Penny’s picks are As Good As Meat Vegetarian blogger Penny Wilson’s kids have never eaten meat and have no desire to. “We don’t much care what other people eat, so long as we are left to enjoy our food,” she says. Eating out, eating in Boost your business Restaurant reviews are a popular feature of East End Life. If you would like to advertise on this page, call our ads team on 7364 4061 www.asgoodasmeat.com It’s all about that basil, no trouble YOU can buy readymade pesto from supermarkets. It is a traditional Italian sauce that can be used with pasta or to top pizzas or make a toasted sandwich more tangy. But making your own is easy and cheaper too. The recipe that is most familiar uses fresh basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. You can use many other things as well, so why not experiment. At Southern Grove Community Centre this week we had jacket sweet potatoes (cut fist sized and baked in the oven for about 45 minutes or until they Homemade pesto are soft right through). We ate these with pesto made in exactly the way described below but using spinach, sunflower seeds and strong cheddar cheese. I have tried several other variations using the remains of bagged salads or rocket. I even tried using flat round nasturtium leaves (it was a bit earthy, but I loved the pepperiness). Change the cheese or nuts you use for more variations. I am going to forage some wild garlic grass from Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and see how that turns out. Ingredients 1 bunch of basil 4 cloves of crushed garlic 50g of parmesan cheese Method 1. Chop the basil into small bits and add salt, white pepper and garlic. 2. Using a blender or pestle and mortar, reduce the leaves to a mulch with a generous glug of olive oil. 3. Mix in the pine nuts (you might like to toast these a little Handful of pine nuts Sea salt and white pepper to season bit to add a burnt hint of a taste – not too much or it will be bitter) and grated parmesan. A dribble of cold water can be used to help to get your preferred paste or sauce consistency. 4. Pop the mixture in a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge. It should last for about a week. By Penny Wilson The future’s bright... the future’s orange BY GORDON BLUE HANBURY Street is a bit of a mixed bag of shops and cafés but Jago is a shocker, an orange and glass façade, its edifice bulbously extruding above the busy thoroughfare. Inside is no less space age and your eye is automatically drawn to the cocktail bar (well, mine is anyway). I settle in with a Gibson; oddly the precise hair of the dog from the night before and a wonderful martini reminiscent of liquid Monster Munch due to the baby pearl, silverskin onions that lend it its piquancy. The menu is the familiar mix of small and large plates, which always leaves me a little confused on the pressing matter of whether I’m going to get enough to eat. With bread not complimentary (my only quibble, understandable for bar snacks but not when in the restaurant) I don’t have this staple fall back, but my worry proves futile. Small plates of sardines on Jago offers great food in a funky setting toast and scallops are both lipsmackingly special. The sardines were almost creamy and cevichey in style they were so fresh, and the scallops were meaty, plump and generous in size (including the coral: shows the freshness of these babies). My main of pumpkin and celeriac gratin with chicory salad was not quite as healthy as one might think. The gratin was unctuous in its deep, creamy sauce, the gruyere lending an earthiness that had me rolling my eyes. My friend’s roasted haddock with samphire and cashew butter was cooked to perfection and an interesting use of ingredients. The nut butters, perfectly prepared veg and attention to detail reminded us a little of Lyle’s (new favourite) on Bethnal Green Road, but with a space-age twist. And so to dessert. I can describe this in detail as I’m still having flashbacks a week on: ‘chocolate tart’ in no way gives credit to the slick of cocoa kick, so well tempered that you could pretty much see your face in it. You could palpably feel the friendship start to falter as we continued to chat and laugh while all eyes were actually on the tart, and it’s diminishing portion size, that we agreed to share in a moment of madness. Sleight of hand, distraction techniques and subliminal systems were all attempted to confuse and trick, but there was no way either of us was leaving without our cocoa quotient. All of the above was washed down with a decent Gaillac Blanc for a little over £80 including service. Not bad including a martini with onions. ■ Jago is at 68-80 Hanbury Street, E1. Tel: 3818 3241. The Farm is free to all visitors and everyone is welcome. Illustration by Marina Inoue Stepney City Farm is a working farm, rural arts centre and community meeting place. We give children and adults a chance to meet farm animals, learn how to grow food and try out arts and crafts. Our award winning café serves delicious homemade food, you can buy eggs, fresh produce and preserves in the farm shop and there is a weekly Saturday farmers’ market. We also host special evening and weekend events with guest chefs. Opening Times Farm: Tuesday–Sunday 10am-4pm Cafe: Wednesday–Friday 9.30am-2.30pm, Saturday–Sunday 10am-4pm Farmers’ market: Saturday 10am-3pm Registered charity number: 1136448. To book school trips or enquire about group visits please email youth@stepneycityfarm.org 020 7790 8204 | www.stepneycityfarm.org | @stepneycityfarm | facebook.com/stepneycityfarm 20 – 26 APRIL 2015 N E W S F R OM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 23
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