This recipe dates back some 30 years. I picked up one of those recipe cards in a supermarket to promote certain foods. This one was for button mushrooms.  I made it for my wife and it became one of ‘our’ special dishes, and I made it for her following every home birth of our children.
 
Of course, over time it changed, but the basic recipe is the same; tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and chilli flakes …and of course a little good quality olive oil.
 
In this latest version I added a little Cracked Black Hungry Soul vegan cream cheese. Many pasta recipes call for a little parmesan, but not for vegans. By adding a little Hungry Soul, it really makes a nice difference … well, you be the judge, make this, then let us know what you think!
 
 RECIPE
 Enough for 4 servings.
 
INGREDIENTS 

• 250g of penne pasta – cooked al dente
• 2 x 400g tins of cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
• 250g of mushrooms – quartered ( or use button mushrooms )
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves – chopped
• ½ tsp or more of chilli flakes
• A tub of Cracked Black Pepper cream cheese by Hungry Soul
• A little salt
• Some extra virgin olive oil
• Rocket leaves for the side

 
 METHOD

1.  Soften the onion, and garlic in a drop of olive oil on medium heat.
2. Add the chilli flakes and the mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes stirring once or twice.
3. Pour in the two tins of tomatoes and allow to cook for 10 – 15 minutes until you have a nice sauce. Taste it and add a little salt if you think it needs it.  Set aside
4. Boil your penne pasta until al dente – you do not want it soft, it has to have a little bite.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, add the sauce, reheat, and serve.
6. On your plate add one tablespoon of the Cracked Black and mix it into the sauce, voila!

 
I serve it with a little rocket leaves.
 
Bon appétit!    Jacques
@HungrySoulVegan_  - Changing the Culture
 
P.S.  Did you know that when cooking with Hungry Soul cream cheese there is no dairy, no lactose, no cholesterol … just pure goodness 😊

Finding yourself with an abundance of carrots? We did last week, so I went on a mission to find ways to use the surplus. Don't let them go to waste ringing in my ears!

​Here are some creative and sustainable ways to use up a carrot surplus:
​

1. Carrot Soup: Make a hearty carrot soup. Blend cooked carrots with onions, garlic, vegetable stock, and a touch of cream or coconut milk. Season with ginger or cumin for an extra kick.
2. Carrot Chips: Slice carrots thinly, toss with olive oil and your favorite spices, then bake until crispy. A healthy, zero-waste snack!
3. Pickled Carrots: Preserve your carrots by pickling them. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and spices in a jar with carrot sticks. Let them sit for a few days to develop flavor.
4. Carrot Cake: Bake a delicious carrot cake or muffins. Grated carrots add moisture and sweetness, making for a perfect treat.
5. Carrot Juice: Juice your carrots for a refreshing drink. Use the leftover pulp in baking or add it to soups and stews for added fibre.
6. Carrot Stir-Fry: Add carrots to a stir-fry with other veggies and your favorite protein. Their sweetness complements savory dishes wonderfully.
7. Carrot Puree: Puree cooked carrots and freeze in ice cube trays. Use these cubes in soups, sauces, or as baby food.
8. Carrot Salad: Grate raw carrots and mix with raisins, nuts, and a light vinaigrette for a refreshing salad.
9. Carrot Smoothies: Blend carrots into smoothies. They pair well with fruits like oranges, apples, and bananas.
10. Fermented Carrots: Try fermenting carrots with cabbage for a tangy, probiotic-rich snack.

Embrace the zero waste lifestyle by making the most of your carrot surplus with these tasty and sustainable ideas!

​​Geraldine Fitzpatrick

I popped into The Urban Co-op for the first time last week and what an amazing shop it is. One of the products I bought was Mic's Chilli BBQ Sauce.

​We tried it out later and it is THE BEST BBQ sauce we have ever tried. Normally I make my own BBQ sauce, however I have been made redundant and replaced by this absolutely amazing and delicious product. Review by Harry

Let us know which of our products are your favourites and why
Email Geraldine [email protected]

I made these ice pops recently. They are packed with goodness and the real bonus is my kids love them and they are easy to make!

Recipe

• 4 decent-sized bones (to make marrow)
• 1 cup of chopped fruit 
• 1/2 cup of tallow
• 1/2 cup of natural yogurt or kefir yogurt
• Optional a sachet of pure collagen if you prefer a firmer lollipop
• Honey is up to you - some people like sweeter and some don’t. I added 2 spoons and was good for my taste.
• Lollipop or ice pop molds
• Sticks to hold lollipop 

 
 
Method

1. Roast bones for 25 min at 180c, until fat has melted, scoop all fat out and reserve
2. To make the fruit paste, blend the fruit of choice with a spoon of water
3. Melt the tallow and reserve
4. Mix all of the ingredients (including honey and the yogurt) while still warm with a hand blender and place the mixture on the mold and sticks and place it in the freezer until the next day. Enjoy when firm and cold!

Danilly Carvalho

Hungry City
by Carolyn Steel

This has been on my to read list for a while. We have recommended Sitopia previously which is her most recent book. We are fans of Carolyn Steel no doubt and her work is a great overview for us on how we need to see how food shapes our world. Hungry City is published over a decade ago but so relevant and even more so now.
 
How do you feed a city? So many of our population now live in cities and are being actively encouraged to make the move from rural to urban. 15 minute cities are touted as a selling point for quality of life. But how do you feed a huge number of people this way? Trains and corporations have changed everything along the way. But so too is the disconnect from our food supply… and all the problems that brings. Reframing how we view and value food is the journey we need to make and this book is just the ticket to get there. 

Anne Maher

When you change to the routine of consuming real food over ultra processed many things begin to happen. Aside from the health benefits ( of which there are many!) One of the striking changes is how often you shop. Here is the deal.. Less is more. A little and often etc. We have certainly noticed patterns change with customers. They tell us that they can manage better, waste less, plan better, eat better. It did get me thinking. Aside from the transaction it offers more opportunities to engage and connect for people. This cannot be a bad thing. Providing as many opportunities as possible for this engagement is important for our health.

Of course you can go shopping to a 24 hour supermarket if you want to. But I am talking about markets with real food available constantly. Let’s just say it is probably the case that at any time of day or night you could get your hands on a can of coke. Can you say the same about raw milk? Can you say the same about organic grass fed beef?

I believe we apply our supermarket habits of shopping once a week to the market stall model and assume once a week is enough. Speaking with our US friends in Weaver St North Carolina they tell us that the norm there is once every three weeks for general shopping. All I can picture is the huge task that is to face. Not to mention very isolating. Our experience here has taught us that people enjoy the little and often approach because we have facilitated it to happen. Increased social engagement of shopping enhances the experience of accessing nourishment. We are social beings and need this now more than ever. 

​Anne Maher

Commuting to and from The Urban Co-op I happen to meet many tractors. Or follow. The speed of same is dictated by the age of the driver. It is easy to tell from behind. The older farmer travels slower along the road and I notice heads turning left and right to survey the land around. Younger drivers needless to say go faster bopping to music or some such distraction as the head stays firmly forward. These large tractors are quite impressive machines. Technology has advanced so much that they are comfortable and powerful (and a bit scary on the roads!). Measured in horse power can you imagine the conversion of 300 horses to do the work of one tractor?

Recently I came across an old record of a receipt for the first farm tractor purchased by my father. In the late fifties this cost a small fortune of £350. It must have been a game changer from working with horses. I actually do remember this machine in action. My mother driving it on a hot day turning hay, alongside my father as he used the baler with the more modern Massey Ferguson. The weather must have been about to turn but on that day the sun shone gloriously. I smell the dry hay again. Working picnics of tea, sandwiches and cake to keep the momentum going. Sitting on those little grey tractors with no cab farmers were exposed to all the elements. The hay seeds, the dust, the sun, the rain, the smells, the birdsong. Despite the convenience of these work horses you were still in touch with the land through the assault on your senses. Do younger farmers have that connection with the land still? The ability to read the land, the weather and all the signs that nature tells us? I really doubt it. How do we get back to understanding the language of the land again? 

Anne Maher