Potatoes

Harvested a few potatoes today with my little helper. I'm still trying to master these guys. I planted 1kg (half and half of deseree and charisma) and pulled up 5kg, so thinking that's ok. More than my last 2 attempts anyway. Looks like we'll be having fresh taters for dinner tonight, yummo!!

Digging

We are mid reno's at our place at the moment. We had to dig a trench to put our electricity underground. The trench was needed to run right through the middle of my Tomatoes. So I carefully dug a trench 600mm deep, being ever so careful not to damage my tomato babies. Thankfully I managed. I now have an electricity box right in the middle of this part of the garden. I think I will need to find a perennial to grow there so I dont need to dig around here. Little bit scary.

Garden to the Plate

Lunch today was as simple as grating a zucchini (gifted from my friends garden), drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper topped with sliced tomato (from my garden) and (a leftover sausage from the local butcher). 
Thanks to my amazing friend Jenny for the tip on the salad, this is the bomb people, you must try it!

Bananarama

This is why I can make so many banana loaves.....120 or so banana's here. 
I still have another cluster coming along on another tree, so more to come. 
Oh goodness me. 
Might need to explore my banana recipe options.... 

Garden to the Plate

The photo did not capture how amazingly yummy this salad was. 
Fresh warm roasted beetroot, beetroot leaves, sautéed zucchini in butter and danish feta with apple cider, olive oil and honey dressing. 
Nothing beats the taste of fresh ingredients. 
Feel so so satisfied with myself when I can serve up this amazing goodness to my family. 
Did you cook from your garden today?

Seed saving

My broccoli seeds are ready. 
These babies will be perfectly acclimatised to this part of the world and my garden in particular for next season. 
l have more that are still setting seed and also some still providing fresh broccoli on our dinner plates. 
I love seeing the cycle of life in plant form here every day. 
It really teaches you appreciation and gratitude that you cant buy anywhere! 
And just a bouquet of rainbow chard that will be a side with the zucchini and squash to our Tamarind chicken for dinner tonight.
Have you thought about seed saving before? 

Garden Tour #2

I went for a little walk around the garden today....Its a bit wobbly, but you get to see most of whats going on. I will post another when the garden is in full swing to see the difference.

This is almost a year after my last garden tour. I will also add a stocktake for the 'spring collection' soon.
Happy gardening my friends x

End of the season

Its definitely coming to the end of the cool season for my garden, fewer treats coming up to the kitchen. I've been tidying up and pulling out plants that have seen better days. I'll post a video of my garden soon to show how much is NOT going on in my garden. Though I am excited for the prep to welcome spring and summer. I'll get a load of cow & compost in and top up and freshen up some of the beds. I cant wait for the new growing season and I can feel it already in the air most days. 

I picked a bit here and there from the garden yesterday and ended up with a mixed bowl of cape gooseberries, little caps, an heirloom tomato of which type I am not sure and a random snow pea. Little snacks the kids will have eaten by morning, except the tomatoes, which aren't quite ready yet.

Also in the kitchen I'm mixing up a tea concoction for my next batch of Kombucha and my collection of eggs shells that I either crush up and spread around the garden or like today, add to my compost bin.

How is your garden looking these days?

a few little garden treats.

Kombucha tea concoction.

Egg shell collection.

Here and Now #1

Well this is my first time posting a Here and Now Link up, I found it on another blog that I love to follow, Say Little Hen and have been meaning to join in for a while so finally here I am.

Apple and Rhubarb crumble.

Home made sushi.

Love the ambiance of a fire in the living area.

A few of my sweet potatoes.

Our baby Ruby, she wont be able to come on the holiday though :)

Loving // The warmth of a fireplace, even if I have to set my alarm at 1.30 in the morning to keep it going just so its nice and toasty in the morning when we wake up.

Eating // Any of the fresh and home grown veggies from my garden.

Drinking // Coffee, its my vice. Sometimes I think I should drink less....

Feeling // Grateful to spend each day of the school holidays slowing getting into the day with the kids, no matter how crazy they are.

Making // Apple and Rhubarb crumble to have for afters for the next couple of nights.

Thinking // I need to write a list of the little jobs that always seem to be forgotten until they become big jobs.

Dreaming // Of taking our gang on a cool family holiday.

If you would like to like up and share your little thoughts pop on over to Sarah's page Say Little Hen too :)  You will also see some other lovely blogs sharing as well x

My Favourite Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 40g melted butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 1/4 cup sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160c fan forced. Line loaf pan with baking paper.
2. Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the dry ingredients. Mix well then pour into loaf pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour or until tester comes out clean.
4. Cool on a wire rack. (or)
5. Served yummiest warm with a smear of butter.

Banana's and More Banana's.

In the kitchen today I baked banana bread using some of the bananas I picked from my tree a couple of weeks ago. 

Initially we ate heaps fresh, then I froze a few bunches to use for smoothies and ice cream and another couple of bunches were put in the fridge.

They will last longer there but the downside is the skin goes black. The flesh on the inside is still nice and firm for eating. Hubby and I ate them but the kids weren't so keen. 

Eventually they are too ripe for me to eat as well so today I baked. 

This by far is my favourite recipe to use and I also add some extra seeds instead of nuts so its school friendly.

I have my 3rd bunch coming along and today I went out to find another baby bell just starting out. 

Perhaps you could share your tried and tested banana bread recipe.

Banana bread a plenty.

Yummy goodness.

Bunch number 3 on its way.

Baby bell, our 4th cluster of banana's.

Sweet Potato, Fish Cakes and Pesto

The other day in the garden I pulled up the sweet potato crop - all 10kg of it! I also knocked one of my basil bushes over by accident so I picked all the leaves and made pesto. 

Last night we had pesto and chicken pasta for dinner. Using up roast chicken from the night before.

Tonight was a special of sweet potato fishcakes - using all ingredients from the garden, plus an egg from the girls out back and the bonus....fish (black fish) caught by hubby from the beach across the road, served with a side of broccoli. 

Every ingredient on the plate fresh and had not traveled more than 100m to provide a wholesome meal for my beautiful family. So grateful! 

Every ingredient from my garden or across the road from the ocean.

Sweet potato fishcakes and broccoli.

Harvesting.

Yummy homemade pesto.

Pesto and Chicken Pasta.

Turmeric Sensations

This past week has seen my life consumed by turmeric. Sunday a week ago I harvested my bountiful crop. Digging up rhizome by rhizome, shaking, dusting and sorting. I dutifully picked the roots from the mother, separated the fingers and washed them all thoroughly. Time to weigh in..... just over 5kg!

Now what to do with it all. I put it out there to my local friends via Facebook and the response was overwhelming. I was put to work sorting bags of goodness in 3 different ways. First the fingers of fresh turmeric went to 10 homes. Then with some turmeric saved in the freezer, some fresh mothers and some extra ingredients I made Golden Milk paste to be enjoyed as a tea/latte, this glorious concoction going to 9 homes. Finally with the rest of my fresh turmeric I made powder. Sweating then dehydrating over a couple of days before whizzing up to a glorious powder with this baby going to 12 homes! I think its fair to say that there is a fair share to turmeric goodness getting around town at the moment. 

There was a keen line up of people that missed out, so next season I hope to plant double. I wonder if that will be enough??? I was on a high all week harvesting, concocting and spreading this gloriously healthy and natural produce from my very own garden. The reward is priceless. Thank you to the locals (and interest from afar) who shared in this magic.

My wee little turmeric patch.

Splendid turmeric fingers.

Jars of homemade Golden Milk paste.

Golden Milk latte or tea.

My favourite -, turmeric powder.

Stocktake

It might be a little colder around most places, but its still going off here. In fact I think my garden is performing better than spring or the 'growing' season. Besides the excess rain we have had for the last week everything is flourishing here and so I thought today I would do a quick 'stocktake' of whats going on in my garden of glory!

At the moment I have, not mentioning the non edible versions of gorgeous plants I also have....

• Paw Paw and Papaya
• Fig
• Chilli - 4 different types
• Nasturtium, Calendula, Evening Primrose
• Sweet potato
• Strawberry
• Roma, Yellow Cherry, Red Cherry, Tommy Toe Tomato
• Dragon fruit
• Gooseberry
• Bay Tree
• Lemon grass
• Rainbow Chard and Perpetual Spinach
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts
• Eggplant
• Kohlrabi
• Ginger, Turmeric, Galangal and Horseradish
• Kale
• Cavendish Banana
• Lemon, Lime and Kaffir Lime
• Pumpkin
• Raspberry, Blueberry, Boysenberry
• Garlic, Onions and Shallots or Spring Onion
• Capsicum - 4 types
• Lima Beans, Green Beans, Snow Pea and Pea
• Radish
• Chives and garlic chives
• Red and White Cabbage
• Carrots
• Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Coriander, Sage, Mint, Vietnamese Mint, Lemon Balm, Flat and Curly Leaf Parsley
• Wild Rocket
• Choko
• Celery 
• Fennel
• Pidgeon Pea and Comfrey

And I think that's about it. Might have missed one of two, but I think that's enough to keep one occupied! What's in your stocktake?

Just a few of the sweet potato to surprise me.

More sweet potato to come.

Mini cauliflower.

Just one of the lovely capsicums around the garden.

Roma Tomatoes sharing a home among the sweet potato.

Planted as a broccoli, but looks a little different.

Lots of tomato flowers.

Ginger!

Baby Brussel Sprouts coming on.

Cabbage and Snail bites.

Love Nasturtium Flowers.

Purple Carpet Allysum.

A couple of carrots.

Horseradish, but not too happy, think I might move it.

Jack be Little Pumpkins

 

Purple cabbage.....

And attacked purple cabbage :(

Fennel and Shallots.

Gooseberry gone crazy, I had to tie it up.

Snow Peas and flowers.