Organic Allotment

Local Food Part Two - Formby Asparagus

Few culinary events are as hotly anticipated in our house as the beginning of the asparagus season in Formby, Merseyside. Formby is world renowned for the quailty of its asparagus and as soon as April ends and May starts we eagerly wait for our trips to buy veg Bury Market in the hope that Brian, our veg man and all round veg growing extraordinaire, will announce that the first asparagus of the year is there. Brian is based out at Hesketh Bank near Southport and is lucky enough to have access to one of the remaining asparagus farmers in Formby, meaning that this beautiful delicacy makes it from the Merseyside Coast to the market in less than twenty four hours. You certainly wouldn't get that kind of service from a supermarket!

The coastal area around Formby was, until the mid-nineteenth century, regarded as a "sandy waste", useful mainly as rabbit warren. Following the construction of the Liverpool, Crosby and 'Southport Railway in 1848, considerable supplies of fertiliser in the form of 'night-soil' from Liverpool became available as a sewer system had not yet been completed in the city. This enabled local farmers to "improve" and bring into cultivation the previously uncultivated sand dune area, particularly suitable for their chosen crop - asparagus. This went on to develop into over 200 acres of asparagus beds, with asparagus becoming a very important local product, the quality of which made Formby well known nationally. Cultivation decreased after WW2 and is now continued on only two farms in Formby, with the support of the National Trust who own much of the land around this part of the coast.

The season for asparagus is tantalisingly short, around 6 weeks in most years, but to me Formby asparagus is a great example of what local food can be. It represents local, seasonal food at its best; something so tasty and fresh that once you have eaten it pale, out of season imitations just won't do anymore. It also represents the role that local food can play in cultural identity, with Formby asparagus being key to the heritage and identity of its local area. And, on top of all this, it shows what heroes people like Brian are, and the farmers who work hard to maintain and promote these culinary and horticultural traditions, playing a huge part, almost wholly unsung, in making collective cultural heritage and identity stronger and securer for us all through the sensitive preservation of local food traditions.

Oh... and did I mention?... It tastes realy dang good too!

Local Food Part One - Staffordshire Oatcakes

Not being out on the plot so much at this time of year does have one benefit - it means that I've got much more spare time on my hands to stay in and read. The book that I've been reading most recently is Barbara Kinsolver's inspiring record of her family's year of local eating on their small farm in the Appalachian Mountains in the USA; "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". The book charts their journey to live a life where they eat a diet that focuses more on local, seasonal food through a process of growing their own food but also through engaging more closely with food producers in their own local community.

I have really enjoyed the book but it has got me thinking about the food that we eat at home. We try to grow as much of our own fruit and veg as we can and are lucky enough to live close to a wonderful market where we are able to fill in the gaps! We also make a conscious effort to avoid food that has come from outside Europe and always buy British, seasonal, local produce where possibile. However, reading the book also got me thinking about food that is individual to my local area, and what makes it particularly special.

Picture above is a glorious Staffordshire Oatcake that has been produced less than 50 miles away from my home here in North Manchester (Barbara sets her family a 100 mile limit on sourcing food, and if that's good enough for her...)

A Staffordshire oatcake is a type of pancake made from oatmeal, flour and yeast that is cooked on a griddle or 'baxton'. They are a local speciality in North Staffordshire area. It was once common throughout the area for oatcakes to be sold directly from the window of a house to customers on the street. In fact, one producer of this style still remains selling oatcakes fresh and warm, direct to the public.

We buy pre-cooked, oatcakes and I think they are really one of the oldest forms of fast food. They can be warmed up in a matter of minutes containing one of any number of fillings - my favourite is melted cheese or local honey! They are traditionally re-heated by steaming between two plates over a saucepan of water but can just as easily be grilled, fried or warmed in a microwave. Delicious!

Not able to buy Staffordshire Oatcakes in your local area? Why not try making some yourself? This recipe looks so simple I may even be tempted to give it a try myself.