From Spade to Plate: 3rd July -Cherry Jam - Vegetable curry

This post was first posted 1/7/2017
The other day I noticed a wonderful morello cherry tree in Pauline's back garden.
She did not have the energy to pick the cherries and turn them into something delicious.
So the Abundance Cambridge group got in action.

The NVS Cherry Harvesting group

As part of our From Spade to Plate project, we harvested the cherries and turn them into a reduced sugar 'jam'.  As for our lunch, we shall have a vegetable curry with freshly harvested, beans, courgettes, spinach and coriander from the garden and some rice.

We had a true united nations representation
June - UK
Servane - France
Sam - UK
Christine - China
Anne-Marie - America
Kiyomi- Japan
Silvia - Mexico
Simone - Italy
Karina - The Netherlands.

Servane reaching high

Anne marie -in charge of de-stoning

June harvesting cherries

We made 5 litres of cherry cordial and 9 jars of delicious jam

Jam jars filled to take home for some critical family jam tassting

Sam and Simone harvesting beans for the curry

T

Having a meal together

The recipe for the  Mung bean curry: 4 servings

1 cup of mung beans soaked for 6 hours or overnight
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 finely sliced onion
15 gr finely grated ginger
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
4-6 minced garlic cloves
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 carrots sliced into half moons
4 cups of vegetable stock
3 large handfuls of shredded silverbeet/spinach
sea salt to taste

In a large pot heat the oil over a medium high  heat and add the mustard seeds
When the mustard seeds start to pop add the cumin seeds and onion. Saute for a few minutes over a medium heat. When until onions become translucent, add the chilli, tumeric, ginger, garlic and tomatoes.

Continue to saute on gentle heat for another 5 minutes, until the tomato pieces are cooked down. Then mix in the mung beans and carrots. Stir thoroughly so all the spices and flavours coat the ingredients

Next add the stock and bring to boil. then turn down and gently simmer.
At this point you may want to add some salt, try 1/2 a teaspoon.

Cook for 30 minutes with the lid partially on, until the lentils are fully cooked and you have a thick caserole like consistency. You will need to stir consistently so that the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Once cooked, stir in the beet and simmer for a couple more minutes before turning off.

Serve with basmati rice, a dollop of yoghurt and a fresh salad.
Enjoy!