Nearly a year ago, I wrote a post about how Pat at the wonderful Ourganics in Litton Cheney was having to tackle the Council's Planning Department to get consent to keep doing what she was doing. Well not only was she successful, but now she has permission to change her shed into a multi-purpose barn - which will allow her to plan properly for future years. Pat has a really vital role in opening people's eyes to the possibilities of sustainable living in Dorset - you can read the original post here.

This weekend is probably our last chance to get out and make use of the elderflowers, so here are a couple of easy recipes to whet your appetite. First off, it's my personal favourite - elderflower champagne. This drink is one of the joys of summer, and it's a doddle to make with no special equipment at all. Simply take...

...well, one elderflower tree really. That's a picture of one, you can't miss it. In fact, if you have a sense of smell you can't miss the blossoms either because they have a strong floral scent - I'm tempted to say they smell "green" but shall refrain. Synesthesia is such a personal thing. Anyhoo, you only need 5 or 6 "heads" of flowers to make a gallon of champagne, so what are you waiting for?

Pick nice young flower heads, where the flowers have not yet started to drop petals or turn brown. Don't leave them sitting around for hours, or the smell will change and your poor cat will be thrown out into the garden, accused of incontinence*. You'll get pollen on you, but don't worry. It doesn't stain. Boil a gallon (4.5 litres) of water in a large pan and leave it to cool, then throw in the elderflower heads (having shaken any bugs off them first) and a couple of sliced lemons. Put the lid on, and leave it for a 24 to 36 hours before straining it through a clean cloth or a sieve (if you don't mind a few petals and the occasional thunderbug). Add one and a half pounds (750g) of sugar and two tablespoons of cider vinegar, and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Pour into bottles that will stand pressure - champagne bottles if you're posh, but to be honest I prefer lemonade bottles.

You're finished with the messy stuff now. Put the tops on to keep fruit flies out, but don't screw them on tight yet because the wild yeasts on the flowers go to work on the sugar - just stand the bottles in a corner and keep an eye on them until they don't seem to be fizzing any more - 7 to 14 days of fermentation depending on the weather. Then screw the lids down, and put them somewhere without expensive carpet (in case they, you know. Explode). Give them another week or two to generate enough gas to carbonate themselves, and you're set - just refrigerate the bottle before you need it, and serve over ice with lemon. The drink is light and green floral, sort of like lemonade but with a beautiful flowery kick to it. Oh, and just a bit alcoholic. Try it once, and I defy you not to make it every year.

I much prefer fizzy drinks bottles for elderflower champagne, because knowing when to screw the top on tightly is a black art. If you get it wrong with a glass bottle with a cork in it, you've got a sticky mess to clean up, possibly with broken glass in it. If you get it wrong with a plastic fizzy bottle, the "crimp" at the bottom pops out and the bottle may fall over. If this happens within the first day or so, you've jumped the gun so you need to let some of the pressure off daily until things slow down a bit. Most forgiving.

The second recipe is Cheryl's - elderflower cordial. A single quantity makes about three litres, enough for four standard (75cl) wine bottles. Screw tops are best. The cordial keeps for four to six weeks in the fridge, but if you freeze it (leave the tops loose and don't fill the bottles right up!) it keeps for a whole year.

Put 30 elderflower heads into a large plastic bowl or bucket, along with 2kg of sugar and 50g citric acid (you can get this from any chemist, or from Face Value in South Street). Cut two lemons in half, juice them, and then throw both the juice and the skins into the bucket with everything else. Pour over two litres of boiling water, stir until all the sugar has dissolved, and then cover lightly with a lid or a clean tea towel.

Leave for three days to infuse, stirring well once a day, and then fish out the fruit and flowers. Pour through a seive (or if you want to be really posh, a straining bag to remove all the odds and sods), and then pour into wine bottles that have been heated up in the oven and then left to cool to sterilize them. And that's it - what, twenty minutes work? And the kitchen smells wonderful afterwards!

If you've got any favourite elderflower recipes, post them - enquiring minds want to know!





*Sorry, Treefrog. I haven't forgotten.

You've read it here first....
Site confirmed!...
We are very please to announce that the Duchy of Cornwall have granted us a lease on 2 acres of land at Parkway Farm to the South of Weymouth College Construction Centre at Poundbury to establish a community garden and farm for Dorchester residents.

We are just finalising details from the Duchy about any site constraints and then there will be an on-site open day to launch the project, gather volunteers, support and ideas.

As yet we do not have a formal management group for this project, so we are looking for people to take on this exciting opportunity as well as getting involved in practical things.

Get your thinking heads on and ready the working boots!

To keep up to date with what's planned or to volunteer please email Ian at: -

food(at)transitiontowndorchester(dot)org


Steve

Simon Fairlie (author, scythe champion and former editor of The Ecologist) is looking for someone to work as an assistant for two or three months during the summer, beginning around late May or 1 June.

This could be a part-time or full-time position, 3 to 5 days a week. I’m looking for somebody with a broad range of aspirations capable of taking on manual, menial, administrative, computer, clerical and even literary or artistic responsibilities, and who is keen to learn.

Work is likely to include: mowing, haymaking, scythe sharpening and maintenance, assistance with courses, assistance with the Scythe Festival, grassland management, milking cows, cheese-making, packing scythes, simple building and decorating work, computer and clerical work, and odds and sods.

Wage rate is negotiable according to competence of applicant etc, but I normally pay more than the minimum wage for work to do with scythe sales, less for “WWOOFER” type agricultural activities. Previous experience is not necessary (beyond a reasonable familiarity with hand-tools and the English language), but quick-wittedness, physical fitness, expeditiousness, enthusiasm, reliability and a sense of humour are all valued highly.

Most of the work will be at Monkton Wyld on the Devon Dorset border, near Axminster — food and overnight lodging supplied. Please apply in writing (email or letter) stating your interests, competence and availability etc.
(S. Fairlie, Potato store, Flaxdrayton Farm, South Petherton, TA13 5LR; chapter7@tlio.org.uk)

Meat Processing Open Day

Saturday, May 1, 2010 from high noon til the cinders die

Fivepenny Farm, Wootton Fitzpaine, Dorset DT66DF

An event celebrating animals and the wonderful connections we have with them on the farm as well as a celebration of the products we make from their meat

Events of the day include:
A farm walk to see the new lambs, chicks, pigs, cows, geese
Chick Incubation
Butchery demonstrations of veal and pork
Sausage-making
Charcuterie and smoking demonstrations
A cook- out using our own meat products (vegetarian option)
-also-

A presentation about sustainable livestock systems by Simon Fairlie- author of the new book “Meat- The Benign Extravagance”.

Email jyoti@tlio.org.uk for directions or more information.

This event is one in a series of four open days sponsored by the Local Food Fund related to the processing activites held at our co-operative barn. We will be holding further events related to cheesemaking and herbal medicine. Visit our website: wwwpeasantevolution.co.uk

Our resident TTD media tart, Liz Beardsall (her words, not mine!) will be trundling over the Ridgeway on Saturday to take part in an event aimed at getting people thinking about alternatives to the growing waiting list for allotments. Good luck our Liz!

Read all about it here

Chances are you're enjoying a fine and unusually quiet morning today. The reason for this is the closure of our airspace to civilian air traffic, leaving the sky empty for the first time since KLM commenced operations in 1920. Thanks to an Icelandic volcano, we have our first glimpse of a world without air travel.


Under the flightpath at Heathrow, householders are finding out what it's like to be able to leave windows open; in Manchester, one anxious lady complained to local radio that she's had to leave her radio on loud because the quiet is scaring her; and in many supermarkets the shelves are already emptying of perishable items as supplies of airfreighted food dry up. Since 95% of us shop at supermarkets*, it's the last one that should really scare you. If you're one of the people who scoffed at Lord Cameron's 'nine meals from anarchy' observation in 2007, it may be time to think again.

Predictions about how long the ash cloud will last vary, and media coverage still seems to be concentrating on the poor souls whose holidays are being disrupted, but it's worthwhile reflecting that the last eruption at Eyjafjallajokull lasted for two years (1821-1823). What would it mean for Europe if chunks of airspace had to be closed every time the wind blew from the north for a few days?

To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, going green is a journey, not a destination. If your own journey has not yet included growing some of your own food, or at least starting to eat locally and seasonally, then this might be a good time to consider it.


*Source: UK Food Standards Agency, 2001

Ever considered reducing the amount of meat you eat, either for your own health or that of the planets? The figures are quite remarkable. From memory a chicken consumes 6 times more energy than it produces. For pork its more like 10 times and for beef its nearly 20 times. * If we all gave up meat there wouldn't be a world food shortage.
But then I'm not suggesting we give it up all together - I like a bit of animal protein occasionally as much as the next carnivore. Why not just cut down a little. Sally C has suggested we check out the Part-time Carnivore campaign website. It gives you all the facts you need and it gets you to pledge one of several options for reducing your meat intake. Go have a look and sign up.

*Approximate figures. I'm sure someone will correct me.

Do you read the Transition Culture blog? You should.
Rob's last entry was all about GM food which should be of concern to all of us. I'd recommend you also read the comments at the end of his entry, especially the bit about the EU sanctioning the growing of GM crops within Europe. There's little point in me elaborating here but go to the blog and get the info first hand.
If we don't want the EU to sanction GM crops then we are given the opportunity to petition the EU to review their decision - IF we get 1 million signatures! A tall order but it is a (an?) Europe wide petition. To sign the petition go here. I'm not normally a NIMBY but on this issue I make an exception.

Ian