Worthing and District Allotments and Gardens Association

Affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Vegetable Society

RECIPES

We decided that it was time for recipes to have their own section as we've gathered a few now and they take up a bit of space on the Ramblings page. Recipes will still appear first of all on the Ramblings page as they tend to be seasonal but then after a while they will be parked here. We'll try and put them in alphabetical order but if you want to find a particular recipe you could always try typing key words in the Search box on our Home Page.

If you have any recipes you would like to share don't be shy, send them in. We'd love to hear from you

Asparagus the quick way

We grow quite thick stemmed asparagus and I cook it by microwaving within a few hours of picking. This ensures the taste is so good that it is not necessary to add butter or oil dressing (full of calories).
I wash the asparagus and then break the stem at the lowest point where it will break easily. The lower part I peel taking the woody outside off. Place the asparagus in a microwave dish (I use a lidded casserole dish) with a small amount of water (2 - 3 tablespoons), cover and cook on full power about 3 mins. for approx. 6 spears, but you will soon find out how long - it depends on the power level of your microwave. Serve with wholemeal bread - no need to butter it. This makes a super supper dish.
N.B. do not throw away the asparagus water. Use it to add to soup or gravy etc.
Celia

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Beetroot cake

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour sieved	200g beetroot peeled and grated (about two medium sized)
2tsp baking powder	150ml vegetable or sunflower oil
150g soft brown sugar	2 medium sized eggs beaten
100g sultanas

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4.
Grease and line an 8" loose based cake tin (can use a 2lb loaf tin for ease of cutting).
Mix together the flour, baking powder and soft brown sugar in a large bowl.
Add the sultanas and grated beetroot mix in with hands making sure all the beetroot is covered in the dry mix.
Beat the oil and the eggs together and add to the bowl.
Combine with either a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
Spoon the mixture into the tin.
Bake for 50mins - 1hr

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Broad Bean and Chicken Pasta recipe

Got any broad beans left? Well, here's a healthy recipe that takes less than half an hour to prepare.

Ingredients

4 (skinless) chicken breasts	1 tsp olive oil
175g broad beans	juice 1 lemon
300g tagliatelle	grated parmesan
85g (healthy) creme fraiche	handful chopped parsley

Method

1. Place chicken in a roasting tray, coat with oil, season and grill under a hight heat for about 12 minutes, turning once halfway through.
2. At the same time boil the pasta adding the beans for the last 5 minutes.
3. Drain the pasta/bean mix, saving 150ml of the water.
4. Shred the chicken and put in the now empty pasta pan. Add the creme fraiche, lemon juice, 4 tbsp grated parmesan and the 150 ml saved water.
5. Heat gently, season then stir in the parsley and pasta. Serve and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

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Carrot Cake

Lots of Carrots? Why not make a carrot cake? This recipe serves 10 (or fewer bigger slices!)

Ingredients	For the Topping
9oz diced carrot	6oz cream cheese
8oz soft brown sugar	3oz icing sugar
8oz ground walnuts	Zest and juice of 1 small orange
3oz wholemeal flour
Zest and juice of 1 orange
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180° (Gas Mark 4)
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and creamy.
3. Add other ingredients apart from egg whites and fold gently until the mixture is smooth.
4. Whisk egg whites stiff then fold in. Pour all into a greased tin and bake for 1 hour.
5. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together to make the topping. Add a little orange juice and zest then spread over cake with a knife dipped in hot water. Any remaining zest can be sprinkled over the top.

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Carrot and Parsnip Soup

A warming recipe that makes use of your stored root crops

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion	a little oil freshly ground black pepper
1lb carrots	2 pints vegetable stock
12oz parsnip	1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1 heaped tbsp ground coriander	1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander or 1 tsp dried coriander

Method

Peel and chop the onion carrots and parsnips, place in a pan with some oil and sauté until the onion is soft, about 10 mins.
Stir in the dried coriander, season well with black pepper and cook uncovered for a minute.
Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 20-25 mins or until the vegetables are cooked.
Allow to cool a little before putting the soup in batches in a liquidiser or blender and blend until smooth.
Reheat the soup before serving garnished with chopped parsley and coriander

Thank you, Peggy

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Courgette Cake (as offered at our show)

Ingredients

200g. butter or margarine	pinch of salt
200g. caster sugar	good pinch of cinnamon
200g. plain flour	½ tsp. baking powder
150g. courgette	100g. sultanas
2 eggs

Method

Cream butter and sugar and then gradually add beaten eggs.
Grate courgettes and squeeze to remove excess juice.
Stir into mixture.
Add flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and mix well.
Add sultanas.
Put in a greased and lined 2lb. loaf tin and bake at Gas 4 for about an hour.
Cool in tin.

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Elderberry Wine Recipe

For those of you who thought we were a bit late with the Elderflower Champagne recipe,
assuming you've still got your bushes, here's the recipe for Elderberry Wine:

Ingredients:

4lb elderberries	juice of 1 lemon
5 litres (1 gallon) of boiling water	juice of 1 orange
3 lb of sugar	1 vitamin B tablet
a sachet of 'claret' yeast	1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient
8 oz chopped raisins

Method:

Strip the berries into a suitably large primary fermentation vessel with a fork
Add 8 oz chopped raisins, juice of the lemon, juice of the orange, a vitamin B tablet and a teaspoon of yeast nutrient.
Add the boiling water and stir well.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze fruit with hands to extract juice.
Leave for one day to infuse.
Add 2½ lb sugar and activated yeast and leave covered for three days.
Strain off liquid into demijohns, top up with another ¼ lb of sugar in each and, if necessary, with cooled boiled water.
Leave to ferment in a warm (70ºC -ish), dark place.
Rack off the lees into a clean demijohn when bubbling has subsided. Rack again 6 weeks later.
Bottle when wine is clear and there has been no activity for some time.
Mature for at least 6 months before drinking.
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Elderflower Champagne (metric) recipe

Ingredients

                            24 - 30 elderflower heads, in full bloom                                   2 kg sugar
                              4 litres boiled hot water                                                          juice & zest of 4 lemons
                              1 - 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar                                      pinch of dried yeast (maybe)

Method

1.    Put hot water & sugar into large container (very clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2.   Top up with water to 6 Litres then add the lemon juice, zest, vinegar and flower heads and stir gently.
3.    Cover with muslin and leave in cool place for a couple of days.
4.    Now take a look and if it hasn't started to ferment add a pinch of yeast.
5.    Leave the mixture to ferment for a further 4 days.
6.    Strain the liquid through muslin into sterilised bottles. Seal & leave to ferment in bottle for a further 8 days before serving chilled.

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Gingerbread

A favourite treat on Bonfire Night

Ingredients

1 lb SR Flour	8 oz brown sugar	6oz. golden syrup
1 level tbsp ground ginger	6 oz butter or marg	½ pint milk
1 tsp baking powder	6 oz treacle	1 egg, beaten

Method

Sift the flour, ginger, and baking powder.
Warm the sugar, fat, treacle and syrup until melted, but do not allow to boil.
Mix in the milk and the egg.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid and mix very thoroughly.
Pour into 2 lined tins, approx. 11" x 8".
Bake in the centre of the oven for approx. 40 mins. or until firm at gas 3, 325º F.

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Leek and Cream Cheese Tart

Ingredients

12 small leeks a warm tasty starter for 2 - 4 people
4 oz cream cheese with chives and garlic
2 oz grated Cheddar cheese
6 oz puff pastry

Method

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 8 (230°C).
2. Cut off roots and tops of leeks, to lengths of about 5 - 6 inches. Wash them then blanch them in boiling water for about a minute.
3. Roll out the pastry to 8x12 inches and place on a greased baking tray. Cut off ½ inch strips from each edge. Moisten the edges and places these strips on top to make a pastry frame.
4. Spread a thick layer of cream cheese inside the frame and cover with the blanched leeks laid top to tail.
5. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and brush the pastry with egg glaze.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

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Parsnip Gratin

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

500g parsnip, sliced into thin rounds
175ml double cream
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tsp mustard grated cheese

Method:

Butter a gratin dish and set oven at 200°C;
Boil parsnips for 5 mins then layer in gratin dish;
Mix rest of ingredients together and pour over parsnips;
Cook for 35 mins;
Top with grated cheese, black pepper and return to oven for a further 10 mins.

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Welsh Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients

3oz (85g) butter		2 eggs		1lb (455g) rhubarb
3oz caster sugar		3 oz SR flour		1 tbsp demerara sugar

For the topping
2½oz (60g) butter 3oz plain flour 1oz (30g) caster sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas5). Grease and line an 8" (20cm) round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in eggs and fold in the flour and a pinch of salt. If needed, add milk to give a dropping consistency.
Slice the rhubarb into 1" (2½cm) pieces and toss with the demerara sugar. To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour and stir in the sugar.
Pour the cake mix into the tin and arrange the rhubarb on top. Sprinkle the topping over and bake for 40 - 45 mins. Serve with a dollop of double cream.

Thank you, Joy