It's A Vegan World: British (And Blueberry Jam)

I know, I know, you're looking at that headline and wondering, British food? British vegan food? Is she off her rocker?

It's true that British food has long suffered the bad reputation of being, well, boring. But let's not be quick to judge. After all, who gave the world sandwiches, scones, jams, pies and muffins? And potato chips, which are just about my favorite food in the world.

The Brits, of course.

What's more, modern British cooks like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson, to name just two, have breathed delicious new life into the food of the land. And the sizeable populations of immigrant communities in Britain -- led by Indians-- have contributed their own rich flavors to the local cuisine. In fact, former foreign secretary Robin Cook once declared Chicken Tikka Masala Britain's national dish! :)

Of course, chicken tikka masala or anything chicken or animal-related is not allowed into this event, as you well know. But feel free to come up with vegan versions of any meat-containing dish, or just any vegan dish as we explore the cuisine of yet another country.

Lavi of Home Cook's Recipes just concluded It's A Vegan World: Moroccan, and the roundup should be up shortly on her blog.

Meanwhile, here are the guidelines for IAVW: British--

-The deadline is July 31, 2009.

-These foods are no-nos in vegan cooking, so please leave them out: honey, butter, eggs, cheese, ghee, milk, yogurt (basically no milk-based products), gelatin, and, of course, no meats or fish. Vegan meat or cheese substitutes are fine.

-The recipe should be cooked for this event. You can cook any recipe that would either be traditionally British, or have roots in typical British cuisine (including Scottish, Irish and Welsh), or classified as, say, British-Indian or British-any-other-country. But while the dish could have originated from these other countries, it should now be considered uniquely British. For instance, see this recipe for Golden Zucchini Balti. Balti is a type of Indian curry that's distinctly and uniquely British.

-Link back to this announcement, and feel free to use the logo below.

-Non-bloggers are also very welcome. Just send me your recipe and a picture.

-As for bloggers, send me an email with your post to myveganworld[at]gmail.com. Include these details:

Your name

Blog name

Post url

Photograph (any size)***

To go with my announcement for It's A Vegan World: British, I thought I'd whip up some Blueberry Jam to slather over those scones and muffins.

This is one of the easiest jams you can make. There's no need for thickeners like pectin. All you need is blueberries, sugar, and some lemon or lime juice.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend everyone!
Blueberry Jam

Ingredients:

1 pint blueberries, washed and dried

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (vary based on how sweet your berries are)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Combine the blueberries and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. (Slice or crush the blueberries first if you want a finer-textured jam. I like mine chunky and textured, so I use them whole).

When the sugar melts and the juices of the blueberries start to flow and bubble, add the lemon and zest.

Crush the blueberries carefully with a potato masher or the back of a ladle.

Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the juices have thickened.

Allow the jam to cool and transfer to an airtight jar. Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!