Planting garlic

I have planted my garlic at last. I have been trying to get it in for a few weeks but it kept raining. During my five week break I only had a few days when i could get out into the vegetable garden. I concentrated on weeding.

I have been back at work two weeks already! Last Saturday was warm and sunny and I could - should - have gardened. But it was such a nice day!  I voted for a last kayak as I knew we'd have to put the boats away for winter after that.

So today was the day for the garlic.

First I emptied my two compost bins.  All that lovely goodness that used to be kitty litter (rice bran), wood ash, food scraps, chicken and horse poo, leaves and more had turned into lovely dark soil.   I sprinkled the beds with a handful or two of blood and bone then every garden bed got at least half a wheelbarrow of compost. The beds with a lower soil level got a little more. The everything got a layer of lucerne mulch.

 The garlic I ordered from the Diggers Club has taken up two beds - no problem as there isn't that much to grow over winter anyway.

I got all new varieties this year. In fact its probably three years since I planted any garlic.

I am growing the following:

Fino de Chincko (harvest Oct - Nov)
Argentine Purple Stripe (harvest Oct - Nov)
Russian (harvest Oct - Nov)
Rose du Var organic (harvest Nov-Dec)

 I need to thin out some kale that has self seeded and plant brassicas and greens. Then there's a wild and wooly area of the veg garden where there aren't any beds - I need to weed (de-grass) and mulch to lay dormant until spring when planting season goes mad again.

I am going to leave you with an image of my neighbour's cows who I upset very much when I spread the lucerne over my garden beds. I was tempted but I didn't give them any.

High fibre, gluten free, delicious granola

Here is my basic recipe, substitute to suit your own personal taste. Precise measurements are not needed.  I left out oats and other grains to make this batch gluten free.

Mix nuts and seeds in a large bowl.  Use roughly equally amounts.

• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• sunflower seeds
• pecans, chopped
• hazlenuts, crushed or chopped
• walnuts
• cashews
• coconut flakes

Stir in a small amount of maple syrup (or agave or rice bran syrup).  You need approximately 1/4 cup to cover a large mixing bowl full of nuts.

Spread onto a baking tray covered in baking paper.  Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 10 minutes.  Stir and bake another 5 mins. Be careful if it easy to burn your mix, it should be lightly golden.  

Tip nut mix back into your mixing bowl.  Add chopped dried fruit:

• dried figs, apricots, dates
• sultanas
• cranberries or other dried berries.

Allow to cool then store in an airtight jar.  Enjoy with fruit or yoghurt.  

5 weeks break - Curry pasties

Last week we had a planned black out. The power was off about 3 hours longer than expected which wore thin once dark fell.

As I knew about the black out before it happened I planned my day around cleaning out my chest freezer. It wasn't an exciting job but it was a good job to get done. Its certainly been on my list too long. My chest freezer is in the laundry and I really went to town, cleaned out cupboards and drawers and completed more de-cluttering. So that fell good. I threw out some of the contents of the freezer but I re-discovered some great food that I forgot I had.  

One of those finds was several tubs of forgotten lentil and vegetable curry.   

Today I turned the curry into delicious pasties or curry puffs if you will.  I added some spinach, a spoonful of curry, turned the pastry over and crimped the edges. A little egg wash and bake for 20 minutes. Yum.

Tip: If your curry is a moist soup style you will need to drain it first. Pasties and lots of liquid don't mix.

Zucchini and feta balls

Here's the second recipe: zucchini and feta balls. I have eaten something similar at cafes and wondered how they did it! It is so, so easy.



1 medium zucchini
1/2 packet feta
1/3 cup plain flour
1/3 cup breadrumbs
1 egg
chopped eschallots
chopped herbs - sage, parsley, thyme

Grate zucchini and mix with egg, eschallots, herbs and chopped feta.  Stir in flour and breadcrumbs. Should be just dry enough to form into balls. Add more breadcrumbs if necessary.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer.
Form balls then roll in extra breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy with hot sauce or aioli.

These take about 10 minutes, are easy and actually work, so enjoy.

Artichoke and spinach bake yum

Tonight's dinner was so divine it deserves two posts. Don't eat enough greens here are two easy ways to eat more.  Yum! The zucchini, feta ball recipe is to follow.

Artichoke and spinach bake

1 bunch silverbeet
2 fresh or 1 can artichoke hearts
3 eggs
parmesan grated
1 tub ricotta
1/4 cup milk
eschallots, chopped
herbs and seasoning to taste
butter, optional

De-vein and chop silverbeet. Steam or saute in butter until soft.
Meanwhile whisk an egg, milk and ricotta in a jug. Toss in parmesan and eschallots.
Grill the artichoke hearts until lightly browned.
Lightly spray a baking dish with oil, and toss in the browned artichokes.
Fold the cheese mix in to the cooked silverbeet.  Pour over the artichokes.
Bake in a 180c oven for approx 20 minutes until firm and browned.

Serve with crusty bread and other vegetables and enjoy muchly.

Making Channa Dhal: great vegetarian dish served three ways

Channa Dhal is a delicious, nutritious and versatile vegetarian dish. I recently cleaned out my recipe file and found this gem. Unfortunately I don't remember where it came from to give credit.  It is quick and easy to make on the stove or would work well in a slow cooker.

You will find the recipe below but first of all some serving suggestions to whet your appetite.


A simple bowl of dhal topped with plain Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander.

A steamed golden nugget pumpkin stuffed with dhal and topped with cottage cheese and watercress.

Your favourite green leaves filled with dhal, rolled topped with a tangy tomato sauce.  Suitable leaves are cabbage, silverbeet/komastuma red mustard greens, shown here. Whatever is growing in your garden. Bake until leaves are soft.

So are you feeling hungry yet? Here comes the recipe:

Channa Dhal
Ingredients:
2 cups yellow split peas
1 onion, diced
grated ginger
minced garlic
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
1 red chilli
salt and pepper

Method:
In 5 cups of water, bring split peas, onion, ginger and garlic to a boil. Toss in chopped cauliflower. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Stir in the coriander, turmeric, garam masala and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until split peas are soft.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the mustard seeds, cumin and chilli for 2 minutes.
Add to cooked dhal and season to taste.

Perfect gluten-free, vegan vegetable fritters

I love zucchini fritters. Only problem: every recipe I find is full of cheese and fried in oil. After much experimenting I think I have created the perfect, vegan fritter recipe.

You have too many zucchinis? Want to hide some vegetables? Want a moist, cheesy tasting treat with no cheese, dairy or egg? Don't have any bread in the house but need breakfast, lunch, a snack?  Well, do I have a solution for you!

These fritters are:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Oil free
• Moist and filling
• Quick and easy to make

Ingredients 

1/2 cup buckwheat flour (if you eat gluten, plain flour is fine)

1/2 cup polenta (cornmeal)

2 teaspoons baking flour

pinch of salt

150g silken tofu, drained and whipped

1/2-1 cup of non-dairy milk (I used almond)

vegetables of choice: leek, grated zucchini, corn kernels, cauliflower finely chopped, broccoli

Method

Mix together dry ingredients. Stir in tofu and enough milk to make a wet but not runny consistency.

Stir in vegetables. Add more milk if needed.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Spoon mix onto pan. Spread out a little but don't worry if still heaped in the centre. Cook until the underside is brown. Turn and press down gently with your spatula. Cook until the other side is brown and the fritters are moist but not runny in the middle. 

Did you notice I snuck some tofu in there? This is another of my, if you don't tell them they won't know, tofu recipes.  Here's another you might like to try: creamy cheesy potato bake.

Serving suggestions

For breakfast topped with a poached egg

Lunch or snack topped with avocado, mustard or hommous and salad of choice 

Let your imagination go and see what combinations work well for you. Enjoy

Pickled nasturtium "capers"

I've always wanted to make these but thought it would be difficult. I was confused about what part of the nasturtium to use. So I took the plunge and can share some tips to assure you its easy. They have to cure in the jar for three months so I can't give any report on taste, not until late September, but you might like to check back in when I open them.


So, first of all, you need to collect the seeds of the nasturtiums. When the flowers die back the vine produces shiny seeds on the end of curly stalks. The seeds are actually a cluster of three or four.

I suggest you crouch down low to find them as they hide really well under the leaves.  Its easy to tell them apart from the flower buds, although I suspected that would not be the case. The buds are single and dull.

This close up shows the seeds in the bottom of the frame and a bud near the top to the right of the full flower.

So, once you have picked enough seeds for a small jar follow these simple steps from Sarah O'Neill's The Good Life: four glorious seasons in my country garden.

Add to a saucepan, enough white vinegar to fill the jar, two peppercorns per 200ml of vinegar, 5ml of salt and herbs to your taste for example bay leaf and thyme. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove stems from the seeds and break apart the clusters. Add to the jar. Pour in vinegar and seal. Set aside to cool and for the button to pop down on the jar.

Label and date. Store in the fridge for three months before opening and enjoying.

I hope this makes it easy for you. Lets chat again in 3 months when I break the seal.

Some days gardening is disheartening and I feel like giving up

Last weekend I worked so hard in my vegetable garden, weeding, mulching and nurturing.
I wondered down one morning for a little fix of paradise before rushing off to work.  Everything looked so beautiful.

This morning I rushed down to check nothing had completely dried out as we have had gale force winds since Tuesday. I mulched well but this wind has been strong and persistent. I was devastated to see my magnificent, lush silverbeet had been stripped to the veins. I had plans to eat silverbeet for dinner. Most of the plants will be lucky to survive. I never take more than a few leaves, but this raid left nothing.

But I haven't given up. I stomped around for a bit, added scraps and fallen leaves to the compost. Collected twigs for kindling so we could have a fire to ward off the winter nights.  When I calmed down I set about trying to solving the problem and protect my plants.

I screwed saddle clips on the inside of the highest risk garden beds, slid in some tomato stakes and stretched some bird netting over the top. It is not an easy thing thing to work with, difficult to stretch out and pin down.

The wind has picked up again tonight so I hope it will stay in place. I also hope it deters whoever left this behind.

I have done just a little research into scats, yes, yes I know its a weird thing to research but without an infrared camera set up in the garden how else can I work out what's doing the damage. The pointy ends suggest black rat. I've never seen rat poop anywhere near this size and yes we definately have rats near the chicken coop and in the compost.  Grey ones.  The next best guess is possum. I have seen possums in the past although not often. Not seeing doesn't indicate their absence though. Possums are lovely and native. But the rotters can't eat all my plants.

Let's wait and see if my net works.

Artichokes: a new addition to my vegetable garden

I like the odd artichoke. I'm not good at preparing them and have never learnt how to eat them peasant style. They are a perennial vegetable though so I thought I would plant some in my garden.

So earlier this summer I bought and planted two small artichoke plants, planning a crop for next year.
I never imagined they could produce fruit the same season. I have noticed how big they were growing but still got a shock today when I saw all the fruit on them.

Now tell me though what is the correct term here? I'm thinking fruit because I'm going to eat them, but perhaps flower is more correct.  They're a thistle so I do think its a flower, an edible flower. Intriguing, if you know, please comment and help me out.

Anyway here they are.  I have counted 5 across the two plants, one of which is taller than me (not terribly hard, I'm short, but I don't expect to be outgrown in the vegie patch).

I wonder when they'll be ready?

Divine cabbage rolls for dinner tongiht

Ok now I have won the cabbage roll war!
Despite my neighbour kindly giving me two of her home grown savoy cabbages I haven't been sold on them. And then I grew one of my own, by accident: I planted a punnet of broccoli and one of cauliflower but big surprise there was a cabbage amongst them. I believe it is a sugar loaf cabbage. Well I couldn't let it go to waste so had to come up with something good!

First I cooked a pumpkin and mushroom risotto. I washed the cabbage and cut the core out. I upended it in a pot of boiling water until soft. One mistake I made the first time I tried cabbage rolls was just using one leaf per roll. I suggest you use two leaves, lay them down top to tail to maximise the area. Spoon risotto into one end of the leaves and roll up. Place open end down into an oiled baking dish.

Top with tasty tomato sauce and grated parmesan.  Bake until bubbling and golden.

Eat and enjoy.  It tasted really good. I think the secret is to use a really tasty filling that you would normally enjoy and a topping with zing!

Homemade gnocchi for dinner tonight

I made gnocchi from scratch tonight for dinner. It wasn't as hard or scary as I had always thought. The dinner was all homemade and grown.

Bought ingredients:

flour

cream

lemon

parmesan

Homegrown ingredients:

potatoes - Desiree for the gnocchi and a mix of new potatoes just because I dug them up

peas

mint and sage

rocket

eggs

We liked it!

Today's harvest: potatoes, broccoli, peas and spinach

Oh and an egg.

Pumpkin brekkie bites

You know those days when you are running out the door without time for a proper breakfast? Maybe you need some finger food for a dinner party?

Try these pumpkin bites.  I threw them together this weekend and thing they turned out very well.

1. Peel, chop and steam your favourite pumpkin (or squash).
2. Mix together 4 eggs, 3/4 cup gluten free flour such as buckwheat or besan (chick pea).
3. Mash pumpkin to a puree and add to eggs and flour.
4. Spoon into a greased muffin tray.
5. Sprinkle chopped leek, sunflower seeds and a little grated parmesan on top.
6. Bake until cooked through.

I can't get enough of these at the moment.

Better than chips: spicy roast chick peas

Great snack! 

Ingredients

• Dried chickpeas, soaked and boiled until soft
• Olive oil
• Rock salt
• Dry spice mix eg cajun

Make sure the chick peas are dry, then mix with splash of olive oil, salt and spices.  Line a baking tray with paper, toss in the chick peas and bake for about 15 minutes. 

I've been meaning to try making these for a long time. They are worth the wait. I'll be making these on a regular basis from now on in. 

Note: cooking with dried chick peas is quite a bit of work. You need to soak them overnight and then they take about an hour to boil.  I recommend you do this however because you'll hardly believe they are supposed to be the same as canned chick peas. These are bigger, have a nicer texture and taste so much better. The way around the time lag and effort is to cook up a big batch and freeze them. They will be ready anytime you need them with no loss of flavour or texture.  

PS: I ate the whole bowl!!

Marinated tofu recipe - you have to try this!

Ok, I know, you think tofu is yuck. Apart from being good vegetarian food, adding protein and variety to the diet, this particular recipe tastes great. I'm talking restaurant quality, you'll want more, food.

Ingredients
1 packet firm tofu
tamari (low-sodium soy sauce)
sesame oil
cajun spice mix

Use a sharp knife to cut the block of tofu into thin (1cm) slices. Cut each slice into triangles which look fancy when served. Place in a baking dish large enough for the slices to sit in one layer.

Mix the marinade using equal parts of tamari and sesame oil, the amount will depend on how much tofu you are preparing. Add the spices and mix well.  Pour over tofu, being sure to cover it all.

Let marinate overnight, or for a few hours in the fridge, turning at least once to ensure tofu is covered evenly.

Take slices out of the marinade and place on a baking sheet covered with non-stick baking paper. Bake in a hot oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with a salad of baby spinach, roast vegetables, artichoke hearts and feta.

Well, did you like it?

Bonus win: a large fruit & veg tray

We won the fruit and veg tray at our local pub a few days ago.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit how many times we have won the raffle this year. Usually we don't win anything but we've certainly been on a date night winning streak!

The magnificent tray we won this time is keeping us well stocked in fruit and vegetables. So far I have cooked corn and zucchini fritters, sweet potato curry, beetroot and orange salad. The lemons have contributed to pesto, hommous and the odd cocktail or two. We're all set for the long weekend ahead.

We have also won the meat tray 3 or 4 times this year. Disturbing for a couple of vegetarians though that is.  One tray included a bottle of local red wine and another a dozen free-range eggs. They got put to good use by the two of us. As for the meat itself, it has been enjoyed immensely by Harry, Benny, Lily and Riley. They say thanks :)