There is something so inherently depressing about supermarket shopping. It elicits a particularly surreal type of ennui, where the sight of apples boxed in polystyrene and wrapped in clingfilm seems at once perfectly reasonable, and so ludicrously unnatural that it makes you giggle hysterically for a second. But only for a second, before you recollect your surroundings and morosely shuffle off to gaze at a chicken that never knew a moment of happiness.
I was resigned to this as a necessary chore until I found my lovely greengrocers, also known as Richard Clarke at 110 Warwick Street.
I was first enticed in by the flowers outside (two bunches of daffs for a pound, or 10p a bunch if they’re already open), but now I don’t get groceries anywhere else. All fruit and veg needs are catered for, plus eggs from a farm down in Stratford upon Avon, milk, cream and a small cheese selection in a little fridge in the corner, and salads all boxed up and ready to go. There’s a big old dumping ground of ‘miscellaneous’ as well. Chopped tomatoes and pork scratching are my standard, but you can also get herbs, vanilla beans, honey, olive oils, anti pasta, cakes and biscuits. I doubt it’s all organic and locally sourced (I’m pretty sure that passionfruit farms in the Midlands are fairly short on the ground), but frankly I don’t care, and if it means I don’t have to go to Tesco’s then I am eternally grateful.
This has, however, affected my cooking habits somewhat. I can’t necessarily rely on them having the exact ingredient I have in mind, but they may have an offer on something completely unexpected. So no more lists for me, and dinner is a spontaneous affair.
Recently there was an offer on blood oranges – 5 for a pound. As a result, I’ve become a little addicted to blood orange salad.
It’s so simple I won’t insult your intelligence by writing down a recipe. Just chopped orange on mixed leaves. You don’t need a dressing as the juice does just as well, but a little salt and pepper and olive oil are pretty tasty additions. It also goes beautifully with a soft, creamy accompaniment, like chopped avocadoes or mozzarella. Tasty.
I have this as a side dish to practically every meal. I have yet to find something it doesn’t go with. You could use regular oranges rather than blood oranges, but I find that the regular ones can be dry and inconsistent. The main benefit of the blood variety, apart from the amazing colour (seriously, fruit that bleeds? How cool is that?), is their juiciness. I’ve never had a duff blood orange.
I’ve also discovered a newfound love of potatoes. I had always considered potatoes to be a practical staple, but not particularly flavoursome. Richard Clarke knows his potatoes. These are some tasty potatoes. I recently picked up a handful of new season King Edwards, just diddy little things, and made a particularly nice warm potato salad.
King Edwards, or salad potatoes like Jersey Royals
Handful of chopped parsley (I got mine from my lovely greengrocer too)
Olive oil
Garlic
4 strips streaky bacon
1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
Boil the potatoes. Chop the bacon and fry in a little olive oil. Once crispy, add the garlic and parsley. Stir in the vinegar. Add the potatoes and serve.
Serve this as a side to a meat dish, or with some salad leaves on its own. This also works with a little crème fraiche stirred through to bind the dressing and the potatoes together. Top notch nosh.
In short, I really like this place. I know it may sound like I’ve been gushing a bit, but I can’t overstate how much better it is than a supermarket. Cheaper, too. If you live in Leamington you should go there. If you don’t, well, sorry. But find a local greengrocer. Greengrocer ennui is very rare.
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