Organic

GO ORGANIC & NATURAL
WITH FOXGLOVE

Kyalami Shopping Centre in Gauteng is the cosy setting for FOXGLOVE HERBS & DELICACIES an unusual health shop with a difference. Sue Vingerhoets tell us about her approach to organic eating and shares some of her recipes on the lighter side.

Sue explains, " We divide our goodies into three categories: organic (this means certified), natural (organic but not certified) and conventional. We feel that disclosure is essential as we all have the right to know what we are eating!

We stock vegetables, our own makes of packaged organic sugar, wheat, flour and various jams and preserves. As well as certified organic eggs, dairy products and Robert chocolate and cocoa powder. Our herbs are naturally dried with no addiditives. Herb salts are made with unadulterated sea salt. Our vanilla pods come from a certified farm in Madagascar, however our delicious dried cranberries are conventionally grown and are delicious eaten straight as a snack or add to fruit salads!

Jensen's Stone Ground flours and bread mixes, while not using organic wheat, have no additives and make an excellent loaf. Once you have baked bread using stone ground flours there is no turning back. When all of our wheat has been milled, we will be making our own pasta.

We prepare our own mixed lettuce pillow packs, these have rocket and a mix of whatever salad herbs are in season. At the same time we are preparing vegetable salads like chickpea and cucumber etc. as well as full flavoured pasta sauces, interesting pestos and Thai curry pastes. We have Willow Creek olive products - not organic, but close and excellent quality.

Our little cafe, which is a haven in this busy area, serves coffees, teas, juices, muffins, biscuits and a sweet and savoury quiche each day. Winter will bring soups and salads too. In fact we prepare as many of our recipes as possible with food that is organic.

In winter we are looking forward to stocking game birds and rabbit. We do get game meat from the Free State as it is culled on various farms. These are wild animals and not farmed in anyway. With the arrival of these meats will be our own sausages. There is a group of nuns in Natal whom we hope will be smoking some bush pig for us.

California is the home of our rice and although expensive it, the rice is of excellent quality with a really delicious taste.

Thursdays are pick up days for whatever you have ordered by fax or e-mail. (We do deliver these boxes on Thursdays and Fridays for a minimum order of R300 in the JHB North areas). You can even order a tart in the morning and pick it up on your way home. Add a bag of salad and you have dinner!

We have added a small range of personal care and children's products Olli organic baby food, Stegi cotton nappies, Enchantrix baby care products and our own blend of all natural stretch mark oil. We stock rosehip oils and a few similar skin care products.

On a non food note our natural paints are flying out the shop on Saturdays. And Jan does Wild Divine demonstrations then too by appointment.

Look out for table linen and other soft stuff and unique pottery items, made by a rural group of grannies who may also produce cotton toys.

So far we are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 9am to 4pm and Saturdays 8:30 am to 12 pm, however we are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

FOXGLOVE HERBS & DELICACIES
Shop L, Kyalami Shopping Centre
Cnr Kyalami & Dytchley Roads
Tel: (011) 466-9977 Fax 0866 888 500
herbs@foxglove.co.za
www.foxglove.co.za

ROASTED FENNEL - ITALIAN STYLE

500 g fennel bulb (wash well and slice thinly across bulb)
1 small lemon (washed, zest grated and juice squeezed)
100 ml olive oil (approx)
3 ml freshly cracked black pepper
salt to taste
150 ml parmesan/pecorino cheese (grated)

Toss fennel, lemon zest, salt and pepper and half the parmesan cheese in olive oil in a flat oven dish. Flatten and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for approx 25 minutes at 200ºC. Cheese on top should be a bit crispy. (The finer you slice the bulbs the quicker they cook.)

Cook's Note: Goes exceptionally well with grilled salmon! Next best is chicken breasts rolled in lemon, butter and herbs with a tomato-ey salad on the side.

DECADENT BLUE CHEESE LEEKS

6 - 8 baby leeks (wash really well and remove outside leaf if too stringy)
10 g butter
50 ml single cream
50 g blue cheese (if this is too strong try Goat Feta)
seasoning
(Serves 2)

Steam leeks until tender (about 8 - 15 minutes). Drain and squeeze gently with a cloth. Place in oven dish top to tail, brush with butter and season. Warm the single cream add half the blue cheese. Do not allow to boil. Briefly grill the leeks. Pour the cream sauce over the leeks. Crumble the rest of the cheese over the leeks and brown slightly. Alternatively, for the more health conscious. Steam the leeks, crumble goat feta over the leeks and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for a minute or 2.

Chop before steaming. Toss with chopped walnuts, parsley and dress with lemon juice.

ROCKET SOUP

400 g rocket
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
700 ml stock, chicken or vegetable
1 jumbo sized egg

Blanch rocket under boiling water and discard the water (don’t try to be clever and use this water as it is very bitter). Sauté rocket in butter until soft. Remove onion from pan and use a small amount of flour (2 tbsp) and butter to make a roux. Add stock. Add onion and rocket. Bring to the boil. Cool enough to put into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pan and simmer about 10 mins. Allow to cool 5 mins. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk briefly, then add a few teaspoons of the hot soup and whisk. Slowly return to soup, do not allow to boil.

Cook's Note: Freezes well but do not boil when re-heating. (microwave - not a good option!)

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