FISH AND FACE PAINTING AT THE FOOD MARKET…and possible finds at Smash Bang Wallop…

Smash Bang Wallop are having a cash only back room sale at their Westow Street shop between 10am – 1pm.  They will be selling all sorts of odds and end and ALL monies taken will go to Friends of Westow Park.

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Fish: I usually write this newsletter on a Friday, and Dan lets me know that morning what they’ve caught the night before.  This shows you how fresh the fish is – today (writing on Thursday) I don’t have the usual information.

From Chris (Dan was allowed to go on hols for a couple of days) “The weather has been very unsettled this week at sea and the big fishing day is going to be Thursday and intoFriday morning so it is hard to say at the time of writing exactly what we will have caught. However we will be bringing a full range of fish and shellfish. What is going to be there is: rock oysters, organic salmon fillet, dressed crabs, Cornish mussels, Manx kippers, cod fillet, sushi tuna, black tiger prawns, oak smoked salmon, smoked mackerel…  Please call the shop on 01342 822 906 or give us a tweet @FishmongersFR on Friday if you would like to know prices – they should be around the same as the last few weeks.”  We know they’ll do us proud.

Cheese:  Well, you loved our new chees chaps Jared & Toby from London Cheesemongers last week, so we’ve invited them back.  Toby will be on the stall – they are generous with taster samples, so pop by and see what he’s got on offer.  Their cheeses will change each week - they select and finish the cream (apologies for the appalling pun) of the crop. Twitter: @ldncheesemonger

Facepainting for kids:  From 10-midday Sarah will paint faces for free, and parents can donate a pound or two (or whatever they can afford) to charity - this week she will be supporting our local Salvation Army.  I wasn’t previously familiar with our local Sallies, but in the short time Lorraine & Michael have been at the helm I know of many local needy people they have helped with food parcels, sourcing furniture, children’s clothes and toys etc.  Practical, non judgemental help, and we’re glad to help them.

Meat of the week:  Grown up lambs are called hogget.  They are legally called lamb up until they are 9 months old, hogget until they are two years old, and then mutton.  Hogget is a complex & delicious meat as the animal has had longer to mature and graze on natural pasture.  The meat is still succulent - cook as you would lamb and enjoy the extra flavour.  This week Jayne & Michael’s own Godman’s Farm Romney legs of hogget are 20% off.  Twitter: @jacobsladderfms 

Veg of the week is kale.  It is frost tolerant and is what gardeners call a winter ‘doer’ – in other words can be relied on through the hungry gap, unless the pigeons get there first!  Kale is in the brassica family along with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, romanesco & kohl rabi.  Kale is is high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium.  Not sure what to do with it?  Start with the recipe below.

Recipe of the week: You know the addictive, crispy, dark green seaweed you get in Chinese restaurants? Well, it’s really kale - that hearty winter vegetable that is everywhere at the moment. If you’ve never quite been sure of this veg, this might just change your mind. It’s sweet, salty and crispy, and a dream with a tangle of soy sauce-glossed noodles. The perfect way to ring in the Year of the Horse.

Hot Street Food: Margosa will be cooking up a big Sri Lankan chicken curry, as usual, but this week they will have a new slow-cooked lamb curry, plus homemade rotis made with grated fresh coconut.  And of course creamy daal & basmati rice in full size for veggies, or as accompaniments.  Want more?  Ask Kalum about the one-night-only pop up restaurant at Living Water Cafe on Saturday 22nd February.  Twitter: @margosa_curry

Artichoke Hearts: Gabi’s cakes… lamington cakes, chocolate tiramisu cake, gluten free lemon polenta cake, gluten free chocolate truffle cake, plum frangipanes plus much more.  Gabi is now using Brambletye’s amazing organic orchard eggs in all her cakes.  Gus also makes delicious salads - easy not not notice amongst the cakes, but you’d be missing out.  Twitter: @ArtiHeartsCP

Mr Muffin: Ben’s creations will all be made fresh very early on Saturday morning, and biked here from Forest Hill.  Colston bassett & blood orange jelly, spinach, cumin & comte, double size sausage & ketchup, chocolate & salted caramel, clementine & dark chocolate, pear, cinnamon & chocolate, and the solution to the January diet - the paleo mini-muffin! Banana, honey and dark chocolate, made with ground almonds instead of flour.   Twitter: @IAmMrMuffin

Gluten free, yeast free AND dairy free cooking from Elvira and her Secret Pantry.  Chocolate brownie bites, spiced apple cake, clementine cake, panzerottini (half moon savoury pies), spinach & leek tart, specialty breads and more.  Twitter: @ElvirasSecret

Patchwork Farm:  We welcome Penge resident Ella with Project Uproot.  A fresh project to share plant love in London – all about propagating unneeded plants. She’ll be at the stall this week to raise awareness. Next week (the 8^th) she’ll be holding a houseplant amnesty here.  Want to get involved?  On the 8th, bring a houseplant that needs splitting up, fill in the short form to tell her how you’d like it re-potted, collect your houseplant the next week, and if you like, any ‘babies’ that have been separated from it.  Then…distribute the plants! You can do this yourself, or Project Uproot will do it for you.  You could also donate compost (in a plastic bag) or 2litre fizzy pop/milk bottles, which they will transform into plant pots. Twitter: @projectuproot

Also on Patchwork: SE19+ grown produce (lately it’s been kale, pumpkins and winter stir fry greens), Colin’s super local artisan bread & Imogen’s homemade jams & chutneys.

Grains etc: Sorry folks, I got the date wrong… oops. Wade from The Grain Grocer will be joining us with grains, pulses, nuts, oils and refillable eco cleaning products on the 8th of Feb.  More info next week.