Nurturing my Sourdough...

I have started a new sourdough plant, and I am nurturing it like a newborn.  Taking it with me on trips to Ulura, ... moving it around the yard to follow the sun, and now it's  under its cosy crochet blanket next to my wood fire.  Only gets fed spring water and organic flour...  what a precious plant it is! I hope it looks after me.  I am planning a first use of the sourdough this weekend, and am still deciding on whether or not to use the pizza oven.  Stay posted.

Garden Instalment 2

I know longer need to buy lettuce.  I have so much in abundance.  I have this lovely loose leafed variety that I have never seen in shops.  Great in salads, it's a shame it's the middle of winter when I'm not hankering for salads, but have been favouring Salad Nicoise as I watch the Tour de France and try and re-vision my life for a year in France... a work in progress.

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  I also have rocket, tatsoi, fennel and parsley. Not doing so sell with the red cabbage and I have about three tomatoes that have struggled to hold on to their vines over winter

This feels like my first major success in the garden for many years, due to a large extent to the large quantity of cow poo we deposited there, thanks to the Bohning Cattle Yards.

Today, I planted some potatoes that had started to seed, onions and garlic... well overdue (meant to be planted before the shortest day of the year).  Have some broccoli and cauliflower seedlings ready to go in, again a bit late.  I also cut back our patch of asparagus, fed it some poo and watered it.  In addition to my vision of a year in France, I also have one (a vision) of eating most of my vegetable matter from my own garden. 

It's been a while...

... since last I posted on this blog. I'm no longer doing the weekly ABC food chats, and that's a story in itself, but it means the discipline of writing on my blog every week has somewhat dissipated.  This does not mean that I am not constantly thinking of food and recipes and sharing my love of food, but I'm not just  writing here.. but that is about to change.  Big news of course, is my award winning Turkish Delight at the Alice Springs Show.  Without wanting to sound like I'm boasting, it was a good one... as it should have been, as I had been forced to turf a double batch the night before that I'd made to sell at the beanie festival.

Second prize for my orange cake... I knew it wasn't my best effort, and possible a tad under-cooked, but very yummy and pleased with the presentation.

What else have I been cooking?  Carrot Halawa. Pistachio Barfi... Pumpkin, date and coconut cake... raspberry macarons... tangelo and camomile cupcakes.. And lovely winter meals of pea and ham soup, stew with dumplings, cauliflower cheese, corned beef and vegetables etc.....

My garden is flourishing, shame we're not into salads in the middle of winter.  Right now, it's the middle of school holidays and I'm looking to have cakes on hand at all times for my visitors.  Currently seeking out a lemon poppy seed cake with syrup.

It's been a while...