for the pruning JANUARY

i cannot quite seem to get my head around the fact that the previous 3 months have simply flown by.
i am sitting in the lounge in the soft golden glow of the lamp light. it is nearing eleven o'clock at night and i am listening to iron and wine and updating my calendar for januarys gardening.

i have the desire to get more from my garden this winter, not to mention getting more done in my kitchen which has been a busy place lately (and all without any photo documentation or note taking of course).
i have begun gardening with the little now. she has always joined me outside when i wander to the garden, in fact we are lucky to get out of the house un-escorted at all, such a love of the out doors has she developed. if i pop out for a quick grab of something fresh to garnish dinner with, she will be keen to dash out the second the door is open and is completely broken-hearted when, at times, she is not permitted to escape. last month when the sowing cycle began i waited until after her nap time and we wandered out together. she diligently popped seeds in to the holes i left with my finger in the soil and (at times rather too fiercely,) helped me ease the dirt over them, encasing them in the earth. most days of course she has been sparrow eating strawberries and peas as we wander around the back yard checking how everything is progressing together


so, into the gardening jobs for january, following the moon cycles here in new zealand to maximize our harvest.....

2nd of january is the new moon so we will be digging our soil to prepare it for sowing from new years day until the fourth (if anyone is up for a wee bit of work to help burn off that hangover this is where it is all at!) 2 spade depths is the best way to go if you can. this will allow you to get more bang for your buck when growing. the well turned soil will allow for your plants to reach their roots further down instead of outward and you will be able to fit more plants into a smaller space. turning your soil lets air into it and also helps to mix in any fertilizers you have put on and spread them more evenly throughout, giving your plants a better go of it. in the next few days i will be digging in some lime and a small amount of blood and bone, coffee grounds, plus a bit of chopped up seaweed will go into the area i have laid aside for the brassicas to go into (if possible pop them in after you pull out your silver beet as they will be loving the nutrients that silver beet brings out of the earth.)

from january 5th until the 11th  it is sowing time. (first quarter is jan 8th)
pop in any peas that you have left ( mine didnt go as winningly as i would have liked them to and i will be putting another packet and a half in if i can find the room for them as i adore picking and chomping on fresh peas whenever i wander past them.
along with the peas, pop in beans, zucchini, basil, coriander, parsley, celery, leeks, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and silver beet. if you have any seedling of tomatoes give them a hurl, though you may be lucky to get them to a harvest able stage in the more southern parts of the country, but i always hope for the best and would chuck them in just in case.

from the 9th of january until the 18th take a break and run a hoe over any weeds that may be trying to get their grubby little roots in. (full moon is on the 16th)

19th and 20th is for planting any root crops and giving everything a good dose of liquid feeding (we use worm wease tea - that stuff is magic for your plants!) i will be putting in radish, turnips and having my first attempt at celeric. it takes an age to grow i am told, but they say the delicious, delicate flavour makes it all worth the effort. fingers crossed it goes well....

jan 21st through to the 25th are good for harvesting( 3rd quarter hits on the 24th )
i will be digging up be garlic around here ( i bent the leaves down on mine a few days ago and am hoping to get bigger bulbs because of it). potatoes are good to be dug out if the leaves are starting to brown. we have been smuggling new potatoes out around the edges for the past week or so to add to the table at dinner time too, so if they are not quite there leave them be for a little longer before removing - they store for the winter much better if the plant is left to die down a little anyway. other than that harvest your summer crops daily if you can as it encourages more flowers and fruit. if a plant thinks it has gotten its seed out there it will give up and finish itself very soon after, so, once they are ripe and juicy, pick, pick, pick and encourage more to grow.

pop in more root crops on the 27th and 28th

full moon arrives again on the 31st so get those spades out and get your dig on again from the 29th.

thats all for now - get your hands dirty.... and happy new year

xx
jes

for the pruning december

balls.

another month and i am about 3 posts down....well, two posts if i stick to my absolute minimum rule of one a fortnight.
still, this is a fast (late) but easy one...
december in the garden can be super busy, or, if you are like me, rather a last minute run around.

if you have been keeping up with your vege planting in the southern hemisphere you should be fine to let things slip a little at this time, as long as you remember to water every evening. (if you are heading away get the lovely next door neighbours kid to water for you. i pay ours $5 a week and as many ripe strawberries as she can pick and we always return to an amazing oasis. our front lawn is a crispy, brownish-gold, but the back yard is a lush green jungle. it takes me a day or two to tie things up and down, and pull the odd weed but its always great to come home to fresh, healthy produce after a week or two away.

so this month (or whats left of it) has in store for you a few things;

thanks to my two week holiday at my good friend tom and janeys wedding in the beautiful rangitieki, fulfilling head bridesmaid duties, (though somewhat sparsely - a sick baby takes the brunt of the blame for that) i have missed the sowing and fertilizing session for this months second quarter of the waxing moon. tomorrow, is the last chance to do this, so make like me and dig in your seed box to get them ready for planting.
i will be planting yet more peas ( i love them all, but i have some pearl-er sugar snaps at the moment which the little is loving for her first course at dinner time) along with some more basil (my last 2 seeding packets have been very un-successful and i have about 5 seedlings surviving which totally blows as i adore this herb in just about everything, from a savory dish, to a sweet treat for dessert.) rocket and coriander (both of which bolted while i was gone. i must find a more shaded spot for them....perhaps next to the rhubarb...?) another round of zucchini, and any other seeds i can find in my stash that may seem appropriate.
pop in your root vegetables on the 20th and 21st and hoe up any stray weeds on these days too.
from the 22nd until the 30th just dig and add manure or compost to any empty patches for the next lot of planting.

feel free to do all this with a glass of bubbles in your hand (, or if pregnant like me, some delicious homemade elderflower cordial or ginger ale). twilight is my favorite time for just about everything, be it swimming, horse riding or gardening, and having a treat of something bubbly before, during or after makes this magical time even more indulgent and glorious!

happy holiday gardening guys.

xx
jes

for the pruning november

sweet louise, another month has dashed past. where does time go?
already 2 days into november and the garden is in a state of relaxation, well, to be honest it is me who is relaxing. we found out a little while ago that i am brewing baby number two so i am taking full advantage of freyas nap times and getting a little shut eye myself, which has been much needed, but means i spend a little less time in the dirt as nap time is my usual garden break.

this is what we have on the the month folks, according to the moon phase;

pull weeds until the 6th and do a general tidy up around the place.

planting frenzy begins from the 7th to the 14th, starting with all your leafy crops, such as bok-choi, spinach, lettuce varieties galore and any herbs you may fancy. i will be popping in plenty of basil and coriander and also re-energizing my mint with some new seedlings from a friends patch (yet to find said friend out these ways with mint that looks tasty, or for that fact, any mint at all, but my eyes are wide open all the time!) this busy planting period ends with any fruit producing crops going in around the 11th, such as peas, beans, cucumber and zucchini. i have yet to attempt capsicum again though i am getting rather pissed at the prices i have to pay for a nice sweet crunchy red, so maybe this is the time to try. oh, and dont forget any tomato seedling that are sturdy enough (at least 10-15 cm can also go in)

liquid fertilize your plants on the 15th and 16th, then get the hoe out from the 17th til the 20th and chop any of those nasty weeds off before they get a chance to grow and steal needed sunlight and nutrients from your beloved veg.

smash your root crops in on the 21st and 22nd - again i am loving radishes of any variety and carrots- though i do seem to be having trouble remembering to water diligently once seeds are in and the carrots are rather holding the lack of fluids against me.

for the rest of the month, take a break - water well and in the evenings ( this is better than in the morning as it means that there will not be beads of water on the plants leaves to catch the sun during the day and burn the leaves) and dont sprinkle your tomatoes, water them at the root - this will help to stop the leaves developing a mold like disease on the leaves, insuring optimum health to your plant and optimum tomato for the table.

thats all for now
happy gardening ya'll

xx

lemon cookies

the hair on my forearms bristles as the skin puckers itself into little goose bumps.
i huddle my woolen cardigan closer and step out into the damp to get another armful of firewood, checking for puddles to jump along the way.
i look nervously at the quickly dwindling wood pile and make promises to gather more pine cones once the weather clears again.
i hope this is the last cold snap.
knocking each piece of wood to loosen and bugs or chips - an attempt to vacuum less - i pile one arm dangerously high, then add one more log to the top, using my other hand to balance the load somewhat before careening back towards the house and the warmth.
we have had a rather mild winter, i am told, and though i hoped and prayed and dreamed for a snow storm to settle on the ground, all that happened was a twice scattering of beautiful flakes, with neither occasion staying long enough to fulfill my dreams.
you let me down canterbury winter (though all the farmers and lambs are thrilled i am sure) lets get it on next year and roll on with the end of spring with a little more warmth.

now for the cookies

these are bo's favourite and though i will always be a ginger or chocolate chip and a glass of milk kind of girl, all my friends down here prefer these ones.
i came across the recipe on pintrest and you can find the link here and lauren brennan from hood river, oregon is the creator.
they are a delicious drop and go rather well with some earl grey, and, if you are anything like me, one is never enough.

LEMON COOKIES

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup icing sugar

first, pre heat your oven to 180 'C and get your baking trays buttered

now, add butter, sugar and vanilla to the mixed and cream well.

next add in your egg, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. mix well again

now sift in the baking powder, baking soda and flour,
at this stage i usually mix bu hand until the flour is somewhat incorporated them use the mixer to finish the job off. this stops the flour becoming air-born and flying out of the mixing bowl and all over the bench, also ensuring you have the correct amount of flour in your cookies.

using a dessert spoon, form into even sized balls and roll in the icing sugar. place on your pre-greased trays and bake for 9-12 minutes until just coloured.... well really, just before they colour is best, but on your first go, a little tan on the edges will be just fine and dandy.

leave to cool for a few minutes on the tray then move to a cooling rack and try not to gobble them all up at once.



thanks for reading

xx

for the pruning OCTOBER

hi all,
september has run away and we are now into october already. e-gads! time flies!
so, the wee gardeneing speel is a few days late, but better late than never (christine if you read this tonight run out to the garden and chuck some root vege in. quick hurry!) the past two days where the perfect time to plant root crops according to the moon cycle calendar. the next lot can go in later this month on the 22nd and 23rd, so dont fret too much if you missed out this time around.
today i planted more carrots, beetroot and my seed potato that i had been sprouting not all that successfully for the past two months. much to my dismay freya and bo found them sitting on the window sill and thought it was a rather nice activity to snap the young shoots off the main potatoes. so, i am not too optimistic as to how my crop will fare. fingers crossed though. nothing like new potatoes fresh from the garden, boiled in minted water and served with butter, chopped mint and a sprinkle of salt! to get a good go for your potatoes, dig a 30cm deep hole and pop said sprouted potato in, cover with about 10 cm dirt. once the shoots come up out of the dirt, add another 10 cm, and keep piling it up. i will go until it is about 20 cm above the start level and hope for bountiful crops of tender treats to feast on. handy hint from nz gardener - they like a little seaweed, so make yourself the nice seaweed concoction from below and add it to the mix come liquid feeding time.
i also put in some purple potato a few months back. i hear this variety tries to turn the others, so if you are planting them be sure to keep them WELL away from your other crops. i have mine in a big pot about fifteen meters distance away in the flower garden, so hopefully this is far enough. i do love the colour of purple potatoes but find the flavour is not as grand so a few in a roast salad brings a bit of party colour while the other veges pack the taste punch quota.

from the 3rd onward leave off the sowing and start preparing your soil. dig in manure, compost and any other goodies that you may have waiting to get into your dirt to give your plants a good heaping of nutrients.i have added nitra-phoska blue to give a little extra pep but if you are going strictly organic leave it off.

from october 8th it gets busy, plant leafy vege such as silver beet and spinach, lettuce (i have about 4 different varieties that i will be planting out once a month from now on to insure a constant supply of fresh green over summer) then from the tenth pop in any fruiting vege that you desire. i will be going mad on peas this year as i love nothing better than snacking in the garden, especially on peas. and strawberries. and raspberries. well.... pretty much anything, but last year my ma had a rather impressive amount of peas in her garden and i was outside every 30 minutes scoffing another hand full while we were there over christmas leave. peas. the. best. ever.
so, i am planting peas of a few varieties, sweetcorn, beans of  different varieties, pottin up my 4 different varieties of heritage tomato seed in a nice snug place so that any lingering frost wont nail them and leave me in tears and having a general hunt around for any other vege that my heart fancies to plonk in the dirt.
stop your mad sowing on the 14th.

15th - 17th is time to liquid feed everything. worm farms are amazing, so is seaweed tea. just collect a bunch form a beach near you, rinse the salty water off and shove it in a covered container to permeate. this year is my first time trying this but i am expecting big things from that stinky bin!

as stated before, get more root crops in on the 22nd and 23rd.

grab a hoe and stop those pesky weeds from the 24th til the 27th, then kick back and relax for a while.

sorry - no pictures.
i am camera-less for a wee while. sob.

happy gardening all.

xx

thai pumpkin soup

it isnt winter and it isnt spring.
oh, they say its spring.
the calendar shows clearly that it is late september, but it is not spring.
at least not here, not today.
today falls into one of those in-between season days.
its cold enough for a fire, but only just, so you kind of feel bad using the wood. there may be a cold snap around the corner and there isnt really all that much wood left. you know you probably shouldnt, but you do anyway.
its clear enough to put the washing on the line, but even if it doesnt rain, that by no means guarantees dry clothes at the end of the day. the morning mist has cleared but the air still feels damp and cold. well, cold-ish.
i think it may be too 'meh' to even do laundry.
it is definitely a soup for lunch kind of day.
 

this warm thai pumpkin soup can be as mild or spicy as you want it.
when i make ours i leave out the chilli so that the little (who just turned one over the weekend! sheesh time flies!) can eat her share too. the bo and i just sprinkle chilli flakes on top, and though it lacks the punch i used to put into everything before breeding began, it is still perfect for a day like today.
i wish i could remember where i first got this recipe so i could give full credit to its owner. since i found it i have made it countless time. i used to be one of those gals who only liked the traditional pumpkin soup. this recipe has changed that and now thai pumpkin soup is my all time hands down favorite!
this is my first post that contains a recipe that i didnt create and i have been trying a few others from various recipe places lately that are also very good, i will likely be sharing them too (with full credit to the chef in the future)


THAI PUMPKIN SOUP

1 Tbls oil
1 med onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large thumb sized section ginger, grated
root and stem of coriander, finely chopped
1-2 red chilli de-seeded and finely chopped (heat to taste)
1 large stalk of lemon grass, smashed
600-900g pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cubed
2 ltrs vege or chicken stock

1 400 ml can coconut milk or cream
2-3 Tbls fish oil (more or less to taste)
1 Tblsp palm sugar
large bunch fresh coriander leaves roughly chopped to garnish
yoghurt to garnish
chili flakes to garnish

in a large saucepan on medium to low heat, saulte onion, garlic and ginger until translucent and fragrant. add corriander root and stem, chilli and lemon grass and continue to stir for about 2 minutes.
add your pumpkin and stock, turn the heat up and bring to the boil.
once boiling lower heat and let simmer until the pumpkin is well cooked and completely soft.
remove lemon grass stalk and bend or whiz stick until the desired consistency is reached. i usually like to leave a couple of pumpkin lumps for the little to munch on.
return to low heat, add coconut milk or cream, fish sauce to taste and palm sugar. stir well and add more stock if you want a thinner version of the soup, if you want it thicker, let it reduce for a wee bit.

this soup is awsome served fresh with fococcia bread - see here for the recipe ( its the tastiest, easiest bread to make and there are never left overs!)

thanks for stopping by - keep warm and enjoy.
xx
jes

for the pruning

i am going to do a wee garden write up at the start of each month. so, for anyone who wants to get in the garden and grow some of your own produce, come along and play....

spring is upon us in the southern hemisphere with a vengeance after such a mild short winter. so it is,once again time to tend and then plant your gardens, ensuring you and your loved ones have a summer full of fresh food and seasonal cooking.

i was always of the belief that if you just put a seed in the dirt and watered it stuff grew. the only issue is it didnt always work for me. because of this, i assumed i was rather toxic to plants, often not getting a peep out of seeds that i planted. i would see other peoples patches thrive and squirm in envy, longing for the ability to live more naturally, but knowing, if i had to survive on my own gardening skill, i would likely succumb to scurvy.
now i know better, and fear of scurvy is a thing of the past.
it takes a bit of attention and work to get the garden off to a good start, but once it is in, a bit of faffing, watering and weeding here and there will keep you on a roll.
i read around and got a bit of an idea about how to approach it all and after a natter with my ma i got stuck in. for a while there at the start i was not so keen on all that work, but, once my garden started showering me with gifts, my mind changed and i found it very therapeutic to get outside and play in the dirt, not to mention how great it feels to pop outside and pick most of what you need to cook with for a meal.

its not too late for you to climb aboard and get your own garden off to a cracking start. we are 3 days into spring and now is the perfect time to be preparing the soil that your vegetables will be grown in. the better your soil, the more you will be rewarded with in the end, so manure, mulch and dig, dig, dig. i have been outside on and off for the past two days with the little, getting to work, turning the used pea straw from the stables into the dirt, mixing in extra horse manure and some great top soil and the castings from our worm farm. i have grand ambitions for this summers garden. i hope i do not end up disappointed.

when we arrived last december, there was no garden, just a square patch of dirt left by the previous tenant. bo and i got stuck in, adding rotted down manure from another horse owner who was giving it away (so we took 3 ute loads of the stuff.) another family here were moving away and gave us their only just touched top soil, which we gladly removed and added to the manure. another great help was my mother, who at the time was looking into the benefits of seaweed on the garden - i got some of that from the beach to throw in to the mix as well.
a few sprinkler hoses and bunch of seed packets later, plus of course, growing time, and we were eating fresh produce from the garden and giving away the excess, which we could not get through fast enough!

when i tried gardening using the moons tidal cycles and realized the benefits it has on growth, i added that to my schedule and am now an avid, if slightly un-educated, follower of gardening by the moon.
(see here for your very own calendar thanks to the team at nz gardener)
this week the new moon hits on the 5th (tomorrow night) so now is the perfect time to be sowing seed for leafy greens, with your root crop going in on thursday and friday and peas and beans being planted the following week.
up until thursday this week i am planting my leafy vege - spinach, kale, lettuce, bok choi, and corriander. thursday and friday, as the moon is waxing moon, so in go the root crops. i am sowing radish, potato, carrots, beetroot and parsnip, and also re-planting my old rhubarb root stock which i divided into 2, plus another variety i dung up and cut off a friends plant.
early next week it is fruiting veg, so the beans, peas and brussel sprouts (which i have yet to have any success with) go in.
with the possibility of a few frosts still to come i am leaving anything that will not survive them until it is more reliably warm.
a few days before the next full moon (16th and 17th) get some liquid fertilizer in on anything you have planted or already have growing. i use worm wease tea from our worm farm and a seaweed and banana peel soup that is 'steeping' in a covered bucket in the back yard.
once that is all done continue digging in your dirt to get it well mixed and worked for the rest of the week in preparation for next months sowing. oh, and any weeds you see, yank them out before the bloody things get too comfortable and take over!
if you miss out on the root crop sowing day, after the full moon on the 22nd and 23rd you get another chance.


if you have found something new to grow and eat, please let me know. i am always keen to extend my patch with new things.
now i am off to play in the garden - happy growing

xx

apple spice cake with salted walnuts and caramel drizzle

some days are a real gift and you know it.
you feel it in your bones and in every breath you take.
other days - not so much.
on those days you burn your toast.
twice.
the honey jar smashes on the floor.
the fire doesnt seem to stay alight. once finally alight it goes out again because you forgot to top up the wood.
twice.
the computer has a nervous breakdown - causing you to begin to have one as well.

take a deep breath.

go out side and play in the garden with the little for a while.
wash the dirt from both your hands and the little's face, mouth and tongue.
go back inside and take another deep breath.
get your apples, chopping board and grater and begin to make the most delicious cake.
the sweet aroma of fresh apple will begin to sooth you as they leak their juice. shred and chop at them, working out the last of your issues, then, pour the excess juice from the chopping board into a cup and save it to sip with the little once the cake is in the oven.
out the music on.
feel her sticky hand holding your cheek as her other hand tries to puck your eyeball out with her thumb.
smell the apple and spice fill the kitchen as the cake starts to cook.
anything left of the anger will dissipate as you crack the walnuts.
hear the shell creak to crack inside the metal brace and crunch it until you have it just how you like it. prod and wriggle it apart, placing the old broken pieces of shell into the bowl as you work the nuts free, moving them to your right.
turn the music up.
crunch a few of the walnuts. 
laugh out loud as the little bangs on the kitchen window, scaring chester, the neighbors cat.

today is a gift.

this really is a bloody good bite.

moist and comforting - perfect for those not quiet right days and even better with yoghurt for a warm treat by the fire after dinner.

apple spice cake

75 grams butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1  1/2 cups soft brown sugar

1 Tblsp cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1  1/2 cups finely diced apple

2  1/2 cups grated apple

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1  1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1  1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp salt

put butter, sugars, cream cheese, vanilla and eggs into a bowl and cream until light.

mix the diced and grated apple into the butter sugar mixture.

add remaining ingredients and fold in until combined. 

place in to a greased cake tin and bake at 180'C for 60-75 minutes (you will know the cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.)

let cool slightly in the pan then, carefully turn out onto a cake rack to cool and top with salted walnuts and drizzle caramel sauce over top.

salted walnuts

1 - 2 dozen walnuts
1 Tblsp oil

ground rock salt

crack, de-shell and place walnuts. place in a roasting dish and toss with oil until evenly coated.
grate on salt to taste and roast in a pre heated oven at 200'C until golden.

caramel sauce

1/2 c melted butter
3/4 cup soft brown sugar

3/4 cup cream

place butter and sugar into a small saucepan and heat at a moderate to high heat untill it is boiling and begins to look like bubbling lava.
remove from heat and pour in cream, whisk frantically until well combined and smooth (if you fancy butterscotch now is the time to add vanilla aprox. 1 tsp)

the perfect weather for creamy lemon polenta

what shit weather.

i was planning on a sleep in.
i was planning on a horse ride.
i was planning on a sunny day.

instead of all these things i make creamy lemon polenta for breakfast, an attempt to get my day back on track.

it works.

one spoonful and i feel much better.

today is the last day for planting fruiting plants until the next moon phase in september. because of this i was planning on adding ten new strawberry plants into my patch and showering them with love and affection in the form of worm wease. once again the weather has stomped on my plans.

two spoonfuls and i have forgotten all about strawberries.

i am out for flour, and i need cream, cream cheese and brown sugar. i realize that today i will need to drive into town, to go the the supermarket, for just these 4 things.
total ball sack.

three spoonfuls and i think a trip into town sounds like a nice change of pace.

get your winter morning (or afternoon) off to a good start with some of this stuff.

it may just lift your spirits.


























CREAMY LEMON POLENTA

2 medium apples, peeled and diced
root ginger, about a small walnut sized section finely grated
1/2 cup water

zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup milk (almond or soy milk if dairy free food is required)

1/3 cup polenta

1-2 tablespoons honey (sweetness to taste)
1/2 cup yoghurt or kefir (omit for dairy free)
extra yoghurt and lemon zest for garnishing

put apples, ginger and water into a saucepan. bring to the boil.
pop on the lid and boil for 5 minutes until apple is cooked.
puree with a whiz stick (very handy gadgets!) or in the blender and return to saucepan.
add milk, lemon zest and lemon juice, stir and return to boil (the milk will curdle as a result of the lemon juice, but do not fret, all good with the world and everything will turn out just fine!
grab a whisk and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking all the while to avoid lumps.
keep stirring for around 5 minutes to ensure the polenta cooks through and thickens. while doing this step be sure to avoid burning yourself on any exploding bubbles the may attempt to escape. they burn like a mother.
remove from heat and stir through honey, taste and add more if desired.
once sweetened sufficiently fold through yoghurt and serve with an extra dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of zest.

frosty mornings and ginger crushes

once green fields are lovingly coated in white, as ol' jack frost holds the earth in a wintery embrace. 
my old brown leather riding boots show our trail as the blades crunch beneath, like brittle sugar candy. i inhale and it burns the inside of my nostrils and top half of my lungs before shooting its way out past my lips like cigarette smoke, only without the stench. i am surrounded by icy air and the vast blue of a cloudless canterbury sky.
such a splendid feeling of fresh freedom is growing within me as i whistle for the horses and watch them trot up to the gate.
this is the coldest of morning so far.
after the ride i will go home and warm my toes by the fire, drink a hot cup of tea and chew on some delicious ginger cookies.

this is one of the first recipes i made while i was working at a top place called river valley lodge. 
it took me a few attempts to get them just how i wanted and i have to admit, i was rather smitten with them.
my first ginger crush. (followed by my second ginger crush on a boy that i met briefly while living in auckland helping out a friend on a look book shoot... but i digress, back to the cookies...) 
unfortunately, as i am so often doing, i continued 'tweeking'said recipe until the cookie that i so loved had changed into a very average bite indeed. it has taken me a while to get it back to its early and awsome glory, but i do believe i have finally done it! these darling treats are moist, chewy (or crunchy) and packed full of flavor. 
for an extra ginger kick i sometimes up the 2 tablespoons of ground ginger to 3, but i would recommend that you try the original first before doing this, as it may be a little too much ginger for you. 
i hope you like them as much as i do.

GINGER COOKIES

100g butter, melted
1 cups soft brown sugar
1 1/2 Tblsp molasses

1 tsp baking soda
1 Tblsp boiling water

75 g crystallized ginger, roughly chopped
2 Tblsp ground ginger
1 cup plain flour

preheat oven to 180'C

beat together butter, sugar and molasses until well combined.
dissolve baking soda in the boiling water and add to the butter mixture and beat.
add crystallized ginger and mix.
sift in the flour and powdered ginger, mixing until well combined. this may be easy, or, if the butter is beginning to harden you may have to work a little harder. sometimes the mixture looks very dry, but just keep mixing and it will absorb the flour and take on the usual cookie dough texture.

form into balls and flatten slightly once on the greased or paper lined tray.
bake these treats for 10-18 minutes.
if you want a more chewy cookie (which is my personal favourite for this recipe) you will want bake them for about 10-13 minutes. take them out of the oven just a fraction before they look completely done and leave them to cool on the tray before removing them. 
if you want a crunchy cookie, leave them in until they are just ever so slightly beginning to brown up around the edges then remove to a wire rack to cool.


happy indulging!

xx
jes

warm winter days followed by leek and potato soup with fococcia

we wake in the dark.
bo gets ready for work while i curl my knees up, hugging their warmth tight to my chest before slowly stretching out. fully flexed feet invading the cold and un-used parts of the duvet.
the kitchen curtains are opened and freya is stirring.
not yet, just a little bit longer....
unbidden, the morning chorus begins.
the kettle starts, moving a from soft whistle to a shrill scream, before being scooped off the element and returned to silence.
bo brings freya down the hallway to me.
she is all smiles and slobbery, open mouthed kisses and, when her bottle arrives, it is accompanied by a hot cup of tea which my fingers eagerly embrace. i draw from it ever so slowly and the wet steam moves across my face as i exhale and watch day unfold.
black fades to grey.
birds begin their daily salutation.
grey merges with blue.
i am still in bed.
clouds are kissed by the sun and blush the most outrageous shade of acid pink.
as the sky's shock wears away i ease my feet into their fur slippers and we begin.
the days are warmer lately, though night takes a while to remember that it no longer rules and the house is still cold.
we will have soup and bread for dinner tonight.


FOCACCIA BREAD WITH LEEK AND POTATO SOUP


focaccia bread
 
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar

2 cups high grade flour
2 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

rock salt
olive oil
fresh herbs

place the warm water, yeast and sugar in a warm bowl (if it is either too cold or too hot the yeast may not activate) give this mixture a quick swirl then add the flour, olive oil and salt.
mix thoroughly until no lumps remain.
cover and set in a warm place until doubled in size (usually about an hour)

 i leave the bread to rise on the window sill in the sun, its doughy glory steadily multiplying.
freyas legs kick wildly as i put on her slippers. she bops up and down on my hip while i stamp, stamp my feet into boots.
we walk in the sun towards the vege patch, looking to harvest the leeks.
they arent big enough really. i feel like a misbehaving child stealing them away at such a tender size, but my heart is set on leeks, and the heart wants what the heart wants.

leek and potato soup
 
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
good sized knob of butter
2-3 sprigs of thyme
1 bayleaf
2 medium sized leeks, green ends removed and white stalks diced
4 medium potatoes diced (i leave the skins on for extra nutrients)
1-2 ltrs good quality chicken or vege stock
100 mls/grms of either pouring cream or cream cheese
salt and pepper to season

in a saucepan saute the onions and garlic in the butter at a medium heat until translucent.
add thyme, bay leaf, leeks and potato. give a good stir insuring it is all mixed well then pop a lid on it at a medium to low heat to gently sweat for 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are just softening. shake every now and then to stop them sticking.
add 1 ltr chicken stock.
bring to boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer.
once potatoes are soft and beginning to fall apart the soup is ready.
at this stage i shove a whizz stick in it to puree some of it, i usually leave chunks of potato though as freya loves to have something to grab with her hands when eating,and it gives a bit more texture variation, but you can choose to either puree some, all or none -its purely a matter of personal choice.
add cream or cream cheese and stir through (cream cheese may need a little whisk action to break it apart)
add remaining chicken stock to get desired thickness then leave on the lowest heat possible until the bread is ready.


speaking of....


back to the bread.



oil a skillet or tray and gently scoop the dough into it.
turn oven to 220 'C.
again, leave in a warm place for 5-10 minutes to relax.
drizzle with olive oil and poke holes in the dough with your fingers, sprinkle with rock salt and chosen herb.
once oven is up to temperature pop in your bread.
bake for 20-30 minutes (the thinner the bread the less cooking time, ie, if you have it on a tray it will cook quicker than if it is in a small skillet)
bread is done when nicely browned on top and it makes a hollow sound when you knock on it with your knuckles.

thank you for reading.
i would love to hear from you.
xx
jes