Cream Cheese From Yogurt

After making Paneer Tikka (we're so obsessed with that stuff!) I had a bunch of leftover yogurt. I had no plan for it and I was worried it would go off. When I started making cheese a friend of mine mentioned the cream cheese she had made from yogurt. I thought 'how hard can it be to google that'... well you'll never have to find out. I used this tutorial.

It's not a true cream cheese - shockingly that would require cream to make - but it is delicious. I found it surprisingly light with none of the cloying aftertaste I get from shop bought. After I took the cheese out of it's cloth I mixed in some herbs straight off the balcony. Stunning green chives that have only just popped their heads above ground after winter.

I hastily snapped this before breakfast where the herby cream cheese was a big success. For me at least. Stephen thought it was a little too tart from the yoghurt. Looks like a true cream cheese is one of my next experiments.

Grow Write Guild Prompt #1: Write about your first plant

I was set up to fail with my first plant. Judging by what's aimed at kids I think most of us were. Novelty kits, beginners kits, Venus flytraps with colourful labels. Notoriously picky plants, vague instructions (water when needed but take care not to over water) and badly thought out pots seem standard.

 I once owned a gorgeous, beautifully designed novelty plant in a can. The instructions told me to add water to the odd mix of perlite and seeds and from that I would be able to grow lavender. It's just that easy. It just never germinated. But that wasn't my first plant. My first plant was back when I was a spotty teenager.

I really, desperately wanted my own herb garden but with no space for an inexperienced hands in our garden I was given a windowsill growing kit. It had compost, a tray with four sections, more seeds than strictly necessary and sparse instructions.

I can't even remember what all the seeds were. One was chives. I remember because it was disappointing.  Growing chives from seed is painfully boring. I've done it a couple of times and you can pretty much bet you aren't going to get a harvest in your first year. Ultimately worth it for an adult, not so much when you are still getting told off for scuffing your school shoes.

'sokay chives, I love you now

So I started my seeds at the wrong time of year, watching them as the germinated and did... not much for a long time. Eventually I killed them but if I didn't they wouldn't have lead much of a life. They would have been painfully cramped, lacked any nutrition, and any attempt to out them outside would have been met by winter. Perhaps they could have been micro veg but even if I'd known the term back then it would have been a ridiculous price per serving.

I never did get to figure out how to eat them. Probably for the best. They were put out of their misery when I tried to close my blinds one night. The tray knocked from the windowsill, all signs of life extinguished, compost in my carpet, me about to be yelled at.

 As you can see I was never cut out to be a gardener.

[This post was written as a response to the 1st prompt of Gayla Trail's Grow Write Guild. Check it out.]

Incredible Edible Ramsbottom

It's odd when something you grew up with becomes famous. When you see it on TV, read about it in books, when your head Gardener asks you if you know about it. That's how I feel about the Incredible Edible Towns.

Seriously

Incredible Edible Todmorden was the first, and the most well known but the Incredible Edible movement is spreading to many of the North West towns of my childhood. I knew that I had to visit at least one Incredibly Edible town as I stayed with my Dad. Ramsbottom won out. Mainly because of the bad weather and my Aunt who lives there having a new puppy.

Sleepers to match to local steam trains

We took the grown up dogs on a quick tour. Stopping by the raised beds outside a closed pub and the fire station. Peering over backyard fences to peek at Chickens (with permission of course) Even in the winter there where plenty of edibles about. Strawberries and Artichokes getting ready for the new season. Hardy Herbs and over wintered Chard. A public compost bin and a place to swap veg. Taking a look at the events calender gets me excited too. A wassail is to come and, last year, an event celebrating my favourite foraged food; ramsons or wild garlic. After all that's what Ramsbottom is named for. What, did you think it was dirty?

Bins For The Incredible Leftovers

A town I visited almost every week as a kid has placed itself on the front-line of the battle to produce healthy, cheap, local food. And to honour the importance of labour and community as well as fabulous food. I couldn't be more in awe.

Because I couldn't get away without showing you the pup

Home Made Hair Gunk

Our trip ever so slightly east last week involved plenty of swimming. At least messing about in a swimming pool which is really my favourite part of swimming. And unlike my dip in the healing pool at Chalice Well this was a fully heated, chlorinated and sometimes indoor experience. The chlorine cleared up some of my more annoying patches of eczema but it really did a number on my hair, reducing it to something with the strength and flexibility of uncooked spaghetti.

Infusing my fresh, home grown herbs

I came across a recipe for Enriching Hair Treatment Gel in Grow Your Own Drugs: A Year With James Wong  which is intriguingly based on xanthan gum. I thought I'd give it a go and document the process for your (although, honestly, mostly for my own) amusement. It was fun to whip up the gel and I let it soak in while reading The Complete Claudine in the bath. It felt exactly how it looked, especially when still warm, so that was slightly disconcerting but as my hair is now pleasantly moisturised I'm not complaining.

Process pictures, including me in a charming shower cap, after the jump.

Lavender and cursing

I'm going to blog today about my to favourite cushions. The first one is very sensible but the second one is features a pattern from the Subversive Cross Stitch so if you aren't a fan of swearing I'll put that after the jump.  Let's start on the sensible though.

Nap Time

So what about the sensible one? This is a cushion to help me sleep. Since about June and all though my appendix problem, vegan mofo and most of November my sleep was almost none-existent. So I had to do something serious. I do not cope remotely well without sleep. I had no energy, my scheduling became more about when can I make time for naps rather than when can I make time to work on things. I tried the usual stuff:  exhausting my body, not napping through the day so I was tired at night, keeping to a routine. I was still up half the night.

I decided to bring out the big guns. following the recipe in Grow Your Own Drugs I made up a mix of lavender and hops and stuffed it in this hand stitched pillow. I also appliquéd and embroidered on the top of it for a bit of extra magic. So far I've slept soundly every night it's been under my pillow.

I bought a book: Jekka's Herb Cookbook

Another book that came out last year that I couldn't afford was Jekka's Herb Cookbook. As I love cooking, I love growing things and 'I'm not sure ask Jekka' (as in look it up in Jekka's Complete Herb Book) is commonly heard in my house Stephen thought it would make a good birthday gift. And it did.

It's a perfect book. It looks stunning. Hanna McVicar's illustrations look great and give the book an incredible vibrancy. It's a great book for those times when your horticultural eyes are bigger than your chef's belly and you end up wondering what do I do with all this damn fennel now?

Rosemary Bread chills out

More Rainy Days

It's officially an annual tradition! March rain bring all sorts of loveliness with it. The extra water seems to give plants an excuse to throw out lush leaves. Seedlings take it as a opportunity to poke their heads up. We've even got some flowers forming.

Harvest time: drying things out

Our balcony isn't know for how spacious it is. Especially not with all the plant pots. And it's especially cramped at the moment being cut across with a row of beautiful golden shallots. Briefly they lived in out living room, out of sunlight on baking parchment, a talking point for anyone who dropped by. Then in march they went in to one of our medium sized pots, 34" diameter, in spot that receives partial shade. With a little water and absolutely no fuss each bulb broke into a cluster of stunning autumn coloured gems, growing up and then fattening out. Now they are grown and drying across the balcony to be stored for later use. And that isn't all we are drying out right now.

Viva Vegan and how I wish I could cook

There was supposed to be more food on this plate. But there isn't. I'll get to that later.

First let's talk about Viva Vegan! in general. It's bloody fantastic. It's half primer for Latin American cooking, half recipes. There are so many variations and 'how too' side bars that I've read it cover to cover three times and I'm still finding new things. And that's even taking into account how I'm probably never going to get some of the ingredients in the UK.

Content-wise I honestly don't think I own a better cookbook - it's detailed, precise and delicious. It's ordered in an interesting yet incredibly workable way. And for once in my life I can say that the appendices are useful. Appearance-wise not so much. Like many niche cookbooks, especially one of this density, the layout is a bit cramped, everything is tightly packed, there just isn't enough white on the page. It didn't stop me from enjoying the book, and of course it's understandable from the publishers perspective, but it did take some getting used to.

Onto the plate. I decided my first meal would be Venezuelan-style Black Beans (because I had black beans), Fried Sweet Plantains (because plantains were going cheap), and Cilantro-Line Rice (for I have a lot of coriander growing). So what happened? Well the beans were so delicious I'm deliriously remembering the taste the morning after (also: leftovers, yay!), the plantains spot on, the rice...? Well I happened to the rice. I mis-measured and ended up with rice soup.

So Viva Vegan a massive success, my cooking not so much.

Grow Box

Around here exciting things come in boxes. Today especially. Our Box To Grow came. It was packed with all these goodies

"Lettuce Eluarde (Red Oakleaf) x 3
Lettuce Hardy (Green Oakleaf) x 3
Rocket x 2 Mustard x 3
Rainbow chard x 3
Swiss chard x 3
Spring Onion x 3
Beetroot x 4
Parsley x 2
Mint x 2
Coriander x 2
Parsley (Pot) x 1
Mint (Pot) x 1
Coriander (Pot) x 1
Peas (Packet of seeds) x 1
Radish (Packet of seeds) x 1"

I have some space in some pots going free and I went out to buy one more. But I knew it was going to be a squeeze. I didn't know it was going to be this much of a squeeze though! I sat there, the plants and myself wilting in the April sun trying desperately to invent room. Here is what I went for...


The Beefsteak Tomatoes where also due out today so I desperately thought what the hell can I inter crop with them. The tomatoes take up lots of vertical height but they are thin enough to have some company, at least with some fast growers. In the small pot I spread around some spring onions and beetroot. The beetroot will only end up small but I have another two varieties elsewhere so I'm not loosing anything to produce jewel like little ones.

The large pot has one of the Beefsteaks towards the camera. Again it's the idea of tall and thin. Surrounding it, again quick croppers, are spring onions in a rough semi circle. Beyond that, on the side with the sea, I went for fat but short as not to overshadow the toms. I put in the Chard and some Rocket which I put next to the chard and then got muddled with... oh well, it will live. With luck.
The next planting point was around the Blackcurrant. In it's first year it's going to be unproductive so some short lived Green Oak Leaf lettuce, coriander and parsley will give us something from the space while hopefully keeping weeds down and reminding us to water.

Then I really was just inventing space. I filled up one of the boxes it came in with the mint, and one of ours from last year. It may get a more permanent home. We'll see!


Then with some of my perennial herbs went the mustard and the rocket. The space was kindly vacated by the mint above and a rosemary that we have stripped this winter. I think I'll have to get a bigger one this year. But for now I'm glad of the space. Another box I sowed peas for pea tendrils. Yes we did watch The Edible Garden last night and I am wondering what the chances of an non-alcoholic peatini. Again, as for it's longevity we'll just have to see.

Okay now everyone, group shot!

Our first carrot - and what became of it

Clare pulled our first home-grown carrot this evening. As you can see, it was a little early - but we couldn't tell that from the top. Its two roots spiralled around each other, one ending bluntly and the other extending into a long tail.


That first carrot became part of my evening meal - grated with several potatoes and some thyme, then fried in olive oil, then topped with grated mature Cheddar and grilled. Next time I'll use vegetable oil, as the flavour of the olive oil overpowered the other flavours.

International inspiration, local food

I like to think (and write like) my menus have some sort of beautifully put together theme. Each bit connects to the next like a culinary jigsaw. Nope. What actually happens is that I eat what I feel like in the combination I feel like eating them.

Tonight I made the Baked Cajun Fries from Vegan with a Vengeance which I personally think is the best recipe on the planet.

I'm trying to use up the chard from the Riverford box before I go away this weekend so I used it in the Spinach and Cilantro Coriander tortilla recipe from the Veganomicon. If you remember that was the first recipe I ever cooked from it. The coriander was home grown. The chard tasted far too earthy compared to the sublime spinach so I didn't quite enjoy it as much.

To dip into I opened up a pot of chutney made a few weeks ago. It's carrots (leftover from Riverford) and dried fruit chutney from India's Vegetarian Cooking. It is a sweet, spicy, refreshing chutney that apparently goes well with Indian inspired Mexican Cajun meals.

And I do apologise for the lack of posts over the weekend. I went away with the Guides so I couldn't eat any of the box, never mind post about it. But here is a picture of a pony (you'll have to guess which one is which)

Monsanto-free round up

Seeds

Sown salad leaves. Rocket and mixed orientals. Desperate for my BBC Lollo Rosso. Apart from that this years first sowing is done. Scary thought. Too much or not enough?

Shoots

Stormy weather has seen the appearance of the salad leaves and radishes.

Buying

A pretty purple primrose (looking rather ill from the transport and transplanting) and eau de cologne mint came home with us from the Torre Abbey plant sale.

Tomatoes

Three fruit now growing. More flowers showing indoors.

Summerish

There's something sublimely summery about the Riverford box this week. The adorable tomatoes, the muddy spring onions and the lovely, crunchy lettuce.

It's an idea far too much ingrained in me from my student economy: salad is bloody expensive. Like the majority of the worlds population iceberg makes me gag. I'm sorry, it tastes like nothing. It looks worse.

I don't mind making a Caeser salad (vegetarianised, naturally) out of a head of romaine or a pomegranate encrusted rocket number. Buying the lettuce is a nice chunk of change though, especially as I could never eat the entire thing as a single person.

The Riverford head of lettuce will most likely see some waste. Although one of the benefits of the veggie box is that things straight from the farm are much fresher and last longer.

This summer's solution is cut and come again crops. Spinach beet, salad bowl lettuce, rocket, lollo rossa and mixed orientals. With the addition of herbs from the kitchen window, wild pickings and yummy dressings I'll hopefully be able to make salad an everyday thing.

This simple one was a Riverford lettuce base, spring onions and fried parsley on top and dressed with the sesame dressing from the Veganomicon.

For a tasty, healthy, adorable desert I made ice cubes out of banana and berries. I got the idea from a recipe in Vicky Bhogal's new book Flavour. I'm hoping to get a review together once I've cooked something proper from it. But in parting I'll tell you that it is stunning.

God damn it another garden round up

Seeds

We bought a (rather disappointing) gardening magazine that came with free seeds. Swede, courgette, dill, parsley and spring onion. I've wedged the dill and spring onions into this years planting plan everything else will have to wait.

I've planted some beetroot, spring onion and carrots in my giant roots tub. Planting beetroot clockwise around the edge and spring onion and carrot in rows until I run out of room. A few more spinach beets and salad bowl lettuce went into the salad pot.

Shoots

Cauliflower and beefsteak tomatoes have appeared. I planted a late clove of garlic out of frustration that all my cloves had sprouted. After weeks of silence that has shot up.

Swaps

A tomato plant for a rosemary. The rosemary is waiting optimistically for me to get it a new pot. God damn those things are hard to carry home though!

Unfortunately my hands where shaking too much for a picture (that's what I get for gardening in my PJs) but it's wild Wednesday tonight.

garden round up

My apologies if this is more for my benefit than yours but so much has happened in the past week that I have to document it or I'll loose all memory of it.





Seeds

We've received some seeds from Stephen's parents. Duplicates of ones they already had. Beefsteak tomatoes, carrots, marigolds, and mixed salad leaves.

I've planted two pots of beefsteak, two more cauliflowers, and some borage.

Shoots

My agonising ended this week when I caught sight of salad bowl lettuce (pictured), spinach beet and mint crawl their way from bellow ground.




Plants bought

Safely arrived from Jekka are my aloe, lavender (pictured), soapwort and chamomile. I also splashed out on some thyme plugs and some fennel from a local artist.

Deaths

Blackcurrant has probably had it. Though it may have been the cold, then the lack of feed, then over watering (to feed it...) but nothing we did could bring it back. Still two leaves remain and I don't want to throw it until they go and confirm it's death.

Sweetness and Light

My cooking has been taking on a sweet quality lately. And when my cooking hasn't my condiments have. I finally broke down and bought a bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce from Riverford. It's lovely and sweet but still hot. Not at all bland like the supermarket variety. And, of course, 100% organic.

I've been experimenting with how to use it in cooking too. The Asian Marinated tofu recipe (from Vegan with a Vengeance and again in Veganomicon) calls for Asian chili sauce. I used the Sweet Chili Sauce instead. It sits here on a bed of Spring Greens in Garlic and Soy Sauce from Riverford Farm Cook Book. Destroying the name I used leftover marinade instead of the soy.

Garnished with fresh chives from the windowsill and more Sweet Chili sauce it made a deliciously sweet, tasty, nutritious meal. All with organic ingredients.

Last night was a bit of a shambles nutrition wise. Not that I feel guilty about that. I did feel bad about not cooking though. I was itching to get my fingers dirty. So after our chippy tea I made vegan fruit crumble.

Freezer Crumble
for one person

• around a cup of frozen mixed berries
• half an apple quartered (I use an edible so eat the other half, and I don't bother peeling)
• half a cup of sugar
• half a cup of flour
  
• quarter of a cup of vegan marge

With your hand mix the flour, sugar and marge until the mixture resembles a course sand.

Put the apple and berries into a decent sized ramekin (I've seen a tea cup too but my appetite isn't that delicate!)

Cover the fruit with your sandy mixture.

Put it in the oven at 180 C or 350 F for 30-35 minutes.

When the mixture is bubbling out eat it.

Earning my hippy licence

More from Ultimate Natural Beauty Book. One of the sidebars recommends a tisane of Hibiscus flowers as a rinse for red hair. Okay my hair isn't naturally red but let's pretend. Hibiscus and rose hip teabags can be obtained from Holland and Barret so I thought it would be easy enough to give a go in tonight's shower.

But why - I though - waist the energy to boil tea just to have it cool, just so I can put it on my hair? So I followed the instructions for sun tea from You Grow Girl i.e shove it in a glass pot and leave it out in the sun.

I came home after a day out in Hackney Marshes to find a big jar of red on my balcony. While at the marshes I harvested some young nettles for another hair preparation. Without gloves. I know it was rather stupid. the hairs protruded through the bags and I got stung. Oh well, lesson learned. As every kid knows a dock leaf helped out.

Moving on. Also inspired by my recent love of knocking up potions I made an order from Jekka's Herb Farm. I have some borage seeds coming as well as aloe vera, lavender, soap wort and chamomile plants. All organic, great stuff.

This big!

With thanks to boyfriend for the chocolate brownies!

The nursery window is starting to empty out. In the last few days spring has arrived, miraculously and undeniably. The tomatoes have shot up. The parsley is egging for room. I even managed to wear sunglasses!

My herbs have all grown big enough to pop on their permanent windowsill above the kitchen sink. The basil seems to be lagging behind a bit but my tomatoes are months away so I can wait.

Blackcurrant is now a permanent resident of the balcony and the tomatoes are out in their little cloches getting used to the daytime sun.

Most excitingly I've done the first bit of sowing outside. The pot here is my salad pot. One corner is getting tomato, the other rocket. But the two I've popped in already are the salad bowl lettuce and the perpetual spinach.

The nursery windowsill is still home to the cauliflower and mint. As well as the tomatoes reserved for the plant sale.

I still need a further four or five bags of compost. Anyone want to help me carry them?