Author: Susan Hammersley

This is a slimmed down menu with an emphasis on community. Enjoy chatting and eating with DIY coffee and tea. You may also enjoy washing up, drying and clearing away as part of your contribution to the community atmosphere.

Each item is priced individually but we are offering the complete menu for just £10….if you’re tempted not to have to make your own supper!

Soup

Leek and pea with Marge’s delicious home made bread £ 4

Main

Curried vegetable pie £5.50

Side salad

Red cabbage slaw £1.00

Dessert

Apple and pear cobbler with custard (plant based) £1.50

Tea/Coffee

DIY £1.00

FUND RAISER- our last lunch will be by donation only, to raise funds for the refurbishment of The Centre for Reflection at Aston Tirrold. I have chosen this because Keith, who set up and opened the Centre, has been my Angel Investor ( and indeed my angel) since the genesis of the café seven years ago to the day. Please give generously to this project which is dear to my heart https://quietgarden.org/gardens/the-centre-for-reflection/

Mains

Green Thai curry – this was on the very first menu and here it is again! served with brown rice GF DF ve

Multi veg paella– also on the first menu! we are cooking this on site in a giant paella pan- served with giant couscous. The broad beans are from my garden DF Ve

Moussaka – lentils, aubergines, potatoes, tomatoes in rich béchamel sauce

Salads

Moroccan chickpea and couscous DF Ve contains gluten

Green tabouleh – a quinoa version GF DF Ve

Summer slaw with coconut yogurt dressing DF GF Ve

Beetroot, lentil and feta GF

Dessert

Berry & amaretti fruit pots– also on first menu

Raspberry and almond olive oil cake– made by Peter GF DF contains nuts

Mains £8 including variety of salads and delicious home made bread

Dessert £1.50

We accept cash and card

Mains

Harissa cauliflower bake – with mixed peppers and chickpeas baked in a dairy free coconut and harissa sauce GF Ve DF

Aubergine and pearl barley moussaka – topping made from ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt and eggs. No garlic in this recipe

Courgette, butter bean and feta filo pie– Julie will be baking this one!

Salads

Summer slaw

Greek potato salad

Chickpea, cucumber and tomato salad

Please note- we cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for all recipes available for inspection on the day

Main course £8.00 includes variety of salads and Marge’s delicious home made bread

dessert £1.50

We take cash and card ( though the machine broke down last month so a few customers will be paying for two meals!)

Though the weather is summery in feel, most of our summer veg are still growing and not reached harvest yet. However asparagus is now available and we have included it in this month’s menu.

Mains

Three bean chilli– a combination of red lentils, black beans and kidney beans. The kidney beans we are using were grown in Norfolk ! Served with brown rice GF DF Ve

Green mac ‘n’ cheese- peas and asparagus cooked in a rich béchamel sauce of mature cheddar pepped up with basil pesto and lemon zest. Topped with crunchy, lightly spiced breadcrumbs See May Waitrose magazine for recipe. Plant butter, oat milk lentil pasta

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni – a Blue Sky standard dish- ricotta is a vegetarian cheese, containing whey rather than rennet

Salads

Olive and sundried tomato quinoa GF DF Ve contains nuts

Spelt, beetroot, feta, chickpea and apple

Spring Slaw GF DF Ve

Dessert

Rhubarb and raspberry strudel

Please note – we cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for all recipes available on the day

Mains including salads and home made bread £8 Dessert £1.50

We take cash and card

This month’s menus reflect the wonderful UK winter veg- savoy cabbage, celeriac, cavolo nero, leeks, carrots, swede enhanced with home made cheese and tomato sauce, puff pastry, dried mushrooms and herbs (though the latter do come from warmer climes so have a carbon footprint I’m sorry to say)

Mains

Winter vegetable gratin– we have used oat milk and plant butter for the cheese sauce . A breadcrumb topping gives a crunchy texture

Smoky maple roasted celeriac galette– a recipe tried, tested and cooked by our very own Julie courtesy of her daughter! Roasted celeriac on a bed of cream cheese and puff pastry

Cavolo nero, chickpeas and rosemary stew-Cavolo nero, also known as black kale, is a nutrient- rich leafy green veg crammed full of vitamins and antioxidants. Watch how to make this Waitrose recipe GF DF Ve https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRA0yxkZYpc

Allotment cottage pie- leeks, carrots, celeriac, swede and lentils in a rich mushroom gravy with a potato topping. A Jamie Oliver recipe GF DF Ve

Salads

Creamy beetroot, lentil and coconut yogurt – GF DF Ve

Quinoa, kale and apple with added dates and walnuts– GF DF Ve

Winter Tabbouleh– made with bulgar wheat-DF Ve

Ancient grain salad with salsa verde-Ancient grains such as emmer, farro and freekeh have better nutritional benefits compared to modern, modified grains. However they do contain gluten

Dessert

Apple strudel – served with custard made with oat milk

Please note- we cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for all recipes available for inspection on the day

We are approaching the ‘hungry gap’ when UK winter veg are coming to an end and spring crops are still in seedling stage. Some veg are transported from Spain e.g cauliflowers, though if you look carefully you will still find some grown in the UK . You can be assured I will always look first!

Mains including a selection of homemade breads and variety of salads £8.00

Dessert £1.50

Cash and card accepted

Mains

Saag aloo ‘shepherd’s’ pie– spiced potato, cauliflower, beans and kale makes a tasty topping for Indian- inspired shepherd’s pie. A comforting vegetarian dish, popular when we served it last time-Our beans are a mix of UK grown Carlin peas and pinto beans .  Carlin peas contain manganese and B vitamins, especially B1 GF DF Ve

Spinach, lentil & mushroom wellington– the golden puff pastry pie is layered with fava bean hummus, spinach, mushrooms and cashew nut pate and a mixture of succulent thyme flavoured mushrooms and lentils DF

Vegetable bean pot served with herby breadcrumbs– get all your five-a-day with this vegetarian bean pot. It’s bursting with nutrients, low in calories and packed with flavour. Our beans are UK grown flageolet from Hodmedods

Pasta bake – containing GF pasta, leeks and spinach in a rich tomato sauce topped with GF breadcrumbs. We used Yeast flakes to replace parmesan for a cheesy flavour GF DF Ve

Salads

Beetroot and black rice

Roasted veg on bed of farro and served with fava bean hummus-farro is a protein and fibre-packed whole grain that has ancient roots — rich in nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants. Farro we cook with is UK grown NOT GF

Rainbow slaw– onion, red cabbage parsnip, carrot, apples, raisins, nuts, poppy seeds & fresh herbs

Dessert

Apple strudel -served with custard made with oat milk

Please note- We cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for all recipes available for inspection on the day

Welcome to the first café in 2025. We will continue to avoid soya and palm oil and as much single use plastic as possible. By eating with us, you are not only choosing to be kind to your body but helping look after our planet too, in the company of friendly ,welcoming people. This is our strap line

Good for the planet, good for community, good for you!

Our prices have gone up by 50p . We take cash and card

Mains with variety of salads and Marge’s home made, delicious breads £8

Dessert £1.50

Mains

Pumpkin, chestnut and Borlotti bean stew -a warming stew of seasonal veg and two varieties of beans- borlotti and cannellini – in a rich tomato sauce recipe in Waitrose weekly newspaper GF DF Ve

Khichdi- style cauliflower– if you’re a fan of veggie curries or dal, this dish, based on a South Asian classic, ticks lots of boxes . We have replaced rice with an ancient wheat grain-farro which has a delicious nutty flavour and is grown in UK. see Waitrose weekly news paper DF Ve

Butternut squash lasagne– squash, cavolo nero, spinach layered with lasagne sheets in a ricotta béchamel sauce . We use oat ‘milk’ and plant ‘butter’ to reduce the dairy ingredient. Another Waitrose weekly newspaper recipe

Pearl barley risotto -pearl barley has 10 times more fibre than risotto rice and is so much better for your gut health and blood sugar- so says Tim Spector, author of Food for Life cookbook. We add lentils and leeks with dash of creamy kefir for extra probiotic goodness

Salads

Winter Tabbouleh– bulgur wheat, cauliflower, fennel cranberries, walnuts raisins DF Ve

Roasted roots with chickpeas-carrots and parsnips are main ingredient Gf DF Ve

Creamy beetroot, lentil & coconut yogurt salad GF DF Ve

Quinoa, kale & apple – celeriac, celery, dates, walnuts, kale GF DF Ve

Dessert

Panettone

please note

We cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for all recipes available for inspection on the day

Christmas Extravaganza

You are invited to wear a Christmassy item to set the mood. There will be a quiz and our unique rendition of Twelve Days of Christmas. Ticket sales (minus rent and insurance) will go to the charity Family of Hope – a school in Uganda for children with special needs.

Welcome drinks

Pomegranate mojito mocktail

or

Cranberry sangria

Starters

Carrot, butternut squash & coriander soup

or

Black garlic and chestnut pate

Mains

Mushroom, squash and chestnut wreath– mix of mushrooms, squash from my garden, chestnuts and cranberries wrapped in puff pastry DF

Orange, cranberry nut roast– very popular last year- onion, celery, carrots cranberries, walnuts & peanut butter GF Ve DF

Chestnut, mushroom and barley wellington– leeks, red pepper, shiitake mushrooms, carrots cooked in a red wine veg stock and enclosed in puff pastry

Spinach ricotta conchiglioni – giant pasta shells filled with spinach and ricotta cheeses baked in a rich béchamel sauce

sides/ salads

Roasted leek, kale and apple with vinaigrette

Sautéed red cabbage with cranberry

Bean & broccoli hash with parmentier potatoes

Raw sprouts, kale & almond salad

Spiced beetroot & wild rice salad

Desserts

Persian love cake! baked by Peter

Cranberry panettone pudding

Christmas fruit compote served with crème fraiche

tea / coffee

£7.50 mains and choice of homemade breads £1.50 dessert

we accept cash and card

Hope you enjoy the flavours of winter in our forthcoming menus. Where possible, we use UK grown beans and pulses supplied by Hodmedods, Britain’s pulse and grain pioneers. https://hodmedods.co.uk . This month we have organic veg from Stonehill Community garden. Stonehill community garden welcomes anyone who enjoys working with the soil. Find out more here-http://www.stonehillgardens.co.uk/

Mains

Winter squash, leek, kale and fennel gratin– a wholesome and hearty gratin bake with organic squash from my garden and leeks from Stonehill community garden (contains nuts)

Saag aloo shepherds pie – spiced potato, cauliflower and spinach makes a tasty topping for this Indian-inspired shepherds pie. This is one of Julie’s favourite (volunteer cook) . GF DF Ve Get the recipe here https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/saag_aloo_shepherds_pie_00935

Roasted beetroot, pot barley and fava bean hummus– organic beetroot from Stonehill Community garden paired with pearled naked barley from Hodmedods make a nutritious combination. Fava beans, also UK grown, are Britain’s original bean!

Salads

Smoked quinoa, kale & apple-GF contains nuts

Spelt, chickpea, beetroot and feta-spelt is an ancient wheat grain with many potential health benefits

Black rice with piquillo peppers, walnuts and sultanas -Black rice is high in antioxidants

Winter slaw– red cabbage, celeriac, carrot and red onion with pomegranate dressing

Dessert

Blackberry, apple and pear cobbler– Gf DF Ve- back by popular demand!

please note We cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for recipes available for inspection on the day

£7.50 mains £1.50 dessert

we accept cash and card

Hope you enjoy the flavours of autumn in our forthcoming menus. Where possible, we use UK grown beans and pulses supplied by Hodmedods, Britain’s pulse and grain pioneers. https://hodmedods.co.uk Vegetables are sourced from Wallingford saturday organic market and Waitrose organic wherever possible so menus may change if vegetables required are not available.

Mains

Bean cassoulet with herby breadcrumbs-get all of your five-a-day in one hit! (leeks, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic cooked in white wine and tomato sauce). It’s bursting with nutrients, low in calories and packed with flavour……. but don’t just take our word for it DF Ve

Spicy fava bean stew– inspired by the classic Egyptian dish Ful Medames ( but without eggs) using UK grown fava beans. Did you know, these delicious, nutritious beans are a variety of broad bean, Vicia faba, left to ripen and dry before harvest. Add a little spice to your day ! GF DF Ve

Beetroot and feta patties-packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fibre, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Numerous health benefits include improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. You’ll be skipping off home after this one! GF

Salads

Autumn Slaw-red cabbage, celeriac, carrot, pomegranate seeds GF DF Ve

Autumn tabbouleh– bulgar wheat, fennel, cauliflower, cranberries, NUTS DF Ve not GF

Oatberry, lentils, quinoa and kale– oat berries guaranteed GF by Hodmedods

Dessert

Blackberry, apple and pear cobbler– GF DF Ve so called because it looks like cobbled street! See Jamie Oliver ‘What to eat this week’ BBC4 but with alternative GF cobble. Served with ice cream or coconut yogurt

please note We cannot guarantee the food is free from ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Ingredients for recipes available for inspection on the day