It’s getting hot in here

It feels great to grow your own seedlings, if you can. You need a little time and space, a little gear (like a hot house/cabinet), a little warmth, and then you need to remember to keep the tender stems moist as they grow over the coming weeks. Carefully selecting and packing seeds into seedling trays has become a day that I look forward to on my gardening calender. You reap the rewards every time you see the new growth and, of course, when you eventually plant them out and count the savings!

It’s Alive!

I guess that’s a bit dramatic, however I am so excited that my garden is still going through its first autumn and winter! Yes, growing has been slow – but there is growing, and that is the main thing.

The one year anniversary of my all-year-round vege patch occurs at the end of September, as that is usually when I plant my seedlings in preparation for harvesting over summer. This time last year, I wasn’t even thinking about my garden. The first day of spring would usually bring the first inklings of excitement and planning of what would take root come “planting weekend”.

Mandarin Gems

Mandarins – those teeny little, easy-to-peel orange-type fruit – are everywhere in the Far North of NZ at the moment. They are truly one of the best things about winter around here. I have eaten my fill fresh, so it is time to start bottling. I picked these little beauties up from a roadside stall down at the end of someone’s driveway, just down the road.

Thai-inspired chicken soup

Well, I looked at my garden this morning and thought, “what exotic lunch could I make with you?” The answer that I came up with as Thai-inspired soup.

Thai-Inspired Chicken Soup

From the garden:  Lemon grass, capsicum, chili, spinach, spring onion, young celery, chives and coriander. Other ingredients:  cooked chicken, noodles, white onion, water, mystery-Asian stock cube, palm sugar, shrimp paste, fish sauce and mushrooms.

The time (all 5 minutes of it) was in the chopping of the vege and bringing the pot to boil. If you are like me and a bit unsure of how to prepare fresh lemon grass, watch this great vid.

Crime against beauty

I committed a selfish crime against my pretty little flower garden this morning, although it was for a good cause. There it was, all young and innocent and proudly sprouting its first bursts of colour – exactly what it was supposed to do. But, it is time for it to grow up (and out), so some tough love was needed.

Blooms and butterflies

I used to be all about the vegetables, when it came to planting and maintaining my own garden. I wanted plants that delivered something tangible to the [kitchen] table. At a bare minimum, it used to be the ingredients for a basic salad – instant gratification when it came to throwing a feel-good meal together at last minute. My view on that has changed as my vegetable growing objectives have grown and become more about the longer-term, sustainable output of an ever-increasing variety of fruit and vegetables for my kitchen and pantry. However, it has been a gradual, not an overnight, appreciation for what plants of the flowering, non-edible variety have to offer in aesthetic and more productive ways.

Preserving Herbs

At the very start of May, my herbs had been flowering and seeding for a few weeks, but were still plentiful shrubs. I decided that it was a great time to chop them back, clear out the woody bits (sage and thyme, I’m talking to you!) and curb the creep of the oregano. Lingering from the previous bountiful herb season was the guilt that I experienced from proudly harvesting a heaving basket full of herbs, with no idea what to do with most of them once I took them inside. Sure, I used as many as I could fresh, but I found that after procrastinating too long, they ended up in the bin. Sinful!

Mushrooms with chilli, herbs and butter beans

It must be perfect weather for growing toad stills here at the moment. There are quite a number growing quite well around the base of our oak trees and in the shelter of the flaxes.

Gwyneth comes to dinner

At some point early this morning, the courier left three packages at our doorstep! The much awaited Gwyneth Paltrow cook books that I ordered.

The world for some Coriander!

If you are anything like me, then you will have struggled growing coriander at some point in your herb growing time. It is always worth persevering until you get it right, as coriander is a really versatile herb that can turn pork mince + oyster sauce + the humble iceberg lettuce into an authentic-tasting Asian extravaganza (fun for the whole family – use the lettuce leaves as spoons/scoopers). It is definitely one of the most used herbs in my kitchen.

Green Smoothie Base

I have my hairdresser to thank for this addictive and fibrous smoothie. Making it is simple, drinking it is enjoyable and the end result is a filling, good-feeling act of kindness to yourself. It must be, surely, since it is jam-packed with goodies like iron, niacin, folic acid, vitamins a, c, e, k and a few b vitamins – and several handy minerals.

Use it as a base recipe and experiment with complementary flavours, and other fruits and vegetables that will give you a boost in one mineral or vitamin department or another.

Seedling “Hot House Cabinet”

For some reason, growing seedlings has always been a messy, problem-laden experience for me and it mostly seems to be the contraption that I am attempting to grow within. I have bought and built various structures, but all have turned out rather flimsy or not quite right in other ways. This year I have decided to experiment with another idea.

Mean, green Brussels Sprouts

I have been planning my next garden (aka the mega garden) and have been undecided about the tight little mini cabbage-type greens called brussels sprouts. If selected, they will not be planted until January or harvested until May, but I like to know what’s coming. If it is not brussels sprouts, then I need to pick something else and lock it in so that my plan is nice and tidy!

Taking Stock

We are four days away from the beginning of winter in New Zealand and an icy blast is bringing snow to some South and North Island communities. Even up here in “the winterless Northland”, smoke can be seen rising from several chimneys – ours included – and we have a chilling wind, rain and hail beating down on us.