Half term, a small group but lots of variety

Today we had a couple of cancellations due to coughs and colds, and some of the regular friends could not make it due to half term.

This did mean however that we could try out some more dishes.

Carmen,  Alice and Karina S came. We started preparing the mushrooms for both the Creamy Mushroom Soup 

and the mushroom mini pies. Both recipes came from our 2nd cookery book.

A couple of weeks ago we made a pear custard pie, this time we used the same recipe but added apples rather than pears. Lovely too.

As we had some puff pastry and apple left we made some apple flappen (also in book 2, demonstrated by Mark)   

Tortillas from Honduras

Today we were lucky that John and Lolita came to visit us. They brought with them the authentic flour to make tortillas (we used flour from the blue corn) with black beans, butternut squash, guacamole,  and tomatillo salsa. We also had a  beet, cabbage and carrot salad to go with that.

Rurie, Sayaka and Mary tasting the tortilla

Rurie Making her first tortilla

Marie making her first tortilla

Lolita mixing the flour with water

June making her tortilla

and now it is time to put them in the griddle

Butternut squash, beet,cabbage and carrot salad, Black beans and tortillas

Lolita in action

This is how it is really done

The end result, gorgeous with tomatillo salsa

A seasonal meal - last of the runner beans and courgettes

We started with a lettuce and courgette soup as the lettuce that was harvested a couple of days ago was so large, we used most of it to add to our soup. Ted, our allotment friend had some courgettes that needed using so making a lovely velvety soup was just the ticket.

  

Preparing for the Runner Bean Quinoa Salad with Maple Citrus Dressing. We changed the recipe a bit and felt it needed 1/3 less beans and the juice of one tangerine as well as the segments of one more tangerine. The roasted sliced almonds were really nice and added texture and taste. If you want this recipe to be vegan just omit the feta cheese, to be honest it did not add too much extra to the dish.

 

The dessert made with pears from the tree is the garden was delicious. Simple and quick to make but definitively a winner.

Melenddra peeling pears

    

Chickpea, tomato and peanut stew with cooked pear in orange and cherry sauce

This week with the Victoria Homes group we made raspberry mousse using aquafaba (chickpea water) With the left over chickpeas and the tomatoes from the allotment, I found this recipe it is a West African inspired stew.

beautifully diced onions and red pepper by Sayaka and Hwiwoun

The stew with a freshly steamed broccoli and nasturtium flowers

T

The Peanut butter we make from scratch as that way we are sure that there is no palm oil incorporated.
It is simple and quick to make so why not?

We picked the broccoli out of the allotment to have with the rice and stew.

As a desert we made some stewed pear.

Lu, Carmen and Cortney stuffing the flowers with cream cheese

In the end we started the meal 1/2 earlier than normal as it was so quickly to make. The end result was a tasty and satisfying meal perfect for a wet and autumnal day.

Butternut Squash Curry with flat bread

Due to illness only 2 members turned up today,  so as a matter of precaution, I chose a menu full of vitamin C, anti oxidants and antibiotic properties,  Garlic, Nasturtiums, Tomatoes, Onions to name but a few.

We turned a lovely Butternut squash and the kale (well massaged with oil) into a curry which we had with rice and a flat bread (as per my 2nd cookery book)
   

All the vegetables from the allotment that we harvested and were left, were turned into a salad. Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Carrots, Dill, lettuces, edible flowers borage, cornflowers, marigold and to top it up nasturtium leaves and the flowers stuffed with cream cheese.  Yumm!


     

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.
  g

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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Green tomatoes

My friend Consuelo sent me this recipe as she knows I have loads of green tomatoes which can be turned into something delicious.

Cheddar and walnut scones is delicious with some green tomato chutney

How much more British can you make a lunch?