On air on Byron Bay’s Bayfm99.9 community radio on 7.11.11

The first belly of November today is about life and death – there is lots of new life to encourage – & then eat, in your veggie patch and in that gorgeous big patch, the Mullumbimby Community Garden.  Miss November Alison Drover told us all about their very successful food festival, then she pulled on her gumboots and got down and dirty planting spring veg both to eat and to grow as presents.  Then the woman who has steered some of the best weddings and burials, or as we like to say in Byron, celebrations of lives, Zenith Virago came on belly to talk about food and death.

 

BLISSFUL BERRIES AND BROAD BEANS ON BELLY

by Miss November Alison Drover

www.forkinthefield www.thealisonprinciple.com

 

My best day in October was the Mullum Community Garden Local Food Day it was so inspiring. I hosted a class with the children a kitchen garden tour, cooking and growing it was blissful. Thank you to Joel and Sophie and Ian and Kate for their help and to the garden for creating such an amazing space.

 

If you would like to receive the Fork in the Field newsletter please email contact@alisondrover.com.

 

Broad beans, blueberries, basil and Belly

Mmm November get down and get dirty in the garden and pop a blueberry in your mouth and you can stay away from any pills as they are like wonder foods. This month is celebrating the broad bean, as this is the month when they are at they best and as they are not around for long I suggest having them as often as you can.

Broad beans are good sources of protein, fibre, vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. They also contain levodopa (L-dopa), a chemical the body uses to produce dopamine (the neurotransmitter associated with the brain’s reward and motivation system).

 

What we are celebrating at our markets locally

• broad beans, blueberries, avocados and soon to come basil and eggplants. In our gardens baby tomatoes on vines.

 

What’s in season in NSW

Avocado, asparagus, rocket, kale, lettuce, cabbage, beans, peas, fennel, beetroot, potatoes, ginger, passion fruit, bananas, herbs , watercress, strawberries, spinach, artichoke, broccoli (less around), silver beet, eggplant, cucumber, lettuce, mint, oregano, papaya, watercress, pears, oranges (Riverina), grapefruit, kale, okra, mushrooms, corn, zucchini (coming on), coriander

 

Fork in the Field Recipes – by Alison Drover

 

BROAD BEAN, MINT, PECORINO – perfect for picnics on baguette

 

2 cups shelled broad beans

1 cup of pecorino cheese grated

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons lemon juice

150 mls olive oil

pepper, salt

 

Put a large pot of water on to boil. When it’s at a rolling boil, add the broad beans a few at a time so that it does not go off the boil. This ensures that the colour is retained in the beans. Cook until tender.

Refresh under running cold water then remove the outer skin from the broad beans to reveal the green inner part of the beans.

I prefer a mortar and pestle than food processor as you lose the shape and form of the bean and food becomes like baby food not good.

So if you are using a mortar and pestle place the beans, lemon juice and salt and pepper and smash. Add olive oil a little at a time.

If you have a food processor do this while the motor is running. Keep adding oil until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency suitable for a dip. The amount of olive oil you need to add will depend on the age of the beans.

Add the pecorino cheese. Just before serving add chopped mint. If you put this in beforehand it will go brown.

 

BLUEBERRY, MULBERRY, STRAWBERRY SUMMER PUDDING

This can be made in individual ramekins or as a whole summer pudding

 

• 1 kg mixed fresh berries blueberries, strawberries, mulberries

• 50 ml water

• 175 g caster sugar

• 8 or so stale slices good white bread, thinly sliced or you can use croissants, panettone (great at Christmas way to use this up)

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• Note: If you have any odd jars of berry jam in your fridge, which you would like to use up, add these when you are heating the berries.

Notes: make sure you use a combination of robust berries and some of the more delicate ones for example a good amount of strawberries and blueberries combined with mulberries.

 

Place all the berries carefully in a saucepan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved. Take care with your berries so you don’t mush them around. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Taste – depending on the berries you may need to add more sugar.

Remove the crusts from the bread or if you have croissants remove any very dry crunchy bits.

Take a piece of bread or stretch out croissants (you may need 2) and place it on the bottom of your bowl and the place all around the bowl. The idea of this is to create the shell for the pudding. Now that you have the pieces of the jigsaw so to speak dip them in the juice and then place it back in position.

With a slotted spoon take the berries and place them in the bowl and then add the juice. Finally take the remaining bread or croissants and place across the top so as to cover the fruit. The juice should now be staining the bread as it seeps from below and to ensure it is well-soaked press on it a little. Cover with cling film and then place a large plate on top to weight it down.

Refrigerate overnight. Take out of the fridge and remove cling wrap.

Just before serving. Remove cling film. Ensure the plate you have covering the pudding fits across the pudding. Turn it upside down over the sink in case excess juice should spill out.

Result – you will see your creation a dome pudding which is filled with berries. Use the remaining juice that you have kept aside and spoon over the pudding. Serve with real cream or creme fraiche.

 

 

Community Gardens – join one, volunteer one or start one – Alison Drover

Here is a link to the Mullumbimby Community Garden.

Here is a link to an amazing resource for Community Gardens, and if you check it out some great how to compost, grow and garden guides for free!

Next month : Edible gifts for Christmas – please email us your ideas : belly(at)belly(dot)net(dot)au

x Alison

 

 

FOOD AND DEATH

 

This is a direct link to the Carnivale of Life and Death, happening in Mullumbimby on November 11 to 13.

 

BONES OF THE DEAD/BONES TO BITE – OSSA DEI MORTI/OSSA DA MORDERE

This is a type of biscuit that is made all over Italy around the time of the Day of the Dead, November 2, the traditional day to go visit loved ones at the cemetery.  This day looks like it is being swamped by Halloween, as in every other country.  These little bone shaped biscuits would be great for both, or to take along to the Mullum event.  This version comes from my region, Piemonte.  I translated and adapted it from an Italian website.  The author got it from his grandmother, and shared it on a site that seems designed to share recipes among Carabinieri, the Italian military police who wear those glamorous uniforms with a broad red stripe down their trouser leg, and a big red plume on their dress caps.  And they can cook up a storm!

 

INGREDIENTS

300 to 350 g. flour, possibly Italian ’00’ soft flour
100 g. hazelnuts, 100 g. almonds, 100 g. pinenuts

[or make it Northern Rivers bones by using 150 g. each of macadamias and pecans)
400 g. sugar
3 egg whites, beaten to firm peaks
juice of 1 lemon

MAKING BONES

Toast nuts lightly, chop coarsely the hazelnuts and almonds, separately, adding a little  sugar in the food processor.
Mix nuts, 250 g of the flour, and sugar in a bowl, remove any lumps.
Fold in lemon juice and beaten egg whites
Mix with hands, add more flour (if needed) until the dough no longer sticks to your hands (this may be easier if you get someone to help)The recipe is very flexible about the flour quantity because eggs come in many different sizes.  Also  lemons vary in size and juicyness and acidity, so try to use an average lemon or maybe use only half.
Cut into small pieces, roll them into sticks and shape the ends to look  like small bones
Cook in a 180 C oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown

Makes 20 to 25 little bones – very high in calories, so you probably only need one – well maybe two.

If you want to really go for the bleached bone look you could cover them with white chocolate, or just icing sugar.

 

BLESSED ARE THE CHEESEMAKERS

Camembert, Fetta, Quark, Ricotta, Mascarpone & Greek Style Yoghurt – learn how to make them all at one day courses this fri and sat from
travelling cheese teachers, linked up with the Byron region Community College. Check out byroncollege.org.au & while you are there look at their many other cooking courses.  Did you know they won 2011 Adult Learning program of the year?

 

EDIBLE QUOTE

Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between, Harper Lee, from the novel “to kill a mockingbird”

 

MUSIC

Lots of veggie patch tracks from Dirt Girl World

Black Box Recorder – seasons in the sun

Nigel Sabin –  Resting Point, from Points of Departure

 

Love and chocolate covered little crunchy bone biscuits, sister T