Page 56 - Phonebox Magazine October 2012

Hats off to BOFF
The fourth year of the Big Olney Food Festival and every year it gets that little bit better. It is a spectacular showcase for the fabulous food and drink that our cafes, pubs, restaurants, food suppliers and brewers produce for us all year around.
A big improvement this year was the doing away with the pre-purchased food tickets. Just browse the stalls and eat what you like, paying as you go. Simples! And what a choice. A positive larder of goodies to choose from on the Bulls’ deli board (including recent addition to the hall of fame, their ham hock terrine); Much a Do’s catalan chicken stew that filled the air all day with a delicious smell, an indian concoction from the Four Pillars, freshly cooked chicken selections from Pasture’s Poultry; mediterranean flavours from the Courtyard, soups and cakes from Beans, pancakes and more cakes from Teapots. Great for the tastebuds and eyes, really rubbish for the waistline!
The downside of the festival this year was the bar queue. Whilst in previous years the alcohol had been supplied from
three separate vendors, this year there was just one bar, and with a choice of real ales from Olney’s own brewer, Hopping Mad, and the award winning Virtual Orchard cider on offer, clearly demand was way outstripping the valliant attempts of the bar staff to keep up. Up to 20 minutes waiting time for a beer doesn’t go down too well in some quarters. Please, longer bar, more staff next year.
But once again the festival was a resounding success with great music, great atmosphere and spectacular food. Roll
on 2013!
Much Ado’s marvellous Catalan Chicken Stew
Phonebox Foodie
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PICK OF THE SEASON: COURGETTE BHAJI’S
THE TIM O’GRADY CHALLENGE
Add in 4 tablespoons of gram flour, itʼs made from ground up chickpeas and doesnʼt “clog” as wheat flour and cooks a lot quicker. I like to use a wok for deep frying. Add two thirds of a bottle of veg oil to the wok and let it get nice and hot. Test the heat by adding a teaspoon of your bhaji mix to the oil, it should bubble away ferociously but not spit and shoot oil everywhere.
One thing we were very lucky to get when we moved to Olney was an allotment, two foot deep in weeds but ours to play with. We managed to get some plants in late, in particular – courgettes and we are enjoying a summer glut. Now is the time to get them from the shops too, theyʼre cheap and a fantastically versatile vegetable. Hereʼs my favourite way of cooking them.
Once itʼs this hot use a pair of dessert spoons to shape and mould rough balls of bhaji mix and drop them into the hot oil. I did 4 at a time and took it easy, take the bhajis out when they have gone past golden brown. Drain them on kitchen roll and then serve piping hot.
Courgette Bhajisʼ
Get a couple of extra large courgettes, if they have got really massive then youʼll probably want to cut the middle out as it gets a bit woody and the seeds are quite large.
pepper corns, teaspoon of cumin seeds, teaspoon of coriander seeds and a teaspoon of mustard seeds. Warm them until the coriander seeds start to pop then take them off the heat and into a pestle and mortar. Crush them to a fine powder, then add in two teaspoons of turmeric, one teaspoon of garam masala and good pinch or two of chilli flakes. Once your spice mix is crushed together add it to the grated courgette and mix thoroughly.
They will be nice and brown on the outside and when you break into them they will be a delicious golden colour and should smell amazing from the spices.
Grate your courgette into a bowl until you have a large mound, I half filled a large baking bowl as a rough guide. This bit can get a bit messy but you need to do it. Take a small handful at a time and squeeze it to get as much of the liquid out as possible. Once dry transfer it to a clean bowl.
The perfect accompaniment to hot spicy bhajis is a cooling raita. Add half a large pot of greek yoghurt to half a chopped onion, then take a really good handful of fresh mint leaves and chop finely and add to the yoghurt and onion. Add a teaspoon of runny honey for sweetness and a good pinch of salt.
Toast off your spices by warming a frying pan on the hob and add half a teaspoon of
Serve with the Bhajiʼs and enjoy!
Each month Tim creates a recipe for us using ingredients purchased (or in this instance - home grown) from Olney. More foodie thoughts and recipes from Tim at www.timogrady.wordpress.com
56 Phonebox Magazine
Venison Scotch Egg, Ham Hock Terrine, Spicy Sausage Roll and Smoked Duck from The Bull