Braised cucumber

This is one of my favourite dishes.

1 pack soybean curd (tofu)
125g peeled prawns, cooked (frozen are cheapest, just defrost for an hour or so before using)
1 large or 2 small cucumbers
4 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon root ginger, finely grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
1 spring onion (scallion), chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

Cut the tofu into 1 cm cubes. Remove the ends of the cucumber(s) and halve lengthways. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the halves into 5 mm slices.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion for 1 minute. Add the garlic and the root ginger stirring well. Add the cucumber, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, tomato puree, prawns, tofu, sugar, pinch of salt and sesame oil if using. Add 3 tablespoons boiling water, stir and simmer gently over moderate heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve hot sprinkled with spring onion and chives.

An excellent tomato sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
500g tomatoes, skinned and chopped (plunge tomatoes into boiling water for a minute to make their skins easy to remove)
1-2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon miso paste, dissolved in a little warm water
1 teaspoon oregano, or 2 teaspoons basil
black pepper

Heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic over a very low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, they should not colour brown. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. For a smooth sauce, puree in a liquidiser and pass through a sieve. Season with black pepper. Serve with hot pasta and a sprinkling of grated cheese for a tasty and cheap hot meal

"Two Soups"

Runner Bean & Bacon Soup

30g butter
1 medium onion
170g smoked bacon, chopped
400g runner beans, chopped
1 litre vegetable stock

Gently dry fry the bacon until the fat begins to run and then add the onions and fry gently until golden. At the same time gently cook the beans in the melted butter for about 10 minutes.
Add the onions and bacon to the beans with the stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool and then liquidise.
This soup is great for freezing at this point, or just reheat gently, adding seasoning to taste and a little cream, if you like).

For variety the bacon can be replaced with chopped chorizo sausage, and a chopped fresh green or red chilli can be added when cooking the beans for a spicy soup.

Courgette & Tarragon Soup

25g butter
4 medium courgettes
1-2 tablespoons tarragon (fresh or dried), chopped
300ml vegetable stock
300ml milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim the courgettes and cut into quarters lengthwise. Remove some of the fluffy insides and chop into pieces. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the courgettes, then cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tarragon and continue to cook gently for a further 5 minutes.
Add the stock, which should almost cover the courgettes (if not, add a little more), then bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the courgettes are tender, then add the milk.
Liquidise until smooth. Freeze at this point when cool or return to the pan and season to taste. Reheat gently for 3 minutes and serve.

Summer Gluts

One of the joys of summer for me is the abundance of home grown produce. I'm harvesting fruits, vegetables and herbs on a daily basis that couldn't be any fresher. At times some produce comes in such quantities that it is difficult to know what to do with these gluts. Summer squashes like courgettes (zucchini) seem to double in size overnight, and are no longer the finger sized treats they were at the beginning of the season. After waiting weeks for the laden trusses of green tomatoes to begin to ripen, they soon produce a daily bounty that cannot be devoured simply by a simple sandwich or salad lunch. Cucumbers that were once picked at a few inches long and eaten whole, start to take on monstrous proportions that defy the dainty sandwich or salad platter. Runner beans that were eagerly awaited a few weeks ago are now growing at a terrific rate and the children begin to groan at their repeated appearance on the dinner plate.
One could give some away to friends and neighbours, or just dump the excess on the compost heap, but really the answer is to find new and interesting ways of using these gluts for ourselves; we put a lot of effort into growing our own food, we really need to make the most of it. I hope to provide some ideas for using, and storing these gluts of hard won produce.