Australia, Now This is Winter

It is hard to believe that last week it was snowing 30 minutes away from our house (very unusual).  This week the nights are still very cold but the days are bathed with warm sunshine.

Time to venture outside after our recent hibernation stint. Time to finally pick the winter mandarins.

This photographed mandarin tree is a miniature variety.  We have had this tree and pot since we lived in the inner City of Sydney.  Proof that you can still grow vegetables and fruit even if you have very little outside space. Space doesn’t limit you – your imagination and belief does.

Photographs from Stage 1 Build of Buxton Community Garden

Stage 1 of Buxton Community Garden is complete!!  What’s next? We are planning two workshops on basic composting and building water reservoir, raised garden beds (wicking beds) – information coming soon. Both workshops will be in September. 

Stage 2 of our community garden will see more raised garden beds, building our meeting area, establish a three bay compost bin system and worm farm. 

Again I would like to take the opportunity to say “thankyou” to all the locals, community groups and businesses who sponsored and supported Buxton Community Garden!!

Children of our Town say "Thankyou" to local businesses who sponsored and helped make Buxton Community Garden a reality

With the generous free use of a 'Dingo' (thanks to Picton Hire), Buxton Community Garden stage 1 build was much easier

Building the first raised garden bed which will be turned into a wicking water reservoir garden bed

Our first raised garden bed is finished

Down tools. It's lunch time

Old black plastic garden pots, reused as planted seed markers - a permanent silver marker was used

Stage 1 build of Buxton Community Garden is completed - two raised garden beds built and a large planted area (netted to keep birds away)

The beginning of Buxton Community Garden

Stage 1 of Buxton Community Garden is completed - this time next year, in 5 years and in 10 years, we will look back at this photo with amazement on how far we have come. We have a big vision!

Buxton Community Garden grand plan

Children’s Sustainable Nutrition for Fussy Eaters

The waitress watched in disbelief “she is eating broccoli?” Our two year old was quick to correct her observation by responding “small trees yummy”.

There is no doubt that at times our Little One is fussy and picky.  However generally I would conclude that she is a good eater.  Generally it isn’t a challenge ensuring she is getting 7 to 10 proportions of varied fruit and vegetables daily.

Listening to parents share their toddler eating behaviour frustrations, puts me in a reflective mood.  Why them, why not me?

Short answer is I don’t know.  I say it is because of some luck and some good genes (I was a toddler garbage disposal – eating any veggies my older brother would not).  However I feel instinctively that there are two activities that have fueled our toddler’s love of eating a wide variety of nutritious food.

Firstly the simple activity of growing your own veggies.  From six months of age I have been gardening with her.  Now she will venture into the garden to eat sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, snow peas or whatever is in season (without my prompting or help).

Secondly the equally simple activity of cooking.  As our Little One showed interest in our cooking pursuits, we have encouraged her involvement with age appropriate tasks.  Always keeping in mind the bigger picture when she makes a mess, refuses to give back the pepper shaker or fights us for the spoon – short term annoyances allows for long term, life skills learnt.

Our Little One is planting seeds, watching them grow, harvesting food from the garden then cooking the produce.  This has to be contributing to her willingness to then eat the food, she has had envolvement in producing and preparing.

Food for thought.

What Are You Harvesting Now?

Up early this morning to capture the garden in the gentle morning light.

My lack of edible gardening posts at home, is a direct result of not venturing outside.  As much as I love being outside in the garden, sometimes life gets in the way of doing what you want.

I sense life is changing back to allow more time in the garden.  Bliss can once again return.

Mandarins

Snow Peas

Spinach

Flowering Rockett

Broccolini

Broad Beans

Chilies

Garlic

A New Space Dedicated to Growing Edibles – the Design

Still taking it easy today with my strained back and general exhaustion (think my body is fighting a bug).

Going forward with my Mum’s help (who is visiting for a month), I am planning on tackling the first stage of our garden plan (as above) for behind the back shed /garage.  First stage is building the retaining wall – which once completed, everything else can be planted, built and completed.

I am excited to be ‘opening’ this previous overgrown and neglected area of our garden, to a creative and beautiful space dedicated to growing edible food.

What Happened When I Added Roasted Mango to My Pumpkin Soup?

One of the surprising benefits of reducing food waste, is stumbling across unusual flavour combinations.

Last week I decided to cook up lots of roasted pumpkin soup, with pumpkins straight from our veggie patch.

“What would roasted mango taste like in the soup” I pondered as I pulled out mushy mangos from the fridge. Committed to using the mangos in the spirit of reducing fruit waste, I put them into my soup.

Roasted Pumpkin and Mango Soup (gluten & dairy free and vegan)

* One large pumpkin (around 1-2 kilograms)
* Three carrots
* Two mangos
* Four cloves of garlic
* 1/2 cup of pine nuts
* Vegetable stock (make sure it is vegan)
* Dairy free cream cheese (can buy from Coles or Woolworths in Australia)
* Salt and pepper
* Chives

* Remove skin and seeds from pumpkins and mango.  Cut up and place onto an oven tray.
* Cut up carrots and add to oven tray too.
* Peel garlic cloves and add to oven tray too. Sprinkle the pine nuts over everything on the oven tray.
* Sprinkle with oil (I use rice bran oil) and then season with salt. Cook in a 200 degrees C oven for 45 minutes (you might want to turn everything half way through).
* Place everything including any juices into a food processor.  Mix well.
* Add mixture to a large saucepan.  Stir in 600 ml of vegetable stock or less if you prefer a thicker soup. Stir in dairy free cream cheese (to your own taste).
* Season with pepper for taste.
* Pour soup into serving bowls then sprinkle with chives (or any fresh herbs of your choice).

The result?

I was surprised that roasted mango would compliment pumpkin.  I really enjoyed the flavour.  My carnivore husband and toddler ate it too – which is always a bonus!

Cooked Quince and Blueberry Bread Cake – Gluten & Dairy Free

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have been cooking quinces.  It turned out that my family weren’t keen on the taste of cooked quince by itself, so I got baking.

Cooked Quince and Blueberry Bread Cake

70g Nutterlex (dairy free butter)
1/3 cup brown sugar (I reduced the amount of sugar as the quinces was cooked in sugar)
1 egg beaten
4 cooked quinces
1 cup of blueberries
1 & 1/2 cups gluten free self raising flour
2 tablespoons of rice milk

* Preheat oven to 180 degrees
* Cream butter and sugar together
* Add beaten egg then slowly add the cooked quinces. Beat well with an electric mixer
* Add flour and rice milk. Stir well
* Pour into a prepared loaf tin (I prefer to use dairy free butter on the sides rather than baking paper – better for the environment)
* Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes (test by inserting a skewer in the centre to check it comes out clean)
* Allow to cool. Serve sliced with a dairy free spread (Nutterlex is what I love)

The result?

Hubbie, our Little One and I all enjoyed the bread cake (which surprised me as we didn’t enjoy the cooked quinces by themselves).

I really loved the taste of quince with blueberry (I threw the blueberries in as they needed to be eaten).

Have you discovered any other fruit or flavours that compliment quince?