Monthly Archives: October 2010

So why do we carve out pumpkins at Halloween?

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Part 3 of 3 in the week of pumpkins……..

History and legend surrounds the story about this annual ritual and there are many
variations of the reasoning behind it, but most of them agree – there was a mean, stingy man who lived in Ireland years ago named Jack, and he did a deal with the Devil…… this is one of the tales ………



The story goes that Jack had stolen some property from some villagers and was being run out of town. As he was making his escape he met the Devil who told him it was time for Jack to die. However, Jack had the gift of the gab and managed to persuade the Devil that he knew of a way that he would be able to have some fun and torment the God loving villagers instead.

Jack persuaded the Devil to turn into a coin and Jack would then use that coin to pay for the stolen goods. The idea being that as the Devil was able to change shape whenever he wanted, as soon as the villagers had possession of the coin it would disappear, and the villagers would then fight amongst themselves, blaming each other as to whom had stolen it.

The Devil agreed and turned himself into a coin that Jack then placed into his wallet. It was only when he was in the wallet that the Devil found he was nestled next to a cross that Jack had also picked up in the village.  The cross stripped him of all his powers.

Jack being a trickster agreed that he would only let the Devil go if he agreed never to take his soul.

Several years later the villain died. As he made his way to the Gates of Heaven he was turned away, he had led too bad a life to be allowed into Heaven. So he made his way to the gates of Hell instead, but of course the Devil had promised not to take Jack’s soul and he therefore barred him from entering there too.

Jack was trapped with nowhere to go. It was dark and he asked the Devil how he would see as he had no light. The legend claims that he was tossed a light from the embers that would never burn out as it was from the flames of hell.

Turnips were apparently one of Jack’s favourite foods in the living world so he carved one out, placed the ember inside and began to wander the Earth, looking for a place to rest.  From that time on he became known as Jack of the Lantern.

The tradition of carving a swede or turnip seems to have originated in Ireland and they were left on the doorsteps of houses on All Hallow’s Eve as an ‘offering’, or a treat, to prevent spirits playing tricks. Pumpkins were more readily available in America and were generally used there instead. 

*Samhain (pronounced sauwain)


The 31st October - Samhain (or Halloween as we now seem to call it), stems from the belief that the Celtic year begins (as life begins) in the dark (in the womb). It’s a threshold time in the Celtic calender when the veil between this world and the Otherworld, where the dead and supernatural beings live, becomes permeable and the beings that inhabit it can walk amongst mortals.


It’s a time with the Sidhe, (the Good Folk, Little People or Tuatha De Danann), move from their summer residences to their winter homes. (Farmers today will still not farm land that contains Fairy Forts for fear of upsetting the Little People.) The Sidhe can be seen riding in procession from one Fairy Fort (or rath) to another across the fields.

It’s traditional to put out a bowl of milk or a piece of cake for Sidhe as they pass by.

In the old times all crops  had to be gathered in before Samhain and no berries were picked as it was believed that the Pooka would spit on them.  The last sheaf from the harvest was named the Hag (or Cailleach), who was formally revered as the crone aspect of the Celtic triple goddess, but has now dwindled into the figure of the witch.

*Reference : Celebrating Irish Festivals by Ruth Marshall

 

How to grow your own pumpkins, and save their seed

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At Halloween, nothing can be more satisfying than hollowing out pumpkins that you’ve grown yourself. Children are hugely excited at seeing the long tendrils winding and trailing their way across the ground and the plump fruit starting to appear. 

Pumpkins are in the same ‘family’ as cucumbers, melons, squashes and courgettes and are a type of fruit rather than a vegetable. Broadly speaking anything that contains seeds is classed as a fruit rather than a vegetable.  They’re from the Cucurbitaceae family that has evolved to live in extreme climates.

Soil

Pumpkins like free draining soil with lots of organic matter (compost or well rotted manure), and are a very thirsty crop (think watery end product), so ensure they’re watered regularly once they’re growing.

Propagation

They can be sown out doors in spring with protection – under a cloche for example, or without protection once the weather warms up and the risk of frost has past, usually from early summer.  To give them a head start, sow seeds indoors (in April or May depending upon where you live, just before the last frosts are expected) and plant the seedlings out at the beginning of the warm weather.

Allow 1.2m (4ft) between plants.



 Looking after them

Pumpkins produce side shoots (a shoot that develops off the main stem).

Let each side shoot grow a male flower. (A male flower can be recognised as one that doesn’t have a tiny pumpkin attached to the base of it.)  When the next female flower appears, cut the side shoot just above the female flower to stop the shoot growing any more.  A female flower can be recognised as one that has a tiny small pumpkin growing below it. More side shoots will develop off the main stem and this practice can be repeated all along. This will encourage several smaller pumpkins rather than one huge one.

This process can seem extremely confusing to a beginner, but don’t panic!  If you leave the flowers on all is not lost, and you will begin to recognise the male and female flowers as they grow.  To help you recognise them, you can find lots of pictures on line if you google “images for male and female pumpkin flowers”.

Place something underneath each developing pumpkin to prevent it rotting… a piece of weed fabric, some straw – anything to prevent it sitting in the soil.

When’s it ready?

As with other members of the cucurbitaceae family, pumpkins are not frost hardy.  They wont necessarily have changed colour before you harvest them either.  It’s safe to leave them growing until the first frost before you cut the fruit off the plant. Try to leave about 5cm of stalk on each pumpkin.

Storage

Unlike other fruit or veg, pumpkins need to be stored in a warm place – 10oC to 16oC (50-60oF). Most varieties will store for up to six months in a well ventilated place.

Varieties

There are several varieties of pumpkins, squashes and gourds available, from tiny ones of just 8cm across when fully grown, that can be stuffed and baked with edible skins, to the huge Atlantic Giant which can grow up to 600kg. The Organic Gardening Catalogue from the UK has a lovely selection with evocative names such as Turks Turban, Lady Godiva, Trombolino, Cinderella and Blue Ballet, to name but a few.

Saving seed

Wait until the pumpkin is fully ripe.

  • Remove the seeds, place into a colander and rinse under a tap, washing off as much of the fibrous coating as possible.
  • Once cleaned, spread the seeds out to dry on foil or baking paper (not kitchen roll), turning them after a couple of days. A sunny windowsill is best but not in full sun – they need to be warm rather than baked! Ensure they dry thoroughly, which may take a few weeks.
  • When completely dry, store in an airtight container. To test try bending them in half – they should snap.
  • They should remain viable for up to five years.
  • When you’re ready to sow you can soak the seeds for several hours in warm water – not hot – which will help to speed up germination.

　
Incidentally, the green pumpkin seed that we buy as snack food is actually inside the shell. You can eat both but some people find the shell unpalatable and the shell will pass through the digestive system undigested. Apparently Native American’s traditionally chewed whole pumpkin seeds as an agent for expelling intestinal worms!

This was part 2 of 3 a seasonable blog on Pumpkins.

Wondering what to do with your pumpkin flesh? Here are two recipes for Pumpkin Rice or Pumpkin Soup

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It’s that time of year when we’re all scooping out the flesh of our juicy pumpkins and wondering what to do with them. Here’s a couple of our favourite recipe ideas…..

Like many of you I have a bookshelf full of cookbooks. I love cookbooks.  A good cook book is my ideal Christmas present.  I can curl up by the fire on Christmas day whilst the Children are watching a movie and lose myself in a book full of delicious sounding foods.

I especially like the books with a bit of a story to tell. Explanations on basic techniques for example, or in the case of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Everyday book, learning lost techniques.

A couple of times, when I’ve been feeling a bit cheeky, I buy my hubby a cook book too (which is a bit like buying myself an unofficial present.)

The first time I wasn’t sure of the reaction but as he’s a big fan of Rivercottage I took the risk and bought him the Everyday cookbook mentioned above.  To my slight surprise he absolutely loved it – told his friends about it (it seems that men don’t just talk about football!), and loves choosing and cooking recipes from it. One of his top 5 recipes of all time comes from this book – Beef with Soy Sauce and Ginger, and some of our friends that he’s cooked it for loved it too! 

Recently, instead of the noodles recommended with this dish, he tried out another recipe from the second cook book I bought him: Pumpkin Rice from Caribbean Food Made Easy by Levi Roots.  This is a great alternative to the usual soups and roasting methods we’ve used in the past for the pumpkin flesh as the flavours are very delicate. This is the recipe as written by Levi in his book.



Available from Amazon


Pumpkin Rice (serves 8-9)

550ml (just under a pint) water
400g (14oz) pumpkin flesh, deseeded and cut into small chunks
2-3 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp salt
450g (1lb) basmati rice
15g (1/2oz) butter

1. Put the water, pumpkin, 2 sprigs of thyme and salt in a saucepan.  Put on a lid.  Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until soft.  Remove the thyme and very roughly mash the pumpkin into the liquid with a potato masher.  You’re not after a smooth puree, more a rough mix.

2. Wash the rice twice to remove some of the starch, swishing it round a bowl and running cold water over it until the water is almost clear, and add it to the pumpkin mix in the saucepan.  You want the liquid to cover the rice by about 2 1/2cm (1in).  Add a little more water if necessary (or pour off some if there’s too much).  Add the butter and stir it in as it melts.  Put the lid back on the pan.  Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer immediately.

3.  Leave to simmer gently for around 20 mins.  Do not uncover the pan to take a peek as you want to keep in the heat.  The bottom of the rice will brown a little; this is how it is meant to be.  Just make sure it is on the lowest heat.  Turn off the heat and leave for a few more minutes, or until you’re ready to eat.  Add the remaining spring of thyme and, if you want to serve it with lots of style, pack into a lightly oiled dish and turn it out in a neat mound on to a serving plate.

The second recipe we use for the flesh is a lovely Pumpkin Soup from another favourite, The New Covent Garden Food Co Book of Soups. I’ve also adapted this recipe when I’ve been trying to follow the Weight Watchers Diet by leaving out the butter, and just throwing all the ingredients together in a pan, cooking until soft then blending.  Here’s the original version though:

Pumpkin Soup (serves 6)

25g (1oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g (7oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped
900g (2lb) pumpkin, diced
250g (9oz) carrots, diced
1.2ltrs (2pints) vegetable stock
150ml (1/4pint) milk
demerara sugar to taste
finely grated nutmeg to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter and cook the onion gently for 5 minutes in a covered saucepan, without colouring.  Add the potato, 700g of the pumpkin, the carrots and the vegetable stock.  Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 mins until the vegetables are tender.  Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser.  Return to a clean saucepan and stir in the milk.

Meanwhile, add the remaining pumpkin to a saucepan of boiled salted water and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and add to the pureed soup.  Add the sugar, nutmeg and seasoning to taste.  Reheat gently.

The most effective way to serve is in a hollowed-out pumpkin.  Take a pumpkin, slice off the top quarter, scoop out the seeds, place slices of toasted baguette in the base together with grated Gruyere cheese.  Fill with the soup, put on the lid and serve at the table.

Yum Yum. Enjoy!

This is part 1 of 3 blogs I’ll be writing on pumpkins this week, so keep an eye out for what’s coming next.

       
        Happy Halloween!

10 reasons why every village, town & city needs a Community Food Garden

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Community n. Common enjoyment; participation; a body of people having common interests.
Community Food Projects bring people together in local communities of all
ages, abilities and social backgrounds, where they share knowledge and interact.

What do participants gain from being involved in a Community Garden or Community Food Project?

1.  They learn new skills and how growing, harvesting and eating your own food is good for both mental and physical health.

2.  They learn about the seasonality of food and pick up recipe ideas and new cooking techniques.

3.  They try out different foods and flavours that were once popular but may not be available in supermarkets.
4.  They’re encouraged to grow their own food at home in tandem with the community food project.
5.  They learn how successes and failures of growing food are ‘normal’.
6. They have a better appreciation of how difficult it can be to grow food without using chemicals and why organic food is generally more expensive at markets and in shops.
7.  They’re more likely to shop locally, searching out better quality foods and flavours.
8. Participants have a better appreciation of their community.
9. Community gardens are available to people on a tight budget.
10. Participants will have learnt a basic life skill – they will know that whatever happens, they will be able to provide food for themselves and their families.
This list could go on. There’s room for a community garden everywhere.  As the Goresbridge project shows, you only need a small scrap of land to create one and an enthusiastic couple of people to get one up and running. So why not give it a go.
If you know of any community gardens running in your area I’d love to hear about them.  Please leave a comment or link with details so I can follow it up, or send me a tweet Thanks.

Spinach & Feta Puff Triangles Recipe (& a little bit about the Popeye veg too)

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Rainbow Chard

Spinach is probably one of the most nutritious veg we can eat as it’s loaded with vitamins – especially vitamins B9, C, K, Calcium and iron but it can be an acquired taste.

It can (but not always) taste bitter due to the levels of oxalic acid it contains.  Many leafy veg contain oxalic acid, which in high concentrations can be poisonous (eg rhubarb leaves) and fatal.  I googled “spinach” and “oxalic acid” out of curiosity to find out how much you would need to eat for it to be dangerous….. and found there are pages, and pages and pages of information out there – many with differing opinions.  Suffice to say that it would take a lot more spinach to harm us than our family or ‘Joe Public’ is likely to ever eat!

As well as spinach, we grow Swiss chard in our garden – the rainbow variety. It’s not as strong tasting and withstands the colder temperatures better. It doesn’t bolt as quickly either.


Bolting spinach – very bitter!


Chard is a type of beetroot without the beet (the swollen root). It’s from the same ‘family of vegetables’ – the Chenopodiaceae for anyone interested - so is grown in the same area.

I love the colours from the rainbow variety (ruby red, yellow and white stems) and they wouldn’t look out of place in a flower bed. If you’re tempted to grow Chard for cooking it’s a good idea to cut out the thick stem that run through the leaves (the midrib) and cook it separately as it takes longer (lovely stir fried, or steamed a few minutes before the leaves).

So, on to the recipe… As ever I’m always on the look out for easy recipes and came across this one on the food network channel which I’ve adapted (so I’m afraid the ingredients list and cooking time is a bit hap hazard!)

You could use Swiss chard instead of spinach but pre-cook it until it’s wilted as it takes a bit longer to cook than spinach.

Ingredients:

300g fresh spinach (or about 10oz of frozen)
A pack of feta cheese, or approx 120g
50g soft cheese (I used extra low fat Philidelphia)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
lots of black pepper
1 pack of frozen puff pastry

Method:

Preheat oven to 200oC/400oC/gas 6

Wash the fresh spinach and place it in a pan over heat with a lid on for a few minutes until it’s wilted slightly.  If you use frozen, run it under warm water or defrost it in a microwave as per the instructions.  Drain the leaves, let them cool for a couple of minutes if needed then squeeze as much excess water as you can from them.



Spinach, feta & cream cheese mix

Chop the leaves and place them in a bowl with all the other ingredients (except the pastry!)  Mix together with your (clean) hands, Nigella style.

Sprinkle some flour onto a clean, dry worktop and roll out the puff pastry in a square shape to about 3mm thick. Using a ruler cut the pastry into 7.5cm (3in) squares.

Imagining the square as two triangles, place a teaspoon of filling into the top half then dip your finger into a bowl of cold water and moisten the top edges of the pastry with the water.

Fold the squares in half so that the edges meet and then seal them together with a fork.

Brush the little pastries with milk then place onto baking paper (or a greased tin) for about 15 minutes, until they’re golden and puffed.

These are delicious served hot or cold. I had enough pastry to make about 26, and enough filling to make another 26! Yum. Enjoy!