I've been watching a TV series on SBS called 'Gourmet Farmer', and I can only think of what I want to do in the future. I don't really feel the need to become a migrant to the city, and I know that working all the time is not something that I have ever wanted to do. Even so, I still need to work out a way to support myself - and that is always a problem. So I still sit and think things over as I have done for a while. Maybe one day I will be able to work it all out.
Yesterday saw the production of piles of good products for the winter chill - jars of pickled chillies, cucumbers and zucchinis, plus pots full of passata. I am a huge fan of the oven-cooked variety because of the sweeter, almost smokey flavours that it has compared to the pot-cooked variety. But both are good. There should be a very nice supply of tomato in the freezer for the coming winter.
I am starting to think of brewing right now. I have made cider and various beers before, but I am really thinking about shooting out into the world of wild fruit wines - namely blackberry wine. We have around 30 plants of the cultivated balckberry Waldo in at the moment, but the first real crop is probably going to be next spring. Whilst they are growing (and growing really well I might add), the wild blackberries are starting to ripen, and they have attracted my attention. A little bit of reading from a wine-making book suggests that a sugar level of around 20% in grape berries is ideal for making a good wine. A test of a half-ripe Waldo berry yesterday revealed a level of just under 10%. This means that I may have to add sugar to the mix to amp it up - it just depends on whether the sugar content is right in the berries that I pick. I am looking for a sweet-ish wine, not something insipid! If it works, I can't see why it couldn't be something to think of doing professionally. We shall just have to wait and see. And the name of such a product? Well, I've got a few potentials. You shall just have to wait and see.
I think I will have to take some photos and put them up on here. That will be tomorrows job.
Keep on diggin!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pickle me this, pickle me that...
Hola readers!
I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to catch up on Friday's post, so I will simply write another post one day after the year is up. That makes sense to me (although if it breaks the rules for you, let me know).
Today is a busy one - and you may have guessed that it is full of preserving vegetables by the age-old process of pickling.
Pickling is a process of preventing all bacteria from growing by the use of three potential preserving agents - vinegar, salt and sugar. Vinegar is a relatively weak acid produced from ethanol (it is sometimes referred to as ethanoic or acetic acid). It is made by fermeting ethanol with acetic acid bacteria (which has itself been fermented from sugar by yeast). Vinegar has a pH that is low enough to prevent growth of bacteria and fungus on foods.
Salt is probably the oldest preserving agent there is. In sufficient quantities it prevents the growth of any nasty microbes. It is also a useful agent in extracting water from foods in a process known as osmosis. Science is literally delicious!
Sugar may seem to be an odd preserving agent, but if you look at most soft-drinks (with a sugar content between 8-12%) you will notice that they don't have any preservatives - there sugar content is too high for anything to grow.
On top of all of this a combination of all three abovementioned preservatives will give you the very best protection.
When pickling, you need to remember that you are trying to keep bacteria out. Bacterial spores travel through the air, and they will be covering everything that you want to preserve (plus your hands, plus your utensils). Because of this you are going to want to follow a few procedures. Firstly, use enough of your preservative. Secondly, sterilise your jars.
If you are following a preserve recipe, you should be right. If, on the other hand like myself most of the time you aren't using a recipe, there is a rule of thumb that you can follow - make your pickling mixture too sour and too sweet/salty. If I am making a sweet recipe (like bread and butter pickles), I will add 2 or so tablespoons of salt to the vinegar/sugar mix just for luck.
Sterilising the jars is really quite simple - you heat the jars to a point where the bacteria literally die or become inactive. You can do this by filling them with boiling water (but make sure to put a spoon into the jar to prevent it from cracking), or put water into the jars and placing them (on a baking tray) into a relatively cool (>120*C) oven for at least 30 minutes. I use the boiling water method, because my mother has always used it and it has never failed.
The jars themselves can come in a huge variety of shapes and styles. You can recycle jars that other bought items have come in - just wash them thoroughly (but don't put jam into an old pickle jar - it will cause the jam to taste like pickles).
REMEMBER: if your preserves show signs of bubbling/fizzing or the pop-top of the jar has risen, it means that bacteria are growing. DO NOT EAT IT.
Once you have done all of the above, and have a pile of jars with your own produce in them, the last thing I am going to tell you is to wait. Jams and conserves can be eaten once cool, but you really need to give at least 24 hours for pickled items (but give them up to 2 weeks for ultimate taste).
OK - Recipe time. I have three seperate ones, all to do with pickling (in honour of today's theme).
Pickled Onions
Brining Solution:
100g table salt per litre of water.
Peel 1kg of pickling onions. Place into brining solution for 24 hours (keep all onions under the level of the water. Drain, rinse and pat dry. Place into sterilised jars with 2cm space at top.
Pickling Solution:
1 litre of any vinegar (with at least 5% acidity).
Sugar and spices to taste
Heat the vinegar and spices and boil for 2-3 minutes. Cool.
Add cooled vinegar to the onions, and place a gently crumpled ball of baking paper on top (so that the onions stay under the liguid). put the top on, and leave for 2 days before removing paper. Eat after 4 weeks in pickling solution.
Bread and Butter Pickles
500mL fresh young cucumbers (the fresher the better)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbs salt
1/4 cup hot water
Pickling Liquid
1 cup white/apple cider vinegar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Optional: 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Finely slice cucumbers. Place into bowl with onion. Mix water and salt and pour over vegetables. Leave for 3 hours. Pour into a strainer and push down to remove as much liquid as possible.
In a saucepan place all pickling liquid ingredients. Mix and boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Place the cucumbers and onion into the solution and simmer for 3 minutes, and cool. Spoon into sterilised jars. Leave for at least 48 hours before eating.
Pickled Chillies
Whole small chillies
Vinegar
Pickling spice
Sugar
Salt
Cut top off chillies, and place into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Strain ans rinse in cold water.
Make the pickling solution by adding salt and sugar to taste (remember to make it a bit too salty and sweet). Add 1 tsp pickling spice. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
Place chillies into sterilised jar with the cut tops pointing upwards. Add the vinegar, ensure that there are no floaters (if there are just put a piece of crumpled baking paper into the top). Leave for 48 hours.
Happy Pickling!
I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to catch up on Friday's post, so I will simply write another post one day after the year is up. That makes sense to me (although if it breaks the rules for you, let me know).
Today is a busy one - and you may have guessed that it is full of preserving vegetables by the age-old process of pickling.
Pickling is a process of preventing all bacteria from growing by the use of three potential preserving agents - vinegar, salt and sugar. Vinegar is a relatively weak acid produced from ethanol (it is sometimes referred to as ethanoic or acetic acid). It is made by fermeting ethanol with acetic acid bacteria (which has itself been fermented from sugar by yeast). Vinegar has a pH that is low enough to prevent growth of bacteria and fungus on foods.
Salt is probably the oldest preserving agent there is. In sufficient quantities it prevents the growth of any nasty microbes. It is also a useful agent in extracting water from foods in a process known as osmosis. Science is literally delicious!
Sugar may seem to be an odd preserving agent, but if you look at most soft-drinks (with a sugar content between 8-12%) you will notice that they don't have any preservatives - there sugar content is too high for anything to grow.
On top of all of this a combination of all three abovementioned preservatives will give you the very best protection.
When pickling, you need to remember that you are trying to keep bacteria out. Bacterial spores travel through the air, and they will be covering everything that you want to preserve (plus your hands, plus your utensils). Because of this you are going to want to follow a few procedures. Firstly, use enough of your preservative. Secondly, sterilise your jars.
If you are following a preserve recipe, you should be right. If, on the other hand like myself most of the time you aren't using a recipe, there is a rule of thumb that you can follow - make your pickling mixture too sour and too sweet/salty. If I am making a sweet recipe (like bread and butter pickles), I will add 2 or so tablespoons of salt to the vinegar/sugar mix just for luck.
Sterilising the jars is really quite simple - you heat the jars to a point where the bacteria literally die or become inactive. You can do this by filling them with boiling water (but make sure to put a spoon into the jar to prevent it from cracking), or put water into the jars and placing them (on a baking tray) into a relatively cool (>120*C) oven for at least 30 minutes. I use the boiling water method, because my mother has always used it and it has never failed.
The jars themselves can come in a huge variety of shapes and styles. You can recycle jars that other bought items have come in - just wash them thoroughly (but don't put jam into an old pickle jar - it will cause the jam to taste like pickles).
REMEMBER: if your preserves show signs of bubbling/fizzing or the pop-top of the jar has risen, it means that bacteria are growing. DO NOT EAT IT.
Once you have done all of the above, and have a pile of jars with your own produce in them, the last thing I am going to tell you is to wait. Jams and conserves can be eaten once cool, but you really need to give at least 24 hours for pickled items (but give them up to 2 weeks for ultimate taste).
OK - Recipe time. I have three seperate ones, all to do with pickling (in honour of today's theme).
Pickled Onions
Brining Solution:
100g table salt per litre of water.
Peel 1kg of pickling onions. Place into brining solution for 24 hours (keep all onions under the level of the water. Drain, rinse and pat dry. Place into sterilised jars with 2cm space at top.
Pickling Solution:
1 litre of any vinegar (with at least 5% acidity).
Sugar and spices to taste
Heat the vinegar and spices and boil for 2-3 minutes. Cool.
Add cooled vinegar to the onions, and place a gently crumpled ball of baking paper on top (so that the onions stay under the liguid). put the top on, and leave for 2 days before removing paper. Eat after 4 weeks in pickling solution.
Bread and Butter Pickles
500mL fresh young cucumbers (the fresher the better)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbs salt
1/4 cup hot water
Pickling Liquid
1 cup white/apple cider vinegar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Optional: 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Finely slice cucumbers. Place into bowl with onion. Mix water and salt and pour over vegetables. Leave for 3 hours. Pour into a strainer and push down to remove as much liquid as possible.
In a saucepan place all pickling liquid ingredients. Mix and boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Place the cucumbers and onion into the solution and simmer for 3 minutes, and cool. Spoon into sterilised jars. Leave for at least 48 hours before eating.
Pickled Chillies
Whole small chillies
Vinegar
Pickling spice
Sugar
Salt
Cut top off chillies, and place into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Strain ans rinse in cold water.
Make the pickling solution by adding salt and sugar to taste (remember to make it a bit too salty and sweet). Add 1 tsp pickling spice. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
Place chillies into sterilised jar with the cut tops pointing upwards. Add the vinegar, ensure that there are no floaters (if there are just put a piece of crumpled baking paper into the top). Leave for 48 hours.
Happy Pickling!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Pomodoro! Part 2
Before I begin this post, I need to apologise to you, intrepid readers. I am supposed to write on this blog every day. Yesterday I did not. It was extremely busy, and exhausting, and I couldn't think coherently let alone write in a sensible manner.
So, to make up for it there will be two posts for today - One this morning and another this afternoon/eve. Hopefully you can forgive me...
Imur Prior Beta: Supposedly developed in Norway, they produce almost heart-shaped fruit with slightly tough skin. Very nice flavour. Very indeterminate.
Brandywine: Quite possibly my favourite. Large, indeterminate bushes that produce huge pink fruit with an awesome flavour and very low acid. They prefer a hot summer though, so they are best suited to warmer climes.
Sunray: I couldn't find the British Sungold tomato seeds anywhere in Australia (they are reported to be one of the best small tomatoes out). So this year's test crop is Sunray - which as far as I can tell are the same. I'll know when the fruit ripen.
On Thursday evening I made two lots of tomato sauce - the first was purely made from Principe Borghese plums and used the oven roasting recipe that I have put up on here before and the second was a simple pot-cooked variety. After cooking (and reducing for the pot-cooked one) they were both passed through a strainer, and the sauce was put into freezer bags and stored in the freezer for use in the winter. The result from them? Oven cooked - a lighter (almost orange) colour even though I used red tomatoes. Sweet, almost smoky flavour. Pot-cooked - Kept the red colour, and more acidity. Both are really nice, and comparable to passata. All in all - it is good!
So until this afternoon, keep on digging.
So, to make up for it there will be two posts for today - One this morning and another this afternoon/eve. Hopefully you can forgive me...
Imur Prior Beta: Supposedly developed in Norway, they produce almost heart-shaped fruit with slightly tough skin. Very nice flavour. Very indeterminate.
Brandywine: Quite possibly my favourite. Large, indeterminate bushes that produce huge pink fruit with an awesome flavour and very low acid. They prefer a hot summer though, so they are best suited to warmer climes.
Sunray: I couldn't find the British Sungold tomato seeds anywhere in Australia (they are reported to be one of the best small tomatoes out). So this year's test crop is Sunray - which as far as I can tell are the same. I'll know when the fruit ripen.
On Thursday evening I made two lots of tomato sauce - the first was purely made from Principe Borghese plums and used the oven roasting recipe that I have put up on here before and the second was a simple pot-cooked variety. After cooking (and reducing for the pot-cooked one) they were both passed through a strainer, and the sauce was put into freezer bags and stored in the freezer for use in the winter. The result from them? Oven cooked - a lighter (almost orange) colour even though I used red tomatoes. Sweet, almost smoky flavour. Pot-cooked - Kept the red colour, and more acidity. Both are really nice, and comparable to passata. All in all - it is good!
So until this afternoon, keep on digging.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Pomodoro! Part 1
If there is one thing that I love about summer, it would be tomatoes. Up here in the higher parts of New South Wales the frosts move in during autumn and winter, and only the hardiest of vegetation survives - even the grass quickly goes brown after a few of the heavier frosts. As such, the growing of many types of vegetables is restricted to a short period, and a lot of the time it's a gamble to whether the plants can grow and fruit before the frosts, or whether you've planted the plants too early and a frost is going to get the immature plants. Seeing green leaves one day and then black shrivelled things where the leaves used to be the next is not a happy situation to be in.
Anyway, back to the idea of today's post. Tomatoes are lovely things. The Italian word for tomato is pomodoro (literally golden apple). If you only associate them with the red things in supermarkets, I strongly suggest that you grow a plant or two (they are relatively easy to grow, and will live in a pot full of a good growing medium on your verandah with no problems). The reason that I am telling you this is not just because they taste better, but the sight and smell of the tomato bush is - for me at least - summer personified. The green stems and leaves are odd-looking, covered in small hairs and are easily damaged. But when you damage them (ie when picking the fruit) the smell that is released is something else completely. It's hard to define. It can only be said to be the smell of summer (apart from grass clippings). It's a habit in the family to pick off a few leaves when the plants are immature to smell them. Odd, yes. But try it and see.
I've spoken about tomatoes on here before, but I will do a short write-up on the types growing in the garden this year.
Swift: One of my favourites of all time. Developed in Canada, they claim to be up and fruiting in 50 days, but in my experience 60-70 is more like it (probably due to the lower summer temperatures). Small, determinate bushes that produce golf-ball size fruit. They don't need staking, but it is recommended.
Principe Borghese: A classic small Italian plum. Indeterminate bushes that really need staking. Produces piles of small plum tomatoes. Brilliant taste.
Rouge de Marmande: A classic French variety producing large red fruit with a creased top. Indeterminate.
Grosse Lisse: A variety that was brought into Australia by an immigrant in the 1930's. Name means "Big Smooth". The variety in Australia since it was brought in. Takes a while to fruit, so probably better for warmer areas.
Lecase di Apulia: Indeterminate type originating from the south of Italy. I got the seeds of this variety after watching a TV show (I think it was Rick Stein's Mediterranian series) where there was a variety in Southern Italy that kept for 8 months after picking. I have never been able to see how long it lasts because they quickly get eaten. One of the many problems in growing good food!
To be continued...
Anyway, back to the idea of today's post. Tomatoes are lovely things. The Italian word for tomato is pomodoro (literally golden apple). If you only associate them with the red things in supermarkets, I strongly suggest that you grow a plant or two (they are relatively easy to grow, and will live in a pot full of a good growing medium on your verandah with no problems). The reason that I am telling you this is not just because they taste better, but the sight and smell of the tomato bush is - for me at least - summer personified. The green stems and leaves are odd-looking, covered in small hairs and are easily damaged. But when you damage them (ie when picking the fruit) the smell that is released is something else completely. It's hard to define. It can only be said to be the smell of summer (apart from grass clippings). It's a habit in the family to pick off a few leaves when the plants are immature to smell them. Odd, yes. But try it and see.
I've spoken about tomatoes on here before, but I will do a short write-up on the types growing in the garden this year.
Swift: One of my favourites of all time. Developed in Canada, they claim to be up and fruiting in 50 days, but in my experience 60-70 is more like it (probably due to the lower summer temperatures). Small, determinate bushes that produce golf-ball size fruit. They don't need staking, but it is recommended.
Principe Borghese: A classic small Italian plum. Indeterminate bushes that really need staking. Produces piles of small plum tomatoes. Brilliant taste.
Rouge de Marmande: A classic French variety producing large red fruit with a creased top. Indeterminate.
Grosse Lisse: A variety that was brought into Australia by an immigrant in the 1930's. Name means "Big Smooth". The variety in Australia since it was brought in. Takes a while to fruit, so probably better for warmer areas.
Lecase di Apulia: Indeterminate type originating from the south of Italy. I got the seeds of this variety after watching a TV show (I think it was Rick Stein's Mediterranian series) where there was a variety in Southern Italy that kept for 8 months after picking. I have never been able to see how long it lasts because they quickly get eaten. One of the many problems in growing good food!
To be continued...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Looking Forward
One of the best things with having your own vegetable garden is the planning of it. If there is one thing that you need to have when growing vegetables it would have to be patience. Don't expect edible goodness within days of planting. The very earliest of vegetables takes roughly four weeks from germination to picking, and even then it's restricted to radishes and some leafy greens. Things like cauliflowers can take up to around six months before they are picked once. It makes you think about the relative worth of food.
Speaking about radishes, the Black Spanish Long that were planted over the last weekend should be almost ready to germinate. They are a special variety (well, more so than other types) because they were brought to Australia with the First Fleet. That, to me, makes them a vegetable with real heritage in Aussie gardens. I should be able to let you know what they are like in roughly 60 days. You can get the seeds for them from Eden Seeds.
Radishes aren't spared by the problems that face most other vegetables in the market today. The ones you get in the supermarket are usually old, woody and will taste like turpentine mixed with hot English mustard. When you buy them from the supermarket look for bunches that don't have wilted leaves - that's a sure sign that they have been out of the ground for a while. Plus also try them with a little salt - the French do, and it takes that nasal burning hit out of them a bit (although omit the salt if you love having second-degree sinus burns).
I have also noticed that the beetroot (that have been in since November) are almost ready to be picked. There are plenty of things that you can do with them, including eating the leaves (many pre-mixed salad leaves found at supermarkets have beetroot leave in them), making soup, baking, boiling etc etc. My favourite out of all of these would be in pickling them in vinegar, and then enjoying them for a lot longer. This means that I will undoubtedly be getting purple hands very soon, but I can't wait.
So until tomorrow, remember that FRESH IS BEST.
Speaking about radishes, the Black Spanish Long that were planted over the last weekend should be almost ready to germinate. They are a special variety (well, more so than other types) because they were brought to Australia with the First Fleet. That, to me, makes them a vegetable with real heritage in Aussie gardens. I should be able to let you know what they are like in roughly 60 days. You can get the seeds for them from Eden Seeds.
Radishes aren't spared by the problems that face most other vegetables in the market today. The ones you get in the supermarket are usually old, woody and will taste like turpentine mixed with hot English mustard. When you buy them from the supermarket look for bunches that don't have wilted leaves - that's a sure sign that they have been out of the ground for a while. Plus also try them with a little salt - the French do, and it takes that nasal burning hit out of them a bit (although omit the salt if you love having second-degree sinus burns).
I have also noticed that the beetroot (that have been in since November) are almost ready to be picked. There are plenty of things that you can do with them, including eating the leaves (many pre-mixed salad leaves found at supermarkets have beetroot leave in them), making soup, baking, boiling etc etc. My favourite out of all of these would be in pickling them in vinegar, and then enjoying them for a lot longer. This means that I will undoubtedly be getting purple hands very soon, but I can't wait.
So until tomorrow, remember that FRESH IS BEST.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Agnes in Pace
There is one quote about gardening that has stuck in my mind since the first time I heard it - "Teach a child to create and they will never destroy". Now this quote comes from Peter Cundall, the venerable host of Gardening Australia after his arrest at a peaceful protest against the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill in 2009 (which was the first time the 82 year old had been arrested). The story of that can be read Here.
It's true - if you show a child how to grow things (thus 'creating') they will not destroy. They also understand where food comes from (instead of simply 'from the supermarket'), and what is involved. I believe that we are too far removed from where our food comes from to care any more. Which is sad, because growing and eating your own fruit and vegetables is one of the best things to do - plus they taste better (but I always say that).
So to leave you today, I have got some more pictures of the garden in it's current state (it also allows me to work out how to put pictures up on here nicely at the same time). The picture above is one of the zucchini/squash patch - there are about 12 plant of zucchinis, and 6 each of both types of squash. to the left of them lies the Golden Nugget plants.
The picture below is of my latest triumph in the garden - a watermelon! Usually the weather is not warm for long enough for watermelons to ripen. But here we are in the start of February (with around 6/7 weeks until the first frost) and with a watermelon that is almost ripe. The variety - Sugar Baby (from Yates I believe).
Until Tomorrow!
It's true - if you show a child how to grow things (thus 'creating') they will not destroy. They also understand where food comes from (instead of simply 'from the supermarket'), and what is involved. I believe that we are too far removed from where our food comes from to care any more. Which is sad, because growing and eating your own fruit and vegetables is one of the best things to do - plus they taste better (but I always say that).
So to leave you today, I have got some more pictures of the garden in it's current state (it also allows me to work out how to put pictures up on here nicely at the same time). The picture above is one of the zucchini/squash patch - there are about 12 plant of zucchinis, and 6 each of both types of squash. to the left of them lies the Golden Nugget plants.
The picture below is of my latest triumph in the garden - a watermelon! Usually the weather is not warm for long enough for watermelons to ripen. But here we are in the start of February (with around 6/7 weeks until the first frost) and with a watermelon that is almost ripe. The variety - Sugar Baby (from Yates I believe).
Until Tomorrow!
Monday, February 1, 2010
February Blues
Well, it seems as thought the first of February has popped up it's little head and said hello to the world (well this part of it anyway - I know that the people living in the western hemisphere are still going through Sunday). It's actually a bit of a concern because I can't remember what happened to January all that well. It was a busy month, but it went faster than expected. As such I'm a little freaked out by the whole change-of-the-month situation.
I have decided to put up some pictures of the veg in the garden to show you that I am actually growing things. I may even throw a recipe at the bottom of this post. Who knows...
The first photo is of a Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus Tuberosus) flower. Jerusalem Artichokes originate from South America, and are grow for their tubers (which are prepared and eaten like potatoes). They are supposedly good for diabetics because they contain inulin instead of starch. This inlulin can however cause flatulence to occur in some people.
The second photo is of our resident bantam hen and her latest clutch of chickens, looking for food in one of the more wilder parts of the garden where the perrenials live.
This happy-snap is of a Long-Cayenne chilli plant, showing the nearly ripe fruit. The heat of this chilli isn't anything like the Pain caused by Habaneros, but is less juicy compared to Jalapenos.
One of the best crops of Golden Nugget pumpkins that we've had. This type of pumpkin is special because it is a bush variety - many varieties are trailing and can easily take over a small back yard. The Golden Nugget is a nice compact bush, and produces piles of small tasty pumpkins that will last for a very long time.
Flowers of the Purple King runner bean. This variety is odd in that it produces dark-purple pods. These then turn green when you cook them (which is why they are sometimes known as 'magic beans'). Growing climbing varieties of peas and beans is easy to do, and also means that you can have piles of free veg (apart from the cost of the seeds which is very small) in very small areas.
Today's recipe is a classic way of keeping tomatoes that are abundant this time of the year for use in the cold months ahead.
Tomato Sauce
This is brilliant for putting into pasta sauces, stews and any other dish that needs tomato in it
You Will Need:
- Tomatoes (as many as you have. The riper they are, the nicer their flavour)
- Garlic (The amount depends on how much you like it, but baking removes the harsh garlicky taste and makes it sweet and lovely)
- Herbs (namely Thyme and Rosemary. Oregano and Basil will also work, but add them near the end of the cooking process)
Method:
- In a ceramic dish, place a single layer of tomatoes (if they are big, you can slice them in half, otherwise just leave them whole).
- Add whole, unpeeled cloved on the top of this, along with some sprigs of your chosen herbs and plenty of salt and freshly cracked pepper (plus a tiny amount of olive oil).
- Place into a moderate (180°C) oven, and leave it alone until the tomatoes have opened up from the heat and the garlic has gone slightly brown.
- Grab all the cloves of garlic and peel from the skins. Squash the garlic and tomatoes with a fork/potato masher etc etc.
- You can now go one step further and remove the skins by either straining or putting the mix through a pulper/ricer, but we usually just put the mix into freezer bags or chinese food containers and put into the freezer.
- Et Voila! You have a stock of summer in the freezer, waiting to get used in the depths of winter.
Have Fun, and play in the garden and kitchen (trust me, it will taste better).
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Day the First
I thoroughly enjoy being in the garden. There's something about being the reason why specific plants are growing which makes you so very proud of them. Then again I might simply like playing in the dirt. I will let you decide which one is more correct.
Things in the garden are good. As of today the following things are in the ground, living and producing food:
- Beetroot
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes (Grosse Lisse, Rouge de Marmande, Principe Borghese, Swift, Imur Prior Beta, Sunray, Le Case di Apulia and a few Romas).
- Sweet Corn (Sunrise)
- Zucchini/Courgettes (Blackjack)
- Squash (yellow and green button)
- Cucumber (Lebanese)
- Runner Beans (Scarlet Runner and Purple King)
- Snow Peas (Roi de Carouby)
- Horseradish
- Globe Artichokes
- Jerusalem Artichokes (Which are in no way related to Globe Artichokes)
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Kale (Nero di Toscana)
- Watermelon (Sugarbaby)
- Pumpkins (Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue and Golden Nugget)
- Chilli (Long Cayenne)
Yesterday the following seeds were put in (in order to take advantage of the rest of summer and in preparation of the winter garden):
- Beans (Borlotti)
- Peas (Telephone and Greenfeast Climbing)
- Carrots (Dragon [a purple variety] and All Seasons)
- Broad Beans (Aquadulce)
- Spinach (Viroflay and Southern European)
- Silverbeet (Ruby Red Chard)
- Parsnips (Hollow Crown)
- Lettuce (Lollo Rosso)
This list may seem like a lot. I suppose it is. But I like odd vegetables - especially ones that aren't the ordinary colour/shape/size compared to their supermarket counterparts. Now I can almost hear some of you saying 'But why do you grow those vegetables when you can just as easily buy them?' Well, the answer is that vegetables that you grow yourself simply taste better. 99.9% of food that comes from the supermarket is picked early and then the ripening process is prevented so that the produce is kept for longer. In doing that the flavours aren't anywhere near like they could be. For example, supermarket tomatoes generally don't smell, look or taste like home grown ones. I've eaten what has been labelled as a tomato to only have something that tastes like a cardboard box. The same thing goes for mass-produced frozen foods. Eat some fresh beans and you'll be amazed at their flavour and depth. We grow around five different types of beans in the summer because they all have different flavours, textures and smells. Plus, if you grow your own vegetables you can literally see how different the varieties of a vegetable can be. A classic example of this is in tomatoes - from the super-fast fruiting Swift, to the small but beautifully flavoured Principe Borghese and Le Case di Apulia, the sweet orange-yellow of the Sunray to the mammoth, almost hot-pink Brandywine. All of them are lovely, and most of them you won't find in a supermarket or fruit shop.
And for those of you who are sitting there saying 'But I don't have enough space to grow vegetables', don't worry. You can grow plenty of things in almost no space at all. For those who are saying 'I don't keep plants, I kill them', well, I will tell you about culinary plants that you should be able to keep (even if you forget to water them for a few weeks).
So I sign off for today. Just remember - Life's a garden, Dig it!
Things in the garden are good. As of today the following things are in the ground, living and producing food:
- Beetroot
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes (Grosse Lisse, Rouge de Marmande, Principe Borghese, Swift, Imur Prior Beta, Sunray, Le Case di Apulia and a few Romas).
- Sweet Corn (Sunrise)
- Zucchini/Courgettes (Blackjack)
- Squash (yellow and green button)
- Cucumber (Lebanese)
- Runner Beans (Scarlet Runner and Purple King)
- Snow Peas (Roi de Carouby)
- Horseradish
- Globe Artichokes
- Jerusalem Artichokes (Which are in no way related to Globe Artichokes)
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Kale (Nero di Toscana)
- Watermelon (Sugarbaby)
- Pumpkins (Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue and Golden Nugget)
- Chilli (Long Cayenne)
Yesterday the following seeds were put in (in order to take advantage of the rest of summer and in preparation of the winter garden):
- Beans (Borlotti)
- Peas (Telephone and Greenfeast Climbing)
- Carrots (Dragon [a purple variety] and All Seasons)
- Broad Beans (Aquadulce)
- Spinach (Viroflay and Southern European)
- Silverbeet (Ruby Red Chard)
- Parsnips (Hollow Crown)
- Lettuce (Lollo Rosso)
This list may seem like a lot. I suppose it is. But I like odd vegetables - especially ones that aren't the ordinary colour/shape/size compared to their supermarket counterparts. Now I can almost hear some of you saying 'But why do you grow those vegetables when you can just as easily buy them?' Well, the answer is that vegetables that you grow yourself simply taste better. 99.9% of food that comes from the supermarket is picked early and then the ripening process is prevented so that the produce is kept for longer. In doing that the flavours aren't anywhere near like they could be. For example, supermarket tomatoes generally don't smell, look or taste like home grown ones. I've eaten what has been labelled as a tomato to only have something that tastes like a cardboard box. The same thing goes for mass-produced frozen foods. Eat some fresh beans and you'll be amazed at their flavour and depth. We grow around five different types of beans in the summer because they all have different flavours, textures and smells. Plus, if you grow your own vegetables you can literally see how different the varieties of a vegetable can be. A classic example of this is in tomatoes - from the super-fast fruiting Swift, to the small but beautifully flavoured Principe Borghese and Le Case di Apulia, the sweet orange-yellow of the Sunray to the mammoth, almost hot-pink Brandywine. All of them are lovely, and most of them you won't find in a supermarket or fruit shop.
And for those of you who are sitting there saying 'But I don't have enough space to grow vegetables', don't worry. You can grow plenty of things in almost no space at all. For those who are saying 'I don't keep plants, I kill them', well, I will tell you about culinary plants that you should be able to keep (even if you forget to water them for a few weeks).
So I sign off for today. Just remember - Life's a garden, Dig it!
And Thus it Begins...
Whilst the family was at the dinner table one night last week, and listening to all the wonderful stories that the rest of the extended family were up to (including but not limited to jet-setting around the world, enjoying themselves in the cities of Australia and just generally moving up the ladder of success), I started to think about where my life would end up.
Thankfully the thought ended as quickly as it had begun, and I started to think about the vegetable garden. It's nothing special, but it keeps the family (and a few other people that we know) supplied with fresh food for most of the year (although it tends to drop off considerably in the winter). This is what I hope to show to you, the avid reader, for a whole year. Every day there will be a new post, keeping you updated on the garden, and the food that is cooked from it.
But before we do that, proper introductions would be best. The family garden is situated out the back of our house. The house is situated on a small (11 acre) piece of land that is located to the east of a town called Uralla in New South Wales, Australia. Uralla is nestled in the New England Region - a small sliver of high-altitude land in the northern part of the state. Summer temperatures have never gone higher than 34°C in the day, and they almost always drop below 20°C of a night. In winter temperatures can often stay below 10°C for weeks on end, and during the night they can drop to below -10°C. Most rainfall occurs in Summer through thunderstorms and the remnants of cyclones, and the landscape is often white (with frost) until near noon in the depths of winter.
I believe that this blog will serve many purposes. Firstly, it will show that gardening fruit and vegetables is really quite easy and can be done with a minimum of effort. Secondly it will show that cooking fresh food is even easier. And lastly it will help keep me 'On track' in regards to ensuring that the garden has always got something happening in it (quite often my enthusiasm drops off over the cooler months).
So this is my pledge - one post each day for the next 365 days. Hopefully someone will read it.
Thankfully the thought ended as quickly as it had begun, and I started to think about the vegetable garden. It's nothing special, but it keeps the family (and a few other people that we know) supplied with fresh food for most of the year (although it tends to drop off considerably in the winter). This is what I hope to show to you, the avid reader, for a whole year. Every day there will be a new post, keeping you updated on the garden, and the food that is cooked from it.
But before we do that, proper introductions would be best. The family garden is situated out the back of our house. The house is situated on a small (11 acre) piece of land that is located to the east of a town called Uralla in New South Wales, Australia. Uralla is nestled in the New England Region - a small sliver of high-altitude land in the northern part of the state. Summer temperatures have never gone higher than 34°C in the day, and they almost always drop below 20°C of a night. In winter temperatures can often stay below 10°C for weeks on end, and during the night they can drop to below -10°C. Most rainfall occurs in Summer through thunderstorms and the remnants of cyclones, and the landscape is often white (with frost) until near noon in the depths of winter.
I believe that this blog will serve many purposes. Firstly, it will show that gardening fruit and vegetables is really quite easy and can be done with a minimum of effort. Secondly it will show that cooking fresh food is even easier. And lastly it will help keep me 'On track' in regards to ensuring that the garden has always got something happening in it (quite often my enthusiasm drops off over the cooler months).
So this is my pledge - one post each day for the next 365 days. Hopefully someone will read it.
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