Raw Tomato sauce in a jiffy

Tags

Cook, food processor, garlic, home, home grown, honey, olive oil, organic, Pizza, raw, raw unfiltered Honey, recipe, Ripe homegrown tomatoes, sauce, sundried tomato, tomato, Tomato sauce

Invariably at this time of year I have a glut of tomatoes, so here is an idea to use up that extra surplus.

Ingredients :

Ripe homegrown tomatoes – 1 cup ( cut in half)

Sun dried homegrown tomatoes – 1/2 cup (softened in a little hot water)

Large clove homegrown garlic – (processed)

Glob of raw unfiltered Honey (from your hive)

pinch of salt.

Method : Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend.

This tomato sauce is delicious on Pizzas, toasted sandwiches, crackers, chip dip. In fact let your imagination be run wild as to how you use this tasty sauce. The sauce stores well in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

This post was shared on Wild-crafting Wednesday 

Green Fig Preserve

Tags

carbonated soda, Christmas, christmas puddings, cooking, Ficus, fig, food, fruit, gardening, home, Lemonade, pantry shelves, preserve, recipe, Syrup, vegetarian

Most Afrikaner grew up in homes where rows and rows of jams, pickles and chutneys were stuffed into pantry shelves, jostling for position – a legacy of an era where everything edible had to be preserved in some way or another. Groenvyekonfyt (green fig preserve) may not have originated in the Afrikaner kitchens but almost every home had a couple of jars squirreled away for special occasions and it was served with cheese or bread and butter, turned into cakes and tarts and at Christmas, became an essential ingredient in the trifles and Christmas puddings inherited from the British.

1. Select figs which are plump, with no cavity inside.

2. Scrape and wash the figs. Make an incision in the shape of a cross at the blossom end of the fig. Weigh.

3. Soak over night in a solution of  Bi-carbonated soda, 2 (T) soda to 3,5 liters of water.

4. Rinse fruit, place in boiling water, and boil for about 15 minutes until tender. Use the water to make the syrup.

5. Press out the water and gradually put figs into boiling syrup. Use 2 cups sugar for every 500gs fruit, and for extra syrup 1 cup per every 375ml water. Prepare 1,5l (6 cups) of extra syrup to add when necessary.

6. Add a few cloves, cinnamon sticks and bruised pieces of ginger and 3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice for every 3kg fruit.

7. Boil rapidly for about 2 hours in the syrup until the fruit is clear and the syrup thick.

8. Pack into clean sterilized jars, fill with syrup and seal.

Tip: Test the syrup by allowing a little to cool in a spoon and then pouring it from the spoon. It should stick together and not fall in separate drops.

Allow to mature for 6 weeks.

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Garden revamp

Tags

barren ground, buffalo lawn, feature garden, Flowers, garden, garden renovation, Gardens, home, Home and Garden, mature garden, organic, plant, plants, water feature

The 25000 plugs of Buffalo Lawn planted

a view to the Wate feature

This wall is going to have mirrors placed on it

The water feature

Random pots

Vebfore

Before

before

Six years ago I was called into this garden to create a feature garden out of barren ground. We created the water feature and gravelled the vast majority of it. Recently a Ficus in the garden had to be removed which upset the now mature garden. My client was very thrifty in saving all her plants by potting them up. As you can imagine there was a huge mess after the tree had been removed.

The new detail was to remove the gravel , rearrange the pavers and plant up with Buffalo lawn plugs all 25000 of them.

Bee boles and skeps

Tags

Bee, Bee boles, Bee skep, Beehive, garden, history, home, honeybee, insect, Lost gardens of Heligan, Middle Ages, organic

A Peep into the world of Bee boles

These Bee-boles are part of a large wall with 15 vaulted chambers to house bees – the forerunner of modern beehives – bees were very important to gardens as they pollinated the plants and supplied honey and wax.

For centuries, beekeepers have used “skeps,” carefully designed domed baskets, to house their hives. Bees need a clean, dry place to make a home

Skeps, which are baskets placed open-end-down, have been used for about 2000 years. Initially they were made from wicker plastered with mud and dung but from the Middle Ages they were made of straw. In northern and western Europe, skeps were made of coils of grass or straw. In its simplest form, there is a single entrance at the bottom of the skep. Again, there is no internal structure provided for the bees and the colony must produce its own honeycomb, which is attached to the inside of the skep.

Lost Gardens of Heligan

How to make a Bee skep

 

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The productive garden

Tags

Artichoke, beans, companion planting, espalier, Flowers, food, garden, gardening, gourd, health, Heligan, heritage varieties, home, home grown, kale, organic, pear, Personal, plant, pumpkin, saving seed, The Lost gardens of Heligan, Victorian garden, Zinnia

The Productive Gardens at Heligan have been restored to reflect the workings of a Victorian garden before the First World War. Heligan remains true to this period in the cropping plan, growing only heritage varieties and cultivating the soil by hand. The garden is fully productive throughout the year and there is a constant supply of produce ready for harvest.

The pears are grown espaliered  along the boundary walls

These beans are being saved for seed.

The Artichokes in their final Summer flush.

Pumpkins ready for harvest.

Many different types of Kale

The garden planting plan.

Zinnias grown for companion planting.  These old-time plants attract a wide range of beneficial pollinator insects, including endangered bumblebees; attract a number of song birds and hummingbirds, and zinnias are relatively easy to grow and maintain. Their usefulness goes beyond wildlife and the garden, they are also excellent cut flowers for the home or for sale.

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20 useful Lemon tips

Tags

Assam, Beverages, cooking, Environmentally friendly, fruit, home, household purposes, household tips, Lemon, organic, zest

 

 

Lemons – a fruit with a wonderful fragrance, great in food and beverages, but also very handy for multiple purposes around the home!

 

Lemons have been cultivated by humans for over a thousand years. The fruit is mentioned in tenth century Arabic literature, but was probably first grown in Assam, India.

 

Lemons are high in vitamin C, have an anti-bacterial effect and are thought to possess antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. The juice consists of about 5% acid, which also makes them useful for a variety of household purposes. Lemons and/or lemon juice are a popular addition in environmentally friendly cleaning applications.

 

20 useful Lemon tips

 

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Magical Unicorn

Tags

Atlanta, Atlanta Botanical Garden, canopy walk, demonstration kitchen, Edible Garden, fantasy, Gardens, home, Imaginary Worlds – the Art of Fantasy, magical unicorn, Midtown, nature, outdoor demonstration, Piedmont Park, plants, spectacular exhibitions

Have you seen one of these in your garden lately? This one can be found in the Atlanta Botanical garden .

Renowned plant collections, beautiful displays, and spectacular exhibitions make the Atlanta Botanical Garden the loveliest place in town to visit in every season. An urban oasis in Midtown, the Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award-winning Children’s Garden, a one-of-a-kind Canopy Walk through Storza Woods, and the innovative Edible Garden featuring an Outdoor Demonstration Kitchen.

This garden is on my bucket list

Some handy household tips

Tags

bicarbonate of soda, Boiling, cooking, home, household tips, Parboil, shopping, Sodium bicarbonate, Soups and Stews, Stainless steel, Toilet, vinegar

1. Roasting potatoes – Parboil, roll in oil, then in flour, roast. Result lovely golden outer crust.

2. Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda under paper lining in bread tin and bread will remain fresher.

3. Add 1 tsp vinegar to water in which you wish to poach an egg if you have no poaching pan. It helps coagulate the white neatly.

4. Cream that is very thick can be brought to pouring consistency by stirring in a very small amount of iced water.

5. Slightly old cream is freshened by adding a little bicarbonate of soda.

6. To crisp wilted lettuce stand it in a little water in which you have placed a piece of coal.

7. Ants, sprinkle a little borax around, or some baby powder.

8. To remove ballpoint or koki pen – moisten with methylated spirits and wash in cold water.

9. To remove ink – soak in sour milk or lemon juice and salt.

10. To remove coffee stains – use borax and boiling water.

11. To clean tarnished brass – soak in brown vinegar over night, wash in cold water.

12. If a saucepan has been burnt – pour in cold water and vinegar and boil slowly for 1/2 hour. The surface will then clean easily.

13. To remove smells – baby vomit of fridge odors – wipe with a mixture of 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda to 600ml water.

14. Before cutting onions, dip your fingers in vinegar to prevent the smell from adhering to your hands.

15. Vinegar mixed with lukewarm water is excellent for washing down leather, carpets or upholstery to remove unpleasant odors such as baby’s vomit or cat’s wee.

16. Blunt scissors? Cut through a piece of sandpaper to sharpen.

17. Too salty soup? Slices of raw potato added to the soup absorbs the saltiness.

18. Shoes pinch? Place a freshly peeled potato in the shoe and leave overnight, helps the leather expand and shoes to fit better.

19. To keep stainless steel in tip top condition rub with a few drops of baby oil or olive oil on a soft cloth.

20. To remove chewing gum from fabric or hair – soak with a little paraffin and rub between the thumbs. Wash out with soap and warm water.

 

Raw pickled Beetroot

Tags

Apple, Apple Cider Vinegar, Beetroot, Cook, dinner, food, home, home grown, honey, olive oil, organic, pantry shelf, pickled beetroot, raw, recipes, vegetarian, vinegar

After looking around for a recipe for raw pickled beetroot and finding no recipes like this I invented my own…

 

Wash and peel beetroot, slice into thin slices. Place in glass jar, cover with Apple Cider vinegar, add 1 teaspoon of Honey, close lid tight and store for a month before eating.

Delicious and one for the pantry shelf

 

Green Fig Preserve

Tags

carbonated soda, Christmas, christmas puddings, cooking, Ficus, fig, food, fruit, gardening, home, Lemonade, pantry shelves, preserve, recipe, Syrup, vegetarian

Most Afrikaner grew up in homes where rows and rows of jams, pickles and chutneys were stuffed into pantry shelves, jostling for position – a legacy of an era where everything edible had to be preserved in some way or another. Groenvyekonfyt (green fig preserve) may not have originated in the Afrikaner kitchens but almost every home had a couple of jars squirreled away for special occasions and it was served with cheese or bread and butter, turned into cakes and tarts and at Christmas, became an essential ingredient in the trifles and Christmas puddings inherited from the British.

1. Select figs which are plump, with no cavity inside.

2. Scrape and wash the figs. Make an incision in the shape of a cross at the blossom end of the fig. Weigh.

3. Loak over night in a solution of  Bi-carbonated soda, 2 (T) soda to 3,5 liters of water.

4. Rinse fruit, place in boiling water, and boil for about 15 minuted until tender. Use the water to make the syrup.

5. Press out the water and gradually put figs into boiling syrup. Use 2 cups sugar for every 500gs fruit, and for extra syrup 1 cup per every 375ml water. Prepare 1,5l (6 cups) of extra syrup to add when necessary.

6. Add a few cloves, cinnamon sticks and bruised pieces of ginger and 3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice for every 3kg fruit.

7. Boil rapidly for about 2 hours in the syrup until the fruit is clear and the syrup thick.

8. Pack into clean sterilized jars, fill with syrup and seal.

Tip: Test the syrup by allowing a little to cool in a spoon and then pouring it from the spoon. It should stick together and not fall in separate drops.

Allow to mature for 6 weeks.