Vera Street Community Garden

Rosellas are a type of fruit related to a hibiscus. They are hardy, don't need much water, and grow really well in Brisbane.They are bitter and horrible to eat raw, but when made into jam taste a bit like raspberry jam. This recipe works for any amount of rosellas- large or small. You need about half a bucket of rosellas to make a large jar of jam.

What to do:
Sterilise jars by washing them in the dishwasher, or boiling them in a big saucepan of water.

Soak rosellas for a few minutes in a sink of cold water.

Separate the red calyx (the fleshy cover surrounding the seedpod) from the seedpod. You can do this by pressing down on the rosella with a heavy knife blade, or just use your fingers to peel the calyx from the seedpod.

Put the red calyx into one bowl, and the seedpods into a saucepan.

Squash the seedpods a little with a potato masher- there's no need to pulverise them, but this releases the pectin which will make the jam set nicely.

Cover the seedpods with water (only just covering them, not too much water), and simmer for 10 minutes, until soft. Strain the pods, discard the pods and keep the liquid- remember, this is what makes the jam set.

Pour the liquid back into the saucepan. Add the red calyx and simmer gently until very soft.

Measure the fruit pulp, and add one cup of sugar to each cup of fruit pulp.

Stir over a gentle heat until all the sugar is dissolved, then bring jam to the boil. The jam will froth high in the saucepan and so needs to be no more than half full before you start it boiling. Test for setting by putting a saucer in the freezer to chill, then put a teaspoonful of jam on the saucer, wait for it to cool slightly and then push the top of it with your finger. If it crinkles it is cooked. Another sign that it is setting to watch for is when the jam stops frothing and settles down to a hard boil. As the jam reaches setting point it is also most likely to stick and burn so pay close attention and stir often.

Bottle the jam into clean hot jars and seal immediately.

Originally from the ABC website, but they have since taken it down. The tastiest pumpkin scones are made with roasted, rather than boiled pumpkin. Make pepitas at the same time as a snack. Serve with fresh cream and rosella jam.

You need:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold)
2 cups Self raising flour

Method:

Beat together butter, sugar and salt with electric mixer. Add egg, then pumpkin and stir in the flour.

Turn on to floured board and cut.

Place in tray on top shelf of very hot oven 225-250c for 15-20 minutes

This recipe came from my mother, but reminds me of Spanakopita, a dish I ate in Greece. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.
This serves about 8 people and is a great way to use up all your silverbeet. Instead of frozen spinach, use any and all leafy greens that you have growing in the garden.

500 g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
125 g feta cheese, crumbled
125 g ricotta cheese
1 egg
15 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped or grated
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
4 sheets puff pastry
1 dash milk

1. Combine the spinach, feta, egg, and ricotta in a bowl.

2. Melt the butter in a pan, add onion, and saute until soft.

3. Stir into mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Make into a pie- i.e. place one sheet of pastry on the bottom of a pie pan, put the filling in, and cover it with another sheet of pastry, pushing down the edges with a little water.

5. Brush the pie with milk.

6. Bake at 200 degrees celcius for 25 to 30 minutes.

A favourite at the community garden. You need to allow at least one hour to cook this- it's worth it, and makes the house smell great.

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=11881.0

What to make when there's a glut of basil in the garden!
You don't need the shoyu. You do absolutely need a blender or food processor to make this recipe.
As with all fresh pesto, the top of the pesto will oxidise and turn brown after a day. This should still be fine to eat. If you want to avoid this, cover the top with some olive oil.

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=13119.0

This takes a long time to prepare and cook (2 hours to prepare, 40 mins in the oven). But if you have to use up eggplants or zucchinis, this is your most tasty option. Zucchinis or eggplants could be used interchangably. The three types of lentils lends a meaty texture that almost fools the most dedicated carnivore.

While you're on this site, check out the other hearty recipes.

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=539

I've tried this recipe from the Burke's Backyard website when I had a glut of eggs and lemons. It is extremely good. This makes two puddings that serve 3-4 people each.
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2002/archives/2002?p=715

A delicious (though rich) recipe, great for using up broccoli.Can be made a day or two in advance and reheated in the microwave.

The filling
Boil and mash 2-3 heads of broccoli, discard the main stems as they won't mash well.
Combine with one small packet of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh herbs (e.g. garlic chives), salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside while you cook the crepes.

The crepes
Whisk two eggs, 3 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup plain flour together.
Heat a round frying pan, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan, and quickly swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.
Cook until you can lift up the edges of the crepe, then gently flip the crepe over to briefly cook the other side.
Stack cooked crepes on a plate.
Once all crepes are done, place 1-2 tbspns of filling in each crepe, and roll up like a burrito.
Arrange the crepes in a non-stick rectangular or square pan (I use a lasagne tray), butting up against one another.

The topping
Top all the crepes with about 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake the whole lot in the oven at 180 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. Serve with a green salad.

Variations
You can also add little bits of chopped cooked chicken to the filling.

From Syracuse Cultural Workers

turn off your tv
leave your house
know your neighbors
greet people
look up when you're walking
sit on your front steps
plant flowers
use your library
play together
buy from local merchants
share what you have
help a lost dog
take children to the park
honor elders
support neighbourhood schoools
fix it even if you didn't break it
have pot lucks
garden together
pick up litter
read stories aloud
dance in the street
talk to the mail carrier
listen to the birds
put up a swing
help someone carry something heavy
barter for your goods
start a tradition
ask a question
hire young people for odd jobs
organize a block party
bake extra and share
ask for help when you need it
open your shades
sing together
share your skills
take back the night
turn up the music
turn down the music
listen before you react to anger
mediate a conflict
seek to understand
learn from new and uncomfortable angles
know that no one is silent though many are not heard
work to change this