Food Facts

I don't often post up my work (although that was the original idea behind the blog!) but I have been working on my portfolio for university applications for the past few months. I've been thinking of ways in which to improve it, having learnt a lot at work.

Also I have become more and more interested in graphical presentation. I read my cousin's copy of Information is Beautiful and it gave me some further ideas of how to present information. Below is an improved version of a visualisation I originally did with pen and watercolour. Having populated the drawing a bit more, I drew it with ink on trace, scanned it in and converted the lines. To further improve, I'll get me a graphics tablet so it's easier to colour in!

Sources: wrap.org.uk, lovefoodhatewaste.com, meinfo.com, wasteonline.org.uk

Rooftop Farm

Here are some images from the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in New York. There seem to be lots of these farm popping up all over such as the one at PS1 in NYC and Urban Orchard in London. I'd love to get involved in something like this.
Images from The Selby via Milk

Food Flash

This evening on the tube on the way home I saw a poster advertising a Ministry of Food exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Since my final university projects I got very into researching the 'Grow Your Own' and 'Make Do and Mend' era of WW2, so I'd definitely like to pay it a visit! The posters are great and I find the videos to be such an insight to such a different time. The subject of potatoes is hilarious as I sit next to an Irishman at work and he loves them!

City Veg

 

After meaning to go all summer, my friend Fi and I visited the Union Street Urban Orchard. It had things like seed collections, a scrumpy shed where they were experimenting in making cider from different brands of apple juice, a table tennis table sat in a skip, a tire swing and plant adoption. I was tempted by the latter, but knowing how much trouble I had in keeping my basil alive, I passed.

Then we headed to Borough Market, which is busy busy on a Saturday, and had a wild boar sausage bagette.

And now I think Autumn is here... it's getting chilly in these parts!

Introducing...

Polly, Henrietta and Mrs Thatcher!

Yesterday evening we were finally graced with the presence of the newest members of our clan - the hens! A very adaptable species are settling in to their new home very well. Polly is the least feathered, she's yet to be 'normal' pre-battery self but she's a little spirit. Henrietta and Mrs T are basically fully feathered and the latter I can imagine will live up to her name, she's a big lady! Henny stands her ground too! So I will be updating on the progress of the girls and wondering when the first egg might be laid...

Come Dine

Following the TV phenomenon that is Come Dine With Me, a bunch of my friends invited me to be part of our very own cooking competition. The other week we decended on Ree's house where he cooked us a Jamie Oliver dish of chicken on a bed of roasted sweet potato with a summer salad (which wasn't the exact title but will do for now!) and a lemon tart for dessert. That was delish! Steph's camera recorded us giving our scores (which everyone shared apart from me so we can't actually work out who's won before the last night!) and there'll be some prize money!

This morning I watched Saturday Kitchen, which I love, and I think I have gained some inspiration for my dish when it comes around to being my turn. Here it is! I've only recently got into fish and I reckon this could be a good way of me getting into cooking it. As for dessert, I'm not sure still but Ma picked about 120 plums from the garden the other day, so maybe something plum-y? Here has lots of ideas.

Also, the hens are arriving today!!!

Image from Jamie Oliver - grilled butterflied monkfish with a sweet runnerbean stew - another possibility?!

More Vegetables

I just spotted this calendar by Claire Nereim on Lena Corwin's blog - I love vegetables and I love it!

Hen House

To add to our seasoned vegetable patch at the bottom of the garden, in a few weeks we'll have a few battery rescue hens. I'm so excited for them to arrive; I've already got some great ideas for names. I've watched The Private Life of Chickens on BBC iPlayer which was so interesting, and really showed the character, adaptability and intelligence of the birds. No doubt I'll be posting our progress when they arrive
Image from The Telegraph Magazine