bah! another month bites the dust and i am still behind on my cooking updates.
weiner!
ok folks, here is a quick update for your gardening list this coming month.
from the 3rd until the 12th is the time you want to get any fruit bearing or leafy crops sown. this month i will be adding to my already planted seed some silverbeet in both the regular white stalk and rainbow colored varieties - this is a go to on our table over winter and i have been remiss not to have planted some already. i thought the stash we had would replenish itself as it usually does but i seem to have managed to dig over it rather too vigorously and it has yet to show is face above soil. (as soon as i plant though, i bet all those dormant seeds will be springing up all over the show....oh well, more to share around the neighborhood i guess...
and, i have digressed, back on track.... so, silverbeet, more peas (i have been having the worst luck with remembering to water the seeds i sow lately and am putting the lack of germinated plants down to pregnant-slash-baby brain) mustard and/or cress can go in any as yet to be assigned bare patches of dirt to replenish nitrogen content in the soil for spring, spinach by the tonne and broad beans ( because they also bring up great things in the soil, but i just love to eat them on sushi nights, freshly podded, lightly steamed then saulted with a hint of butter, salt and rice vinegar. yummo.
liquid feed your plants from the 12th until the 15th and get your spade and fork out on the 15th and dig deep down in the dirt to prepare any beds you have still remaining for planting ( great time to pay extra attention to where your soon to be sown rot crops will go, dig deep and rake well, the less clumps and stones in your soil the better your drops will be!)
root crops go in on the 18th and 19th and again on the 25th and 26th when water tables are at the best place for them to take off and if you have any bulbs waiting to go in, the 25th and 26t will do the job well for them too, though i will leave mine till next month and give them a good week in the refrigerator first to get them really gunning for success.
thats it for this month, the new moon strikes on the 29th, so get digging again over that time and if you intend to leave any beds bare fro the winter try covering them in pea straw or dead leaves, then a layer of manure, more pea straw and/or dead leaves and water in well. pop large sheets of plastic over this and weigh down wit rocks or stakes to gather heat and compost - i hear it will all be worth it in a couple of months when you find it wonderfully ready to dig through and plant in - i am gonna give this a try if i can manage to have spare un-planted areas in our patch.
take care all, and please feel free to comment.
xx
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
autumn splendor and baking with the little
dont look at it.
just ease yourself back onto the sofa and, purposefully choose not to look it.
ignore the laundry pile
there
piled high on the chair
silently accusing you
crinkled and tangled into a chaotic mess of you-are-not-domestic-enough heckles and taunts
look at your book
look at your computer screen
look at the floor you vacuumed yesterday and the load of laundry you folded yesterday and have yet to put away
sigh loudly
at least loudly enough for the clothes to hear and feel ashamed for draggin your pregnant ass of the couch to fold it
fold it
put it all away (except for the little's stuff cos she is sleeping)
feel much more brilliant and bliss-filled as you smell caramel slice in the oven
realize a split second later that you in fact, smell burnt caramel slice in the oven
swear a few times to make yourself feel better and make a cup of tea
go back to the couch to drink it and nibble on some elderflower loaf and relax a while, waiting for the rain to ease enough for you to make a dash to the garden for peas, beans and spinach for dinner.
i found this recipe in a book called 'french children dont throw food'
i was visiting friends who were getting ready to welcome their first child and picked it up off the coffee table - i found it a rather interesting read. it is all about the differences between french children and their american or english counterparts. the authur tells us how french children have a certain calmness and manage to control themselves better than most other children she has come into contact with in both the usa and uk.
as with most books however that advocate various fool proof methods for raising children, i found it a little lacking when it came to applying it to our household, and, as with most self help books i took it with a grain of salt and used what i wanted, ignoring the other parts that didnt really mesh with my parenting technique.
what i have applied again and again from the book was a recipe that she included for kids to make.
it is a basic yoghurt muffin recipe, but i find it works really well as a loaf and is rather tasty when coconut and elderflower cordial (which i make myself every spring) are added to it. the relatively low sugar content means it is not too much sweet for the little to have as an occasional treat and the better she gets at the baking process the more involved she becomes at helping put it together. we have made this loaf together about 4 times and so far each time she gets better at not creating a huge mess and gets a little more responsibility. this time she did all the stirring without my cautionary hands fluttering near by, next time i think she will even be able to help with the scooping of the dry ingredients!
so, if you leave out the elderflower cordial and coconut threads you can keep it plain or add what ever else you fancy to this wee gem of a recipe.
and so, here it is.....
COCONUT AND ELDERFLOWER YOGHURT LOAF
turn oven onto 180'C
3/4 cup of yoghurt (or milk kefir)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
3 Tblsp elderflower cordial
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup coconut thread
mix together wet ingrediants
in a seperate bowl sift flour nad baking powder and add sugar and coconut thread. mixing well.
add wet ingrediants to dry and gently fold though until just mixed.
pour into pre-greased loaf tin and bake at 180'C for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out just clean.
head outside to enjoy the last of the sun for the day and watch little show the visiting cat how to catch bugs.... or was that the other way around....
cool, cut and eat for afternoon tea with some fresh milk from the farmer down the road.
bliss.
thansk for reading - please feel free to comment and come visit again
xx
jes
just ease yourself back onto the sofa and, purposefully choose not to look it.
ignore the laundry pile
there
piled high on the chair
silently accusing you
crinkled and tangled into a chaotic mess of you-are-not-domestic-enough heckles and taunts
look at your book
look at your computer screen
look at the floor you vacuumed yesterday and the load of laundry you folded yesterday and have yet to put away
sigh loudly
at least loudly enough for the clothes to hear and feel ashamed for draggin your pregnant ass of the couch to fold it
fold it
put it all away (except for the little's stuff cos she is sleeping)
feel much more brilliant and bliss-filled as you smell caramel slice in the oven
realize a split second later that you in fact, smell burnt caramel slice in the oven
swear a few times to make yourself feel better and make a cup of tea
go back to the couch to drink it and nibble on some elderflower loaf and relax a while, waiting for the rain to ease enough for you to make a dash to the garden for peas, beans and spinach for dinner.
i found this recipe in a book called 'french children dont throw food'
i was visiting friends who were getting ready to welcome their first child and picked it up off the coffee table - i found it a rather interesting read. it is all about the differences between french children and their american or english counterparts. the authur tells us how french children have a certain calmness and manage to control themselves better than most other children she has come into contact with in both the usa and uk.
as with most books however that advocate various fool proof methods for raising children, i found it a little lacking when it came to applying it to our household, and, as with most self help books i took it with a grain of salt and used what i wanted, ignoring the other parts that didnt really mesh with my parenting technique.
what i have applied again and again from the book was a recipe that she included for kids to make.
it is a basic yoghurt muffin recipe, but i find it works really well as a loaf and is rather tasty when coconut and elderflower cordial (which i make myself every spring) are added to it. the relatively low sugar content means it is not too much sweet for the little to have as an occasional treat and the better she gets at the baking process the more involved she becomes at helping put it together. we have made this loaf together about 4 times and so far each time she gets better at not creating a huge mess and gets a little more responsibility. this time she did all the stirring without my cautionary hands fluttering near by, next time i think she will even be able to help with the scooping of the dry ingredients!
so, if you leave out the elderflower cordial and coconut threads you can keep it plain or add what ever else you fancy to this wee gem of a recipe.
and so, here it is.....
COCONUT AND ELDERFLOWER YOGHURT LOAF
turn oven onto 180'C
3/4 cup of yoghurt (or milk kefir)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
3 Tblsp elderflower cordial
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup coconut thread
mix together wet ingrediants
in a seperate bowl sift flour nad baking powder and add sugar and coconut thread. mixing well.
add wet ingrediants to dry and gently fold though until just mixed.
pour into pre-greased loaf tin and bake at 180'C for 45 minutes or until skewer comes out just clean.
head outside to enjoy the last of the sun for the day and watch little show the visiting cat how to catch bugs.... or was that the other way around....
cool, cut and eat for afternoon tea with some fresh milk from the farmer down the road.
bliss.
thansk for reading - please feel free to comment and come visit again
xx
jes
Monday, 3 March 2014
for the pruning MARCH
it catches and whips back and forth. smashing the wall with its arms and sending fragments of branch and leaf away from itself, mustered up onto a wild ride over the yards and beyond into the vast space of canterbury.
from my warm shelter i spy letters sweeping by, borne on unseen arms to rest in unexpected places never to be read. i witness the tops of mighty gums trees, thrust back and forth like river weed and my cup of tea warms my scratchy throat as i watch a long gummy arm in the distance come loose and swing its way to the ground.
last time there was a childs paddling pool held aloft in that same tree, maybe even by that same arm and i am reminded when, as a child, i was told during a visit to malaysia that repeat offenders had their hands removed for stealing.
i remember to secure the trampoline, so i pregnant waddle out into the wild, fumble and grunt and flip it upside down in some effort to keep it in our yard for the next 24 hours.
bo is away in the field on army drill - he was away in the last wind storm too. that one scattered tiles from the roofs and uprooted trees from almost everywhere, sending them careening through houses and over fence and power lines in a fierce display of natures strength and brutality. i hope this one leaves us unharmed and with power once it has passed, though i do feel secure in the knowledge that there is a newly replenished emergency supply kit at hand, enough fire wood for the wet back and plenty of kind hearted neighbors close by.
a bucket careens down the street and March continues its steady pace towards April.
if the weather allows you get your gloves on, head out doors and start planting today, now even.
it is time to get yourself set up for winter in the southern hemisphere, before it gets too cold for seed to germinate properly.
from the 3rd until the 10th of march it is planting time for leafy or fruit bearing crops.
sow celery, leeks, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, peas, broad beans, silver beet, and of course get your bulbs in too so you can have a nice array of spring colour once winter begins to fade away.
i dontt hink i can be bothered with brassicas this year. every time i decide to plant them the white butterflies decend and my aversion to pesticides provide ample opportunity for their wee, green offspring to eat their merry way through my crops, making themselves fat before cacooning up in the crevice of a leaf to begin the cycle all over again. i dont have the grit (or the time) to pop out there and pick the little bastards off and squish them one by one, so this year, i think i have given up on them. with the exception of kale. i will always plant that, and it seems to prosper year round so will wait until the white bombers have eased off before getting a fresh lot in.
with the full moon coming on the 17th get your hoe out and strike down any weeds that may be taking hold, before applying liquid or other fertilizer to your plants on the 14th and 15th.
any root crops for winter can go in on the 20th and 21st, along with another round of liquid feed, and if your lawn is looking a little patchy or worse for wear grass will take really well if you sow it now too. but really, you cant eat grass, so it takes a back seat on my books and our patches will likely stay exactly where they are, year in year out til long after we have moved on.
i will be bringing the last of my spuds up on the 22nd-26th as the tops have almost died down and those skins should be hardened off micley. this means they can be better stored in a dark cool place for use over winter - though i am not expecting a huge crop, i didnt plant as much as i should have and we have been steadily raiding them for new potatoes to go with our salad and steak dinners over summer. hopefully the last late ones i planted will help out as they look to be thriving! i have already mounded them up with a mixture of wood ash and manure 3-4 times already and now they are looking lush and healthy with flowers aplenty beginning to open, along with the promise of a late run of new potatoes to come to the table soon.
your last lot of root crop sowing for the month is on the 27th and 28th. i will be planting turnips (if my seeds arrive in time, along with another run of radishes and some onion (lots of red this month i think as the brown ones are always so cheap at the supermarket and i will give the space i would have used for them to shallots next month.
the full moon hits on the 31st, so after your root crops are in take a well deserved break (or just a regular break if you got too busy with other things to do much this time around)
if you havent already got your fire wood sorted, now is defiantly the time to be getting it delivered. anything you decide to ring or split now will likely not be dry until later in the winter. (we were super lucky on this front as the last massive wind storm in september smashed trees down all over the place and bo got right to work on the carnage in and around the horse paddocks, clearing, ringing and splitting the lot of it. what we didnt need we left ringed and gave away, and i am resting easy in the knowledge that we have ample supply of dry wood to keep the new baby and the rest of us warm 24-7 over the frosty months. ah, he is such a good provider that man!) we are still collecting pine cones that came down then. every few days we get another couple of sack fulls to use to light the chippy and heat our how water cylinder. so far we havent had to use electricity at all to keep our water toasty hot since we moved in over a year ago. this saves us anywhere from $30 to $60 a month on the power bill if my reckoning is correct, and all it takes is a sack full of pine cones every other day, which freya and i collect when feeding the horses, or freya and bo collect on the weeeknds, while i pick up the copious masses of horse crap (bloody animals wont stop shitting, no matter how much i beg them too)
keeping up with the poo from 2 horses is starting to get difficult, and as my belly grown ever bigger and my hips and back grow ever more fragile i find it more and more of a chore! if there is anyone in caterbury after free manure, get in touch as i have a HUGE pile of it in the paddock just waiting to make its way to your vege patch, just bring a trailer and take as much of it as you want away for FREE!!)
anyway - thats it for the month folks.
still attempting to sort out my new camera hick-ups, but i do have a delightful rhubarb and dark chocolate meringue recipe to come, hopefully very soon along with a post on kefir, both water and milk varieties (amazing stuff if you havent heard about it already get your google on and find out about the benefits!)
happy winter preperation and thanks for taking the time to stop by
xx
jes
from my warm shelter i spy letters sweeping by, borne on unseen arms to rest in unexpected places never to be read. i witness the tops of mighty gums trees, thrust back and forth like river weed and my cup of tea warms my scratchy throat as i watch a long gummy arm in the distance come loose and swing its way to the ground.
last time there was a childs paddling pool held aloft in that same tree, maybe even by that same arm and i am reminded when, as a child, i was told during a visit to malaysia that repeat offenders had their hands removed for stealing.
i remember to secure the trampoline, so i pregnant waddle out into the wild, fumble and grunt and flip it upside down in some effort to keep it in our yard for the next 24 hours.
bo is away in the field on army drill - he was away in the last wind storm too. that one scattered tiles from the roofs and uprooted trees from almost everywhere, sending them careening through houses and over fence and power lines in a fierce display of natures strength and brutality. i hope this one leaves us unharmed and with power once it has passed, though i do feel secure in the knowledge that there is a newly replenished emergency supply kit at hand, enough fire wood for the wet back and plenty of kind hearted neighbors close by.
a bucket careens down the street and March continues its steady pace towards April.
if the weather allows you get your gloves on, head out doors and start planting today, now even.
it is time to get yourself set up for winter in the southern hemisphere, before it gets too cold for seed to germinate properly.
from the 3rd until the 10th of march it is planting time for leafy or fruit bearing crops.
sow celery, leeks, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, peas, broad beans, silver beet, and of course get your bulbs in too so you can have a nice array of spring colour once winter begins to fade away.
i dontt hink i can be bothered with brassicas this year. every time i decide to plant them the white butterflies decend and my aversion to pesticides provide ample opportunity for their wee, green offspring to eat their merry way through my crops, making themselves fat before cacooning up in the crevice of a leaf to begin the cycle all over again. i dont have the grit (or the time) to pop out there and pick the little bastards off and squish them one by one, so this year, i think i have given up on them. with the exception of kale. i will always plant that, and it seems to prosper year round so will wait until the white bombers have eased off before getting a fresh lot in.
with the full moon coming on the 17th get your hoe out and strike down any weeds that may be taking hold, before applying liquid or other fertilizer to your plants on the 14th and 15th.
any root crops for winter can go in on the 20th and 21st, along with another round of liquid feed, and if your lawn is looking a little patchy or worse for wear grass will take really well if you sow it now too. but really, you cant eat grass, so it takes a back seat on my books and our patches will likely stay exactly where they are, year in year out til long after we have moved on.
i will be bringing the last of my spuds up on the 22nd-26th as the tops have almost died down and those skins should be hardened off micley. this means they can be better stored in a dark cool place for use over winter - though i am not expecting a huge crop, i didnt plant as much as i should have and we have been steadily raiding them for new potatoes to go with our salad and steak dinners over summer. hopefully the last late ones i planted will help out as they look to be thriving! i have already mounded them up with a mixture of wood ash and manure 3-4 times already and now they are looking lush and healthy with flowers aplenty beginning to open, along with the promise of a late run of new potatoes to come to the table soon.
your last lot of root crop sowing for the month is on the 27th and 28th. i will be planting turnips (if my seeds arrive in time, along with another run of radishes and some onion (lots of red this month i think as the brown ones are always so cheap at the supermarket and i will give the space i would have used for them to shallots next month.
the full moon hits on the 31st, so after your root crops are in take a well deserved break (or just a regular break if you got too busy with other things to do much this time around)
if you havent already got your fire wood sorted, now is defiantly the time to be getting it delivered. anything you decide to ring or split now will likely not be dry until later in the winter. (we were super lucky on this front as the last massive wind storm in september smashed trees down all over the place and bo got right to work on the carnage in and around the horse paddocks, clearing, ringing and splitting the lot of it. what we didnt need we left ringed and gave away, and i am resting easy in the knowledge that we have ample supply of dry wood to keep the new baby and the rest of us warm 24-7 over the frosty months. ah, he is such a good provider that man!) we are still collecting pine cones that came down then. every few days we get another couple of sack fulls to use to light the chippy and heat our how water cylinder. so far we havent had to use electricity at all to keep our water toasty hot since we moved in over a year ago. this saves us anywhere from $30 to $60 a month on the power bill if my reckoning is correct, and all it takes is a sack full of pine cones every other day, which freya and i collect when feeding the horses, or freya and bo collect on the weeeknds, while i pick up the copious masses of horse crap (bloody animals wont stop shitting, no matter how much i beg them too)
keeping up with the poo from 2 horses is starting to get difficult, and as my belly grown ever bigger and my hips and back grow ever more fragile i find it more and more of a chore! if there is anyone in caterbury after free manure, get in touch as i have a HUGE pile of it in the paddock just waiting to make its way to your vege patch, just bring a trailer and take as much of it as you want away for FREE!!)
anyway - thats it for the month folks.
still attempting to sort out my new camera hick-ups, but i do have a delightful rhubarb and dark chocolate meringue recipe to come, hopefully very soon along with a post on kefir, both water and milk varieties (amazing stuff if you havent heard about it already get your google on and find out about the benefits!)
happy winter preperation and thanks for taking the time to stop by
xx
jes
Monday, 3 February 2014
for the pruning FEBRUARY
another month rolls by and the grass here continues its golden fade into the dust.
i drive past my neighbours house and look in envy at her green lawns.
watering the grass is the last thing on my priority list, and so, the grass that is not lucky enough to abide near the raised garden beds within range of the sprinklers, is pretty much on borrowed time.
this month hurls us right into it with the moon approaching the first quarter on friday 7th its time to sow and transplant seedlings to try get a little more in before summer has faded and set up your winter supplies.
i am sowing more peas (god i LOVE them!) dwarf green beans along with leeks, cabbage, a small amount of bok choy, silverbeet, spinach and kale. the sowing period starts from monday 3rd (yeah, yesterday. i was too busy in the garden doing stuff to give you a heads up yo!) and continues through until the 10th.
fertilize your garden on the 12th and 13th to give your crops a much deserved boost.
the full moon is on the rise on the 15th so stop sowing, and get the old hoe down on any weeds that may be sticking there heads up. adding a bit of mulch after this will help your garden keep the moisture in and weeds somewhat subdued as well and, if you put in spuds last month, be sure to start adding more soil to the top of them once the sprouts start pushing up. doing this will insure you get a more bountiful crop, allowing the potato tubers more shoots to grow from under ground. i have been pushing dirt uphill over mine every few days and am hoping my second go at potatoes will give me more gold than the ones i had previously planted. i only have enough to dig up for dinner as new season potatoes and nothing left for storing. hopefully this way i will be able to actually have some left over to let the skin harden off and squirrel away for later....fingers crossed....
get root crops in over the 18th and 19th along with another run of liquid fertilizer. i will be sowing beetroot, swede, carrot, parsnip and onion (the onion will go into the same section i have just dug my new season potatoes out of as they should go rather well there i am told. the potatoes bring up something that the love out of the earth, and your onions should thrive. sorry, i forget exactly what nutrient this is, but i did read this somewhere, so i am giving it a go.)
thats pretty much us for the rest of the month folks. february ends on a rather chilled note, though you can get your spade and fork out over the 26th-28th to dig and prepare a section for sowing at the start of next month.
happy digging friends
xx
i drive past my neighbours house and look in envy at her green lawns.
watering the grass is the last thing on my priority list, and so, the grass that is not lucky enough to abide near the raised garden beds within range of the sprinklers, is pretty much on borrowed time.
this month hurls us right into it with the moon approaching the first quarter on friday 7th its time to sow and transplant seedlings to try get a little more in before summer has faded and set up your winter supplies.
i am sowing more peas (god i LOVE them!) dwarf green beans along with leeks, cabbage, a small amount of bok choy, silverbeet, spinach and kale. the sowing period starts from monday 3rd (yeah, yesterday. i was too busy in the garden doing stuff to give you a heads up yo!) and continues through until the 10th.
fertilize your garden on the 12th and 13th to give your crops a much deserved boost.
the full moon is on the rise on the 15th so stop sowing, and get the old hoe down on any weeds that may be sticking there heads up. adding a bit of mulch after this will help your garden keep the moisture in and weeds somewhat subdued as well and, if you put in spuds last month, be sure to start adding more soil to the top of them once the sprouts start pushing up. doing this will insure you get a more bountiful crop, allowing the potato tubers more shoots to grow from under ground. i have been pushing dirt uphill over mine every few days and am hoping my second go at potatoes will give me more gold than the ones i had previously planted. i only have enough to dig up for dinner as new season potatoes and nothing left for storing. hopefully this way i will be able to actually have some left over to let the skin harden off and squirrel away for later....fingers crossed....
get root crops in over the 18th and 19th along with another run of liquid fertilizer. i will be sowing beetroot, swede, carrot, parsnip and onion (the onion will go into the same section i have just dug my new season potatoes out of as they should go rather well there i am told. the potatoes bring up something that the love out of the earth, and your onions should thrive. sorry, i forget exactly what nutrient this is, but i did read this somewhere, so i am giving it a go.)
thats pretty much us for the rest of the month folks. february ends on a rather chilled note, though you can get your spade and fork out over the 26th-28th to dig and prepare a section for sowing at the start of next month.
happy digging friends
xx
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
green grass and fresh salmon
this time last year everywhere you looked was a golden brown and the heat rose in waves from the pavement by ten in the morning, voiding any ideas of getting up to anything outdoors. for most of the day we would all, in our individual houses sit, windows open, fly swat never far from hand, just biding time until the onslaught eased off and then, around 3, we would emerge from our prospective shelter and head to the pools attempting to bring the body temperature down to a cope-able level before dinner time arrived.
this year there is still green grass on our front lawn. i imagine it would turn yellow in a heart beat, if only it was given half the chance, but the rain cannot seem to stay away for more than a few days at a time and so, the grass persists in living for now.
in new zealand, for most families, christmas is a beach, lake, or river clad, sun fueled holiday where we do anything possible to keep ourselves cooled while making the most of wandering around in the great outdoors. this year only a few patches of the country managed to see the sun on december 25th. we were lucky enough to be visiting family in the west coast to my brother josh's family home (check out his goose hunting video at josh james kiwi bushman) and did in fact get a bit of a break. christmas day came around and the sun mustered up the energy to get a slight shine on, which we were all most grateful for. we spent the day, as usual, eating, snoozing, cooking and eating some more. i also spent a hilarious but rather disgusting hour or so re-plucking some pre-brined christmas geese on the porch with my two sister in laws before roasting the bloody things - needless to say grasping at the fatty carcasses while plucking the bristle and feather off, rather took a bit of the shine off eating said bird later. goose adventure aside, it was a lovely day being with family and watching the little enjoy her first christmas as a more responsive human being rather than last years way less interesting boob, burp, bed type.
once we returned home to canturbury, bo set off for a bit of a fish at one of the lakes around these ways and much to my delight came back with a wee salmon for us to have for dinner.
the bright coral pink flesh muted to a soft blush as it cooked and we had it with some fresh foccocia bread spread with sage butter and a chick pea, mushroom and kale ragout.
the foccocia bread is a regular in our house as it is so easy to whip up - see this earlier link here for the recipe, and if you havent already tried it, give it a go, it really is worth it and i swear you will love it and use it again and again - it is so easy to impress guests with this trick up your sleeve!
sage butter is simple to make (no garlic mincing required - yay!) and its presence adds in another complementary flavour to the whole dish.
the mushroom and bean ragout is mildly adapted from a recipe made by laura of THE FIRST MESS found here - the blog is a veritable feast of delishness and a genuine love of fresh that i was lucky enough to stumble upon whilst meandering on pintrest. something to aspire to!
the salmon is as simple as it comes - its much better that way as it really is the star of the show, so let it shine folks, let it shine.
oh, and get it out of the fridge now before you start the ragout this will get it to room temperature before you cook it.
also give it a season so it has twenty to thirty minutes to sit with this on before cooking (see instructions below)
SAGE BUTTER
75g butter softened
6-10 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
combine butter and sage and mix well. return to the fridge to cool and for the flavour to develop.
the more sage you add the stronger the flavour. i like my butter nice and sage-y but let your personal preferences tell you how much to add. i usually make a big load of this at a time and then roll it out on some cling wrap into a sausage like tube to freeze. that way you always have flavored butter on hand, and you can do this with pretty much any fresh herb. minted butter to add to fresh cooked peas or, a personal favorite that my ma turned me onto, lemon balm butter on new potatoes. total yum-o.
MUSHROOM AND BEAN RAGOUT
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 med red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
bunch of fresh thyme
sprig of fresh rosemary, de-stalked and finely chopped
dash balsamic vinegar
glob butter
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
mushrooms aprox 300g, sliced
1 Tblsp tomato relish
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
chick peas 400g, cooked (i used the tinned variety - TOTAL CHEAT - and rinsed them well)
1 cup stock, chicken or vegetable
3-4 kale leaves, de-stalked and roughly chopped
1 Tblsp cornflour
salt and pepper to taste
place oil in a heavy pan over medium to low heat and saulte onion until it starts to turn translucent. add garlic, thyme and rosemary and continue to heat until it becomes aromatic. add in the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook slowly for another 5 minutes.
add the butter, smoked paprika and mushrooms, stir to coat mushrooms and continue to cook at medium heat until they become just slightly tender.
add tomato relish, worcestershire sauce, chickpeas and stock.
simmer gently and stir through kale.
scoop out a little of the sauce and mix it with the cornflour. return a little at a time to the pot, stirring while it thickens until you have the desired thickness.
add salt and pepper to season just before serving (NOTE - if you add salt to legumes or beans early on in the cooking process it can make them get a little tough, so its best to always leave it right until you are ready to plate to season anything with these protein punchers in them)
PAN FRIED SALMON WITH THYME
once your salmon is out of the fridge or, if you are super lucky to have it fresh off the line and have just gutted and filleted it, insure it is clean and dry and give it a good drizzle of olive oil and season with fresh ground salt and pepper. throw on a few sprigs of thyme rub it all in and let sit for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
remember to remove any little bones if you can feel them with tweezers. just run your finger along the ridges and valleys in the fillet to feel them and pluck them out.
i prefer to keep the skin on for cooking and, once finished, the tender flesh just flakes right off it onto your fork as you eat it.
next make sure your pan is oiled and nice and hot before you go near it with the fish. it should not be smoking but you should have definite aggressive sizzle when you shake a couple of drops of water in there.
pop the fillets in, skin side down. i put two into our pan as the fillets were smaller but dont over crowd them. if you have large fillets cook them individually and trim if needed. if you put too much on at one time the pan temperature will drop and your salmon wont cook as well as you want it to.
once you see the flesh start to lighten up on the edges (only a couple of minutes) gently turn fillet with a fish slice onto flesh side with the thyme sprigs still there between it and the pan. continue cooking until done, the flesh should be a glorious shade of genuine soft salmon pink.
while cooking the fish, toast and then butter your bread and plate with the ragout, add salmon fillet and lemon wedges and serve right away garnished with rosemary.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
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
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
Thursday, 12 December 2013
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
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
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