Spreading the Veggie BBQ love!

I think we can safely say that, in the UK, this summer is turning out to be a bit better than the last one...

I haven't had to wear wellies yet, we haven't needed to light a fire every day and I haven't used the emergency supplies stored for when we get blocked in by the flooding.

Yes, its most definitely better...

So much so, that the local 'Big Village Picnic' where we live was actually able to go ahead this year - on account of the land not being totally submerged.

But of course this meant digging out the picnic gear, which was, as we found out two hours before, actually still in a box in our storage unit.

But Dave got that while I made some scrummy vegan food.

The Big Picnic is held at Clyston Mill, which is on the beautiful National Trust Killerton Estate.

I spoke to the chef - Shaun - beforehand re our potential dietary requirements and he was more than happy for us to take our own vegan food for them to cook on the BBQ (they kept a clean cooking space on the grill especially for us, which was wonderful - thanks guys!).

We've learnt that (especially living in beef farming territory) when going to any function where food is offered, checking beforehand can be useful if you don't want to go hungry. And at the same time it's a chance for people to offer to make you something and to get a conversation started. For the most part people really want to understand what vegan is and to help - which is just lovely. I think, deep down, sometimes they admire a commitment to a compassionate lifestyle.

Anyhooo - to the food!

Got to say, as time was short I cheated and took some ready-made burgers I had in the freezer. They are also handy because homemade ones can be a little delicate to turn on a BBQ and the last thing you want is to lose your fab meal onto the coals. So frozen ready-made are ideal for BBQs.

I bought Redwood from Healthy Pulses Exeter and they were delicious! Served in a wholemeal bap with ketchup (Tesco Organic - which is actually my favourite brand) and French's American mustard.

Knowing that eating alfresco always makes people really hungry (well it does me anyway!) I also took along:

For nibbles while waiting for the BBQ: Tyrells swanky veg crisps.

homemade 5-veg kebabs (courgette, red / yellow / green peppers, red / white onion, white button mushrooms and aubergine) all chopped and marinated in rapeseed oil and fresh herbs (I had oregano, marjoram and lemon thyme in the garden)   

to wrap up in wholemeal tortillas (I like Discovery brand)

along with seeded 5-veg coleslaw (white / red cabbage, white / red onion and carrot with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds) all in creamy chilli mayo! This Plamil mayo is now officially my favourite egg-free vegan mayo.

Served with some fresh red and yellow baby plum tomatoes on the side.

And of course washed down with none other than Pimms. Yes Pimms is suitable for vegans and flags were hung out the day I discovered this.

For me Pimms has to be served with triangles of fresh orange, cucumber and fresh mint. Perfect.

And to follow...

As we had invited friends as a birthday treat for one of them, I made a cake (always a good excuse) using organic wholemeal flour grown on the estate and ground at Clyston Mill! 

My chocolate coca cola cake is smothered in fudge frosting and topped with crushed pecans (recipe to follow maybe?) and I served it with fresh strawberries from our garden (literally pulled half an hour before) and Alpro single soya cream.

Could there be anything more delicious? I don't think so - and the other people noseying over in our direction longingly at this pud seemed to suggest they were a tad jealous :)

BUT, best of all - it turned out that Dave had to fight off prospective buyers for our veggie burgers and kebabs at the grill and had to run a gauntlet of people saying 'ooh where did you get those from??' on the way back to us with them!

And our meatie, totally non-vegan friends, woofed two portions of everything, declared it delicious and said they wouldn't have even thought twice about the fact that they had just consumed a totally vegan meal. Job done.

This is what I do. This is what I love. The best way to anyone's heart can be through their stomach. Show people what compassion tastes like and it's a win win for life.

HAPPY BBQing EVERYONE!!

Chantal xx

Dave with our friends gorgeous dogs Poppy + Jess - one of our girls Ollie is under the blue dog blanket!

fab entertainment came from the local school choir, a juggler, a local folk band and some Morris dancers!

 

 a great evening out for families - about 250 attended this year - and access to the mill was free

@vegsoup4thesoul thanks for inspiring today's lunch! :-) pic.twitter.com/nI5akIeRZ9
— Dorset Vegan (@Dorset_vegan) July 20, 2013

Grow your own - STRAWBERRIES

Everyone loves strawberries don't they? And they are just starting to ripen this year - so where better to start for my new 'Grow Your Own' feature posts...

QUICK SNIPS & TIPS:

Varieties:

  Get started with just a dozen plants (try two varieties) - because you can so easily propagate more from the runners each year you'll never need to buy more (making them really good value!). 

  Great varieties to try include: Alice, Honeoye, Red Gauntlet. If you buy them bare rooted soak them in tepid water overnight before planting the next day.


Soil:

  I plant my strawberries in a mix of garden soil, well rotted leaf mulch & homemade compost and it seems to do the trick very well. 


 Planting:
  No need for tons of space to grow these plants - they work fabulously in hanging baskets - I grow mine in troughs on plant theatres / patiogros. This can mean more shelter from relentless summer rain too. Lots of rain leads to watery fruit that aren't as flavourful.
 

4 plant theatres, 3 troughs on each with 5 plants in each

Position:

  Any fruits need sun to be really sweet tasting - so pick a sunny sheltered spot for growing them if you can. 


  If you do grow strawberries in the ground though - try not to plant them near any species of the cabbage family - as they do not make good companions (strawberries deplete the soil of nutrients too much).
 

Care: 

  Feed strawberry plants in early spring (I use a comfrey liquid, add plants to a bucket, top up with water, cover and leave for a month, dilute to use) and if you have a coal or wood burner add a very generous sprinkling of ash around the plants. Feed again just as they are flowering and just as they are fruiting.

  In warm weather strawberries need watering every other day - check that soil is always moist but ideally never waterlogged (this is easier to control if grown in tubs - but does make you a bit of a slave to the watering).


Protection:

  If planted in pots or tubs etc make sure the fruit hang over the edges so that they don't rest on the soil and either rot or get eaten by slugs.

this years strawbs - Icheck and reposition them every day

  If planted in the ground many people add a layer of straw under the plants to avoid rotting and pest damage.

  Net net net to protect! Your main strawberry thieves are pigeons, other birds and small mammals - so bird-proof netting is a must or you will awake to bare stalks one morning! Net them as soon as they flower [nb bird netting will allow pollinators to still get in and do their thing].
 

now I've got the space I protect all my fruit & fruit trees in a walk in fruit cage

  Good 'companion plants' for strawberries (i.e.help them to grow - deter potential pests) include: Caraway, which attracts parasitic insects away from them, Lupins which not only attract pollinators but add Nitrogen to the soil, Borage - said to improve strawberry flavour, attract pests away from the fruit & also attract pollinators. [nb I've tried Borage but couldn't say it did much more than not using it.]

  Strawberries are quite hardy plants in my experience - mine even survived outdoors, uncovered in the winter of 2010 at -19C !! but a little bit of fleece cover in cold winters is probably a good idea.


Picking:

  Picking your strawberries as soon as they are ready is also a good idea - always get to your food before something else does! Place forefinger and middle finger either side of the stalk and pull down on the fruit - ripe ones come away easily - if they resist then leave them until the next day. 

Propagating:

  Strawberries throw out long 'runners'. Once your crop is nearing its end and the runners have developed little roots and leaves you can pin these into small pots of soil (I hold them down in with opened paper clips) and leave for 4 weeks - during which time they should root and take hold. Snip the runner and hey presto you have a new plant.

   Let new plants take hold in their little pots for another 4 weeks so that they develop a good root system, then plant them up into larger pots, troughs or baskets ready for next year.


  It's often said that you should discard strawberry plants after 3 years as the fruit aren't so good - but in my experience go by what you taste. I have plants older than this which still produce delicious fruit!


Eat:

  In my opinion, organically grown strawberries that are ripened with the sun naturally don't need anything other than washing, then air drying on paper towels before eating. I don't add cream or sugar or anything. 





   That said if you love cream with strawberries - try Alpro single soya cream. 


 
  Always eat strawberries at room temperature to get the best flavour. Some people recommend balsamic vinegar with them or a little black pepper. (Must admit I have made strawberry & pink peppercorn ice-cream - which was fab!)

  If sharing the eating with other people cut all of the strawberries in half and share out so that you all get a mix of flavours. [ of course if you've taken the time to grow them it's gardeners perks to have a couple straight off the plants... :) ]

I've been growing my own fruit and veg on and off (space permitting) for 13 years now - its a never ending experiment of trying different varieties & techniques. In sharing them with you I hope to inspire you to get digging, sowing, pricking out, potting on, harvesting & cooking. There's really nothing like the adventure and satisfaction of growing your own food from scratch. Walking back to the kitchen clutching bundles of freshly pulled produce is, to my mind, one of the most satisfying (and, ultimately, delicious) things ever!

And in case you're wondering I use totally organic techniques and never resort to pesticides of any kind; When you learn to work with nature and have a little patience - there really isn't any need to do otherwise. Two fingers to Monsanto.

Chantal xx