Harvest Monday

Conference season means I've been away spreading my academic wares and absorbing the fantastic works of others. First up was the Australian Historical Association conference in Adelaide where I also caught a nasty flu, which meant the citrus drinks aided by my recent harvests were a little ineffective. Then on to Canberra for the IABA conference (international auto/biographical association) where my voice had returned but the cough had remained. Papers went well and I thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions I attended. I was particularly pleased seeing a few Melbourne colleagues giving papers (not the least of which was my lovely other half.) Being at a conference in Adelaide meant staying with the parentals, which was as lovely as always. AND I got to see the puppy dogs, who were, as always, as cute as ever.

One would also think that being away would limit the harvest - but here are a few things I harvested before I left (and since I've returned.)

Some thumbelina and purple carrots, enjoyed by me, my lovely bf and also by the bugs of the garden (tiny but super delicious, the carrots that is, not the bugs.)

 (see the big chunk taken out of the orange one!!! I can assure you that was all descendents of Sid the Snail and not me.)

Greens are a good staple on the balcony. Things such as broccoli, kale and swiss chard made a delicious stirfry along with pork mince and rice cakes.

Brocolli leaves (only) also went into a nutritious and delicious soup, that while a distinct hue of baby vomit green, have proven to be almost addictive. I've had two bowls today already. Probably the yellow curry, lentils, parsnips, carrots and potatoes I put in with it. They say that the leaves have a tonne of Vitamin A in them which is awesome, and usually I'd just chuck them out. Hooray for food scraps!

 

The garden is a little light on produce now (except for a few snow peas, some piddly little lettuce and a few bits of broccoli.) But ... in exciting news ... I spent an hour or so today cleaning up the left over pots in preparation for the spring crop which is just around the corner! Future harvests here we come. For more amazing harvests visit Daphne's Dandelions.

Lemon meet Lime

The lemon tree was one of the premier plants on the balcony - first posted about way back when. The lime tree followed after I decided to up the fruit tree content of the balcony in lieu of vegetable space (it was a slight soil saving measure that seems to have more than paid off.) After years of struggling where harvests were a meagre 1 or 2 fruits, the lemon tree has finally come into its own. Check it out in all its glory now (above and below):

I've picked a few lemons thus far, for garnishes, drinks and dessert purposes. The dessert was a slightly overcooked lemon delicious. I'm not sure if it was my oven, or the recipe (I'd vote the latter), but on my recent trip to Adelaide I gathered my Mum's amazing, handwritten recipe and will woo the man with a second attempt. But this first one at least tasted great served with blueberries!

And if you want to check out something culinary that is a little more decadent that this dessert head on over to my other blog, A teetotal 2012. It also shows my recent sewing projects including that quilt!
 
 I try and drink freshly squeezed citrus juice as much as I can in the winter. It involves freshly squeezing one or two of oranges, lemons and anything else I please that morning. It tastes delicious and helps give a good dose of vitamin C. In my 'time'-poor last few months I've barely managed this seemingly small task, but on the odd occasion I have it has been wonderful. I use it to ward away colds and other nasties in the winter. Even better with home grown lemons and limes thrown in the mix (this one had the juice of one orange also).

The lime tree itself is growing well, and I've harvested a couple for similar purposes. One even almost made its way in my superman's amazing attempt at spiced slow roasted chicken last Sunday (I'm still savouring the last few bits in sandwiches.)

Citrus trees are great plants for a balcony garden. The fruit is multipurpose and the smell of the blossom, which is there many months of the year, it phenomenal. They are heavy feeders but I just put some slow release on 4 times a year and they're happy as Larry if Larry was eating Mum's lemon delicious. No need to buy those fancy dwarfed citrus plants, they're just a waste of money. ANY citrus can be dwarfed and rootstock has little to do with it. With the right pot, soil and pruning regime any citrus can be kept at the size you want it. After 5 and a bit years in my hands (and a couple of years at its former home) the lemon is finally playing ball and the lime only took 2 and a half years to produce!!! Now that's what I'd call a winning combination.

Valentines Day (Or Iraqi Communist Martyr's Day)

I don't really do Valentines Day. It's for the usual reasons, that I consider it to be over-comercialised, I don't need just one day to tell my significant other that he's wonderful, and I get and give flowers and pressies for other reasons.

But it is not just like any other day in my household.My wittiful boyfriend is cooking me a delicious Iraqi dinner - in remembrance the other significance of the 14th of Feb - Iraqi Communist Martyrs Day. In a few hours (or less) I'll get to dig into some Pomegranate and Beetroot soup. It's not exactly traditional, but with my low carb, low meat, healthy diet it was as close as he could get. And it's red, well deep purple, but quite the colour to get into the spirit of the dat. I'll stop short of singing the internationale, but here's some red and pink flower pics from the balcony garden to help you celebrate the 14th in whichever way you choose.

Burning, Balcony Gardens and Bargains

As you all know by now I love to cook. Last night I had some of my rellies over for a feast of truffle mustard, mushroom and sweetcorn soup followed by beetroot risotto with pancetta and goats cheese and finished of with a dessert of sticky date pudding with homemade ice cream. The sticky date pudding was divine (and made by my good friend Mr M), as were all the other courses (tasty that is, made by my hand not his) except for the vanilla icecream which split so was an unmitigated disaster.

Today the cooking extravaganza continued and I hit up the stalls at the Vic markets. For under $20 I bought and made (using a few ingredients such as pasta, peas, cous cous and spices that I had already in the pantry, leftovers from last night's dessert and herbs and greens from the balcony garden):

Beef Goulasch with Israeli cous cous
A huge pot of vegetarian Bolognaise Sauce
2 Veggie lasagnes (one for a friend who just had a baby and one for me and my dinner guest)
1 Meat lasagne
1 large pot of Yellow curry, sweet potato and split pea soup (snacked on that this afternoon, it was divine)
Cookies and Cream icecream.

I also have more market shopping left over for a cauliflower and beetroot soup for later in the week. Blood orange macarons are the final bit on tomorrow's agenda.

One slight problem though, try not to get too close to the stove - things might (and did) get burned!

Cooking with Garden: Lentil, pear and proscuitto salad

I posted a while back about a few cooking adventures with my balcony garden produce. There was a yummy wild mushroom pasta and a fig sandwich. Alas Autumn is behind us now so the season for such mushrooms is passing/has passed and the sandwich craving has been eagerly filled by Earl Canteen (their bacon sandwich with quince aoli has, for me, surpassed the pork belly one - who knew!)

One dish I whipped up a lot in Autumn was a lentil, proscuitto and pear salad. I served it cold but it could easily be served with the lentils and cabbage still warm. So here is another, short, cooking with garden post.

First I boiled up some black lentils, in veggie chicken stock with a dash of pepper. I cooked them until aldente, adding some finely chopped cabbage in the last few minutes (and on one occasion some silverbeet too.) Leave this to cool in the fridge if you want a cold salad. Then it is just a matter of putting it all together. I used assorted greens from my garden, pretty much a staple. Added in the lentil/cabbage mix. On top of this I put slices of pear (I've used many varieties but corella add a great flavour, beurre bosch are good for texture) and some small strips of shaved proscuitto. No need for a dressing! Et voila one realtively healthy, high in fibre, tasty autumn salad.

Cooking with Garden: The World's Yummiest Sandwich

Ok so that is a pretty big claim, the world's yummiest sandwich, actually it is a monstrously exaggerated claim, but to me it is true for this point in time. The fig, proscuitto and balcony garden greens sandwich has been keeping me sustained of a lunchtime for several days a week now. Alas it is the end of the fig season and without a fig tree on the balcony I can't even call them home grown, but the greens are. Now I hope I don't need to tell people how to make a sandwich. But incase you need a helping hand here is a photo essay to give you the aid you require.

Figs

Chop

Layer 1 on dark rye

Layer 2 (buy extra proscuitto and eat some along the way, sandwich making is tiring work)

Lettuce, wash it first!

Layer 3

mmmmmmm, sandwich.

Note that other versions have included other tasty ingredients such as brie, avocado and cucumber ,but the simplest version seems to be the best.

Cooking with Garden: Wild Mushroom Pasta

This post needs to start with a disclaimer. I would love to say that these mushrooms were homegrown, but they weren't even home foraged. I'd have no idea of the difference between a safe mushroom and an inedible one, so it'd be expiration via death cap all the way. These mushrooms I sourced at the Vic markets, slippery jacks and pine mushrooms. They are only on sale for a few weeks of the year and they are totally divine. Not cheap, but as I didn't need too many they came in under my student budget. I added them to a linguine for a very decadent pasta. Also in this pasta ... rocket and almost rocket (random green that tastes the same) from the balcony garden, chilli from the balcony garden, and store bought other mushrooms, onion, garlic and lemon. I wish the lemon came from the garden but there are only four lemons on the tree, and they are as green as the greens in this dish.

First step wash the greens, rip them a little and leave them aside. Apparently I should also have cleaned the bench of red pasta sauce which I was making at the same time. Ooops.

Second step, admire the mushrooms. Seriously who could not want to just stare at these things - they are amazing. After breaking gaze prepare them so they are of relatively equal size. I chopped each different variety a different way so they would be even easier to recognise in the final dish. I added in some button mushrooms and some larger white mushrooms to give it a variety of flavour, and some enoki, (only add the enoki after cooking off the large mushrooms first, otherwise they become too msushy.) Once they are cut put them in a fry pan and cook for a few minutes. Only when the moisture begins to evaporate do you add any oil and season (in this case I added oil and butter, mushrooms are great in butter and a balance of both means the butter doesn't burn.)

I cooked this off for a bit then took it out, butter, oil, mushrooms and all. Don't drain anything, otherwise the taste goes down the sink. Step three is then to cook off the garlic and the chilli.

Then add the mushies back to the pan along with previously cooked linguine. Only at the very last second do you add the greens, alongside a squeeze of lemon.

et voila - Linguine with Wild (and slightly less wild) Mushrooms with rocket, chilli, lemon and buttery, garlicky oil. Yum, and despite the oil and butter, still within my calorie count!