vegetable gardening courses and workshops, edible gardening tips and seasonal recipes for home-grown produce..
After my success with smoking salmon I decided to try curing a fillet of venison to produce the venison equivalent of proscuitto. It turned out very well and tasted delicious - salty, chewy and meaty, just the way it should. I served thin slices on a bed of salad, green beans and parmesan topped with toasted walnuts, a squeeze of lemon juice and a … [Read more...]
Pheasant breasts are usually skinless. They've worked pretty hard so can often be tougher than chicken. Wanting a quicker dinner than slow cooking would produce, I stuffed some pheasant breasts with mozzarella and wrapped them in bacon to keep them moist during their half hour in the oven. Served hot for dinner with roast winter vegetables - … [Read more...]
This slow cooked pheasant casserole would work just as well with chicken or rabbit. Sweet chestnuts are a traditional accompaniment to pheasant as they both appear at the same time of year. Pheasant is very lean so works better casseroled rather than roasted in my opinion. One good sized pheasant would serve four like this, accompanied with some … [Read more...]
I view meatloaf as an easy way of making burgers. You could use the same mixture to make patties or divide it into muffin tins to make a more portable version. I used a silicone loaf mould which makes it easy to release but I think you get a better browned look if you use a metal tin. Or you could slow cook it - form it into a round or oval loaf to … [Read more...]
A hunting trip endowed us with four half venison fillets in the freezer, all slightly less than a kilo in weight. I smeared this one in pesto and wrapped it in proscuitto and it was a generous main course for five, accompanied by new potatoes, vegetables and salad. A beef eye fillet would be a good alternative. I've used my hare wellington recipe … [Read more...]
A pheasant is a wild bird, is lean and has worked hard. Roasting it is likely to result in a dry, tough and sinewy offering. Slow cooking brings out the best of pheasant, is easy and tolerant of delays. I don't pre-cook the ingredients but do blend the garlic, onion, oil and vinegar together first to make the start of the sauce. You don't need as … [Read more...]
Pies make a small amount of meat go a long way in a delicious and portable reincarnation. Short crust pastry is quick and easy to make yourself, but you could substitute boughten puff pastry if you prefer. You can use any left-over meat from a roast such as chicken, lamb or beef. These pies freeze well and reheat, once de-frosted, in about 15 … [Read more...]
This will serve about four people, depending on the size of the hare. I add eight or so golf-ball sized potatoes to the top of this to serve with it together with buttered, shredded, steamed cabbage or a salad. The hare backstraps (equivalent of a beef eye-fillet) are better kept for something else. My favourites are topped with pate and wrapped … [Read more...]
Hare backstraps are the equivalent of a fillet steak - the muscle that runs down each side of the hare's spine and make the perfect meal for two people. I could have used 250g beef or venison fillet or lamb backstraps in this recipe, instead of the hare. Cooking the meat like this keeps it moist and tender. I prefer them to remain slightly pink in … [Read more...]
Wild rabbit is lean, delicious and about as far from factory farmed meat as you can get. I've cooked these meatballs in the slow cooker very successfully without any pre-cooking. Surprisingly they didn't end up as rabbit bolognese sauce. Chicken thigh meat would also work well in this recipe. I've used other wild meat for these meatballs but … [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.
