(Fall 2012) As they say, back to our regularly scheduled programming. One of the things that I miss the most about Oxford is the food. I'm not claiming that British food is extraordinary, but the whole concept that is somewhat novel in America of farm to table and local eating is pervasive in the lifestyle that I lived in Oxford. Out my apartment's backdoor and across the street were the covered markets, in which were, amongst other shops, four butchers, a fresh produce stand, two botanists, and a cheesemonger (in addition to confectioners, coffee shops, and other food vendors). Invariably, I stopped in every chance that I could get - on my way home from work if it was a decent hour, after running on Saturday or Sunday morning, or any other time that I could get away. What made these food vendors so special? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words...
The butchers carried everything from local farms...pheasants, chickens, rabbits, even deer and boar, not to mention a dozen different types of sausages.
The fresh produce stand: much more variety, cheaper, and higher quality than any of the grocery stores within walking distance.
And of course, the cheesemonger. About a hundred different types of British and French cheese. So good...
One story that I was constantly reminded of came from my father's sabbatical back in the 90s. While in England, he decided to track down our family cousins. It turns out that our cousins, maybe 7 times removed, ended up doing the same thing that his parents and family had been doing for generations: farming. Now, the Brake farms in England cater to large kitchens and cafeterias. Almost every other morning I'd see their trucks unloading fresh dairy, eggs, poultry, etc. at the colleges.
Now, onto the home cooked meals. I think one of the favorite ingredients that I had was lamb's lettuce (shown above with beet slices). Slightly like spinach, but a bit juicier. This quickly became my favorite type of salad once sprinkled with a pinch of salt and balsamic vinegar...
Many times I'd be pretty lazy after working 12 hours, so my cooking methods were designed to minimize time spent cleaning up afterwards. A typical meal is shown above: pork belly with my home made smokey bbq sauce, twice baked potatoes, and roasted beets.
Every so often, though, I'd do a big, fancy meal for my flatmates. One such meal used the ingredients above: 2 pheasants, brussel sprouts,yellow onions, carrots, beets, farro, home made bread, and five different types of mushrooms. All from the covered markets except for the farro and bread materials. The end result was a pheasant casserole with a cream mushroom sauce, roasted beets and brussel sprouts, farro with caramelized onions and creme fraiche, and the pork belly was used to add some fat to the pheasants.
Flatmates Fred and Manu with the farro, brussel sprouts, and pheasant casserole...
Flatmate Alex, with the tiny kitchen in the background. Good times.
The butchers carried everything from local farms...pheasants, chickens, rabbits, even deer and boar, not to mention a dozen different types of sausages.
The fresh produce stand: much more variety, cheaper, and higher quality than any of the grocery stores within walking distance.
And of course, the cheesemonger. About a hundred different types of British and French cheese. So good...
One story that I was constantly reminded of came from my father's sabbatical back in the 90s. While in England, he decided to track down our family cousins. It turns out that our cousins, maybe 7 times removed, ended up doing the same thing that his parents and family had been doing for generations: farming. Now, the Brake farms in England cater to large kitchens and cafeterias. Almost every other morning I'd see their trucks unloading fresh dairy, eggs, poultry, etc. at the colleges.
Now, onto the home cooked meals. I think one of the favorite ingredients that I had was lamb's lettuce (shown above with beet slices). Slightly like spinach, but a bit juicier. This quickly became my favorite type of salad once sprinkled with a pinch of salt and balsamic vinegar...
Many times I'd be pretty lazy after working 12 hours, so my cooking methods were designed to minimize time spent cleaning up afterwards. A typical meal is shown above: pork belly with my home made smokey bbq sauce, twice baked potatoes, and roasted beets.
Every so often, though, I'd do a big, fancy meal for my flatmates. One such meal used the ingredients above: 2 pheasants, brussel sprouts,yellow onions, carrots, beets, farro, home made bread, and five different types of mushrooms. All from the covered markets except for the farro and bread materials. The end result was a pheasant casserole with a cream mushroom sauce, roasted beets and brussel sprouts, farro with caramelized onions and creme fraiche, and the pork belly was used to add some fat to the pheasants.
Flatmates Fred and Manu with the farro, brussel sprouts, and pheasant casserole...
Flatmate Alex, with the tiny kitchen in the background. Good times.
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