Showing posts with label leek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leek. Show all posts

Monday, 3 February 2014

2013 PRODUCE TALLY

Well I finally have put my butt into gear and getting back onto the blogging horse after having my second son! I thought I would start off with a tally of 2013's produce. I will also be updating on my birth story, renovation goals and our upcoming 3.5 week holiday!

Artichoke 507 grams
Bay Leaf 79 grams
Beetroot 3361 grams
Bok Choy 54 grams
Broad Beans 10506 grams
Broccoli 714 grams
Cabbage 5161 grams
Capsicum 2964 grams
Carrot 383 grams
Cauliflower 4008 grams
Celery 654 grams
Chili 735 grams
Corn 201 grams
Eggs 653
Garlic 3010 grams
Kale 879 grams
Kumquat 15 grams
Leek 2631 grams
Lemon 846 grams
Lettuce 771 grams
Loquat 295 grams
Marjoram 237 grams
Marrow 30853 grams
Onion 676 grams
Parsley 3125 grams
Peas 171 grams
Pumpkin 37902 grams
Rhubarb 2052 grams
Rosemary 4 grams
Sage 502 grams
Silver Beet 11843 grams
Tarragon 443 grams
Thyme 131 grams
Tomato 60732 grams
Zucchini 25671 grams

TOTAL 653 EGGS AND 212.116 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD

one of my favorite harvests, These guys lasted for 9 months throughout winter and were super easy to grow!







Wednesday, 4 December 2013

NO SHOW AND A TALLY CATCH UP

Sorry I have been a no show on here! The last few weeks of pregnancy were an exhausting few, with many chores that needed to be completed before we brought our new little man home. And then when I thought I had at least a week to go, my waters broke 1 week before my due date! I will post our birth story in the coming weeks.




WELCOME TO THE WORLD JIREH SAMUEL BORN 14TH NOVEMBER AT 2:37AM WEIGHING 2980 GRAMS OR 6 POUNDS 9 OUNCES AND MEASURING 49.5CM IN LENGTH

23/9/13 - 1/12/13

64 eggs
347 grams onions
1235 grams leeks
2315 grams silverbeet
344 grams parsley
10506 grams broad beans
113 grams capsicum
11 grams thyme
295 grams loquats
507 grams artichokes
163 grams chili
2082 grams rhubarb
337 grams celery
321 grams carrots
947 grams beetroot
3010 grams garlic

TOTAL 64 EGGS AND 22.533 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD



Tuesday, 24 September 2013

WEEKLY HARVEST 35 & FOOD SWAP

Spring has definitely sprung! The garden has become lovely and productive. I have been able to go out everyday and pick something to include in that night's dinner. I am looking forward to summer so that we can have more variety and more volume of produce! This week I also went down to my local food swap so I could swap some of my excess greens for things that I haven't grown.

16/9/13 - 22/9/13

12 eggs
279 grams onion
1396 grams leek
161 grams sage
319 grams parsley
56 grams thyme
9 grams chili
47 grams broccoli
742 grams silverbeet

TOTAL 12 EGGS AND 3009 GRAMS OF FOOD!

To the food swap I took, parsely, sage, thyme, chili, and
yellow silverbeet.
In return I took home this lovely aloe vera plant.
This huge fig tree.
Some oranges.
A large bunch of lemon myrtle. This is an Australian native - bush tucker food. I searched high and low for some earlier this year and it was only when we were in byron bay on holiday that I found some at a little organic shop. So I am thrilled to have some in it's natural state and not pre ground. The great thing about lemon myrtle is that it has anti microbial benefits. Much like tea trea except this is edible and not just topical. 
While we were in the garden we went on a snail hunt and this is half of our bounty. Squiz had a lot of fun helping collect and squash the offenders. 

Sunday, 21 July 2013

GARDEN SNAPSHOT

The garden is growing well, but as it is the middle of winter things tend to grow a lot slower. We were lucky enough to receive a load of beautiful mulch from a friend who is an arborist, so this was spread over last years load which was looking quite sad.

Our truckload of mulch
This is what the paths looked like before
And after
I love the look of fresh mulch!
Now for what's growing, the leeks are doing great!
And so is the garlic
And the herbs, and rhubarb
Hopefully the broad beans will flower soon
The celery is starting to take off and the silverbeet continues to produce well
The chili bush is still looking healthy and some chilis still on it and they are slowly turning red
The cauliflowers look like they will all be ready at the same time!
The purple sicilian variety really is so pretty!
More mulchy goodness! This took me forever to move! I did about 2/3rds by myself and then hubby helped with the last bit. I was unable to move the wheelbarrow so I loaded it up and he tipped it out for me!
The peas are doing well, but not as well as last year!
More garlic
And more silverbeet
The lettuce is still doing well
I don't think I will get sick and tired of looking at fresh mulch. 

Sunday, 14 July 2013

POTATO LEEK AND HAM BONE SOUP

In this cold Melbourne weather (and no heater for a couple of days due to renovations and moving it about) we needed something warming! This is perfect, lovely and creamy and hearty too.

INGREDIENTS

2 leeks sliced and washed
knob butter
1 celery stick sliced
1 carrot diced
750 grams potatoes peeled and diced
1 ham bone
2 liters of water
salt and pepper
sour cream to serve
crusty bread to serve

Saute leeks in butter until soft add celery and carrot and saute for a couple of minutes. When done add potato and ham bone and water (you could use vegetable stock, but I think the ham bone imparts enough flavour) and season (don't be too generous with the salt as the ham bone can be quite salty.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until potato is tender and ham if soft. remove ham bone and use a bar mix or blender to puree soup. Pull ham off the bone and return to soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread and season to taste.

Saute the leeks in butter
Add carrot and celery
Add the ham bone - a real ham bone. Like the one that is cut out of a ham. DO NOT USE A HAM HOCK THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!!!
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread!
Head over to love in the kitchen to check out what everyone else is up to for Tuesday's Table!

Monday, 20 May 2013

NOVEMBER HARVEST 2012

I had tallied up all my harvests for November but I misplaced my book. I recently found it so I thought I would share what I gathered from my garden 6 months ago :D

67 eggs
1492 grams celery
1229 grams carrots
5 grams bay leaf
4 sprigs rosemary
117 grams strawberries
462 grams cauliflower
1284 grams loquat
504 grams broccoli
1386 grams leek
567 grams potato
1215 grams silverbeet
199 grams lemon
1026 grams broad beans
handful thyme
2 handfuls coriander
90 grams beetroot
25 grams turnip
64 grams snow peas
47 grams parsley
16 small heads, 18 medium heads, 48 large heads and 1 extra large heads of garlic

TOTAL 9.712 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD IN NOVEMBER NOT INCLUDING THE 67 EGGS, 83 HEADS OF GARLIC AND HERBS!

Friday, 1 March 2013

MARCH PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Cabbage 3 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Garlic 50 bulbs
Kohlrabi 2 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Leek 8 seeds
Spring Onion 12 seeds
Onion 30 seeds

Week 2
Lettuce 10 seeds

Week 3
Spinach 4 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds

Week 4
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Leeks 8 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Friday, 1 February 2013

FEBRUARY PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Spinach 4 seeds
Spring Onion 12 seeds

Week 2
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
Carrot 20 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 3
N/A

Week 4
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Leek 8 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds
Spinach 4 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

JANUARY PLANTING GUIDE

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
Carrot 20 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Leeks 8 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds
Parsnips 12 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Spring onion 12 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 2
N/A

Week 3
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
lettuce 10 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 4
Cabbage 3 seeds
Carrot 20 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds

Week 5
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Leeks 8 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds
Parsnips 12 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Saturday, 1 December 2012

DECEMBER PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Lettuce 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Spring Onion 12 seeds

Week 2
Cabbage 3 seeds
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 3
Lettuce 10 seeds
Carrot 20 seeds
Silver Beet 1 seed
Beetroot 6 seeds

Week 4
Turnips 4 seeds
Parsnips 12 seeds
Potato 8 tubers
leek 8 seeds
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Celery and Celeriac 4 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Cucumber 3 seeds

Week 5
Lettuce 10 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
Peppers and Chili 2 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

CONFESSIONS AND A CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Okay so the juicy confessions bit first! I. DON'T. MAKE. MY. OWN. PUFF. PASTRY. Well who could be bothered anyway, so many stages, and folding and rolling and flour and butter, and the convenience of having the stuff pre rolled right there in my freezer. I use it for easy desserts like tart tartin or a quick sausage roll for lunch etc etc. So the last time I went to the supermarket I bought some puff pastry. When I came to use it....It wasn't puff at all but short crust! bugger I picked up the wrong package! I like making my own short crust. It's easy and I can control how much butter I use and substitute an egg in it's place which also makes it quite crisp and easy to handle. So My pie today will be using store bough short crust pastry. But If you would like to make your own use the recipe used here in my leek tart.

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

2 chicken breasts in cubes
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
4 leeks sliced and washed
2 tbs flour
330 ml dry hard apple cider
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C chicken stock
salt and pepper
3 sheets ready to use short crust pastry

Sweat leeks off for 10 minutes in the butter until lovely and soft in large pan. Remove from pan and add olive oil and brown chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add leeks back to pan and stir in flour and cook for a minute. Add cider and stir in well, add chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes until reduced and thick and then stir in sour cream. Turn oven to 160 C and grease a pie dish and line with pastry. Pour filling and and put lid of pie on and seal well poking a couple of holes in the lid to allow steam to escape. Put in oven and cook for 40 minutes until golden all over and pastry in cooked.



This was really delicious and the pictures do not do it justice!




Thursday, 1 November 2012

NOVEMBER PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Lettuce 10 seeds
Carrot 20 seeds
Silver beet 1 seed
Beetroot 6 seeds
Spring Onion 12 seeds

Week 2
Turnips 4 seeds
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Cucumber 3 seeds

Week 3
Lettuce 10 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
tomato 3 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 4
Parsnips 12 seeds
Potato 8 tubers
Carrot 20 seeds
Leek 8 seeds
Peppers and chili 2 seeds
Silver beet 1 seed
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Celery and Celeriac 4 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds


Wednesday, 31 October 2012

OCTOBER TALLY

There will be no recipe today, we are going to a friends house for dinner. Seeing as today is the last day in October, I have added up the weight of everything I have harvested this month.

75 eggs
283g snow peas
2154g broccoli
733g beetroot
543g kohlrabi
2031g shelling peas
401g cauliflower
1603g loquat
1178g turnip
740g parsnip
1477g carrot
553g leek
157g lettuce
3230g celery
207g broad beans
2g bay leaf
235g parsley
1609g rhubarb
339g silverbeet
588g coriander


TOTAL 18.063KG OF FOOD NOT INCLUDING EGGS!








Wednesday, 17 October 2012

LEEK TART

I have so many eggs at the moment! I wanted to make something simple with them.



I also had another leek from the garden that needed to be used so I created this recipe.



INGREDIENTS

Pastry:

1 1/2 C plain flour
1/4 shortening or butter (I used shortening as I had some leftover that I needed to use)
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tbs cream
2 tbs milk (or add as required)

Filling:
1 leek diced
2 tbs butter
3 eggs
200 ml cream
50 g coppa, parma ham. prosciutto, bacon or ham diced (i used coppa as that's what I had on hand)
50 g tasty cheese grated with a little extra for the top
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180C For the pastry rub the fat into the flour once this resembles breadcrumbs add the salt, egg and cream, if needed as milk as required until you have a smooth dough.



Be careful not to overwork the dough otherwise you will have a tough party case.



Today I was lazy and didn't let my pastry rest, but I'll share a trick with you so that your pastry won't shrink in the oven.



Roll out your pastry and fill your tart tin and tuck it into the corners, but don't cut off the overhang instead tuck it around the outside of the case.



Don't forget to prick holes is the base with a fork like I did!



Blind bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly and with your rolling pin roll over the top to break off excess pastry! SIMPLE!
 


To make filling fry the leeks in the butter over low heat until lovely and soft. 


If you like also fry you chosen meat (or leave out for a vegetarian option). Combine eggs, cream seasoning and some of the cheese and give it a whisk. 


Once leeks are cooked place over tart case and then layer over diced meat pour over egg and cream mix and top with remaining cheese. 


Place in oven for 15-20 minutes until eggs are just set and cheese is nice and golden. 


This is a great light lunch and would be lovely with a simple green salad.