Allotment, Recipes

What to do with courgette gluts? Sweet and savory recipes

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Ross’s Easy Peasy Courgette Pesto

Courgette glut? Fed up of the sight of them? Use this recipe to hide the offending veg and make a super fast, super tasty, super fresh meal. This recipe makes enough pesto for 6 people.

Ingredients
6 courgettes, ideally around 12 cms long. Don’t use the oversize ones, as they may be too bitter for this recipe.
3 tbs olive oil
1 large clove garlic
handful of fresh basil
1 tbs pine nuts (or use cooked chickpeas as an alternative)
salt & pepper to taste
chilli flakes for dressing

Method

  1. Roughly chop courgettes – there is no need to cook, salt or drain them.
  2. Place all ingredients into bowl and whizz together using a hand blender (or put into a blender) – keep the mixture slightly textured
  3. Test and adjust seasoning to taste.
  4. Cook up your favourite pasta – I used linguine
  5. Serve the pasta with a little olive oil mixed through; spoon the pesto on top, garnish with basil and sprinkle with chilli flakes and / or cheese.
  6. Add a tomato salad and warm crusty ciabatta to make into a main meal.

 

Courgette & Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Allrecipes UK

This is a great recipe for using up all those pesky courgettes coming into season now. The ones I used were a drier variety, which meant I needed to add a bit more water to get the right consistency. I also reduced the oil and sugar to make a less sweet muffin.

courgette-choc-chip-muffins.jpg

Ingredients
200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
100ml vegetable oil
80ml soya milk
1 tbs lemon juice
200g grated courgette (excess moisture squeezed out)
100g bar of dairy free chilli chocolate (cut into chunks) or choc chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/ Gas 4. Grease muffin tins/ line with cases
  2. Combine flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda & salt together.
  3. In a separate container, mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice & vanilla extract together. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined
  4. Fold in grated courgette & chocolate chips. Consistency should be dropping off spoon, but not runny. Add extra milk or water if mixture is too dry.
  5. Put mixture in muffin cases and place in oven.
  6. Cook for 20-25 minutes; cool; eat

 

Recipes supplied by BHOGG member Jenni.

Events, News

Walk & Talk led by Geoff Mead: History of Gardening & Food Production in Brighton. 18th July, 7pm

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Geoff Mead will reveal to us the history of gardening & food production in Brighton as we take a leisurely stroll from the Palace Pier around the city.

Please wear suitable shoes/ clothing, remembering to bring water, hat, sun cream, waterproofs, etc as the weather dictates for this outdoor event.

Meet at Palace Pier, July 18, 7pm.

Free to BHOGG members; £10/£5 non-members or join on the night.

Allotment, News, Our community allotment

Our community allotment: The allotment in the community

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In addition to the wonderful Sunday sessions at our Weald Plot, we enjoy inviting vulnerable groups and healthy volunteers to our community allotment.

Friday 22 June was a fabulous day when 16 students and teachers came from Hurstpierpoint school and rebuilt some of our beds, moved a large raised bed and reconstructed our large wooden containers that had rotted down with the compost. Thanks especially to Steve and Alan for transporting the wood and clearing the rubbish, and all those who helped on the day Phillipa, Barbara, Pete, Andre and Paul.

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If any groups (especially vulnerable groups) would like to come to our community allotment please send us an email info@bhogg.org.

Allotment, News, Our community allotment

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday 24th June. Solstice Pick & Cook with Caroline Whiteman

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We are delighted to have Caroline Whiteman from Brighton & Hove Food Partnership come along and cook for us using fresh ingredients from our community allotment.

Come and enjoy some tasty bites made using seasonal produce grown on the plot. Vegan and gluten free options will be available.  Please bring a plate to share as the seasonal cooking will just be a small taster for attendees.

11am at The Weald allotment site.  Find us at plots 238 & 239 at the Weald Allotments, Neville Avenue, Hove, BN3 7NA

Events, News, Phoenix, Resources

Ruth’s top tips for June

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1. Plant out seedlings such as beans, courgettes, sweet-corn.

2. Sow successional salads, dwarf beans, peas.

3. Feed with seaweed meal and organic potassium, homemade comfrey and nettle liquid or organic tomato feed.

4. Water well once a week in dry spells (little and often causes shallow roots).

5. Harvest first early potatoes, broad beans, salad crops.

Want to know more about planting out and successional planting?  Ruth will be running her Urban Gardening Courses: Planting Out and Successional Growing.  Saturday 2nd June for Planting Out & Saturday 16th June for Successional Growing.  Both 2-4pm at Phoenix Community Centre.

Free for BHOGG members and local Phoenix area residents, £3 donation for non-members.

 

Allotment, organic, Recipes

Warm Allotment Salad

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Here’s a simple, easy and tasty recipe with all of June’s wonderful produce in mind!   Thanks to Bhogg Chairperson Jenni for the recipe.  I can’t wait to try it out!

Ingredients

Potatoes
Broad Beans
Peas
Lettuce
Radishes
Any other seasonal veg
Smoked Peppered Mackerel OR Goat’s Cheese OR smoked tofu /tempeh

Quantities will depend on how many servings you want (and how much produce you have!)

Method

Chop lettuce and radishes into a large salad bowl.  Prepare strips of mackerel /cheese /tofu (you can heat these if you prefer).

Shuck peas and broad beans and place in a steamer. Boil the potatoes until they are just off being fully cooked, then place the steamer over the top to finish. Add the potatoes, beans and peas to the bed of lettuce, mix carefully and place your choice of mackerel, cheese or tofu on the salad.

Add olive oil and lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread and a glass of something chilled!

 

Salad June

 

News

Our Annual Organic Gardening Day and Seedling Sale: Saturday 26th May – Open Market – London Road, Brighton. From 10am

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Want to know more about organic gardening? Our local experts will be at the Open Market to answer your questions and offer advice. Good quality organic seedlings grown by members of our group will be on sale.  This year, we have lots of heritage tomatoes at prices far less than you would pay elsewhere.

We are a really friendly group for both novice and experienced gardeners and offer a variety of events and courses throughout the year. We have our own community allotment with regular volunteer sessions.  Looking forward to seeing you next week.  Come early –  the seedlings go fast!

Allotment, Events, News, Our community allotment

Our annual seedling swap Sunday 6th May

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Our annual Seedling Swap is taking place this year on the Organic Community Allotments at the Weald allotment sites (238 & 239) on Sunday 6th May between 11 am and 12.15pm.

We will then have our own picnic lunch in the peaceful setting of the Community allotment – as ever please bring a delicious contribution! It’s a chance to see our three beautiful community allotments cultivated by over 20 regular volunteers.  The seedling swap is for members only, and we need you to bring along any seedlings to swap – any leftovers will be found a good home and bed! Those who have little or nothing to swap should make a donation to BHOGG.

If you need to drop off plants by car, the Weald Allotment site can be located just off the Old Shoreham Road on Weald Avenue, BN3 7JN.  Once through the gates turn right and follow the lane East and North to drop off your plants. The lane is too narrow to cope with parking so please park either in the small central car park or outside the site.

In previous years we have had a great time with the chance to chat to over 30 of us. Fingers crossed for glorious weather as well as great company! If there is rain we have a polytunnel to retreat into, where it will be warm and cosy!

 

News, organic, Recipes

Winter Greens Trial update and fabulous traditional Japanese Fuyuna recipe

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The Winter Greens have provided the most amazing source of fresh veg over the dismal winter months. Visiting the poly tunnel has been like venturing into a tiny oasis even on the worst of the wintery days.

I have picked every week since the first harvest until at the peak I was almost unable to use all the crops as they reached maturity. As the weather has warmed and dried out the poly more, the plants have started to go to seed, but this has not prevented us from harvesting the tenderest parts of the huge plants and continuing to enjoy fresh, invigorating greens.

My Japanese friend Kyoko (who also provided me with some of the seeds for the plants) has given me a recipe from her mum for one of the Winter Greens – Fuyuna. Delicious!

Kyoko’s Mother’s Traditional Japanese Fuyuna Recipe

You will need:

Fuyuna
Oil
Abura-age (thin deep fried Tofu, you can buy those frozen in packs of 3-4 sheets in Japanese shop)
Carrots
Mentuyu (concentrated udon and soba noodle soup-made from fish broth and soya sauce and sugar)

Method:

  1. Wash fuyuna and cut them 3-4cm length.
  2. Rinse 2 sheets of Abura-age with boiling water in order to to rinse away the oil, cut them as little finger size.
  3. Cut carrots a little thinner than abura-age.
  4. You can add pork or chicken as your choice.
  5. Stir fry Carrots first then add Fuyuna. When those veggies are half cooked then add Abura-age.
  6. Add Mentuyu to half cover veggies. If the Mentsuyu is too salty then add some water.
  7. Put the lid on, cook it till carrots cooked – I quite like not too soft!
  8. Before serving it, cool it down a bit in order for the taste to go into the veggies.