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A GUIDE TO GREENS Historic records indicate that we once ate food fresh from places near where we lived, such as back gardens and local farms, thus cutting down on the need to transport food across the globe and avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Here’s a handy seasonal guide to retro green eating, 21st century style. Thanks to Edinburgh’s Real Foods for providing specimens
LIVING
SPINACH Last century: Came in tins; tasted like green sludge; made you strong. This century: Grows easily; tastes perky, particularly when squeaky fresh; makes you strong. What do I do with it? Grow it yourself and mix young leaves in salads Get it from: Window boxes, farmers’ markets.
WILD GARLIC Last century: Smelly stuff that grows in woods This century: A pungent must- have for the rustic gourmet. Get foraging! What do I do with it? Use it in anything instead of garlic; wrap it around baking fish or lamb; make soup or pesto. Get it from: Smelly, sorry, pungent woods, bicycle path undergrowth. CAVALO NERO Last century: Exotic Italian stuff, trucked across Europe. This century: It’s the same as kale, which grows here in abundance. What do I do with it? Douse it in boiling water, drain, then slap in a hot frying pan with olive oil and garlic. Get it from: Phantassie Organics veg boxes (www.phantassie.co.uk).
WATERCRESS Last century: Weed that grows in streams. This century: Superfood, beloved of Liz Hurley and the fad-diet set What do I do with it? Mix in the peppery leaves with milder lettuce in salads; blitz big batches into creamy soup. Get it from: Real Foods, Edinburgh (www.realfoods.co.uk) Roots and Fruits, Byres Road, Glasgow.
LEEKS Last century: Perennial veg, grown somewhere in the world. This century: A vegetable that doesn’t grow all year round – in fact, it’s coming to the end of its season in the UK. What do I do with it: Cook slowly and softly into a silky, caramelized slush; a stalwart of any home-made stock (and cock-a-leekie soup, of course). Get it from: November through to April. PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI Last century: Pig fodder – pigs not being fed soya meal, that is. This century: Better than broccoli; as much a harbinger of spring as daffodils and April showers. What do I do with it? Steam it briefly then munch whole stalks like cheat’s asparagus. Get it from: Local organic box schemes.
SIDE DISHES A tribute to Ronnie Clydesdale
■ Here at List Towers we’re putting the finishing touches to our annual Eating & Drinking Guide - get it free with the next issue, out on Wednesday 28 April. On that day we’ll be announcing the winners of our Readers’ Choice award, and the Newcomers of the Year. We also traditionally give out a Special Award, so we were very sad to hear of the death of last year’s Special Award winner, Ronnie Clydesdale, on 3 April. Ronnie opened the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in 1971. He had no formal culinary qualification but he did want to cook Scotland’s great produce in the same way as the French or Italians proudly used their regional cuisine. The Chip quickly become a cultural
institution, a place that seemed to define Byres Road bohemianism. It was – and remains – a great place to eat and drink, not just because the food and drink is top notch. Alasdair Gray painted a mural in the restaurant in exchange for free meals and The Times once declared the restaurant to have ‘played a pivotal role in Scotland’s cultural renaissance’. It took the mainstream the best part of four decades to catch up with Clydesdale’s belief in Scottish food and culinary traditions, and even now many places still fall prey to the tweeness the Chip always avoided. Ronnie Clydesdale not only gave Scottish food a good name – he was quoting the provenance of his food before some restaurateurs were bothering to tell you the origin of their wine – but gave Scottish food respect. If Scotland really does rediscover its culinary mojo – and many believe we’re on our way – then Ronnie Clydesdale paved the path.
Edinburgh GHILLIE DHU
2 Rutland Place, West End, 0131 222 9930, www.ghillie-dhu.co.uk, £14 (lunch/dinner) Stepping into the former church (and casino) where Lothian Road meets Shandwick Place, Ghillie Dhu is the latest and most ambitious Edinburgh venue by Glasgow’s G1 Group, with an unashamed Scottish theme, including a cavernous and architecturally fun
auditorium hosting weekly ceilidhs or live gigs. Mealtimes extend from early until very late and feature pretty standard pub offerings. The buzz of the venue and the fun spirit of all the live music, often cropping up in the booth behind you, remind you that you’re here for the wider experience, not for fancy grub.
THE RACONTEUR 50 Dean Street, Stockbridge, 0131 343 3221, www.theraconteuredinburgh.com The three men behind Raconteur, billed as Stockbridge’s first cocktail bar, have worked as cocktail makers and consultants in upmarket Edinburgh venues such as Tigerlily, Rick’s and Harvey Nichols, and the impression is that they want to run a bar for people who know what they like to drink. Hidden away anonymously behind a black frontage on a side street, the predominance of old-time music on the stereo suggests that a prohibition-style word of mouth hit is what’s being aimed for, although a friendly welcome and a range of tempting bar snacks also make for a unique and charming local.
LEO’S BEANERY 23a Howe Street, New Town, www.leosbeanery.co.uk, 0131 556 8403, £8 (lunch) This friendly new café comes as a welcome alternative to the plethora of coffee shop chains in the Stockbridge/New Town area. Run by friendly husband and wife team Joe and Marie Denby, Leo’s serves up delicious home baking, teas and coffees, as soup, salads and daily hot dishes. The pièce de résistance are cheese and charcuterie slates – layers of meat or cheese, pate, salad and bread arranged like a work of art on Lake District slates. Largely a daytime concern, Leo’s stays open until 9pm every Friday evening, when you can BYOB.
Full independent write-ups on over 850 restaurants will feature in our brand new Eating & Drinking Guide, free with the next issue of The List on Wed 28 Apr. Prices shown are for an average two- course meal for one
15–29 Apr 2010 THE LIST 11