In the spotlight - Celeriac

Admittedly not the prettiest of veg - if indeed veg can be called pretty, though there is something quite appealing about the tree-like appearance of broccoli or brightly coloured peppers - and probably not one that you regularly use, celeriac deserves a profile lift. That's precisely one of the aims of my blog, to encourage you to go along the road less travelled where fruit and veg are concerned. So don't be put off by its knobbly appearance, once the skin is removed there's a little gem inside waiting to add flavour to your savoury dishes.

• The name is a bit of a give away that it belongs to the same family as celery and has a similar taste.
• It's unusual for a root vegetable, as it has a low starch content. As far as vitamins are concerned, celeriac is a source of Vitamin C and B6.
• You might not immediately think about serving celeriac raw, but you can grate it to add to a salad or coleslaw. More commonly, it's served mashed, either alone or with other root veg, or added to soups or stews.
• I've struggled to find many interesting facts about celeriac, which is a shame. One bit of trivia I did stumble across is that apparently some people drink cocktails through a celeriac stalk, very bizarre!

Oven chips - the celeriac way

• Top and tail the celeriac before removing the skin. Cut the celeriac into thumb-size pieces to give chunky chips - as a general rule a celeriac will serve 2 or 3 people, but obviously depends on the size and how hungry you are!
• Add the celeriac chips to a pan of boiling water and boil for 2-3 mins. Drain, then return to the pan. 
• Add 1-2tbsp of vegetable oil to coat (you might be able to get away with less) and add your preferred seasoning - ground black pepper, a tsp of paprika or curry powder would all work well.
• Once on a baking tray, add to a preheated oven (230 degrees C/gas mark 8) and cook for 30-35 mins, giving them a shake once or twice during cooking to ensure they don't stick.

Celeriac and courgette curry - serves 2
Both veg will soak up the spices nicely in this dish.

• Cut a small celeriac into chunks and boil gently for 10 mins, then add a chopped courgette and cook for a further 5 mins.
• Meanwhile chop an onion and cook in a little oil until golden in colour.
• Add a tin of chopped tomatoes to the onions, along with 1tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger and garam masala.
• Add the drained celeriac and courgette to the pan with the tomato, onion and spices, heating gently for 10 mins.
• Serve with boiled rice or chapatti and a side salad

Perhaps if any of you already use celeriac in your cooking, you might be able to share your favourite celeriac recipe with the rest of us?

Down on the farm...

For me, eating plenty of fruit and veg has always been a given, but lately I've become a lot more conscious of where it comes from. Where possible I try to buy British to support our growers , but at this time of year it's not always possible, especially where fruit is concerned - I admit that I let some grapes from Namibia slip into my trolley this week.

Taking things a step further, we can try to buy produce that was grown locally. I previously discussed fruit and veg boxes as one way of doing this, another is using farm shops. Do you know where your nearest is? Obviously if the one closest is a 25 mile drive away, it does not make financial or environmental sense to go there each week. However, perhaps if you are lucky enough to have one on your door step or are passing, it's something worth considering. As well as locally grown fruit and veg you will find meat, dairy and eggs usually produced on that farm or in the local area, which will often be free range if not organic; you might also find baked goods and groceries from nearby.

I know you're probably thinking that farm shops are expensive, but that isn't always the case - if you're buying their produce you'll be cutting out the middleman - and wouldn't you rather the profits went to a local business rather than a national supermarket? It's sometimes worth paying that little bit extra if you feel strongly about knowing where your food has come from and that it's sustainably produced.

I have a soft spot for Roots Farm Shop in East Rounton (North Yorkshire) http://www.rootsfarmshop.co.uk/
For anyone who lives around the Teesside, Darlington, Stokesley or Northallerton area, it's well worth a visit - it's handily located a short distance from the A19 and for those who enjoy cycling, it's easily reached along country lanes.
As well as a nice selection of local produce in the shop, their cafe serves home cooked food, again made from all things local. Enjoy your visit!

What's our excuse?

We all know about getting 5 A Day and what counts as a portion has been drummed in too. However, are we putting this into practice on our plates? It would seem not. A review recently published by the European Food Information Council on consumption of fruit and veg in 19 European countries, leaves the UK tailing behind in 15th place - on average we have 258g of fruit and veg daily. Only 4 countries - Poland, Italy, Germany and Austria - managed to achieve the recommended 400g daily.

The review suggests a number of factors that influence fruit and veg intake based on previous studies. Higher intakes tend to be seen:

• in women
• when men are married
• in children whose parents eat more fruit and veg and they eat meals as a family
• in children offered a greater variety of foods and who are repeatedly offered fruit and veg, even if they have previously rejected it
• with increasing age in adults
• when income is higher
• in people educated to a higher level
• when nutritional knowledge is higher, but also in terms of knowing how to prepare and use fruit and veg in meals

Although we don't have much control over a number of the factors listed above, increasing awareness can potentially have an impact. With the big 5 A Day drive, there is plenty in place to encourage increased consumption - not just why you should eat more, but how you can incorporate more fruit and veg into meals. Parents who are perhaps struggling with feeding their children can receive valuable advice and support from health visitors, Sure Start and other local schemes aimed at those with young children.


What other things might be getting in the way of our fruit and veg intake and how might we be able to change them?

• Lack of time - we're all so busy, but that's no excuse to let healthy eating slip. Planning your meals for the week will help ensure that you can make a list to buy all the items you'll need. When you're in a hurry tinned and frozen fruit and veg, as well as fruit juice and dried fruit are a good option. Making up batches of meals packed with veg to freeze in portions also makes sense so that you have something nutritious to reheat when you perhaps don't feel like cooking.
• Limited availability for some - anyone relying on a corner shop will likely find there is little choice when it comes to fruit and veg. If you can't get to a supermarket, are there any local markets or greengrocers that are more accessible? Might you be able to share a lift to the shops with someone or get them to bring you your fruit and veg? Some areas also have fruit and veg schemes to widen access to all.
• We think we're eating better than we are - we therefore see no need to increase our fruit and veg intake. Reinforcing the messages and encouraging us to honestly reassess what we are eating may help.

There are no doubt many more reasons why individuals struggle to eat sufficient fruit and veg. With the evidence that higher intakes are associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers, eating more of our greens is as important as ever. Whilst campaigns and schemes to help us along our way are useful, they can only take us so far, ultimately it's our responsibility.

Smoothing out the confusion

Fruit juice and smoothies are virtually the same, right? Not quite. While they both contain fruit and veg, which can count towards your 5 A Day, there are some differences between the two.


Fruit or veg juice is just as it says on the carton, juice. If it is pure juice and unsweetened, then a 150ml glass can count as 1 portion of your 5 A Day.

Smoothies on the other hand have gone that extra mile. Not only do they usually contain pure juice, but they also contain the pulp of the edible parts of fruit and/or veg. As long as the smoothie contains 150ml of pure unsweetened juice plus at least 80g of fruit or veg pulp, it counts as 2 portions. The same applies if a smoothie contains 2 80g portions of different fruits or veg - this type of smoothie might use milk or yoghurt as a base rather than fruit juice.

Whether you are drinking fruit juice or smoothies, they can only count as 1 or 2 of your 5 A Day respectively, no matter how much of them you drink and even if they were based on different fruit or veg. I know you're wondering why. When fruit is juiced, the sugars become very concentrated (the reason why your dentist doesn't like you drinking a lot of fruit juice) and you lose the beneficial fibre from the pulp. It's true that your smoothies do contain the pulp, but most of the time they also contain fruit juice as well. You might have made a fruit smoothie with a banana, peach and pot of natural yoghurt, thinned down with a little milk, but have you any idea how many calories that might contain? Obviously it depends on exact amounts used and how low fat the yoghurt and milk used were, but it's looking around 250Kcal. It's easy to consume a lot of calories in liquid form without realising it, so unless you are needing to gain weight, it's another reason for limiting consumption of fruit juice and smoothies to once daily. If you make a smoothie purely from green veg, then you get away with having several daily, but in reality, who would want to?

We're all familiar with a particular brand of smoothie, but it's so much cheaper to make your own at home. It also gives you the chance to be a bit creative, as with smoothies you really can use whatever combination of fruit you want to. Banana is a popular addition though as it helps to thicken them. If you've got fruit that's a little past its best, it's a great way to use it up. Tinned and frozen fruit also work well, as they do tend to be softer. If you find you end up making more smoothie than you wanted, cover and place in the fridge where it should keep for a day or two.

You can have a smoothie at any time of day, but you might like to think of having a glass as an alternative to a dessert after a meal - their natural sweetness should curb a craving for chocolate or cake. Another idea is to have a smoothie for breakfast, particularly if you add milk or yoghurt and add a tablespoon or two of oats you've got a balanced meal that will keep you going all morning.

What is your favourite combination for a smoothie?

In the spotlight - Pineapple

When you think of pineapple, what comes to mind? On cocktail sticks with cheese, on a pizza with ham or in sweet and sour sauce? Perhaps you think of cocktails, anyone for a Zombie? Or eating fresh pineapple might make you think of a tropical island and you wouldn't be far wrong.

• Brought to Europe after Columbus discovered pineapples in 1493 on the island of Guadalupe, they are so-called due to the similarity in their appearance of their body to a pine cone and at the time their flesh was likened to that of an apple.
• A third of the pineapples that are commercially produced come from Hawaii. Dole started growing pineapples there in 1900, followed by Del Monte in 1917.
• Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and manganese - the latter is a component of a number of enzymes, which speed up reactions within the body.
• They are rich in Bromelain - an enzyme used to break down proteins - which explains why pineapple juice can be used to tenderise meat. It is also the reason why fresh pineapple can't be added to jelly - the gelatin is broken down, so the jelly won't set, but the heat during the canning process alters Bromelain, so you're fine to use tinned pineapple.
• Bromelain has been suggested to help with digestion, but this is unlikely as it will be destroyed by the stomach acid. There is a case for Bromelain helping to induce labour if a baby is overdue, but you'd need to eat equivalent of 7 whole pineapples to get sufficient!
• Pineapple can make a simple dessert when served with natural yoghurt, a scoop of ice cream or custard. It also makes a nice addition to salads and goes well in sauces and relishes to accompany savoury dishes.

Poached spiced fruit

• Boil 400ml (14fl oz) of red wine (you could use grape juice if you prefer a non-alcoholic version) for 1 minute and then add an equivalent volume of water, half a cinnamon stick, a pinch of black pepper, 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves, 2 slices of orange and 2 of lemon and 2tsp sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes.
• Peel, core and quarter an apple and a pear and chop a 100g (3.5oz) chunk of pineapple into 4. Simmer for 15mins, then serve once cooled a little.

Pineapple salsa - adds a kick to fish, chicken or pulses

• Add the following to a bowl and mix well - 100g (3.5oz) finely chopped pineapple, 2tsp ground coriander, 1tsp dried mint, the juice of 1 lime, 5 chopped spring onions and black pepper to season.

Not just in the fruit bowl...

As we've said previously, fruit and veg doesn't have to be fresh - frozen peas, tinned sweetcorn, dried apricots and cartons of pure fruit juice are all perfectly good options. It's always handy to keep your cupboards and freezer stocked with fruit and veg for those days when you have run out of fresh items, you're in a hurry or you just weren't prepared to pay £1.20 for a fresh cauli.

Yes, with those products in tins and cartons there is some vitamin loss, but you're still far better having fruit or veg in this form than going without at a meal. Some vitamins are actually more readily available to the body when cooked - think chopped tomatoes for lycopene and tinned carrots for beta-carotene. Choosing fruit canned in natural juice and veg tinned in water helps you watch your intake of sugar and salt.

My favourite items are tinned tomatoes and pulses. Using these along with onions, perhaps another veg, and the herbs and spices you've likely got in, you can create so many dishes. Anyone for chickpea curry or lentil shepherd's pie?

Why not keep the following in your kitchen?

• Tinned fruit - chop and add to porridge, sugar free jelly, custard or natural yoghurt
• Frozen fruit - raspberries, blueberries or mixed red fruit will make a jelly set quickly; alternatively serve with yoghurt or a small scoop of ice cream
• Dried fruit - add to cereal, stewed or baked apple, milk puddings, baking or even try in savoury dishes - raisins in rice, dried apricots or prunes in a tagine
• Pure fruit juice - add to chopped fruit for a fruit salad, pour into lolly moulds to freeze, use pineapple juice as an ingredient in sweet and sour sauce, use instead of cold water to make up a sugar free jelly or add to stewed fruit
• Frozen mixed veg - add to stews, curries, pasta sauce or rice
• Tinned sweetcorn - add to soft sandwich fillings, salads, rice, soups, pasta dishes, fish pie, stews or curries
• Tinned tomatoes - soups, sauces, stews and curries here you come
• Tinned peas, beans and lentils - anywhere meat goes, a pulse can go too, and that includes baked beans

Then what about the frozen spinach, broccoli or peas, where might they take you?

Compost your peelings and cores

Hopefully you won't have much left-over fruit and veg if you're striving to reduce wastage, but there will still be the inedible parts to dispose of. As you can start composting at any time of year, why not start now?

It's estimated that 30% of household waste can be composted. By composting at home rather than sending this waste to landfill, you'll be helping reduce methane production.  A greenhouse gas, methane is linked to global warming and is generated during decomposition when there is little oxygen present - as in landfill - but thankfully your household composting has sufficient oxygen so production of methane is very limited. Not only are you doing your bit for the environment, but you'll get a lovely nutritious compost to add to your soil, which the plants in your garden will thank you for.

It's not just fruit, veg and salad waste that goes into a composter, indeed you do better with a good mix. There are essentially two groups of compostable material:

• Greens - fruit, veg, salad (though all of these must be uncooked), eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass cutting, old flowers and plants and weeds (as long as they don't have seeds). These add nitrogen, moisture and bacteria.
• Browns - cardboard (think toilet rolls, cereal packets and egg boxes), screwed up paper, twigs and bark, sawdust and bedding from vegetarian pets, even the fluff from your vacuum cleaner. These add carbon and fibre.

Ideally you want to add equal amounts of green and brown compostables - too much green and you'll have a sludgy mess, too much brown and it will be too dry and have limited bacteria, so composting will be very slow.

Although composters are readily available to buy, if you want to continue the green theme and have a DIY composter, what about using an old dustbin? Turned upside down with a hole in the bottom for the addition of the materials and placing the lid over the hole to control the temperature and moisture, you've got the perfect composter. Take a further step back and there's nothing wrong with a more traditional compost heap perhaps within a wooden frame on three sides and covered with a piece of old carpet (weighted down so it doesn't blow off!), though a lid isn't essential.

If you're wondering where to place your composter, it's best off in a sunnier spot (to speed up composting) and directly over soil for easier transference of microbes and insects to the compost. If the latter is a problem, a composter can be placed on a hard surface such as a patio with a layer of soil at the base, but be warned, any liquid that seeps out the bottom is likely to stain the surface. Removing some paving stones might be a better option.

Now that your composter is in place, you're good to go. Keep a lidded container in your kitchen - an old ice cream carton is ideal - to collect your kitchen waste. Add your green and brown compostables in a 50:50 ratio continually and within 9 to 12 months you will have your first compost. When ready it will be thick, dark and crumbly. All that's left to do is remove your compost by either opening the hatch or lifting the composter slightly off the ground and using a spade or fork work it into your soil. You can then enjoy the flowers, fruits and veggies that grow.

Veg in January

If you've decided to start eating seasonally this year, but not sure which fruit or veg to go for, I thought you might like a pointer in the right direction. There hasn't been much change in the last couple of months with what's in season and in January you'll again be looking to use carrots, cauli, leeks, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and kale in your cooking.

Perhaps you're thinking this isn't the most inspiring collection of veg, but why not try the following?

• Grate carrot and add to sandwich fillings - grated or soft cheese, tuna or peanut butter are all good options.
• Chop carrot and onions, cook in veg stock and orange juice with a teaspoon or two of ginger for a lovely warming winter soup.
• Add small florets of cauli to a pan containing veg stock, chick peas, spinach, chopped dried apricots and a teaspoon or two of cinnamon - the cauli will soak up the tagine's flavour nicely.
• Mash cooked cauli with potato or other root veg, seasoning with black pepper, paprika or chilli to make a filling side dish.
• Cook chopped leeks in a pan with cauli and broccoli florets and pasta shapes. Meanwhile make up a cheese sauce - bring half a pint of milk to the boil, add to a paste made from1tbsp of cornflour and a little milk, then stir through a handful of grated cheese and season with black pepper. Drain the pasta and veg, pour over the cheese sauce - you can sprinkle over a little more cheese and brown under the grill.
• Add chopped leeks to a pan with chopped tomatoes, carrots and lentils, season with herbs of your choice then top with mashed potato and pop in the oven to warm through.
• Cook shredded cabbage and onion, then stir through mashed potato to make something that resembles Colcannon.
• Don't pull a face, but cabbage soup? Veg stock, shredded cabbage, a chopped onion and a chopped tomato, then you're set to go.
• Add chopped Brussel sprouts to any veg curry; they will absorb the spices beautifully.
• Offset the bitter taste of sprouts with a teaspoon or two of honey and mustard.
• Serve a fillet of fish on a bed of kale and baked cherry tomatoes.
• Mix cooked shredded kale and grated cheese with mashed potato, cook for a few minutes on each side under the grill and serve with a salad.

In the spotlight - Beetroot

You might think that pickled beetroot with a salad or beetroot crisps are as far as it goes, but think again. In nutritional terms, beetroot has a lot to offer and can become part of many dishes, appearing in some surprising places.

• Beetroot is thought to have been cultivated about 4000 years ago, originating around the Mediterranean.
• It is not just recently that there has been interest in beetroot's health benefits - over the ages it has been suggested as a remedy for all sorts of ailments, as well as a cure for hangovers, treatment for dandruff and as an aphrodisiac.
• For anyone wanting to boost their intake of folate (the natural form of folic acid), beetroot is a great choice. It's also a source of Vitamin C and potassium, and provides Vitamin B6, iron and magnesium, vegetable sources of which are useful for anyone eating little or no animal produce.
• Beetroot has a distinctive purple colour due to Betacyanin, an antioxidant - antioxidants may help protect against heart disease and cancer.
• Rich in nitrates, beetroot has been shown in studies to help lower blood pressure through the action of nitric oxide on blood vessels. It's thought that 100g of beetroot daily would be sufficient to provide significant benefits on blood pressure.
• With beetroot's proposed benefits its juice is becoming more popular and don't forget about its leafy tops, which are now often found in bagged salad and can also be lightly cooked to serve as a green veg. Beetroot wine is also produced - it's meant to be very similar to port.
• Beyond a foodstuff, beetroot is used in production of food colourings and as dyes.

Roasted beetroot
A nice accompaniment to any roast meat, fish or vegetarian dishes. Add other chopped root veg - potatoes, parsnips, carrots, swede - or butternut squash if you wish.

• Top and tail the beetroot - 2 per person - and wash well, though no need to remove the skins or chop.
• Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and dried herbs of your choice.
• Cook at 200 degrees C (gas mark 6) in a pre-heated oven for 45 mins.

Sweet beet soup

•  Dice 1 onion and cook in 1tbsp oil for 5 mins, then add 1tsp cumin.
• Cube 4 beetroot and 1 large sweet potato, adding them to the pan.
• Add 1.25litres (approx 2.5pints) of veg stock and simmer for 15-20 mins until the potato and beetroot are tender.

Very chocolatey beetroot cake

• Peel and grate 3 beetroot, simmer for 5-10 mins until soft, then drain.
• Place 125g  (4.5oz) margarine, 300g (10.5oz) sugar and 3 large eggs into a food mixer.
• Meanwhile melt 75g (2.5oz) chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and then add this to the mixer.
• Now fold 225g (8oz) self-raising flour, 1tsp baking powder and 50g (1.75oz) cocoa powder into the mix.
• Add the mixture to a 9inch tin lined with greaseproof paper. Cook in an oven pregeated to 160 degrees C (gas mark 3) for 45 mins, checking it is ready with a skewer - it should come out clean.

New Year greeting

I'd just like to wish all those reading my blog a happy and healthy year ahead. Hopefully you'll find time to experiment in the kitchen with some pleasing results. And for those of you growing your own fruit and veg, I've got my fingers crossed for a good harvest for you.

Please share with us any fruit and veg related news, recipes or tips that you may have as the year progresses. Also, if there's anything you'd like to see covered in the blog over the coming weeks, don't be shy to ask, as suggestions are always welcomed.