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@fairtradeliving
Changing the world... nut by nut
Last Thursday, 22 of October, was National Nut Day in the UK! … but of course you knew that already, right?
I was privileged to be involved in a series of meetings and activities with smallholder nut producers from India, Nicaragua and Bolivia, who collectively own their own Fairtrade Company here in the UK: Liberation Foods… how amazing is that!
The evening of National Nut Day, Liberation…
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What do you get when you combine a Brit, a German, a Slovakian and a Bolivian, with a bit of craft and group therapy?
Well, the oddest constellation of all. A group of friends that has become, like all constellations, a great source of beauty, inspiration and light in my life.
These beautiful, crazy and super creative ladies, really do feel like family, and even though sometimes it seems like we come from different planets (especially you Sandra haha) the encouragement, support and sheer fun that we share is truly a great treasure that I am most grateful to have in my life.
Last week, Martina, the Slovakian baby of the group, turned 32 (ONLY 32!) and so to mark her passing into adulthood, I made them a Bolivian Pique Macho.
Pique Macho is a dish from the region of Cochabamba in Bolivia… which is an area very much like Kent, also dubbed the ‘Garden of Bolivia’. Cochabamba is famous for two things: its great weather and its HUGE FOOD PORTIONS. To give you an idea, one of its most famous dishes is the Silpancho, a sort beef Schnitzel that is often described in menus as being the size of an s Elephant’s Ear…and they are not joking.
Similarly the ‘Macho’ bit in the Pique Macho refers to having the guts (literally) to finish the HUGE & SPICY portion that you probably didn’t know was coming. I read a great blog from a lady from Cochabamba that encouraged all women to ‘test’ the worthiness of their future husbands by presenting them with a biggest/spiciest Pique possible and to only to accept their proposal if they were able to finish their plates… and soak up the juices at the bottom of the plate with a bit of bread. I love it. It should definitely be featured in one of those Man Vs Food programmes… with the wedding at the end.
Anyway, it’s actually a very easy dish to prepare last week I tried making it on my Slow Cooker for the first time, with great results. The recipe and photos are below.
Bolivian Pique Macho (slow cooker recipe)
Cuisine: Bolivian
Author: Fair Trade Living
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours 15 mins
Serves: 4-6
Spicy beef and chorizo stew cooked in a slow cooker and served on a bed of chips.
Ingredients
500 gr stewing steak
400 gr Spanish chorizo
2 large onions
3 peppers
2 tablespoons of Aji Panca (or a teaspoon of chilli flakes)
500 gr of frozen chips
1 hard boiled egg
5-4 olives for decoration
2 beef stock cubes
1 glass of beer (larger)
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs
Instructions
Cut the onions and peppers into long pieces and place them in the slow cooker
Brown the chorizo until it releases its juices, then place in the slow cooker
Brown the meat in the chorizo oil and then place in the slow cooker
Add the spices, stock and beer.
Switch on your slow cooker on Auto or slow for 6-8 hours until the beef is tender and the juice has thickened
Add the Aji Panca to taste before serving
Cook your frozen chips according to their instructions
Place a bed of chips, topped by the Beef stew and decorate with a few slices of egg and olives
Serve with bread to soak up the juice at the end
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Just remember to wear loose trousers!!!
Bolivian Pique Macho (slow cooker recipe) What do you get when you combine a Brit, a German, a Slovakian and a Bolivian, with a bit of craft and group therapy?
Spiced Plum Jam & Plum Chutney, perfect for cheese and charcuterie boards
It feels like the summer is coming to an end. The nights are drawing in and we’ve had to put on jumpers and boots on a couple of times already… but we still have one more summer pleasure to enjoy: foraging for the abundant wild fruit that is all around our countryside at this time of the year.
Last year we had a great crop of wild blackberries and damsons which gave us some fabulous jam and…
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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the important role that forming part of a community plays in our lives. I don’t know if it’s an age thing linked to the fact that I have small children, but belonging to a community definitely feels more relevant in my life now, than when I was in my 20s, when I guess one’s experience tends to be more self-centred.
I’ m lucky to live in a lovely small village in the southeast on England (Edenbridge) which has a very busy High Street, which I walk up and down at least twice a day to and from my daughters Primary School. It’s a lovely feeling to stop off at least a couple of times to say hello to someone and to be involved with the village life and even hear the gossip!
My dear, dear (and slightly insane) sister visited us from the US for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and one of things that she said struck her most about life here, was precisely that… the community connections, which are often also friendships and which certainly contrast some of the loneliness felt in many other parts of the world, where isolation is sadly so common.
But belonging to a community is not a one way thing… it’s not about just taking and enjoying the benefits of belonging to a group… instead, it’s all about giving and caring enough to get involved with the local issues and decisions, putting in the work, the hours and yes, sometimes putting up with the politics.
Fairtrade is powerful precisely because it brings together individuals within communities. Of course this is true at the producer end, where farmers join together in cooperatives, but it is also very powerful at the other end where activists work together in their communities to promote the movement and encourage collective action.
Over the past 15 years fairtrade campaigner groups have worked hard for communities in consumer countries to achieve ‘Fairtrade Status’. Such status is given after a campaign involving the whole community increases the understanding that small collective actions can make a big difference and demonstrates a deepening of the understanding of the power of consumer behaviour and the importance of choosing Fairtrade products. From the very first small town in Lancashire in 2000, more than 1600 villages, towns, cities, districts, boroughs, etc. have achieved Fairtrade status in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Italy Brazil, the USA, and more.
I am proud to belong to the Edenbridge community, which was one of the first Fairtrade towns, achieving Fairtrade Status in 2005.
To mark our 10 year anniversary, my local activist group and I organised a Street Party last Saturday. Supported by of our local authorities we closed our High Street for a couple of hours and offered free music and fairtrade nibbles to the public.
What a great opportunity for children to just run around safely and for people to pause from their weekend rush and just chat to friends and neighbours for a while.
Will it encourage more people to support Fairtrade? Hopefully…. but it certainly served as a good community building exercise… which is just as important!
Here are a few pictures of the day!
Community Power – small collective actions that make a big difference I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the important role that forming part of a community plays in our lives.
Run Across Congo - in support of Twin Trading's incredible work
When I turned 30, as a present to myself, I quit my job.
It’s not that there was anything wrong with it, in fact, I loved it and had great colleagues and amazing experiences. It just wasn’t what I had always dreamt of being involved with: international development.
Something about milestone birthdays makes us pause for a moment to take stock of what we really want to do with our lives against…
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Tucumanas are another one of Bolivia’s fantastic street foods. They are a very filling meat pastry that is usually eaten as a mid-morning snack or a light lunch. The pastry is filled with meat, onions, potatoes, carrots, peas, hard boiled eggs and olives is deep fried and served with a variety of sauces which you tend to top up after every bite.
I have fond memories of walking down El Prado in La Paz and not being able to resist the pull of a Tucumana stand and giving in to one…often on my way to have lunch!
I have been making them in the UK for a few years since they don’t really have many Bolivian ingredients that are hard to find here… but, as is the case with any Empanada, they are not difficult to make, but they do TAKE TIME… often much more than you think… so save them for those very special occasions.
I made this last lot for my Mum in Law’s birthday in early April and I have to say they were rather nice!
The detailed recipes are below, but I also include a series of photos to guide you step by step.
Bolivian Empanadas Tucumanas
Recipe Type: Bolivian Street Food
Cuisine: Bolivian
Author: Fair Trade Living
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 30 mins
Serves: about 30[url:1][img:1][/url]
Bolivian Street Food – Meat filled pastry (Empanada)
Ingredients
Filling:
500 gr minced pork or beef (or combination of both)
1 large onion finely chopped
4-6 small potatoes peeled and chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 cup of frozen peas
Mixed herbs, chili, salt, pepper and cumin (to taste)
1 beef stock cube
2 hard boiled eggs
1 handful of olives
Dough:
500 gr self raising flour
2 eggs
3 heaped spoons of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of warm milk
Instructions
– Brown the meat and then add all the vegetables and herbs (reserve the olives and eggs) and simmer with plenty of water for around an hour until the vegetables are all cooked and the water has evaporated, leaving a pretty dry and flavoursome filing. Leave to cool.
– Place the flour and all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the eggs, butter and then the milk little by little. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until you have a soft dough. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
– Make small golf sized balls with the dough and then roll them into circles about the size of side plate.
– Add about 2 heaped spoons of filling, a bit of egg and olives and then press the edges to close the parcels and then twist and press them until you seal them.
– Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan until it’s very hot, then drop the empanadas one by one for 1-3 minutes until they turn golden.
Serve with llajwa, mayonnaise or any other dip you prefer!
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Finally! the recipe to Bolivian Empanadas Tucumanas Tucumanas are another one of Bolivia’s fantastic street foods. They are a very filling meat pastry that is usually eaten as a mid-morning snack or a light lunch.
Fairtrade Sugar Crisis and Spring time baking
Happy Easter everyone!
I’m SO glad the winter is finally over and I can’t tell you how happy the daffodils and the blossom make me. This has been a particularly hard and long winter for me, so I’m very glad to see the back of it.Spring is so full of promise and I’m filled with such a sense of renewal and opportunity that I can’t wait for the explosion of colours that is about to happen.
It’s also…
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Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 and Koolskools (ethical school clothing)
Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 and Koolskools (ethical school clothing)
Fairtrade Fortnight is a promotional campaign that takes place in the UK once a year to increase awareness and create a buzz around all things Fairtrade. Up and down the country schools, churches, towns supermarkets, etc. organize all sorts of activities to share stories and highlight the impact of consumer’s choices and to promote Fairtrade products.
This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight took place…
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Fairtrade fabrics and support networks (My Sewing Club)
On the blog this week... a note about Fairtrade fabrics and support networks
One of the reasons why I’m such a fan of Fair Trade, is the fact that it creates networks. It is all about people coming together, joining forces and linking up arms to becoming stronger.
We all need such support networks. Especially in certain times of our lives when without the support, the encouragement and the strength that can be found in them, one can feel alone and hopeless against the…
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Damson Gin, the perfect traditional festive offering for Father Christmas
So, it’s all systems go for Christmas and we are feeling particularly rushed to get all the preparations ready after having spent a very special couple of weeks in the US with family for Thanksgiving.
Christmas is about so many things… but for us, it’s all about all the little traditions that every family and culture has, and that now as parents, we have huge responsibility of crafting into our…
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Pork Belly
Chris' earth shattering Pork Belly recipe is up on the blog this week!
Well, this is a signature recipe and a family favourite. It’s top shelf stuff… reserved for the very best and most special guests and occasions. A dish that we often ‘save’ for the winter months, when its imperative to give yourself permission to overindulge a little bit in account of the grey and wintery weather.
The truth is that to make the perfect belly you can’t follow a set recipe because…
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Pants to Poverty Feature and Competition
This week on the Blog a Pants to Poverty Feature and Competition
This week on the blog, we’re featuring Pants to Poverty, an award winning Fairtrade and Organic fashion brand started nine years ago as part of the global ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign.
Pants has really come a very long way since Nelson Mandela stood in Trafalgar Square in 2005 calling for our generation to rise up and Make Poverty History. It was his words (which I remember well), and the…
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Bolivian Papas a la Huancaina (potatoes with a spicy fairtrade nut sauce)
On the blog this week: Bolivian Papas a la Huancaina (potatoes with a spicy fairtrade nut sauce)
Papas a la Huancaina is a hugely popular dish in Peru and in Bolivia. The original dish is from Peru, but it’s quite different from this recipe, which is closer to the Bolivian version. The Huancaina is basically of a spicy warm sauce that is seasoned with Aji Amarrillo (a sort of yellow chilli powder that seasons most of the food from the region of the Andes), but the Peruvian version has fresh…
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World Coffee Day is celebrated around the world on the 29th of September and is used as great excuse for everyone in the industry to promote Fair Trade coffee and to raise awareness of the plight of coffee growers around the world, a plight that has been particularly hard for the millions of growers in Central and South America who have been affected by La Roya, a coffee fungus that has devastated thousands of farms and families and caused an economic damage of over one billion pounds since it hit in 2012.
As if producers didn’t have enough challenges already by having to face the inequalities of the incredibly competitive and complex coffee market, and suffering the effects of climate change; La Roya has been the final stroke that has forced many growers to sadly give up on a traditional source of income (and art form!) of many generations. Nonetheless, it gives me hope to know that many of the cooperatives that I have had the pleasure of being involved with over the years, have taken it in their stride, and are working hard to support their members in the introduction of new coffee varieties that are resistant to La Roya. I take my hat of to them and sincerely hope that their businesses will become more resilient as a result.
But back to coffee… coffee is what makes the world go round right? And although it’s sensational just on its own as a drink, there are many scrumptious recipes that include it, and Tiramisu is probably one of the most famous ones. This coffee flavoured Italian dessert (which quite appropriately means ‘pick me up’ or lift me up’!) is super easy to make and although it’s a bit rich… if you have a good excuse for the extra calories…you absolutely must go for it.
It’s made from ladyfinger biscuits which are soaked in coffee and amaretto and then layered with raspberries and a combination of a sort of custard, double cream and mascarpone cheese (this is what I mean about the richness!), and if you use, like I did, a transparent cup or glass (or many mismatched ones like I did!) they can be quite beautiful to bring out at the end of a meal.
For this recipe I used this amazing 360 Reserva de Puerto Rico coffee from Sea Island Coffee, which is an fantastic company that specializes in rare and exotic coffees. They source super special single origins from, off-the-beaten track places, whose volumes are often limited to a very small annual production, allowing for strict quality control and strong sustainable and environmental practices. They believe that coffee can only be considered great if it is grown with respect for people and planet and many of the single estates and co-operatives from which they source, are organic and fair trade certified, and others are working with Rainforest Alliance and Utz. If you are a coffee enthusiast with a discerning palate you must visit their page and try their incredible blends!
So, here goes this super easy recipe for an Italian Raspberry and Amaretto Tiramisu:
Raspberry and Amaretto Tiramisu
Recipe Type: Easy
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Fair Trade Living
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 6
A super scrumptious version of the Italian Tiramisu, which includes Raspberries and Amaretto
Ingredients
2 free range egg yolks
2 tbsp. of Fairtrade sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
250 gr of mascarpone cheese
130 gr of double cream
6-8 ladyfinger biscuits
200 ml of Fairtrade coffee
100 ml of Amaretto
100 gr of fresh raspberries
cocoa powder
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale
- Simmer on Banne Marie for 6-8 minutes until you get a sort of think custard. Add the vanilla extract, mix again and then leave to cool
- Mix the mascarpone a bit with a fork to loosen it
- Beat the double cream until you get hard peaks
- Fold the mascarpone cheese and the double cream into the custard mixture, until you get a creamy and loose mixture
- Place the coffee and amaretto on a shallow plate
- Dunk the biscuits in the mixture (both sides, but not too much!) and then place them on your serving glass
- Add layers of cream and raspberries to taste
- Finish by dusting some cocoa powder on the top
- Leave in the fridge for at least an hour, but better overnight.
- Take out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before serving
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On the blog this week, a super easy and delicious recipe for a Raspberry and Amaretto Tiramisu in celebration of World Coffee Day World Coffee Day is celebrated around the world on the 29th of September and is used as great excuse for everyone in the industry to promote Fair Trade coffee and to raise awareness of the plight of coffee growers around the world, a plight that has been particularly hard for the millions of growers in Central and South America who have been affected by La Roya, a coffee fungus that has devastated thousands of farms and families and caused an economic damage of over one billion pounds since it hit in 2012.
Local & Seasonal Fig Delight
This week on the blog a great recipe for a local & seasonal Fig delight
The trend to eat local and seasonal produce is so popular in the UK nowadays that it’s almost at risk of tiring the ethical consumer and becoming a bit like one of those fad diets. However, it is useful to go back to basics and remember why it makes so much sense to incorporate it in your daily shopping plans and choices.
Seasonal food is sold at the time of year when its at its natural optimum…
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Ramazan Pide – Turkish Bread
This week on the blog: a fantastic recipe for a Turkish Bread: Ramazan Pide
Since our holiday in Greece early this summer our taste buds seem to be craving middle eastern food all the time! It just seems to be all about good quality ingredients taken to another level with the addition of heady spice combinations and wonderfully surprising textures and sweet and savoury pairings. Many of the dishes we are playing with also cross the seasons and work fantastically in the…
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Artisans in the Andes: A leap into the unknown (Plus Tagua Necklace GIVEAWAY!)
On the blog this week: the story of Artisans in the Andes: A leap into the unknown PLUS the exciting GIVEAWAY of a Tagua Beaded Necklace
One of the most rewarding parts of blogging is meeting amazing and inspirational individuals and companies on-line that are proof that, contrary to what the news would have us believe, not all in the world is bad… not all of us are out there to exploit our planet’s resources and disadvantaged people for our own selfish profit… but instead that there of so many people out there who are choosing…
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