A blogger at the market
It all started innocently enough. What was initially couple of chatty tweets to Deri Reed, better known as The Ethical Chef, soon turned into a bit of a challenge - put my cooking wits where my mouth is and cook up a 3 course vegetarian meal to be sold at his stall at Cardiff's Riverside Farmers Market.
Blind panic hit me. For a start I'm not a vegetarian, could I really make 3 courses without meat and, more importantly, without sacrificing the flavour I love? Deri does this week in week out but could I really put down the pancetta and pick up the purple sprouting broccoli? After reading through some recipes, I bounced some ideas off Deri and a plan was hatched.
Saturday 2nd June
I set off from a gloomy Cardiff and head west to Carmarthen and Ethical Chef HQ. After a couple of pit stops to pick up some essential kit (an electrical generator, artisan cheese and fresh fruit and veg) we descend on ECHQ to begin the preparations.
Our menu had been a closely guarded secret with only the merest hint at what we were up to. I decided to stay true to my roots and cook things that I love to eat because, hey, if I like it and put my passion into it then somebody else might enjoy it too.
Starter Griddled polenta cakes with sage served with olive-fried cabbage and Caerfyrddin ffeta (that's Welsh feta-style cheese in case you couldn't guess)
Main Jerk seasoned halloumi and vegetable kebabs served with bulghar wheat and onion jam
Pud White chocolate and strawberry cheesecake
Over the next 5 hours we made 2 large trays of polenta, 60 halloumi kebabs and a smaller number of jerked tofu kebabs plus 5 cheesecakes. Street food can be hard to come by at a predominantly produce focused market and vegan food is even harder to find.
Exhausted but happy I retire to bed at 10.30am and sleep soundly.
Sunday 3rd June
4.30am. The sun is just starting to awake from it's slumber, birds are singing, cats are chasing them and I'm up and drinking tea. Deri puts the final touches to our menu and handouts for today - a copy of the polenta recipe plus some information on me and what we're up to.
After a little early morning twitter we have breakfast - porridge and more tea. I'm advised not to drink too much as there'll be no loo at the market itself. The boys pack up the van whilst I make friends with ECHQ moggies.
A little later than planned and we're steaming ahead down the M4 and back to Cardiff. Quick pit-stop at Sarn service station (coffee and loo break) and before we know it we're on the banks of the Taff unloading the van.
10am rolls around quickly and the customers seem very taken with Deri's other produce - freshly squeezed orange juice, home-made ginger beer and some delicious looking hummus. I'm content to stand back and get my bearings. It's been 12 years since I did any catering and this is pretty scary. Finally someone breaks the silence and buys 2 slices of my cheesecake to take home for later. I start chatting to customers, explaining who I am and what I'm up to and, hooray, selling some of my goodies.
By 1pm we're getting busy, with customers utilising a picnic table under the adjacent marquee to have their lunch. The halloumi kebabs are an instant hit and sell out. The polenta is a slow burner but we still manage to sell 2/3rds of what we brought and also about 1 1/2 cheesecakes. Deri's halloumi and juices have sold steadily throughout the day. I manage to grab some of the polenta for myself and sit down to eat. Hearing people enthuse about my food gave me a real buzz and it was lovely to meet so many enthusiastic foodies as well as some of my beloved twitter friends.
2pm and the market has slowed down to a crawl. I dutifully sell one final plate of polenta, stick a recipe in the punter's hand and drop the money into the cash box. Everyone is exhausted but elated and we're all running on a high with everyone excitedly talking over each other. I'm waved off into the distance as my colleagues load up the van ready for another day.
A big thank you to Deri for inviting me to be a guest-chef on his stall. Much love to the Reed family for welcoming me into their home, to the ECHQ moggies for their cwtches, Nick for his porridge and Suzi for taking over hummus piping duties where I failed. Most of all thank you to everyone who came, ate and said nice things about the food.
Blind panic hit me. For a start I'm not a vegetarian, could I really make 3 courses without meat and, more importantly, without sacrificing the flavour I love? Deri does this week in week out but could I really put down the pancetta and pick up the purple sprouting broccoli? After reading through some recipes, I bounced some ideas off Deri and a plan was hatched.
Saturday 2nd June
I set off from a gloomy Cardiff and head west to Carmarthen and Ethical Chef HQ. After a couple of pit stops to pick up some essential kit (an electrical generator, artisan cheese and fresh fruit and veg) we descend on ECHQ to begin the preparations.
Our menu had been a closely guarded secret with only the merest hint at what we were up to. I decided to stay true to my roots and cook things that I love to eat because, hey, if I like it and put my passion into it then somebody else might enjoy it too.
Starter Griddled polenta cakes with sage served with olive-fried cabbage and Caerfyrddin ffeta (that's Welsh feta-style cheese in case you couldn't guess)
Main Jerk seasoned halloumi and vegetable kebabs served with bulghar wheat and onion jam
Pud White chocolate and strawberry cheesecake
Over the next 5 hours we made 2 large trays of polenta, 60 halloumi kebabs and a smaller number of jerked tofu kebabs plus 5 cheesecakes. Street food can be hard to come by at a predominantly produce focused market and vegan food is even harder to find.
Exhausted but happy I retire to bed at 10.30am and sleep soundly.
Sunday 3rd June
4.30am. The sun is just starting to awake from it's slumber, birds are singing, cats are chasing them and I'm up and drinking tea. Deri puts the final touches to our menu and handouts for today - a copy of the polenta recipe plus some information on me and what we're up to.
After a little early morning twitter we have breakfast - porridge and more tea. I'm advised not to drink too much as there'll be no loo at the market itself. The boys pack up the van whilst I make friends with ECHQ moggies.
A little later than planned and we're steaming ahead down the M4 and back to Cardiff. Quick pit-stop at Sarn service station (coffee and loo break) and before we know it we're on the banks of the Taff unloading the van.
10am rolls around quickly and the customers seem very taken with Deri's other produce - freshly squeezed orange juice, home-made ginger beer and some delicious looking hummus. I'm content to stand back and get my bearings. It's been 12 years since I did any catering and this is pretty scary. Finally someone breaks the silence and buys 2 slices of my cheesecake to take home for later. I start chatting to customers, explaining who I am and what I'm up to and, hooray, selling some of my goodies.
By 1pm we're getting busy, with customers utilising a picnic table under the adjacent marquee to have their lunch. The halloumi kebabs are an instant hit and sell out. The polenta is a slow burner but we still manage to sell 2/3rds of what we brought and also about 1 1/2 cheesecakes. Deri's halloumi and juices have sold steadily throughout the day. I manage to grab some of the polenta for myself and sit down to eat. Hearing people enthuse about my food gave me a real buzz and it was lovely to meet so many enthusiastic foodies as well as some of my beloved twitter friends.
2pm and the market has slowed down to a crawl. I dutifully sell one final plate of polenta, stick a recipe in the punter's hand and drop the money into the cash box. Everyone is exhausted but elated and we're all running on a high with everyone excitedly talking over each other. I'm waved off into the distance as my colleagues load up the van ready for another day.
A big thank you to Deri for inviting me to be a guest-chef on his stall. Much love to the Reed family for welcoming me into their home, to the ECHQ moggies for their cwtches, Nick for his porridge and Suzi for taking over hummus piping duties where I failed. Most of all thank you to everyone who came, ate and said nice things about the food.
Comments