http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:01:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2012/01/drowning-in-zucchinis/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2012/01/drowning-in-zucchinis/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:57:12 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3843

It's a busy time of year picking beans, cucumbers and zucchinis. The trick is to pick them before they get too big - that's why I like yellow zucchinis as they're much easier to spot.

These recipes will help out on the zucchini front. Zucchini fritters can be lunch-box fillers, pass-arounds or barbecue fare. Zucchini and corn self-crusting quiche can be made ahead of time and you can substitute all manner of vegetables. Zucchini lasagne or gluten-free lusaka make good weekday suppers. Vegans could try these stuffed zucchini whilst meat-lovers will enjoy a slice or two of venison and zucchini meatloaf. And to fill the tins, a large zucchini orange spice cake or a moist vegan chocolate zucchini cake are good alternatives to a carrot cake.

If you haven't got a glut and would like some help having one next year, book on a fresh food garden course or try some winter gardening by sowing some seeds at a workshop in February.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2012/01/drowning-in-zucchinis/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/perfect-pastry/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/perfect-pastry/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:47:35 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3678

Pastry is a tasty, flexible and waterproof layer that can be formed into a multitude of shapes and sizes. You can substitute one type of pastry for another quite happily in many applications. Although making your own pastry takes a little longer than using ready-made, you control what ingredients it contains and you can make the right amount for the job at hand. I stick to making my own shortcrust, sweet and rough-puff pastries. Filo and puff pastry are in the league of more ambitious pastry chefs than me.

Little lemon meringue pies
Traditional beef stew pasties
Vegetable tarte tatin
Pheasant and mushroom pies
Silverbeet, feta and pine nut triangles
Zucchini and feta pies
Cheesy leek and potato flan
Apple, almond and lemon jalousie
Festive pies
Leek, bacon and tomato flan

I've been absorbed by a couple of fictional books recently, coincidentally both from Canadian authors. Stef Penney's The Tenderness of Wolves and Gail Anderson-Dargatz' The Cure for Death by Lightning are bleak in places but full of appealing characters.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/perfect-pastry/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/beef-stew-pasties/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/beef-stew-pasties/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:15:44 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3690

A slow-cooked stew can be even better in a pasty. It's easier to take to work for lunch in pasty form too. You could use ready-made puff pastry. I made some rough puff pastry. I made four pasties but they seemed a bit big for my taste and I think six or eight smaller ones would be better.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/beef-stew-pasties/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/littl-lemon-meringue-pies/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/littl-lemon-meringue-pies/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:53:39 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3680 Having made lemon curd, I was looking for a way to use it in a dessert. Cafe Medici in Martinborough used to serve mini lemon curd tartlets that were worth the trip over the hill from Wellington in themselves. The addition of a meringue topping was satisfying because it increased their visual appeal, it used up the two orphaned egg whites from the pastry and it made them easier to transport by sealing in the curd. Makes 24 mini pies.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/littl-lemon-meringue-pies/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/lemon-curd/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/lemon-curd/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:07:36 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=866

In a household that has plenty of lemons and eggs, lemon curd is a wonderful condiment. It's delicious spread on scones, pikelets or freshly made bread, used as a filling for mini tartlet cases or made into lemon ice-cream by rippling it through slightly softened boughten vanilla ice-cream. You can substitute lime juice for some or all or the lemon juice. Use a very fine grater and merely 'graze' the zest from the lemon. If you're a purist you can sieve the lemon curd but I prefer to leave the texture of the rind in the curd. I do sieve the lemon juice to make sure no pips or pith get into the curd. I have a lime squeezer that fits my home grown Meyer lemons very well. For a long time I eschewed gadgets for getting the juice out of citrus, but this one really works and is easy to rinse clean. Warming the lemons in the oven for ten minutes increases the yield of juice. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/lemon-curd/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/carrot-and-coconut-cake/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/carrot-and-coconut-cake/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:57:27 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3649 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/carrot-and-coconut-cake/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/springtime-coriander-pesto/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/springtime-coriander-pesto/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:21:27 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=143

Pesto is usually made from basil and pinenuts but in spring when there's coriander and lemons about, I make this version. Mix it through mashed potato, spread it on a lamb steak before you wrap it in proscuitto and roast for about 20 minutes, use a tablespoon of it as a topping for a piece of fish or in pasta sauce. I spread it on sandwiches and wraps too. If you don't have any coriander, sow some now and you'll soon have plenty.

Don't forget, evening Spring seed sowing sessions start next week and there's a fresh food garden course next Saturday too. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/springtime-coriander-pesto/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/09/twelve-salad-leaves/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/09/twelve-salad-leaves/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:04:36 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=2315

Salad leaves can be colourful, spiky or bitter. Their taste, texture, shape, size and appearance are all important. There's much more to salad than lettuce and the best way to experience them all is to grow your own. Combined with some herbs and a great dressing you'd have the basis of a delicious lunch. Here's a selection of leaves you could grow from seed in your garden now. You'll find out more about growing these on a fresh food garden course. Or you can sow some salad at a Spring seed sowing session.

1 rocket

2 mizuna

3 claytonia (miners' lettuce)

4 cos 'little gem'

5 cos 'silvia'

6 chicory 'red treviso'

7 spinach

8 arugula (perennial rocket)

9 chicory 'red dandelion'

10 red mizuna

11 corn salad (lamb's lettuce)

12 mibuna

]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/09/twelve-salad-leaves/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/07/pumpernickel-bread-recipe-for-the-bread-maker/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/07/pumpernickel-bread-recipe-for-the-bread-maker/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:56:56 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3183

Having tried and enjoyed Virgil Evetts' Swedish rye bread a few months ago, I found the remains of the bag of rye flour I'd bought for the purpose in the pantry. This time I decided to make pumpernickel bread in the bread maker. The previous trial I'd just made the dough in the bread maker and baked it in the oven. I used 'wheat' bread setting on my bread maker which gives the ingredients time to warm through first and allows for a longer rising. It was more dense than a white loaf but cooked through beautifully. I love licorice so the fennel seeds were perfect for my taste. The addition of dried milk powder improves the texture and makes it easier to slice thinly. Cocoa powder gives it a characteristic bitter taste and a beautiful brown colour, although I doubt this is an authentic ingredient. Makes a 750g loaf. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/07/pumpernickel-bread-recipe-for-the-bread-maker/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/06/winter-thai-beef-salad-with-creamy-coconut-dressing/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/06/winter-thai-beef-salad-with-creamy-coconut-dressing/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:15:54 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3096

Winter is the time for a different kind of salad. There’s still lettuce and rocket from the tunnel house but a crunchier combination comes from cabbage, carrot, spring onion and fresh herbs topped with cashews and strips of beef. I used meat left over from a slow-cooked beef shin.

Processing robust raw ingredients, such as carrots and cabbage, into palatable pieces is crucial to enjoying them raw. Restaurants do this with razor-sharp knives and well-honed knife skills. I use the Borner V-slicer I originally bought at the Manchester Home and Garden show in 1987. I bought a replacement at House of Knives in Petone when we arrived in New Zealand in 1996. Nothing cuts matchsticks of carrot, cucumber or turnip better. It also turns out finely shredded cabbage and gossamer thin wafers of potato for all those baked potato-with-cream-and-cheese type things. I felt such a sucker when I was convinced by the salesman to buy the gadget. But just like my rubber broom and steam mop (other home show purchases) the V-slicer has stood the test of time in terms of both effectiveness and consistency of use.

A salad dressing of any nationality demands a judicious blend of sharp, sweet, salt and oil. Chow restaurant in Tory Street, Wellington has a ‘two dishes for the price of one’ deal from noon until 4pm every day at the moment. I based the dressing on what I’d tasted on their Asian chicken salad. I also took advantage of the big bag of limes I’d bought at the side of the road on a recent visit to the Hawke’s Bay. Using prodigious quantities of New Zealand citrus is always a great joy to me. Lemon juice would do at a push, but lime takes the dressing to an altogether different level. Serves two as a main course. For solo diners, eat half for dinner and take the rest for lunch tomorrow with dressing on the side.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/06/winter-thai-beef-salad-with-creamy-coconut-dressing/feed/ 0