Also--behold the tiniest potato I have ever seen.

#FromTheGarden #HomeGrown #ItsTheLittleThings

Think we've got enough potatoes?

#FromTheGarden #HomeGrown

And so dinner tonight has lots from the garden. Palak paneer with channa dal, steamed broad beans (no need to pod and peel when they are so young), broad bean leaves, and all scattered with fresh parsley, finely chopped. Oh you can taste the freshness.

#FromTheGarden #FromTheKitchen #OnTheTable #WhatIAmEating

From the Garden rounds today...

It has been 2 months since I did a garden rounds post. Cold weather does me in and I don't spend as much time gardening. Consequently it gets overgrown and the first few weeks are clearing and weeding and pruning.

The weather has been so warm lately, I am beginning my planting and clearing about a month or so earlier than usual. Today I gingerly raked up the heaps of leaves on the front garden paths. Just in piles. I haven't lifted them into the barrow yet #SoreBack

🌿 I picked the first broad beans today - quite a handful, so they will make a nice addition to dinner, with a few of the tip leaves as well.

🏵️ The camellia is covered in flowers

💮 The borage has gone beresk already - so early! The bright blue flowers are everywhere. And so gorgeous.

🌷 Nasturtiums are everywhere too, with their bright gold and red flowers! They have climbed into the cumquat tree and are all over the paved area around the garden shed. Also encroaching paths in other areas.

🐝 There are a few bees about, but I will check earlier in the day next time.

🌳 I am soaking the roots of the heritage fruit trees delivered this week, for 24 or so hours, and have planned where to put them. The weather is so warm and the plants are shooting, so I will put them straight into their spots. Fingers crossed my back will be healed enough to dig some holes.

🌳 The quince tree is shooting new leaves.

#FromTheGarden #gardeningAU #gardening

Pesto and tomatoes from the garden on a cauliflower crust. #fromthegarden

#silentsunday #fromthegarden #blueberries

From the Garden rounds this evening.....

Finally this weekend, some time in the garden. And now I am exhausted! I will sleep well tonight 🤞

🌦️ I haven't spent much time there lately - it is always the need to align the time, energy, inclination and weather continua.

🍋 🍊Today was citrus picking and caring. The small globes of cumquats are picked, ready for slicing and dehydrating this year - not for pickles as I have plenty of pickles still, and not for Gin Cumquats as I have some of those left (ping @collettell ). I love the dehydrated slices in teas and also on my muesli.

🍋 🍊I have picked a basket of navel oranges, some for the next door neighbour, some for me. I have also netted the tree as the possums LOVE them. They have eaten a few I can see, but the fruit have just ripened so the possums haven't stolen many.

🍋 🍊The Mandarins are still ripening. The tree is too tall to net, so I will have to keep a constant eye out if I want to beat the possums to the fruit.

🍋 🍊LEMONS! The first year I have a decent crop of lemons. I am over the moon. 💃 AND LIMES - ditto. A good crop too.🎊 🎉

🍋 🍊The Makrut limes are ripening - they are only useful for the zest in dishes or teas (and the seeds have amazing pectin if you can bother.) I love the zest! Time to cook something Thai. I picked 3 to use this week.

🍋 🍊There are 2 more cumquat trees with fruit ripening - one has larger fruit and I can't wait for them to ripen to try them. And one has smaller fruit. Ditto. The oval fruited one didn't fruit this year. It is in a pot and I think needs transplanting.

🌶️ I picked some fully ripened chillies! They will take pride of place in the kitchen this week.

🍆 And 3 eggplants! Rich pickings!

🐌 Snails are everywhere. Lots of babies. Sigh.

#FromTheGarden #gardeningAU #gardening

From the Garden Rounds....

🏡 I've not been spending a lot of time in the garden lately due to 🥶 but am re-inspired, and there is a lot to do.

🌷 The first jonquil flowers are out! Making for a sweet scented winter.

💮 But so are the soursob flowers 😭

🌳 I picked the quinces today - 6 perfect ones in its first real fruiting. The possums got the 2 quinces last year. This year I netted them.

🦜 The huge ironbark gum tree is in flower, so we have raucous parrots (2 species) visit every day, and hand out eating blossoms.

🌱 Nasturtiums are everywhere! And they are the only thing that grows under the ironbark. Hardy little things. Gorgeous.

#FromTheGarden #GerdeningAU #Gardening

To tempt or inspire ...... Peach garden Salad.

Memories of Summer....

Summer means Peaches, the stone fruit loved above all others. The gentleness of the white peach and the juiciness of the yellow peach. The joy of eating them as they are!

They are suitable not only for sweet temptations but also for salads, salsas, chutneys and drinks.

#TemptOrInspire #vegetarian #eggfree #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #FromTheGarden

First harvest from the garden! Ironically enough, from the seedlings that I put outside in a raised bed to fend for themselves because I only had so much indoor shelves. I always forget how hardy lettuce is. I believe this is Bibb lettuce! Going to be salad for lunch tomorrow. #harvest #FromTheGarden

From the garden rounds today /2

🌱 A little while ago I saw brahmi growing in a huge fountain (public park sized fountain) and it was large and luscious and cascading down over the different levels of the fountain. I wanted brahimi like this.

🌱 Last week, after setting up a pond and planting it out with some other water plants, I potted up 2 pieces of brahmi taken from my usual pot - the brahmi was looking like it was commencing it's winter withdrawal.

🌱 One pot I placed into the pond. The other was in a normal pot along with some other plants.

🌱 Today I checked the new pots. The one in the normal pot was looking like it might hibernate for winter. The pot in the water is looking LUSCIOUS AND HUGE AND HAS PERHAPS TRIPLED IN SIZE. I am overjoyed and have hopes that it might survive the winter.

🐦 In other news, a flock of new holland honeyeaters seems to have taken up residence in surrounding trees. I welcome they, such happy chattering birds.

#FromTheGarden #gardening #gardeningAU

From the garden rounds today....

I finally got some time in the garden today, and it was wonderful. But it tired me a bit, because of my earlier being ill on Mon and Tues no doubt.

🌻 The sweet mace in flower is a joy to behold! It took my breath away when I saw it - it flowered while I was in Sydney. I might propagate it if I can, it is such a show for this time of year.

💮 The back yard lavender bushes are in flower again - they really need a prune but I can't do it now until they stop flowering.

🦋 There are still enough Wanderers about to make me stop and go Awwwwww.

🌱 I've been growing Brahmi for years - it grows a bit in this pot I have, then dies off over winter, then grows again. But I saw one in Wallaroo that is huge and cascading, and grows in a fountain. So I have potted some up and put into the pond pot, to see if it will thrive like that there.

🌱 Also I want to remove the wild oregano from the veggie bed - it spreads quickly - so have taken some rooted cuttings and planted in a large pot, so it can cascade over the side. It looks gorgeous when cascading and in flower - and it has a long flowering season.

🥕 I am not planning a huge veg garden this winter - just a few things - garlic, a few root veggies, greens, broad beans - and will sow a winter crop elsewhere to improve the soil for Summer planting. I have so much preserved veg - frozen, dried etic - to use up that I won't need a lot from the garden.

🍆 I am still picking eggplants, tomatoes, spring onions, pumpkins, and other bibs and bobs.

🌿 Weeds, weeds everywhere.

🐦 Oh I saw some new birds today, just briefly. They weren't close enough to get a good look. I heard them then saw several in profile. I hope they come back.

#FromTheGarden #gardeningAU #gardening

To tempt or inspire....

More yoghurt for you - Cacik, the Turkish version of cucumber raita, with garlic, mint, dill and lemon. Enjoy!

There are so many versions of cucumber in yoghurt around the world, it is fascinating how many regions put this beautiful pairing together.

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheGarden #CookingAU #cooking #vegetarian

To tempt or inspire....

I love yoghurt, it always makes me feel so good. Sometimes a plate like this is just the thing. Yoghurt with spinach and spices (or any combo you desire) with fresh veg and herbs.

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheGarden #CookingAU #cooking #vegetarian

What is under here? A block of feta, a whole lot of teeny tomatoes, chopped capsicum, berbs, chillies, olive oil. On top you can see olives, onions and chickpeas.All in a terracotta dish, ready to be baked.

A rainy day autumn lunch with cucumber-based salad, eggplant pickle, and grilled garlic zucchini. Lots from the garden in this lot.

#FromTheKitchen #FromTheGarden #WhatIAmCooking #cooking #cookingAU #vegetarian

From the garden rounds this evening 🏡

🍃 The veggie garden still has a beauty despite being past its Summer prime. The hollyhocks, over 2m tall, pink and red, flowering in one bed. The blue of borage next to yellow nasturtium flowers. Red-maroon flowers of amaranth and purple-maroon ones of opal basil. Purple of wild oregano. Orange cumquats ripe on the tree, even as it flowers white again. The dark blue plumbego that borders the garden, still in flower. The silver of sage and the tangle of tarragon. Rhubarb leaves. Huge yellow zucchini flowers, still.... and more...

🐞 Ladybirds are arriving, I noticed - and 2 of them making baby ladybirds. Grasshoppers jumping around (as I had some Autumn grass mowed yesterday). Something is eating the top finger lime leaves but I can't see any caterpillars.

🦋 Still, some late butterflies twist and turn together above the veggies and over the buddleja. A delight of Summer that lingers on.

🕷️ 🕸️ (Look away now if you need to). There are remnants of golden orb spider's the web left after the pruning, possibly enough for her to rebuild if she is still around. The anchor ropes are there. I watched for her all day but didn't see her - not unusual, tho, I only noticed her once in the many weeks of her sojourn here.

🕷️ 🕸️ It is remarkable how you notice things once they come to your attention. There is another orb spider's web spun between the buddleja and the iris in the back yard - has been there for months. I've removed it a couple of times as I had to weed the garden - it always comes back.

🕸️ And there is a beauty, definitely golden orb web, I can see over my neighbour's fence from my kitchen window. Another web of iron, that one.

#FromTheGarden #gardeningAU #gardening

The spider that spun and managed the huge construction and engineering feat of a web in the garden. Can anyone identify her?

This is the best pic I could get. It was very windy, she was blowing around, and so it was hard to get one in focus. I am glad I bothered tho, as the web is no more due to the garden pruning exercise today.

#FromTheGarden #gardeningAU

From the Garden today....

❤️ Such a lovely day today, it feels so good, so much done.

🌳 A huge effort in the garden - all the bushes and hedges pruned. Gutters cleaned. Some whipper snipping done. Paths edged. Lavender bushes pruned. Plumbego bushes pruned. Paths and driveway cleaned. Some weeding. Phew!

🌊 I set up the beginning of a raised pond - just a huge pot really, filled with water - with a water lily and some other water plants that have been given to me. Very exciting.

🌺 Possums! For a few years I wondered what has been chewing the leaves of some plants and eating flowers. I thought snails, but nothing stopped the munching. Of course it is my nightly visiting possums! Agapanthus, irises, yucca, succulents, and now the flowers off the lovely white flowering thing I put in a pot with the lantana. Stripped it bare, just leaving stalks. Sigh. I am summoning the garden Gods to deal with the possums.

🍂 I still have to rake up all the gum leaves. Want some more Rocket Stove fuel, @t4ms ?

🍆 The eggplant pickle (eggplants from the garden) is done and bottled. It is a more tart one than the lovely one I made last year. Change is always good, but that one last year was the best!

🕷️ Look away if you need to. Yesterday I got a pic of the spider that has had a iron-strong huge construction of a web, anchored to a tree at the top and golden diosma at the bottom. She's a beauty - I'll post under CW later. But today that bush was pruned, so the magnificent web, there for about a month, is no longer. It would glint in the sun as I'd drive up the driveway. I will sort of miss it. An engineering feat.

#gardeningAU #FromTheGarden #gardening

Tomato Thoughts from The Kitchen today....

🍅 A great article on preserving tomatoes - let me count the ways.

https://digdelve.com/preserving-tomatoes/

I'd add freezing to his list.

🍅 Also, I am keen to try two things that I thought of while I was doing this year's Great Tomato Preserving:

1️⃣ Making a "tomato molasses" - tomato juice, perhaps with chilli juice, plus sugar, simmered until syrupy. I make a range of these but from fruits. I think tomatoes will work well and no need to add the usual lemon juice.

2️⃣ The other is a "tomato leather" in the dehydrator - a sort of concentrated tomato flavour from tomatoes simmered until quite thick, then spread on sheets, dehydrated, and rolled up.

📔 Must put them on a list somewhere so I don't forget them.

🍅 The Great Tomato Preserve of 2023 has resulted in:

⭐ Whole cherry tomatoes, frozen
⭐ Chunked raw tomatoes, frozen
⭐ Italian Tomato Sauce, frozen
⭐ Tomato Paste, frozen
⭐ Tomato Chilli Jam, in jars
⭐ Dehydrated tomatoes

🍅 I shall miss my daily salads of chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, and often feta and/or other herbs, zucchini, cucumber, etc from the garden

🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅

#FromTheKitchen #FromTheGarden #food #vegetarian #cookingAU #cooking

From the Kitchen this morning....

🩹 Wouldn't you know it, yesterday I was picking the eggplants with some secateurs, and managed to snip my palm. Eggplants !! They hide under leaves and you can't see what you are doing.It hurt!! :blobcat_ohno: It has slowed me up, but I slathered with turmeric powder yesterday and again this morning, and it is almost healed.

🌶️ I used this morning to grind up spices and things, and fill the dabas. I grind up celtic sea salt for cooking and table use and mix with herbs for extra flavour. This batch has my curry leaf powder mixed through.

🌶️ Also black peppercorns with long pepper.I've been using a mix of white pepper with long pepper for the last 4 months, so it was nice to smell the aroma of black pepper again. I grind it up instead of using one of those large "grind as you need" contraptions because I use both mineralised sea salt and black pepper with abandon. The table grinders take far too long and too much effort.

🍅 Today is the third morning of making purees and pastes from tomatoes from the garden. Today is a lovely Tomato and Chilli Jam, and it is really really excellent. The others have gone into the freezer. This one will be eaten more quickly and will be kept in jars in the fridge.

🍆 I ended up picking 2.5 kg of eggplants, so tomorrow (or Saturday, depending if I brave the shops and pick up vinegar and garlic today) will be Brinjal Pickle. It is basically an Eggplant Kasundi, but different to the one I made last year. Variety is good right? Indian Eggplant pickle is one of the nicest ways to eat eggplant.

🍛 Lunch today is Sambar, Basmati Rice and some of the Tomato Chilli Jam.

#FromTheGarden #FromTheKitchen #food #vegetarian