Farmers Markets

Well I was happily surprised to discover a farmers market at Ilford yeseterday, Sunday 27th September in the delightfully restored grounds of the grand house in Ilford's Valentine Park. There;s a Rose garden, substantial walled English gardens, a tearoom, stalls and a Farmers Market where we bought some apples from Kent, fruit juice, cheese, chorizo and smoked garlic.

The Farmers market is at Valentines Park Ilford on the fourth Sunday of every month and also on the Highh street at Wanstead the following Sunday, probably because its the first Sunday in the month or something like that.

Bibou

Occasionally swayed by the trends of popular culture, I saw Julie and Julia, renewed my interest in Julia Child, and planned a trip to France. I think it would be safe to declare that this fall, French food is back.

Bibou seems to be leading the pack of this renewed interest, thanks to favorable press (including New York Times coverage) and an outstanding pedigree. Housed in Pif's former digs (where I did, on one night long ago, enjoy frog's legs prepared by David Ansill), Bibou's Chef Pierre Calmels, formerly of Le Bec Fin, and his wife Charlotte preside over the tiny dining room and kitchen.

By preside, I should clarify that the clientele Bibou draws is, for lack of a better descriptor, my parents. It seemed that everyone else in the tiny space were repeat visitors, all in their mid-60s, all very interested in the food, being there, and talking to the Chef and his wife. I confess I felt out of place.

Which is not to say the food wasn't delicious. It did make me think twice, however, when the service felt rather rushed with one dish brought on the heels of another, we were chided for not bringing wine, and not offered the tasting menu as the party next to us was. Chef Calmels did greet us, though, prompting my fame-induced shyness, speaking French and English in a charming, genuine way. I stuck with the more classical French dishes, ordering the pig's head terrine, which the Chef explained to me was fresh. He had purchased it yesterday, cooked the head overnight and then made the terrine that morning. Its flavors were indeed fresh, rich and exquisite, as was the accompanying fresh mayonnaise. I was obligated to try the foie gras, served that evening with peaches (or was it pears...) and a sweet ginger bread that was as fantastic as you can imagine, with a silky smooth rich texture and sweet offset.MCRF ordered the mahi mahi, happily perched on a bed of sauteed vegetables garnished with a rich unobstrusive foam.The desserts were lovely, once our server sorted through that the apple pie was actually the tarte aux pommes and the pie of the day was a separate offering (again making us wonder how we got this server, over others that appeared more competent). The limoncello ice cream was amazing, however, served with said tarte aux pommes, as was the chocolate cake. Most touching, however, were the tiny madelines, served hot.They helped make up for a wrinkle at the end of the meal when our server seemed inconvenienced to bring us ones as part of our change, making me feel awkward despite my leaving a 20% tip.

In short, Bibou offers delicious food in a cozy 32-seat rowhouse patronized by a very specific clientele, to whom they appear to devote much attention. If you can get past the second point, the first presents a great dinner.

Bibou is located at 1009 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, adjacent to a parking lot, www.biboubyob.com.

Village Whiskey

Village Whiskey is predictable, although I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Jose Garces, the chef who brought you Amada and Tinto, has opened the small sliver of a bar adjacent to Tinto on 20th Street. I hope the presence of these restaurants and Capogiro serve to reinvigorate this sad stretch of 20th Street, thereby making the outdoor seating a little more pleasant.

In any case, VW is covered in white tile, making the din nearly unbearable. After several whiskey cocktails, however, it may matter a little less. I sampled the "De Rigueur," featuring rye, aperol, grapefruit, lemon, honey and mint, I was told it was a cousin of the mint julep. I would highly recommend it with its perfect blend of sweetness and rye. VW's Old Fashioned packs a whallop and I would describe my friend's "Modern," with scotch, sloe gin, herbsaint, and orange bitters, as the kind of drink you earn after a particularly bad day.

Which is of course the backdrop against which I ordered the "Whiskey King" burger -- maple-glazed cippolini, rogue bleu cheese, applewood bacon and foie gras on top of 10 oz of beef, for $24. I had previously thought the combination of foie gras and red meat was reserved for the decadent and gluttonous. Still true, but wow -- sign me up. The burger was fantastic. The brioche-style sesame bun absorbed the flavor of the burger and added to the medley perfectly. I showed a little restraint in not ordering the duck fat fries at $5 for a very small, cute silver cup of fries. I would imagine they are equally good. You can also buy a scaled back burger with thousand island dressing for $9.

VW offers predictably high priced cocktails ($11-12), a very long whiskey menu, and an interesting bar menu with oyster options and fun things like deviled eggs and pickled veggies. Once you get past the rather strict hostess who behaved as though the fire code was her prime directive (whatever you do, don't try to stand near the bar), the service was exceptional, friendly without being intrusive. The noise level may keep me away, however.

Village Whiskey is located next to Tinto at the corner of 20th and Sansom, http://www.villagewhiskey.com/. Foobooz offers a much better photo of the Whiskey King burger at http://foobooz.com/tag/village-whiskey/, with props to the BrewBrog blog.

Apples: core strengths

Apples are, arguably, the most English of seasonal fruits. They have been ripening on trees for weeks now but September signals the true start of the apple season.

More than 2,000 varieties have been grown here over the years, many with names that pinpoint their origin such as Keswick Codlin, Kentish Fillbasket and Beauty of Bath. Others bear hints for the palate in their names such as the Pitmaster’s Pineapple, D’Arcy Spice and Blenheim Orange.

Sadly there has been a drastic decline in both the diversity of varieties grown and the number of orchards in the country in recent years. Kent, for instance, has lost 85 per cent of its orchards in the past 50 years.

Farm shops and farmers’ markets offer an excellent choice of locally-grown apples and eyes peeled for English apples in British supermarkets. If you have space in your garden, the Apple Source Book (Hodder & Stoughton, 2007) tells you everything you need to know to plant an apple tree.

A rosehip operation

The bright red seeded berries of the wild rose are known as “hips”. They are found all over the UK, particularly in hedgerows skirting woodland and along footpaths.

Only the thin fleshy covering of rosehips is edible and they are used, most commonly, to make a subtly flavoured syrup that is delicious with ice cream, pannacotta, rice pudding and pancakes. Do not eat rosehips whole, the “itching powder” seeds inside are an irritant.

To make 2 litres of rosehip syrup, you’ll need a jelly bag (available from good cook shops). Boil 1kg of crushed freshly picked rosehips in 1.75 litres of boiling water and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Pour the rosehip mixture through a jelly bag then repeat the process from the start using the pulp and 900ml boiling water. In a clean pan, reduce the juice, lower heat and stir in 450g caster sugar, boil for 5 minutes then pour into sterilised jars.

Chimes of Pimlico

Chimes of Pimlico
Originally uploaded by Andyrob

Good English cuisine ( and a bit of french and scottish) with cider at Chimes near Victoria

Tomato catch up

Homegrown tomatoes are coming into their own now and should have an aroma, taste and even (mis)shape that are more enticing than the uniform packaged varieties available in supermarkets.

Heritage or heirloom tomatoes are making a comeback among allotmenteers and chefs. These are basically old non-hybrid varieties with different flavours, rainbow colours and strange names such as Hillbilly Potato and Green Sausage tomatoes. Search farmers’ markets for the best crops.

In the kitchen, the tomato is such a versatile ingredient. Pizza and pasta aside, big beefy toms can be hollowed out and stuffed with cooked quinoa, feta cubes, toasted pine nuts and parsley then oven roasted; cherry tomatoes make a sweet partner to fish when roasted with a few capers, grated lemon zest and olive oil, and chopped vine tomatoes need no more than finely diced red onions, sea salt, vinegar and oil for a delicious side salad.

To maximise flavour, eat tomatoes at room temperature or even warm but never chilled from the fridge.