Archive for February, 2010

You’ll find mozzarella in almost every supermarket and delicatessen across the UK. We all love this Italian wonder, but the quality varies hugely depending on producer and production method. Of course, it also depends what kind of milk has been used. Buffalo milk gives mozzarella an intense, herby and full flavour, whilst cow’s milk mozzarellas are beautifully creamy, subtle and soft. With our Italian heritage, we really understand what makes a great tasting mozzarella and we took our time in finding the absolute best Cow’s Milk Mozzarella. We’re sure you will tell in the taste!  So, what makes ours better than the rest…?

Taste: Our artisanal cow’s milk mozzarella has a lovely fresh, milky taste, with a good bit of “bite” that differentiates it from mass-produced alternatives. Soft and moist, but slightly drier than the buffalo milk mozzarella, it’s ideal for cooking as it will not loose too much water. It is also fantastic with salads.

Region: Mozzarella is traditionally produced in all of Southern Italy, but is particularly enjoyed in Campania and Puglia. Campania is traditionally the home of buffalo mozzarella, whilst Puglia is renowned for it’s cow’s milk mozzarella. Our cow’s milk mozzarella is direct from Puglia, a region that not only loves to enjoy mozzarella, but also really knows how to produce it with outstanding quality.

Quality: Our mozzarella from Caseificio Olanda in Puglia is unrivalled for taste and texture. It is produced following the traditional hand rolling method and it contains only milk (the best milk from Puglia!), salt and rennet…nothing else.

Production: It is expertly hand pulled and hand rolled by master cheesemakers who are still using the same methods that were used centuries ago. The artisanal provenance of this mozzarella means that it is produced in small batches, guaranteeing the best care and the use of top ingredients.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. Our cow’s milk mozzarella is not only superior in quality, but also better value than many so called “premium” varieties found in the supermarket.

Natoora “Cow Milk Mozzarella” £15.00/kg
Ocado/Waitrose Cow’s Milk “Brescia Organic Mozzarella” £15.92/kg
Abel and Cole Cow’s Milk “Mozzarella” £18.32/kg

(prices checked on 25/2/2010)

For more information and to buy, click here.

We absolutely love finding produce that makes our taste buds tingle. We are proud to supply several varieties of tomatoes to top restaurants and online customers and this week we’re singing the praises of our Red Cherry Tomatoes from Pachino. Not only are they superb quality and packed with flavour, they are much better value than the varieties offered in the supermarkets. Read on to find out why…

Taste: These beautiful cherry tomatoes are particularly sweet compared to other sharper varieties. They have a wonderful aroma with an intense colour, and are ideal both for cooking and salads.

Region: These tomatoes are only grown in the area of Pachino between the towns of Ragusa and Siracusa in Sicily. Pachino is famous for producing amazing quality tomatoes!

Quality: The IGP certification guarantees that these tomatoes have been grown in Pachino. We only ever buy the highest quality cherry tomatoes available.

Growing: The favourable weather conditions and the rich soil mean that these tomatoes taste fantastic all year round.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. Our cherry tomatoes are not only superior in quality, but they are also better value than many so called “premium” varieties found in the supermarket.

Natoora “Cherry Tomatoes from Pachino“ £6.93/kg
Ocado/Waitrose “Cherry on the Vine Tomatoes” £7.33/kg
Abel and Cole “Cherry Tomatoes” £7.56/kg

(prices checked on 24/2/2010)

For more information and to buy, click here.

A tasty way to enjoy swordfish

Serves 4

4 Swordfish Steaks 200gr each
200gr Cherry Tomatoes from Pachino
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Fennels
1 Garlic Glove
20gr Taggiasche Olives
100gr Chopped Wild Fennel
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Remove the skin from the swordfish, wash and finely slice the fennel. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut in half. Heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan with the crushed garlic clove. Add the tomatoes and after a minute or so add the olives.

Remove the sauce from the pan, add the steaks and cook for a couple of minutes (make sure you do not overcook the fish or it will get a tough consistency).

Add salt and pepper, then add the wild fennel to the sauce and put back in the pan. Cook for another minute, then serve very hot topped with the sauce and a side of fennel dressed in oil and vinegar.

Don’t be put off by this winter wonder, you’ll get all the help you need at Natoora…

Some people love chocolate. We love artichokes. They are one of the great things about winter and well worth trying this month. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes and are absolutely delicious.

Since you are unlikely to have seen these delights on the supermarket shelves, they might appear a bit daunting (especially the spiky variety!), so this week we thought we’d take the time to explain a bit more about these winter wonders…

The Good and The Bad: To check if the artichoke is good, it needs to be firm and not speckled, and the leaves well attached to the heart. The stalk also has to be firm.

The Heart of the Matter: There’s alot of peeling away to get to the tender heart, but it’s definitely worth the effort! See our recipe below for a step by step guide.

Bearded Beauties: Sometimes they have a “beard” inside the heart that needs to be removed before cooking with the help of a sharp knife.

Tender Hearts: The first 4 cm of the stalk is absolutely delicious so do not throw away, but make sure to remove the outer strings by scraping with a knife, or by peeling the outer part.

Storage: They will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can take out the outer leaves and cut the top, wash thoroughly, blanch in water with some lemon and freeze. Or see our artichoke preserving masterclass to make your own deli delights.

Recipe: Stewed Mammole Artichokes

Serves 4

8 Mammole Artichokes
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Chopped Mint
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
50g Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley

This is how they do it Rome!

First you’ll need to prepare the artichokes.
1. Remove the tough outer leaves.
2. With a very sharp knige, cut the top so that you are left with the tender part only.
3. Cut the stalk leaving only 4cm.
4. Put the artichoke upside down and press it down with your hand so that the leaves will separate (you will need to stuff them later, this way you can access the center of the artichoke).
5. Put them in a bowl with cold water and the juice of a lemon (to prevent discolouration).

Now finely chop the garlic and mix with the chopped mint, parsley, breadcrumbs and a little olive oil. Drain the artichokes of excess water. Using a teaspoon, stuff the mix into the artichokes.

Heat some oil in a pan. Then put the artichokes in the pan, head side down. Lightly fry for a few minutes, and drizzle with olive oil. Add enough water to cover the first half of the artichoke, then add salt and cover.

After half an hour, check with a fork. If it’s tender, it’s ready! Serve immediately and drizzle with the juice from the pan. This is a fantastic accompaniment to meat, cheese or eggs.

Roberto hunting down some fantastic muscat grapes

There’s great fortune at having our own buyers in some of the most important fresh produce markets in Europe and with it some personal misfortune as well. Our buyers’ (Roberto & Thierry) excellent work along with the invaluable daily communication between us means that our customers get the latest information and the finest produce available. I, on the other hand, have less reason to go to the markets!

Wholesale markets are wonderful beasts – they’re vibrant, incredibly visual, they inspire you to cook, and mystify you with the freshness, quality and variety of produce.

As you source from over six varieties of artichokes – we’re now in prime artichoke season in Italy – you can’t help but question why do we find not one single artichoke in supermarkets today? The reason has little to do with sourcing policies, as pre-prepared pineapples sold in supermarkets are prepared in Africa and flown to the UK.

When you taste a superb winter tomato like the Sardinian Camone or the Merinda (AKA Costoluto) from Pachino in Sicily – both green varieties which are cultivated with salty water and eaten raw – the same questions come to mind. Fantastic products are still grown as they were hundreds of years ago, yet what is readily available to consumers, especially in large metropolitan areas, is abysmal. (It is worth noting our Cherry Vine Tomatoes from Pachino are cheaper than incomparable supermarket varieties.)

Roughly five years ago I managed to leave a life of banking behind to work in what I love. I still remember finding myself at four in the morning sometime in the middle of September, evening streetlights still shimmering in the distance, while the humming noise of forklifts and lorries moving towers of fresh produce gave life to an otherwise perfectly still dusk. I could not believe it, this was work.

Pink Radicchio - Only available for a few short weeks in February

Markets are places I feel very much at home in, although I spend less time in them than I used to when I first started. Inside them I forget the nagging issues and daily problems, the difficulties of taking on the distribution behemoths of today. As you taste your way through the market, walking briskly from stand to stand, negotiating prices and taking in an earful of tips, recipes and other invaluable if sometimes fantastical knowledge, you realise how varied and amazing the world of fresh produce is. And how little of it makes its way to the vast majority of us.

Over four very short years we have managed to put in place a distribution system which allows us to source some incredible produce – no better tetstament to this than the restaurants we supply – and at the heart of it are our buyers.

Having our own people, sourcing and selecting for our clients, working closely with our suppliers on a daily basis is why today we are the only greengrocer in the whole of the UK where you can find Pink Radicchio (even if in season only three weeks a year), five varieties of artichokes, winter tomatoes, Grumolo (wild radicchio), the marvelous Bergamot which has made its way onto the menus of Hibiscus, Wild Honey, Santini, The Greenhouse and Sketch…all thanks to our sourcing ability and ultimately our passionate team. Both Ruth and Rose of the River Café have told me that since we started sourcing fresh produce especially for them, their restaurant is the better for it. As a small young company it is really inspiring to the level of chefs which are amazed by the quality and variety of our produce – to see it all end on their plates is an exceptional achievement in a very competitive industry.

It is a very personal goal and the main driver for Natoora. We select food not by shelf life or outside appearance but by tasting it, and ensuring the farmers and producers we source from have the necessary combination of passion, tradition and ethical standards. We are not in search of anything new, nor do we want to change the way man has provided for him for thousands of years – what we seek is to revive the traditions that we have lost, allowing people to once again have access to the highest quality food with incomparable flavour. That is our philosophy, our commitment.

We’re really proud of our fruit and veg selection at Natoora. Our range includes lots of must try items that you just won’t be able to find in the supermarkets. Here’s just a few of our favourites that are tasting great this month!

	Grumolo Grumolo is a tiny plant from the Radicchio family. Its leaves are thick yet amazingly tender, making it a fantastic addition to salads. The flavour is slightly bitter so try pairing it with some creamy boiled eggs. Grumolo Verde (pictured): Buy now Grumolo Rosso: Buy now
	Radicchio Castelfranco What a stunner! Not only does it look beautiful with its large yellow leaves and tiny red dots, but it tastes amazing too. These slightly bitter leaves will add a spectacular flavour to any salad. The larger leaves can also be blanched and then stuffed with ricotta and walnuts, or you can blanch the hearts and finish in the oven with some butter and parmesan for an amazing gratin. Radicchio Castelfranco: Buy now
	Cedro Our cedros are gigantic at the moment. They are an amazing perfumed citrus mainly used for the preperation of desserts, drinks and candied fruits. It’s got a very thick pith that can be eaten in salads (especially salads with fish!), marinated in its own juice. Cedro: Buy now
	Leafy Sicilian Oranges At the moment these are absolutely amazing! Ours are Tarocco oranges, the variety with the highest vitamin C content, because of the rich volcanic soil of Sicily where they are grown. Very large, full of juice and packed with sweetness, these are definitely worth a try this month. For more information, view our Real Food article. Leafy Sicilian Oranges: Buy now
	Spiky Artichoke This is the Sardinian Variety. The heart is very tender and it’s particularly good eaten raw, thinly sliced in salads or marinated with lemon juice. Spiky Artichokes: Buy now
	Mammole Artichoke The traditional artichoke from Rome, it’s amazing stuffed with a mixture of parsley, mint and garlic, then cooked upside down in a pot with some veg stock. Mammole Artichokes: Buy now

We’ll always let you know what’s tasting great in our weekly picks section. Check out this week’s picks by clicking here!

At Natoora, we love sourcing superb tasting produce that you just won’t be able to find in the supermarket. This week, we’re getting excited about the outstanding Radicchio Trevisano Tardivo. So…what’s all the fuss about?

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices, but bear in mind you’ll struggle to find this radicchio anywhere else.

Taste: Now in peak season, this radicchio is bitter and spicy, mellowing when it is grilled or roasted. It is sweeter and meatier than other radicchios.

Region: Our radicchio Trevisano Tardivo is of course from Italy! Specifically it is from Treviso in Veneto, where some of the best radicchio varietes come from.

Quality: We only buy the absolute finest grade radicchio available in the market.

Growing: The Tardivo variety comes from the more common radicchio di Treviso. After the first frost, the radicchio undergoes a complicated forcing method. This produces whiter leaves and a unique shape!

For more information and to buy, click here.

It’s pancake day today and we can’t wait to get flipping!
We always look forward to pancake day at Natoora. It comes at a time of year when citrus is at its best so what better way to flavour these doughy delights than with fresh oranges and lemons.

Shrove Tuesday arose through the need to use up food that were forbidden during Lent. So what will we be stuffing in ours this Tuesday…?

Large Sicilian Oranges: Make your own crepe suzette with these sweet, juicy oranges, sugar, butter and of course, some Cointreau.
Rhubarb: Our fantastic forced rhubarb from Yorkshire will be fantastic stewed with sugar and generously dolloped inside a fresh pancake.
Amalfi Lemons: The real classic, just squeeze over and add sugar or even better, try with Ricotta in our recipe below.
Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread: Rich, chocolatey spread, even better when a little melted.
Blueberries: Leave for an hour with brown sugar and creme di cassis and you’ve got heaven in a bowl.
Pears: Roast and serve with vanilla cream or ice cream.

It might not go in a pancake, but also well worth a try this week is the amazing wild pink radicchio. It is only around for a couple of weeks so make sure you don’t miss out. So beauitful it is just as at home on display as it is for eating!

Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes

Serves 4

1 Lemon
200gr Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg, Beaten
200ml Semi-Skimmed milk
200g Ricotta
1 knob Butter
Icing Sugar (to dust)
250g Mixed Berries

Mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle, then pour in the egg and a bit of milk. With a wooden spoon, gradually draw the flour into the liquid until you have a smooth batter. Mix in the rest of the milk and the juice of half the lemon. Beat in the ricotta.

In a large, non-stick frying pan, add the butter. Heat and swirl the butter aroud to cover the bottom. If there is any extra, tip out the excess and reserve. Here we are making 3 or 4 pancakes at once, so spoon in tablespoons of batter, spaced well apart.

Cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip over with a fish slice and cook for a couple more minutes until golden. Set aside and repeat until all the mixture is used up.

To serve, top with berries, grated lemon zest and a sprinkling of icing sugar.

We’re celebrating the Rye Bay festival this week, and what better way to appreciate the wonder of scallops with a delicious recipe!

Serves 2

6 large scallops, membrane removed and halved
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
The zest of one lemon, cut in strips
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to garnish
1 sprig of rosemary
1 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
6 thin slices of pancetta – halved
Mixed leaves and Radicchio to serve

Put the strips of lemon zest in a bowl with the sprig of rosemary and some freshly ground black pepper. Lightly crush with a mortar, then add olive oil and mix well. Add the scallops, cover and leave to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. In another bowl, soak 12 wooden toothpicks in water for 2 hours.

Once marinated, preheat the pan. Remove the scallops from the marinade and drain the toothpicks. Wrap each piece scallop half in a slice of pancetta, secure with a toothpick and transfer to the pan. Broil the scallops for about 1 minute per side, turning once, until the pancetta sizzles and the scallops are firm. It is best to place the scallops clockwise around the edge of the pan, then start turning over in order. Make sure you do not overcook them or they will get a rubbery texture!

In a small bowl, combine the grated lemon zest and chopped rosemary. Dip one end of each wrapped scallop in the lemon-herb mixture, transfer to a platter and serve. Serve with a mixed leaf and radicchio salad.

Half term is fast approaching and we’re getting in the holiday spirit with an exclusive special offer for readers of our blog! Entertaining the kids can be hard, so why not keep them quiet with a bit of tasty grub and a delicious £20 off your order?

Get the kids cooking…

This Tuesday is pancake day so get the kids involved with batter making and pancake flipping! You will need…

85g Self-Raising Flour
1 Free-Range Egg
½ pt Milk
Butter
Pack of Kitchen Towels to clean up (optional)

This is so easy and lots of fun. Just whisk the flour, egg and milk to make a batter. Heat some butter in a pancake pan until the base is covered. Reserve any extra for the next batch. Then add a ladle of mixture, coating the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes, flip, and repeat on the other side. Repeat the whole process for further pancakes.

How to claim your £20 discount*…

1) Place an order before Saturday 28th February

2) Spend at least £80

3) Enter the code HT785KE at checkout

4) Get £20 off!

Take me to the store!

*Terms and Conditions:  Enter code HT785KE at checkout to receive your discount. Minimum order £80 excluding delivery.Valid until 28th February 2010. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer except price discounts. No cash alternative. We reserve the right to refuse or restrict orders.