Fooderies

Marching through Epsom market yesterday with my two trolleys (see previous post), I came across and finally fell for some of the boxed dates which the greengrocer with a stand outside M&S has been carrying for a week or so now. I go to buy two at £2 each and end up with three for £5. In part because Waitrose, from where I usually buy blocks of dried dates from Whitworths, has been out of stock since before Christmas. Must make a point of complaining to the customer service desk next time it is not knee deep in pensioners claiming their free coffees - Waitrose in their wisdom thinking that this was a better use of space in this small shop than the self checkout machines that were near there before - and which I used to rather like, as until shortly before they took them out, no-one much seemed to be able to drive them and they did well for the two or three items which I was usually buying.

But dates which turned out to be interesting in various ways. Sold in a rather feeble brown cardboard box rather than one of the those white plastic boat shaped boxes, the sort that contains a white plastic twig which can be used to spear the dates. Proof reading of the text on the box rather careless, perhaps not the work of a native speaker of English. Product of Iran, or Persia as it has it on the box, rather than the more usual North Africa. Loosely wrapped in a bit of clear plastic, the dates have a rather odd appearance, a dark, dull brown with a bit of a bloom (hopefully not crescent mould) and oozing a bit from the hole where the stalk used to be. Described as fresh rather than the usual dried and which came without the glucose syrup coating which comes with the North African variety, Despite their rather odd and not altogether appetising appearance - probably mostly a matter of unfamiliarity - they tasted OK. Now engaged in a spirited debate about whether, the instructions being to keep them cool and dry, they ought to be kept in the refridgerator. I voted against and for the present the two unopened boxes are in the cupboard under the stairs, next to the gas meter.

Thinking that perhaps Pars was a place, I find that wikipedia offers lots of suggestions, including the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society. Persian suggestions a bit confused by the difficulties of transcription & translation.

We wondered about the sanctions imposed on account of the centrifuges. Perhaps they only affected banks rather than boxed fruit? Investigating, reference 3 seems to suggest that dried fruit are discouraged rather than forbidden, with part of the discouragement being the withdrawal of the usual health, safety and trading standards support services, We eat the dates at our own risk and at our own peril.

The market was also still offering bowls of almonds at a £1 each. I did not fall for another, as while they are perfectly sound, we are still eating the bowl I bought a fortnight ago. Presumably there has been some wobble in the (Persian?) almond harvest, resulting in a load of them being dumped into Nine Elms, where the small traders which still use such places slowly eating into them.

Unfortunately, in the course of all this excitement, I forgot all about the sage needed for today's stuffing (see reference 2 for the last two occasions). Searched the garden to find that fresh supplies there were quite inadequate, Searched the cupboard to find that dried supplies there were quite inadequate. So another spirited debate about whether mixed herbs would do. Last night I voted against, but this morning I was too lazy to go to investigate in Costcutter and it will be too late by the time that Waitrose are open. So mixed herbs have had it. I will report in due course if they do not work. I also used an artisan loaf from another chap in the market, rather than something plain, English and cheap. A slightly sour taste, but not bad at all - and very crumbly, with very little rubbing needed in its reduction to crumbs.

Reference 1: http://www.pakhams.com/. Clearly still a big sport in that part of the world, but maybe fading before the march of mobile telephones and the internet. I liked the use of rugs in the conference rooms. See agm2014_4.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/fowlsew.html and http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-stuffing.html.

Reference 3: https://www.gov.uk/sanctions-on-iran.

PS: I was amused to find that when asking google about whitworth dates 'Whitworth Dates - Looking For A Date In Your Area?' came top of the list, a link to a dating agency. From which we deduce that the majority of surfers are not into Alberta date cakes, Vide supra.