When traveling, you sometimes stumble upon the best places to eat without even trying.

This was our case with Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant on the corner of George and Gloucester Streets in Oxford. Moseying along, we noticed a long line of people coming out of this one particular restaurant – must be good, we thought. Soon enough we found ourselves in the crowd, not quite aware of what we were getting ourselves into (not necessarily recommended, but in this case it worked).

The line outside moved fairly quickly, as the place is rather large (two floors). Once through the doors, we were given a beeper and told the wait would be about 15 minutes. Not so bad, I’m thinking, as a young woman directs us to the bar and waiting area. As soon as we order some wine, the restaurant’s entire computer system crashes. That means no food orders, and no more seating until the problem is solved! This is where the impatient customers shout, “Pen and paper, pen and paper!” I agree, but I’m having fun sitting on a high stool overlooking the modern dining room with a glass of red wine in one hand and roasted almonds with chili and fennel salt in the other. These nuts were the only computer-independent food in the lot – lucky for Jamie, they were quite nice and tied us over until we were finally able to be seated.

The Oxford restaurant opened in 2008 and was the first in the line of Italian restaurants Jamie Oliver has opened around Britain. While the general atmosphere was contemporary, the smells coming from the kitchen (which you could peek into via a television screen) were reminiscent of old-fashioned Italian cooking. I think Jamie’s secret is garlic.

What we ordered: Monachelle Putanesca – a traditional sauce I have always been fond of. This version was excellent, slightly tangy with ripe Kalamata olives and juicy capers. I was disappointed with the pasta, though. A lighter noodle would have done better justice to such a delicate sauce. Instead, the putanesca was served with thick, heavy shells that were too overwhelming. Jamie’s Italian Spaghetti Bolognese – here, the chefs took a traditional dish and revisited it. My husband thoroughly enjoyed it, as there was a balanced combination of different meats, and the pasta was cooked just right – al dente. We continued drinking our wine (2003 Piemonte – Barbera d’asti superiore ‘Tere caude’, ca’ del matt), which was smooth and plumy -  highly recommend.

In sum, our experience wasn’t perfect, but the sauces, wines and smells were worth it.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention the Funky Chips with fresh garlic and parsley. These home-made fries were the tell-all and why I’m sure Jamie’s secret ingredient must be garlic.

Address:

Jamie’s Italian, Oxford

24-26 George Street

Oxford, OX1 2AE

Tel: 01865 83 83 83 (No reservations!)

This week, I checked out the two farmers’ markets at Gloucester Green in central Oxford.

Gloucester Green is a square surrounded by several stores, restaurants and some great coffee shops (Combibos Coffee and Caffe Nero both have excellent lattes). Located between Beaumont, St. George and Walton Streets, it comes alive during market times. Both markets are fairly small, but offer a nice alternative to the regular grocery store.

Oxford City Council Market

Every Wednesday, 9am-5pm

To be honest, this market wasn’t anything extraordinary (there were too many cheap clothing stands and not enough produce for my taste). This said, the foodie I am did manage to find a couple unique edibles. First, I stumbled upon some Turkish Delight – only the second time I’ve ever tasted it. I remember reading about this sweet delicacy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child. What better place to rediscover it than Oxford (where C.S. Lewis spent most of his adult life)? Then, I came across some free-range duck eggs. As I approached the stand, I overheard a man with a very English accent asking his son if he’d “eat a duck egg for lunch,” as though it was nothing out of the ordinary! The vendor told me these particular eggs had been picked up that morning and that the chickens (I mean ducks) drank running water (instead of still water), which gave the eggs a finer taste. They’d be good for about 2 weeks (chicken eggs last 3 to 4) and are great in omelets, thanks to the consistency.

Sketts Farmers’ Market

1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9am-3pm

Sketts is a market and events organizer in the UK and has pretty strict trading criteria when it comes to farmers’ markets. Local produce, for example, must come from within 50 miles. I liked this small and friendly market. I spent time looking at old antiques, second-hand books, and, of course, the various food stands. Nearly every one caught my attention and had something enticing to sell. Fresh and smoked trout, vegetarian mushroom pâté, apple and pear juices, traditional Indian samosas (try the Mirch, filled with potatoes and chili- spicy!)… My favorite stall was the Windrush Valley Goat Dairy. They offer a handcrafted selection of soft goat cheeses (the pepper one is nice, and the fresh herb even better). I’d also recommend the pro-biotic yogurt (thin enough you can drink it or poor it over muesli) and the quite perfect cheese cake.

]]> http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/farmers-markets-at-gloucester-green-oxford/feed/ 0 http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/oxford-blue-and-marksbury-cheddar/ http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/oxford-blue-and-marksbury-cheddar/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:45:48 +0000 Joy Anna Becvarik http://thetomatoknife.com/?p=1391 It’s the Quatorze Juillet back in France. A good day to write about cheese, no?

I haven’t been in Oxford very long, but I’ve already noticed quite an admiration for France – in culinary terms at any rate. Walk down the streets in the city center and you’ll come across many French-style bakeries selling croissants, crepes, baguettes…. Since I’m only in England for two weeks, I’m trying to avoid anything that I can find back home (except Dijon mustard – just couldn’t convince myself otherwise when it came to making salad dressing). This friendly “boycott” goes for cheese, too.

Thus, I headed to the Oxford Cheese Company (located in the Covered Market) to pick up some local cheeses. They have a wonderful selection and the young woman behind the counter was more than happy to point out her favorites. I ended up with five different types, and these two stood out as being especially worth trying:

Oxford Blue

This is an award winning blue cheese made from cow’s milk – and not nearly as strong as French Roquefort. It’s soft, creamy and has a salty tang. This is a fairly new cheese, created in 1993 as an alternative to stilton – and still made in a Stilton dairy.

Marksbury Cheddar

The first cheddar originated in Cheddar Village in the county of Somerset, England. There is record that it was being made (and purchased by the King) back in the 12^th century. Check out the British Cheese website for some interesting history – including the fact that Henry II once purchased 10,240 lbs. of it!

Marksbury Cheddar (from Somerset) is among the best cheddars I’ve ever tasted. It’s fairly strong and sharp. Although it’s a hard cheese, it seems to melt in your mouth. It really tastes like it came directly off a farm in England!

The cheddar was especially nice with the malt bread I picked up (a common find here in England).

Address:

Oxford Cheese Company

17 The Market
Oxford OX1 3DU
Tel: 01865 721 420

Two weeks of exploring and getting to know this city. This is the first time I’ve actually had Internet access while traveling. That’s exciting since I’ll be able to share my adventures and discoveries along the way. I’ll most definitely be checking out the food scene – as well as delving into some history, of course. We’ve already had quite a culinary welcome – from a modern British pub,  to a full English breakfast and my very first Russian meal. Here are some great spots to eat while visiting Oxford:

The Oxford Retreat is a “boutique pub” located on the Oxford Canal. If you check out their website, you’ll see this restaurant/bar prides themselves on using fresh, seasonal produce from local vendors. We didn’t know this when we stumbled in just after arriving last Saturday evening. Since the restaurant was full, we enjoyed our drinks and meal in the bar, on a comfy sofa. For drinks, we tried: Staropramen, a golden lager from Prague. Brothers Pear Cider, a slightly sweet hard cider from the UK – made from pear, obviously!  We ended up going tapas style and ordering several “starters”: scallops (maybe the best I’ve ever had), calamari, and creamy mushroom bruschetta. The food was excellent and the service very friendly.

Address: 1-2 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW

Tel: 01865 250309  (Reserve for the restaurant)

Combibos Coffee is a great place to go for breakfast. It’s a coffee house that also serves such delights as eggs benedict and a “full English breakfast” (a veggie version is available). I also noticed they have scones with clotted cream, jam and tea for £2.99 – will have to go back for that! What’s an English breakfast by-the-way? Eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, (veggie) sausages, mushrooms, beans, toast. Yum, yum. Nice, relaxed atmosphere and great choice of music. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is displayed on the wall, along with other famous quotations.

Address: 93 Gloucester Green, Oxford, OX1 2BU (near the bus station)

Arbat is an authentic Russian restaurant located a short walk from the Magdalen Bridge.  I can’t compare to other Russian food, but this was a fun discovery. Drinks to try: Baltika, a beer from Saint Petersburg. The house red wine, from near Makhachkala, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus region. I just learned this is an important wine growing region due to the mountainous terrain. What did we eat? Starter: Grenki, fried garlic rye bread (had never seen such dark rye before). Mains: Kartoshechka s gribami, a vegetarian potato and mushroom dish served with a very fresh mix of raw veggies on the side. Shashlyk, a combination of marinated meats (served on skewers) and veggies. This restaurant has a whole slew of traditional dishes, from Borsh (soup) and Plov (slowly cooked meat and rice) to Medovik (honey cake) – too bad we were too full for dessert!

Address: 84 Cowley Road, oxford, OX4 1JB

Tel: 01865 236376

Parking hint: parking is difficult in Oxford. I’d recommend going straight to one of the outdoor parking lots. During the day you pay by the hour, but from 8pm-8am there is a flat rate (a few pounds max). Come with change to put in the machine and then display your ticket in the window of the car. You can also easily get around by foot, bicycle or bus.

Why I’m happy: tea is always served with a side of milk – you don’t even have to ask!

I’d been hearing about Chez Chartier, a historic 19^th century restaurant, ever since moving to Paris.

I’d especially wanted to go see the famous cubbies that line the walls. Little wooden drawers marked with numbers, this is where regulars once kept their napkins. Last night, we finally decided to check it out and I’m still trying to decide which was more impressive: the décor, the waiters or the classic French menu.

Today it may reach 90 degrees in Paris, and yesterday wasn’t too far behind. The large wooden fans hanging from the restaurant ceiling were working hard as we settled down at our table. Soon as we walked through the front doors, we knew this would be a unique experience. The setting immediately took us back to 1896, when the restaurant first opened:  one immense room filled with cream-colored walls, giant mirrors, intricate molding, dark wooden paneling and large chandeliers dangling from high ceilings. In addition to eying the much-awaited napkin cubbies, I also took note of the brass racks above the tables, where clients once placed their hats while dining. Even on a Wednesday night, the restaurant was packed – and very noisy. Be prepared to share a table and chat with strangers – our neighbors happened to be an older Canadian couple on a five-week tour of Europe.

It’s cliché to say the waiters were busy as bees, but I really can’t think of a better comparison. Dressed in traditional black vests and long white aprons, they swarmed from one table to the next. Adding to the historic charm and tradition, each one wore a small button sporting a number and scribbled orders down on the tablecloths. At the end, that became our bill: a few chicken scratches on the corner of our table, the items added up by hand!

The restaurant’s real name is Bouillon Chartier. Bouillon means stock in French and comes from when they were known for their inexpensive meat and vegetable stock. In the beginning, the “canteen’s” goal was to provide rapid, modestly-priced meals to regular customers (workers and neighborhood locals). Not much has changed (except the clientele which now comes from all corners of the globe); the no-frills paper menu proposes honest, simple French cuisine at a reasonable price. I chose bar (European sea bass) with boiled potatoes and fennel seeds. Sébastien chose a confit de canard – and a half-bottle of Bordeaux Grave to share – a combination which immediately gave away his Southwest origins and seemed to put us on some sort of special terms with our waiter. Busy as he was, he took care to bring us everything we needed.

After dinner, we took a stroll around the neighborhood, which, like the restaurant, takes you back in time. Just across the street is the historic “Passage des Panaramas”, a narrow covered passageway that dates back to 1800. We happily navigated our way around the tiny bistro tables covering remnants of old mosaic tiles. There are also a handful of intriguing shops – like one that sells antique toys, doodads and baby dolls, or parts of them at least. This glass-covered passage was apparently the first place gas electricity was used in Paris back in 1816 and was a popular spot to be seen.

Chez Chartier is open everyday from 11:30am-10:00pm. First-come, first served – as they don’t take reservations! We were lucky and didn’t have to wait yesterday, but apparently there’s a line out the door on Sundays.

Address:

7, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre (9^th arrondissement)

Metro: Grands Boulevards

Conclusion first: the original experiment failed after only a few hours.

When my sister told me she was going vegan for a month, it reminded me of the first time I tried. One day in 2003, I made it until mid-morning. Seven years later, I thought I had a stronger will and, since I wanted to be a good big sister and support her endeavor, I decided to go dairy-free for one week. (The whole month was out of the question). As I mentioned: big failure. I was only able to resist the strawberry yogurt nestled in the fridge until noon.

Thus, the original experiment has been redesigned: as a creative challenge, I’ll prepare one vegan meal per day until the end of the week.

Despite the fact that I have not yet met a vegan in France (nor a vegetarian for that matter), they do exist and the French language (despite popular belief) does have a word for them. Vegetarian translates to végétarien (no meat or fish) and vegan to végétalien (no meat, fish, dairy, eggs…not even honey). As I’ve mentioned in the past, I grew up vegetarian, and am now pescetarian.

Breakfast was one of the reasons going vegan sounded so scary to me. Milk, yogurt, butter: breakfast necessities. Without milk in my cereal, butter on my toast, milk in my tea, yogurt with my fruit…breakfast would cease to exist – as would any motivation to get up!

Yesterday morning, ready to tackle the first challenge, I headed into the kitchen. This was a completely un-prepared adventure and I had to make do with whatever was in the cupboard. Just leaving out the dairy would be too simple. First point: dry cereal was out of the question. Second point: my breakfast had to make sense and include protein, iron, calcium… all the important nutrients. A mix between muesli and tabouli ended up being my inspiration for this “Vegan Breakfast Salad.”

First, some nutritional info:

Bulgur is a whole grain, widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and rich in fiber.

Flax seeds have many benefits, but I added them for their Omega-3 fatty acids (similar to salmon).

Raisins contain antioxidants, iron and Boron (a mineral that helps absorb calcium and, thus, develop strong bones).

Nuts are a great source of protein. Walnuts are pretty much a miracle food if you ask me (they contain fiber, vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, B vitamins…). Almonds are a source of calcium (didn’t know that till yesterday), as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins…

Shopping List

Bulgar

Raisins

Dried apricots

A juicy orange and lemon

Flaxseeds

Walnuts

Toasted almonds

Recipe:

1. Cook the bulgur in boiling water for about ten minutes. Add the dried fruits  just before draining so  they will just slightly cook. Drain well.

2. Mix in seeds and nuts.

3. Squeeze in some orange juice (until the bulgur takes the flavor) and some lemon juice (just a bit). Mix well.

I thought the fruit sweetened the salad enough, but add some agave syrup or cinnamon to taste if you like.

This salad is also great served cold and will give you a boost of energy to start your day.

I think it’s funny that I learned to make salsa in  Paris- out of pure necessity, really.

Ever since leaving for college, one of the reasons I find myself regularly returning back to sunny Santa Fe is for the unmatched northern-style New Mexican food – warm flour tortillas, chunky green chili sauce, cheese tamales wrapped and steamed in corn husks… and, of course, the world’s most cheerful tomato salsa. When you grow up on this fresh local fare, your life just isn’t the same without it.

Thus, the reason I taught myself to make this tomato salsa in our tiny kitchen in Paris. Fortunately, we have a bigger kitchen now, but when I first tried it a few years ago, we had neither a countertop nor an appropriate sieve. It took me hours to chop up all the ingredients, strain out the extra liquid, and try to add spice without… well… any spice.

Since then, I’ve simplified my approach- a fine sieve and admitting I wouldn’t have exactly the same ingredients as in Santa Fe helped. This recipe, which I made in about 30 minutes the other day, is based on traditional New Mexican salsa, but uses ingredients that are very easy to find in Paris!

Shopping List

6 cloves of garlic

½ red onion

6 medium-sized tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Hot chili sauce (sauce piquante in French)

Ground chili pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

A bunch of fresh cilantro (look for coriandre in France)

Recipe:

1. Mince the garlic and onions. Set aside.

2. Gently mix the tomatoes in a blender. Don’t smash them too much! Just until they are the right size – small chunks.

3. Strain the extra juice from the tomatoes through a fine sieve (set aside for use in another recipe, so you don’t waste it). You may leave some liquid of course, but you want the chunks to dominate.

4. Add tomatoes, garlic and onions in a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients to taste. I add the cilantro last, but lots of it!

Be careful – disappears quickly next to a bowl of tortilla chips.

World Cup 2010.

Starts tomorrow and we’ll be watching as France confronts Uruguay at 8:30pm. I’m thinking of yummy munchies and of making  some of my mushroom bruschetta. This has been a longtime favorite, but I most recently tried it on hearty slices of dark seedless rye bread from the local boulangerie. Yum, yum. Don’t think I’ll change a thing for tomorrow’s cheering session.

Shopping List

4 mushrooms per person (sliced)*

Parmesan (or other hard Italian) cheese shavings

1 clove garlic per person (yeah, really that much!)

Fresh chives

Salt, Pepper

Olive oil

Dark, seedless rye bread (sliced)

Recipe:

1. Sautée the garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms after a few minutes and fully cook. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Rub the edges of the slices of bread with a garlic clove.

3. Spoon the mushrooms onto the bread and cover with the Parmesan shavings (to make: use a vegetable peeler).

4. Grill in a hot oven until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn brown.

5. Decorate with a splash of pepper and fresh chives.

*I’d recommend baby portobello or good old champignons de paris.

Go France!

Today’s my blog’s first birthday! In honor, I made a cake.

This was an adventure, considering I had never made a savory cake before. On my way home last Friday I was imagining exactly how I wanted it to turn out- and trying to figure out which ingredients (and in which proportions) would make it work best.

I didn’t want a dry cake- that was sure. I wanted it to be light, smooth and moist (while being cooked all the way through). I knew what I was up against and all the pitfalls I was likely to fall into. Moist. How can I make it moist? I wanted it to be like a yogurt cake- et voilà- there, in the late afternoon sunlight, I decided what I’d make- more or less a yogurt cake without the sugar.

I also knew I wanted it to be light- well, as light at a cake packed with creamy Roquefort cheese can be. So, I decided (for, I think, the first time ever) not to use butter because, with the cheese, it would just be too much. Instead, I opted for canola oil, which doesn’t have an overpowering flavor.

In the end, I was very satisfied with my blog’s birthday cake!

Shopping List

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup yogurt

1/2 cup grated gruyère cheese

3/4 cup Roquefort

2/3 cup walnuts

1 pear (cut into small pieces)

Recipe:

1. Mixed dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar).

2. Beat eggs and mix in wet ingredients (oil, yogurt), in a separate bowl.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix as little as possible so the cake will be light and airy!

4. Add the remaining ingredients. Still mixing as little as possible.

5. Bake in the oven at 350° F for about 35 minutes. The top should be slightly browned and the cake fully cooked (difficult to tell since the cheese will be melted).

Happy Birthday!

Want to know a kind of funny secret? I’d never, until this week, bought a fennel.

Since I’d never bought one, I’d never cooked with one either- until today. What an aroma fills the room as you slice into it! A sort of fresh, playful licorice. I made my two bulbs into four bowls of creamy fennel leek soup. We finished it off about half an hour ago, but I really wish we had more.

I was inspired by a “velouté” that I found in one of my French cookbooks.

Shopping List

2 fennel bulbs (chopped)

3 leeks (chopped, except for 1/2)

1/4 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)

1/8 cup finely grated Parmesan (plus a little more)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Olive oil

Freshly grated nutmeg

Gros sel de Camargue (coarse cooking salt)

2 bay leaves

Freshly ground pepper

Recipe (makes 4 bowls):

1. Prepare the soup: Sauté the fennel and leeks in a bit of olive oil, until translucent (like onions). Cover with water, add the bay leaves, sprinkle in some salt and grate in a dash of nutmeg. Cover and let simmer (medium heat) until the fennel is fully cooked.

2. Prepare the cream: In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche with the lemon juice and let sit. (If using sour cream, do not add the lemon).

3. Prepare the leek topping: Slice the remaining 1/2 of a leek into small strips. Gently sauté them in a small amount of olive oil. Cook them very slightly, stirring regularly and removing them from the heat before they turn brown. Set aside.

4. Blend and combine: When the vegetables are cooked, blend them until “smooth” and then return this mixture to the pot. Add the cream and the Parmesan. Top with the leek strips, a bit of Parmesan, a grate of nutmeg and some pepper.

Serve with thick slices of fresh, grainy bread (perfect for dipping).

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