On a trip to Palestine five years ago with the Fairtrade Foundation and Zaytoun, I visited a women’s co-op in Jenin to the north, where I was taught how to make maftoul, a traditional hand-rolled couscous made from local organic wheat (it takes an hour to roll just a kilo of the stuff, which is then steamed and sun-dried). I love using dry goods sourced from the world’s larder by Fairtrade, not least because it’s a great way to support farmers and producers, but wherever possible I also like to cook with mostly local and seasonal fresh ingredients for all sorts of reasons, from nutrition (and therefore flavour) to supporting my own local economy. I also find that, by limiting myself to seasonal produce, I increase the quality of my food and push my creativity. Tabbouleh, for example, is usually made with parsley, tomatoes and spring onions, but here I use celery leaves, roast peppers and leeks to make a seasonal variation.
