Grow Dundee

Harvest box #5 – Strawberries have arrived!

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. Always wash your veg before using them. 🐌

Although Calendula is edible flower (petals), it is also used to help with skin problem. Have a look here on how to make an infused oil and enjoy all its properties.

Feverfew is the tea of the week! Feverfew is used mostly to treat and prevent headaches.

It is probably not enough strawberries for a fruit salad but enough for this chocolate and strawberry mousse recipe!

Coriander can be added to most dished. Carrot and coriander is a good combination, and rather them making a soup with it, a tart sounds very interesting!

The rocket started to bolt but it gives us wonderful edible flowers. They look like butterfly wings! Leaves and flowers can be added to fresh salad but their flavour will be strong. Making a pesto is another option, and you can use the stem too!

Chard shrinks a lot so it is good to mix it with something else. This salmon and chard pie looks yummy!

The lettuce has been harvested this morning. If it looks a bit sad but the time you want to eat it, wash it and leave it in a bowl will clear water and a bit of sugar. Leaves for a few hours.

Riverford has lovely recipes ideas for cabbage leaves

Kaniz and Paru’s treat – Everyone’s kitchen

Menu

Vegetable Khichuri with side salad

Strawberry fruit salad and edible flowers

Harvest of the day: Coriander, strawberries, onion, broad beans, edible flowers (calendula, nasturtium, cornflower)

Vegetable Khichuri by Paru and Kaniz

Ingredients

Basmati rice 1kg
lentil (pink) 500 g
onion 2
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
coriander powder 1tsp
Garlic 1tbsp and ginger paste 2 tbsp
Bay leaf 2, oil 4tbsp, cinnamon 2, cardamom 3, cloves 4, salt, cumin seeds 1tsp
Frozen mix vegetable and green peas
hot water, coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Soak the rice and lentil
2. fry bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds and onion
3. add little water and ginger garlic paste, turmeric and coriander powder
4. add rice and lentil and mix veg
5. add water to cook
6. when water soaked a little bit add green peas
Garnish with fresh coriander

Strawberry fruit salad (served with a fresh orange juice)

Harvest box #6 – Green, green and more green!

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. 🐌Always wash your veg before using.

NEXT HARVEST BOX 4/07 (orders on the 3/07)

In one of the brown bag you have some lovely rocket ! It is not too strong so it would be lovely for a salad but you can also turn it into a pesto. if you go with the salad option, remove broad beans pods and add the raw beans to your summery dish.

The pods are edible! Clean them, chop finely and fry! Prepare them with the spring cabbage leaves. What would you go for: buttered beans – With pancetta or bacon – With chilli garlic and soy ?

Rosemary and sage, in the other bag, are very versatile plants and bring much flavours to your dishes. Rosemary can be used to roast some root vegetables and sage will be a perfect buddy to mushroom when making soup or risotto. (Sage can be purple or green depending on the variety).

If you chose to make the soup, that’s a good excuse to throw the radish leaves in it!

Radishes are usually eaten raw but you can experiment by pickling them!

The herbal teas are feverfew and raspberry leaves. Feverfew has a potent smell and flowers and leaves are used in herbal medicine. It helps reducing migraines. Raspberry leaves should be combine with other herbal tea as it is quite flavour less. It is the women’s remedy for menstrual cramps.

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium (a thousand leaves), was used to stop bleeding. It has many use for reducing fever, cold, help the blood circulation and more. A good thing to remember if you are in the wild and have a nose bleed but no tissue, is to use one of the leaves to stop the bleeding! Quite magical.

Turn your lavender in infused oil and use it to make lip balms, bath bombs, lotions, creams, and soap.

Coriander smells so strong and nice! use it in your dressing, rice, curry. Anywhere really!

Even if it is getting a bit warm, nothing beats a lettuce, pea an mint soup, don’t forget to add an onion in it!

A few eggs, a bit of cream, fresh chard and that’s you sorted for tonight’s meal! Try this quiche recipe or this omelette one

Edible flowers

Sweet/ Decoration; Calendula, Snap dragon, Alyssum (purple or white), Corn flower

Savoury: Rocket flowers, Corn flower

French touch in the kitchen – Everyone’s kitchen

Menu

Pissaladière (onion tart) served with Niçoise salad

Quick Madeleine

Harvest of the day

For the pissaladière: thyme, chives flowers
For the salad: chives, parsley, calendula petals, broad beans, radish
Madeleine: calendula petals, rose petals

Pissaladière (onion and anchovy tart) (x4)

Ingredients

Onions, 6 sliced
Olive oil, 4 tbsp
Black olives, 1 jar
Thyme, 1 bunch
Puff pastry, 1
Optional: anchovy

Method

Pre-heat the oven 180C
Sliced onion and place on low to medium heat for 25 min
Remove from heat add add the thyme
Cover the puff pastry with onion and place the olives. Bake for 30 min.

Nicoise salad with rice (x4)

Ingredients

Tomato, 4
Parsley
Olive oil
pepper
sel
egg,4
chives , stems and flowers
Broad beans, 8 remove from seed pod
Green pepper
Tuna, 200g
Black olives, halved
Radish, sliced 8

Method

To make the Niçoise salad, all you have to do is gather all the ingredients, then proceed as follows…
Harden the eggs (6 to 8 minutes after the water has boiled), then cool them well in cold water.
Chop the chives and arrange them in the bottom of the dish.
Add the broad beans, the finely cut green pepper, the radishes cut into rings and the well-drained and crumbled tuna. Coarsely mix all these ingredients with salt and pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and arrange them on top and add black olives and finely chopped parsley.
Finally, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil
Chill for 1 hour and toss the salad well just before serving.

Madeleine (32 small madeleine)

Ingredients

Sugar, 150g
Flour, 200g
Vanilla extract, 2tsp
Baking powder, 1 tsp heaped
Melted butter, 100g
Milk, 50g
3 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C (thermostat 8). Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, set aside.
Mix the eggs with the sugar, until the mixture whitens.
Then add the vanilla extract and 40 g of milk.
Add flour and baking powder.
It is then the turn of the butter and the rest of the milk; let stand 15 minutes.
Butter the madeleine moulds and pour the preparation in (but not to the top, the madeleines will swell!).
Bake at 240°C (thermostat 8), and lower after 5 min to 200°C (thermostat 6-7); leave for another 10 min. Watch the cooking closely!
Unmold right out of the oven.

Thank you Marnie for the pictures!

Bulgur salad with wraps & Chocolate pudding with crystallised rose petal – Everyone’s kitchen

Bulgur salad with roasted sweet potato and wraps

Chocolate pudding (with secret ingredient)

& Crystallised rose petals

Harvest of the day

For the bulgur: mint, chives, parsley, red onion
For the wrap: rocket, lettuce, calendula and Californian poppy flowers
For the crystallised petals: rose

Bulgur salad

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup bulgur
1 red onion, chopped
Bunch of rocket
Bunch of chives
Bunch of parsley
Bunch of mint
2 tins sundried tomatoes, chopped
Seeds or cashew nuts
Lemon juice and orange zest

Method

Heat oven to 230° C. Toss the sweet potatoes, cumin, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, 20-30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, cook the bulgur according to the package directions. Let cool slightly. Add a bit of oil, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Combine all ingredients and stir slowly

Veggie wrap

Ingredients

Wrap 1

Pesto, Mozzarella, Sun dried tomatoes, green leaves, edible flowers, chive flowers

Wrap 2

Hummus, carrot, cucumber, green leaves, edible flowers, chive flowers

Method

Spread hummus/pesto over tortilla. Add the rest of the vegetables. Finish with the salad and fold (with a super technique!)

Chocolate Pudding (serves 8)

Ingredients

1.5 kg cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)
¾ cup water
15 tablespoons raw cacao powder
9 to 15 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
1.5teaspoonvanilla extract
0.75 to 1.5 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Alternatively, place the cauliflower and water in a saucepan on the stove and gently simmer until the cauliflower is soft.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower + water to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
Serve warm, or transfer to individual serving cups or bowls and chill.

Crystallised petals

Ingredients

Petals from 3–4 roses
1 egg white
Caster sugar

Instructions

Wash the rose petals and dry gently using kitchen paper.
Paint each petal with egg white and then dip it into the caster sugar.
Place on the cake rack to dry and harden. This will take about 24 hours.
Use to decorate cakes or puddings.

Thank you to Frances and Paru for the pictures!

Harvest box #4 – June has arrived!

Nice combo to make a pizza: rocket and oregano. You can even top up with some edible flowers. Chives flowers will add a lovely oniony flavour.

Lavender has so many properties that is hard to chose what to use it for: Making infused oil for a nice massage ? Including it in your cleaning routine? Drying it and placing it in your room for a better sleep? The decision is yours!

The roses in the garden smell amazing! You can keep yours in a vase with a bit of water or crystallise them … Looking very nice on cakes.

Talking about flowers, calendula petals and alyssum (whole flowers) are perfect to decorate your dishes. If you chose to make yourself a colourful salad, add radishes! To fully enjoy them you can also learn how to make radish flowers! Bulgur salad is also a great option to use your greens.

Green cabbage leaves will be a good boost in your soup (don’t forget to add the radish leaves as well, no waste!). If you want something different, try this spring green recipe with yogurt, garlic and chili.

As usual, you have your fennel, perfect for a digestion tea or to use in cooking. This fish and fennel tray bake seems lovely!

If you like to smell of lovage but don’t want to use it all now, you can make a lovage salt to add it to your cooking whenever you want to! If you are sweet tooth, try to lovage and apple chutney.

Apple mint can be used the same ways as other mints: fresh in cold drink, cocktails, as a tea or in cooking. Its texture is a a bit different but still pleasant!

Finally Chard are perfect for a smoothie! We have tried it at Everyone’s kitchen and it was good!

EVENT

Next Plant Swap 18th, June from 11am-1pm. Free

Can you smell Razia’s delight? -Everyone’s kitchen

Menu

Pilau Rice with Mung daal with Tuna Kabab

Apple turnovers

Harvest of the day: coriander, chives, bay leaves

Pilau Rice with Mung daal

Ingredients

Rice 500g
Mung daal 250g
1 medium onion
1 cup of butter
Ginger/ garlic paste 1 teaspoon each.
Bay leaves 2
Cinamon small pieces
Cardamom 4
Cloves 4/5

Method

First, mung daal needs to be lightly fried and left in water for at least 15 minutes.
Then wash the rice and leave it for 15 minutes as well.
Now, need to boil the mung for a couple of minutes and put it aside.
Put butter in a big pot and fry the onion and rest of the spices all together until light brown. When it turns brown add the rice and fry it for 2/3 minutes
Now add the mung daal and fry for 1 minute and put 1•5 litre of water and mix well and cover for 5 minutes and check if the water gets soaked in. If not, simmer for 10 minutes.

Tuna Kabab

Ingredients

4 large potatoes
3/cans tuna
1 large onion
Coriander leaves
Olive Oil
2 eggs
Salt

Method

First potatoes need to be boiled and mashed, add the rest of the ingredients and make small balls and fry them in oil.

Quick Apple turnovers (makes 6)

Ingredients

5 medium apples
1 lb puff pastry
1 cup sugar (you can also use cinnamon sugar)
1 egg

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.
Peel and slice the apples into 8-10 pieces and set them aside.
Roll out the pastry dough on a well-floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 9 equal pieces and place 4-5 pieces of apple in the centre of each. Top with a spoonful of sugar.
Fold the dough over the apples, creating tiny pockets. Place each pie on a lined baking sheet. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and brush the tops of each pie with the whisked eggs. Sprinkle on some more sugar.
Bake the pies at 230°C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Everyone’s kitchen 24/05

Menu

Green soup

Stuffed currant leaves

Calendula and thyme shortbread

Herb, chard and feta soup (4 serving)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pound Swiss chard leaves
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 /2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
GARNISHES : Plain yoghourt with chopped herbs, lemon juice, feta

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent and soft (do not brown), 7–8 minutes. Stir in chard, broth, parsley, cilantro, fresh and dried mint, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Return to pan. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm soup before continuing.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish

Stuffed black currant leaves (makes 20)

Ingredients

40 large black currant leaves
2 dl bulgur
0.5 dl cashew nuts
1 small bunch of fresh mint
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp rape oil
Cinnamon
Salt

For the broth

2tbsp oil
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1/4 stock cube with some water
1 tsp brown sugar
salt

Method

Cook the spelt in salty water for about 20 minutes. Roast the nuts on a dry pan a bit so they’ll get colour on their cheeks. Mince the garlic and the mint. Mix the stuffing ingredients together.

Cook the currant leaves in plenty of water for about five minutes to soften them up. Take two leaves at a time. Cut their stems off and place them on each other so they’ll overlap in the middle. Scoop a teaspoonful of the stuffing in the middle. Fold the edges of the leaves on the stuffing and roll them into small cigars. Place each cigar carefully but tightly into a casserole.

Mix the broth ingredients and pour over the casserole. (Add some water too if the amount of liquid doesn’t seem enough.) Place in a 150°C oven for about an hour. You can eat them right away, but if you have the patience you can wait a day or two for them to juice up in the fridge. This is also the reason why it’s a great idea to make a big portion of them while you’re at it.

Calendula and thyme shortbread cookies

200 g / 7 oz dairy-free butter,
1 tsp vanilla paste
100 g / 3.5 oz caster sugar
300 g / 10.5 oz plain flour, sifted
Squeeze of lemon
3-4 Tbsp minced fresh calendula flower petals
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme

Instructions

Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) and stir to combine. Then add the flour, calendula, thyme, and salt.
Gently stir everything together until the dough barely holds together.
Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a log shape.
Wrap it tightly with parchment paper, twisting the ends to help hold it all together.
Put in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm. You can store the dough for several days in the fridge, or for several weeks in the freezer, if need be.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 150°C. Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds.
Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch or so apart. They don’t really spread much.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check them closely after 25 minutes, as they will start to brown pretty quickly. Take them out when only the edges just barely start to turn golden. The centers will still be fairly soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool.

Harvest box 2022 #3 – Recipe ideas

This week’s harvest box contains a few new things!

Californian poppy (bright orange flowers) are so colourful ! Their petals can be used in salad or included in dessert recipes like this Calendula or Californian poppy and thyme shortbread
One broad bean! It is not much indeed but we wanted to share with you our first harvest. Remove from the pod and eat raw. Enjoy your feast !
Alyssum (small white flowers) can be added to your salad or included in cookies
Green cabbage leaves perfect for a soup ! They are also used for lower the pain of mastitis (breastfeeding complications).
Black currant leaves have a strong smell and you can turn them into a tea or make a juice out of it

You can make yourself a fresh salad using the lettuce, rocket, mizuna, and claytonia (which might be the last harvest!). Wild garlic flowers can be added to your salad or in the vinaigrette. If you fancy baking you include chives and wild garlic flowers into your scones or in the spread that goes with it !

Lovage has a strong smell but is very versatile. so what would you go for? Lovage tea, Lemon and lovage roasted chicken or a creamy lovage soup? Too much to chose from!

It has been warmer the past few days. Treat yourself with a rhubarb cordial!

Chard can be used it many ways but this Feta, chard and spinach filo pie recipe sounds particularly good!

Don’t forget to enjoy your cup mint tea while looking at the recipes 🙂

Next Harvest box: 6/06 (June already!), order by email on the Sunday 5th (ndmaxinfo@gmail.com)

EVENTS

Plant swap, 28th of May. 11am-1pm – FREE in the Garden

Big Lunch, 2nd of June. 3-5pm – FREE in the Park. Bring your picnic!

Ula’s delight : Lentil soup, potato pancake and waffle – Everyone’s kitchen

Potato pancake with side salad

Lentil soup

Waffle

Harvest of the day

Side salad: rocket, lettuce, claytonia
Potato pancake: chives
Lentil soup: lovage, parsley

Potato pancake (12/15 pancakes)

Ingredients

250g cold mashed potato , or 2 medium-size
floury potatoes, cut into chunks
75g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
125ml milk
1 rounded tbsp finely snipped chives
1 tsp sunflower oil
knob of butter
crispy bacon and scrambled eggs to serve, if
you like

Method

If you’ve got potatoes not mash, cook them in boiling water until tender. Drain well and press through a potato ricer or mash.
Weigh out 250g and cool.
Sieve the flour and baking powder onto cooled mash. Whisk eggs and milk together and add to the potato mix with the chives.
Whisk the batter until smooth.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp sunflower oil and a dot of butter. When the fat is hot, start to cook the pancakes. Add 1 tbsp of batter for each pancake and cook 4 at a time. Cook for about 1 min until the underside is
golden brown and small bubbles appear.
Flip the pancakes and cook until golden. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes in the same way, adding a tiny bit of oil and butter to the pan as and when needed.

Polish version

Grate 11 potatoes, one onion. Combine and remove excess water. Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs and mix well. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve with yogurt mixed with chives, parsley and garlic.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until lentils are tender, at least 1 hour.

When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper; taste and adjust as needed.

Waffle

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Mix the milk, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl/measuring cup. Set aside for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the sugar, melted butter/oil, milky mixture into the dry ingredients and using a spatula, gently mix the batter until combined. It’s okay to have some lumps. The batter should be thick and scoopable.

Turn on and preheat your waffle maker.

Scoop out some batter and pour/spread into the middle of the greased waffle maker. Don’t open it before the steam is finished!

Remove each waffle and place on a plate. Continue with the rest of the batter.