December Competition

WIN a selection of gorgeous, on-trend copper homeware from Steamer Trading Cookshop...

Steamer Trading Cookshop is a family-owned and family-run business based in Lewes, East Sussex, selling an outstanding range of top quality cookware, kitchen gadgets and tableware from world-leading homeware brands. The company prides itself on outstanding customer care, thanks to its friendly and expertly trained staff who are always on hand to offer a demonstration or answer questions. Steamer Trading has stores nationwide, with many in the counties of Sussex, Kent and Surrey. As well as offering online sales at www.steamer.co.uk the company also offers a click and collect service for extra customer convenience.

Steamer Trading have a rainbow of stunning, top quality kitchen electrical items from coffee machines, juicers, blenders, food mixers and processors, toasters, kettles, sous vide machines, hand blenders and so much more. 

In addition to well known brands, steamer Trading also prides itself on finding those 'extra special' items from new and upcoming companies. This Christmas the trend is very much the gorgeous lustre of copper - in many different guises. To celebrate this we are offering one lucky winner the chance to win all of the glorious copper items in this picture, plus a few additional surprises!

The prize includes: four copper mugs; four copper shot glasses (two sets of two); bamboo bowls with copper coating, large (shown) and small (not shown), a slate with copper serving bowl, copper water jug, storage jar (shown) and two storage jars (not shown).

For your chance to win this hand-picked selection of copperware, just answer this question: 'Where is Steamer Trading based?' 

Enter your answer with your contact details on this blog post, in the online form at www.wealdentimes.co.uk/competition or post to: The Steamer Trading Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by 14 December 2015. 

There is no cash alternative and the prize must be taken before 31 March 2017. All entrants details will be passed on to Steamer Trading and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know if you do not wish your details to be passed on. 


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August Interior Inspiration

Maximalism

We've scoured our past interiors features and discovered some Kings and Queens of maximalism. Surrounding themselves with fascinating objects, they create their home as a reflection of their creative minds, utilising the interesting and unusual to enhance the decor and expression of their individualism. Here are a few of our favourites...

House Of Dreams

Laura Oakes, an artists and designer who is based in Rye, surrounds herself with vintage clothing. She has a love for Victorian style in particular and manages to successfully combine many varying textures, colours and prints in a vibrant and exciting space. Together with her partner, they rent the space, so fundamental changes to the decor aren't always possible, but it's a beautiful reflection of a creative mind all the same...

Welcome Aboard

After years of collecting antique china, Eileen and Tony developed a new love for Indian textiles. This is clearly reflected in the cosy cabin they have made for themselves. The boat is moored in the River Medway, in view of a Napoleonic fort, and the open sea beyond. Eileen admits to being a complete hoarder, but buys and sells fabrics and textiles, to support the local women they visited on their trip to India, and ensure their skills of artistry and embroidery are kept alive...

Natural History

This place is truly enchanting. After lots of work Claudine and Robin have transformed what was a bit of a mess, into a stunningly intriguing home. The building is around 300 years old, and the kitchen was once a scullery and shed. This history can be seen all over the house; from the oil lamps and iron game hangers suspended from the ceiling, to the unique prints and organic colour palette, this house has an absolute calm in amongst the chaos...

The Homemade Home

Colour is key here, with an explosion of red, white and blue, with union jack cushions scattered all over the place. This late Victorian semi-detached villa reflects Mandy, Queen of kitsch, and her family through and through. The interior has evolved over time as she can create anything they need from scratch, adding real charm and character...

For more interiors inspiration and features visit our website!

Photos: David Merewether
Words: Helen Barton

August Take Four

We've been having a 'grow your own' frenzy here at the Wealden Times office. The only issue is the courgettes! We have them coming out of our ears. So if you're in the same predicament, check out some of our favourite corgette recipes!

Courgette Noodle Salad

What you'll need...

● 1 jar marinated green olives ● 3 beetroots, peeled and cut into segments ● a handful of baby spinach ● a bunch of fresh thyme ● 100g almonds with skin on ● 200g Greek feta, chopped ● 8tbsp extra virgin olive oil ● 2-3tbsp red wine vinegar ● some edible flowers (we used nasturtiums) if you have them growing in the garden ● a spiraliser ●

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C

2. Peel and cut the beetroots into segments and place on baking tray. Scatter with thyme and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until slightly caramelised

3. Put aside until ready to use. Place the almonds on baking tray and toast lightly in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, watching to make sure they don't burn. Set aside until ready to use, and then chop roughly. Cut the olives in half

4. When ready to serve, assemble your salad. Spiralise the courgettes, place in a serving dish, sprinkle with pepper and salt, add the washed and dried baby spinach, beetroot with all the roasting juices, olives, almonds and feta cheese

5. Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil, season to taste

6. Decorate with edible flowers and serve

Thai Spiced Courgette Fritters

What you'll need...

● 2 medium courgettes ● 4 spring onions finely chopped ● 2 beaten eggs ● 2 heaped tbsp plain flour ● 1-2 tsp green Thai curry paste ● 1 stick lemongrass finely sliced (or juice and zest of 1/2 lime ● 1 small handful coriander finely chopped ● 1 tsp fish sauce or soy sauce ● ready made sweet chili dipping sauce to serve ●

What to do...

1. Grate the courgettes and squeeze out some of the liquid (place in a colander or sieve and push a saucer down on top) This will help the fritters stay crispy

2. Add the other ingredients but save half the coriander as a garnish. Combine thoroughly

3. Form the mixture into patty shapes and saute in a little oil until crisp and golden. Serve with sweet chilli dip

Courgette Pesto and Goat's Cheese Tart

What you'll need...

● 1 pack ready rolled puff pastry ● 2-3 medium sized courgettes sliced finely, however you like ● 1 large onion sliced ● 100g soft goat's cheese ● 75g pine nuts (a good handful) ● 1/2 jar of pesto ● 8 halved cherry tomatoes or 3 medium sliced ● 1 egg beaten ● dried oregano to sprinkle on top ● 

What to do...

1. Saute the onion in a little oil until soft. set the onion to one side and either gently fry the courgettes in the same pan as the onion, or griddle them to get a nice charred stripe effect. Leave to cool

2. Meanwhile roll out the pastry and score a line 1cm in from the edge all the way around with a knife (this will give you a 'lip' that will hold the contents of the tart as it bakes) Place the pastry onto a baking tray and spread the base with pesto

3. Add the onion and then layer the courgettes over. Top with goat's cheese, sliced tomatoes and pine nuts

4. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg (drizzle any that's left over the tart)

5. Add a sprinkle of dried herbs and place in the oven for about 25 minutes at gas 4/180˚C

Ultimate Courgette Cake

What you'll need...

● 250g self raising flour ● 250g caster sugar ● 200ml vegetable oil ● 150-200g (2 smallish) courgettes finely grated ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 3 large eggs ● 100g plump sultanas (optional) ● grated zest of a lime ● 

For the lime curd (makes around 1lb)...

● 1 medium sized egg ● 2 egg yolks ● 2 limes, juice and grated zest ● 150g unsalted butter ● 250g caster sugar ●

For the cream cheese frosting...

● 100g cream cheese ● 50g softened butter ● juice of 1/2 a lime ● 150g icing sugar ● 75g pistachios to decorate ● 

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to gas 4/160˚C. Line / grease 2x7" sandwich tins

2. Beat the eggs and sugar together until moussey, then add all the other ingredients-I normally add the dry ones first, then the courgettes and the oil. Combine everything (carefully with a spoon rather than whisking) and pour into cake tins. Bake for approx 35 minutes, depending on your oven

3. While the cake is baking and cooling make the frosting by beating cream cheese, butter, lime juice and icing sugar together. Spread lime curd filling over the bottom half of the cake, sandwich together, then spread a generous amount of frosting over the top and sprinkle with chopped pistachios

For the lime curd...

1. Melt the butter and sugar together first and then combine the other ingredients carefully and keep stirring briskly (I use a wooden spoon) until the mixture starts to thicken

2. As this happens gradually, so test as you would with jam by putting a little on a saucer and checking the consistency. Store in a sterilised jar

Recipes: Jo Arnell and Lucinda Hamilton

Photos: David Merewether

For more recipes visit our website

WT's Take Five

  WT's Top Five Eat Green Recipes  

As part of the weekly countdown to the Midsummer Fair and Priceless People Wellbeing Festival this year, we're focusing on all things nutritious and delicious. So here are 5 of our favourite recipes so far and a cheeky ticket discount code for our lucky foodie readers, so you can come along for just £6.50!

1. WT's Helen recently purchased a Nutri Ninja and is having endless fun inventing new recipes for smoothies, soups, dips and dressings. Here's one of them...

The Blossom Blend...

What you'll need:

● spinach ● half an avocado ● 1 lime ● fresh ginger ● mint leaves ● 1 small pear ● cucumber ● chia seeds ●

● Slice up the avocado, cucumber and pear into smaller pieces and place in the blender along with the spinach

● Using a tea spoon, scrape off the peel of the ginger root and cut into chunks

● Squeeze in the lime juice and pop in the mint leaves and finally add a tablespoon of chia seeds

● Add the desired amount of water and wizz away until smooth and creamy

2. Over the last few years ethnobotanist James Wong's scientific and labour saving approach to edible gardening has garnered critical acclaim, landing him his own BBC series Grow Your Own Drugs and publishing contracts for numerous books. WT is delighted to announce that James Will be appearing at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair this June where he will be talking about his brand new book Grow For Flavour, sharing tips and tricks to supercharge the flavour of homegrown harvests. Here is one of our favourites, also featured in the April issue...

Roasted Beetroot and Lentil Salad...

What you'll need:

● 1kg small 'Detroit Dark Red' and 'Burpees Golden' beetroots, peeled ● 1 red onion ● 1 tbsp honey ● 2 tbsp unfiltered olive oil ● 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar ● salt and pepper ● 250g precooked beluga lentils ● 1 handful of beet leaves ● juice and rind of 1 orange ● a few sprigs of mint and dill ● 100ml creme fraiche ● 

● Cut the beetroot and onion into quarters. Arrange in a roasting tin and drizzle over the honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Do not toss them together as the red beets will stain the yellow ones. Season with salt and pepper. 

● Roast the beetroot in a preheated 200 ˚C / gas mark 6 oven for 45 minutes until tender

● Spoon the lentils onto a plate and arrange the beet leaves around them. Top with the roasted beetroot, drizzle with the orange juice and scatter over the herbs and orange rind

● Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and extra oil and vinegar. This salad is a match made in heaven with goats cheese or grilled mackerel. 

3. Yoga and nutrition teacher Julie Montagu is on a mission to prove that absolutely anyone can revolutionise their diet to take a giant leap towards long-lasting health. Known as the Flexi Floodie, Julie’s workable approach to incorporating nutrient-rich superfoods into manageable meals has led her to produce her first cookery book Superfoods which showcases nourishing dishes made with unrefined, wholesome ingredients to boost energy levels, lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar levels. Julie will be explaining how

to super-charge your lifestyle to eradicate the bad and introduce the good at this June’s Wealden Times Midsummer Fair’s Priceless People Wellbeing Festival on Friday 5 June.

Coconut and Almond Quinoa with Stewed Plums...

What you'll need:

● 170g quinoi ● 600ml coconut milk (or any plant based milk) ● 2tsp ground cinnamon ● 1tsp vanilla extract ● 4tbsp almond butter (or any other nut butter) ● 6 medium plums ● 100g coconut palm sugar ● 240ml water ● 1 cinnamon stick ● raw honey for drizzling ● desiccated coconut for sprinkling ● 

● Combine the quinoa and coconut milk together in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract, cover and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes

● Meanwhile, make the stewed plums. Cut the plums in half, remove the pits, them cut the plum halves into chunks. Combine the coconut palm sugar, 240ml water and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over a medium to high heat and bring to the boil. Add the plums and continue to cook until the plums are tender. Once tender, use a fork to slightly mash. 

● Once the quinoa is cooked but still a bit runny, put it in 4 bowls and stir in 1 tablespoon of almond butter per bowl. Top with the stewed plums, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of desiccated coconut. 

4. Self confessed chocoholic, Davina McCall has documented how she has banished processed sugar from her life. Her 5 weeks to sugar free book offers tips and sumptuous recipe ideas that are easy and approachable, even with a busy household! Davina has become one of Britain's most recognisable faces and has now sold over 1.5 million copies of her chart topping workout DVDs and raised over 2.6 million for sport relief! Davina will also be appearing at the Midsummer Fair and Priceless People Wellbeing festival to talk about her sugar free journey and offer advice.



Bean Salad

What you'll need:

● 400g green beans ● 400g can of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ● 200g cherry tomatoes, halved ● 1 small red onion, diced ● half a cucumber, diced ● juice of half lemon ● 2 tbsp olive oil ● half tsp mustard ● half tsp honey ● handful of fresh basil leaves ● parmesan cheese shavings ● 

● Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the green beans and cook them for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh them under cold water

● Put the green beans, canned beans, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber in a bowl and mix them together. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and honey in a small jug and pour this over the salad

● Scatter over some basil leaves and shavings of Parmesan cheese just before serving



5. WT reader Stéphanie Castelain loves this salad because of the beautiful combination of green and yellow, two wonderful colours that nature can offer us. The crisp, roasted almonds mix well with the tenderness of the broccoli.  The calendula petals add the sunshine touch to the lovely flavour  of the brown basmati rice and fresh goat cheese. See more of her recipes on her blog www.lecomptoirdestephanie.com



Popcorn Salad

What you'll need:

● 1 cup of brown basmati rice ● about 200g of broccoli (only the heads) ● 30g of chopped almonds ● 60g of fresh goat cheese  1 head of a calendula flower ● 1 lemon ● olive oil ● coconut oil ● mustard ● salt ● pepper ●

● Prepare the rice by cooking it following the given instructions on the package (typically you have to wash it first and then cook it for about 40 min).

● Wash carefully the broccoli and steam them for a couple of minutes (10-15 min).

● Heat a pan on a medium heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. When the oil is melted add the almonds and roast them until golden brown. Set aside. 

● When the rice is cooked, drain it, rinse it. Once cooled, put it in a dish and add the broccoli. 

● Add in to the dish the fresh goat cheese that you have either diced or crumbled. (I served it aside as my son doesn’t like it) Top the mix with the roasted almonds and dress with the calendula petals.

● Next, prepare the seasoning by mixing 5 table spoons of lemon juice, 8 table spoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of mustard, salt and pepper. Add the seasoning to the salad.


"You will have a wonderful dish with green from Nature and some sunshine rays. Ideal to lift up your mind and spirit."

See below for an exclusive foodie discount code!

Priceless People Wellbeing Festival: Thursday 4th June, Friday 5th June and

Saturday 6th June at Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent TN17_4JB 9am–4.30pm

Tickets: Advance booking: £7.50* On the gate: £8.50 Exclusive 3- Day Pass: £17

Online Tickets: www.wealdentimes.co.uk/events. Ticket hotline: 01580_713915**

For further information contact Georgina Toynbee and Helen Barton on 01580_714705

*Advance booking price available until 31/05/2015 **Tickets purchased via phone will incur a 50p admin fee

Exclusive Foodie Discount Code - fbloggers15
(ends 30/04/15)

February's Interior Inspiration...

Colour Blush

Here at the Wealden Times, we love using colour as it can brighten moods and transform an interior. But it can be tricky to incorporate it into your own home if you're not sure where to start or how much to use! So here are a few hints to inform and inspire...

Start small...

Adding the tiniest touches can make all the difference to the overall look of a room. If you haven't used a lot of colour before, or feel tentative about which ones to go for then try displaying colourful mugs or aprons in your kitchen. This way you can use things you already have for a decorative purpose as well as functional. Prints of images you like and collections of little objects on shelves are also great ways of increasing vibrancy in the home. 

Softly, softly...

Feeling a little braver? Then try out some bold and bright soft furnishings, or a fun printed wallpaper. Adding in cushions, rugs, bed spreads and curtains is a great idea if you love colour, but rent your home, so are limited to magnolia walls! WT's Helen uses vividly printed throws on her sofa to bring some new life to her living room. 

The Bold and Beautiful...

Upclycling is a huge trend at the moment. So give it a go! Dig out that old bed side table that's been neglected in the garage, get some paint and go wild! Charity shops, boot fairs and house clearances are all full of bureaus and dressers just screaming for some love. One piece of audacious furniture can totally transform anything from a bathroom to a hallway, creating focus and interest...that's if you can stick to one project!

Go the Whole Hog...

 You love colour, you're feeling inspired and are totally ready to be let loose in the house with a paint brush... But just hold on one second! Before making any major decisions, grab some swatch cards and sample paint pots and try out a few ideas first. Is it just one wall you want to be painted, or the entire room? Are you going to use contrasting, complimenting or matching colours when choosing your soft furnishings? Do you like print or block colour? There are lots of ideas to consider before getting messy, so experiment on a small scale and then get your overalls on!

Get started...

Here are a few gorgeous items to get you started that you can buy from www.wealdenfairs.com !