Food Frome

The October/November Food Frome Newsletter is available for download (PDF format). The newsletter includes the agreed list of outputs for the Food Frome project.

Quinces450g/1 lb lemons
1.35kg/3 lbs ripe quinces
1.5 litres/2.5 pints water
1.35kg/3 lb sugar

Using a zester remove rind from lemons, otherwise peel and shred rind. (Yellow rind only, no pith). Squeeze out the juice. Put on one side. Put pulp, pith and pips from lemons in a large pan.

Quince Marmalade and Membrillo900g/ 2lb quinces, weight when peeled and cored
450ml/¾pint water
3¾tablespoons lemon juice per pint puree (60 mls)
sugar, 450g/ 1lb per pint puree.

Chop up peeled and cored quinces, simmer in water until very soft, sieve or mash until very smooth. Measure puree, adding sugar and lemon juice as above.

This is Brenda's favourite lunch at the moment and it's a good way of using the last of the cherry tomatoes and basil from the greenhouse.

Hobbs House Bakery Spelt bread toasted and topped with chopped garlic, cherry tomatoes (the variety we grow is Golden Cherry from Simpson's Seeds), olives, capers, and basil leaves then sprinkled with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I decided to make an apple cake using some Bramley apples from Edward Clifton-Brown's orchards at West Bradley. I googled for recipes and the following one looked good. The recipe worked quite well considering I don't often bake cakes. I gave it 55 minutes in a fan oven and found that it was still a bit undercooked in the centre so I would cook it for at least 60 minutes in future.

Somerset Apple Cake

Deliciously moist and lemony, this cake makes excellent picnic fodder

Food Frome members visit local gardener and author Charles Dowding. Charles' main business is growing many varieties of salad crops which are sold in salad leaf bags in local shops. Charles is also author of the book "Organic Gardening - The Natural No Dig Way" (available from Hunting Raven Books in Frome) and many gardening articles. Charles also has a website at http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk which is well worth looking at for organic gardening information.

Members of Food Frome picking apples at West Bradley Orchard as part of the work of the Somerset Orchard Group.