The Get Pickled Diaries
The October edit
Hey First name / friend,

 
I hope you are having a lovely week. 
 
One of the main reasons I started Get Pickled was to connect with this beautiful land, to this part of the world and to really think and change the way we look at and consume food. Surplus and upcycling is at the heart of my mission. 
 
The moment that I started taking time away from selling at the markets and hosting cooking workshops, I knew I was fully realizing my purpose. I love teaching and I am here, with all my heart, to create amazing flavours, help reduce waste and upskill as many people as I can in food fermentation and understanding its role in our history.  
 
Big news! I made the front cover of the beautifully produced magazine @fromelist this month (pic below). What a great month to be featured. October – the harvest month when we celebrate all things plant and cherish the bounty given to us by our land. 
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There's lots to get involved with here at Get Pickled. Food to taste and recipes from the beautiful but simple to the wild and daring! 
 
I also host workshops and offer private tuition.
 
‘Festive Ferments’ workshops are hosted in November in Somerset and Oxfordshire, so you can prepare Christmas gifts for your loved ones. 
 
Come and learn the science and skills behind fermentation and good gut health!
 
I hope you enjoy this issue and have a happy October.
 

Recipe
 
Paula’s ‘Save your greens’ Pesto
 
 
Ingredients
 
  • 200g of greens (soft herbs, or you can mix these with a few leaves of nasturtiums or dandelions from the garden or greens like kale or spinach that are languishing in your fridge)
  • 50g of your nut/seed of choice (toasted – optional)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
  • 100ml of olive oil
  • 50g of cheese or vegan alternative
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Nutritional yeast (optional)
Method
 
Put your greens, nuts, lemon, garlic and cheese in a blender. Pulse them until they are well mixed, but not completely blended.
 
Incorporate the oil to emulsify. I like to keep mine with texture, but if you prefer, you can blend it until it is smooth.
 
If you are doing bigger quantities, put it in a sterilised jar and cover it with oil. 
It will keep for about a month, or even longer if frozen. 
 
Notes . . .
 
One of my main sources of inspiration for preserves or condiments is the discounted bin at my local supermarket . . . I call it liberating the plant!
 
Just the other day, there were some peppery salad leaves on offer, more than I could use in a salad that week. The best way to use them, them? 
Put them in a pesto. 
 
I know people usually see pesto as a basil condiment . . . but the word pesto comes from the Italian “pestare”, which means pounding, so any paste that you make by crushing and mixing vegetables can be a pesto. 
The Italians do a red pesto with tomatoes!
 
Leaves like rocket and watercress work really well as a pesto,  without any basil. You can also use kale or cavalo nero.
 
When it comes to the nuts, traditionally you would use pine nuts. I am partial to cashew nuts instead, which give the pesto a creaminess and sweetness. However, you could easily use any other nuts that you have at home. Sunflower or pumpkin seeds work really well too.
 
As for the cheese, you can forego that entirely if you are vegan or vegetarian, as the traditional parmesan cheese uses animal rennet. But if you would still like a umami cheesiness on your pesto, you could easily use another hard cheese  – goat’s cheese works particularly well. Or, if you have some at hand, you could add nutritional yeast.
I am partial to cashew nuts instead, which gives the pesto creaminess and sweetness.

growing and sharing
This month I….
 
 
- visited gardens run by @usefulbeyondbuildings
and the market gardens at Galhampton
- I picked brilliant beetroots, green tomatoes,
- gathered wild rosehips, and blackberries by the 
National Trust’s Cley Hill
- met the absolutely sweet owner of Dowding's 
Apple Juice and Cider, Oliver Dowding.
- I am hosting the Frome Food Network at home. 
 

 
Why not give your loved ones the gift of good gut health? 
 
Festive Ferments - A Introduction to Fermentation
We will learn about basic fermentation techniques and use seasonal flavours to produce festive creations, which you could give your loved ones. Healthy and moorish treats that will help anyone make up for those end-of-year excesses.
We will make a Christmas kraut and a sugar maceration of festive flavour that will create a fermented seasonal syrup. You will also get a handout with instructions on how to reproduce those recipes at home! We will also be trying some of my favourite pickles during our session to get us in a very Get Pickled Christmas mode.
 
Introduction to fermented vegetables
Join me as we delve into the history and practice of fermentation - what is happening in the jar, why fermentation is so good for your gut and your tastebuds,
and, of course, how to make your own kimchi, sauerkraut and brine ferments. After the workshop, you will return home with a 1-litre jar of your own creation and a new-found appreciation for all things fermented!
 
Fermented condiments and hot sauces
We will introduce you to different fermentation techniques and how to apply them in your daily life. Join me in making a fermented salsa, a hot sauce and preserved lemons. We will also explore how to bring the good bacteria to all your condiments and sides. There is no need to have previous fermentation experience; this course will cover all the basics too!
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