Borough Market in London, United Kingdom

London is a fascinating city. There is so much to do and see and even more to eat. On Friday, I went to the Borough Market, one of the largest food markets in the world. The market was first documented in writing in the year 1276,  however it claims to be around since the Romans were in Britain. It has been at its current site in Southwark, near the London bridge for over 250 years. They have local foods as well as products from neighboring countries, such as Spain, Greece, France and Italy.

The Jubilee Market section where many locally made products are sold. The ginger granola, gluten, and sugar free was brilliant.

They sold yellow, purple and orange carrots with the leaves on showing how fresh they were.

Pork stew baked into a flaky pie shell.

Kinda reminds you of Lord of the Flies, doesn't it?

Fresh pomegranates, pears de jules, and fiesta apples- all locally grown and organic.

Treats from a patisserie that if I stayed any longer, I would have consumed the whole pile of brownies.

These tomatoes were screaming at me to plate them with fresh mozzarella and basil. Maybe I can find them at another stall.

They say they're "Quality Squid" maybe they couldn't think of a better name.

The unusual Romanesco broccoli which taste something between that of broccoli and cauliflower.

One of the stands was passing out samples of curry left and right.

Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

They had many fresh flowers as well.

Prosciutto AND Buffalo Mozzarella. Amen.

After looking at everything, I decided on  a huge slice of Boro omelet for 3 only quid. The omelet was filled with red peppers, onions, parsley, basil, and artichokes and it was quite tasty too.

All this to say, I had a great time looking around the Borough Market. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy any ingredients because I don't have a kitchen yet. I hope there is a market like this in Canterbury. If you are ever in London, come by on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday to see, taste, and hear all the hustle and bustle from the market. You won't be sorry, I promise.

White Peach Ginger Milkshake

Sadly, summer is coming to a close. This summer has flown by, it feels like just yesterday I was tasting the freedom from finals. However, I will soon be doing some flying of my own. This next semester I will be studying abroad in the United Kingdom in Canterbury. Think Canterbury Tales. I am packed up and ready to go; good thing too because I fly out in less than 24 hours. Look forward to posts about tapas from Madrid, pasta and gelato from Rome, pastries from Paris, and uh....fish and chips from London. OK, so the UK doesn't have the greatest reputation for food but its not terrible either. There is a ton of Asian and Indian influences to British food, not even mentioning that Italy, France, and Spain are a hop, skip and a jump away. As for British food, it's full of comfort food - meat, potatoes, and veggies. I think I could go for that for awhile. Anyways, I am staying at Nick's house, which has been named Breakfast. It's the new hangout house. It was a little warmer today and we need something refreshing and cooling. We created a drink inspired by our favorite wintertime tea: ginger and peach. Since summer is almost gone, why not celebrate the last of the white peach harvest with a creamy refreshing drink?

The Ingredients
5-6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
3 white peaches
1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 cup milk
pinch of salt

The Method
Pour the milk, salt, and ginger in the blender.

Pulse on high speed for about 20 seconds until all the ginger is no more. The added salt will boost the peach and ginger flavors. Strain this mixture through a sieve because the ginger has not-so-milkshake-friendly fibers in it. Not good.
Cut the peaches into slices and throw them in the blender.

Put the ice cream in and pour in the ginger milk.

Blend until thick and creamy. More ice cream may need to be added depending on the consistency of your ice cream.

The strong spicy flavor of the ginger pairs well with the sweet fruitiness of the peach. I am kinda sad that I didn't create this refreshing drink earlier in the summer.

This recipe will fill around 4 glasses.

Recipe by Spencer Huey

Caprese Quinoa

Tonight we had some of my parents friends over. They've known me since I wore diapers and my cow pajamas, which was 20 years ago not 4 years ago as some of you may think. It's really encouraging for me to see such long-lasting friendships. They have been supporting and praying for each other for years and have such strong bonds with one another. I haven't seen them in quite a long time so I made some food and we had some great discussion about faberge eggs, Berkeley Bowl (my favorite food store) and my upcoming semester in the United Kingdom. I thought my friends were the only ones who talked about the most random, unrelated topics....guess I was wrong.

Anyways, I made caprese quinoa - part salad, part grain but all together really tasty and really really good for you. Quinoa is a seed from a plant that is related to spinach and swiss chard.

It has all essential amino acids making it a complete protein. Great for vegans, no more Soyrizo or Tofurkey! Quinoa can be mixed with all kinds of things. Think of some vegetables that are in season right now and combine quinoa with them. Quinoa can also be cooked like oatmeal and topped with fresh blackberries and blueberries. Since it's the end of summer, I found some great looking baby roma and pear tomatoes at the Berkeley Bowl.

We also had some fresh basil from our plant so in it went.

This grain is becoming quite popular and trendy in the food world, think culinary V neck- comes in a few colors and can be paired with basically anything.

The Ingredients

3 cups quinoa

5 cups water and/or broth

1 clove garlic, finely minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 baskets (pints) of cherry tomatoes/pear tomatoes/smallish tomatoes, cut in half or quartered

1/2 cup basil, sliced thin

16 oz fresh mozarella, put into the freezer for 30 minutes and then cubed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper

The Method

Pour the quinoa into a large bowl and fill the bowl with water. Quinoa must be rinsed to remove the saponin which is a natural coating which acts like a natural bird and bug repellent. It also acts as a natural laxative...so make sure you rinse a few times, to get rid of the bitter saponin and its ill effects.

Once washed, pour the quinoa into a large pot with the broth/liquid. Most people will say that there should be a 2:1 ratio with the liquid but I prefer an al dente texture quinoa and plus there will be water on the rinsed grain so I opt with a little less. Put a cover on the pot and bring it to a boil on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender and the spiral shaped germ unravels. Fluff with a fork when it's done.

Mix the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil together and pour it into the cooked quinoa. The mixing will prevent a huge garlic clump which may surprise your guests.

Add the tomatoes, basil and cubed, slightly frozen mozarella.

Freezing the cheese for 30 minutes is crucial. The quinoa is quite hot and if the cheese wasn't frozen, the cubes would melt together into one chewy, gummy mess. The chilled cubes will allow the mozarella to be mixed in while staying separated and will be perfectly soft by service time. Fold together and season with salt and pepper.

This makes a great side to a grilled steak or roast chicken and serve about 8-10 people.

Recipe by Spencer Huey