Lynda's - for everyday wares at affordable prices

Lynda's, on Queen Street, Deal is one of those treasure troves of a shop. It has everything from kitchen equipment, hardware, art materials, storage through to a host of seasonal items from beach shoes and boogie boards in the summer, through to Halloween masks and Christmas lights in the Autumn and Winter. I often forget it is there, and end up paying through the nose for what appears to be a cheap online alternative, but once postage is factored in, Lynda's wins hands down. I've bought everything from kilna jars, cartoon character boogie boards, hard wire brushes, sunglasses and twinkling red Christmas lights and will be popping in over the next few weeks for some more festive fare. This is another of my favourite local shops.

Peppers - an essential foodie outpost

As combined owners of over 200 cookbooks, ranging from the vintage Paupers Cookbook to the latest Yottam Ottolenghi, we are comfortable with ingredients and comfortable with experimenting. But moving permanently to Deal, having lived in London for many years, has proved to be an adventure in finding that elusive, yet essential, spice, sauce, flour or flavour. The supermarkets, particularly our local Co-op is great for staples but doesn't always extend to the full recipe list we need. So we were excited to realise that Peppers, the healthfood shop at the Northern end of Deal, is a haven for foodies, or any lovers of good food. 

Our latest foray into Middle Eastern cuisine has led us to Pomegranate Mollasses - a sweet and sour sauce that goes perfectly with lamb, whilst Prawn Balichao is a much loved pickle that brings back childhood memories for my partner. Even simple, but delicious rye Finnish crackers which have been referenced by the Hairy Bikers in their latest Hairy Dieters cookbook, can be found nestled at the back of this shop. It has a full range of herbal medicines too, but I can't claim to know much about these. I can however, say that whatever the latest foodie fashion, or indeed in most cases specialising in good old fashioned classics, Peppers is likely to have what you are looking for. If not, the owner is happy to discuss and order it in for you. What more can a lover of food want? And what better way for a small independent shop to succeed - great products and a great service. Long may it live.

 

Foraging Fury

I love the foraging season. There is something quite primitive and satisfying about this nod to our hunter/gatherer heritage. Having eyed up the growth of nearby blackberry bushes along Wellington Parade, Walmer and around the Kingsdown beach in general, I decided that last weekend was the time to tackle these thorny brambles. Armed with long sleeves and large containers, I gathered around 500g of succulent wild logan-like berries alongside some juicy blackberries. The varieties are quite surprising with some tightly packed, and others more louche in their habit.

My aim is to make blackberry liqueur to sup at Christmas, having found a recipe by Martin Pain on www.allrecipes.co.uk. The ingredients are: 450g blackberries, 600g sugar, 250ml water, 700ml vodka. The method is simple: melting the sugar with the water, adding to washed blackberries and then soaking in vodka (I've used the cheapest). This ferments, covered in clingfilm for two weeks and is then strained and bottled. 

I am hoping that it tastes as good as my sloe gin, which with its almond like flavour was fantastic on its own, or added to chilled Proseco. Now that we are down to the last few sips, I will be making this again, as September and October is the time to go hunting for these bruised, dusty, heavily fortressed fruits.   And I know just the place where these berries can be found in abundance.

The Olympic Spirit of Summer 2012

Summer has been spent being amazed, awed and humbled by the sheer skill, strength and stamina of the Olympians and the Para Olympians. We were lucky enough to go to Wembley to see the final of the women's football, USA versus Japan (2-1) and to see the athletics at the Para Olympics. Wow! David Weir in the 1500m heats, David Devine in the men's 800m heats, Oscar Pistorius and Alan Oliveira receiving their Silver and Gold medals in that controversial 200m race.

The stadium was spectacular, as I am sure are all the other venues. The wild flower planting was a sea of intense gold and bronze, with areas that provided a restful, quiet place away from the crowds. And what crowds! the roars in the stadium were such as I've never heard, and people spilling and swilling outside the venues, were happy, proud and excited to be there.

I think that Team GB were fantastic, as were the organisers, and everyone involved in this sporting summer.

I am glad that I was able to enjoy it fully, and back at home in Kingsdown, I was able to nurture some of the Olympic spirit with a couple of window boxes filled with Dr Nigel Dunnett of Pictorial Meadow, candy mix wildflower seed, which I am happy to say is still blooming its little heart out.

Olympic spirit in coastal Kent

The anticipation of the Olympic torch travelling through Kent built and built until w/c 15 July when it finally arrived. The dull and dreary weather on its arrival in the coastal town of Hythe on Wednesday 18th July, didn't dampen the spirits of the hundreds of onlookers, who had macks to match their tiny union jacks.

The sponsors loud and lively trucks cheered the crowd - Coca Cola, Samsung and Lloyds TSB -rattled through this coastal town. The police escort accompanying the torch was very impressive - massive BMW motorbikes with friendly police gave a real carnival atmosphere to this historic event. When the torch was glimpsed in the distance the crowd collectively cheered and shouted as a veteran torch bearer held the flame on high. It was over pretty quickly but the planning was excellent. The torch arrived precisely at 1.23pm at Hythe Roundabout, and then travelled onto Seabrook. Pubs like the local Bell, made the most of a roaring lunchtime trade, with many happily ensconced for the duration.

After a night's stop at Dover where thousands gathered to see the lighting of the cauldron at one of the 66 countrywide evening events, the torch started it's next day arriving by lifeboat at the end of Deal pier at 8.27am. The day was just beautiful, with bright blue sky, warm sun and many hundreds of spectators. The accompanying police on this stretch were event more impressive, with bikes gathered to start the day's procession. After the sponsors trucks and the athelete's coach, the torch travelled down the pier, took a turn round the precinct, before travelling alongside the promenade. The crowd was excited, children cheered, music blared and another veteran torch bearer held the torch on high. Again it was over very quickly, but the morning was stunning and local businesses were all geared up for some energetic trade - rising to the occasion was Dunkerley's Hotel - a family run business which put on a fabulous champagne breakfast, with full English, toast, tea, orange juice for £10 per head. It was perfectly cooked, perfectly served and fitted a perfect morning in Deal.

Deal Fish Direct, Saturday's local shop

This feature will run occasionally and will focus on a local shop in my corner of East Kent. It's likely that this will be in Deal,  but in all cases, it will be an independent store which is keeping the high street alive, by offering great products, great customer service at great prices.

First up is Deal Fish Direct. Deal is lucky enough to have two fishmongers which offer a huge array of salty, seaside-fresh daily catches. My favourite, is run by two brothers, whose boat brings them the best that the sea can offer on any given day. They also run the seafood stall, to be found on the seafront near to the Royal Hotel. It has been a bit of a struggle of late, with the high winds and rough seas meaning that the boat hasn't been able to take to the sea. Even when out, shellfish such as lobsters, have stayed hidden and well away from the lobster pots, as the water hasn't been warm enough to spur them onto feed.

But, the brothers will do their best to satisfy any order and can take orders in advance. In asking for a lobster for a special surf and turf supper, I was presented the following day with two succulent and sweet lobsters, costing £7 each.

And, the size of the scallops which have been delivered via the Folkestone fishing boats, have to be seen to be believed. At £1.20 each these were so silky and rich, you didn't need more than one or two. It's a pleasure to visit this great fishmonger, the fish is so fresh, and it is always priced more competitively than the tightly packaged, cellophane wrapped offering that the supermarkets have.

In addition to the fish, there is often other delicacies to be found on the counter, including black and white truffles. And, nestling at the back of the counter, I found a customised tide timetable which  helpfully includes the local variations in the tide times.

In my opinion, and in the many people who are often seen queuing outside, this is a real gem of a shop.

Poppies by the sea

These sumptuous silky blooms have struggled somewhat against ferocious winds and torrential rain. But when there is a break in this unseemly and unseasonal June weather, these gorgeous flowers unfurl and relax, luxuriating in the warmth of the sun.

My favourite is Patty's Plum with its grey/mauve blooms, and then it has to be the reddy-black poppy whose name I forget, coming closely third is the reddy-orange Papaver Orientale and following up at the rear is the mislabelled candyfloss pink poppy which I'm slowly getting used too.

Despite these flowers doing well in my seaside garden, it's when you see their wild cousin that you really admire these tough little blooms. Wheat-laden fields are fringed with red poppies at this time of year, and it is worth snatching a walk when the weather breaks to enjoy this fleeting sight.