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

Did you know that pumpkin leaves are edible?

https://www.facebook.com/SavingDinner/photos/a.251687819733.141546.79258169733/10152961022204734/?type=1

Wholesome Pumpkin Bites

(from Allreceipe.co.uk)

These cookies are not only delicious and quick to make, but they are also packed full of protein, fibre and omega-3 fatty acids. Enjoy for breakfast, general snacking or picnics.

 

Ingredients

Makes: 14

·                                 20g granulated sugar

·                                 80g porridge oats

·                                 125g wholemeal flour

·                                 45g soya flour

·                                 1 3/4 teaspoons bicarb

·                                 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·                                 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·                                 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·                                 125g pumpkin puree

·                                 1 tablespoon oil

·                                 2 egg whites

·                                 1 teaspoon black treacle

·                                 1 tablespoon linseeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oats, wholemeal flour, soya flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
3. Stir in pumpkin puree, oil, water, egg whites and black treacle. Stir in linseed, if desired. 
4. Roll into 14 large balls and flatten on a baking tray.
5. Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE as the cookies will come out really dry.

Flapjack Recipe

125g butter or cooking margarine
125g demerara sugar
5 tbsp golden syrup
225 old fashioned porridge oats
1 tsp ground ginger and/or raisins

1. 
   
2. Preheat oven to 190C.
3. Grease 20cm sandwich tin.
4. Melt butter and stir in sugar and syrup.
5. Add oats and ground ginger and mix well.
6. Using the back of a metal spoon press mixture evenly over the base of the tin and smooth over.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then score into 8 wedges.
9. Cool completely, turn out and break into wedges.

Pumpkins

Yesterday, instead of carving a ghoulish face out a pumpkin and standing a candle inside it we decided that for dinner we could try roasted pumpkin.


To some olive oil in the pan I added some parsnips, a courgette, some chopped garlic, a sprig of rosemary and some salt and pepper and a small sliced pumpkin.


This was roasted for about 45 minutes and we really enjoyed it. I forgot to take a photo to put on here, so we will have roasted pumpkin pieces again soon.

Pumpkin time of year

I didn't have much luck this year growing pumpkins, well to tell the truth I've never managed to grow them successfully, perhaps next year? ...

1. 

Anyhow, we bought two pumpkins today and I wondered how to store them.  The seller suggested keeping them somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight to prolong colour and quality. Put something underneath in case it weeps, allow air to circulate, and store them in a single layer, covering them with a blanket or similar it's likely to be very cold.

If they start to go soft:

• cut out the soggy bits and use the rest.
• toast and eat the seeds, so long as they aren't mouldy
• any flesh which is not mouldy can be fed to animals
• as a last resort put on the compost heap which it will add useful moisture - or bury it in your garden.

Now to find some recipes ... 




From this site: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/138154/Pumpkin-and-orange-soup

Pumpkin and Orange Soup


375g pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped (or could use butternut squash)
150g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
300g onions, peeled and chopped
1.3l vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
100g red lentils
s&p
Finely grated rind and juice of one large orange

Put all ingredients, except orange, into a pot, bring to the boil and simmer about 25 mins, until vegetables are cooked.
Cool slightly, add orange rind and juice and blend, seasoning to taste.
(variation: could add 1 tsp curry powder)


4 November: finally got round to making this today although unfortunately didn't have any carrots so substituted a stick of celery.    It tasted pretty good but looked rather bland as it didn't have the marvellous orange colour which would have been obtained from the missing carrots.


See also  http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/pictures/24610/20-ways-with----pumpkin/2