Tempura Zucchini Blossoms

A fantastic treat, particularly common in Italy at the height of summer. Picked from the ends of zucchinis/courgettes and their plants, zucchini flowers can often be found at markets and stores selling fresh produce but they don't keep very long so should be purchased closed, then washed and cooked within a day of being picked.

By whisking equal parts DS' gluten-free flour mix with some strong sparkling water (the more carbonation, the lighter the batter will be) and a dash of salt and pepper, we had a perfect tempura batter. The batter should cling to the blossoms and drip off any excess so add more liquid to lower viscosity if need be. Over-whisking will deflate the batter so no need to over work it and any small lumps will simply cling to the blossoms and fry up to give an extra crunch anyway. The rice flour component of the mix definitely added to the crisp texture illustrating how gluten-free can sometimes trump the more conventional wheat flour. A couple of minutes deep-frying til golden and there we have my new favourite thing.

Dry the River

Tucked away amidst the fresh mountain springs, Ristorante delle Fonti is backdropped by the Fonti di Poiano in the province of Reggio Emilia. I have fond memories of summer days at the spring, which feeds the Fiume Secchia ("dry river").

The restaurant itself is a gem. The gnocco fritto is admittedly not gluten-free but based on feedback from others in the party, it was tasty and wonderfully light. As per usual in Italy, the waiting staff were able to advise on alternate options (though I did make a dent in the prosciutto, salami, and cheese boards that accompanied the fried dough) and I opted for some chicken/veg brochettes and salad. More Lambrusco and a few aperitifs later, I was pleasantly full and sitting in the dark night of the valley under the cascade of the Perseids meteor shower.

Rare Catch

Wednesdays at Oliver's Fish and Chips in Belsize Park is gluten-free night. They use dedicated fryers so as to ensure there is no great risk of cross contamination and any fish on the menu can be battered with their special flour blend. Dining on fish and chips in style, the sides on offer are wonderfully varied so as to feel like a proper meal, though they do delivery and take-away as well, meaning no one has to miss the Great British Bake Off.

A rare catch: gluten-free fish and chips

The batter itself gave a beautiful, golden crust, both flaky and crispy - a texture not always easy to recreate sans gluten. If only they did their dessert fritters in said batter as well. It was two years before I properly longed for battered fish but despite it not being a staple of my diet (will I be approved for British citizenship?) I will definitely find my way round to Oliver's again.

Hyper Trolley

Senza Glutine!

The drive from Bologna through to Reggio Emilia takes us past the Ipercoop in Modena which houses a massive gluten-free aisle. Considering I was staying in a small village north of Tuscany for a week, I was't sure how often I would come across such a treasure-trove so the shopping cart was loaded. In went two breads (a plain white loaf and a country style loaf - both quite passable), gnocchi, and savoiardi biscuits for tiramisu (a cracking find), all by DS. The gnocchi were surprisigly good, as good as store-bought gnocchi get anyway, though as with all gluten-free pasta, I would recommend adding a drizzle of olive oil to the boiling water to help prevent clumpage.

Happiness is potatoes.

The Coop also carry their own line of gluten-free items of which their Frollini Classici (effectively delicate butter biscuits, wonderful with tea and coffee) were my favourite. The shop also stocked the Fantastic Delite rice crackers from Australia, a great Japanese inspired snack. All around a good shopping experience. Updates to follow once we put the Savoiardi biscuits to the test in a toramisu.

Stocked on stems and stalks

Stumbled upon a wonderful little nursery and organic food shop in New Cross Gate called Dig Thie Nursery. They offer a wonderful selection of seeds and seedlings, big on variety if small in numbers. They stock assorted flavours of 9bars (a great seed bar that is my go-to snack on the run) and some gluten-free products I hadn't seen elsewhere. Doves Farm Stem Ginger biscuits were acquired alongside parsley and Greek basil plants. Fresh produce, assorted food cupboard essentials and a wonderul cactus named George (who was not for sale) make this a great stop for anyone who commutes via New Cross Gate, whih I admittedly do not bit I will happily make the trip to visit again.

Tesco have been upping their game in the Free From aisle and have added quite a few more flours to the mix; something I pounced on when taking advantage of their latest 4 for 3 offer on free-from items, ongoing until August 24th. The variety truly allows for a wonderful amount of flexibility and creativity in the kitchen. Udi's have really grabbed hold of the gluten-free market and seem to be overtaking Dietary Specials in quantifiable shelf space though the DS Ciabatta Rolls still get my vote for the ideal burger bun.

I am now well equipped to tackle the next ambitious (perhaps overly so) project: homemade gluten-free bagels.

Starting lineup: Udi's, Doves Farm and 9bar

Cannelle et maudits raisins

There has been a small bag of raisins tucked away in my cupboard for a while. It was even moved over from the cupboard in the last flat. They go untouched as I resent the little frakkers with their ridged, dry exterior and unbearably chewy and unrefreshing flesh, often turning up uninvited or, worse yet, unannounced in salads or braised red cabbage or carrot cake (as if the latter is not sweet and moist enough!). But I had to use them. And I hold firm that the only marginally tolerable manifestation of the suckers is in cinnamon raisin bread, where the strength of the spice somewhat masks the monstrosities.

Out came the Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour (my new favourite gluten free weapon) to top up the standard gluten free white bread flour and within minutes, I had a sweet dough rising. I even squeezed in a 5 mile run (and vacuumed the flat) for good measure during the first prove. Dough rising, a process equal parts beautiful and mundane.

The patience paid off.

Gluten-free cinnamon and dastardly raisin rolls

Allergy & Free From Show 2014 (Kensington Olympia)

Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill Flours

• Met up with a lovely and insightful gluten-free blogger based in Berlin and spoke with some wonderfully innovative promoters and suppliers. The folks at CELIA Lager, promoting their Czech beer, very patiently explained their process of de-glutenising barley malt. Quite carbonated but it certainly makes for a good gluten-free summer beer.
• Met the man behind (and face on) Bob's Red Mill Flours - a company long known for its range of flours but also commendable for its practice of processing and packaging their flours in a quality controlled gluten-free environment. Purchased some sorghum flour and trusty tapioca flour. 

  

  Scott Farms Sweet Potato Chips

• Scott Farms Sweet Potato Chips were hands down my favourite acquisition of the day. Wonderfully simple in concept but masterfully executed.
• Greens Gluten Free Beers were another great exhibitor with an abundance of flavours to sample but unfortunately not purchase on the spot. The IPA and Dry Hopped Lager were pretty good and have now inspired me to discuss further with some home-brewer friends about brewing a batch of gluten-free beer. Enter sorghum!

Next year: bring more hands.