Another fruit I recently tried is a Golden Pitaya. After research and opening I found it is a golden version of dragonfruit. I could imagine a delicious salsa made from this epiphytic cactus. There are many health benefits of Pitaya, such as it is high in fiber, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, phytoalbumins and lycopene.
I scored the flesh in a crosshatch, then a centre cut, finishing by scooping it out. There are numerous ways to prepare this fruit. Check these recipes out.
My cubes featured in a melon salad, with mint ribbons.
This salad is a good side to a cheese platter.
Our cheese du jour was Hereford Hop. An old friend from The Clive days! The sharp cheese with the bitter hops balanced nice with the natural, light sweetness of the fruit.
We arrived to the beginning of the queue, without having had a brekie. The only thing propelling us forward was a cup of coffee. An announcer came over the tannoy that marked the beginning of the food fest!
True to the name food festival, there was food everywhere. Much to our empty tum's delight, there were ample samples.
Although a bit early (Well, it was a one off), we didn't say no to various samples of cider, beer, liquours, perry, mead....
The only thing missing here was demos of cider being made in stages, like we saw in Ludlow.
We filled up on lovely cheeses stacked on crackers and bread of all types.
There were meats preserved and cooked. One butcher providing zebra, ostrich and other game samples.
Olive oils, and flavoured oils were savoured. The garlic Rapeseed oil was a favourite.
Jams, jellies and chutneys gallore, again plenty of samples!
Sweets next! I'm glad we skipped breakfast.
British farm animals on display. The British Lop pigs were having a kip when we saw them.
A Great Berwick cow was very attentive to her new calf.
I didn't expect to see John Challis (Boysie from OFAH), but there he was.
By 2pm it was quite a crowd, and the sun was getting hot....We had done the circuit, well full and happy. Our advice is to arrive early with an appetite. I would like to see more demos and I noticed the Slow Food movement was missing. It is a rather large and less intimate festival compared to Ludlow, but samples were more free flowing. Having said that the Shrewsbury Food Festival was a great day out and will give you a good overview of the food scene in Britain.
For a few more views visit my Flickr album dedicated to the day.
I ran across some new to me fruit to try, as it turns out this one called Granadilla is a sort of Passion fruit. Granadilla, a South American native is also known as Sweet Granadilla, Lemi Wai Lani wai, and Lemona. Other fruits of this family are Maracuja, Feijoa and the regular Passion fruit we all know and love. Commonly, Granadilla is eaten straight up, but can be nice in jellies, pies, frostings, cocktails and fruit salads. Granadilla is rich in fiber, calcium, Iron, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium and vitamins; C, A, K.
To prepare cut in half to reveal the pulp and edible seeds.
Scoop out the lot, but leave the tough skin behind.
After cutting it open, I wasn't surprised that the fruit tasted of Passion fruit. I found the Granadilla to be milder than Passion fruit, however. There wasn't a strong, lingering fruity taste. The seeds although still digestible were larger and had a harder shelled.
Granadilla was very nice topping a basic custard. I focused on the pulp and juice more than the seeds in this pudding.
This is an early spring, seasonal treat. The best way to use them is in a pesto with pasta. I have been a bit creative with a few easy recipes, I did previously while they were in season. I usually find ramps at farmer's markets, or many times at Whole Foods. It may be fun to go for a forage of them sometime!
- Half of a large bunch of ramps, cleaned and trimmed
- A dash of mirin
- 3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Blitz
all this in a blender, or food processor. Slowly add 3 tbsp. oil, as
the blade spins. This dressing will be thick with the bits of ramp.
Paint this dressing on a plate. Arrange the smoked salmon over the dressing. Top with more dressing.
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- Half of a large bunch of ramps, whizzed and broken up in a food processor
- A few pinches of red pepper flakes
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Whip in a blender, until somewhat smooth and well blended. Form in a tube with cling film, or parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm.
This is excellent served with steak! Here we have flank steak basted with the butter while grilling. On the side we have roasted potatoes and fried okra.
Top with a coin of the butter and sprinkled red pepper flakes.
