I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

February 4, 2014

In My Kitchen Garden- February 2014



Happy February Dear Readers!


It has been a season of extremes so far this year with the Big Freeze going on with our Northern Neighbours, and Horrific Heatwaves carrying on here at home


It's the start of the month again and that would normally call for my usual show of bits and pieces as I join in with lovely Celia's In My Kitchen post. This is a fun round up that travels the world and visits Bloggy Buddies all over as we peep into their kitchens for a bit of a sticky beak

I thought I'd mix it up a bit this month and instead of showing you the same old/same old inside, I'd share what's happening in my Kitchen Garden instead. We've had such hot weather and weeks and weeks of 37*C, 38*C and a whole week of 40ish too, so things are a little droopy at the moment, but bear with me as we explore some of the various bits and pieces that make up my Kitchen Garden



In My Kitchen Garden...
you can see the groundwork we laid last year at the start of Spring. The drippers have been wonderful and probably the only reason the garden has survived the extended heatwaves we've had this season. The system is connected to a timer so I don't even have to remember to turn it off, I'm very spoiled indeed! The three raised beds have three rows of drippers down each, then the hose continues behind the shed and around the corner and loops through the fruit barrel area as well




In My Kitchen Garden...
is a forest of Asparagus.This has been producing for months now, and in the hot weather you can see them growing taller by the hour. If you miss picking the stems they shoot up to become a ferny mass that shelters the new little spears underneath and keeps them nice and pale




In My Kitchen Garden...
are lots and lots of pots and wine barrels. You can see the toll the heat has taken with so many of my herbs giving up the fight. The big barrel is choc full of potatoes and the tall things are Jerusalem artichokes. A couple of berry plants are growing along the dog fence, allowing doggy plenty of opportunity to pick them before I can beat him to it





In My Kitchen Garden...
is flowering mint that reaches to my waist, and pineapple sage that is as tall as me. I have to delicately pick my way through the undergrowth to find strawberries, rhubarb, nasturtiums and horseradish. The citrus trees and other herbs line the back fence and you can see how yellow they are from the sun at the moment. I think I'll have to feed them well to keep them happy




In My Kitchen Garden...
is my first real crop of Finger Limes. This is a gorgeous Australian native plant that makes little pearls of juice like caviar inside the odd shaped fruit. There are 19 fruit growing this year, and I'll keep you posted when they're ready to go




In My Kitchen Garden...
is my first Kaffir Lime fruit as well. I grow this tree to use the delicious, fragrant leaves in SE Asian cooking and the fruit is just a bonus




In My Kitchen Garden...
Is a very sun burnt blueberry bush. This one is an early fruiter and has already cropped so it's not too bad. It recovered quite well last year so I'll just  see how it goes. Luckily I have a late fruiting one that is well shaded at the opposite end of the garden and doing well



In My Kitchen Garden...
are strawberry plants bursting through the wire gate and threatening to smother every bit of spare dirt around. The gate is to keep the dog out as he loves foraging for the fruit and if I dare to put any extras down while picking he will snaffle them up as soon as my back is turned. I have tried making him spit them out, but slobbery strawberries just aren't worth the effort




In My Kitchen Garden...
is a new Coffee Plant. You can see that it's a bit burnt on the leaf too, despite being tucked away in a corner. I'm waiting for cooler weather before planting it out in a wine barrel. I'll need somewhere a bit sheltered, and it will need covering from frosts in winter as well. Some tropical plants manage OK here in Canberra, my curry leaf tree is fine, and the ginger plant is doing really well. Lemongrass dies off in winter and needs to be looked after a bit, but my pineapple lilly comes up every year




In My Kitchen Garden...
are masses of tomatoes. As you can see these ones have defied attempts to stake and contain them, and now happily sprawl across the garden bed at will. The top ones have bleached from the sun and some have even developed big blisters so I think I'll have to cook them up soon. I have about 5 different varieties growing in the big beds, and despite staggered planting, the heat means that they are all cropping at once




In My Kitchen Garden...
hiding behind some tomatoes are about 8 big eggplant bushes. As they are shaded they're doing really well and cropping heavily




In My Kitchen Garden...
is the most exposed garden bed. As you can see, my lettuce has been bolting to seed before it's ready to pick. The basil has as well, so that was a real shame. The heat has also caused a few of my vines to hold back, so I'm hoping the predicted cool change this week will bring them on before it's to late




Near My Kitchen Garden.... is a Mystery Object I spotted in one of my trees yesterday while watering the garden. Closer inspection revealed it to be one of my good Tupperware containers full of goodies that littlej had put out to feed the parrots that come and visit. She did mention asking for some Trail Mix on the weekend, and as we had none she took things into her own hands with her usual flair




It's full of gourmet macadamias, walnuts, pecans, pinenuts, oats and shredded coconut. What well fed parrots we will have! BigJ has also put up a parrot nesting box in the front yard to encourage happy families to settle- maybe we'll have some extra mouths to feed soon. We get Crimson Rosellas and Eastern Rosellas every day, and sometimes spot Grass Parrots and the very rare sighting of King Parrots as well. Last year we even saw some blue headed yellow parrots that we couldn't name. White Cockatoos sometimes go next door to steal from the fruit trees, but our dog thinks they make too much noise and keeps them out of our garden- thank goodness as they're so destructive




Finally, In My Kitchen...
Is a bench full of Garden Bounty picked from my Kitchen Garden today!
2 big eggplant, 1 firm cucumber, some fragrant herbs, 1 1/2 kilos of mixed tomatoes, a punnet full of strawberries and 2 little stems of glorious asparagus. All the makings for a Meal Fit For a King. I am so blessed and happy to step out my door and be spoilt for choice with so much fresh produce, and I really could do better with very little effort indeed. I have been giving away veggies to my neighbours, filling my freezer, eating fit to bust and there's still more- I'm so rich indeed!



So Dearest Readers, do you have a veggie patch, and what would you make with this selection of Garden Goodness?




 

38 comments:

  1. Gorgeous stuff, Becca! Our finger limes STILL won't grow! I can't believe you get so much wonderful produce from your garden, especially with the temps you've been having!

    PS. You might want to check out Lizzie at Strayed from the Table's monthly garden round-up as well.. xx

    http://www.strayedtable.com/

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    1. Your garden puts everyone else's too shame though Celia! It has taken about three (or four?) years for the finger lime to fruit, and my lemon has never cropped yet- I guess they're just finicky :) xox

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  2. So I was in Canberra this past weekend and apparently I just missed you Jas and Julie having drinks at the Parlour Wine Bar! :( Big sads :(

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    1. Oh no Lorraine! Cruel Fate! Next time you're near here drop me a line and I'd love to share a meal. Wasn't it hot, Julie nearly melted away :)

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  3. I want all these goodies. I don't know what I'd do with them all but I would have fun playing with it all!

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    1. Me too Maureen, I have to come up with something quick! I was thinking maybe a gazpacho would be nice :)

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  4. What a lovely kitchen garden! Our garden is under a lot of snow at the moment...but come summer we will have strawberries, spinach, lettuce, herbs and tomatoes as well. The eggplant look wonderful...maybe we should try planting some this spring.

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    1. We get some pretty heavy frosts- up to minus 10*C sometimes, but never snow that settles except on the mountains. That mustmake gardening tricky. Eggplant are easy to grow here and seem to have very few problems. Happy planting :)

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  5. Bec, your garden has fared better than mine... my tomatoes literally fried on the vine, despite all the watering and TLC... my lettuces bolted to seed too... I cut them back and let them regrow, but the new leaves were too bitter to be enjoyable. Love your finger limes... I might try to grow some myself... my lemons and karffir in pots are doing well. I'm in awe of your asparagus! Thanks for the walk around your garden. Perhaps some day we can do this in person : )

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    1. Hasn't it been hard Lizzy? What's the secret to you lemons though? Mine is alive but not thriving :(

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  6. You are amazing, I am so jealous of your fresh asparagus!!!

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    1. Thanks Christie! It does tend to shoot up if you turn your back on it though :)

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  7. Good on you for growing so much great produce! This is fantastic. I need to expand my veggie garden, you've inspired me.

    Krissie x - http://pearlsofstyle.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Thanks Krissie! I get so much satisfaction from it all, and it makes all the work so worth it. What do you grow in your garden?

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  8. What a lovely tour. Even though you've had such incredibly hot weather, everything looks to me like it's thriving. You are rich indeed with such a wonderful harvest and I wish I was your neighbour! We hope it won't be too long before we can start our own garden xx

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    1. I wish you were my neighbour too Charlie!! I paid littlej to help me in my garden by 'buying' the produce it grew from her, maybe Alfie could help you? Some of her prices were a little iffy though, with blueberries costing me 10cents each :) xox

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  9. Your garden looks awesome... I got home to a charred brown mess of dead herbs :( ... although the chilli and tomatoes are still going strong!

    ...we had a good lot of rain today thankfully :)

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    1. Rain? What does that mean Julie? It's been so long that I think I've forgotten! :)

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  10. Fabulous garden and very inspiring as we sit here in the UK under grey skies. We had a good crop of tomatoes last summer and I froze loads of them, which have been wonderful to use through the winter. Have you thought about oven drying them and storing them in oil?

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    1. I have done so indeed Anne, they are very tasty that way too. It's a nice way to bring a bit of summer sunshine to your snowy, cold skies :)

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  11. What the hell Rebecca. I didnt realize you had such an amazing garden. I am so envious. It has been a very extreme summer hasn't it?

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    1. And it just keeps going Tania, I think we've had one day under thirty in about a month- and all the kids got colds!! My gardening is a bit like my cooking- just chuck it all in and see what happens :) xox

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  12. G'day Becca! I am in AWE of anyone who can keep plants alive in such extreme temps and love your forest of asparagus!
    Thanks for this month's In My Kitchen view!
    Cheers! Joanne

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    1. Hi Joanne! My garden faces due west, but gets shelter from the hedge and house at least. The cold is actually a bigger nuisance, and I hardly bother over winter :(

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  13. What an amazing garden! And such a great harvest! Love it!

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    1. Thanks Lucy, it certainly gives me a great lot of satisfaction indeed :)

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  14. Your garden just looks gorgeous! I'm amazed your kaffir lime tree is growing so well in Canberra. We're about to try and grow our own, plus are heap of Asian herbs, on our balcony here in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Of course we can buy everything at the supermarket or local market for about 20-30c a bag (sorry) but there's nothing like growing your own stuff, is there? And we're told plants like kaffir lime and lemongrass keep the mozzies away. Well done!

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    1. Oh for a tropical climate Lara! My family lives in Queensland and get multiple croppings a year, while I shut up shop for about 5 months of the year :( I hope your balcony produces a bounty of deliciousness and brings you lots of joy indeed!

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  15. Wow that is totally awesome! Love your produce :-)

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  16. !! You didn't mention the finger lime the other week :D How gorgeous. I have serious garden envy - but you knew that already! Great IMK post

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    1. Ooops! I can hardly wait for them to ripen Jas. I'm thinking little lime pearls on fresh oysters or a very sophisticated Gin and Tonic- why not both? :) x

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  17. Omg that is every home cook's dream! Bountifully fresh produce picked screaming from your own backyard. I hope to have that one day

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    1. It's definitely so satisfying Winston- especially if I can keep the dog away from the goodies before he beats me to them :)

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  18. Gorgeous garden! Here we are under more than a foot of snow and mornings of scraping an inch of ice off of your windshield. That said, I wouldn't last a day with the heat waves you've been having! I would be making some serious Italian dishes with all of those lovely eggplants and tomatoes! Tomatoes are not worth eating this time of year on our side of the planet… I'm counting the months. Enjoy your fresh stash!!

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    1. It's all relative isn't Claudine- I hate the extreme cold! I've got a lovely soup coming up and eggplant moussaka too- yummo!

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  19. Becca, I thoroughly enjoyed your Kitchen Garden tour! Your fruit snaffling dog is a hoot, and your gourmet-eating parrots and story about how they came to enjoy such treats were a delight. Sigh... I'd love to live in an asparagus forest. (Or next door!) By now, you've already made something delicious with your fresh-picked bounty, but I'll still suggest egg plant Parmigiana with a side salad of cukes & strawberries (with a light vinaigrette & a liberal sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper.) Happy Valentine's Day and thanks again for this post!

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  20. Great garden. So where do you get the kaffir lime plant? We also live in Canberra

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