JANUARY 1997

Recipe of the Month

Pauline's Vegetable and Pasta Soup

Ingredients

• 1 oz (30 g) of small pasta shells (*or shapes)
  
• 1 medium carrot
  
• 1 medium potato
  
• 4-5 tbsps frozen peas/sweetcorn, or leftover cooked cannellini beans
  
• 1 pint (560 ml) of boiling water
  
• 1 tsp of yeast extract
  
• 2 tbsps of tomato puree
  
• 1 tbsp of flour (or other thickener), mixed with a little cold water
  
• Engevita nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Method

1. Peel the carrot and the potato and chop them into small pieces.
   
2. Place all the vegetables into a pan with the boiling water.
   
3. Stir in the tomato puree and add the pasta shells or shapes.
   
4. Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for about 15 mins or until the vegetables are tender.
   
5. Mix in the flour and when the soup has thickened, stir in the yeast extract.
   
6. Serve the soup with pieces of crusty bread and a sprinkling of Engevita yeast flakes.
   

Bio-D concentrated washing-up liquid/ & beech wood washing-up brushes

Before you throw anything away think! Can it be reused? Here are some suggestions:

1. Soap Scraps

   Collect up all those tiny pieces of left-over soap and instead of throwing them away, put them into a jam-jar. Add some water and stir to give a jelly-like solution. This can be used in a soft-soap spray against aphids, or can be used as liquid soap in the shower or for hand-washing.

2. Jam-jars

   Don't be too quick to throw these away as they can be very useful. Uses include:
   
   • Making a soap jar as explained above.
     
   • Sterilise the jars and re-use them for jam or chutney making.
     
   • They can also be useful for storing things in the freezer eg. left-over portions of cooked beans. I often fill them with homegrown, skinned, chopped tomatoes which I use instead of tinned ones. If you have spare space in the freezer it is better to do this and fill the freezer up rather than to run it half-empty.
     
   • Jam-jars can also be used for sprouting grains and pulses instead of purchasing special kits.
     
   • Cleaning paintbrushes in, or storing hazardous waste products, for later safe disposal at a special refuge site, rather than putting them down the drain.
     
   • Finally, when you are sure that the jar is no longer required, spare jars (not lids) can be put into the glass recycling container provided by your local council.

3. Household-Cleaner Spray Containers

   Keep a few of those empty spray containers e.g.from disinfectant sprays, carpet sprays, window cleaning sprays etc. Rinse out thoroughly. They can be reused to make your own cleaning sprays (see next month's 'green cleaning tips' for information on how to make your own window cleaning spray). They can also be used to spray your plants.

• In veganic gardening the soil is always cultivated very gently. For example, it is never compacted by walking on it, or by using heavy machinery which damages the soil structure. In other types of gardening much damage is done to the soil by digging it up and thus altering the position of the top-soil. Digging can also kill the creatures which live in the soil and break up the drainage that they have created. In veganic gardening, only the top 3-4" of the soil is ever cultivated and the soil is not dug at all, but cultivated with a tool called a scrapper. In fact, to avoid compacting the soil by standing on it, the land is divided into permanent raised beds with straw paths in between them. Weeding, sowing and planting are always done from these paths, to avoid treading on the soil at any time.

• In other types of gardening, digging the soil also brings any weed seeds to the surface and provides them with ideal conditions in which to germinate. In no-dig, veganic gardening, creeping and deep-rooted weeds will soon be replaced by finer weeds such as grass. These can then be removed with a scrapper. Thus, in veganic gardening, hoeing and weedkillers are not necessary either.

3. How Do I Make the Raised Beds?

There are 3 basic stages to making the beds:

1. By using straw as a mulch as follows:

• Cover the surface of the soil with a thin coating of lime.
• Place a 3-4" deep layer of long wheat straw on the ground which is to be cleared.
• Apply the QR herbal compost activator to the straw at the rate of 1 pint per 12 sq yds.
• It is important that the straw is always kept moist throughout the clearing process by watering it when necessary.
• After about 3-4 weeks, rake off the straw and compost it.

2. By Using Other Mulches.

Stage 3.

• Finally, prepare the ground using the scrapper as described in the section on the scrapper above.

  The ground is now ready for sowing and planting. A layer of compost can be placed on the surface of the soil if you have any that is ready and large seeds or plants can be planted in this layer. Sometimes, it is possible to buy ready-made compost from your local council. Check if your council operates a scheme to recycle shredded garden waste.

Any Queries?

I have been told that Comfrey plants are very useful in the veganic garden. Do you know where I can get these plants from and what I can use them for?
M A Smith. Chelmsford. Essex.

VOHAN or The Vegan Organic Horticultural - Agricultural Network.

• Who is already practicing vegan-organics or who would be interested in doing so.
• Works in an establishment such as an Agricultural College or University.
• Organic food producers, if they would be interested in using animal free fertilisers.
• Anyone who can supply information on genetic manipulation.
• Overseas contacts in any of the above catagories would be particularly welcome

The aims and objectives of VOHAN are as follows:

1. Research into methods of food production and production of other raw materials and goods in accordance with their ethics.
2. To set up a specialist advisory group.
3. Practical advice to those who wish to practice vegan-organics.
4. To explore vegan-organic sources of fertilisers.
5. To support and encourage those already involved with vegan-organic food production.
6. To set up a mutual aid network to further the above by publications, films, fundraising, organising local meetings and contacts.
7. To create a directory of those practicing the basic principles as outlined above, so that those wishing to make contact are able to do so.
8. To co-operate and work with existing groups and organisations.
9. To help further the establishment of vegan eco-communities
10. To establish an international network.

David Graham,
VOHAN, "Anandavan" 58 High Lane,
Chorlton,
Manchester.
M21 9DZ.
Tel: 0161-860-4869. Please state that you saw this information on the Internet.

Food: Need, Greed & Myopia. Exploitation and starvation in a world of plenty. By Geoffrey Yates. Price £3.95. Earthright Publications.
An interesting book which looks at the world food problem from a vegetarian viewpoint. Plenty of facts, graphs and figures to support the arguments. I particularly like the Lentil Hotpot recipe on p.62. My version of this recipe is given below in case you can't find a copy of the book. Ingredients: 6 oz red lentils, 1 lb potatoes - sliced thinly, 2 onions - sliced, 1 tbsp yeast extract dissolved in 1 pint of warm water. Method: Put layers of the potatoes, onions and lentils into a casserole. Pour the fluid into the casserole. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hr (Gas 5), Brown off without the lid. Serve with green vegetables. Serves 2. Note: it is sometimes necessary to add some more fluid during the cooking time so that all the lentils are soft.