Houseboat on Broadway

"February sunshine steeps your boughs, tints the buds, swells the leaves within." 

At last! February is here. January was cold and miserable, and now its time to shake away the blues, as a new month has dawned. So, when payday arrived, it was the perfect excuse to go out and explore. 

The weather on Saturday was crisp and cold, but sunny and with blue skies, so I took a walk to Broadway Market, in Haggerston, South Hackney, close to London Fields. To get there from Victoria Park Village (the place I call home) takes about 20 minutes if walking along Regent's Canal. It's such a lovely walk especially when the sun is shining, and you can peep inside all the houseboats. I looked out for Rosie and Jim on the Old Ragdoll but unfortunately they were not around. 

 The focus is mainly on food rather than vintage clothing, and it is much smaller than Portobello Road market or Brick Lane, but the atmosphere is still fantastic. There was an excellent group of buskers in their 20s, with a saxophone, double bass and guitar, doing jazz versions of pop classics (Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls was my personal favourite). A huge queue snaked outside a lot of the little cafes and shops, including Fin and Flounder, one of the best fishmongers this side of Billingsgate. There is also a traditional Pie 'n' Mash shop that sells traditional cockney fare, along with Jellied Eels, an acquired taste. 

The first stall that really caught my eye was selling freshly made, free range organic scotch eggs. I've always been a fan of this quintessentially British picnic food. Thought to have been invented hundreds of years ago at Fortnum and Mason, the Queen's local supermarket, scotch eggs are a firm favourite with people from all walks of life. The stall did a variety of adventurous flavours including an Indian curry version and one made with black pudding. However, I chose the classic version and it was probably one of the best I've ever had (and I'm no stranger to farmer's markets). The breadcrumb coating was rich and not overly stodgy; the pork was flavoursome with just the right blend of herbs; the egg was perfectly cooked, with the yolk still slightly soft. The bright yellowy orange colour is only found in the freshest, best quality eggs.

 

As its the new year, I (among millions of others) have joined the gym, massively reduced my carb intake, and started eating at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. I have already lost two inches off my waist in a month, and dropped a jeans size. So clearly, the only way to celebrate was to buy some cheese. When visiting a market, don't be shy to ask to try a product before you buy it. Its worth taking your time to choose carefully, after all, the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Don't be put off by the price per kilo - I always ask for the tiniest slice available and get £1 of each. 

The first that I tried was a Wiltshire cheese, soft, creamy and reminiscent of Brie, but with a stronger taste similar to Reblochon. It comes with the rind on, and its your choice whether to remove it or eat it all. I personally feel that its a lot less messy to leave the rind on, especially if melting the cheese. The second one that I tried was a herb and garlic cheese that also looked creamy but in fact, tasted stronger than a vintage Cheddar. You only need to use a tiny bit, and it is more suitable melted onto some rye toast, or on a naughty day, grated into mashed potato. 

I also found some amazing homemade tarts from a group of bakers called Popina, who also sell their products in Notting Hill, Clapham and Islington. The deal was two for £5. I chose one with wild mushrooms, gruyere cheese and leek, and another with butternut squash and cheddar. They tasted truly amazing, with an abundance of filling and tasty, flaky pastry without the dreaded 'soggy bottom'. I ate mine with a rocket and lambs lettuce salad with an oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. 

The last stop was to a stall run by The Meringue Girls. They started out in Hackney and have grown to be very popular, working at pop up fashion events and supplying Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. I'm a sucker for a deal, and so bought 9 meringue kisses for £3.50. There was a variety of flavours, my favourites being chocolate, passionfruit, gin and tonic, and coconut.

 Its probably best to not eat them all in one go, as essentially they are just egg whites and about a kilo of sugar. I definitely recommend Broadway Market to anyone with a love of food. 

Everything in moderation is fine - you have to treat yourself once in a while. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX