vegetable gardening courses and workshops, edible gardening tips and seasonal recipes for home-grown produce..
Beetroot relish is earthy and sweet. This one has an optional chilli to add some kick. I liked the contrast of fennel seeds with the beetroot but leave them out if you can't stand the liquorice taste. Two tablespoons olive oil One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped One medium beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated One red chilli, deseeded … [Read more...]
A friend's generous gift of some fragrant quinces demanded another outing for the Let's Preserve It book on a wet morning. Listed under 'Q' were quince cheese, jam, jelly, marmalade, preserve and chutney. Plus some preserves where quince is combined with apples, cranberries, pears, marrows and pumpkins. I chose the simple approach of simmering the … [Read more...]
I saw Omega plums advertised on the main street in Greytown in the Wairarapa. It's worth the short detour to Murphy's orchard as their plums are picked perfect, sweet and prolific. Particularly if your husband tells you that his third favourite jam is plum jam (behind blackcurrant and apricot). Omega plums are ruby red all the way through which … [Read more...]
In a household that has plenty of lemons and eggs, lemon curd is a wonderful condiment. Very yellow eggs also mean fantastically yellow curd. 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 … [Read more...]
Pesto is usually made from basil and pinenuts but in spring when there are lemons and coriander 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 … [Read more...]
Blackberry jam is an all-time favourite with its strong flavour and vibrant colour. Although the best blackberries are always just out of reach, the energy expended to scramble, stretch and slither round the bramble thorns is worth it for a good punnet of berries. That's if you don't drop them in the grass on the way back. A kilo of blackberries is … [Read more...]
The reason to cook mincemeat is to stop the juice from the fruit fermenting so it will keep longer. The slow cooker is ideal as it doesn't allow the mixture to burn. You do need a large one for this quantity though (5 or 6 litre). I used mine on low and checked how hot it was getting using a candy thermometer - it reached about 150 degrees C at its … [Read more...]
Rocket is growing well at the moment so I used a rather liberal interpretation of the traditional ingredients of pesto for my home-made version. Sometimes I make coriander pesto too. The name comes from the Italian verb pestare to pound or crush. You too could become a rocket scientist in your own garden. Pesto is great spread on steaks wrapped … [Read more...]
There are some beautiful fresh New Zealand chestnuts in the markets and on roadside stalls. Buy them fresh, keep them in the fridge and use them as soon as possible after purchase. They're somewhat laborious to deal with if you're not just going to have a romantic evening, roasting them by the fire. Pierce each one with the point of a knife and … [Read more...]
This is based on Delia Smith's recipe for apricot preserve from her classic book Delia Smith's Summer Collection: 140 Recipes for Summer. Peaches contain less pectin than apricots so it takes more boiling to get this to set. It's delicious when you do though - a sweet, sticky summer jam. 1kg peaches 1kg white sugar juice of a large … [Read more...]
Get your winter fix of Kitchen Garden workshops at HANDMADE 2013
Plan your summer edible garden
Totally Totes
Spring workshops will start in October 2013 and will all be held at The Kitchen Garden in Ohariu Valley Wellington from 6-7.30pm. $29 per person. Get a group of six together and I'll tailor a workshop on a date and topic to suit you.
Planning your summer edible garden develop a plan to make the most of your garden time, space and energy.
Herbalicious growing and enjoying edible herbs for flavour and freshness from your garden to your plate.
Sow your winter edible garden to get your edible garden seeds sown for winter.
Composting for beginners
or for you if your composting isn't working well.
Soil Magic learn techniques to improve your soil and make your gardening easier - mulching, green manure, compost, aeration, double digging, soil testing and much, much more.
