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January 2009

New Walkers welcome!

This is the time of the year when many people think about taking up walking, whether it's to get fit or just to get out and enjoy the countryside. If you're new to SURG, or you want to bring along a friend who may be interested, there are a number of walks on our Winter programme that are well suited to new walkers.
For example on Sunday 11th January our Blackwater Meander is a lovely 10 mile walk along the river Blackwater, passing through wetlands, wildlife reserves and river pastures. It passes close to several stations along the way, so there are opportunities to leave the walk early if the full distance worries you. Then on Saturday 17th January we have a 6 mile walk around Chilworth and St Martha's Hill which will be followed by an informal Pub Night at the George Abbott in Guildford. It's a great opportunity to come along and meet members of the group and bring your friends too.

Spring programme planning

Thanks again to all of you who submitted walks and socials for the Winter programme. Towards the end of January we'll start planning the next programme and we'll be holding a Walks and Socials Planning Evening in Leatherhead on Saturday 31st January. Please come along, it's great fun!

Best of the brews

At last month's Christmas Party weekend Chris our Recruitment Officer made a delicious (and potent!) Mulled Cider. Chris has also provided a recipe that he used to use up the left over Mulled Cider, which sounds equally delicious!

Mulled cider

1 litre medium cider
2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
40g soft dark sugar
2 clementines, sliced
4 cloves
2 cardamon pods
2 star anise pods
2 sticks cinnamon, broken in half
2 fresh bay leaves
60ml dark rum

  1. Put all the ingredients except the rum into a wide saucepan.
  2. Heat until the mixture is almost boiling, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down and heat gently for 10 to 30 minutes to allow the spices to infuse.
  3. Squeeze the clementine slices to extract the juice. Taste and add more sugar to suit your taste.
  4. When ready to serve, stir in the rum and ladle into heatproof glasses.

Fruity spiced lamb stew

This recipe uses leftover mulled cider but you can make it with fresh cider and add the spices during cooking. It is best cooked the day before to allow the flavours to infuse the meat.

1 lamb shoulder joint or 1kg diced lamb
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 litre mulled cider (or cider with mulling spices)
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 handfuls of raisins or sultanas
1 tablespoon oil

  1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas 4 or 180 degrees Celsius
  2. In an oven-proof casserole dish, heat the oil over a moderate heat and gently fry the garlic and onions until softened but not browned.
  3. Add the lamb, turning it in the oil until browned all over. Season with a little salt and pepper.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to the boil on the hob.
  5. Cover the casserole dish and place in the oven. Cook for an hour and a half to two hours, adding water if necessary to keep the liquid level up.
  6. If serving immediately, take out the joint and carve and skim the fat off the surface of the liquor. If serving the next day, allow to cool overnight and remove the solidified fat before reheating the stew. Serve with plain boiled rice and seasonal vegetables.