Olive Magazine April 2022

Is there anything better than a long lazy weekend meal to share with family and friends? Especially if, every once in a while, that meal centres around a roast in all its glory. This month gives you several excuses to make a roast, and to take advantage of the new season’s fresh green vegetables. Our cover story features five roasts, from glorious rolled lamb with salsa verde to roast Savoy cabbage with lemon and harissa orzo – just add crisp roast potatoes. Spring is also the time for new discoveries. Look beyond classic wine matches and try drinks pairings that include cider, beer, spirits and grown-up soft drinks. If you want to drink fizz with every course, we are 100% in agreement – it goes particularly well with cheese. When the…

growing Beans. I’ve planted some borlotti beans in a pot because they’re prolific producers, grow fast and provide excellent greenery and flowers in a small garden. Unlike my annual failure with courgettes. eating ChalkStream trout is on menus countrywide and available to cook at home. This is rainbow trout grown in the Test and Itchen Rivers in Hampshire. Look out for it. reading O is for Oriental – Lost in Translation: An A-Z of Chinese Food that discusses the complexity of language. A brilliant read. celestialpeach.com/read…

Gurdeep discovers... jasmine pearl tea What is it? Jasmine pearls are made from young Chinese green tea leaves that are carefully hand-rolled into small round beads. These are then submerged into or layered with fresh jasmine flower blossoms as many as 15 times, allowing the jasmine to impart its intensely floral-sweet scents into the tea. It has a delicate, fresh flavour with notes of heady jasmine that are released in full as the pearls unfurl in boiling water. How to use it It’s delicious to drink on its own or it can be turned into an aromatic syrup, as I’ve done in my recipe overleaf, which can then be used for making cocktails, drizzling over ice cream or even pouring over fresh tropical fruits. Where to find it Large supermarkets and health food shops. Jasmine pearl tea…

Vanilla Mart Madagascan vanilla powder This vanilla powder is made using dried bourbon vanilla pods. It has a rich, sweet flavour, essential for any traditional bakes or to upgrade french toast and plain yogurt. £10 (20g), vanillamart.co.uk Two Bees honey These ethical honeys are sourced direct from small-scale farmers and shipped by sea only when in season. Try the Mexican Yucatan, which bees produce after feasting on local kanchunub blossoms. £5.99 (250g), twobees.buzz Strazzanti Sicilian pistachio mini Easter eggs Harvested every two years in Sicily, lightly roasted pistachios make the sweet and nutty filling that oozes out of a these crisp dark chocolate eggs. £18 (box of 12), strazzanti.co Sauce Shop x 12:51 by chef James Cochran scotch bonnet jam This chilli jam has a sweet-sticky texture with good heat – toss with chicken wings, use as…

What we’ve spotted Friday night fish and chips are turning vegan with new battered plant-based alternatives. Whether it’s banana blossom, tofu or protein blends – made with soy, pea and rice – hot, deep-fried vegan ‘fish’ is on the rise. Orders typically come with the classic side dishes of chips and peas but some of the battered ‘fish’ has also fused with Mexican-inspired dishes. Where to find it At east London’s Sutton & Sons you’ll find vegan ‘fish’ in the form of battered and fried banana blossoms, alongside vegan ‘scampi’ and ‘calamari’, all of which have been marinated in samphire and seaweed for a taste of the sea. Club Mexicana in London’s Soho serves ‘tofish’ Baja tacos, while “filet o’ tofish” is on the menu in Edinburgh’s Harmonium. In shops, you’ll find Omnifood’s…

our host special guests Have you heard the new Olive podcast? Each week, Olive’s deputy editor and podcast host Janine asks characters from the food world to share the top 10 things we need to know about their specialist subject, and there’s also a bonus effort less ! episode, where they also give us their best kitchen hacks, cheats and tips. Brand-new episodes are released every Friday – listen out for Kar-Shing Tong talking about being a top food influencer, and Fernando Trocca on Argentinian food and cooking.…