Farmers’ markets are forcing small stores out of business, but sometimes one may find something there that is not readily available in supermarkets

One of the joys of living part of the year in rural England is that there are many farmers’ markets in surrounding small towns. Once a week, stalls are set up in open areas where car parking is forbidden for the day. Fresh produce is displayed by farmers, ranging from meat to dairy products, including local cheeses. People drive in from nearby villages and farms to do their weekly shopping.

I love inspecting what’s on offer, especially in the autumn when occasionally venison and pheasants become available. This form of food shopping is as far removed from supermarkets as it’s possible to get. Over the years, these huge chains have driven thousands of local shops out of business as giants such as Tesco and Waitrose buy massive quantities, and can thus drive their purchase prices down. Small shopkeepers simply can’t compete on either price or convenience.

Food shopping in supermarkets is bland and boring

But the closing of charming village shops where locals could exchange gossip has been a big loss to rural communities. Elderly residents who are unable to drive to the nearest supermarket are dependent on neighbours. And while it is possible to order most food items online, many older people are not familiar with the technology.

I find walking down long crowded aisles with a trolley a very soulless experience. Packaged food, selected and treated for long shelf life, does not always make for good, healthy eating. In Devizes market, we could ask the butcher to bring us specific cuts or game when he came the following week. A cheerful, red-faced character, he would wave at us from a distance. This kind of easy camaraderie is simply not possible in modern supermarkets where you can only choose out of what is available on the shelves.

And since there is little demand for certain cuts like kidneys or liver in supermarkets, you are unlikely to cook them. So when I saw a couple of packets of lamb kidneys at a nearby farm shop, I immediately picked them up as I hadn’t had any in a long time. It’s very easy to prepare kidneys as long as you don’t overcook them; in fact, try to get a pink centre, and you will end up with a soft, buttery consistency.

Of course, you can make them in a thickish masala gravy, but I simply sautéed a finely chopped onion with a couple of cloves of garlic in a dollop of butter, and when they were soft, I added a sliced red chilli and the kidneys. These simmered together for around five minutes on a moderate heat, and I sliced one open to check if it was done. A rosy pink interior indicated that the kidneys were ready to be served. Absolutely heavenly when served hot on a thick slice of toasted brown bread.

We often see deer around our house, and some of them have eaten our roses, much to the lady wife’s fury. Farmers are allowed to cull the animals to keep their numbers at a sustainable level, and the deer often end up in farm shops or the local butcher’s. I bought a kilo yesterday, and it wasn’t cheap. But we had a few guests for Sunday lunch so I made hiran ka saalan as a treat. As I had venison fillet, the meat was very tender, and cooked quite quickly without releasing the usual water and fat. Venison contains very little fat, and you need to be careful not to overcook it as it can get tough if left too long over heat.

In Karachi, I used to go to Empress Market on Sunday mornings to buy fish and meat. I loved the piles of spices, the mounds of vegetables, and the smells and sounds of the old market. I haven’t been for years, mostly because of the traffic. But now supermarkets dominate food shopping, and I fear that the experience will become as bland and boring as it is in England.

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 9th, 2017