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.
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.
If any groups (especially vulnerable groups) would like to come to our community allotment please send us an email info@bhogg.org.
Those long sweet summer days have arrived; we enjoyed one of those on 24 June when we celebrated the summer solstice on the Community Allotment. It was too hot for most people to do any gardening, so chilling out, chatting, drinking Sarah’s cool, homemade, elderflower pressé and the fabulous food prepared by the evergreen Caroline.
Caroline was excellent as ever, working hard and chatting sociably with everyone as she cooked delicious food. It was difficult to find seasonal food on site for cooking in June but Caroline rustled up a feast seemingly out of nothing.
Gorgeous vegetable pakoras and frittatas, garlic bread, salad with nasturtiums and home baked treats were the reward for the hard working gardeners (Jenni and Steve mainly!)on a beautiful summer’s afternoon.
Review by Jenni and Alan
Lavender is renowned for its healing properties and is one of the most popular essential oils in aromatherapy. French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who coined the term ‘aromatherapie’ did so after noticing that lavender oil relieved the pain from a serious burn, and a subsequent accelerated the rate of healing. Lavender is also often recommended to help with insomnia.
Lavender comes from the same family as rosemary, and can be used in culinary dishes as well. This is one of my personal favourites – it is easy to make and so tasty.
2-3 T of lavender flowers – freshly cut, chopped
300g Butter
1C icing sugar
3C plain flower (you can swap for gluten-free alternative)
Note: you can use any part of the plant but I like the flowers for the bright flash of purple they add.
Cream butter, sugar and lavender
Mix in flour
Form mixture into a long sausage, wrap in plastic and put the fridge for 20 minutes (this part is really important for good results!).
Once the dough has chilled, cut into 1cm thick slices, place on lightly greased baking tray
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes 160 (fan) 180 (regular), the shortbread should have a little colour for maximum flavour. Put the kettle on!
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
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.
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!
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!)
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!
Ruth’s Urban Growing Course: The planting out workshop Saturday 2nd June 2-4pm at the Phoenix Community Centre.
Free for BHOGG members and local Phoenix area residents, £3 donation for non-members.
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!
