Bring the vegetable broth to a boil with the bay leaf and thyme. Cut the baguette into slices.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions. Add flour and mix well.
Put the onions in the broth, cover and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the grated Gruyère cheese on the slices of bread and toast them under the grill in the oven.
Homemade croutons
Ingredients
1 loaf of bread (about 12 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons herbs (rosemary, thyme)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, evenly drizzle the olive oil over the bread chunks. Then evenly sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper over the bread. Toss gently until well-combined.
Spread the bread cubes out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake until golden, turning once halfway through cooking in order to brown all sides of the croutons. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cubes, so watch to be sure that they do not burn. (Mine generally take between 15-20 minutes.)
Remove from oven, and let cool completely. Use immediately, or store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
Prepare the caramel: Place the diced butter in a saucepan, then pour the sugar over it. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, the caramel is done on its own.
Place the caramel on the bottom of a pie dish.
Add the diced apples, then cover with the shortcrust pastry.
Bake for 25 minutes in the oven at 210°C (thermostat 7).
Ingredients 500g brown lentils (17–18 ounces) 5 cups of water 1 small red onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste
Instructions To prepare this Greek lentil soup recipe, start by washing the lentils thoroughly and let them soak in water for about 2 hours. If you like, you can skip this process by adding them into a deep pan along with some water and place over high heat. As soon as they come to the boil, drain them into a colander. Place a pan over medium-low heat and add the lentils, the water (warmed), the chopped onions, the chopped garlic and the bay leaves. Simmer with the lid on for about 25 minutes. Pour in the olive oil and the red wine vinegar, and season well with salt and pepper. If you prefer your Greek lentil soup to be ‘reddened’, then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Boil the lentil soup for another 15 minutes, until it thickens and check out if they are done; keep in my mind that different kinds of lentils cook at different times. Serve this delicious Greek lentil soup with a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Top with some crumbled feta cheese and enjoy!
220g honey (7.5 oz.) 220g sesame seeds (7.5 oz.) a pinch of salt zest of 1 medium sized lemon
Instructions To prepare this Greek honey sesame bars (Pasteli) recipe start by toasting the sesame seeds. Place a frying pan over high heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast them for 2-3 minutes until golden (not too brown). Remove the sesame seeds from the pan and set aside. Continue with the rest of the recipe quickly, so that the sesame seeds remain hot. Alternatively you can spread the sesame seeds in a pan and toast them in the oven at 180-190C (375F). In the same pan add the honey and bring to a boil, until it starts to foam. Remove the foam using a spatula, turn down the heat to medium and let it simmer until its temperature has reached 125C/260F. If you don’t have a thermometer, take a bowl of cold water and drip in a teaspoon of the honey syrup. Let it cool down for a few seconds then shape it into a small ball using your fingers. Take it out of the water and drop it on your work surface. If it sounds like it is solid, the honey syrup is done. Its now time to add the remaining ingredients for your pasteli. Add a pinch of salt and the toasted sesame seeds and stir for about 10 minutes over medium heat, using a wooden spatula. The mixture should thicken considerably and stick to the spatula. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon zest and stir. Line a round pan (22cm/ 8.5 inch. diameter) with parchment paper and pour in the mixture. Be careful not to touch it, as it is very hot. Spread the mixture very well using a spoon. Let the pasteli cool down for about 20 minutes and them cut into portions. If you let it cool completely then it would be harder to cut into pieces.
Ingredients 500g pumpkins or squashes deseeded and cut into chunks flavourless vegetable oil or sunflower oil, for tossing plain flour, for dusting 350g sweet shortcrust pastry (we used Jus-Rol, which is vegan) 50ml maple syrup 1 tsp salt 1 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated 3 tsp cinnamon 4 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
Method Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the pumpkin (or squash) in a little oil on a baking tray. Roast until soft enough to squash with the back of a fork – this can take between 40 mins and 1 hr, depending on the type of pumpkin or squash you use. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Drape it over your rolling pin and lift into a 23cm fluted tart tin. Push the pastry into the corners of the tin using a scrap of excess pastry (you’re less likely to pierce the pastry this way than using a finger). Trim the excess pastry, leaving about 1cm hanging over the edge of the tin; it will shrink as it cooks. Chill for 20 mins. Increase the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the tart case with a sheet of baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable), then fill with baking beans or dry rice. Bake for 15 mins until the sides look golden, then remove the parchment and filling. Bake for another 5-10 mins until the base looks biscuity and dry. Trim the edges with a small, serrated knife. Tip the roasted pumpkin (or squash), maple syrup, salt, spices, cornflour and milk into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Pour through a sieve into a small pan and cook for 5 mins, stirring continuously, until thickened. Fill the tart case with the pumpkin filling, then return to the oven and lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 30 mins until the filling is set when you wobble the tart tin. Cool for 20-25 mins. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, or chill and serve within two days.
Tis the season and if you’re anything like me you’ll be dreading the prospect of going out to buy presents for everyone; the stress, the cost, the waste…
Here is a list of some nice little ideas I’ve found online to make thoughtful and beautiful gifts yourself and some lovely eco-friendly wrapping ideas too. Many can be made as batches, saving time.
This is a resource for the workshop I did at the Maxwell Community Centre and Garden, follow us on Facebook or join our amazing Grow Dundee Facebook group to share and learn about growing your own food in Dundee. I hope you all enjoy this and season’s greetings!
130 g granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark rum or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 175°C and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 23-cm springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don’t worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that’s okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Freezer Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminium foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan 150°C, gas mark 3) and grease an 28cm (11in) springform cake tin.
Cream 180g (6½oz) of the sugar, zests and egg yolks together until light and fluffy. Next, stir in the ground almonds, almond extract and the cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs whites with the remaining sugar until stiff. Add about one-quarter of the egg whites into the thick almond mixture and beat. Add a further quarter and repeat. Add the remaining egg white mixture and fold in until fully combined.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack.
To follow the time-honoured tradition of decoration, find the shape of the St James cross using the internet and print it out. Cut out the middle of the cross to use as a stencil.
Once the cake is cooled, dust the cake with icing sugar and serve straightaway
Rosas de manzana y hojaldre
Ingredients
3 red apples
1 sheet of puff pastry.
4 tablespoons of brown sugar.
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
The juice of 1/2 lemon.
Apricot jam (optional).
Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Butter two (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins and dust with white sugar.
Place apple slices on a microwave-safe plate, overlapping slightly if necessary. Microwave on high until slices slightly soften, about 45 seconds. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Roll puff pastry sheet to less than 1/8-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut two (3×12-inch) rectangles. Reserve remaining pieces for another use.
Spread melted butter over dough; sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. Place apple slices along one long edge of dough, about 1/4 inch beyond the edge, overlapping slices slightly. Fold the bottom half of dough over apple slices to form a long “folder” of dough with rounded edges of apple slices exposed.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Starting at one end, roll dough to form a rose-shaped pastry. Seal roll with end of dough strip. Transfer roses to the prepared ramekins. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven until well browned, about 45 minutes. Use tongs to remove the ramekins to a baking sheet to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove apple roses from the ramekins and finish cooling on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
½ savoy cabbage, trimmed, cored and finely shredded
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put the pearl barley into a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak.
Meanwhile, pace the lamb in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and cover with the cold water or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and skim off the scum. Add the onion, bay leaf and thyme to the pan. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for one hour, skimming occasionally.
Add the carrots, turnips and celery to the casserole with the lamb. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
After the vegetables and lamb have been simmering for 30 minutes, rinse the pearl barley in a sieve under cold running water. Turn the lamb over. Add the pearl barley and potatoes to the casserole. Cook gently for a further 30 minutes, uncovered.
Stir in the cabbage and return to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until the lamb is very tender and is falling off the bone and the barley is softened. Remove the pan from the heat
Lift the lamb out of the pot with tongs or a large fork and put on a board. Carve off all the meat, slicing or tearing into largish chunks and discarding any skin and bone. Season the broth with more salt and pepper to taste and spoon into large, deep plates. Divide the lamb between the plates and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking tray inside. Sift the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a bowl, then sift again to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Add the butter to the bowl and combine with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 100g of the cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub together until evenly distributed. Try not to mix too much as the heat from your hands may start to melt the butter.
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in enough milk to give a fairly soft but firm dough. Do not pour in all the milk at once as you may not need it all to get the right consistency.
Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a medium (about 8cm) cutter, then put on a sheet of baking parchment, glaze with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Slide onto the hot oven tray.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and sultanas and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh
CorianderSprouting BroccoliRocketNasturtiumLettuceCalendula, nasturtium, chive flowersLovagePotatoAppleGrape and tomatoesChardBroccoliCeleryMelissaRadish, runner beans
This year, we started the harvest box on 25th, April and made 136 veg boxes over the season! In this box you will find our last potatoes, apples, tomatoes and runner beans!
You have a nice amount of coriander in your box this week. Try a carrot and coriander soup or maybe a curry using your green leaves and potatoes (broccoli leaves, chard). If you go for the soup, throw in the radish leaves and your celery!
For your salad, enjoy some lettuce, edible flowers,raw radishes, rocket, nasturtium leaves and tomatoes.
The sprouting broccoli is growing very well on the kid’s plots! Well done. Enjoy this pasta with broccoli recipe.
Although there is no much lovage in your box, the smell is very strong and will be perfect to make a “flavoured butter” to spread on toast, scones, etc.
For desert, you have some grapes or apples (maybe a giant pear too but it is not ripe yet).
Herbal tea this week is Melissa, lovely after a homemade meal.
Thank you for supporting the MAXwell Centre!
Halloween Event on Monday 3-5pm, Free ! Family Friendly – Come along
1 head of celery , coarsely chopped, keeping the leaves
1 head of garlic , cloves peeled
1kg Swiss chard
a good handful of parsley , finely chopped
400g can peeled plum tomatoes , drained of most of their juices, roughly chopped
1kg cavolo nero or savoy cabbage
410g can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
About 700ml boiling chicken or vegetable stock
A few sprigs of winter herbs such as thyme or sage, chopped
freshly grated parmesan , or vegetarian alternative
extra-virgin olive oil , for drizzling
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and slowly fry the carrots, onion and celery until soft and dark. This will take about 20 minutes but it’s worth it – the slow cooking gives a lovely taste. Add the garlic, chard stalks and half the parsley, and stir to prevent sticking. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced.
Add half the Swiss chard leaves, half the cavolo nero, three-quarters of the beans, and the boiling stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour in more stock if needed – don’t add too much – it should be thick.
Add the remaining Swiss chard and cavolo nero and blanch briefly so they remain green and crisp. Season when slightly cooled.
Add the beans to the soup. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Banana bread and chocolate muffin
Ingredients
2 overripe bananas
150 g flour
60g sugar,
3 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil or olive oil
2 tbsp. tablespoon milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
Chocolate chips
Method
Preheat your oven to 180° (th.6).
Pour the sugar and oil into a bowl. Whisk well.
Add the mashed bananas and mix.
Pour in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vegetable milk. Mix well with a whisk until you get a smooth paste. Add chocolate chips.
Add the picture to the muffin case
Bake for 17-25 minutes. Check the cooking by pricking the heart of the muffin with the thin blade of a knife
Chop and slice all vegetables and keep them separately.
Mix the ingredients for the dough. Add more or less water depending on consistency. You might have to do more than on batch of dough, depending on the quantity of vegetables you are chopping.
Mix the vegetables and the dough together, coating all surfaces of the vegetables.
Add to the frying oil and wait a few minutes until brown.
330ml almond milk, cashew milk or coconut milk, (or more for thinner texture)
85 g chia seeds
Optional
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
fresh fruit, nuts and seeds
Method
Add the chia seeds and milk (along with optional sweeteners) to a bowl or jar and stir together. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir again once the seeds have started to gel.
Cover the bowl or jar and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Chia seeds can also be made overnight for breakfast the next morning.
Stir the chia pudding before serving and add your favourite fruit, nuts, seeds and spices.
Grape, tomatoes, tomatillo, chilliRocket, mizuna, lettuceCeleryNasturtium leavesBroccoli leaves and flowerskohlrabiRunner beansRosemaryThymeBeetrootPearAppe and pearChardThank you helpers !!
Note: Not all boxes are the same
Remember:When drinking herbal tea or eating edible flowers always check the risks associated with it. Vulnerable people, elderly, children or pregnant women should avoid using some of them. All produce are pesticide free and may contain some intruders.
In your posy, you also have chives flowers (perfect for salad or scones), Alyssum (honey smell), Calendula (great to decorate salad).
In your tiny paper bags, you will find fennel seeds. Use them to bake, add to curry or in a cup of tea.
Although Autumn has arrived, you will find tomatoes, grape, chili (and maybe a tomatillo in your box).
All parts of the Kohlrabi are edible, try to roast it and keep the leaves to add to you soup.
If you like to roast some vegetables, like your beetroot, turnip, potatoes through some rosemary and thyme as well. If you feel like summery, turnip and beetroot can also be added to you salad along with your lettuce, rocket, mizuna and nasturtium leaves. Keep the leaves to add to your soup, with your celery stick !
If you have apatty pan or a round courgette, cook it as a regular courgette.
It is hard to find new ideas when it comes to cooking chard ! This recipe of chard bundle sounds a bit different.
With the broccoli leaves, you can bake stuffed broccoli leaves! Use the flowers to decorate your dish.
You are probably getting the last fruits of the garden, enjoy it ! Ps: if you have an pear, wait a few days before eating.
Once you had a lovely meal with your harvest box, enjoy your Melissa herbal tea as it has digestive properties.
Big thank you to Thilina and her boy for helping with the making of the boxes this week!
Next harvest box: Monday 24th, October. Order on Sunday 23rd.
Please, send pictures of your meals or recipes you are using ! Thank you.
Grow Dundee 