Pumpkin Pie and a Kale and Cauliflower salad

Haruna making the pumpkin pie filling

 Last week we had a huge butternut squash that provided us food for 6 of us in the form of a soup. The other half was turned this week into a pumpkin pie. No bake as per our 3 cookery book. We thought it was a little too sweet, so would reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup rather than 1/2 cup

We also went to the allotment where we picked the kale for the  Kale and Broccoli salad we used Cauliflower instead of Broccoli and it tasted amazing. Who would have thought that raw Kale could taste so nice.

Manami cooking the pie ingredients    

Simone chopping the cauliflower

A sunny (but chilly) walk to the allotment

Bon Appetit

chopped up ingredients for the Kale  salad

Who would have thought it? We all like the Kale salad!

This morning I noticed that the cavalo nero (kale) was ready to harvest, so brought some home to look for a nice recipe.  I found one, with excellent reviews, Kale Salad,  but was worried that Kale was not every ones cup of tea. We gave it a try  though and it turned out we all had seconds! Who would have thought?
The secret. MASSAGING the kale before use!

As the weather was nice some of us had a stroll to the allotment,  to see where our broccoli and kale was growing  (whilst nibbling on raspberries, apples and tomatoes) and when we saw that the storm had taken down a sunflower, we took off the flowers to take home, stripped the leaves for the compost heap and cut the stem to dry out for kindling wood in the winter.

Hwiwoun. Li, Ai, Simone and Sylivia behind the kale patch

Li, Sylvia, Simone, Hwiwoun, Ai

While we were in the allotment, Carmen and June kept an eye on the oven and the soup that we made before we left on our walkabouts.

The fresh carrot and leek soup which went really well with the garlic knot buns made by Ai and Hwiwoun.
          

Whilst they were making the bread rolls Simone, Carmen, Sylvia and June were busily chopping away. The onions, broccoli, Kale and carrots.
                   

To make sure we could eat it in time, I started making the Challah dough a few hours before the session started as it needed 2 risings and it took nearly 3 hours for that to happen. So the next stage (rolling out) Li did a wonderful job. Sylvia and Carmen prepared the apples which were the ones Melendra and June picked a few weeks ago from a tree in Churchill College. The end result was stunning.
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Simone, Li, Hwiwoun, Ai, Sylvia, Carmen, June

Although it looks nice and golden, it could have been in the oven for a little while more and we thought it might be nice too with chopped dried apricots.  The pieces rose so well that each piece was enough for 2 people, so husbands and children were able to have a nibble of it too.

Yet another lovely meal made with vegetables from our abundant allotment and the love, energy and enthusiasm of 7 special friends. Cheers!

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