If I asked you what you thought of the WI you would probably
have images of cute little old farmers wife’s huddled round knitting, singing cheering
renditions of Jerusalem while eating big chunks of homemade cake served with a
strong cup of tea. Lovely – but would it make you want to be part of the WI? You
would maybe presume younger women would never want to be seen there or that it
offered nothing to the women of today? That it was out of touch with what was
happening in the world outside of the villages these women live in perhaps? But
what if I told you that you were wrong? (Except for the amazing homemade cakes
and tea – you will definitely learn a baking trick or two!)
The Women's Institute (WI) was formed in 1915 to revitalise
rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food
during the First World War. Since then the organisation's aims have broadened
and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK. The WI
celebrated its centenary in 2015 and currently has almost 220,000 members in
approximately 6,300 WIs. The WI plays a unique role in providing women with
educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a
wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and
their communities.
The WI has succeeded for so long and continues to do so
because they have moved with the times. Pop into any WI nowadays and you will
find young women who are wives and mothers, who bake and love a good natter but
also women who are strong, independent and career driven. Topics covered in
meetings range from supporting local domestic violence projects, decorating
local bus stops that had been vandalised and veganism (yep you read that
right!) As well as many other local,
important issues.
Speaking of veganism - it was at this month’s WI meeting
that our guest speaker was Katy Beskow – author of ’15 minute vegan’ . She came
and shared some of her amazing recipes with us and this was without a doubt my
favourite. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash
and Sage Macaroni (Serves 2
generously)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks (I
used Waitrose frozen chunks)
1 onion, chopped finely
2 tsp dried sage
600ml vegetable stock
300g dried macaroni ( I used gluten free)
Pinch of black pepper
1 slice of day old crusty bread, grated finely into
breadcrumbs ( I used gluten free)
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 6
2. Arrange the butternut squash and onion on a baking tray
and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. The butternut
squash should be soft and the onion tender
3. Remove the butternut squash and onion from the oven and
spoon into a high powered blender. Sprinkle in the sage and add the stock.
Blend on high until smooth.
4. Scatter the pasta into an oven-proof dish. Pour over the
butternut squash sauce evenly and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Add a top
layer of breadcrumbs and return to the oven and cook for an extra 10 minutes
until the edges are bubbling and the topping is slightly browned and crisp.
Serve immediately.
