Veg of the Week: Patty Pan

Scallop or Pattypan Squash is a Summer Squash that's delicious raw, steamed, sautéed, grilled, roasted, fried, or baked. It's fun shape (almost a flying saucer with scalloped edges) makes it irresistible for kids to try. Some varieties come in a bright, beautiful, yellow colour too. Pattypan squash mixes well with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, cheese, and many fresh herbs (marjoram, rosemary, dill, thyme, parsley,... to name a few).

“A traditional method known as blanching…”

Waitrose has become the first UK retailer to begin selling Lasting Leaf - a new brand of bagged lettuce which is guaranteed to stay fresh for two days longer than standard bags of salad once opened. The new product has been designed to help reduce food waste and has come after several year’s research by supplier Natures Way Food (NWF). The secret behind Lasting Leaf’s extended shelf life is a traditional method known as ‘blanching’ which is used by chefs around the world to wash and refresh iceberg lettuce and other hardy leaves. According to NWF, washing hardy leaves in warm and then cold water immediately after being cut helps delay the pinking process that occurs when oxygen comes into contact with the cut surfaces of pre-packed leaves ( i.e. as soon as a bag of lettuce is opened), thus enabling the leaves to stay fresher for longer.