h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I happened to be in town at lunchtime the other day, and remembering that I needed some bread, bought an organic sunflower seed loaf from a stall in the market.

It cost four times as much as the ones I buy from the supermarket and although it is probably heresy to say so, was not nearly as nice. Very heavy texture. Also smaller.

Apologies to Sue - I'm sure if you sell bread in your shop it is delicious!

Heya Annie. This has been roughly my experience on occasion too, but the organic loaf is awfully good for your soul, and may at least 'encourage the others'. petal.

Ooh ps I was wondering whether you had seen the Haneke film "Hidden" with Auteuil and Binoche at any film-buff events? [sorry I should have checked for the French title.] Due for release Friday, and sounds right up my mid-winter weekend street. How sad that I am looking for justification for an outing!

Hi there pj

No, I haven't seen 'Hidden' yet, but it is coming to my local arthouse cinema at the end of this month. I'm a fan of Daniel Auteuil, but not of violent stuff, which I believe Handke has a reputation for, so I'm in two minds about seeing it.

Was sufficiently organised to call in at the cinema on my way home yesterday and book a ticket for Brokeback Mountain tomorrow afternoon - looking forward to that.

I do stock bread made with organic ingredients (not certified). All the bread is very good when just baked but some does not "keep". The white and wholemeal are too dry even the following day, but the sourdoughs are lovely as are the spiced buns. Mushrooms on sourdough toast can be just sublime.


Our veg boxes are not organic but 'properly grown' -doing only 95 boxes I can get away with this as a verbal description as each customer is personally signed up. The local salads courgettes and cabbage are produced by a man, working on his own, who sells to us and local hotels at a realistic price and sells his surplice to the Aberdeen wholesalers competing with the industrial horticulturists. His produce is top quality but it would not pay him to spend the time and effort having his produce certified so I would not be allowed to incude his produce in an organic box. All other fruit and veg is bought throught the organic wholesaler and most of it tastes a bit better though this is mostly due to the varieties grown.

My great problem is the carrot fly. To ensure that carrots are not holey the producers wash the carrots and with out the preservative spray the loose washed carrots do not keep.

Sue

Sue we have never gone for veg boxes, though a number of our friends have used various schemes, including large discounted boxes which they then divide amongst several families.

Did however have an allotment for years when we lived in the city [too may rabbits and deer out in no-man's land]. Gave up completely on carrots because they got eaten so quickly - and because decent organic carrots are widely available. Friend had them in large veg. garden in Cumbria, but he had special rabbit fencing, picked them v. small and served them as an hors d'oeuvre. pj

Hello Annie - Happy New Year if it is not too late.

I have rather strange opinions about organic.

I wouldn't eat organic bread, because I'd prefer the grain to be treated with fungicides.

However, I have an organic fruit and veg box every week - which is great value. For £13 you get generous quantities of three fruit and seven veg items. This week it included kiwi fruit, aubergine, lettuce, yellow pepper, tomatoes, cabbage, garlic, apples, pears and leeks. You can look on the website on a Friday to see what is in next week's box and plan accordingly. There are even recipes on the website.

Last week there was beetroot - and it was absolutley gorgeous eaten fresh - and not much trouble to prepare either.

All good stuff

Take care

Prue

Hello Sue - and thanks for this interesting information.

My local 'Urban Farm Shop' does organic veg boxes, but only in one size, and as I live alone and I'm a bit lazy about cooking, I think there'd probably a lot of waste. They're also not all local stuff, although I think they are trying to increase the number of local suppliers.

They have lovely cheese, preserves etc, but they are not cheap. Also bread (especially pan gallego - yummy!), which is not quite as expensive as the stuff on the market, but they've usually run out by the time I pass the shop on my way home from work.

Hi there Prue, and Happy New Year (belatedly) back!

See my reply to Sue about organic veg boxes.

Hadn't thought about the treated/untreated grain issue ... hmm, you've probably got a point there!

Eilis is coming to Cambridge in February sometime - we haven't been able to link up by email so far, but I'm working on it. I'll let you know if we get a date for a mini-meet, in case you fancy popping over.

Will look forward to hearing from you, and best wishes to Eilis.

Prue