Page 33 - ALG Issue 2 2021

Scented Geraniums
Not quite fruit but just as tasty, the leaves of scented geraniums (pelargoniums) come in various scents from fruity, spicy, citrusy, minty, floral to balsamic. As
well as being delightful to brush past, the fruity, mint and floral leaves can be used for a variety of culinary purposes – syrups made from an infusion of leaves can sweeten up a cocktail or be drizzled over a cake, and the leaves can add flavour to cakes and biscuits.
Pelargoniums originate from South Africa, a perennial in that region but classified as tender in the UK, as
most won’t tolerate temperatures below freezing but can take cooler temperatures if they are dry. They are perfect for a pot in a sunny spot on the allotment and then should be taken indoors to a cool spot in the house for the winter. Cut them back hard in spring to encourage strong new growth.
Here are some ideas for experimentation:
• Chopfinelyorinfuseinwateror
syrup, then discard leaves.
• Addtosauces,custards,jellies,
buns, water ices, jams, syrups and
vinegars.
• Crystallisetodecoratecakes.
• Layleavesunderbakedapplesor
cakes (remove before serving). 1-3 leaves is usually enough to flavour a dessert.
• Addlemonandrose-scented geraniums to sweet vinegars. Combine with lemon verbena, lemon basil and mints. Use to add zest to salads, vinaigrettes, marinades.
Dear Editor,
Rob Foster’s article raises important points about safety and calls into question safety precautions on allotments.
He mentions dermatitis risks. Rightly so. A gardener on Poppleton Road allotments suffered a nasty skin problem as a result of handling parsnips that had gone to seed. Not something that I anticipated, but it happens. I believe parsnips are related to the very nasty giant hogweed family.
Even more serious are risks associated with strimmers. Without due care, these are dangerous tools. Staff in A&E departments will have horror stories of entirely avoidable accidents from their use. I’ve not forgotten seeing a neighbour strimming his front yard whilst wearing flip flops. Not good practice.
Some societies hire or lend out strimmers, which help with maintaining site tidiness, but they don’t always ensure that due care is taken in their use. Before hiring out any machinery it is ESSENTIAL that the potential user is trained in use and is properly equipped. That means at the least wearing strong footwear and having arms and legs covered. Users must wear eye protection too, and ideally a full-face mask. Is that always provided? I fear not.
The rule must be: No protective equipment and proper clothing, then NO HIRE OR LOAN.
Also essential is that other people are out of the way of the person strimming. Objects kicked up by strimmers can travel quite a long way and cause personal injury. Those strimming must be aware of those risks.
Societies have a duty of care to ensure that equipment is used properly. To fail in this duty runs risk of lawsuits and loss of insurance coverage.
Allotment gardening is a healthy pastime. Let’s keep it that way with sensible precautions.
Yours sincerely
Roger Backhouse
ROSE GERANIUM
ICE CREAM
3 cups double cream
1 cup milk
1⁄2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod 1.5 cups washed rose geranium leaves 2 egg yolks
1 tbsp grated beetroot for colour
2 tbsp vodka (the vodka keeps the ice cream scoopable even in the freezer)
Heat 3 cups of double cream, 1 cup of milk, and 1⁄2 cup of honey, whisking until small bubbles form. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp of vanilla or 1 vanilla pod and 1.5 cups of washed, bruised rose geranium leaves to the pot and let steep for a half hour. Transfer to an airtight container in the fridge and let steep
for another 2-24 hours – the longer it steeps the stronger the flavour.
Place 1 tbsp of grated beetroot into a small bowl and pour in a bit of water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until the water turns a deep magenta. Strain out the beets and set juice aside.
When you’re ready to make the ice cream, strain out the rose geranium and vanilla pod and whisk in 2 egg yolks, 2 tbsp of vodka, and a teaspoon or more of beet juice for colour. Freeze in ice cream maker until the consistency is smooth and thick, then transfer to an airtight container and put in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 33