Plans are well under way for the Broadwindsor Oak Apple weekend, Friday, 29th, Saturday, 31st May & Sunday, 1st June.
Oak Apple Day (29th May) was the birthday of Charles II, who famously stayed the night in Broadwindsor in 1651 on his six-week flight from the Battle of Worcester. It was also the date in 1660 when he was restored to the throne. For years afterwards, the day was celebrated across the land as a public holiday and is still marked in some areas with fetes and festivities.
There are still a few things to be confirmed, including timings, but, so far, the programme looks like this:
ON THURSDAY (OAK APPLE DAY):
12noon – meet at Bernards’ Place (village green) for a walk up to Lewesdon Hill. Bring your own picnic.
Evening – Oak Apple Banquet in The White Lion.
* Throughout the weekend… Scarecrow Festival with the theme of Royalty. Entry forms will soon be available from from The Shop, The White Lion or Comrades Hall. The scarecrows are put outside your house over the weekend of 31st May-1st June, or, if you live outside the village, we might be able to find space for you to put it in or around the Square.
A Family Fun Evening with live music featuring the young group, Jawes, a bar, bbq and stalls.
All at Broadwindsor Cricket Ground
Evening: Rib Night at the White Lion.
OVER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:
Scarecrow Festival with the theme of Royalty. Publicity in due course, but something to think about! In the past, organised by both the old JubileeGroup and Broadwindsor Fun Day, the competition has been brilliant, with visitors coming from all over to see the amazing creations!
Flower Festival in the church – local groups are being invited to decorate windows illustrating quotes of the the illustrious Dr Thomas Fuller, Rector of Broadwindsor in the 17th century.
Art Project celebrating our community and the landscape we live in.
Hamper Raffle – village groups are being invited to put together their own themed hampers, reflecting their organisations, for a competition draw.
ON SATURDAY:
Scarecrow competition with the theme of ‘Royalty’.
2 – 5pm:Parade of village shields to Comrades Hall to launch the Oak Apple Fair where there will be stalls, sideshows and entertainment on Bernards’ Place and the hall car park.
From 2pm: Jokerman:
Bar, Hog roast/BBQ at the The White Lion.
Evening: Live music in The White Lion Community Pub with Simon Lane
ON SUNDAY:
11am Community Service in the Church where the village and Dr Fuller – who preached from the pulpit and baptised his son in the font – will be celebrated.
2-4pm: Classic Car Display
There will be a display of Classic Cars in and around Comrades Hall car park. Tea and coffee available from the hall in the morning, The White Lion open at lunchtime for food.
2-4pm – Strawberry Tea in Comrades Hall by The 3 Churches.
Pub refreshments at the White Lion.
The parade of shields will be led by our own Broadwindsor Gallery Quire (we hope in 17th century costume but almost certainly singing and playing a song from 1660).
If you are part of a new village organisation and would like a shield, please let them know asap and they will try to sort one out for you. We’re doing an audit of shields that week, so will have a better idea then about what is missing. We hope these village shields will also be on display at the community service in the church on Sunday 1st June.
The original shields were created by Dave and Val and the lettering was done by Johanna.
Your help is vital! If you can’t make it but are happy to help, please email theoakapplegroup@gmail.com and follow the new Facebook page HERE.
Indeed, an invitation was sent to His Majesty King Charles III last month to which he graciously replied, being unable to attend, “[he] was very pleased to be asked. [He] wishes us well and hopes it will be ‘both successful and enjoyable for all involved‘.
It’s promising to be a great weekend!
Updates can be found and followed on the Facebook page – Click HERE.
Two seasonal recipes – one nature-led, one celebration-led. Happy Easter!
Wild Garlic Pesto
There is such an abundance of wild garlic in the hedgerows around here at this time of year. Use it in stir-fries, salads, risottos – or make this bright green pesto and add to pasta, dressings, bolognese sauces, mayonnaise – it’s brilliant!
You will need a food processor or blender, and an ice cube tray or two. (The pretty white flowers are also edible and are great for decorating salads).
125g wild garlic leaves, washed;
250ml good olive oil;
60g parmesan, grated;
65g pine nuts (or walnuts or hazelnuts);
1 tsp (or to taste) sea salt;
1 tsp sugar;
a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Method:
Gently pat the leaves dry and whizz in the processor for around 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and briefly whizz again.
Add in half the olive oil and the remaining ingredients, and whizz until well blended.
Scrape down again and add the remaining oil until you have a fairly sloppy consistency. If too stiff, add a dash of cooled, boiled water and mix again.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Spoon into the ice cube trays.
Once frozen, they can be transferred to freezer food bags. Alternatively, place in a sterilised jar, then cover with a layer of olive oil and shut tightly.
This will keep in the fridge for around a month.
Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding – serves 6
A handy Easter dessert. Versatile too – add blueberries, nuggets of marzipan, chopped chocolate, chopped walnuts, a little liqueur of choice etc.! Serve with cream or ice cream.
6 hot cross buns;
3 eggs;
75g caster sugar;
250ml milk (not skimmed);
150ml double cream;
75g softened butter;
zest of 1 orange;
1 tsp vanilla extract;
75g dried apricots, roughly chopped;
4 tablespoons marmalade or apricot jam
Method:
Lightly butter a shallow-ish ovenproof dish approx. 20cm x 13cm. Sprinkle with a little of the caster sugar for extra crunch.
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, orange zest and sugar in a large bowl.
Combine the milk and cream in a pan and heat until warm but not hot. Gradually add this to the egg mixture, whisking to combine, and set aside.
Split the buns horizontally and spread the bottom halves with butter on both sides, and with the jam or marmalade just on the upper side.
At this point either leave them as they are or cut diagonally (to better cover the bottom of the dish) and arrange in the dish.
Pour half of the milk mixture evenly over the slices. Scatter the chopped apricots as evenly as possible.
Butter the top halves (again halve these or leave whole) and arrange over the top.
Gently pour over the remaining milk mixture and place the dish in the fridge for around an hour for the buns to absorb some of the liquid.
Preheat oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3. Dot the tops of the buns with butter and bake in the bottom half of the oven for 30-40 minutes until nicely browned and fragrant. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
At 7.30pm at the Comrades Hall Friday, 21st March, Broadwindsor’s Community Film Club will be showing…
Wicked (PG)
(Running time: 2 hours & 45 minutes)
DIRECTOR: JON M. CHU CAST: CYNTHIA ERIVO, ARIANA GRANDE, JEFF GOLDBLUM
Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.
Watch the trailer HERE.
Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm.
Film Club members – Free entry
Guests – £4 (cash please)
Not essential but to help estimate numbers, please book your ticket(s) in advance by contacting: Alex Cook, Admin and membership secretary, broadwindsorfilmclub@gmail.com
Well done to The Knapp Inn in Beaminster for raising funds for Dorset Air Ambulance, an essential service for those of us living in rural and coastal areas.
As well as collection boxes around the bar, funds are regularly donated through the pub’s weekly ‘Meat Draw‘ on Friday evenings.
Customers can purchase a £1 ticket anytime throughout the week. Tickets are drawn at 6pm on the Friday and meat prizes distributed forthwith.
The £280 shown was over a six week period
This Freehouse offering a selection of Real Ales, shows both Sky & BT Sports & is open 7 days a week,12 noon – 11pm.
A lunch-type duo this month. Happy St. David’s and St. Patrick’s Days (both Welsh by birth, so I’ll celebrate twice – any excuse).
Carrot and Coriander Soup – serves 4-6
A quick and easy lunch. This teams up well with the soda bread. (If coriander is a no-no for you, instead use 1 level teaspoon dried thyme, added at the same time as the ground coriander).
1 large knob of butter;
1 medium onion, chopped;
500g carrots (weight after peeling);
1 large potato, peeled and cubed;
2 heaped teaspoons ground coriander;
1100ml chicken or vegetable stock; 1 small pack coriander*, leaves and stalks chopped separately;
2 teaspoons sugar;
juice of half a lemon;
Salt and white pepper to season.
Method:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion.
Add a pinch of salt and cook gently until softened (10-15 minutes).
Add the ground coriander and the potato – stir well and gently cook for a further 5 minutes.
In with the carrots and stock, then bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
Take off the heat and add the sugar and lemon juice.
Blitz with a stick blender or process until smooth, then add the coriander and blitz again briefly until the soup is flecked with coriander.
Season to taste with the salt and white pepper.
*Factoid – one of those ‘love-or-hate’ flavours – turns out that it’s not just a matter of preference… apparently, genetic variants in our taste receptor genes play a major role in how we perceive the taste of coriander!
Feta and Beetroot Soda Bread
Delicious with soup, but also a revelation when toasted, buttered and drizzled with honey for breakfast. If you don’t have buttermilk, use the same quantity of milk with a squeeze of lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
2 medium raw beetroot (+/- 250g), peeled and coarsely grated;
365ml buttermilk 500g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting;
1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda;
1 teaspoon salt;
200g feta, crumbled;
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only;
1 handful mixed seeds (optional)
Method:
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Peel and grate the beetroot (rubber gloves advisable!) then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Combine the flour, bicarb and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk and start to bring the ingredients together using a wooden spoon.
When it has almost come together as a dough, tip it out onto a board, then gradually and gently incorporate the beetroot, feta and rosemary. No need to knead!
Shape the dough into a round loaf and flatten slightly, then lightly mark into quarters with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with the seeds, if using.
Transfer the loaf onto a floured baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
After a decade in London, 29-year-old Rona returns home to Scotland’s otherworldly Orkney Islands. Sober yet isolated, she struggles to shake off the shadows of a troubled childhood and the turbulence of her recent city life. However, as Orkney’s wild landscapes and welcoming community begin to fill her inner world, Rona gradually confronts her past, embarking on a path of healing and rediscovering hope for the future. Based on Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir, The Outrun is a raw and powerful drama that explores addiction, recovery, and mental health, revealing how nature and human connection can restore life and rekindle hope.
Watch the trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgzzDQ3OpOk
Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm.
Film Club members – Free entry
Guests – £4 (cash please)
Not essential but to help estimate numbers, please book your ticket(s) in advance by contacting: Alex Cook, Admin and membership secretary, broadwindsorfilmclub@gmail.com
Traditionally made with lamb, I prefer to use either beef mince or Quorn mince. N.B. Quorn is quite thirsty, so if using it you will probably need to add some extra stock or water as you go along (go by eye).
Re the garlic and ginger – it’s handy to stash some frozen garlic and ginger cubes in your freezer (around £1.25 per pack from most supermarkets) – really quick and easy.
Serve this Keema with rice and your preferred curry sides (or top it with mash for a curried cottage pie).
2 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
450g minced beef (5%-12% fat) or Quorn mince
I large onion, 2 stalks of celery (de-strung) and I large carrot – all finely chopped or whizzed in a food processor
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 bay leaves
1 red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon grated ginger and 3 crushed cloves garlic
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon (or to taste) chilli powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons tomato purée
1 heaped tablespoon mango chutney
1 mugful frozen peas
500ml beef or veg stock
salt, to season
chopped fresh coriander to serve (optional).
Method:
Heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan and cook the onion, celery and carrot with a sprinkle of salt over a medium heat until softened (+/-10mins), adding a splash of water if sticking.
Add the mince and cook until browned, then stir in the flour, garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the spices and tomato purée and mix thoroughly, cook, stirring, for a further two minutes.
Add the bay leaves, red pepper and stock, bring to the boil and then simmer gently for around 20-25 minutes until the curry has thickened – add more water if needed.
Add the peas and the mango chutney towards the end of cooking. Check seasoning and add salt to taste.
Salted Caramel and Chocolate Mousse (makes 2 generous portions or 4 small)
Not the healthiest dessert you’ll ever eat – but once a year is ok, I reckon – so Happy Valentine’s
2 Mars bars (around 80g total weight), chopped small
240ml double cream
70g condensed milk
¼ teaspoon sea salt
small Flake bar, crumbled, or a little grated chocolate, to serve (optional).
Method:
First of all, divide the cream into 3 lots of 30ml, 50ml and 160ml.
Place the chopped Mars bars in a small pan along with the 30ml portion of cream, and gently melt over a very low heat. Stir continuously until everything is melted and combined into a thick sauce.
Add salt to taste, remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the 160ml cream portion and the condensed milk together until the whisk leaves a trail, and the mixture is thickened but not stiff.
Using a metal spoon, fold in the melted chocolate mix and decant into glasses or dessert bowls.
Chill in the fridge, uncovered*, for 3-4 hours until set.
Whip the remaining 50ml cream and spoon on top of the mousse, then decorate with some crumbled Flake or grated chocolate.
*When chilling a mousse or cheesecake in the fridge, I have found to my cost that it’s better to wait an hour or so before covering with cling-film, until the dessert has reached fridge temperature. This avoids condensation collecting on the inside of the cling-film and dripping onto the dessert.
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At 7.30pm at the Comrades Hall Friday, 17th January, Broadwindsor’s Community Film Club will be showing…
Thelma (12)
(Running time 1 hour 39 mins.)
DIRECTOR: Josh Margolin CAST: June Squibb , Parker Posey, Clark Gregg
Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin’s own grandmother, THELMA puts a clever spin on movies like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. With infectious humour, Margolin employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle aging with agency. In the first leading film role of her 70-year career, Squibb portrays the strong-willed Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business – despite what her daughter Gail, son-in-law Alan, or grandson Danny might believe.
Not essential but to help estimate numbers, please book your ticket(s) in advance by contacting: Alex Cook, Admin and membership secretary, broadwindsorfilmclub@gmail.com
Weldmar Hospicecare’s Christmas Treecycle is back, where you can book a collection for your real Christmas tree, in return for a suggested minimum donation of £10 per tree. More HERE.
If you need any further help, or have additional questions about a booking you have made , please call Weldmar’s Fundraising Team on 01305 261800 during office hours.
Weldmar are always on the lookout for people to help with collections this coming January who could either drive their own van or truck on a collection route, or be navigators and additional helpers to assist with loading up the trees. You’ll need to be fit and able to move trees up to 8ft tall onto and off vehicles. If you can help or to find out more – click HERE.
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