Bid Farewell to 2020 with Recipes from the Land
The 2020 about to pass has left Foodthink, ever on the road and out in the fields, somewhat at a loss.
For much of the first half of the year, it was virtually impossible to leave Beijing, and the suburban villages were strictly locked down. Foodthink’s colleagues could only join the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market shared purchasing. Whether packing and portioning the vegetables, or ordering and buying them, the once-weekly produce collection became the only opportunity for colleagues to meet and talk.
But it was also in this once-weekly handover of buying and selling, and in the conversations with the farmers who came to deliver the produce, that we grew even more convinced: food is the bond that organically connects people and nature.
● At the height of the pandemic, the once-weekly shared purchasing (also shared labour) was the only opportunity for Foodthink’s colleagues to meet and talk. Image source: Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market
The southern colleague who had always refused to eat Chinese cabbage mastered several ways of preparing it; in spring, everyone learned all sorts of recipes for wild greens – shepherd’s purse, dandelion, lamb’s quarters, wild pea, elm seeds; and the Chongqing colleague tirelessly taught everyone how to make pickles at home.
More importantly, shared purchasing has shown us what a localised food system can offer when producers and consumers work closely together – not only fresh, healthy, delicious food, but a sense of solidarity rooted in mutual support and trust between people. For us, who faced the pandemic and disasters with so much helplessness and uncertainty, it gave back a measure of control over our lives.
● The Chongqing colleague, through pickling tutorials and recipes, drew everyone along to One Batch of Pickles to Ease a Thousand Worries. Photo: Wan Lin
Thankfully, the pandemic was brought under control in the second half of the year. Although we travelled less, a careful count reveals that in just under six months we still made our way to Hebei, Ningxia, Henan, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, and Shanghai – and of course more than thirty farms and villages around Beijing.
There, we saw:
The harvests of returning youth in their home villages;
Traditional farmers regaining confidence in life with the support of poverty alleviation programmes;
The steadfastness of fellow farmers committed to preserving and passing on heirloom varieties;
The younger generation of ecological farmers slowly putting down roots in their chosen fields;
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Although international travel was disrupted, our exchanges with the rest of the world were not.
In March, we were invited to connect with colleagues in Australia, sharing China’s pandemic-prevention measures and how farmers and farmers’ markets could adapt to the restrictions the pandemic brought, leveraging their strengths to keep serving customers;
In May, on a BBC programme, we explained to a global audience how China’s wet markets work;
In June, we briefed colleagues in Europe and Latin America on the current state of ecological agriculture and the solidarity economy here in China;
In July, we shared with partners across Asia interested in social enterprises and sustainable agriculture how colleagues at home were responding to the pandemic.
All of the above will be turned into articles, photos, and even videos and podcasts, shared with our readers throughout 2021.
In the face of the pandemic spreading across the globe, Foodthink invited authors based overseas to provide frontline writing and reporting ▼
Whatever lies ahead, we hope you all eat better in 2021. Let’s start by sharing a few farm delicacies we tasted during our December visit to Xiao Liushu Farm in Beijing! Even if you can’t buy produce from farmers you know, head to your nearest wet market and, following the recipes, add some colour and fun to your winter table.
Food
Wang Hao
Recipe Design and Execution
A professional chef who makes regular appearances at the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market, skilled at preparing delicious dishes with seasonal, locally sourced ecological ingredients while preserving their natural flavours. Wang Hao was even the head chef at Foodthink’s launch party!
Carrot and Beetroot Salad
Ingredients: Purple carrots 100 g, yellow carrots 50 g, beetroot 80 g (grown at Xiao Liushu Farm)
Dressing: Olive oil 20 g, salt (Chaka Lake salt) 1 g, soy sauce 15 g, vinegar 10 g, orange juice 10 g, white sesame seeds (Wocuiyuan) 2 g
Method:
1. Wash the carrots and beetroot, then use a vegetable peeler to shave them into thin strips.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until well combined, crush the white sesame seeds, and fold them into the dressing.
3. Toss the dressing from step 2 with the shaved strips from step 1 until evenly coated, then serve.
Tomato and Winter Melon
Ingredients: winter melon 400 g, dried shiitake mushrooms 2, spring onion 10 g, ginger 5 g
Seasonings: oil 50 g, salt 5 g, soy sauce 10 g
Method:
1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water the night before. The next day, rinse the rehydrated mushrooms, trim off the stems, and cut them into small dice or thin slices.
2. Wash the winter melon, peel it, and cut it into slices of knife-back thickness. Set aside.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 2 g of salt. Add the winter melon slices and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and rinse under cold water until completely cooled, then drain and set aside.
4. Heat a wok and add the oil. Add the spring onion and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the shiitake mushrooms and continue stir-frying until they release their aroma. Add the winter melon slices and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Season with salt and soy sauce, then cook for a further 1–2 minutes until the winter melon is tender. Remove from the heat and serve.
Black Pepper Cauliflower
Ingredients: cauliflower 400 g, spring onion 10 g, ginger 5 g (grown at Xiao Liushu Farm)
Seasonings: oil 50 g, salt 5 g, soy sauce 5 g, cracked black pepper 2 g
Method:
1. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into florets of a suitable size. Slice the spring onion and mince the ginger.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 2 g of salt. Add the cauliflower and cook on high heat for 3 minutes. Remove and rinse briefly in cold water, then drain and set aside.
3. Heat a wok and add the oil. Add the cracked black pepper, ginger, and spring onion and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes. Season with 3 g of salt and soy sauce, then cover and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.
Farmhouse Braised Rice
Ingredients: rice 300 ml, beetroot 100 g, purple carrots 100 g, new potatoes 100 g (all grown at Xiao Liushu Farm except the rice)
Seasonings: oil 10 g, salt 3 g,
Method:
1. Add a little water to the rice and gently rub it by hand, then rinse it in water twice,
2. Wash the beetroot, purple carrots, and potatoes, then cut them into roll-cut chunks,
3. Add the rice, carrots, beetroot, potatoes, oil, and salt to the rice cooker, mix everything together, and simply start cooking. Once it is done, enjoy your harvest.
In 2021, we wish all Foodthink readers to eat well, live mindfully, and join us in getting to know food – and the people and stories behind it.
Editor: Foodthink
Photos: All by Xiao Shu ©️ Foodthink unless otherwise noted