<![CDATA[Vera Street Community Garden - Recipes]]>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:12:45 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Jane Bell's award winning Lemon Butter]]>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:52:01 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2011/06/jane-bells-award-winning-lemon-butter.htmlThis is the recipe Jane Bell used to win the 2011 Brookfield Show's Best Lemon Butter. She credits a couple of VSCG lemons, but perhaps the family recipe was a good start too.
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Here is the recipe (from my mother) which I followed:
Lemon Butter

Finely grate the rind of 5 lemons and squeeze and reserve the juice.

Melt 185g unsalted butter and mix with 500g sugar and the lemon rind in a double boiler.

Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. (In my attempt, the sugar completely dissolved only after the other ingredients were added.)

Beat 6 eggs and strain through a sieve into the above mixture. Stir.

Add the juice and raise the heat slightly under the double boiler. Stir and keep stirring until the mixture thickly covers the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Pour into sterilized, warm, dry jars with screw on lids and refrigerate.

Should keep for up to 2 months.

]]><![CDATA[Recipe courtesy of Gillian...]]>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:44:38 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2011/06/recipes-courtesy-of-gillian.html No-Fault Pumpkin Pie
Source: Molly Katzen, Moosewood Cookbook

Filling
1 ½ cups cooked, pureed pumpkin
1 ½ tbs. white sugar
1 ½ tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. molasses or golden syrup
¼ tsp. cloves or allspice
¾ - 1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ - 1 tsp. powdered ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 large free range beaten egg
¾ cups evaporated milk (low fat is OK)
1 sweet flan case (can buy Pampax brand in the freezer section at the supermarket)

Optional toppings
Whipped cream with a little sugar and rum
Whipped cream with a little sugar and vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream

Method
1.     Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius
2.   Place pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl and add other filling ingredients.
3.    Spread into the flan case and bake at 190 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180 degrees, and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the pie is firm in the centre when shaken lightly.
4.   Cool at least to room temperature before serving. This pie tastes very good chilled, with rum- or vanilla-spiked whipped cream, or some high-quality vanilla ice-cream.

]]><![CDATA[Recipe courtesy of Gillian...]]>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:40:39 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2011/06/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit.html Aloo Palak with Brazilian Spinach
(Indian potatoes & spinach)
Ingredients
1 shopping bag of Brazilian spinach from Vera Street Community Garden - wash and remove leaves from stalks (should be about 300g by this stage)

2 cloves of garlic
1 knob of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 onions, chopped
1-2 green chillies, chopped with seeds
200g waxy potatoes, peeled & cubed
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper
Method
1.    Cook the Brazilian spinach with garlic, ginger and onions and green chillies for 5-10 minutes.
2.   Remove from the pan and blend to a fine puree and keep aside.
3.   Boil the potatoes with salt and turmeric until tender (~10 mins) and put to one side.
4.   Heat butter in a saucepan and fry the cumin seeds with the spinach-onion paste and simmer for a few minutes.
5.   Add the potatoes, garam masala, coriander and ground cumin and a little bit of water if needed.
6.   Simmer for several minutes as the potatoes absorb the flavour.
Picture
From this...
Picture
to this!
]]><![CDATA[Rosella Jam]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:37:55 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/rosella-jam.htmlRosellas 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.

]]><![CDATA[Crisis in the Kitchen Lady Flo's Pumpkin Scone Recipe]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:22:10 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/crisis-in-the-kitchen-lady-flos-pumpkin-scone-recipe.htmlOriginally 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

]]><![CDATA[Spinach and Feta Puff Pie]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:20:04 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/spinach-and-feta-puff-pie.htmlThis 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.

]]><![CDATA[Spicy Chai Tea]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:11:27 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/spicy-chai-tea.htmlA 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

]]><![CDATA[Pesto perfecto]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:06:02 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/pesto-perfecto.htmlWhat 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

]]><![CDATA[Emma Bennett's Vegetarian Moussaka]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:02:08 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/emma-bennetts-vegetarian-moussaka.htmlThis 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

]]><![CDATA[Lemon delicious pudding]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:57:07 -0800http://www.verastreetgarden.org/3/post/2008/04/lemon-delicious-pudding.htmlI'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

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