Archive for May, 2005
About WASHA
May 19th, 2005
WASHA: Westborough Allotments Self Help Association
- WASHA was formed in March 2003 by tenants of the Aldershot Road Allotment site. There was a realisation that the increasing dereliction of the site could only be reversed by the united action of plot holders.
- WASHA members encourage local people to take on plots.
- WASHA plotholders on the allotment site encompass all age groups from the young to just married through to retired members. There is also a wide representation of professions and occupations. This reflects the new spirit of interest in allotment cultivation.
- We welcome newcomers and introduce you to fellow tenants. The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging and we offer practical help to get you started.
- Any existing plot holders facing difficulties because of illness or disability are also offered help.
- WASHA has embarked on a program of soil improvement to make cultivation easier and plots more productive. The Healthy Living Program has provided grants for purchase of organic compost. We have taken responsibility for its distribution.
- WASHA does not own or run the allotment site. This is the responsibility of Guildford Allotments Society on behalf of Guildford Borough Council.
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Rhubarb Fool & Rhubarb Jelly
May 19th, 2005
Rhubarb Fool
Ingredients:
15 sticks of fresh rhubarb
1 litre packet readymade custard
1 large tub of double cream or extra thick cream
Cut the rhubarb in chunks and wash. Place in covered dish and microwave on hig for 5 minutes until soft. Don’t add extra water. Sweeten to taste and allow to cool.
Mix the cream and custard together and stir into the rhubarb. Allow to settle before serving.
This mix is very creamy. If you want a pronounced rhubarb taste, use less of the cream and custard.
Serves 8
Rhubarb Jelly
Cook the rhubarb as described above and stir in a packet of jelly while hot. Allow to set and serve with custard or cream.
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Green Tomato Pickle
May 19th, 2005
This recipe makes 12/13 lb of pickle so you need good size utensils. It’s a sweet pickle so not suitable for diabetics.
Ingredients
5lb (approx 33) green tomatoes (Grass green – no ripening streaks)
1lb white onions
2 cucumbers or courgettes
1.5 lb beans (any sort)
1 medium cauliflower
2.5 pints vinegar
2 tablespoons syrup
4 ‘good’ cups sugar
1 heaped teaspoon mustard
3 heaped tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons curry powder
half teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tumeric
Cut the vegetables in small pieces. Mix together in a large bowl. Sprinkle a handful of salt over and leave overnight.
Next day strain off the salty liquid and reserve some of it to mix the dry ingredients with.
Bring the vinegar to the boil then add the vegetables.
When properly boiling add the syrup and sugar and boil for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly.
Mix the dry ingredients to a smooth paste with some of the reserved brine off the veg.
Stir this gradually into the vinegar and vegetable mix so that it does not form lumps.
Return to the heat and boil for another 15 minutes.
Bottle the pickle while hot.
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Pumpkin Soup
May 19th, 2005
Ingredients
500g pumpkin
2 onions
1 carrot
3.5 cups chicken/vegetable stock
one quarter teaspoon nutmeg
salt, pepper
Peel pumpkin, onions and carrot; cut into pieces. Put all vegetables in pan. Add stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and simmer until pumpkin is tender. Puree in blender or food processor or rub through sieve.
Can be served chilled or hot. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream and chopped chives. Serves 4.
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Lila’s Luscious Summer Pudding
May 19th, 2005
Ingredients:
Any soft fruit e.g. Tayberries, Blackcurrents, Gooseberries etc.
Bread (Wholemeal or White)
METHOD
Cook the fruit with sugar to taste over a medium heat until the sugar has melted and juices begin to run.
Line a basin with bread, wholemeal or white. Fill in all gaps with wedges of bread cut to size.
Lightly strain the fruit and add to the lined basin.
Return the juice to the saucepan and heat for a few minutes, until reduced to a thicker syrup.
Reserve about half of the juice and add remainder to fruit in the basin.
Cover top with another slice of bread and then place a small plate and a weight on top and leave in the fridge overnight.
Turn pudding out to serve.
Use the reserve juice to colour any unstained bread or use as a pour over sauce.
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Bev’s Best Carrot Cake
May 19th, 2005
CAKE Ingredients
175ml corn oil (6 fl oz)
150g castor sugar (6 oz)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavouring
100g walnut pieces (4 oz)
250g carrots (8 oz)
150g plain flour (6 oz)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
FROSTING Ingredients
1 tub full-fat cream cheese
50g butter (2 oz)
100g icing sugar (4 oz)
12 walnut halves
METHOD (CAKE)
Prepare a moderate oven 180 degrees or Gas 4
Grease a 22cm (8.5 inch) round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
Place corn oil, sugar,eggs and vanilla in a bowl and beat well.
Roughly chop walnut pieces, washa and peel carrots; grate coarsely.
Add to corn oil mixture with flour, bicarb, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Pour mixture into prepared tin.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. test by pressing cake with fingers. It should
spring back and have begun to shrink from sides of tin.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto rack.
METHOD (FROSTING)
Place cream cheese, butter and vanilla in bowl. Sift in icing sugar and beat
till smooth.
Chop 3 walmut halves and place in centre then arrange others around edge.
VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
If you have a food processor you can put all ingredients in together and almost liquidise. (Depends how chunky you like the nuts to be). Don’t be put off by runny consistency – it cooks like a dream. If you use a ring cake tin you need only cook for 45 minutes. Any kind of nuts can be used – cashews are great! Don’t over beat the frosting. If you do, or if you use low fat cream cheese, it will go all runny on you and may have to be set with gelatine. Thinly sliced dried apricots in the decoration advertise it’s a carrot cake and give it a tang. I also split the cake and fill the middle with frosting.
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Parsnip and Apple Soup
May 19th, 2005
Ingredients:-
3 parsnips
3 carrots
2 cooking apples
1 onion
2 tablespoonfuls olive oil
300ml (1/2 pint) milk
2 pints vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander and cumin (or curry powder)
ground black pepper (season to taste)
Method:-
Peel and dice parsnips, peel and slice carrots, peel and slice apples, peel and finely chop onions.
Cook all these in the olive oil until all vegetables are mushy.
Puree in blender.
Add milk and seasoning.
Gently bring to a simmer until hot and serve with crème fraich or swirl of cream.
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Cheese and Leek Pie
May 19th, 2005
(This is my Mum’s recipe and she was never a great one for weights and measures)
Ingredients:-
Shortcrust pastry – enough to line a pie plate or maybe a flan case, plus plenty to cover the cheese and leeks which will start as a great dome before melting on cooking.
Leeks – it’s up to you!
Grated cheddar cheese – at least two double handfulls.
Milk or beaten egg to glaze.
Method:-
Grease plate or flan tin.
Roll out pastry – I would suggest 1 part for the base to two parts for the lid.
Line the base.
Cut leeks into 1 to 2 inch lengths and boil or steam lightly till just tender then place on base.
Throw on as much grated cheese as you can handle.
Mum’s resembled a sugar loaf mountain at this stage!
Dampen base edges with water and throw on the pastry lid.
Trim and knock up edges to seal. Cut a little slit in top for escaping steam.
Bake on Gas 5 – 6 for about half an hour.
(It’s a while since I made this and I don’t remember using a pie funnel but there’s no reason not to if you wish.)
Thanks to Helen on plot 26. The second of many…so please get emailing…
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Gujerati sem (Gujerati-style green beans)
May 19th, 2005
A good one to use up some of your bean glut.
1Ib fresh green beans (Runners or French)
4 tablespoons veggie oil
1 tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
4 cloves of garlic (I used 1 clove of my elephant garlic!)
1 hot, dried red chilli, coarsely crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper
Trim beans and cook in boiling water for no more than 10 minutes. Immediately cool them by draining and rinsing in cold water.
Heat oil in a large pan over a high heat, and when hot, throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as they start popping, add garlic and stir like mad to stop it burning, although it does want to go lightly brown. ( turn the heat down at this stage) Next in goes the chilli and add a good pinch of cumin. Finally stir in the beans, salt and sugar. Stir gently, but very well to get all of the flavours mixed then turn the heat down very low and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Add black pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Thanks again to Helen on Plot 26.
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Lovely lentils – Jumbo Lentil Rolls
May 19th, 2005
Lovely lentils – Jumbo Lentil Rolls
2 tblsp oil
1 chopped carrot
6oz red lentils
3/4 pint veggie stock
salt and pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garam masala
1 chopped onion
4 oz mushrooms
1 level tsp dried thyme
4 oz breadcrumbs
pinch cayenne
pinch mace
375g ready roll puff pastry
Fry onion, carrot and garam masal until soft. Add mushrooms, lentils and thyrm. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add stock and bring to the boil, simmer gently uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, stir in breadcrumbs, mace, cayenne, worcestershire sauce & balsamic vinegar. Season and leave to cool.
Unroll pastry and cut in half lengthways. Divide filling and shape into a sausage and place down the centre of each strip. Dampen edges and wrap pastry around the filling pinching the edges. Cut each roll diagonally into 4. Bake for 20-25 mins of gas 7.
Another great one from Helen on Plot 26.
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