Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi All

I sprinkled a 'wild flower mix' at the back of the garden earlier this year and got mostly red poppies as well as some other lovely flowers. I've managed to cut and dry the poppy heads so as to avoid too much natural spread of seeds in the garden and have now got tons of poppy seeds that I do not want.

Is anyone interested? I'd be happy to post them to anyone who wants them. Just PM me your address and I'll put them in the post.

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could you use them to put on top of homemade bread?

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smiling is infectious....

http://www.thehudsonallotment.blogspot.com/ updated 28th May 2008

Yes you could Vicki, that would be one way of dealing with them. Just don't eat too many and compete in anything - they will show up as very low level of opiates in urine

They do seed readily though. I've discovered a few in my garden which seem to have appeared out of nowhere!

Sorry Eskymo I can't take any off you but I could probably find you some recipes.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

There's a really nice poppy seed cake in the Cranks cookbook. The poppy seeds really are the main ingredient rather than just a garnish. Will try to remember and look it out tonight and post up

OOOhhh - I never thought of using them for cooking! Wow I didn't realise you could. I've just packaged up the seeds to send out to four lucky grapes. So will need to wait until I have another batch before I can can cook with them...cool.

And it's true about opiates showing up in your blood and urine after eating poppy seeds - I saw something ages ago on the telly where they got people to eat just one poppy seeds bagel and tested them 24 hrs later.

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Hi Eskymo
I've found four recipes using poppy seeds for when you have your next batch. I'll scan them into Word and e-mail them to you if that's ok

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

That'd be great.

I will have more poppy seeds on offer very soon. I've found some very large seed heads in the woods where I walk the dog and as far as I can remember the poppies were a purply colour. They looked lovely so I collected a few seed heads and I'm waiting for them to dry out and release seeds. There will be plenty of seeds and so if anyone wants some fo those I#d be willing to send them out as well.

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I thoght you could only eat certain poppy seeds and that others were dangerous???????????????????????????? Can anyone tell me if that is true? I have loads of poppy seeds, which i plan to plant out, but i would love that recipie too please.Would also like more poppies.

not sure which you can and can't eat to be honest.
I have some heads with purple poppy seeds if you want them though.

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smiling is infectious....

http://www.thehudsonallotment.blogspot.com/ updated 28th May 2008

Have just googled poppy seeds and can't find anything of concern. Apparently they are mildly toxic while setting flower but otherwise ok. Quite a lot of info in links came up re opiate bit and a couple of other recipes. Will try and send recipes when I get a free minute. Am taking a break from sorting paperwork as I have to tax return and tax credits thingy this month.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Here's the recipe from the Cranks book that I promised ages ago. I can definitely recomend it. I make it in a small loaf tine since I don't have the right size one from the recipe. Works fine in there

Poppy Seed Cake

3oz (75g) Poppy seeds
1/ pt (190ml) Milk
2 Eggs
4oz (100g) Raw brown sugar
1/4pt (150ml) Oil
1tsp (5ml) Almond essence
8oz (225g) Wholemeal SR flour
1 1/2 oz (40g) Skimmed milk powder
1tsp (5ml) Ground cinnamon

Grease and line the base of an 11 x 7” (27 x 18cm) cake tin. Soak 2oz (50g) poppy seeds in the milk for an hour. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Very slowly whisk in the oil and almond essence until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle with remaining poppy seeds and bake in the oven at 190°C (375°F/Gas mark 5) for 20-25 minutes until just firm to the touch. Cool on a wire tray and cut into slices to serve.

Mmmmm Foxhill Gardener.... I love poppy seed cake!!!

In Australia, they serve up lovely moist and squishy lemon or orange poppy seed cakes. I have a recipe for an orange poppy seed cake (can be turned into a lemon one just as easily!).

The only problem is that in Australia they use cup measurements so it's all in cup sizes. On my food mixer there is a cup measurement which I use (this is the bit on the food processor which you use to push food into it when it's turned on - if that makes sense?). Anyway.... on my cup measurement, it shows that 1 cup is just slightly shy of 250mls of fluid, to give you an idea.

Alternatively, lots of kitchen shops stock cups measurements now which is very handy as it means you can make the most of the American recipes on line too!!

Anyway, here's the recipe if you fancy a twist on the poppy seed cake

3 eggs
200g butter
1/2cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 cups Self Raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 tbslp orange zest
1/2 cup nut meal
orange juice
1/2 cup shredded orange


1) Preheat the oven to 180ºC

2) Mix the 1/2 cup of yoghurt with the 1/2 cup poppy seeds and put to one side.

3) cream the butter with the orange zest and the castor sugar until it's creamy, then add in the 3 eggs and beat it well.

4) mix in the poppy seeds, the nutmeal, both types of flour, then add 200 mls of orange juice.

5) Put your mix in a 20cm square cake tin and cook for approx 50 mins.

Once cooked, pour a hot orangey syrup over the cake (to make it nice and moist ). You make the syrup by mixing 1 cup orange juice, 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup shredded orange rind over the cake then heating it before pouring on top of the cake.

poppy seeds are great mxed with roasted squash seeds and sunflower seeds as a mid morning or mid afternoon pick me up.
yum
very nutritious.

also my chickens eat the leaves, dont know if thats good or not, never been brave enough to try myself.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull