Figs & Things

I've been waiting for my figs to ripen all summer, just when I was giving up hope I noticed a couple blushing at me from the tree. Having the luxury of a fig tree is something that I appreciate isn't in everyones garden or neighbourhood. You could try taking a cutting from a friends tree, they arent difficult to grow and they can thrive in small spaces as they like restricted roots but plenty of sun. Alternatively, head to the market, if you go to supermarkets you won't get much change and they'll be plastic packed.
The following recipe can also be used with any other soft fruit such as peaches, plums or apricots so don't be dismayed if figs are hard to come by or too expensive.

Roasted figs & tofu

1. Slice your figs in half and lay on a pre-oiled baking tray, sliced side up. Drizzle over with oil, salt and pepper and place in an oven gas mark 6 for 10 mins.

2. Meanwhile take a small chunk of tofu and mash up until its the consistancy of cottage cheese. If tofu isnt at hand this works well equally with black eyed peas or cannelini beans from a can, and works out cheaper too!

4. Season your mashed tofu/beans with salt, herbs, garlic and black pepper and blend in a small touch of oil or vegan marg.

5. Remove your figs or other soft fruit from the oven and spoon over your mixture. Return to oven for another 5-10 mins.

6. Enjoy on crusty bread or as an addition to a vegan meze or with rice.

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Scumptious Apples

I have two apples on my apple trees this year, a wet and windy spate during spring took off all the blossom before it had chance to be pollinated. Fortunately some sheltered community trees are full of fruit. Its becoming increasingly popular to collect fruit from trees on abandoned ground, and there are many sites in urban settings where fruit trees are left unpicked. I would encourage a ride around in your local area to see if there are any with easy access. Sometimes, it is also possible to ask permission of garden owners if they would allow you to pick some fruit in return of produce you've cooked up from it. Things like this are great for building communities.
Fruit like apples are great for storing, I got a good pick from the Church allotment, washed them and laid them out in the sun to dry off. Afterwards I packed them in a crate with holes in the side to allow air flow to store over the autumn period. You need to place them in layered with pieces of newspaper, and don't forget to keep regular checks on them to pull out any baddies. I would say its sufficient to check once a week, and keep them somewhere dark, cool and dry.
There were some bruised apples from my rich pickings which probably would last the week in storage, so I decided to make the following recipe:-

Oven baked Apple Fritters

You can deep-fry this recipe but these are just as tasty and more healthier baked. They are also wheat and gluten free so I might test them out on Jane with a cup of coffee when she comes in later.

Here we go:-

1. Take about a cup of gram flour, a cup of  fine corn meal, half a cup of sugar and two teaspoons of baking powder and place in bowl.

2. Mix the dry ingredients and put to one side.

3. Peel, core and slice about 3 apples and make 6 piles of the pieces on an oiled baking tray.

4. Take your bowl of dry ingredients and slowley add soya milk or water stirring constantly until you make a thick batter.

5. Ladle your batter over the piles of apple pieces to form 6 uncooked fritters, then place in an oven on Gas mark 6 until golden brown.

6. Serve up, sprinkled with icing sugar or drizzled with maple syrup or soya cream.

The apples were quite tart so made a nice balance to the sweet batter. If you are deep frying these then you should add the apples in with the batter and probably up the amount of apple pieces.

Left-over rice

About four years ago I spent a lovely week of books, countryside walks and vegan food in the welsh borders. The place we stayed at made their own vegan sausages and despite my best effort they kept their recipe secret. I suspected rice and tomato puree was involved so I was inspired to develop my own and was suprised at how easy it was and how effective in using up left-over rice.

Ricey sausages

1.Take your left-over cooked rice and add half again of chickpea flour, so you have a ratio of rice to flour,2:1.

2. Add a measure of tomato puree, enough to colour so I would start with a tablespoon amount. Then add herbs and spices according to taste and a small chopped and pre-cooked onion. You can experiment with additions but be aware that anything you add should be chopped small to avoid the mix losing its consistency. I got a free sample of spirulina from the healthstore and found it added both extra nutrition but also colour and a certain sweetness.

3. Add a dash of oil and mix all the ingredients by hand. At first the mixture will seem like breadcrumbs but the more you work it the more it becomes to resemble a dough. If your left-over rice is older than a few hours you may need to add a bit of liquid. Be careful though as you don't want a sloppy dough. Try a splash of tomato juice, apple juice or simply water.

4. Now take your ricey sausage dough and shape by hand into sausage shapes and place on a pre-oiled baking tray.

5. Put your sausages aside in the fridge to allow to set a little into their shapes. Overnight is a good time then you can have them for breakfast!

6. Cook either baked in an oven at gas mark 6 until crispy, or shallow fry turning gently to cook both sides. I've not experimented with cooking these on a charcoal barbie but I would guess if you did you'd be best using something like foil to support their shape.

8. Because they are quite carb loaded I served mine up with a selection of a medley of veg, but as part of a vegan all day breakfast I certainly wouldnt exclude them, neither in roll with ketchup and salad!!

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A long time waiting green beans

It seems a long time since the end of March when I planted my bean seeds in a pot. Its hardly been 'Jack and the beanstalk' but as you can see they seem to make a good item to cultivate in a small area, which is ideal for urban plots, balconies or where space is limited to pots. They are just fruiting now so hopefully over the next few weeks I will have them as a nice addition to my table. They are arriving just in time to go with rice and lentils that are on offer at my nearest halal grocers for Ramadan. Simply chopped and added to red lentils and rice whilst cooking, they add that nice fresh green crunch and you dont need to add much more than a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. But of course add more flavours as you wish!
Green beans are low in protein so its good to combine them with some rich protein sources such as almonds or tempeh, although you may blow your budget on these hence here is a cheaper tasty combo:-

Chickpea and Green Bean Panisse

Panisse is a traditional Italian recipe made from chickpea flour cooked and set aside to solidify,in the similiar way to polenta. Chickpea flour is 22% protein and is so 'vegan versatile'. Again, because of Ramadan its worth checking out your local Asian supermarket for offers on gram flour (the indian chickpea flour that is slightly coarser than italian flours but does the trick)

1. Heat a saucepan with a drizzle of oil and place in your green beans finely chopped and some chives,onion tops or garlic.
2. Once the green beans have sweated off add more oil and a cupful of chickpea flour. Stir until the flour mix resembles breadcrumbs and has absorbed all the added oil.
3. Cook the mixture for a further minute and then add water slowely, a bit at a time, until you have a consistency of porridge.
4. Continue cooking and stirring and as the mixture thickens, add more water to return it to a porridge texture. You will need to cook for a further 5 minutes like this to ensure the flour has cooked thoroughly.
5. Take off the heat and pour into a sandwich box or other suitable container and allow to cool and set for 2-3 hours.
6. Once set, slice into strips.
7. Take the strips and bake until crunchy on the outside in an oven at gas mark 6, about 20 mins. Alternatively, cook on a griddle or in a lightly oiled frying pan until crispy on the outside.
8. Serve with salad,veg or a passata sauce (as pictured) as a main meal or enjoy as a snack.

Hopefully more green beans to come and maybe some figs too soon!

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Beans & Greens

Ive been growing swiss chard in my back plot, as it makes a great vegetable for small areas and you can continue to trim leaves throughout the year to prolong your harvest.
Unfortunately my experiments in german radish has resulted in them being overshadowed and a smaller yield than I would have liked.
Hence, finding some leftover greens in the back of a fridge I've bolstered my chard in the following recipe.
For an even leaner week, you could supplement the chard with cabbage trimmings from your local market, or this time of year peruse the hedgerows for sorrel, fat-hen and rosebay willow herb.
Dried pre-shelled fava beans are cheap and plentiful in any asian supermarkets and make a protein rich alternative to mashed spuds, having soaked them overnight and boiled them until soft. They are popular in lebanese cooking but feature in many mediterranean dishes. This one is inspired by a rural dish from Puglia where hedgerow greens are popular in traditional food.

Fava bean & pot herb bake

1. In a shallow oven dish sweat off a sliced onion and your chard and greens in oil. Season with salt,pepper and nutmeg (if available)

2. Meanwhile, cook off your pre-soaked fava beans until soft.

3. Drain your beans and return to heat.Continue stirring until they resemble mashed potato, season and add some oil or vegan marg if the mash is too stiff and not smooth enough.

4. Take your mashed fava beans and layer on top of your greens. Drizzle with oil and bake in a oven (gas mark 6) until crispy on top.

5. Serve and enjoy. I picked up some reduced basil at my local wholefood shop so I got my partner Jane to mix up one of her lovely vegan pestos to accompany it with fresh garlic herby flavours. You can also make a simple ragu of soya mince and passata and have this as one of the side dishes for a meal with friends.

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