November's curry making with The Farm Cookery School was a most popular event as we got to eat the results! Gretchen's tomato based curry was the chosen recipe and it was interesting to see how different the curries were even though we all used the same recipe. The choice of vegetables used was the main difference. We could select from cauliflower, green beans, mange tout, baby sweetcorn, and chick peas with extra chilli for anyone desiring more heat. Some also added more tomato than the recipe stated and made sure this was cooked down well with the creamy coconut milk. The lime juice turned out to be a 'marmite' ingredient, with only a few liking the citrusy, slightly more bitter flavour it added to the recipe. Gretchen explained the main components of the spices used in curry whilst we inhaled jars of some of them to see what we thought. We agreed cumin was 'curry' ('essential because of its distinctive curry scent') and turmeric was musty ('adds depth to the dish and some bitter flavour'). Some also got the citrus notes of the ground coriander seeds ('lightens the flavour') and Gretchen assured us that the mild chilli powder was to add depth of flavour rather than its heat. Another essential component was ginger, for its warming properties and we were surprised to learn that there is no need to peel fresh ginger before grating it into the curry. Coconut milk was a new ingredient for some (more familiar in Thai cooking), and we agreed it added a pleasing creaminess whose sweetness (and that of the tomatoes) was counterbalanced by the bitter notes of the turmeric and lime. Gretchen had pre-cooked the onion and garlic ('make sure these are cooked slowly over a low heat for around 15 minutes, so the results are soft and caramelised') and after all our chosen ingredients had bubbled together over a low heat it was soon time to collect our rice and bread, spoon over some of the sauce and eat the results. Appreciative murmurs all round! Elsewhere this month, the Crafty Crew enjoyed their seasonal bow and tag making so much they've agreed to repeat it again in December. The Book Club had mixed feelings about Close to Home; several Pewsham Belles danced until they dropped at the Neeld Hall's 70s disco; and the Flexi-club revisited and enjoyed a morning at Rivo Lounge. Within the wider WI, Pewsham Belles made their mark at the Annual Meeting in Salisbury and one member enjoyed the seasonal crafts at Wiltshire's day workshop.