Our Biona Roots series makes a stop in Surrey to showcase our very own local wholefood and wellness chain, Food For Thought.

About Food For Thought

Food For Thought’s Roots: Food For Thought originally opened in 1984 but began life in its current iteration in 2008, when it was bought by Alan Martin and Rob Steidle. The new owners took the business to the next level, developing it as a community hub and expanding the focus on food. The chain now consists of three stores and one coffee bar, all in Surrey. “It is just an amazing place to work and be involved in the community, helping people. No other time than this current pandemic has been as rewarding.” Organic Advocates: Food For Thought are all about raising their customers’ awareness of how crucial it is to think about the quality and source of the food we eat. They even share their favourite tips in their monthly newsletter. 'There is a myth that organic produce is expensive, however if you eat in season when crops are plentiful, you will find organic can be less expensive!' The team joke they like to get on their soap boxes to proclaim that organic food should simply be called food - everything else should be labelled non-organic! Food For Thought’s owners have been enjoying Biona products themselves “forever and a day”, and tell us it was therefore natural to fill their stores with the Biona range. The team say they were unable to choose a favourite Biona product, but instead shared a delicious recipe using a few! Where to find them: Now in Guildford, Kingston and Kew, you can find FFT’s full location details here. Twitter: @tweetforthought Instagram: @foodforthoughthealthstore Facebook: @FFTUK www.foodforthoughtuk.com

FFT’s Asian-Style Banana Blossom and Sweet Potato Tray Bake

Ingredients

2 large sweet potato

2 sticks lemongrass

1 inch ginger

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp sesame oil

500ml veg stock

1 tin Biona Organic Light Coconut Milk

6-8 lime leaves (or 1 lime)

2 red chillies

1 tin of Biona Organic Banana Blossom

300g Biona Organic Wild Rice Mix

Greens of your choice (we love mange tout)

Cooking oil

Soy sauce

Sesame seeds

Method

• Start with the wild rice because that will take the longest to be ready – cook according to packet instructions.
• Wash but don’t peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them in medium thick slices and lay them out on a deep baking tray or layer in a casserole dish.
• Combine a tin of coconut milk with 500ml of veg stock.
• Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chillies (remove the seeds from the chillies if you don’t want the heat) and stir into the coconut milk/stock mixture.
• Crush the lemon grass and lay on top of the sweet potatoes along with the lime leaves (if you are using limes, squeeze the juice on instead).
• Pour over the liquid mixture to cover the sweet potatoes.
• Bake these in an oven at 200°C for around 20 minutes until the potato slices are cooked and soft.
• Stir fry your greens in a little vegetable oil and the sesame oil and add soy sauce to taste.
• Carefully drain the banana blossom, marinade with a little soy sauce and pan-fry in a little oil.
• To serve: layer the rice in the bottom of large bowls, next the sweet potatoes, then the greens, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place your Banana Blossom on top. Drizzle over some of the cooking liquid and serve!