Pine Cones

Over the past week or two I have collected pine cones in Botanic Park on my bike trips to and from work.

I have filled each of the fire place grates with them.  They make a great decoration but will burn well too the next time we light a fire.

Pine-cones for the fire.

'They are best,' she said.

'Because they burn at the heart

And burn long,

Even smothered with ash.'

From Jennifer Strauss, "Pine-cones and My Grandmother."

An Abundance of Eggs

Not knowing that I have chickens of my own, a new friend came bearing a gift of her hens' eggs. 

My friend has five hens and three people in her family, so has many eggs to spare.  I have two hens and six family members, so ration my eggs more carefully

It is wonderful to share such abundance.

A Quiet Day

A quiet day in a quiet house -

and a sick child to take care of.

The Beauty of the Plain

"There is more sincere refinement in the clean, bare floors, spotless pantries and sweet, airy bedrooms of plain homes where pictures and books are luxuries, than in fine houses where everything is attended to save the cardinal virtues of health and neatness."

Anna Maria's Housekeeping, 1884

Harvesting Horseradish

A few days ago I harvested the horseradish in my garden.  

The part of horseradish that you eat is the roots, and they are ready when the plant begins to die off in late autumn.  Any little bits of root left in the ground will shoot again in spring.

You need to wash the roots carefully then peel them and grind them up, either in a food processor or mortar and pestle.  Watch out, though; the fumes are extremely pungent!

To keep the ground horseradish, mix with a little vinegar or lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then store in the refrigerator in a jar.

Horseradish sauce is a traditional accompaniment to roast beef. 

Horseradish Sauce

Horseradish

1tsp flour

1tsp mustard

150ml cream*

1tsp vinegar

salt and pepper

Grate a horseradish root finely and mix with flour, a pinch of salt and pepper, and mustard.  Stir in cream and vinegar.

*some recipes recommend whipped cream

Double Yolker

A few days ago one of our chooks produced her first double-yolker.  It was the biggest egg that I have ever seen.

And it was delicious poached on toast for breakfast.  Look at the colour of that yolk!

Essential Edibles Urban Orchard June 2011

Today is the first Sunday in the month, which means, for me, that the Essential Edibles Urban Orchard is on from 9 am until 11 am at Joslin Reserve.

An initiative of the the Joslin group of Sustainable Communities SA, Essential Edibles is an opportunity for backyard growers of vegetables and fruit, herbs, flowers, eggs and native plants to share and swap their produce, seeds and preserves.  No money changes hands and nobody goes home empty-handed.

Today I contributed lavender, rosemary, thyme, green onions and some very late basil, eggplants and chillis.

 I came home with two bay branches (I'm going to dry the bay leaves), a lot of mandarins, and some salvia and native hibiscus cuttings.

 The convenors recently started a Facebook page which you can find if you search 'Essential Edibles Urban Orchard'.  Please 'like' us to receive updates about group events and related issues.