organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
I made a gluten and dairy-free carrot cake by substituting a gluten-free baking mix for the wheat flour in this recipe. I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. It's a rich, dense, moist cake with the fat coming from oil and coconut instead of butter. 230g plain flour or gluten-free baking mix (I used Healtheries) One teaspoon each … [Read more...]
Rocket is growing well at the moment so I used a rather liberal interpretation of the traditional ingredients of pesto for my home-made version. Sometimes I make coriander pesto too. The name comes from the Italian verb pestare to pound or crush. You too could become a rocket scientist in your own garden. Pesto is great spread on steaks wrapped … [Read more...]
I've experimented making my own biscuits for cheese recently. You can make numerous biscuits cheaply and easily. They store well in an air-tight container or you can freeze them. Oats do deteriorate, so buy some fresh ones if you're not making porridge regularly. I favour Harraways' or Moore Wilson's wholegrain New Zealand rolled oats. These … [Read more...]
I made this variation on a frittata for a friend for lunch instead of zucchini fritters because it's more tolerant of being made ahead of time and contained ingredients I had in the pantry, fridge and garden. I've enjoyed a few left over slices for breakfast. It contained onion, garlic, corn, chives, zucchini and spinach from the garden and fresh … [Read more...]
I view meatloaf as an easy way of making burgers. You could use the same mixture to make patties or divide it into muffin tins to make a more portable version. I used a silicone loaf mould which makes it easy to release but I think you get a better browned look if you use a metal tin. Or you could slow cook it - form it into a round or oval loaf to … [Read more...]
If you see some fresh sweet chestnuts in the shops or on a road-side stall, now's the time to buy them. Once you've roasted and eaten as many as you can manage, you can process the rest. Pierce the skins with the point of a knife and simmer them in a pan of water for 30 minutes. Drain, cool, cut in half and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon. The … [Read more...]
