Curious: April cover reveal

The circus has come to town. Let the show begin! Top of the bill is Easter: bake a pie and rabbit  biscuits. Put on a record, hang the Alice in Wonderland bunting and throw a tea party. For the grand finale, take a walk, be curious. There are primroses, and is that a bird of prey high in the sky? Feel the sun on your face, play cards around a campfire and potter peacefully in your shed. That's slow business. That's The Simple Things.

April's The Simple Things is out today - buy, download or subscribe now.

Escape: Islands of adventure

For a real get-away-from-it-all day out, hop on a boat and sail to a British island. Timeless, remote and teeming with wildlife, they are the places for a carefree escape. 

In the March issue of The Simple Things, Clare Gogerty explores some of the 6289 islands around the British coast - turn to page 72 for her adventures.

Alternatively, read Clare's new book: The National Trust Book of the Coast. Many of our happiest memories are made at the coast. And little wonder whether we head there for a bucket-and-spade holiday, a blustery walk along a coastal path or a day's sailing around a choppy headland, the British coast has plenty of opportunities for mood-boosting pleasure. It's where we go to get away from the frenetic pace of modern life, to stare at the horizon and stride out on a long stretch of sand, a dog scampering before us. 

Fifty years ago the National Trust launched Enterprise Neptune, a landmark campaign to protect our coast. Today, thanks to the Neptune Coastline Campaign, the Trust looks after some of the most beautiful and important coastline across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This book is a celebration of those places; a book for all those who love the British coast, from the wide sweep of Northumberland's dunes to the drama of the Giant's Causeway. It's the place to discover the endless sandy beaches of the Gower Peninsula, the secluded coves of Cornwall and the iconic white cliffs of Dover. 

As well as paying homage to Britain's coastline, this is an inspirational and practical guide on everything from beach coming and wild swimming to birdwatching and geology. There are spotters guides to coastal wildlife, together with suggestions for local accommodation, popular walking paths and nature trails, and nearby National Trust properties to head to once you've shaken the sand from your shoes. Whether you're an armchair explorer or keen to get out there yourself, this is a vivid picture of the landscape, history and wildlife of our dynamic coastline.

Craftier and Craftier: White Rabbit & Cheshire Cat Masks

Celebrate the birthday of curious classic Alice in Wonderland with this easy make.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The world would be a considerably less curious place without the likes of the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. From 2 May to 1 November, the V&A Museum of Childhood in east London will be hosting a free display called ‘The Alice Look’, exploring how Alice has been a trendsetter over the years, or to mark the anniversary you could simply curl up with one of the beautiful editions of the book (see page 115 of April’s The Simple Things) and transport yourself to Wonderland.

You could also try your hand at a make or two, taken from Everything Alice, a whole book of Wonderland-inspired craft projects. The masks are perfect for parties and festivals, and should put a smile on your face worthy of the Cheshire Cat.

White Rabbit & Cheshire Cat Masks

You will need:
Templates - download cat or rabbit templates
PVA glue
White mosaic grout
Tile clippers
Hot glue gun

For the White Rabbit:
1 sheet of white A2 mount board 
10mm square mosaic tiles: approx 230 white, 100 cream, 90 pink
35cm length of 5mm dowelling rod, for the handle
White acrylic paint

For the Cheshire Cat:
1 sheet of black A3 mount board 
10mm square mosaic tiles: approx 120 black, 50 grey
35cm length of 5mm dowelling rod, for the handle
Black acrylic paint

1 Print out the templates and cut your selected mask shape from the mount board (or you could cut them out from sturdy card and decorate with crayons for an ultra-speedy make).
2 Paint your dowelling the corresponding mask colour – white for the rabbit and black for the cat – and allow to dry.
3 Cover your work surface with a protective sheet – mosaic work can be messy! Apply a small blob of PVA glue to the back of each mosaic tile and adhere to the first mask shape, leaving a 2mm space between each tile. Get creative and make up your own pattern. Trim away any overhanging tiles with the clippers. Allow to dry thoroughly for at least two hours. 
4 As an alternative to readymade 10mm mosaic tiles, you could make your own tiles from old pots and crockery. Wrap the crockery in sheets of newspaper, then place into a thick plastic bag. Put the bag on a durable surface before smashing the crockery with a hammer. Remove the pieces carefully – they’ll be sharp!
5 Mix the white mosaic grout to the manufacturer’s instructions in a jam jar or plastic container. Keep a bowl of water and a sponge nearby. Use your hand to spread the grout over the mosaic, working it into the spaces between each tile. Try to keep the surface of the grout as smooth as possible. Leave the mask on a flat surface and allow the grout to dry fully. It’s best to leave it overnight.
6 Once dry, wipe down the mosaic with a damp cloth to remove any excess grout. Allow to dry for a further few hours, then give it a final polish with a soft cloth.
7 With a hot-glue gun, stick the second mask shape onto the back of the tiled one, with the dowelling in the middle.

The wonder of walking

It stills the mind, rejuvenates the body and helps to connect our inner and outer world. Walking is so much more than getting from A to B.

On any given weekend, between seven and eight million people in the UK go for a walk, many leaving cities to walk in the hills or across the fields of the open countryside. Whether hiking alone or perambulating with friends, we share the sense of liberation that comes with walking. Out in the open air, free from observation or judgement, you can sing as loudly as you care to, shout out loud at the wind, lie down and sleep... eat with your mouth open, if you must.

Read Peter Owen Jones’ paean to perambulating on page 93 of the April issue of The Simple Things - out on 25 March 2015. Off on a jaunt of your own? Have a listen to Associate Editor, Clare Gogerty’s walking playlist while you explore the great outdoors.

WIN! A camper van holiday (closed 1 May 2015)

Isle of Wight campervan holidays are offering the chance to explore the island for six nights in a classic 1970s VW Camper

Get some serious kerb appeal in one of Isle of Wight Campervan Holidays’ candy coloured campers. Overflowing with character, these classics will happily remind you of a simpler time for you, your family and friends.

Anchors Away 

Taking to the sea is where your adventure begins as you cross the Solent on a ferry to the lovely Isle of Wight. With its gorgeous rolling countryside and spectacular beaches, there really is something for everyone. What better way to explore than at your own pace in a charismatic campervan?

Home is where you park it

Well equipped for self-catering, there is nothing more convenient and fun that hitting the open road with all of your kit including your bed and the kitchen sink. Relax at camp in the evenings thanks to two great Island campsites that have joined in to offer this fantastic prize. Ninham Country Holidays is located in a beautiful wooded valley, with a heated pool,landscaped pitches and private coarse fishing. Grange Farm Holidays looks over the sea in an area of outstanding natural beauty with friendly animals to pet and direct access to a sandy beach, so don’t forget your bucket and spade.

What’s included and how to enter

• A six-night self-catering break worth £1,050
• For four people in a 1970s VW Camper on the Isle of Wight
• A return car ferry crossing or passenger tickets to the Isle of Wight 
• Three nights’ camping at both Grange Farm Holidays and Ninham Country Holidays

The prize can be taken from May–October 2015 or May–October 2016. 

Enter below by 1 May 2015.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Download full insurance terms and conditions. 

Competition Terms and Conditions.

The prize includes a six-night hire for four people in one of Isle of Wight Campervans Holidays’ right-hand drive classic VW campervans. The driver of the camper must be aged between 25 and 75 and comply with all the insurance and collision conditions as set out in Isle of Wight Campervans Terms and Conditions.  The prize must be taken before October 2015 or between May and October 2016 and is subject to availability. The 1970s VW camper can sleep two adults and two children at night. If required, Isle of Wight Campervan Holidays will provide a tent to accommodate groups of more than two adults. 

Isle of Wight Campervan Holidays will provide a return ferry crossing to the Isle of Wight for four people with the most appropriate service provider, to coincide with the hire period. 

The camping pitches offered by Ninham Country Holidays and Grange Farm Holidays is subject to availability and each three-night stay must be taken consecutively. You will have the choice of which to enjoy first. The campsite rules and regulations must be adhered to at all time by the winning group. Isle of Wight Campervan Holidays reserves the right to terminate the hire period with immediate effect if this is not the case.

The prize winner and their group are responsible for all incidental expenses, insurance excesses and petrol. The prize is non-exchangeable and not redeemable for cash or any other prize.

For full terms and conditions please visit www.icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

Escape: Islands of adventure

For a real get-away-from-it-all day out, hop on a boat and sail to a British island. Timeless, remote and teeming with wildlife, they are the places for a carefree escape.

One of the most romantic is Lundy Island in North Devon. Car-free, wild, and full of seabirds (Lundy means 'puffin'), this is the place to choose for a Blyton-esque holiday with the Landmark Trust's 23 holiday properties located on the island.

Get to know this beautiful island and its history by watching this short film about Lundy.

Not got your March issue? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside.

Recipe: Rhubarb and ginger pavlova

Delicately spiced pink rhubarb, lashings of cream and a crisp brown sugar meringue makes for pav perfection. Just the ticket for lunch this weekend.

Rhubarb and ginger pavlova

If you have fussy children to please, you could swap the ginger for white sugar, but this version works beautifully.
The addition of vinegar (a Nigella tip) helps to make the middle beautifully soft and chewy. All but the whipped cream for the topping can be made ahead of time and the whole assembled just before eating. Note that the two main components require plenty of oven time at different temperatures, so plan ahead.

Serves 8
FOR THE MERINGUE
6 egg whites
300g soft brown sugar 
1 tsp red wine vinegar 
50g crystallised ginger, sliced thinly
FOR THE TOPPING
3 sticks rhubarb
3 tbsp honey
Zest and juice of one orange 
1 vanilla pod, split
3 Chinese star anise
1 vanilla pod
500ml double cream, to serve

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan160C/350F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a perfectly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form peaks, then slowly whisk in the sugar a tbsp at a time. It will turn sepia-coloured and shiny. Sprinkle in the vinegar and the crystallised ginger, then carefully fold in until combined.
3. Spoon and smooth the mixture into a circle approximately 23cm across on the lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and reduce the heat to 150C/Fan130/300F. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until it is dry and crisp on the outside. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly, and leave to cool completely.
FOR THE RHUBARB TOPPING
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan160/350F. Slice the rhubarb into 2-inch pieces and place in a deep- sided baking dish. Pour over the honey and orange juice. Scrape
the beans out of the vanilla pod into the juices, then add the pod along with the Chinese star anise.
5. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender but still holding its shape. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
6. Whip the cream and spread it generously over the cooled meringue base. Spoon the rhubarb carefully onto the top, dribbling over some of the juices, and serve immediately.

For the rest of Lia Leendertz's rhubarb feature - including recipes for Tempura mackerel with rhubarb relish, and Dusky pink lady cocktails - turn to page 36 of the March issue of The Simple Things. Not got your March issue? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside

Moments that matter

Finding the perfect place for lunch: This morning’s walk ended in the medieval Catalan village of Santa Pau. We wandered its flower-filled streets; and, on reaching the 13th-century, arcaded square, came upon the Restaurant Cal Sastre, with a table ready and waiting. As far as lunch venues go, this was just about perfect.

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.

Millican Mother's Day offer: FREE 6 month subscription to The Simple Things (expired)

After a gift for mum? Spend £95 or more at Millican and you'll get a free 6 month subscription to The Simple Things.

And it's easy to do... Just enter SIMPLE at checkout. Have a look here for Millican's beautiful range of Rucksacks, Shoulder Bags, Overnighters, Washbags and Travel Accessories.

Offer only available until 11am on 12 March 2015 so HURRY!

Too slow? Enter our Millican comp instead.

Make: Homemade salt scrub recipes

Seen our interview with David and Alison from the Anglesey Salt Company in the March issue of The Simple Things? They've been making Halen Mon (Welsh for Anglesey salt) for 17 years, and shared their wisdom with us. Turn to page 46 for Rachael Oakden's interview PLUS notes on salt from page 50.

Salt isn't just for cooking, though, and we've rounded up a few recipes for DIY salt scrubs for you to try.

Exfoliating salt hand scrub

An exfoliating hand scrub is just what weather-beaten paws need - try this recipe from The Kitchn.

Citrus Salt Scrub

Fresh and zingy, this citrus salt scrub from Offbeat & Inspired will wake you up.

Lavender vanilla salt scrub

After something a little more soothing? Lavender's natural relaxing properties should do the trick, with this recipe from Building our Story.

Salt and sugar scrub gift

Scrubs are simple to assemble but make great gifts. Try this set from the Gold Jellybean.

Not got your March copy of The Simple Things? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside

Your guide to green diy cleaning products

Cleaning the house isn’t something most people enjoy doing but it’s a necessity if we’re to keep our homes looking good and also to help prevent us getting ill. However, you never know what is really in all those cleaning products you buy at the supermarket and some of them cost a fortune.

This infographic from Good to be Home gives you simple instructions on how to make your very own cleaning products, all from natural materials. So, not only can you save a bit of money but it’s also much better for the environment and can help those who have asthma.

In the infographic you’ll learn how to make:

·       Glass & window cleaner

·       Drain un-blocker

·       Citrus disinfectant

·       Furniture polish

·       Abrasive cleaning powder

·       Oven cleaner

·       Grout cleaner

Fresh: Herbs - how to make them last, PLUS a winter herb salad recipe

March is the perfect month to experiment with herbs, to bring freshness and flavour to your cooking. How hard can it be to make supermarket herbs last? Alive one minute, wilting the next... Help those pots of herbs enjoy a longer lifespan.

Pot on

Supermarket herbs are grown for value, so there is a lot of plant crammed into a little pot, causing overcrowding and competition for nutrients. Potting on in a bigger container will give the plant room to grow.

Best for: Thyme, chives, sage, parsley, basil, mint and rosemary

Pick hard

This encourages growth and lets light in.

Best for: Parsley, oregano, thyme

Pick prudently

On a basil plant, don't be tempted to pick the biggest leaves first. Pinch out the smaller leaves at the top of the stem instead, to encourage growth. 

Best for: Basil

Water carefully

Drenching herbs can kill them. Instead, water from below by sitting the pot on a saucer of water until the soil feels moist, but not wet. Let the soil dry out before repeating.

Best for: all herbs

Recipe: Winter herb salad

Go heavy on the herbs. This Middle Eastern-style dish is packed with punchy flavours. Serves 4.

1 large bunch flat-leaved parsley
1 large bunch coriander
5 cauliflower florets
A handful of radishes
5 spring onions

For the dressing:
Zest and juice of half a lemon
30ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Roughly chop the herbs and the radishes and slice the spring onions, and put them together into a large bowl. Take the central stems out of the cauliflowers to break them up into tiny florets. Add to the salad.

2. Put all of the dressing ingredients into a jar and shake them together, then pour over the salad and mix well.

Not got your March copy of The Simple Things? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside

Recipe: Fairtrade Fortnight - Chocolate fruit and nut slices

It's Fairtrade Fortnight (until 8 March) and The Simple Things is celebrating with a trio of delicious and ethically responsible chocolate-based recipes. We think you might want to join us...

Over the past 20 years, the FAIRTRADE mark has become the best known ethical label in the UK. The Fairtrade movement has generated significant economic benefits for farmers and workers around the world, from cocoa growers in Ghana to sugar farmers in Belize. In 2015, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more people choosing products that change lives - so that greater impact can be achieved over the next 20 years and beyond.  

70% of the world’s food is produced by 500 million smallholder farmers yet many of them can’t feed their families. And many farmers who are part of the Fairtrade system are still not selling all their produce as Fairtrade to work their way out of real poverty. For example, tea growers are selling less than 10% of total production as Fairtrade.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 turns the spotlight on the famers and workers who grow our favourite food, to share their compelling stories and remind everyone of the dramatic difference Fairtrade makes and why it is still needed. 

Focusing on three ingredients we couldn't live without - cocoa, tea and sugar - try one of three Fairtrade Fortnight recipes we'll be bringing you this week.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Slices

250g shortcrust pastry
125g apricot jam
3 large free-range eggs
175g soft brown sugar
50g melted butter
75g plain flour
100g walnuts, chopped
100g semi-dried apricots, chopped
250g Raisin & Hazelnut chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20 x 30cm cake tin.
2. Roll out the pastry to fill the base of the tin, and bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool, and then spread over the jam.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, and fold in the melted butter, flour and walnuts.
4. Spread evenly over the pastry. Return to the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
5. Scatter the apricots over the cake. Melt the chocolate and cover the cake. Cool before slicing.

Recipe: Fairtrade Fortnight - Farmhouse chocolate and banana bread

It's Fairtrade Fortnight (until 8 March) and The Simple Things is celebrating with a trio of delicious and ethically responsible chocolate-based recipes. We think you might want to join us...

Over the past 20 years, the FAIRTRADE mark has become the best known ethical label in the UK. The Fairtrade movement has generated significant economic benefits for farmers and workers around the world, from cocoa growers in Ghana to sugar farmers in Belize. In 2015, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more people choosing products that change lives - so that greater impact can be achieved over the next 20 years and beyond.  

70% of the world’s food is produced by 500 million smallholder farmers yet many of them can’t feed their families. And many farmers who are part of the Fairtrade system are still not selling all their produce as Fairtrade to work their way out of real poverty. For example, tea growers are selling less than 10% of total production as Fairtrade.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 turns the spotlight on the famers and workers who grow our favourite food, to share their compelling stories and remind everyone of the dramatic difference Fairtrade makes and why it is still needed. 

Focusing on three ingredients we couldn't live without - cocoa, tea and sugar - try one of three Fairtrade Fortnight recipes we'll be bringing you this week.

Farmhouse chocolate and banana bread

Makes 1 loaf

225g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
2 very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons milk
100g dark (70% or 85% cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped into very small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 23 x 13cm loaf tin.

2. Sift the flour and salt.

3. Cream the butter and sugar, for ease in a food processor. Add the eggs, bananas and milk and mix thoroughly. Next add the flour and salt, but stop mixing as soon as the ingredients come together.

4. Fold half of the chopped chocolate into the mixture. This must be done using a spoon – do not use a food processor for this.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top of the mixture and push the pieces in slightly.

6. Bake in the centre of the oven for between 45 minutes and 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Tip:

When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, do not work the mixture too much as that will release the gluten in the flour and make for a heavier texture. For this reason, stop when the mixture has just come together.

Make: Crochet carrots DIY tutorial

Heirloom veg are a favourite of The Simple Things, particularly when they come in all kinds of unusual colours. Take heirloom literally and crochet these beauties - they'll never go off.

Thanks to Lara of Messyla for allowing us to share her crochet carrots. Lara is a designer, stylist and photographer, living in a little cottage in Scotland. She loves baking and crocheting, living simply, collecting kitchen gadgets, wearing stripes and pottering in her greenhouse.

Head over to her blog for the pattern to make your own crochet carrots.

More makes from The Simple Things.

Not got your March issue of The Simple Things? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside now.

Recipe: Spring plaice, with shrimp and sprouting broccoli

The sun is shining, the trees are blossoming, and it's time to get out of that winter cooking rut. Go lighter (like the mornings) with this fresh and tasty plaice recipe, courtesy of the Edible Garden Show.

Taking place on 20-22 March at Alexandra Palace, London, the Edible Garden Show is the only show in the UK dedicated to grow-your-own. Taking you beyond the plot, Good Life Live covers a whole range of outdoor living experiences.  Both events are packed full of free experts talks and hands on demonstrations  from the likes of Big Allotment Challenge’s Jonathan Moseley, BBC’s James Wong & Radio 4’s Pippa Greenwood. It’s the perfect family day out with under 16's going free, a pop up city farm and Cbeebies Mr Bloom popping by to say “‘ello tiddlers”. 

TICKET OFFER

Readers of The Simple Things can get 2 tickets for £25 by using code: TST225 - that’s a 37% discount on door prices! 

To book your tickets, which give access to both Good Life Live and The Edible Garden Show, please call the ticket hotline on 0871 230 3451 or visit www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk.

Spring plaice, with shrimp and sprouting broccoli

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 whole plaice (about 750g), cleaned and scaled, skin on - ask your fishmonger to do the fiddly bits, like cutting the pocket in the top

125g brown shrimp or small prawns

Juice of ½ lemon

150g unsalted butter, melted

To the melted butter add a quarter of a teaspoon of each of the following and stir well: 
Mace
Nutmeg
Paprika
Chilli powder 

250g Charlotte or pink fir/anya potatoes

200g Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Zest of 1 lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan large enough to lay the whole fish in flat.
3. Take the plaice and make two diagonal cuts towards the tail in each half of the fish on the side with the dark skin (see picture).
4. Place the fish in the frying pan, dark skin down, and fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Gently turn the fish over in one movement, so now the dark skin side is facing up. It should be slightly crispy and golden.
5. Now add the flavoured butter and a squeeze of half a lemon and, as it melts, spoon the melting, foaming butter over the fish to baste it and get that flavour in there. Top with the shrimp and carry on spooning the butter over for another minute.
6. Place in the oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on size of fish). A good way to tell if it's cooked, is that you should easily be able to remove the head of the fish with a dessert spoon.
7. Remove from the oven and loosely cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
8. Plate up the steamed broccoli and new potatoes, and finish with the fish.

Fresh: Spring flowers

Nothing says spring quite like the arrival of magnolias, daffodils, narcissus and tulips.

Turn to page 18 for tips on following the progress of the magnificent magnolias, or page 93 for a sweet way to display spring blooms. 

Want more? Head over to our Fresh board on Pinterest for a whole virtual garden - let's celebrate the start of spring proper.

Follow The Simple Things's board Fresh on Pinterest.

Not got your March issue of The Simple Things? Buy now,  subscribe or look inside.

A thank you...

To all our digital edition subscribers.

A very big thank you for your patience during the change of ownership of The Simple Things.

We have been as frustrated as you with the complications and delays in publishing The Simple Things as Iceberg Press on the various digital platforms.

We are getting there but, ironically, it turns out to be a slow business setting up new apps in the fast-moving digital world of Google and Apple.

The good news is that our March issue is now available on Apple, Zinio, Press Reader and Amazon newsstands – see the links below. The exception is Google, which is still testing our app, we will post again as soon as it is available.

Apple users should note that our new app should be ready for when we publish April issue later this month. We will post instructions of how to make the switch on this blog, on social media, on the old app and via push notifications.

Thanks again for sticking with us – as a new indie company we really appreciate your support.

If you need to contact us about your digital edition please email subscriptions@icebergpress.co.uk

LINKS FOR DIGITAL SUBS

Apple

Zinio

Press Reader

NEW Amazon edition for Kindles! You can buy single issues or subscribe here.

Recipe: Fairtrade Fortnight - Tiramisu

It's Fairtrade Fortnight (until 8 March) and The Simple Things is celebrating with a trio of delicious and ethically responsible chocolate-based recipes. We think you might want to join us...

Over the past 20 years, the FAIRTRADE mark has become the best known ethical label in the UK. The Fairtrade movement has generated significant economic benefits for farmers and workers around the world, from cocoa growers in Ghana to sugar farmers in Belize. In 2015, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more people choosing products that change lives - so that greater impact can be achieved over the next 20 years and beyond.  

70% of the world’s food is produced by 500 million smallholder farmers yet many of them can’t feed their families. And many farmers who are part of the Fairtrade system are still not selling all their produce as Fairtrade to work their way out of real poverty. For example, tea growers are selling less than 10% of total production as Fairtrade.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 turns the spotlight on the famers and workers who grow our favourite food, to share their compelling stories and remind everyone of the dramatic difference Fairtrade makes and why it is still needed. 

Focusing on three ingredients we couldn't live without - cocoa, tea and sugar - try one of three Fairtrade Fortnight recipes we'll be bringing you this week.

Tiramisu

1 large free-range egg yolk
1 tbsp caster sugar
80g mascarpone cheese
40g whipping cream
4 sponge fingers, broken in half
60ml espresso coffee
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp Marsala
20g dark chocolate (85% cocoa)

1. Whisk the egg yolk and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone.

2. Add the cream, and whip everything together until soft peaks form.

3. Place a spoonful in two glasses. Mix the sugar with the espresso, and dip the sponge fingers in it. Arrange on top of the cream. Splash over the Marsala.

4. Top with remaining cream, and finish with grated chocolate.

5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.