No. 83 - November 2009
Welcome to the November 2009 Recipes4us Newsletter. If you have any suggestions, additions or interesting questions for the newsletter, please write to me at Newsletter@Recipes4us.co.uk .
Happy Cooking!
Florence Sandeman,
Publisher
Welcome Pots2Plots - born on 19th October 2009 . . . to exhausted mother
If this month's newsletter seems a little lighter than usual, I hope you will forgive me, but putting the finishing touches to my latest website has dominated my life for the past month. You can read more about it below.
3 ways with . . .
Peppers
November is National Pepper Month
I'm not sure whether this refers to the spice pepper or the vegetables but here are three different ways to cook sweet peppers (Capsicums) plus an extra special one below
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GOATS CHEESE, ASPARAGUS AND ROASTED PEPPER SALAD
Courtesy of
Preparation: 20 mins - Cooking: 15-20mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 each red, yellow and orange pepper
150g/5oz green beans, trimmed
150g/5oz asparagus, trimmed and halved
1 round lettuce
75g/3oz goats cheese
For the dressing:
Juice 1/2 lemon
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
2.5ml/1/2tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Place the peppers in a roasting tray and roast for 15-20mins or until the peppers are tender and charred. Place in a plastic bag and leave to cool for 10mins – this helps the skins to peel easily. Peel away the skins, discard the seeds and slice the flesh into strips.
2. Meanwhile, cook the beans and asparagus in lightly salted water for 4mins or until just tender. Drain in a sieve, rinse in cold water until cold. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together with a fork.
3. Break the lettuce into separate leaves; rinse and dry. Place the large outer leaves in the base of large salad bowl. Add the small lettuce leaves from the heart of the lettuce to the beans and asparagus, add the dressing and peppers and toss well.
4. Heap on top of large lettuce leaves, crumble over the goats cheese and serve.
Peppers Nutritional Values
Amount per large pepper - Calories 44.28
Total Fat 0.312g
0%
Saturated Fat 0.0459g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.167g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0213g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 3.28mg
0%
Potassium 290.28mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate 10.55g
4%
Dietary Fibre 3.28g
13%
Protein 1.46g
3%
Vitamin A
187 %
Vitamin C
519 %
Calcium
1 %
Iron
4 %
Vitamin D
0 %
Vitamin E
3 %
Thiamine
5 %
Riboflavin
2 %
Niacin
4 %
Folate
9 %
Vitamin B-6
20 %
Vitamin B-12
0 %
Phosphorus
3 %
Magnesium
4 %
Zinc
1 %
Copper
5 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs
New Website
www.pots2plots.com is all about growing your own edible produce anywhere - from inner city balconies to suburban gardens to allotments - in small pots or large plots.
As you may already know, I have been growing my own for over 40 years, and although Recipes4us features growing instructions for many vegetables, Pots2Plots is a natural extension, solely devoted to growing all types of edible crops (although it does also have some cooking guides on the vegetable pages of course!).
Aimed at both beginners and more experienced grower alike, Pots2Plots currently features detailed growing instructions for over 50 vegetables, 25 fruit, 15 herbs and edible flower information, plus many in depth articles on specific subjects such as fertilisers, companion planting, tools and equipment, garden planning and container growing, making it one of the most comprehensive and unique grow-your-own resources on the net.
Whilst I like to grow as organically as possible, the site also caters for those who aren't that bothered, so rather than preaching about organics and carbon footprints, it gives visitors the choice of using chemicals or not. From a personal point of view, I would rather people find the joy of growing their own non-organically, rather than not at all.
Having said that, it does have the organic alternatives too, such as companion planting, which has the added bonus of creating a more bio-diverse environment.
As a further incentive to get people growing their own, the individual growing pages on Pots2Plots give the heights and spread of all the crops enabling you to easily grow fruit, herbs and veggies in your flower borders. There really is no need to get rid of all your ornamentals in order to grow your own edibles. And for non-UK visitors there are also seasonal calendars, so no matter where you are in the world, you can find the jobs to do in your current season.
Even if you've never grown anything before or had no plans to start, do take a look as I think you may be surprised at what you can grow, how easily you can grow it and where you can grow it. . . . especially when it comes to containers.
Of course, it's not completely finished yet and I will be adding more articles and growing instructions for additional fruit, veggies and herbs over the coming months.
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How does your Kitchen Garden Grow
As usual below are some tasks for the vegetable garden in November BUT for a much more detailed outline, visit the November calendar at pots2plots which includes jobs for fruit as well as veggies and herbs.
So long as the frost hasn't got to them, continue to pot up plants of Basil, Marjoram, Oregano and Parsley and grow them indoors on windowsills for a fresh supply of herbs.
There are a few vegetable seeds which can be sown now including hardy varieties of broad beans and winter lettuce plus spring greens and early carrots. You can also still plant garlic and shallot sets. Consider making a cold frame which means you can sow seed earlier for earlier harvesting.
If you've grown Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, continue to remove any leaves which have turned yellow.
Don't forget to start planning next years herb gardens and vegetable plots. Many seed catalogues are now available and it's a nice way to spend a winter's evening.
November Site Updates
Culinary History
Click the picture to find the latest addition to the series
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Culinary Videos
Click the picture to find the latest Recipes4us additions plus the next in the Phil Vickery pudcast series
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What's in Season in
Click here to see what's in season this month plus recipes
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Weekday Menus
Click the picture to find this month's weekday menus to help you plan your meals and shopping weeks ahead. Each weekday has a main course, suggested vegetable side dishes and accompaniments plus a dessert, which have been planned to supply you with a balanced diet. It's also been designed so that you can interchange one day's menu with another in the same grouping
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Other food celebrations in November include:-
1st – 7th National Fig Week
2nd - 8th British Sausage Week
2nd Week Split Pea Soup Week
14th National Pickle Day
17th Homemade Bread Day
21st Gingerbread Day
22nd National Cashew Day
30th St. Andrew's Day
National Pomegranate Month
9th November is British Pudding Day
If you fancy a quick fix on British Pudding Day (or any other day) this fantastically delicious pudding can be made from start to finish in just 15 minutes in the microwave
Cherry Chocolate Pudding
Serves 4
Cook and Prep time: 15mins
Ingredients
3 tbsp Cherry Jam
100g/4oz Butter, softened
100g/4oz Sugar
2 Large Eggs, beaten
1 teasp Vanilla Extract
75g/3oz Self Raising Flour
50g/2oz Unsweetened Cocoa PowderInstructions
1. Lightly grease a 900ml/30fl.oz microwave bowl with some of the butter then place the jam in the bowl, spreading it evenly to cover the base. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the rest of the butter and sugar.
3. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract. If you use a whisk it will mix together more quickly.
4. Add the flour and coco powder and mix well then transfer the mixture to the bowl containing the jam.
5. Cover with a microwaveable plate and cook for 3 ½ minutes on high (800w).
6. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with lashings of thick creamy custard.
Can also be steamed for 1½ hours in the traditional way
Cook's Tip....
If possible, use a good quality cherry jam which has whole pieces of cherry in it
2 in 1 . . .
Curry week and Homemade Bread Day
Did you know the first "Indian" restaurant was opened in London in 1809 and that by 1850 curry was a well established dish in British cuisine?
Little wonder then that recently curry has been voted one of England's National Dishes.
To celebrate National Curry Week (22nd - 28th) and Homemade Bread Day (17th), here is my most recent video showing how to easily make your own warm flaky Paratha flatbread. Click here for the full sized video and written recipe
To find an Indian curry recipe to go with your homemade Paratha click here.
Thanksgiving (US)
Thanksgiving Day, sometimes colloquially called "Turkey Day" is a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the USA and is one of its biggest national celebration days of the year. This year it falls on the 26th November
> > > History of Thanksgiving
© Olga Lyubkina - Fotolia.com
Click the picture for lots of traditional Thanksgiving recipe
Countdown to Christmas . . . . .
Here are some tasks you should consider starting now to ensure a stress-free holiday period. It may seem early, but you'll be glad of the extra time you'll have in December.
2nd week in November
If you want to get a fresh turkey or goose you'd do well to order it now as you may be surprised at how quickly stocks run out, especially free-range and organic birds. Click here to find out what size turkey you'll need.
3rd week in November
Make your Christmas puddings early. The aim is to re-boil/steam then for a couple of hours every two weeks or so, which results in an incredibly dark rich pudding. Why not try one of these
Christmas Pudding with Guinness
4th week in November
If you want to make a traditional cake with marzipan and icing, ideally, once you've covered the cake with the marzipan, you should wait a week before icing....longer if you wish and once iced, it will last for weeks in a cake tin. Click here for a Traditional Christmas Cake recipe.
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Food in the News . . .
Ethical food purchases set to rise
By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 23-Oct-2009
UK consumers are likely to become more interested in purchasing ethically produced foods as the country emerges from recession, according to research from IGD.> > > > More External Link
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Find the best of UK produce online - even unusual or hard-to-find items
UKFoodOnline.co.uk Food shopping has never been easier !
Recipe of the Month
Roasted Mushroom, Squash and Halloumi Salad
Courtesy of
Salads aren’t just for summer. Combining cool, crunchy lettuce leaves with hot ingredients can provide a tantalising taste sensation as well as a delicious alternative to the usual winter stodge.
Serves 4
Preparation: 20 mins - Cooking: 15-20mins
Ingredients
350g/12oz butternut squash, washed & deseeded
45ml/3tbsp olive oil
1 (250g) pack chestnut mushrooms
1 (250g) pack halloumi cheese
50g/2oz mixed wild and brown rice
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
45ml/3tbsp sliced fresh basil
juice of half a lemon
15ml/1tbsp honey
1 whole curly leaf lettuce e.g apollo or batavia
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Cut the unpeeled squash into chunks and place in a roasting tin, add 15ml/1tbsp of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 mins, stir in the mushrooms and roast for a further 10mins.
2. Meanwhile, slice the halloumi and place on a baking tray bake for 10-15 mins or until it has become golden and crisp. Leave to cool, then break into bite sized pieces. Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water for 20-25mins or until tender. Drain in a sieve and rinse with cold water to cool slightly.
3. Place the rice in a bowl, add the onion, basil, lemon, honey and salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms, squash and any pan juices from the roasting tin and toss together.
4. Break the lettuce into leaves; rinse and dry. Divide the lettuce between four plates, top with the rice salad and serve straight away
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