When life gives you green tomatoes

The late yet abrupt change of season has left me with pile of green tomatoes that may never ripen... luckily I'm a fan of pickles in general, and green tomato pickles in particular.

We used Sally Wise's recipe from her book 'A Year in a Bottle', which worked wonders 2 seasons back when I reluctantly pulled up unripe tomatoes due to a garden bed being removed. It seems this recipe comes in handy when I'm harvesting against my will - the ultimate comfort food in times of horticultural heartbreak. Nothing like a cheese and pickles sandwich to brighten your day.

Loved ones - we have a few spare jars, so let me know if you'd like one - first in, best dressed!

Photo of the week - Gramma pie

We picked up a gorgeous gramma at the local farmers market, and accepted the challenge to cook my first gramma pie. I used This recipe from The Little Black Cow Blog and found the spice balance and citrus flavour to be divine. I must admit, I didn't have any oranges so I used mandarin rind instead, and also sprinkled raw sugar on the lattice top. I think it made it even better.

 

 

The pie was so warming and scrumptious, especially with a sneaky blob of cream. But a big part of the magic was watching how a 'pumpkin' became such a decadent meal. Breaking it open, the smell was so sweet it was almost like a melon. Before I even cut it , it was like a work of art - the veins and patterns on the skin had me so in awe that I was reluctant to cut it off and feed it to the worms. I'm sure they appreciated it.

 

 

For some reason the pattern put me in mind of this lovely blue swimmer crab my Dad recently caught. It must be the light/dark interactions and the wonderful detail. Entirely different meal though, I would think...

 

And yes, I just may have to find room to grow some next season... the grammas that is, I'll leave the crabs to the experts.

Photo of the week - counting beans

This Summer has included a new vegetable adventure; growing beans for drying to use in the future. I'm picturing beany soups and stews, maybe some delicious nachos or salads. We will see what we can come up with!
For now I'm just enjoying the colour and shine, they are truly beautiful. There are Red Kidney and Borlotti beans as well as Cherokee Wax and  French Flageolet. I've just been waiting until the bean pods go papery and then picking them, drying the beans themselves on a plate for a few days and then into the jar they go. To the bean mix I've also added  the chickpeas and some broad beans that missed being picked and dried out.

 

The chickpeas have been really interesting to grow, with lovely soft feathery leaves and sweet little white pea-flowers. The strange  thing about them is the 'wet' feeling that you get if you brush your hand against them. The hairy covering on the leaves and stems seems to trap moisture, which may be a survival mechanism as they originate in the middle east. What a little beauty!

Photo of the week - spring cleaning

 

Isn't that beautiful? I found this mandarin in my kitchen, mouldering away in the fruit bowl. I can't help but admire the colours, and the soft powdery patterns of the mould growing on the fruit. Not too inspiring for some, but it reminds me of the first penicillin made from mould growing on oranges, and I wonder how many things we overlook (or throw away) that might be useful or world-changing... or at least lovely to look at, if we take the time.

February is for... reaping what you sow

 

 

How do you make sausages and mash into a delicious and nourishing dinner? Make it with loads of love, and quickly dash out into the rain for some silverbeet, snake beans, purple king beans and spring onions. Add them to your potatoes after mashing and cook for another minute or so. I promise you it will be amazing.

I have never been one to shy away from eating greens; my mum may tell you it took me years to warm to zucchini, but it's now a regular in my kitchen. And frozen peas will probably never float my boat, but the tender little ones you grow yourself are another experience altogether! I tend to find that there are many veg that can be added to almost any meal, and growing them myself means that ingredients I wouldn't have bothered to buy are there to add extra flavour and vitamins to most of the things I cook.



Mixed heirloom tomatoes, fresh from the garden

Sometimes they are even the star of the show! I love a good spinach pie and last week made one from silverbeet, leeks, basil and thyme. And the heirloom tomatoes from this summer have made many a colourful salad or cheese and tomato toastie. I had high hopes for tomatoes this year after building them trellises to climb from the old fence pieces we pulled down. And there were plenty to go around, until the heat hit us! I have cut back a few of the bushes and crossed my fingers, but have also sown some more seed a fortnight ago to see if I can extend the season a little. 'Amish paste' was the only variety that didn't skip a beat and is still loaded with fruit. I am banking on it to crop well so that I can try out my Pop's recipe for tomato sauce, I remember it being so tasty when I was young and am hoping I can do it justice.

In any case the cucumber, chilli, silverbeet and eggplant are powering on, and there is more basil than I can poke a stick at. Growing them against the fence has kept them nice and warm, and helped to find a use for the old fence panels.





As well as these beds we have planted out an old bath and a gutted out fridge and filled these with beans, spring onions, chives, chilli and sorrel, with some carrot and radish seeds coming up in one and the perennials asparagus and galangal in the other.



















One regret from this summer is that I haven't managed to grow any pumpkins, but I don't think it's quite too late and will keep my eye out at the nursery for a seedling or 2 to give it a whirl before it gets too cold. I do love a good pumpkin fritatta. Or pumpkin and pesto pasta. There are still armfuls of basil, after all...