Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
19th September 2026
Animal Magic
As a proud Ambassador for World Animal Day, I am giving you lots of notice for this year’s occasion on the 4th October – and there is still time to organise your own event and promote it on their website.
The list of deserving animal charities is endless, as is the type of event you could organise – at work, school or even just on social media. There will be various Animal Blessings taking place too – with lots happening throughout Wales. The 4th of October is chosen annually to mark the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Catholic patron saint of animals and ecology. Saint Francis was known for his deep love and respect for nature and all living creatures and so the purpose (or porpoise) of World Animal Day is to raise the status of animals and improve welfare standards around the globe by recognizing animals as sentient beings.
If you are unable to organise or host an event, you could still help to make a difference by donating funds or items to a shelter or sanctuary – like the Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary, for which I am also a proud patron.
I know a charity dear to Mathew Pritchard’s heart, is the Dean Farm Trust and he has just completed the Ironman in Tenby to raise much needed funds for the outstanding work that Mary and her team do, rehoming vulnerable animals. There are numerous ways to help them from donating funds, to corporate volunteering (a great way to ‘team build’) and lots more in between.
Sue, who was Yogi’s hydro-therapist for years, also runs a rescue centre and is always grateful for surplus bedding, toys and food donations for her rescued dogs at Four Seasons Kennels
I’m sorry that I can only name a few of these fabulous places and people already helping our beloved animals – and sadly there is no shortage of deserving causes, so you could also do a little research in your area and make a difference if you can. I’ll remind you before the 4th October, of course.
Green Tomato Jam
I had a great reaction after mentioning a glut of courgettes in last week’s column, with some more great recipe ideas. The best one was definitely to cook finely shaved courgettes on a low heat in plenty of olive oil and garlic for 40 to 50 minutes. They break down into a sweet, silky spread that works nicely on toast, or stirred into pasta. Thank you Moira.
Another lovely surprise last week involved a client giving me some green tomatoes to make some Green Tomato Jam (it’s delicious). I left them in the brown paper bag on the work surface in the kitchen until the weekend, when I was going to make the jam. And when I went to use them, just 4-5 days later, lo and behold – the green tomatoes were all red. It was like a magician’s trick. I have tried to ripen tomatoes like this before and failed, so I have no idea what the difference was this time but I highly recommend you have a go, if you have a load of green tomatoes to use up. If they don’t ripen, you can still use them for ‘jam’ so it’s a win-win.
I share Gerald’s Green Tomato Jam recipe each year. It is, by his admission, a fusion of several recipes and is, as the name suggests, much more of a jam than the more familiar green tomato chutney. It is delicious and has, over the years, gained quite a following.
As always, the recipe below is exactly as I received it from Gerald and, as he concludes, it is indeed ‘easy peasy!’:
Green Tomato Jam (Recipe culled from several; seems to work.)
Ingredients:
- 1kg green tomatoes, cored and sliced (2-3mm) with seeds
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 600g jam sugar or ordinary granulated sugar (I usually use ordinary)
- 20 g candied peel
- Crystalised ginger
Put tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and sugar in a large pan. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature. You’ll find it produces a lot of liquid.
Bring to a “rolling” boil, stirring frequently. Takes about 45-60 minutes: goes transparent green>amber, and bubbles “crack”.
When ready, add candied peel and/or crystalised ginger (I happened to have some CG, so just cut a few cubes into bits and added – lovely subtle gingeryness!)
Jar up. I always put lids on while jam still hot – gives vacuum seal and no mould, however long you keep them (not long, we find!) Many jam recipes advise letting it cool before lidding, but never say why. Doing so, we’ve often found mould on surface of jam after storage.
!! EASY PEASY !!
Soopah Soups
My kitchen was turned into a soup kitchen last weekend, not in the traditional sense, but in so far as I was making lots and lots of soup – and freezing it.
I love soup. It is satisfying, nutritious – and easy to eat. My brother insists that ‘one’ should eat solids while ‘one’ still has teeth, but I disagree. I think soup is indeed a soopah choice at this time of year, whatever your dental situation.
Last weekend I made carrot and coriander, curried parsnip and broccoli soup – it was going to be broccoli and Stilton but I forgot to buy the Stilton, so I’ll just add that when thawed and reheated.
Other great soup combos include butternut squash, ginger, and sage. I made that last year and it’s delicious and very warming. Do make the effort of adding sage, it makes all the difference. Warm gingeriness (to quote Gerald) cuts through the natural sweetness of squash, while fresh sage adds a nice earthy flavour. Red lentil, coconut, and lime is another favourite – using coconut milk and fresh limes. I have learned that it is the little ‘posh ingredients’ that make all the difference – even a basic potato and leek soup can be elevated by a drizzle of herb oil before serving.
And then there is the delicious hearty cauliflower cheese soup and probably one of my most-often- made – the ‘whatever-is-in-the-fridge’ soup. That has yielded some very interesting results.
I’m going to have to be careful that Green Scene doesn’t morph into Kitchen Scene, but when you grow your own food, cooking it is actually gets pretty exciting.
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