Autumn Recipes

It's now time to pick the last of our crop - the runner beans are nearly finished, ditto the courgettes and beetroot.   We didn't grow a great deal this year as it's our first summer since David built the veggy raised bed.  It's 3 metres by 8 metres, so a pretty good size.

We also grew some spinach which has been good but the broccoli were taken over by the cabbage white butterfly caterpillars before I got round to netting them.

I've picked the last of the tomatoes which are still green, and we're rather short of chutney so this year will make chutney.  Last I fried them to have as an accompaniment to our meals.
We haven't grown any pumpkins or plums but have included recipes here as there such a mark of the passing of the seasons.  It's lovely to buy a couple of large pumpkins before they're all removed from the shops after Halloween.


Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin recipes from Jamie Oliver:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/search/?s=pumpkin
Baked Pumpkin
1 kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunky slices
3 medium onions, sliced
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
black pepper
2 tbsp flour
150 ml olive oil

Heat oven to 200/6.
Arrange pumpkin sliced in greased roasting tin.
In large bowl massage the salt into the sliced onions with your hands.
Mix in the tomato paste, pepper and flour.
Scatter over the pumpkin.
Drizzle with oil and bake 30 - 40 mins until onions are starting to brown and pumpkin is tender.
Serve hot or warm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/11840276/Baked-pumpkin-with-sun-dried-tomato-paste-and-crispy-onions-recipe.html

Pumpkin and Ginger Teabread
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1018/pumpkin-and-ginger-teabread
Green tomato Chutney
250g green tomatoes, sliced
100g onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp salt
500g sultanas
500g cooking apples
500g light muscavado sugar
1.14 litre jar spiced pickling vinegar

1. Slice the tomatoes (you can skin them if you want, but I don’t usually bother). Finely chop the onions. Layer both in a large bowl with the salt. Leave overnight.
2. Next day, chop the sultanas using a large, sharp knife, then peel, core and chop theapples. Put the sugar and vinegar into a large pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sultanas and apples and simmer for 10 mins. Strain the tomatoes and onions in a colander (but don’t rinse), then tip into the pan and return to the boil.
3. Simmer for about 1 hr, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Transfer to warmed jars (see Know-how, below) and cover with lids.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2865/green-tomato-chutney



Plum Liqueur
750g plums
3.5 cups gin
400g caster sugar

Put plums into freezer overnight to soften.
Defrost. Put in large container along with the rest of the ingredients.
Leave two to three months.
Strain and bottle.

I'm looking forward to trying this one!

And here's a recipe for plums with vodka and vanilla which also sounds good.
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/21971/plum-liqueur.aspx