In late August we welcomed a group of women from the North London Ukrainian Hub for the second of our community lunches held in the vineyard. The lunches are part of our Sanctuary Project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Enfield Council. The funding has given us the opportunity to tell the story of our community vineyard and share our sanctuary with a wider diverse audience.
Our own volunteers contributed delicious food to the event and one particular recipe for a courgette cake proved an unexpected hit, which sparked lots of conversation and we promised to share it after the lunch - so here it is! It's wonderful how food and sitting around a table of food can bring people together and we hope that members of the group will join our community of volunteers on a regular basis, now we have established these connections. Here's a reel of photos from the day.
Thank you to Nigel Slater for the recipe and volunteer Paula for making it!
Serves 6.
Courgettes have the ability to make a cake as moist and sweet as if you added ground almonds to the recipe. So many have asked for this recipe that I can't resist including it.
200g butter 200g caster sugar 2 eggs 150g courgettes (about 2 small ones) 1 small apple 200g plain flour a large pinch salt ½ tsp baking powder pinch cinnamon 60g pecans 80g sultanas (half cup, packed)
Preheat oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Butter and line the base of a loaf tin measuring 20cm x 12cm x 9cm deep. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and mix them in, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Coarsely grate the courgettes and the apple. Squeeze them with your hands to remove any excess moisture, then add to the mixture. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and gently fold into the mixture. Stir in the nuts and fruit. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour, or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out. nigel.slater@observer.co.uk
