Children from the Tiriri primary school in Katine stand behind one of the many signs on the school grounds that aim to promote good behaviour.
'All I want for Christmas is a motorcycle'
23.12.07
katine villagers
Meat's on the menu - just for Christmas
Children from the Tiriri primary school in Katine stand behind one of the many signs on the school grounds that aim to promote good behaviour.
'All I want for Christmas is a motorcycle'
Children from the Tiriri primary school in Katine stand behind one of the many signs on the school grounds that aim to promote good behaviour.
'All I want for Christmas is a motorcycle'
wilder parks
Wilder parks can tame climate change threat
Peat bog in the North York Moors
Huge tracts of Britain's landscape should be reclaimed from farming and go back to nature to lock up carbon dioxide and counter global warming, says a government ecology expert...
Peat bog in the North York Moors
Huge tracts of Britain's landscape should be reclaimed from farming and go back to nature to lock up carbon dioxide and counter global warming, says a government ecology expert...
22.12.07
study reveals european birds' decline
Study reveals severe decline of Europe's common birds
A grey partridge: Once common on British farmland, numbers have fallen by 79% since 1980.
Almost half of common European birds are heading towards 'continental extinction', a new report warns
A grey partridge: Once common on British farmland, numbers have fallen by 79% since 1980.
Almost half of common European birds are heading towards 'continental extinction', a new report warns
19.12.07
x'mas
25 top wines for Christmas
10 easy dishes for a festive feast
A little place I know
An A-Z of unusual ingredients
At a loss over agar-agar, befuddled by boletes and confused by your cardoon? Follow Rachel Dixon's three-part guide to weird and wonderful foods. Part one: A-I
Muddled over megrim, nonplussed by nopales and quizzical about quinoa? Follow Rachel Dixon's three-part guide to weird and wonderful foods. Part two: J-Q
Food directory 2007
Find more than 1,000 independent food shops and suppliers across Britain and Ireland
10 easy dishes for a festive feast
A little place I know
An A-Z of unusual ingredients
At a loss over agar-agar, befuddled by boletes and confused by your cardoon? Follow Rachel Dixon's three-part guide to weird and wonderful foods. Part one: A-I
Muddled over megrim, nonplussed by nopales and quizzical about quinoa? Follow Rachel Dixon's three-part guide to weird and wonderful foods. Part two: J-Q
Food directory 2007
Find more than 1,000 independent food shops and suppliers across Britain and Ireland
8.12.07
scottish reindeer
See wild reindeer in Britain this Christmas
This Christmas, you can see free-ranging reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Britain, at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre near Aviemore, in Scotland
Reindeer were introduced to Scotland in 1952 by a Swedish reindeer herder, Mikel Utsi. He visited the Rothiemurchus forest in Invernessshire in 1947 and it reminded him of reindeer pastures in his native Lapland. Starting from 29 reindeer which bred successfully, the herd has grown in numbers over the years and there are now between 130 and 150 animals living in a natural environment on the Cairngorm mountains and the Cromdale hills
This Christmas, you can see free-ranging reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Britain, at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre near Aviemore, in Scotland
Reindeer were introduced to Scotland in 1952 by a Swedish reindeer herder, Mikel Utsi. He visited the Rothiemurchus forest in Invernessshire in 1947 and it reminded him of reindeer pastures in his native Lapland. Starting from 29 reindeer which bred successfully, the herd has grown in numbers over the years and there are now between 130 and 150 animals living in a natural environment on the Cairngorm mountains and the Cromdale hills
mystery of sun's atmosphere unravels
Gallery: data from the Japanese Hinode satellite is helping scientists to understand what causes solar flares
The Japanese Hinode satellite has discovered a type of magnetic wave that ripples through the plasma of the sun’s atmosphere or “corona”. The waves may heat the corona to extreme temperatures by releasing energy as they travel outward from the sun along magnetic field lines. This could help explain the “corona problem” - the fact that the sun’s surface is only about 6,000 kelvin while the corona is at least 1 million kelvin
The edge of the sun’s visible surface, captured by Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope, showing the bright surface or "photosphere" and matter being ejected into the sun's atmosphere
A sunspot surrounded by the "chromosphere" - a thin, almost transparent layer of the sun's atmosphere roughly 10,000 kilometers deep (about the diameter of the Earth)
This is the same region as the previous image, but shows the photosphere that lies immediately beneath the chromosphere. The photosphere is the layer where visible sunlight comes from and is composed of convection cells called granules - cells of gas each around 1000 kilometres in diameter. Each granule has a lifespan of about eight minutes, resulting in the photosphere's continually shifting "boiling" appearance
Close-up of a sunspot
The north pole of the sun. The black streak (just right of centre) is a solar jet: a spurt of matter shooting upwards from the photosphere at 20 kilometres per second. Jets are about 500 kilometres across and reach several thousand kilometres high
The planet Mercury passing across the face of the sun on November 8 2006
6.12.07
half of amazon will be lost
More than half of Amazon will be lost by 2030, report warns
Rainforest in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Climate change could speed up the large-scale destruction of the Amazon rainforest and bring the "point of no return" much closer than previously thought, conservationists warned today.
Rainforest in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Climate change could speed up the large-scale destruction of the Amazon rainforest and bring the "point of no return" much closer than previously thought, conservationists warned today.
Almost 60% of the region's forests could be wiped out or severely damaged by 2030, as a result of climate change and deforestation, according to a report published today by WWF...
30.11.07
galaxy
Phantom galaxy revealed
An image of distant spiral galaxy Messier 74 captured using the Hubble space telescope.
Messier 74 galaxy, some 32m light years away, revealed by Nasa...
An image of distant spiral galaxy Messier 74 captured using the Hubble space telescope.
Messier 74 galaxy, some 32m light years away, revealed by Nasa...
5.11.07
1.11.07
power from the final frontier
Giant collectors in space that beam solar energy back to Earth could soon be a reality. And, as James Bloom reports, it could be a bigger moneyspinner than space tourism
At some point before 2050, satellites collecting solar power and beaming it back to Earth will become a primary energy source, streaming terawatts of electricity continuously from space...
31.10.07
hubble captures dance of the galaxies
Hubble's view of two interacting galaxies
Two galaxies swing past each other in a cosmic dance choreographed by gravity, 300m light years from Earth in the constellation of Leo.
This image, taken by the Hubble space telescope, reveals in unprecedented detail the bright regions of star formation, interstellar gas clouds and prominent dust arms that spiral out from the galaxies' centres.
The larger galaxy on the right is seen nearly face-on, with a giant arm of stars, dust and gas reaching out and around its smaller neighbour, which is viewed edge-on.
The shapes of both galaxies have been distorted by their gravitational interaction with one another.
The pair are known collectively as Arp 87, and are just one celestial coupling among hundreds of interacting and merging galaxies known in the nearby universe.
Arp 87 was first discovered and catalogued by the astronomer Halton Arp in the 1970s, and was described in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.
The Hubble image, a composite of red, blue, green and infra-red exposures, was taken using the telescope's wide field planetary camera 2.
It shows a corkscrewing bridge of material spanning from one galaxy to the other, suggesting stars and gas are being drawn from the larger galaxy into the gravitational pull of the smaller one.
Interacting galaxies are often hosts to the highest levels of star formation found anywhere in the nearby universe.
24.10.07
prague
Top 10 Prague surprises
Hidden sculptures, kitsch museums and quirky carnivals are some of the treasures uncovered by Sarah Johnstone on a truffle-hunter's city tour
Day of the triffids ... 'sci-fi meets jungle' in the design at Hotel Yasmin
Hidden sculptures, kitsch museums and quirky carnivals are some of the treasures uncovered by Sarah Johnstone on a truffle-hunter's city tour
Day of the triffids ... 'sci-fi meets jungle' in the design at Hotel Yasmin
warming could wipe out half of all species
Rising global temperatures caused by climate change could trigger a huge extinction of plants and animals, according to a study. Though humans would probably survive such an event, half of the world's species could be wiped out...
17.10.07
sacred earth
South-central Turkey: Mysterious stone heads rest on the ground among other enigmatic mythological figures at the ancient mountaintop shrine of Nemrut Dagi
Acclaimed photographer and anthropologist Martin Gray has spent the last 20 years on a pilgrimage photographing and exploring more than 1,000 sacred sites in 80 countries. What follows is a selection from his new book, Sacred Earth
britain to claim more than 1m sq km of antarctica
The United Kingdom is planning to claim sovereign rights over a vast area of the remote seabed off Antarctica, ...
Move for sovereignty over vast area of seabed would extend oil, gas and mineral rights.
6.10.07
5.10.07
world's largest offshore wind farm
The world's largest offshore wind farm, which will occupy a site of 90 square miles off the coast of Kent, has been given the go-ahead by the government and should be ready to provide clean power for a quarter of London's homes by 2010.
climate change disaster
climate change disaster is upon us, warns UN
A record number of floods, droughts and storms around the world this year amount to a climate change "mega disaster", the United Nation's emergency relief coordinator, Sir John Holmes, has warned...
A record number of floods, droughts and storms around the world this year amount to a climate change "mega disaster", the United Nation's emergency relief coordinator, Sir John Holmes, has warned...
25.9.07
rare white koala found
Mick, a rare white koala, is nursed back to health after being found ill in a remote part of eastern Australia
15.9.07
7.8.07
cornwall
It bewitched du Maurier and Betjeman and inspires thousands of visitors a year. St Ives' coronation as Britain's best seaside town is only Cornwall's latest accolade. Home to the mysterious landscape of Bodmin Moor, miles of golden beaches, the industrial heritage of the tin mines, a language of its own and pretty fishing villages and ancient folk festivals aplenty, Cornwall is one of Britain's best-loved regions.
26.7.07
heat wave grips europe
A forest burns in the village of Grabovac, 20 km (14 miles) west of the Kosovo capital Pristina, July 24, 2007. Twelve Romanians died and fire-fighters, soldiers and volunteers battled wildfires across southeastern Europe on Tuesday as a persistent heat wave broke temperature records across the Balkans.
25.7.07
23.7.07
17.7.07
16.7.07
lights out on britain's bats
As more buildings are lit up at night, bats are in trouble - because they need darkness to feed. Now campaigners are stepping in to help them
Bats can see, but only in low-light conditions.
Britain's inky nights are disappearing - and with them their most famous inhabitant, the bat. Researchers have found that growing light pollution is now playing havoc with the country's flying mammals.
Bats can see, but only in low-light conditions.
Britain's inky nights are disappearing - and with them their most famous inhabitant, the bat. Researchers have found that growing light pollution is now playing havoc with the country's flying mammals.
As a result, campaigners are now preparing guidelines that will restrict the lighting of public buildings, shops and housing developments. Without dark nights, bats will suffer, they say.
The problem stems from Britain's growing habit of lighting up its public buildings. Bridges, grand houses, parks and shopping malls are today often ablaze with light for long periods every night: boosting security, enhancing dramatic effect ... and dazzling bats.
Many people think bats are blind, but this is not so, said Alison Fure, an ecologist and bat expert: 'They can see quite well. They don't necessarily see colour, but they have got a lot of rods in their retinas, which let in lots of light [so] they can see in very low light conditions.'
Hence the dramatic declines in bat populations found in lit-up areas, especially near illuminated buildings and bridges where bats have nesting areas, or near rivers and waterways where they have feeding grounds. Bats cannot judge when it is dark enough to safely emerge from their resting places to hunt for insects.
Eventually, when bats do venture out - starved and desperate for food - they find they have missed the most plentiful feeding times, said Carol Williams, a project officer for the Bat Conservation Trust. 'They have to go for it, but the peak time of insect abundance is dusk and a little after dusk, and if they do emerge it's more than likely they miss the peak food supply,' said Williams.
Major problem areas include old docklands, wharfs and canals of London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. These lay undisturbed for years, providing lovely dingy homes for bats. Now these areas are being developed to provide brightly lit, busy homes and cafes: great for humans, but bad for flying mammals.
Bats have even been scared away by more sedate and atmospheric lighting in areas like the River Thames in west London. Recently campaigners fought off plans to light up Richmond Bridge because of the danger to wildlife...
8.7.07
28.6.07
street life
Burgeoning cities face catastrophe, says UN
The rapidity of urbanisation means that a billion people now live in slums such as Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.
· Urban dwellers to outstrip rural population next year
· Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution feared
Humanity will make the historic transition from a rural to an urban species some time in the next year, according to the latest UN population figures. The shift will be led by Africa and Asia, which are expected to add 1.6 billion people to their cities over the next 25 years.
The rapidity of urbanisation means that a billion people now live in slums such as Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.
· Urban dwellers to outstrip rural population next year
· Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution feared
Humanity will make the historic transition from a rural to an urban species some time in the next year, according to the latest UN population figures. The shift will be led by Africa and Asia, which are expected to add 1.6 billion people to their cities over the next 25 years.
The speed and scale of inevitable global urbanisation is so great most countries will not be remotely prepared for the impact it will have, Thoraya Obaid, executive director of the UN Population Fund, says. "In human history we have never seen urban growth like this. It is unprecedented."...
20.6.07
「我看‧世界攝影比賽」
當你走到街上或到外地旅遊時，甚麼東西會深深吸引你？高聳入雲的摩天大廈？迷人的風景？還是令人垂涎的美食？許多人只留意都市的璀璨，卻遺忘了背後生活困 苦的一群。今個夏天，宣明會誠邀全港中學及大專生一同運用鏡頭拍攝繁華鬧市背後貧困一群的生活實況，藉此鼓勵他們關心世界上有需要的人。
13.6.07
merger of 2 stars
Collision of titans caught
...astronomers have determined, for the first time, the properties of a rare, extremely massive, and young binary star system...
...As the stars age and swell in size, they will begin to transfer substantial amounts of mass to each other. This process could begin in a million years. The stars are orbiting so close to each other that they are likely to merge as they evolve, producing a single extremely massive star like the more massive member of the Eta Carinae binary system. Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and luminous stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, with perhaps 100 solar masses.
‘The merger of two massive stars to make a single super star of over 80 suns could lead to an object like Eta Carinae, which might have looked like LH54-425 one million years ago,’ says Sonneborn. ‘Finding stars this massive so early in their life is very rare. These results expand our understanding of the nature of very massive binaries, which was not well understood. The system will eventually produce a very energetic supernova.’...
...astronomers have determined, for the first time, the properties of a rare, extremely massive, and young binary star system...
...As the stars age and swell in size, they will begin to transfer substantial amounts of mass to each other. This process could begin in a million years. The stars are orbiting so close to each other that they are likely to merge as they evolve, producing a single extremely massive star like the more massive member of the Eta Carinae binary system. Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and luminous stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, with perhaps 100 solar masses.
‘The merger of two massive stars to make a single super star of over 80 suns could lead to an object like Eta Carinae, which might have looked like LH54-425 one million years ago,’ says Sonneborn. ‘Finding stars this massive so early in their life is very rare. These results expand our understanding of the nature of very massive binaries, which was not well understood. The system will eventually produce a very energetic supernova.’...
7.6.07
greenpeace's noah's ark
How Greenpeace rebuilt Noah's Ark
Noah’s ark has been rebuilt in near Mount Ararat by Greenpeace to highlight the dangers of climate change.
Environmental activists held up banners in several languages that read: "Save the climate now" and released more than 200 pigeons that they said would symbolically convey that message to world leaders.
Construction of the ark was timed to raise awareness of climate change ahead of next week’s G8 summit.
Noah’s ark has been rebuilt in near Mount Ararat by Greenpeace to highlight the dangers of climate change.
Environmental activists held up banners in several languages that read: "Save the climate now" and released more than 200 pigeons that they said would symbolically convey that message to world leaders.
Construction of the ark was timed to raise awareness of climate change ahead of next week’s G8 summit.
4.6.07
green agenda in june
Rachel Dixon round up the best of the month's green-themed festivals, lectures and campaigns
If you're interested in food and based in or near London, you can't go wrong this month. Peter Singer will provide food for thought as he debates the ethics of meat eating and factory farming at the ICA on June 1). The following week, John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods Market, will give Compassion in World Farming's 40th anniversary lecture (Institute of Engineering and Technology, June 5). The theme will be 'Food for the Future'...
If you're interested in food and based in or near London, you can't go wrong this month. Peter Singer will provide food for thought as he debates the ethics of meat eating and factory farming at the ICA on June 1). The following week, John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods Market, will give Compassion in World Farming's 40th anniversary lecture (Institute of Engineering and Technology, June 5). The theme will be 'Food for the Future'...
1.6.07
basil
Seasonal eating recipes: lots of basil, please
Make pesto, pasta or pudding - or stick it in a G&T
It's a herb, not a garnish.
...When confronted with fresh basil, there's surely nothing better than a simple insalata caprese, with the sweetest vine-ripe cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. It's hard not to lapse into dreamy-eyed reminiscences about meals in the sunshine in Italy at this point, but I think we'll all be happier if I don't...
Make pesto, pasta or pudding - or stick it in a G&T
It's a herb, not a garnish.
...When confronted with fresh basil, there's surely nothing better than a simple insalata caprese, with the sweetest vine-ripe cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. It's hard not to lapse into dreamy-eyed reminiscences about meals in the sunshine in Italy at this point, but I think we'll all be happier if I don't...
31.5.07
apes
Richard Leakey, former head of the Kenya wildlife service and now chair of Wildlife Direct, said apes across the world faced unprecedented threats from the combined effects of hunting, disease and logging. And he said efforts to tackle global warming through the use of biofuels could cause more damage to ape populations because of pressure to chop down their tropical forest homes...
global warming
the slowdown of the gulf stream
climate change
G8
global warming
the slowdown of the gulf stream
climate change
G8
30.5.07
happy snacking
Cheesy Beanos
This is a recipe I found many years ago in my brother's copy of Viz, and it's seen me through many a sneaky school lunchtime (later, many a hangover). For a little variety, the beans can be replaced with sweetcorn (I don't know where I got that exotic twist, perhaps in my glamorous days at Clydebank College). For the adventurous, the salt and pepper can be exchanged with 'erbs - just don't go crazy.
A slice of bread
A can of beans
Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Put your slice of bread under the grill (this recipe doesn't work in toasters) and at the same time, empty your beans into a pot and heat. Grate or slice some cheese - enough to cover evenly but not drip over the sides too much. When the bread is toasted to satisfaction, take it out. Turn it round. Knead the soft side in the centre with your knuckles, creating a shallow pit in which to spoon the beans. Be careful not to let the beans overflow - a couple of tablespoons ought to do it.
Put your cheese evenly over the beans and add salt and pepper. Return to the grill, and hover around until the cheese is melted, you hear a bit of sizzling and some bubbles start developing on the top. Enjoy, ideally with some sugar-filled drink.
24.5.07
16.5.07
encyclopedia of life
Many of the world’s leading scientific institutions today (May 9, 2007) announced the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life, an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants, and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered...
15.5.07
10.5.07
broad beans
Seasonal eating: broad beans
Is there a more versatile vegetable than the humble broad bean? Not only does it work brilliantly in risottos, pasta, stews, soups, mash, salsa and salads but - as that great gourmand Hannibal Lector reminds us - it also goes perfectly with Chianti. When dried, broad beans are more of a winter staple - Nigel Slater has some tips here - but early on in the season, when they are tiny and tender, they can be plucked from their skins and eaten raw. Which is presumably how Mr Lector prefers them.
As the season progresses, however, their skins get thicker and may need peeling before cooking. Podding and peeling, though, are most pleasurable kitchen chores, for the beans are wonderfully tactile with a soft downy layer of white fur inside the pods.
Broad beans go best with simple, clean flavours like fresh herbs, lemon juice and green leaves. Milder, less pungent cheeses, like feta or mozzarella also work well. An insalata tricolore (quattrocolore?) with fresh mozzarella, basil, broad beans and baby cherry tomatoes dressed with balsamic and olive oil makes for a lovely simple meal. Ricotta and the Cypriot cheese halloumi are also ideal partners, but avoid anything too creamy or a heavy tomato sauce - you'll drown out the delicate flavours of the beans.
An aside: for all lapsed vegetarians who claim it was the smell of bacon sarnies that got to them in the end, I say unto you: fried halloumi sandwiches! They are the best hangover cure in the world, and no pigs have to meet their maker. The best halloumi I've ever had was at Terre-a-Terre in Brighton. A phone call reveals that far from sourcing some exotic brand, they actually use the bog-standard supermarket Cypressa make, but soak it in buttermilk for three days. That might require a frightening degree of organisation in your cooking, but it really was incredible: soft, buttery, firm without that slightly rubbery saltiness that cheap halloumi has.
All recipes serve two. The first two are my own, the last from the brilliant Paradiso Seasons by Dennis Cotter
Salad of broad beans, peas, halloumi and mint
A 225g block of halloumi
200g of broad beans
200g of peas (yes, it's a little early for fresh peas, but frozen are perfectly decent)
Big bunch of fresh mint
Olive oil
1 fresh lemon (juice and zest)
Rocket or other fresh salad leaves
Cook the broad beans until tender (how long really does depend on the size but don't overdo it) in boiling water, ditto the peas.
Mix up the olive oil and lemon juice - to get it properly emulsified you could use a hand blender but a vigorous shake in a jam jar should do.
Fry the halloumi over a hot flame in a thin layer of oil (one of those pump refill bottles is very handy). If you use a griddle pan you'll get fantastic go-faster stripes.
Mix everything together with the salad leaves and eat - halloumi does go a bit rubbery if you leave it to get too cool so make sure you eat it quickly!
Penne with ricotta, broad beans and mint
250g of pasta (anything short and vaguely tubular will do)
200g broad beans
125g ricotta
1 large bundle of fresh mint
Fresh lemon (juice and zest)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling water - you can even add the beans at the end to save on washing up. Put in a bowl and stir in the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, and crushed raw garlic. Drizzle the oil on top, sprinkle over the mint and eat.
Broad bean, feta and basil mash
For this dish, peeling the broad beans probably is essential - unless they are really tiny and fresh. The mash can be served as a side dish, but to keep it simple just eat it spread on toast (bruschetta, if you want to be classy about it).
400g shelled broad beans
150g feta cheese
50g basil leaves
500ml olive oil
Pop the broad beans from the pods and cook in boiling water until just tender. Cool in cold water, then peel them by squeezing between your fingers. Place the beans in a food processor with the feta, a generous handful of basil and a generous splash of olive oil. Blend the mixture in short bursts to get a rough mash. Season with salt and pepper, though the former might be unnecessary with the feta. Use at room temperature.
Is there a more versatile vegetable than the humble broad bean? Not only does it work brilliantly in risottos, pasta, stews, soups, mash, salsa and salads but - as that great gourmand Hannibal Lector reminds us - it also goes perfectly with Chianti. When dried, broad beans are more of a winter staple - Nigel Slater has some tips here - but early on in the season, when they are tiny and tender, they can be plucked from their skins and eaten raw. Which is presumably how Mr Lector prefers them.
As the season progresses, however, their skins get thicker and may need peeling before cooking. Podding and peeling, though, are most pleasurable kitchen chores, for the beans are wonderfully tactile with a soft downy layer of white fur inside the pods.
Broad beans go best with simple, clean flavours like fresh herbs, lemon juice and green leaves. Milder, less pungent cheeses, like feta or mozzarella also work well. An insalata tricolore (quattrocolore?) with fresh mozzarella, basil, broad beans and baby cherry tomatoes dressed with balsamic and olive oil makes for a lovely simple meal. Ricotta and the Cypriot cheese halloumi are also ideal partners, but avoid anything too creamy or a heavy tomato sauce - you'll drown out the delicate flavours of the beans.
An aside: for all lapsed vegetarians who claim it was the smell of bacon sarnies that got to them in the end, I say unto you: fried halloumi sandwiches! They are the best hangover cure in the world, and no pigs have to meet their maker. The best halloumi I've ever had was at Terre-a-Terre in Brighton. A phone call reveals that far from sourcing some exotic brand, they actually use the bog-standard supermarket Cypressa make, but soak it in buttermilk for three days. That might require a frightening degree of organisation in your cooking, but it really was incredible: soft, buttery, firm without that slightly rubbery saltiness that cheap halloumi has.
All recipes serve two. The first two are my own, the last from the brilliant Paradiso Seasons by Dennis Cotter
Salad of broad beans, peas, halloumi and mint
A 225g block of halloumi
200g of broad beans
200g of peas (yes, it's a little early for fresh peas, but frozen are perfectly decent)
Big bunch of fresh mint
Olive oil
1 fresh lemon (juice and zest)
Rocket or other fresh salad leaves
Cook the broad beans until tender (how long really does depend on the size but don't overdo it) in boiling water, ditto the peas.
Mix up the olive oil and lemon juice - to get it properly emulsified you could use a hand blender but a vigorous shake in a jam jar should do.
Fry the halloumi over a hot flame in a thin layer of oil (one of those pump refill bottles is very handy). If you use a griddle pan you'll get fantastic go-faster stripes.
Mix everything together with the salad leaves and eat - halloumi does go a bit rubbery if you leave it to get too cool so make sure you eat it quickly!
Penne with ricotta, broad beans and mint
250g of pasta (anything short and vaguely tubular will do)
200g broad beans
125g ricotta
1 large bundle of fresh mint
Fresh lemon (juice and zest)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling water - you can even add the beans at the end to save on washing up. Put in a bowl and stir in the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, and crushed raw garlic. Drizzle the oil on top, sprinkle over the mint and eat.
Broad bean, feta and basil mash
For this dish, peeling the broad beans probably is essential - unless they are really tiny and fresh. The mash can be served as a side dish, but to keep it simple just eat it spread on toast (bruschetta, if you want to be classy about it).
400g shelled broad beans
150g feta cheese
50g basil leaves
500ml olive oil
Pop the broad beans from the pods and cook in boiling water until just tender. Cool in cold water, then peel them by squeezing between your fingers. Place the beans in a food processor with the feta, a generous handful of basil and a generous splash of olive oil. Blend the mixture in short bursts to get a rough mash. Season with salt and pepper, though the former might be unnecessary with the feta. Use at room temperature.
4.5.07
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