The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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Tim Spector’s Artichoke Stew

A delicious casserole is just the thing when you’re after something substantial. Jarred artichokes are a handy way to add prebiotics to a meal, satisfying your gut bacteria. Olives bring flavour and fibre, and the lemon juice adds a delightful acidity to your plate while helping your body absorb the iron from the beans

Artichoke Stew from The Food for Life Cookbook by Tim Spector (Jonathan Cape, £28). Photography by Issy Croker

Fibre 10-15g Plants 11

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 4)


2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut
into 1cm dice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1½ tbsp harissa
1 x 400g tin borlotti beans
and their liquid
2 tbsp Boosting Bouillon
(optional; page 259)
1 x 285g jar artichokes,
drained and roughly chopped
(160g drained weight)
80g sundried tomatoes,
roughly chopped
75g pitted olives
200g frozen green beans
(or a 200g mix of any greens
from your freezer or fridge)
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and black pepper

Top-up
Mixed ACV Pickle (page 264)

Swap
Stock cube for Boosting Bouillon

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a
    medium heat and sauté the onion and the carrot for
    4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion has
    softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  2. Add the tinned tomatoes, harissa, borlotti beans and
    their liquid, Boosting Bouillon (if using), artichokes, sun
    dried tomatoes and olives. Simmer, covered with a lid,
    for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the frozen green beans and cook, covered,
    for 3–4 minutes longer until the beans are tender.
    Add the lemon juice just before serving and season
    with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

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All reasonable care is taken when advising about health aspects of bread, but the information that we share is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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