Autumn 2011 - using autumn vegetables

Using Autumn and winter vegetables

Now it is the end of October and the very start of November (gosh! Where did the summer disappear to? I think the poor, wet summer has misled us all somewhat).

Yes, there have been disappointments – my brassicas and beans have been miserable (I’ve been saying that all season, I am so boring!). My onions were great, I still had too many beans and tomatoes and, let’s face it fruit has been brilliant this year. But every year is going to give us different conditions when some crops will be great and some will be disappointing or a complete failure. We need to look at what is not worth pursuing and what is worth having another try at in, hopefully, different conditions.

This year my new try-outs were West Indian gherkins, outside grown physalis and several different varieties of carrots. The gherkins and physalis were a complete waste of time. Unfortunately, when I grew them in my polytunnel, although they were brilliant and very productive, they also took over the whole tunnel.

I have grown a variety of carrots in a variety of situations. Yet again, I have grown some in a raised box – 1 metre off the ground and in bought-in compost. Yet again, this has not been particularly successful. Both Purple Haze and Flyaway have been attacked by carrot fly by the end of the season for not very productive crops - so much for the myth that carrot root fly can't fly above 30cms!

For carrots - I have grown 2 rows of ‘Blanc a collet vert’ straight into the ground which have given me superb roots, albeit attacked by rootfly. There are still enough of good-enough roots to eat for some-time yet. The best crops, sown March to April were in a raised bed (only 10cms up) of Creme de Lite, Flyaway and Resitafly. The Creme de Lite have been the star of the season – super huge roots, particularly tender and, although not totally resistant to root fly, they have given me a crop I can continue to use – brilliant!

Beetroots have been amazing this year – head-sized roots which are still tender and usable – surprisingly. This year I have only sown one crop and as it did particularly well, I didn’t re-sow. Now I have so many, I feel I must use them before the bitter winter we have been forecast kicks in. I guess, now that we are preparing for it, this amazingly cold winter won’t happen. You know what they say – You hope for the best but, prepare for the worst!

I have only ever used beetroots for pickles, chutneys or soups. This year I have tried them as a vegetable. I have steamed them - unfortunately, for my super large roots, they have taken some time to steam but, what a delicious and colourful vegatable. And, of course, if you are using smaller specimens they won't take so long to cook.

What can we do with these ‘winter’ vegetables? Try the following for nutritious, wholesome and low calorie soups:

Beetroot Soup

Allow ⅓ pint (190ml) approx per portion when served as a starter. When served as a main dish (eg lunch with a chunk of country or homemade bread, increase the quantity)

4 medium to large beetroots                                     1½ pts vegetable stock

2 leeks                                                                     Juice of 1 lemon

2 tomatoes                                                               1 tsp sugar

1 tsp tomato paste                                                    1 apple

fromage frais and chopped chives to garnish               seasoning

Method

·         Peel and grate the beetroots.

·     Trim the leeks and wash well to remove any grit or soil from the vegetable. Chop into fairly small pieces.

·         Peel and chop the tomatoes.

·         Peel and core the apple, then chop into fairly small pieces.

·         Put all the prepared vegetables and apples into a heavy pan that you can cover.

·         Add the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the beetroot is soft. This will probably take about 1 hour.

·         Add the tomato paste, lemon juice and seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste.

·         Serve with a dollop of fromage frais or cream in the middle and garnish with chopped chives.

Leek, Potato and Cauliflower soup

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower                                      4 - 5 good sized leeks

½ Kilo ( 1 lb) potatoes (not new)                    3 – 4 cloves of garlic – well chopped or crushed

1 red onion – finely chopped                          1 litre (2pints) vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup white wine                                               Salt – to taste

Freshly crushed black pepper                         Chopped parsley to decorate

½ tsp finely chopped lemon thyme                Double cream to decorate

Method

·         Slice or shred the leeks then wash well to remove any soil or dirt ( personally, I like the green parts of leeks so, I keep in as much of this part of the leeks as possible).

·         Peel the potatoes and cut into fairly small pieces.

·         Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash well.( make sure there are no hidden slugs)

·         Peel the garlic and chop finely.

·         Peel and slice finely or chop the onion.

·         Add the oil or oil and butter to a large saucepan or soup pan and heat.

·         Add the prepared vegetables and sweat (cook gently without browning).

·         Add the wine and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat until it is just simmering, until all the vegetables are soft - about 40 mins.

·         If you are going to add herbs, use with discretion. This soup has a fairly delicate flavour which can be overpowered with too many herbs. I like a little lemon thyme.

·         Add the salt and pepper.

·         Put through a food processor if you have one – a hand held processor is excellent for this job. If you don’t have one, sieve the soup through a coarse sieve.

·         Return to the heat and correct the seasoning to taste ( salt and pepper)

·         Serve with chopped parsley and a swirl of cream – personally, I don’t add cream or more fat where it is not necessary.

This is a simple, wholesome and cheap soup. I have added lots of ingredients which enhance the flavour but, are not necessary. Leek and potato soup is excellent – just make sure the seasoning is right.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a hunk of wholemeal bread. Enjoy!