Butternuts, it appears, are a little like buses. You wait ages for one to come along, and then three appear at the same time! It hasn't been a great year for our squash, or at least not at the allotment. There are a few Cheeky Prince growing amidst the toppled Gigantes and buckled rose arches; some of these squash royalty are green and some distinctly turning a bright orange. However, on the whole squash on our allotment plots this year have been few and far between... literally!! When I meandered down earlier to check on our plots and read the site water meter, I thought whilst I was there I would just pop over to where we are tending to a 2m by 1m patch on a fellow allotmenteers plot. The two Achocha that Vivi gave us in early July are both about seven or eight foot high now, and covered in little fruits (note to self - make Vivi's Achocha & Chickpea Curry!!), and the sight of them did brighten my day. One of them did look a little off though... Odd colour... Odd shape... Had it not been pollinated correctly? Had it been distorted somehow by rubbing against the willow pole structure? Or was it in fact not an Achocha at all?!?! So you can imagine the flush of warmth inside and the big smile that came to my face when I saw the little wee Butternut Waltham above. Finally... FINALLY we had a butternut. And then I spotted another! And yet another!!!!! So, after all that slightly pained forlornment of the past few months, we finally have three baby Butternut Walthams, though as Hamlet said, 'there's the rub'! It is now the third of October, the nights are chilly, rain is always round the corner, sun shines brightly and then is quickly scurried away by storm clouds, and therefore the chances of any of these three beauties ripening to maturity is slim to none. However, it is now true that we do have butternuts. They may not lift to the heights, maturity and fruitfulness of Hugh & Mama and their plump family of last year, but they are Butternut Walthams none the less. And that, in itself, is worth smiling about. A Guernsey Gardener in London, Day 2
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For me, the growing year has always begun on the 1st October and run through until 30 September. Like much in my life, it's a mum and dad thing. It worked for them, so... I will be regularly posting the journey of our allotment year, which for us includes a move from a fully productive plot which we've had for two years now. It is about 100m from our main plot, which was the first plot we took on, and we're hoping the move will save us time and energy... eventually! The new plot, which is directly next to our main plot, is rather unmaintained at the moment, so there's much preparation ahead. The new plot is also a bit bigger than the plot we're leaving - five poles as opposed to 3.3. We're hoping the extra space will allow us to have more soft fruit than the few we have in pots at the moment, plus lots of other bonuses too! P A Guernsey Gardener in London, Day 1
I think if you ask many vegetarians what is one of the most difficult foods to give up in the move towards being vegan... it would be cheese. Yes, there are those who find it difficult to give up chocolate, or a dense and luscious double cream, or the fragrant, tooth-biting, brain-freezing heavenliness of traditional ice-cream, or the ubiquitous smell and taste of bacon. However, I’m sure at the top of the list, or certainly very near the top of the list, the most difficult food to give up for many is cheese; in all its beguiling creamy, grated, melting, crunchy cheesy yummy goodness. And so it is for Richard and myself. Firstly, where do we sit on the vegetarian and vegan scale? Well, we are certainly not vegan as there are many things that we do eat currently that are just not vegan. At the moment we eat small amounts of fish (mainly fish fingers), so pescatarian; and we eat eggs and we also eat cheese... Oh, we like our cheese! We don’t have any animal milks in our household any more; we have opted for a soya milk alternative instead and use this for all our beverages and cooking requirements. If we run out, we make our own oat milk - an easy recipe that we recently shared with Brady Sissy on our Facebook group Planet Vegetaria. We have not given up cream, though I can’t really remember the last time we had cream as we generally substitute this for yoghurt, which in every way is a cop-out as it is still a produce from a cow (in our case) though the next step for us here is to move to non-dairy yoghurt. What is our favourite cheese? Well, I suppose it would have to be hard cheeses like Cheddar, and Parmesan. We are also particularly enjoying a Red Leicester at the moment from Lidl, and could not do without cottage cheese; either eaten as it is with crackers and salad or made into a delicious smoked mackerel pate. This summer has been about lunches of homemade bread toasted, then our own allotment-grown grilled tomatoes sliced and laid on top, warmed under a grill, then slices of cheddar added and all then grilled to a melting glory. With a little bit of sea salt and cracked black pepper I’m not sure we had anything more divine over the summer months; in fact I think our second favourite lunch has been exactly the same but just as a sandwich, and with no addition of heat other than the 30° outside. Anyway, back to cheese... Even if one is not vegetarian or moving towards being a vegan, I think we all know that it is best to cut down on our saturated fat intake, and that obviously includes all of the hard cheeses, and many of the creamy, French-style ones that we buy in shops. Obviously, there are low fat and fat-free alternatives, though I think it’s better to have a little bit of something fabulous than a larger bit of something average. When it comes to being vegetarian and vegan, there are now many cheese alternatives; ones that can be made in a domestic kitchen at home as well as a decent number of branded versions in the shops. However, I think I’m yet to find a vegan alternative to cheese that will make us give up a good Cheddar or Red Leicester, or in fact a decent Parmesan. Who does not like a lovely grating of salty, crystal dense parmesan on their Bolognese, chillies, soups, or in fact virtually anything veggie and savoury? Well, if this is your thing then maybe it’s time to try some alternatives… One of the substitutes for parmesan that you can make at home is actually called Poor Man's Parmesan. Admittedly, it is not at all cheesy but it does add a texture to a dish akin to the traditional style parmesan that many Italians know and love. Poor Man’s Parmesan is basically breadcrumbs sautéed in olive oil with parsley and salt and pepper. It sounds simple, and it is, though it is absolutely divine. Sometimes, with our friend Mireille, we will have spaghetti with Poor Man's Parmesan with additional sliced or minced garlic added. Sublime! You could either buy the breadcrumbs or make your own by blitzing stale bread in a blender. This should be made to use immediately. Taking the difficulty level up a little, though still very simple, is cheesy breadcrumbs. Take a few slices of good bread, preferably stale, tear into chunks then bake in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes until all the moisture has evaporated from the bread. Once cooled, blitz the baked bread chunks with nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This will keep in a sealed jam jar or glass jar for a few days. If you like that hint of cheese and want to add another flavour level and some protein, then have a go at a vegan parmesan made with cashews, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic powder, onion powder and some salt and pepper (if you like pepper). You just add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until the texture of fine breadcrumbs. A scattering on top of your favourite pasta dish will surprise you, and added to a fine chili will lift it to a divine chili. This will keep in a sealed jam jar or glass jar for up to a week. So the above are three simple ways you can cut down a little on cheese, and more importantly your saturated fat intake. Like many of the recipes we try and we share, feel free to add your own twist; herbs, seasonings, different types of nuts and even seeds can be added or substituted. Maybe roast the nuts for Vegan Parmesan for ten minutes in a hot oven for an added flavour dimension. Below are the recipes for use with the above directions: Poor Man’s Parmesan 2 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp bread crumbs 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper Cheesy Breadcrumbs 2 thick slices of stale bread (white, wholegrain or whatever you have) 3 tbsp nutritional yeast 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder Vegan Parmesan 6 tbsp raw cashews or cashews/almonds 3 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp salt 1tsp cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder It's amazing how jobs that sometimes seem daunting, are often just a matter of getting stuck in.
Today I sowed Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia in the edged bed Richard and I made yesterday in our video. Yesterday afternoon I emptied three barrow loads of our pallet bin compost into it and levelled it off. This morning was the sowing of seeds and watering them in. I've left the bamboo canes on the bed and added the upturned cordial bottles as a deterrent to our on-site foxes. If you want to see our plot update and the building of this edged bed visit our channel at YouTube.com/c/richardandpaul Within the last 10 hours, we have had a Pine Nut Hummus from Marietta and also a Beetroot Hummus from Jude posted to Planet Vegetaria - both obviously look delish! Do you make your own, or do you buy from the shop? And if you buy from a shop, which is your favourite? And if you make your own, what is your favourite recipe? Of course, it's not just about chickpeas; fresh butter beans, cooked tinned beans, lentils and more are used in different countries to make this ever popular favourite... of most. Don't throw away your home-grown pumpkin seeds. Wash, removing all pumpkin flesh, dab dry with a clean tea towel, then let dry for 24 hours. Add a little oil, salt and spices, and roast in a hot oven for fifteen/twenty minutes. Delish!
Sharon Hull shared this Squash, Carrot and Onion Bhaji recipe with us on our new group Planet Vegetaria, so Paul immediately got to work and made them for dinner. They were very nice indeed, served with a salad from the allotment, mango chutney and Greek yogurt. We've posted the recipe on our Planet Vegetaria, so have a visit and apply to join if you're interested.
I noticed an article the other day in The Independent about the cancellation of a fireworks display over the Thames because of the beluga whale that is currently swimming there. The protection of animals during the fireworks season is something that has been on my mind for many years. Obviously, the animal lovers amongst us are well aware of the need to protect our companion animals around this time of year from the blitz-like noises that ensue once the celebrations are in full swing. But what about the wildlife???
I feel that British society needs to take a more mature view of the firework season now. Rather than succumbing to our childish whims and rushing out to buy shed loads of very expensive fireworks, many of them far too big and noisy for our tiny gardens (I speak from experience here, having been a firework junkie in the past), should we be making a concerted effort to consider the environment first rather than our petty need to see lights, colours and sparkles just to go “ooh-ahh” for an hour or so? Do the bangs, whistles and crackles physically built into fireworks really need to be there? I understand sound is part of the thrill, but large displays could provide synthesised effects surely, if they are such a necessity – toned down a little for sensitive ears? Are we not an evolved society that understands the full impact of smoky displays for days on end – surely they serve no good for the environment or our lungs? Not to mention scaring the hell out of all manner of wild animals. The other consideration are those people who are actually very afraid or super sensitive to the noise and flashes – this must be two to three weeks of hell for them, with the awful promise of a repeat around new year’s eve. For all of these reasons, I would ask the question- should residential firework displays be completely banned? In terms of loud noise, it’s not too bad if you know when an organised display is going to take place in your local area as you can prepare, keep the animals in, buy earplugs, plan your own counter attack etc. But the random “bombing” of local neighbourhoods by overzealous homeowners anxious to please themselves and the kids, takes you by surprise, especially when these impromptu displays happen weeks away from the actual celebration dates. I noticed that Paul has recently held a vote on the type of Bonfire night celebrations that are going to be held at the local allotments and one of the options was to have noiseless fireworks. Is this the way forward? Maybe there should be some kind of compulsory national online register for both residential and organised displays? Everyone would be able to plan adequate care well in advance for their animals and family. Diwali is another celebration where the evening transforms into a virtual recreation of a war zone. I can safely say that in our area, Diwali eclipses Guy Fawkes night by a long shot, due to the proximity of the town of Southall. As well as the environmental impact. I think about the fortunes spent on the fireworks. The questions I want to ask of the firework industry are – can they be made noiseless? Can they be made smokeless? The questions I want to ask the government are – can we ban the public from setting up their own displays in tiny back gardens? Can we restrict displays to organised events only and ensure the fireworks used are noiseless with minimal smoke output? You’re already doing this with open fires in London – ensuring homeowners only use smokeless fuel and seasoned logs. I don’t want to appear too critical of this immensely fun time of year – believe me, I have contributed to the pollution and spent many a pretty penny on fireworks – as a child we always enjoyed wonderful fireworks and bonfires at my grandparent house and I truly have golden memories of the first time I was allowed to set off a firework (this was the seventies – we even had handheld fireworks as well as sparklers) but this was sometime ago now – we lived in a different time. We are now aware of our impact on this precious planet aren’t we? . We are evolved aren’t we? Filling our local atmosphere with smoke, unexpected noise until the unsociable hours over a two to three week period is surely a thing of the past? What do you think? Richard x
Fed up with Green Tomato Chutney? This refreshing and mild curry may be just the right thing for you!
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