Lemongrass

Tags

athletes foot, brinjals, companion plant, Cymbopogon citratus, fleas, food, gardening, herbs, home grown, insect repellant, lemon grass, marinade, Mosquitoes, organic, plants, skin ailments, stirfries, sweet potatoes, Thai cooking, ticks, tomato

Lemongrass – Cymbopogon citratus

Lemon grass originates from Southern India and Sri Lanka. It has long been characteristic of Far Eastern Cuisines. It has found it’s place in Gourmet dishes as well as fragrant toiletries around the world. Apart from culinary and cosmetic uses, Lemon grass has an array of medicinal properties.

To increase your stock of Lemon grass, divide it by pulling apart sections. Potted Lemon grass should be divided every two years. It makes a good companion plant with sweet potatoes, peppers, brinjals and tomatoes. Lemon grass requires full sun.

Uses :

Culinary :

• Delicious as a tea.
• The chopped base of the leaf cluster is used in Thai cooking.
• Delicious with cheese, egg and fish dishes
• Flavouring for marinades, oils, sauces and stir fries.

Medicinal:

• Lemon grass stimulates cell regeneration.
• Soothes intestinal infections
• A strong infusion can be used as a deodorant.
• Soothes fever, colitis, digestive upset, muscular pain,poor circulation,skin ailments and stress related conditions.

Cosmetic :

• Useful for treating most skin ailments.’
• Athlete’s foot
• foot bath and massage.
• Essential Oil diluted in carried oil, will deter mosquitoes, ticks, fleas.

Gardening : 

• Lemon grass insect repelling spray can be used on insect infected plants.
• Watered over beds where seeds will be sown, to protect them from predators.
• Soak pea and bean seed in  Lemon grass tea to have bumper crops.
• Rub the inside of your hive when baiting bees.

 

 

 

Heart Tomatoes

Tags

food, health, heart health, heart problems, Heirloom Tomato, home grown, LDL cholesterol, organic, Pink Accordion, tomato

HEART tomato

This is another of my many Pink Accordion tomatoes. I can clearly see the shape of a HEART. It is often said that the fruit resembles the part of the body which it is good for. Upon doing some research this is what I found.

 

• Intake of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. In addition, tomato extracts have been shown to help prevent unwanted clumping together (aggregation) of platelet cells in the blood – a factor that is especially important in lowering risk of heart problems like atherosclerosis. (In a recent South American study of 26 vegetables, tomatoes and green beans came out best in their anti-aggregation properties.) But only recently are researchers beginning to identify some of the more unusual phytonutrients in tomatoes that help provide us with these heart-protective benefits. One of these phytonutrients is a glycoside called esculeoside A; another is flavonoid called chalconaringenin; and yet another is a fatty-acid type molecule called 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid. As our knowledge of unique tomato phytonutrients expands, we are likely to learn more about the unique role played by tomatoes in support of heart health. Tomatoes are also likely to rise further and further toward the top of the list as heart healthy foods. 

Source :What’s New and Beneficial About Tomatoes

Pink Accordions

Tags

food, Heirloom Tomato, home grown, organic, Pink accordian, plants, tomato

Green and Pink

Accordion shapes

green

weighing in at 500 grams

cut in half

One of the most beautiful and expensive of all tomatoes, this unique, non-splitting fruit is ruffled like an accordion. The mild-tasting, soft, pink-fleshed fruit, with few seeds, are also semi-hollow so can be used for stuffing like a pepper.

 

 

RELATED ARTICLES :

I can’t think anything else (http://aristonorganic.com/2014/01/22/i-cant-think-anything-else/)

Down to Earth tomatoes ( http://aristonorganic.com/2014/01/07/down-to-earth-tomatoes/)

Heirloom tomato Pink  Accordian (http://aristonorganic.com/2013/05/24/heirloom-tomato-pink-accordian/

I can’t think anything else

Tags

food, heirloom, homegrown, organic, quotes, tomato

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
Lewis Grizzard

 

RELATED ARTICLES :

Heirloom tomatoes – Pink Accordian

Down to Earth Tomatoes

 

Down to Earth – Tomatoes

Tags

awards, food, gardening, health, Heirloom seed, Heirloom seeds, heirloom tomato seeds, home grown, organic, Pink accordian, plants, seed companies, tomato

Seeds which arrived in the mail from Stacey Weichert downtoearthdigs. How wonderful to receive Heirloom Tomato seeds in the post all the way from Janesville USA, and packaged so beautifully as well.  Thank you Stacey, I will blog about their progress and report back to you. I so look forward to tasting the fruit.

With the arrival of these seeds it got me researching the Definition of Heirloom seeds

Definition of Heirloom seeds :
The definition and use of the word heirloom to describe plants is fiercely debated.

One school of thought places an age or WILL date point on the cultivars. For instance, one school says the cultivar must be over 100 years old, others 50 years, and others prefer the date of 1945 which marks the end of World War II and roughly the beginning of widespread hybrid use by growers and seed companies.

Heirloom Plant

******************************************************************

Well finally we have passed mid-Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere and the fruit is setting.

Tomato – Pink Accordian

Grow Zone

My sincere thanks to Stacy Weichert of down to earthdigs for introducing me to these wonderful Heirloom Tomatoes. I cannot wait until the fruit ripens.

Related Articles :

Seeds from me (downtoearthdigs)

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 

Raw Lasagne

Tags

almond, basil, basil sauce, Cashew, cashew nut, clove garlic, food, garlic, lemon juice, meat free monday, mushroom, olive oil, organic, raw, raw almonds, raw cashew nuts, recipe, rosemary, sun-dried, sweet basil, Tahini, Tahini sauce, tomato, Tomato sauce, tsp lemon juice, vegan, vegetarian, Zucchini

Just reading this recipe makes my mouth water.

Cashew Cheeze

1 cup raw Cashew Nuts

1 cup raw almonds

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced

2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in food processor and blitz, tamping down the edges  until it resembles dough.

Tomato Sauce

1 cup sun-dried tomato reconstituted in warm water

1 small tomato

1 sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

1 chili (optional)

glob of honey

salt and pepper

Process all ingredients until a smooth paste forms.

Basil Sauce

1 cup fresh sweet basil

1 clove garlic

olive oil

Blitz all ingredients until a smooth paste is formed.

Other

Soak thinly sliced mushrooms in Tahini and Olive Oil for 1 hour

Mandolin a baby marrow. If you do not have a mandolin, use a potato peeler.

slice 1 tomato finely.

Construction

In a lasagna dish start with a layer of Cashew Cheeze, then tomato sauce, then mushrooms, baby marrow and tomato. Alternate layers. Top with basil sauce. Leave in refrigerator for an hour, to set.

My neighbor had this to say about it… WOW, such a fusion of delightful tastes.

Raw Lasagne

Featured on Wildcrafting Wednesday

 

September workshop – The Sunset Garden

Tags

Calendula, garden, gardening, gertrude jekyll, Home and Garden, home grown, organic, plants, red poppies, Seed, sunset garden, three gardens, tomato, ztl

Sonia, Shelley and Renata were full of SUN-shine when they created the

“Sunset garden.”

The J garden was past its prime and needed a huge rework.

Here Renata and Sonia discuss what seeds they are going to plant. Chili, Tomato, Bright Lights Spinach were decided upon.

Shelley found treasure of dozens of Calendula seedlings in Craig’s garden and proceeded to plant them in rows like the rays of the sun, radiating out from the pineapple.

The red poppies were left at the one corner and more lettuce was added.

The completed rework…. now all we need is a little rain, sunshine and patience.

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
Gertrude Jekyll

RELATED ARTICLES :

Workshops for 2013.

Learning to grow your own workshop 2 March

The April Elemental Organic – vegetable growing course

May Elemental Organic growing workshop – The Winter Garden

July workshop garden – ZTL garden (Zero to landfill)

 The August workshop – Three gardens in one

A sunny Winter day in Ariston

Tags

allotment gardens, compost heap, food, garden, gardening, home grown, organic, plants, rocket, spring bulbs, tomato, worm garden

The Lemon Tree is finally bearing better fruit.

The Winter Garden’s Beetroot

Bonnie’s broad beans are in full flower

Cara and Esther’s Spring bulbs.

Cara’s long slim Chili 

Car’s Compost Heap starting to mature.

Craig’s Peas look strong

Crocosmia which has escaped.

The fennel is growing rampantly.

The rocket is flowering in the J garden.

The tomatoes in the J garden are forming even though they are suffering from seasonal rust.

June’s Hibiscus is full of buds.

Lavender which has been harvested.

The Pelargoniums are in full flower.

The Pink Marguerite is making a stunning display.

The Winter garden Tyre potatoes are needing the next tyre.

The Spring Oxalis is starting to show and in full bud.

Bonnie’s peas are also growing fast.

Bonnie’s Bright light spinach looking so healthy.

 

 

The worm garden after weeding. Yes all the plants are taking and starting to grow strongly.

Meat free Monday – Egg salad

Tags

basil coriander, eggs, meat free monday, parsley, recipe, rocket, sprouts, sweet basil, tomato, vegetarian

Ingredients :

Tomato chopped

Eggs hard-boiled and chopped

Handful mixed sprouts

Rocket leaves

Flat leaf parsley

Sweet Basil

Coriander leaves

Salt and pepper

Mix all together, enjoy!