WEEKLY HARVEST - NUMBER 30

It wasn't super productive in the garden this week but I had a great time supplementing our harvest by swapping my excess greens for citrus of all sorts at my local food swap.

12/8/13 - 18/8/13

14 eggs
255 grams of lettuce
28 grams of thyme
375 grams cauliflower
125 grams parsley
874 grams silverbeet

TOTAL 14 EGGS AND 1657 GRAMS OF FOOD

WEEKLY TALLY - NUMBER 28

I am a bit behind posting this week, as we started off with some computer issues. But things are picking up in the garden and this week marks the start of tomato sowing season. I think I will start to sow some on the weekend and pop them in the green house, so we can get ready for the bumper summer season, and the arrival of new life. This summer is set to be a busy one. The renovations will hopefully be over by the time bubba Will arrives, but the veggie patch is a daily task with the warmer weather, encouraging things to flourish! Hopefully I can garden when bubba sleeps, and lets hope he sleeps like his brother did (sleeping was NEVER an issue for us!)! And Israel will as always love any excuse to get outside and get his hand dirty. We are thinking about our summer vacation, keeping in mind we will have a one month old. I don't want to go somewhere too hot, but the reality is that it will be an Aussie summer, and it's always hot. So I was think Tasmania as the averages there are always 10-15 degrees lower than mainland Australia. But by then we would have spent all our saving on renovations so it may be unrealistic in us getting there. So I think the verdict is somewhere closer, and possibly in the hills where it is a bit cooler. But I digress and onto the tally we go!

29/7/13 - 4/8/13

7 eggs
684 grams cauliflower
20 grams parsley
2 grams bayleaf

TOTAL 7 EGGS AND 706 GRAMS OF FOOD

Israel loves to collect snails when we go out into the garden! There was no shortage on this day! 

WEEKLY TALLY - NUMBER 27

Things are slowly picking up in the garden, with a decent amount of produce being picked from the garden this week. I have decided as the beds empty that I will leave them that way, as we are due to have a baby mid to late November. I want to get my summer crop in before baby Will comes along so I don't need to worry about it heavily pregnant or with a newborn. I am hoping to have all my seedlings sown by late October, so that means I will set my seeds in mid to late September. I don't want my beds to be occupied by the time I am ready to get those seedlings in. I am surprised my chili bush is still producing. I have some flowers on it and new chilis growing. It hasn't been affected by the frost this year, as last year it lost nearly all it's leaves. I am even more surprised that the chilis are ripening on the bush, I was always under the impression that the chilis needed heat to turn red.

TALLY 22/7/13 - 28/7/13
336 grams cabbage
7 eggs
1487 grams cauliflower
21 grams chili

TOTAL 7 EGGS AND 1844 GRAMS OF FOOD

ALL ABOUT CAULIFLOWER

I find cauliflowers quite easy to grow, but certainly not everyone sees them that way. They do take up quite a lot of room in the garden, so I tend to only grow them through the cooler months, when space is abundant and there a few things to grow. I often get complimented with my winter cauliflowers, I get asked what my secret is. Well it’s simple and it has worked for me over the past couple of years. I get my winter brassica in the middle April, there is still enough warmth for them to get some good growth behind them before the winter chill sets in, and the threat of the white cabbage moth has just about disappeared or become controllable.

I find the Purple Sicily Cauliflower is incredibly disease resistant. The only problem is that the colour does not hold and often ends up in the cooking water. They do need full sun and moderate watering. Although I find in winter the rains are sufficient to allow it to grow. They love to be mulched. I use my standard mulch cover of whatever I have available which is usually fallen leaves and spent chook hay. I set them out approximately 50 centimeters apart to allow for adequate space between plants to spread their leaves. Every now and then (when I can be bother or when I have it available) I water them with some worm tea.

Harvest your cauliflower when the head is still firm. My favourite way to eat cauliflower at the moment is to make a cauliflower puree, although I am yet to do this with the purple cauliflower as I believe the colour would be an interesting one and may not be pleasing to the eye (I am thinking greyish sludge). What is your favourite way to eat cauliflower?

WEEKLY TALLY - NUMBER 26

Life continues to be hectic around here. Time is slipping by way too fast! We only have 17 weeks until bubba Will graces us with his presence. That means 17 weeks to finish half a house worth of renovations. I also want to get all my summer veg in before November. I think by then I will be too big and too tired to get out and garden as I would be 38 weeks pregnant! We still have my son's 3rd birthday and our BaByQ to host in those 17 weeks as well (after my husbands 30th this weekend)! So I am taking advantage of this cooler weather where my veggie patch has slowed down to completed my kilometer long list of chores. This is how my harvest has been this week.

TALLY 15/7/13 - 21/7/13
7 eggs
1298 grams cauliflower
42 grams parsley
397 grams silverbeet

TOTAL 7 EGGS AND 1737 GRAMS OF FOOD

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. 

WEEKLY TALLY - NUMBER 25

This week has been a slow one in the garden, with a glut of cauliflowers about to happen!

8/7/13 - 14/7/13

13 eggs
164 grams cauliflower
51 grams capsicum
23 grams chili

TOTAL 13 EGGS AND 238 GRAMS OF FOOD

WEEKLY TALLY - NUMBER 21 & 22

My small winter harvests are seeing these weekly tallies actually being fortnightly. Although things have picked up over the last few weeks with more and more silverbeet and parsley thriving in this cold wet yet sunny weather. I also have quite a few purple cauliflowers that are starting to head and in a few weeks they should be ready to harvest. Looking forward to some more cauliflower puree, which we use instead of mash potato when we have too many cauliflowers. It is lovely and sweet and lower in calories which is  always a bonus.

10/6/13 - 23/6/13

50 eggs
360 grams capsicum
15 grams chili
579 grams silverbeet
201 grams parsley
10 grams peas

TOTAL 50 EGGS AND 1165 GRAMS OF FOOD

One of my purple cauliflowers growing nicely! 

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!

PRESSED PORK BELLY

At the beginning of the year friends of our suggested that we visit fenix. The food was great but I especially loved the pressed pork belly with cauliflower puree and scallops. The beautiful soft flesh with an almost chewy crunchy crackle and the creaminess of the puree complimented the dish perfectly. We had some friends come over and I wanted to recreate the dish minus the scallops. Here is my recipe.

PRESSED PORK BELLY

This needs to be started the night before you intend to serve it.

1 kg of pork belly, if you can get it unscored do so, but mine had already been scored.
500 mls dry hard cider
1 L chicken stock
1 stick of celery roughly chopped
1 carrot roughly chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
A good splash of apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
a couple of sprigs of thyme

Use a good quality dry cider

Add all ingredients in a baking dish and make sure pork is covered if not top up with water and cook in an oven heated to 160 degree celsius and cook for 3 hours undisturbed covered with a foil lid. Turn off oven and allow to cool. Carefully lift pork out of liquid onto a glad wrap lined tray and cover with glad wrap ensuring all the veggies are pulled off and weigh it down in the fridge overnight. Strain the stock and place in the fridge so it can be made into a sauce.

Ready for the oven

SAUCE

Add reserved stock to a sauce pan and add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple of teaspoons of sugar and reduce by half to a third and taste for correct seasoning. It should be slightly sharp and sweet.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Cut half a cauliflower into small florets and drizzle with olive oil and a generous amount of sauce and roast for 30 minutes until tender in a moderate oven.

CAULIFLOWER PUREE

Cut up half a cauliflower including the stalk and add 200 mls of milk and a pinch of salt and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and blend until a smooth puree.

PORK BELLY

Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan until hot and fry portioned belly skin side down for 4 minutes until lovely and golden turn over and cook for another 4 minutes.

The cooled pressed pork belly

SERVE

Serve belly on a smear of cauliflower puree with a drizzle of sauce and a scattering of cauliflower florets.

So delicious

APRIL PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Spring Onion 12 seeds
Onion 30 seeds

Week 2
Lettuce 10 seeds
Spinach 4 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds
Kale 4 seeds

Week 3
Cabbage 3 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds

Week 4
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Lettuce 10 seeds

Week 5
Spinach 4 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds

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

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

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

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

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!

OCTOBER PLANTING GUIDE

Successive planting for a family of 4...

Week 1
Peas 10 seeds
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
Corn 20 plants
Cucumber 3 seeds
Melons 4 seeds
Pumpkins 6 seeds
Zucchini 4 seeds
Basil 8 seeds
Spring Onion 12 seeds

Week 2
Lettuce 10 seeds
Cabbage 3 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

Week 3
Carrot 20 seeds
Peppers and Chili 2 seeds
Silver beet 1 seed
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Beetroot 6 seeds

Week 4
Lettuce 10 seeds
Peas 10 seeds
Turnips 4 seeds
Tomato 3 seeds

Week 5
Cabbage 3 seeds
parsnips 12 seeds
potato 8 tubers
Leeks 8 seeds
Beans 6 seeds
Broccoli 6 seeds
Cauliflower 8 seeds
Celery and Celeriac 4 seeds
Coriander 2 seeds
Kohlrabi 2 seeds

CAULIFLOWER GLUT

I have some amazing purple cauliflowers heading all at once! That's 9 heads of cauliflower I have to find some imagination for!

Cauliflower Row

I was thinking of using some as 'pasta', a cauliflower and cheese bake that a friend suggested that I sprinkle chopped bacon over, so last time I made this I sprinkled over a chorizo crumb which was delicious! It was simple to make I just sliced some chorizo sausage and fried quickly, you could use bacon in it's place, put it in a food processor or blender with some fresh bread crumbs and some herbs of choice like parsley or basil and blitzed it until it was crumby. You could add some cheese to it such as Parmesan for extra flavor.

One of the first heads ready to harvest

I was considering a cauliflower soup but am unsure if I would like this. I made a curry from my kitchen garden cookbook with half a huge head, but I wont recommend that one!

I made cauliflower gnocchi from the diggers club cafe, fork to fork. The diggers club is where i source the majority of my seeds from. The gnocchi was delicious, I served it with pea puree which was just blended cooked peas with a little cream and seasoning, some peas, snow peas and pea shoots to garnish!

Cauliflower gnocchi

  Any more suggestions will be much appreciated!

The first of many purple cauliflowers!

MY WINTER GARDEN

 Things have been a bit slow in my winter kitchen garden, hence no blogs for a while. I thought i would share some photos of whats happening in the garden.

Greenfeast shelling peas and dwarf snow peas. both heirloom varieties

Rainbow silverbeet or swiss chard an hierloom variety.

leeks surrounding my blood orange tree.

A few types of broccoli. a purple sprouting, a green sprouting and a green heading type all heirloom varieties.

I still have plenty of capsicums clinging on the tree. These are Californian wonder

Cabbage, these ones were from a large hardware store. I also have heirloom January king and mini growing.

carrots, an all year variety.

purple cauliflower starting to form a head

Cauliflowers, i have purple cauliflower and a mini variety both heirloom varieties.

Celery, in abundance!

cayenne chili. so many still clinging to the tree and slowly turning red! it's so nice having my own supply of chili!

garlic. I have at least 70 plants in the ground circling my patches