A small but happy crew ...

We were a small, yet happy AND productive crew at the gardens for our working bee on 12 February. The rain tended to keep the punters away but we found, once we started getting our hands dirty, that the rain itself stayed away – at least until right at the end when it was most welcome. Nothing like a good soaking rain on new seedlings!

Our primary tasks for the day included refreshing and planting out two of the raised garden beds. The first we planted out with lettuce seedlings, chilli plants and coriander seeds. The next we refreshed by building it up ‘no-dig’ style; the manner we used to create the beds in the first instance. This bed we planted out with an assortment of herbs – all of which will now be much easier to harvest. We also planted perennials amongst the fruit trees; these not only look good but will also attract pollinators, such as bees, into the garden.

A Harvest of New Taste Sensations

We've all been looking for new ways to eat lots, lots, lots more .... zucchini and eggplant recently.

I recently cooked delicious stuffed eggplant with Indian spicing (recipe below).

There are plenty of zucchini and cucumbers to harvest at present, and some delicious beans beginning to ripen. Join us planting and preparing new beds this Saturday 12 Feb @ 8am.

Enjoy

Tomato Stuffed Aubergines – bharwan baingan tamattari

A delicious spicy eggplant recipe that Sol, from Heart & Sol recommended.

4 medium eggplants

Oil for cooking

PASTE

4 medium tomatoes

2 onions grated

2 fresh red chillis

4 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp fresh coriander

1 tbsp grated ginger

3 cloves grated garlic

1.5 tbsp ground coriander

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp fennel seeds

1tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

Besan or gram flour if required to thicken.

METHOD

Using blender, Blend all paste ingredients. The texture should be stiff and not so runny that it slides off the eggplant slices. Add flour to thicken if required.

Slice each egg plant vertically from bottom to top (without cutting through the stem) into 4 parallel slices that remain joined by the stem.

Spread each eggplant layer with the spice paste and then rearrange the eggplant to look whole again.

Generously oil a flameproof casserole dish that can hold all eggplants lying down. Cook very gently for 20 mins on the stove top, then turn eggplants and cook a further 20 mins. If they begin to stick, add a few tbsps water. (alternatively, bake at 180°C for 40 mins turning halfway) Serve warm or cold.

Forget about a "pound of flesh", I’ll take my 'payment' in beans!

I went to the gardens to water the fruit trees today. It seems the twice-weekly deep-soaking is doing them good. That, and the extra mulch we loaded onto them on the weekend, should help the soil to hold moisture and stay cool. I did notice a few things while there worth noting: A few trees are shooting from below the graft - we need to keep an eye on this as we do not want them returning to their ‘root stock’. I also spotted some telltale ants running up and down certain trees (generally the citrus). They are ‘farming’ scale; a slight infestation will not hurt but, again, we need to keep an eye on them. At this stage the scale are easily removed but if it gets more serious we might consider using some eco-oil. The garden is hosting some weird and wonderful bugs too; the most colourful seen today being the caterpillar of the Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly (commonly known as 'Citrus Butterfly')

Both the caterpillar and the butterfly are awesome looking creatures. We only seem to have few so I think the rewards outweigh the costs at this point in time, so ‘live and let live’.

The harvest from the garden continues to impress. Kathy and I gathered cucumbers (both apple and Lebanese), eggplant, MORE zucchinis (or, in a few cases ‘marrows’) and a couple of small baskets of beans – 350 grms of which went home with me. They made their way into a warm beetroot (the last of my own summer crop roasted), bean, walnut and fetta salad. The basis of the salad came from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5181/warm+beetroot+bean+walnut+salad if anyone wants to take a look. It’s a true and tested favourite of mine.

One final note, the hot weather might have gone but the rain has not yet returned, so we need to keep up the watering. The fruit trees and passionfruit are covered, as are the pumpkins thanks to Vince, but if you can get along to water the veggie beds please do so!

See those of you who can make it along on Thursday.

Green Tomato Pickles

What a great (but very hot) morning we had on Saturday....
Lots of cutting back and revitalising the garden.
Joe, Jeffrey and Norm did a great job starting on the seating circle.

We welcomed 16 people from around the Illawarra who are looking to start up community gardens.

Jenny has shared with us the Green Tomato Pickles recipe (which was talked about on saturday while we gardened)

Green Tomato Pickles Chef: Sally Wise

Chilly nights and frost on the ground? This easily-made pickle's a good way to use up those green tomatoes you get at the end of the growing season.


You need:
Tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, spices and flavouring. Use a good quality curry powder for best results.
• 750 ml bottle vinegar (white gives the best presentation)
• 3kg (6lb) green tomatoes
• 1kg (2lb) onions
• small handful of salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1kg (2lb) sugar
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard powder (or seeds)
Method:
Chop the onions and tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, mix well in a bowl, then leave to stand overnight.

Next day drain off the fluid. Add three quarters of the vinegar, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, bring back to the boil, stirring, then boil for one hour, stirring often.

Mix the remaining vinegar with the dry ingredients. Add to the pot and stir until well combined. Boil 5 minutes, then bottle and seal.

Sally tells us this is "...the best and easiest pickle recipe she's ever come across".

Green Tomato Cake

This spiced green tomato cake is surprisingly delicious, and it's a great way to use green tomatoes before the frost gets them.

Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes
• coconut (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat sugar, vegetable oil or shortening, eggs and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; slowly beat into egg mixture. Blend well. Stir in pecans, raisins and tomatoes.
Pour into greased 9x13-inch pan. Top with coconut if desired. Bake for one hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. .
Serves 12.

Green Tomato Pickles

Green Tomato Pickles Chef: Sally Wise
Chilly nights and frost on the ground? This easily-made pickle's a good way to use up those green tomatoes you get at the end of the growing season.


You need:
Tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, spices and flavouring. Use a good quality curry powder for best results.
• 750 ml bottle vinegar (white gives the best presentation)
• 3kg (6lb) green tomatoes
• 1kg (2lb) onions
• small handful of salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1kg (2lb) sugar
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard powder (or seeds)
Method:
Chop the onions and tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, mix well in a bowl, then leave to stand overnight.

Next day drain off the fluid. Add three quarters of the vinegar, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, bring back to the boil, stirring, then boil for one hour, stirring often.

Mix the remaining vinegar with the dry ingredients. Add to the pot and stir until well combined. Boil 5 minutes, then bottle and seal.

Sally tells us this is "...the best and easiest pickle recipe she's ever come across".
green tomato cake

This spiced green tomato cake is surprisingly delicious, and it's a great way to use green tomatoes before the frost gets them.
Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes
• coconut (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat sugar, vegetable oil or shortening, eggs and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; slowly beat into egg mixture. Blend well. Stir in pecans, raisins and tomatoes.
Pour into greased 9x13-inch pan. Top with coconut if desired. Bake for one hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. .
Serves 12.

Workshop Dates

Dates for the next series of workshops have been set. The Thursday workshops will be held between 4.30pm and 6pm. The Saturday workshops will be between 8.30am and 10.30am. The dates are:

Thursday, 24 Febraury 2011 - Governance Workshop
Saturday, 26 February, 2011 - Hands On Workshop

Thursday, 24 March 2011 - Governance Workshop
Saturday, 26 March 2011 - Hands On Workshop

Thursday, 28 April 2011 - Governance Workshop
Saturday, 30 April 2011 - Hands On Workshop

Thursday, 26 May 2011 - Governance Workshop
Saturday, 28 May 2011 - Hands On Workshop

Thursday, 23 June 2011 - Governance Workshop
Thursday, 25 June 2011 - Hands On Workshop

Topics are yet to be advised by Dan.

Today I am picking up tyres for the seating circle. Premium Tyres at Dapto have been very helpful. In no time they have collected us up 30 tyres - only 30 to go.

We are still looking for someone to do the design for our Nursery and oversee the building of this - does anyone know someone who may be able to do this for us?

Don't forget the Working Bee on Saturday from 8am.