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/2012/01/new-dates-for-seed-sowing-and-fresh-food-garden-courses/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2012/01/new-dates-for-seed-sowing-and-fresh-food-garden-courses/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:32:49 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3764

The next fresh food garden course will be on Saturday 18 February 2012. I'll happily send gift vouchers if you want to buy a place on one of the courses as a gift.

There will be a seed sowing session for sowing winter crops on Wednesday 22 February 2012.

FAQs about the fresh food garden course.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2012/01/new-dates-for-seed-sowing-and-fresh-food-garden-courses/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/12/lettuce-gallery/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/12/lettuce-gallery/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:15:50 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3742

This is the beautifully named 'Perella Rougette Montpellier', an Italian heirloom lettuce that tastes just as good as it looks. There are just over three weeks to Christmas so if you sow some lettuce seeds now you can keep them watered (either in pots or in the soil) so they'll be established enough to survive if you go away. Or you'll have some lettuce to eat from your garden in the New Year. They grow quickly at this time of year and prefer some shade, particularly from the afternoon sun. I put four lettuce plants in a 30cm square and pick them a few leaves at a time. Splash out on some new varieties or try a packet of mesclun for the indecisive. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/12/lettuce-gallery/feed/ 1 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/top-tips-for-terrific-tomatoes/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/top-tips-for-terrific-tomatoes/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:59:03 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3716

My tomato plants are outside now, tucked into bottomless-pots to keep off the worst of the wind and to stop the birds scratching out the plants. I'll take the pots off when I put up strings to support them once the plants are established. I've put up bamboo canes onto which I'll tie the strings. Here are some more ideas on how to get the best from your tomatoes from my article in FishHead magazine.

The Wellington SPCA has a new op shop at 243 Jackson Street, Petone. They're looking for stock and volunteers so if you can help email Leah Johnson the op shop manager.]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/11/top-tips-for-terrific-tomatoes/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/beans-and-corn-in-pots/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/beans-and-corn-in-pots/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:23:49 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3659

Some plants prefer to start life directly in the soil. Others are happy to be moved from being sown in pots. There are benefits and risks for both approaches. I start some beans and corn in pots over heat in September or October. When I transplant them into the garden, I plant them in a grid at about 30cm spacing in both directions. I sow some bean and corn seeds in the soil at the same time. In theory I should get a succession of crops. In practice, there's very little difference in the timing of the first picking from both. I interplant lettuce and other salad crops between my corn. The salad is over by the time the corn is big enough to compete with it. Everything gets wind protection and netting against the birds. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/beans-and-corn-in-pots/feed/ 0 http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/brassica-barriers/ http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/brassica-barriers/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:22:57 +0000 Rachel http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/?p=3653

Cabbages, cauliflowers, kale, broccoli and other brassicas can be demolished in Summer by cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. You can opt to grow them only in the cooler months to avoid this problem. Or you can use a Dipel spray which is suitable for Certified Organic produce. This spray is effective if you are diligent in applying it but you must reapply after every rain shower. Alternatively you can cover your cabbages with a very fine mesh to stop the butterflies laying their eggs on your crops. Mine worked extremely well last year - supported by hoops of plastic water pipe and with polyester fleece ends. It provided wind and bird protection and shade which suited the greens. ]]> http://www.thekitchengarden.co.nz/index.php/2011/10/brassica-barriers/feed/ 0