Together with our friends from New Jersey’s East Brunswick Community Garden (our sister garden) we are planning to compile a cookbook of garden-inspired recipes to publish for Christmas 2011.

Share your favourite recipe that you’ve made with produce from your garden and tell us more about your dish. What makes it a favourite? Where did you get it? Does it have a story? If you have good pictures of your dish or your plot that you would like to go with your recipe, please send them through to [email protected] with your recipe.  Recipes are due by 15 September 2011.

PDF or Word recipe template forms can be downloaded below and there are hard-copy forms in the shed at the garden which can be posted in the letterbox.

MCCG_EBCG_RECIPECOLLECTIONFORM_PDF

MCCG_EBCG_RecipeCollectonForm

Here’s a recipe to get you started…

Ingrid’s Lemon and Lentil Soup (Merri Gardener – Plot S5)

Lemon and Lentil Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 cups dried brown lentils
2 tablespons of olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of silverbeet
juice of 2 large lemons and finely grated zest for garnish, if desired
salt and whole black peppercorns
about 2 cups of water or vegetable stock

Soak the lentils in water overnight. Drain, cover with two centimetres of fresh water over the top of the lentils and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes until tender (this reduces the flatulence quotient) then drain lentils again and rinse under cold water.

Put a soup pot on the stove and heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, throw in the onions, stir, and leave to braise until they turn golden. While this is going on, wash the silverbeet well. Chop off the manky ends of the stems only, finely slice the rest and leave in a colander.

When the onions are ready, throw in the silverbeet, turn the heat to high and stir until the onions and silverbeet are mixed together. Pop the lid on, turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems are tender – about 5 more minutes.

Add the lentils and enough water or vegetable stock (recommended – for flavour!) to come barely to the top of the mixture. Add the lemon juice and about 20 peppercorns, coarsely cracked Add salt to taste if needed and simmer the lot together for about 15 minutes. Spoon into bowls, garnish with lemon zest and serve with lots of bread!