Latest salvo in the supermarket price war

Back to Blighty yesterday to be greeted by a full page ad in the Times (and probably other papers too) publicising Sainsbury’s ‘Big 5’ deals on fruit and veg. Which bears more than a fleeting resemblance to Aldi’s weekly fruit and veg promotion, the Aldi Super 6.

Could it be that the big boys are getting rattled by the migration of an increasing number of newly budget-conscious customers prepared to give the discounters a go? I suspect it could. According to recent figures from the market research company TNL Aldi’s sales increased over 20% in the 12 weeks to the 15th of June, giving it its highest ever share of the UK grocery market at just under 3%. Those sales have to be coming from somewhere.

How good are the Sainsbury’s bargains though? Well, as usual, a mixed bag. No-one could complain at 49p for a melon (20p less than Aldi’s) or 39p for a bag of radishes but new potatoes still sound expensive at 89p a bag (it doesn’t specify the weight)and berries may or may not be good value depending on whether you’re paying the 99p or £1.99p mentioned in the ad. Half price, as I've pointed out before, is not such a big deal if the price was excessive in the first place.

To put that in perspective here’s a list of prices my fellow blogger Signe Johansen spotted at the North End Market in London last weekend:

2 pineapples for £1
2 v.large bunches bananas for £1
9 lemons for £1
2lb cherries for £1
2 punnets of blackberries for £1
8 perfectly ripe apricots for £1
1 large watermelon for £1
3 galia melons for £1.20
2 large aubergines for £1

And some of you have pointed out even better bargains outside London.

So let’s have a ‘bargain of the week’ contest. Whoever comes up with the best deal this week gets a signed copy of my book The Frugal Cook when it’s published next month! Fire away . . .

Some more frugal eating tips

This time from the excellent US food and drink site epicurious which is offering '35 easy ways to stretch your food dollars'

Seems like everyone is affected by the credit crunch . . .

I'm in transit now till Friday when I'll be back in Bristol and looking forward, I guiltily admit, to a bit of good old English drizzle.

Charred Aubergine, Tomato and Mint Salad

Another salad. It's so hot here (in the Languedoc) I can't get my head round making anything else. Hot too in London, I gather, so maybe you'll enjoy this recipe which comes from my veggie student cookbook Beyond Baked Beans Green.

It's a spin on the Middle Eastern spread Baba Ganoush which I love but which I never think looks too great - a sort of khaki-coloured splodge. This basically uses the same ingredients but turns them into a salad that can be served with grilled or leftover lamb or, more frugally, with feta or with other mezze which is how we've having it tonight.

Serves 4
2 medium or 1 large aubergine (about 500g)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (about 100g), peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and diced
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley and 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper

Cut the stalks off each aubergine, cut in half lengthways then cut into cubes. Heat a wok for about 2 minutes over a high heat, add the oil, heat for a few seconds then tip in the aubergine cubes. Stir fry over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes until lightly browned then turn the heat down low, add the onion and garlic, stir, cover the pan and cook gently for a further 15 minutes, stirring from time to time to stop it catching.

Tip the cooked aubergine into a shallow dish while you prepare the other ingredients. When the aubergine is cool (about 20 minutes), cut it up roughly with a knife and fork then mix in the chopped tomato, parsley and mint. Season with the lemon juice, cumin and salt and pepper and serve in any of the ways suggested above or simply with warm pitta bread.

Tomato, basil and rice salad

The key to this simple salad, which I got from a French friend several years ago, is frying the onion well as it providea a really flavourful base to the rice. Frugal and delicious.

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil + extra if needed
1 medium to large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
200ml basmati rice (measured in a jug)
400ml water
4-5 medium-sized, ripe tomatoes
2-3 heaped tbsp basil, tarragon or parsley leaves
Red or white wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and fry over a medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until the edges of the onion are beginning to turn dark brown. Tip in the rice, stir then add the water and stir again. Bring to the boil, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down and cook until the water has been absorbed (12-15 minutes). Turn off the heat and leave another 5 minutes. Meanwhile skin the tomatoes by nicking the skin near the stem with a sharp knife, putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Leave a minute, then drain and cover with cold water. The skins should come away easily. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Spread the rice out in a shallow dish and leave to cool for five minutes then add the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a few drops of wine vinegar and mix well. Just before serving add a couple of heaped tablespoons of torn basil or tarragon leaves and toss the salad again, adding a little extra olive oil if you think it needs it. Best served at room temperature. (Particularly good with grilled chicken).

Cutting the cost of eating out

Now that the credit crunch is really beginning to bite and that there are fewer customers around spending less we're beginning to see more special offers in restaurants.

The excellent moneysavingexpert.com lists a whole lot of deals in the restaurant section of its website which is worth checking out. For example Marks and Sparks has got an 'eat out at home for a tenner' deal running from tomorrow (24th) to Sunday (27th July) while Yo Sushi is offering 50% off food bills on Mondays and Tuesdays until August 19th.

If you're after a bit of high end eating and have time to spare during the day you'll always find better deals at lunchtime than you will in the evening. In London, for example Tom Aikens, a restaurant I really rate, offers a three course lunch for £29 whereas the evening tasting menu costs £80. Claude Bosi's Hibiscus, another restaurant tipped by Michelin last year as a 'rising two star', goes even better with a lunch menu for £25 (evening £75).

Shame the business lunch is dead and buried . . .

Pineapple: the forgotten fruit

In terms of value for money it's hard to beat fresh pineapple. I bought this huge one for £1.55 in Tesco last week which would have easily served six, maybe eight. Given that it came from halfway round the world it's ironic that it was cheaper than buying in-season English strawberries. (A medium sized punnet had gone up to £2.50 in my local greengrocer.)

Why isn't pineapple more highly rated? You rarely find it in restaurants. Maybe it's the traditionally naff uses that people make of it. Cheese and pineapple sticks (though they are actually delicious made with decent cheddar and fresh pineapple). Ham and pineapple pizza (never been a fan . . . ). Pina colada? Pretty tacky made with pasteurised pineapple juice but, again, great with fresh pineapple.

What better finale can you think of for a spicy meal than some finely sliced fresh pineapple, served with a fresh lime and chilli-flavoured syrup or a drizzle of kirsch or white rum?

Maybe it's because it's fiddly to prepare but not THAT fiddly. All you have to do is cut it in thick slices, cut away the skin and the central core and cut it into chunks. No more difficult than a mango and everyone's crazy about mango.

I've been breakfasting on it all week and would have made this fabulous smoothie I found on an old Waitrose cookery card (from the days when I used to shop at Waitrose ;-) if I'd had more time. I love the way it's topped with just-melted vanilla ice cream.

Are you a pineapple fan?

Is this the best value coffee in London?

I had three quarters of an hour to kill in London's Borough Market this week and spent it happily wandering around some of the fantastic food shops. Konditor and Cook for yummy cakes. Neal's Yard for the best of British cheeses and Monmouth Coffee for what must surely be the best value coffee in London - just £1 for a double macchiato (espresso with a shot of frothed milk)

Unlike many espressos it wasn't remotely bitter or over-extracted, just a pure, fragrant coffee flavour.

Eat your heart out, Starbucks . . .

What happened to the onions

Just in case you wondered if they were mouldering away in the veg rack I used a handful of the green stalks to make a green onion and goats cheese omelette a bit like the wild garlic and chervil omelette I made a couple of months ago and used the rest to make this tasty green onion soup.

Green onion, bean and bacon soup
Serves 2-3

2 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling over the soup at the end
75g pack pancetta cubes or 2-3 rashers of chopped streaky bacon
A good handful of green onion tops (about the equivalent of a bunch and a half of spring onions), trimmed and roughly sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
A pinch of hot pimenton or paprika (optional)
1 x 400g tin of borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
500ml vegetable stock made with 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder or 1/2 a stock cube
Salt and pepper
Fresh Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino for grating

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the pancetta or bacon for a couple of minutes. Add the sliced onions, cook for another couple of minutes then stir in the garlic and pimenton or paprika. Tip in the drained beans and add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 7-8 minutes then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and/or some shaved or grated parmesan

I've still got the onion bulbs left to use for something else. Probably a tomato and raw onion salad. Although they were expensive for onions (£1.75 a bunch) they have a fabulous flavour and are inspiring a whole week's cooking