What's Growing: January 2014

It's already 2014, and the year is flying by. Basically the whole year has been in the garden. Last year my trip to China left my husband and the dogs at home, doing their best to maintain the garden. Now it is all back in action. Actually, our old dog, Spice, died after a stroke while I was away... And now we have a new set of trouble with a beagle boy currently named Solo.



In 2013 I set myself the goal of growing year round, and it worked. Admittedly over winter all we really had was spinach, chard, spring onions and leeks... But it did keep us in fresh greens over those hard-to-eat-fresh months.

This year my goal is to grow year round, as well as keep the blog updated with the garden. Last year I didn't want to commit too many goals to the internet in case I didn't get there.... And often the garden has weeds....



We have plenty of fruit and citrus trees planted around the place now, and they are slowly producing. Still not enough to cater to our supreme citrus needs, we use a lot of lemons... But getting there. We also planted extra fruits, like cranberries, this year. I bought a coffee plant, which the new beagle did eat, but I am determined to have a flourishing coffee plant on my back deck where I drink my morning java. In fact, it has a coffee-rail. It's basically the top of the hand rail... But I insisted that the handrail was large enough to lean on and safely hold a cuppa.






We have been doing well with the corn, and the passion fruit, though neither are quite up to harvesting yet. Yesterday I fertilized the passion fruit, tomatoes and strawberries, and I may through sulfate of potash on them today to encourage their fruiting.







The peas are now growing up a make-shift obelisk like the cucumbers, and I am impressed with how they are doing there.

We had our first chilli harvest yesterday, at least a month earlier than last year. Also, the back composting gardens are being converted to actual gardens... So I'm looking forward to seeing how they hold up with plants in them.

Lastly, I had my first go at building a garden bed.... Now I will try to build a 2 layer one next. I'll put a tutorial up at some point... So others can copy.... And so that I can remember how I did it!



My garden has so far been a haven of solace this year, and I have enjoyed working it, even with the scratches, bruises and broken fingernails.


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Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Well, I did it again. It turns out that when it comes to soup, I am a genius. And I have no shame in saying it aloud. Or singing about it.... Much to the chagrin of my dogs.



Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1 whole butternut pumpkin
3 carrots
2 red onions
1/2 leek
1 litre vegetable stock
1 clove garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Knob of butter


1. Slice the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place on a roasting tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Crush the garlic glove, and place half in each hole of the pumpkin. Place rosemary in the hole too, and roast at 180 degrees for about an hour. I like to do this while roasting something else.




2. After 30 minutes, throw the carrots into the roasting dish with the pumpkin. Just wash the carrots, I like leaving the skins on.



3. Roughly dice the onions and leek. Sauté in a soup pot with the butter.






4. Remove the skins from the pumpkin, and chop into large pieces. Add the carrot and pumpkin to the pot with the vegetable stock, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Discard the garlic and rosemary.



5. Allow to boil on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Blend with a stick blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.



6. Serve with sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Okay, this is optional, but I loooooove sour cream and Parmesan!



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Butternut and Carrot Soup

I love pumpkin soup.... Well, I guess it's all technically squash here in New Zealand, but I love it. Usually I make one with the ol' classic grey pumpkins. This however is butternut squash. So much easier to deal with.

Final blitzed soup in the pot

Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 litre vegetable stock

Method

Peel the butternut squash. I use a simple veggie peeler. So much easier than the tough pumpkins. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. I tend to just throw these in the garden. Next year they just pop up as squash.



Peel and cut the onion and carrots. Cut up the squash into palm sized chunks. Throw all ingredients in a soup pot. Boil the whole thing on a low heat, and keep stirring. After about 30 minutes, turn the heat off, place on a lid, and rest.

I like to leave it overnight at this point because everyone knows soup gets better with age. Remove the bay leaf.  Blitz the soup with a stick blender. Boil.

You can add parsley, chives or cream at this point, or leave it as it is. I like to section some off into 2 cup baggies and freeze for a later date. Don't add cream if you are going to freeze it.

This recipe yields approximately 2 1/2 litres of soup, depending on the size if your veggies.

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Muffin Tin Monday - Pumpkins

Well, I have been looking forward to this all week.... thinking... planning... good times.  The best part is knowing what to have for dinner on Monday night!  Yus.

From the top:

Pumpkin and kumara hummus with carrot sticks.
Pumpkin shaped banana cake (I cut this out free-hand with my knife.... then iced etc)
Pumpkin and sweet chili soup with sour cream, cheese and parsley
Pumpkin coloured m&m's (they were the peanut ones...... so that is slightly better..... :D)
Pumpkin seed and paprika mini-bagel with tomato, lettuce and avocado (I had 2 more on the side also)
Pumpkin seeds.

And it was all nom nom nom. :D