peppermint Tea - This refreshing tea is ideal for sipping at the end of a good meal and I also find it helpful for wind or for settling a queasy stomach associated with a migraine. Try it served ice cold in summer. Excellent value, look out for it in Sainsbury's where 40 tea bags cost just £1.29. Incidentally, if you see a packet of Sainsbury's Rosehip Tea don't hesitate to grab some! This tea has a stronger flavour than the Heath & Heather Rosehip & Hibiscus tea mentioned above and is also very good value at £1.29 for 40 tea bags. Sainsbury's also produce a Blackcurrant Tea, which is one of my favourite herb teas because it has a nice, strong flavour (rather like drinking hot Ribena). So if you find most herbal teas rather too bland, then this could be the one for you.
Twinings Organic Peppermint Tea - This tea has a lovely smooth taste and reminds me of eating After Eight Mints. However, because it isn't fattening it is possible to indulge as much as you like with a completely clear conscience! Very similar to the Sainsbury's version mentioned above, although organically produced. A packet of 20 tea bags cost £1.09.
Clipper Organic Orange and Coconut Tea - A pleasant-tasting, orange-flavoured tea, although I was unable to detect any creamy hint of coconut, as mentioned on the packet. Twenty teabags cost £1.39.
Twinings Blackcurrant, Ginseng & Vanilla - Rather nice is my verdict for this one! Its fruity flavour is not as strong as Sainsbury's Blackcurrant Tea, but the vanilla adds a unique smoothness that makes this tea seem rather special. Good value at £0.89 for 20 teabags.
Celestial Seasoning's Cranberry Apple Zinger - A tea with a lovely, strong, rather exotic flavour and a smell that I think reminds me of ground almonds. It's almost impossible to describe this tea properly because the taste seems to change with every mouthful. I think probably 'Wow' best sums it up - I could definitely get hooked on this one. Do try it if you get the chance! £1.59 for 20 teabags.
Golden Temple Yogi Tea Licorice (Egyptian Spice) - The ideal tea for licorice lovers. This naturally sweet, warming tea isn't especially strong but has a nice spicy flavour. Containing licorice, cinnamon, ginger root, orange peel, cardamom, black pepper, chicory root, barley malt and cloves, it's rather expensive but nevertheless makes a nice treat. The cassia cinnamon comes from the volcanic rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is grown and harvested by small-scale farmers according to EU organic and ecological standards. Ten percent of the cinnamon's purchase price is contributed to local community projects, helping to protect the rainforest boundaries. Fifteen individually-wrapped teabags cost £1.79. The box is made from recycled paper; the teabag filter paper is unbleached. Note: It is probably not a good idea to drink licorice tea if you have high blood pressure.

Rosehip Tea Peppermint Tea Cranberry Zinger Licorice Tea Nettle Tea

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What's Happening in the Veganic Garden this Spring?

If you are looking for something a little bit unusual to plant in your garden this year, then you should consider planting some quinoa. Quinoa looks spectacular in the autumn, producing heads varying in colour from ochre to burnt sienna, pink, burgundy, green and cream. And at just under three metres in height, quinoa is not a plant that will remain unnoticed for long!

Pronounced keen'wa, quinoa is a chenopod and is related to Good King Henry and the garden weed Fat Hen. It's a remarkable ancient grain crop, producing enough seeds in one seed head to plant a quarter of an acre. Also known as the 'Mother Grain', quinoa has superior nutritional qualities. Quinoa contains all eight essential amino acids and because, unlike other common grains, it contains the amino acid lysine it is equal in protein quality to milk. As well as a high protein content, varying between 7.5 and 22.1%, quinoa contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and B vitamins and is a particularly good source of vitamin B1 (thiamine).

Quinoa should be sown in the first week in May. Sow the seed either in a row or in a block, lightly covering the tiny seed and later thinning the plants to 30 cm apart. Harvesting is carried out in the autumn. When the tiny seeds come readily away from the heads, cut down the whole plant and hang it upside down in a dry place so that the grain can continue to ripen. When it is ripe, running your fingers over the heads should make the grains fall out quite easily.

Each grain is coated with saponin which gives quinoa a bitter taste, if this is not washed off properly before the grain is cooked. The best way to wash quinoa is to place the amount of grain you require in a muslin bag, then emerse the bag in water, rubbing the grains between the hands. You will need to change the water several times and when the water no longer contains any 'suds', the grain is ready to cook. To cook: Add the grain to boiling water in the ratio of one part grain to two parts water. Quinoa normally takes about 15 mins to cook and will look translucent when it is ready. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes after cooking, then fluff up with a fork before serving.

Quinoa grains can also be ground to make flour or alternatively they can be sprouted, usually being ready for harvesting in about 4-6 days when the sprouts are about 2.5 cm long. If you want to try out some quinoa before attempting to grow your own, then I would recommend Granovita Organic Quinoa, which can be purchased in health shops such as Holland & Barretts.

Seed is available from Suffolk Herbs for £0.85 (Order Code: AG1) or from the Organic Gardening Catalogue for £1.25 (Order Code: SRQU). Supplier's address details are given below. Happy Planting!

Address Details:

Suffolk Herbs, Monks farm, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Essex, C05 9PG. Tel: 01376 572456. E-mail: sales@suffolkherbs.com.
The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey, KT12 4RG. Tel: 01932 253666. E-mail: chaseorg@aol.com.

Further Reading:

Quinoa - A useful information sheet, available free of charge from Suffolk herbs.
Quinoa the Supergrain by Rebecca Wood.
Recipes with Quinoa - Six vegan recipes, available from Suffolk Herbs (address above).
More Recipes from New Leaves - This booklet contains quinoa recipes and is produced by the Movement for Compassionate Living. It's available from MCL c/o David Lane, Veggies, The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX and costs £1.00 plus 20p postage. Please make cheques payable to MCL, or send UK stamps to the same value. E-mail: mcl@veggies.org.uk if you would like more information.

Spring Sowing and Planting Schedule:

March: Plant out untreated onion sets/shallots and make outside sowings of early peas (e.g. Feltham First), broad beans, parsnips, carrots, turnips, parsley, salad onions and lettuces e.g. 'Winter Density' or Little Gem'. Start cauliflowers, cabbages, brussel sprouts and leeks off indoors, or in a cold frame.
April: Continue to make outside sowings of parsnips, lettuces, carrots, peas, broad beans, spinach and radishes. Landcress is also sown in April. Plant up new asparagus beds and plant out chitted second early potatoes, protecting potato shoots with polythene when night frosts are forecast. Brussel sprout plants can also be planted outside if these are now large enough to handle. Make indoor sowings of tomatoes (in early April, if not carried out last month), sprouting broccoli and kale. Many herbs can also be sown in April.
May: Bean planting month! Sow French beans, runner beans and beans for drying. Sweetcorn is also sown in May. Continue to plant out your Brussel sprouts. Make indoor sowings of kale, winter cabbage/cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli.

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In the Wildlife Garden

In this new section I am going to introduce you to some of the wildflowers and garden plants that are especially beneficial to animals. By planting a selection of these plants in your garden you can do much to help British wildlife. When deciding which species to grow select plants that are likely to do well in the conditions that exist in your garden. In this issue I am going to start by looking at three species of violas.

Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)

I am especially fond of the sweet violet because it is one of the first flowers to appear in my garden each year. It's usual flowering time is between February and April, but in sheltered conditions it can sometimes be seen in flower as early as the New Year! Its perfumed flowers are purple in colour (although occasionally they can be white) and this rather attractive, rapidly spreading plant grows only to about 15 cm (6 in) in height. Widespread throughout southern Britain, although much rarer further north, the sweet violet is usually found on banks or in chalky open woodland in the wild. However, it makes a very attractive garden plant, growing well underneath a hedge, in a woodland area, or at the front of a border and it can even be planted in containers or grown indoors as a houseplant. The sweet violet is valuable to wildlife because it provides nectar for early flying insects such as bees. However, it is also the caterpillar food plant for various kinds of fritillary butterflies, including the high brown fritillary. In addition to its wildlife value, the sweet violet's fragrant flowers are edible and are often crystallized and used as a cake decoration. Alternatively the fresh flowers can be added to salads.

Dog Violet (Viola riviniana)

The dog violet grows in woodlands, underneath hedges or on heaths and its flowers tend to be paler than those of the sweet violet. In my own garden it seems to like to grow on shingle and my neighbour recently had a brilliant display of dog violet flowers in a container and is still trying to work out how they got in there! The dog violet is unperfumed, will tolerate more shade than the sweet violet and has a longer flowering period, extending from March to June. Like the sweet violet it is a low-growing perennial, reaching up to 20 cm in height and it is also an important caterpillar food plant for fritillary butterflies.

Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)

More commonly known as heart's ease, the wild pansy's flowers are very variable in color, but usually consist of various combinations of yellow, white and purple. Heart's ease will grow well in most soils and situations and looks especially nice if planted in clumps at the front of a border or in a container. It can also be used to provide colour in the first year of a flowering meadow. In a good soil it can reach 30 cm (12 in) in height, which is slightly taller than the other two violas mentioned above. In the wild it is found growing on arable land, on wasteland or by the roadside. It readily self seeds and provided it is kept dead headed will flower for a long period of time, its usual flowering period being between April and September. The wild pansy is also an important fritillary caterpillar food plant, being especially popular with the queen of Spain fritillary and the pearl-bordered fritillary. It's nectar is also used by bees and adult butterflies.

These viola seeds are available from the John Chambers Wild Flower Seed Catalogue. Tel: 01933 652562. Or write to: John Chambers, 15 Westleigh Road, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, Northants, NN15 5AJ, if you would like a copy of their catalogue.

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New Garden Products

In the depths of winter, I decided to cheer myself up by checking out what was on offer in the 2003 gardening catalogues and this is what I found:

The 2003 Organic Gardening Catalogue contained quite a few interesting new items, including a new dwarf French bean for drying called Canellino and a new chard (Bright Yellow), which has green leaves and bright yellow stems. Other unusual yellow veggies offered in this catalogue included a golden yellow carrot (Kinbi F1) and a yellow courgette (Gold Bush). If you are looking for a long term green manure, then their new Fertility Builder Mixture could be just what you are looking for! Best sown on areas of land that won't be used for at least one season, this mixture of red clover and rye grasses is ideal for allotment use. As well as building fertility and supressing weeds it can be cut several times a year to provide mulching material. Sow it anytime between March and September.

The sprouting section of the catalogue also contained several interesting new items, including a Turn the Dial Sprout Chart, sprouting bags made out of hemp and flax (ideal for growing larger seeds, but rather expensive at £9.50 each) and an automatic sprouter that waters the sprouts for you - although I am afraid that it isn't quite clever enough to fill itself up with water! If you have £89.95 to spare it's called the Freshlife Automatic Sprouter and will grow up to 500 g of sprouts at once. The range of wildflower mixtures has also been expanded and now includes a Coastal Mix (ideal for anyone who lives by the sea), a Plants in Danger mix and an Easy and Colourful mix that could be worth a try, if you are are a beginner or if you are trying to get the kids interested in gardening. Containing many plants that are useful to animals, this mixture could prove to be educational as well as fun for kids to grow. If you are looking for some fruit trees, then turn to p. 70 to see the impressive new range of organic apple and plum trees, now being offered by this catalogue. These include many old apple favourites such as Cox's Orange Pippin, Discovery, Egremont Russet, Jonagold, Katy, Spartan and Worcester Permain and the best known plum of all, Victoria. Finally, I would just like to point out the new animal-free soil conditioner, Orgabiose, which you will find on p. 72 of the catalogue. This is made from hemp and because of its excellent moisture retaining properties, could be especially useful in containers. A large 25 kg bag costs £14.75.

If birds attack your crops regularly, you may also be interested in the new Humming Line in the 2003 Suffolk Herb Catalogue. Effective against many birds, this humming line is stretched above the crop where it makes a humming noise as it vibrates in the breeze. A bargain at £3.99 for about 30 metres, I may even test this out on my pigeons this season! The Suffolk Herb catalogue also contains a wide range of gardening books on various topics such as herbs, gourds, composting and wildlife gardening. And if you're interested in old varieties of vegetables, then you will probably be interested in The Heligan Vegetable Bible. Written by Tim Smit and Philip McMillan Browse, this paperback was published in November 2002 and costs £14.99.

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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 anyone who is thinking of going vegan. You can now also shop or become a member online.

The American Vegan Society (USA)

A good source of information for American vegans. Why not become a AVS member? Books, events and - coming soon - a brand new newsletter!

Food for Life Global

The world's largest vegan/vegetarian food relief organisation. Find out more about their work and show your support by becoming a member or by volunteering your help.

The Raw Chef (USA)

Meet raw chef Chad Sarno and discover the delights of raw vegan cuisine! Take a look at the raw resources, articles and books or maybe even sign up for a raw workshop.

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Spring Book Reviews

Vegan Rustic Cooking For All Seasons by Diana White (Vegan Organic Trust, 2002).

Recently published by the Vegan Organic Trust and containing just under 120 tasty, vegan recipes, this large, attractively laid out and easy-to-read cookery book is excellent value for £6.99. Simply illustrated in black and white, Vegan Rustic Cooking For All Seasons contains recipes for soups, pates/spreads, sauces, main meals, puddings and baked goods and each recipe is clearly labelled with the appropriate season(s). The recipes have a somewhat macrobiotic feel to them and are largely based on seasonal fruit and vegetables, grains and legumes, with seaweed, herbs, tamari and miso being the main seasonings. Many of the ingredients could easily be home grown and all of the recipes are straightforward enough to make using simple kitchen utensils.

Available from the Vegan Organic Trust, 10 Charter Road, Altringham, Cheshire WA15 9RL. UK. Cheques should be made out in sterling and made payable to 'The Vegan Organic Trust'.

Price £6.99 (price includes postage).

Vegan Recipes by Rachel Henderson (Bowbridge Publishing, 2002).

Whether you are an experienced vegan, new to veganism, or simply want to cater for a vegan visitor, this collection of around 100 straightforward recipes should provide you with plenty of ideas for tasty and quickly-prepared vegan meals. Attractively and simply laid out, as well as being easy to read, this 112 page E-Cookbook uses readily available ingredients and is divided up into sections on breakfasts, starters, soups, salads, main meals, sauces and puddings. There are plenty of useful tips, some extra quick recipes, as well as a section listing the ingredients you will need for your store cupboard. And you don't need to waste energy turning over the pages either. Simply click on the recipe you want on the Contents Page and you will be taken straight there! It's a pity though that there isn't a return button on each page, so that it's possible to whizz back to Contents again just as easily. Nicely illustrated throughout with many of the recipes having their own colour photograph. ISBN 0-9544344-0-4.

This book can be purchased from the Bowbridge Publishing web site for £5.00. For more information email: info@bowbridgepublishing.com, or write to: Bowbridge Publishing, 18 Bowbridge Lock, Stroud, Glos, GL5 2JZ.

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