organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
If your beans are doing as well as mine, you'll need one of these bean slicers that strings and slices flat beans in one. If the bean won't go through the slicer it's too old and tough to eat. It took me a while to realise that not everyone is given one of these as an essential item of kitchen equipment when leaving home for the first time. If … [Read more...]
I was sceptical about getting rhubarb jam to set as it's not naturally high in pectin. I experimented with using a packet of jam setting mix (about $2) which contains pectin, added to ordinary white sugar. It made a quick and reasonably well set jam. The resulting jam was quite sweet but a beautiful pink and not too mushy. It doesn't have to boil … [Read more...]
I made this variation on a frittata for a friend for lunch instead of zucchini fritters because it's more tolerant of being made ahead of time and contained ingredients I had in the pantry, fridge and garden. I've enjoyed a few left over slices for breakfast. It contained onion, garlic, corn, chives, zucchini and spinach from the garden and fresh … [Read more...]
Ask not what your soil can do for you.... ask what you can do for your soil. We've been picking, digging and pulling crops from the ground all summer. Some of us might be planning on doing the same for most of the autumn and winter. If you haven't got systems in place to replenish our soil, you'll be storing up problems for yourself later. You're … [Read more...]
We now have four Dexter calves - Felix, Frida, Flora and, at last, Fifi. … [Read more...]
Zucchini fritters are getting so many outings that I decided to try a variation. I had some grated beetroot and carrot left over from a beetroot salad so this made an excellent breakfast for one with some spinach leaves and baby tomatoes. I could have very easily packed it for my lunchbox if I had to take a lunch out. If you haven't got capers, … [Read more...]
... Give the gift of pumpkin. I've been delighted to receive a pumpkin from each of two friends who've been to visit recently. One had a rich orange, dry flesh that made superb pumpkin soup. The other was an green 'eight ball' summer squash that I stuffed and slow cooked. Also delicious. Now I've got my own mini pumpkins coming on - the flattened … [Read more...]
I prefer my lasagne heavy on the meat and vegetables and light on the pasta and cheese. The addition of plenty of zucchini makes a perfect one-dish dinner although you could add a salad too. Although it takes a while to bake, if you've prepared it ahead of time it doesn't take any supervision close to dinner time and smells delicious as it cooks. … [Read more...]
