Newsletter Autumn 2014

What a fantastic growing Summer it’s been. After that mild, wet Spring and the armies of

marauding slugs, nature settled down into providing us with an abundance of crops. I was

especially pleased with the sweetcorn which in a single meal justified the rent. Scrumptious.

The water supply has been transformed from a trickle to a torrent and though there was

some damage here and there the workmen tried hard to minimize the problem of

maneuvering a machine that was wider than the paths. They even anticipated damaging a

gladiolus in flower on my patch, dug it up and replanted it in a safer place. It didn’t survive

but I appreciated the kindness of the thought. Chris writes the following more thorough

account:

The work comprised a new 32mm meter, and 32mm ring main around the site plus two new standpipes in addition to the 11 already there. This will now hopefully provide a much better and at least adequate supply to all, and within reasonable reach of all Plots. This resulted in some disruption, which I hope we all felt has been worthwhile in the greater interest of all. It has also lead to some damage to the pathways, and it would be very much appreciated if the adjacent Plotholders – this means YOU (if alongside any such path) – could put in a bit of work to repair & restore the paths to a good standard to provide a smooth and level passage for all going by. To remind you that the three main paths across the site should be maintained at 4 feet wide, whilst the smaller inter-plot paths should be wide enough to allow fair passage for a man-with-a-barrow. I’d suggest at least 2 feet to 2 foot six wide, especially where there are constructions such as Compost Bins / Sheds at the side, or on both sides of the path.

Woodchip is still on our request list and the funny thing is we are always ‘third’ in line. Like

Groundhog Day. Chris is trying his best to get us a delivery but says that if you’re desperate

Sarah Miller at Northwick Riding Stables is happy for people to help themselves from their

ever growing pile. Out of courtesy Please ask her first.

The Bonfire scheduled for 1st November was cancelled because a number of people had

concerns about the safety of nearby sheds, and because a deal of unwanted, un-burnable,

wet rubbish had been summarily dumped there for your Site Rep to clear. This doesn’t

mean that no bonfires can happen. As long as you are considerate and don’t burn noxious

stuff in a cavalier manner you can have your own bonnie. Not on plot 49 though, that’s been

let.

The Scouts couldn’t make the date arranged for October but they will rearrange. Bear them

in mind if you have any things for hefting/ grubbing up etc. and they will be pleased to help

if at all possible.

New Contracts are still being signed or found in forgotten piles of post. You really do need

to sign the copies, get them witnessed (by anybody – doesn’t have to be the Site Rep) and

send them back to the Council. If you few who have not yet done this, could do so, it would

be much appreciated.

Payment rules is the significant change in the agreement and you now have only one month

to cough up i.e. by the end of October. Or 1st November if you are paying by Direct Debit. A

cautionary note for those who go overdue – The Council will be taking a much stricter view

on late payments this year, with notices of Tenancy Agreements being terminated being

issued short order if still unsettled in a couple of weeks.

Horse Manure delivered in two great mounds went down a treat and many Plotters have

expressed interest in having more deliveries. Thanks, again, to Chris for arranging this. With

luck more muck will be on its way shortly. Watch your emails & the notice boards for an

update on this.

Hello & Goodbye

We have said goodbye to a few Plotters this year including Reg Thomas (plot 7) who I

believe had been on the site for quite some years. All good wishes to him. John and Mollie

Pringle (plot 37) have also left for pastures new after 10 years here and they too go with our

very best wishes.

We have also said goodbye – I hope only au revoir – to Jan Fisher (original and best Deputy

Site Rep). Jan sent me this delightful picture of her son and family in allotment mode. Barry,

Colin & John lent a hand to try to help Jan with her patch but she feels she is needed

elsewhere at present. She sends the boys her thanks, though.

We say hello to several new Plotters and I am sure their neighbours will make them

welcome. I was excited to see some very smart chickens are in residence on Plot 1 and

already looking very much at home there.

There are still a few plots and half-plots available or in the pipe-line. If you know someone

who’s interested, encourage them to get their name on the waiting list. The Council Website

has details of how to do this or they can just contact The Hub.

Possible Give Away

I’ve been in conversation with Judith Sherrat who organizes the senior citizens’ Lunches at

the Ombersley Road Methodist Church Hall. She would be very pleased to receive any

surplus produce we have, especially fruit and veg that can be frozen. My guess is that from

time to time many of us have more than we can sensibly use ourselves, and anyway it’s

good to share the bounty around. I’ll be sending an email round to take this idea further and

meanwhile perhaps people could have a think about whether they’d like to be part of this

initiative.

RECIPES You didn’t let me down.

Blackberry Muffins

Ingredients

Makes: 12 blackberry muffins

• 55g butter

• 100g golden caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 100ml full fat milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 200g plain flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 110g blackberries

By ingredients online now

Method

Prep:10min › Cook:30min › Ready in:40min

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin and line with muffin cases.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat

in the eggs, one at a time until well blended then beat in the milk and vanilla extract. In a

bowl sift together the flour and baking powder then mix and add to the muffin mixture.

Add the blackberries and stir through, ensuring that they are evenly distributed. Divide

the mixture between the muffin cases and fill to 2/3 full.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Thanks to Alison Staines Courgette soup with pasta and herbs

1lb courgettes trimmed

2tbsp olive oil

1large onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 1/4 vegetable stock

5 fl. oz white vermouth or dry white wine

Salt pepper

1/2 tsp. dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2ozs small pasta shapes

1 tbsp shredded fresh basil

Parmesan shavings to serve

Cut courgettes into cubes

Heat oil in large saucepan

Add onion & garlic. Cook on low heat till soft and transparent

Add courgettes

Cover and leave to sweat for 5mins.

Pour in stock and vermouth/ wine

Season with salt and pepper

Add chilli flakes and oregano

Simmer for 15 -20mins

Stir in pasta shapes

Simmer for further5-10mins until cooked

Add the chives, basil and Parmesan shavings

Delicious with .......

Parmesan scones

Pre heat oven to 220c/425f / gas 7

Grease baking tray with butter

Sift 8ozs S.R flour,1/4tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp English mustard and 1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

into a large mixing bowl

Add 3 tbsp olive oil and mix together with a knife until resembles coarse breadcrumbs

Add 1 3/4 freshly grated parmesan and seasoning.

Beat an egg with 2tbsp milk and bind mixture together

Roll the dough to 1 inch thickness and stamp out rounds with small cutter. Place onto baking

tray. Bake for 7-8 min

Tried and tested many times, freezes well, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labour during

the cold winter months

Thanks to Lee & Peter Bluck

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash (about 1kg) – peeled, deseeded and cut into 1”-2” cubes

4 tbsp olive oil

40g salted butter

2 crushed garlic cloves

handful fresh oregano leaves finely chopped (or dried)

10 sage leaves

275g risotto rice

1.25 litres hot vegetable stock

200ml white wine

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

parmesan to serve

1. Put the squash on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil. 2. Put the butter, remaining oil and garlic in large saucepan or large frying pan. Cook gently for two

minutes, then add the herbs and rice.

3. Let the rice absorb the juices, then stir in a ladle of the stock. Wait until it’s been absorbed

then add the wine and the rest of the stock, one ladle at a time, making sure the stock has

been absorbed before adding another ladle.

4. When the rice is cooked but still has some bite to it, add the squash and lightly mash half

of the squash with a fork.

5. Stir in the lemon juice and add seasoning to taste. Don’t add too much salt as parmesan

goes in next.

6. When the mixture has cooled down a little bit, add the parmesan. Adding it earlier reduces

the flavour of the cheese.

7. Enjoy!

‘Sun’-dried tomatoes done in the oven

1. Cut the tomatoes in half.

2. Sprinkle with a little salt.

3. Place on a wire (cooling) rack.

4. Place the rack on a baking tray (to stop tomatoes sticking to the floor of your oven!)

5. Put in the oven at 50 degrees Celsius, close the door and leave overnight for very intensely

flavoured tomatoes, or leave for 4 or 5 hours for slightly moist, yet equally delicious

tomatoes.

6. When dried, place in sterilised jars and cover with olive oil (Aldi sell Extra Virgin oil at a

bargain price!)

Thanks to Mandy & Alex Howard

Butternut Squash Hummus

550 g butternut squash (about ½ a medium squash)

1.5 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil

Can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

2 Tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic

Juice 1 lemon

2 Tbsp water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1/16 tsp cumin

Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425/ Gas mark 7

Cube the squash and toss in 1 tbsp oil

Roast for 30 mins or so

Remove from oven and cool

Add squash, 1½ tbsp oil, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon and water to a food processor or

blender and process until smooth.

Add spices and blend until well combined.

Keeps refrigerated for up to a week.

Broccoli & Stilton Soup

1 onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 heads broccoli, chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1L chicken or veg stock

100g stilton cheese

In a large saucepan, over a medium heat, cook onions in oil until translucent. Stir in broccoli

and potatoes and cook until vegetables begin to release their moisture. Pour in stock, bring

to boil then simmer until vegetables are tender – about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and

let cool slightly. Stir in cheese until melted.

Puree soup in processor or blender.

A Tip

Someone passed on this helpful hint:

If you freeze soup, try using milk containers. A 1 pint size is enough to serve 2, I reckon.

Leave a little room to allow for expansion.

Karen Thorp won Third Prize for her floral arrangement at the Worcester Show. Congratulations!

Spanish Slugs – A (brief) history

In the early spring of 2012 a new species of slug, Arion vulgaris, commonly known as the

Spanish Slug, was identified in the UK for the first time, by Dr Ian Bedford, Head of

Entomology at the John Innes Centre, Norwich. He noticed an unusually high number of

slugs in his garden in spring 2012 and noticed they were not just eating plants but other

things too such as dog excrement and dead animals. It was first thought to be a species of

slug called Arion Flagellus, commonly known as the Spanish Stealth slug which was first

identified in the UK in 1945-1946. After some further research and collaboration with Dr Les

Noble, University of Aberdeen, it was discovered it was an ‘invasion’ of the Spanish Slug

and it is thought that the slugs entered the UK on imported salad leaves, bare root trees or

potted plants.

The Spanish Slug varies in colour from between bright orange and reddish brown and can

grow to a size between 8cm and 15cm when they have reached maturity.

The Spanish Slugs are known to:

• Produce twice as many eggs as slugs native to the UK

• Tolerate hotter and dryer environments

• Have an extensive omnivorous diet which includes excrement, dead animals and

crops that aren’t normally susceptible to slug feeding

• Push out other slug and snail species to dominate an area, due to large size and high

population density

During the growing season of 2012, slugs were the most widely reported pests, and

throughout East Anglia catches of 3000-4000 slugs per month were not uncommon in home

gardens. The reason these slugs thrived is because of the very wet summer we had in 2012

allowing them to grow quickly. But Spanish Slugs are able to tolerate dryer and hotter

conditions having adapted to living in the Mediterranean. Their population has also grown

rapidly because they don’t seem to have many predators as the huge amounts of mucus they

produce repels any potential threat. Additionally the Spanish slugs can self-fertilise and lay

around 300 and 500 eggs each, whereas native slugs only lay around 150 eggs each.

Taken from the Slug Watch website www.slugwatch.co.uk. If you see any of these Iberian

Invaders, Slug Watch would like to know.

And speaking of Invaders...

Site Security

Owen Cleary’s ladder has still not been found/ returned as I write. We don’t seem to have a

major problem with theft (though Owen may disagree) but it’s as well to be vigilant. When

allocated an allotment we are given what’s called a ‘Privilege Card’ which we are required to

produce when requested. It gives us an ID number and carries the following tips on security:

• Don’t store valuables on your plot or in sheds

• Keep a watchful eye out for strangers

• Mark your tools with your postcode and house number

• Report anything suspicious on the allotment line (01905 722233), and thefts to the

Police – only they can take action.

• Be careful approaching strangers. Don’t allow your personal safety to be threatened.

We should all keep this card in the shed, about your person, or whatever so that if we are

challenged we can provide ID. If you don’t have an ID card please let Chris or I know and

we’ll arrange to get one issued to you. – AND please lock the gate(s) when you leave.

That’s all for now folks. Enjoy your winter when it comes.

Sheila