"Our Seeds": The Promo

Growing Pumpkin, Marrow, Squash & Radishes in Victoria, Australia

Pumpkin Radish

Growing Mustard, Okra, Onions and Potatoes in Victoria, Australia

I have wanted to know how to grow Okra here, we tried once. It came up and died. Who knew we had this book with the information.

Mustard Potatoes

Growing Melons & Mushrooms in Victoria, Australia

Melons Mushrooms

Growing Kohl Rabi, Leeks, Edive & Lettuce in Victoria, Australia

Kohl Rabi Lettuce

Growing Cucumbers, Egg Plant & Fennel in Victoria, Australia

Chicory Fennel

Growing Vegetables in Victoria, Australia

Yesterday I showed some detail of this book, now I am going to start at the start lol. We have found it to be very practical.

Contents Optimised

Growing Artichokes, Asparagus and Beans in Victoria, Australia

This is the first of a series of things from a book Vegetables in the home garden, Tenth edition. 1976 Department of Agriculture Victoria. I hope to put one up every week. It is from our own books, we used this book to grow our vegetables back in the 80s.

Artichokes Beans

Soup Kitchen ~ Budget Vegetarian Menu

Last fortnight we had two nights of left-overs and a couple of swaps

~ Spicy Chickpea Casserole with Feta
~ Kransky Soup, we shouted ourselves some sausages for this meal as it is a favourite

so some recipes left over:


Monday ~ Roasted Pumpkin with Bok Choy Lentil Soup
Tuesday ~ Tomato & Borlotti Bean Soup
Wednesday ~ Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup
Thursday ~ Perfect Potato Gnocchi
Friday ~ Curried Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

and so on to recipes made with this:

Saturday: Polenta & Corn Bake
Sunday: Vegetable Spring Rolls
Monday: Vegetarian Japanese Pancakes
Tuesday: Vegetable & Noodle Stir-fry (uses vermicelli noodles, red capsicum for the list, with snow peas, broccoli)

I may leave it there. I am unable to go shopping myself as my husband has to go out that day to go to the dentist, and I have to be home for the kids, as the dentist is over two hours away. So we may top up the food on the Wednesday, if it fits in with my bills. I will make up a list for the essentials and he will do his usual milk, cheese and washing powder run, and I will order bread to be delivered online which I usually do. Turns out I have ingredients for these recipes, just need a small amount of extras like mayonnaise and gerkins etc. I will be able to have the list ready from this menu for Wednesday.

Wednesday ~ Penne with Pumpkin Sauce
Thursday ~ Spaghettini with Smashed Buttery Peas
Friday ~ Country Bean Risotto
Saturday ~ Spicy Beans
Sunday ~ Potato & Egg Salad
Monday ~ Classic Pumpkin Soup


Interesting recipes: Cabbage Vadai Fritters (made with red lentils) I have been paying better attention to the food blogs on Belinda's sidebar. Also Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup a bit like the one we used to make, will have to check mine one day. My husband had the recipe out to show his friend, here it is:

Cream of Artichoke Soup

80g (3oz) butter
2 large onions, sliced
1kg (2lb) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced
1 1/4 cups water
3 1/2 cups milk
salt, pepper
3 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons extra milk
1 egg
5 tablespoons cream
paprika

Melt butter and fry onion until soft but not brown. Add artichokes, water, milk, salt & pepper. Bring to the boil and cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until artichokes are tender. Put into blender, blend until smooth and return to pan. Mix flour with extra milk and stir into soup. Bring to the boil while stirring, simmer 2 minutes. Beat egg and add cream. Stir this mixture into soup, and reheat but do not boil. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately. Garnish with paprika.



An interesting preserve recipe if I ever get a cumquat tree. Pickled Cumquats

A Simple Vegetable Garden ~ So Important in History

How many of you learnt about genetics at school? I was so amazed today when asked to type out some information for my son about Gregor Johann Mendel from our encyclopedia so he could use it in his project. He isn't near the book hence the typing.

Gregor Johan Mendel (1822-1884), an Austrian botanist and monk, formulated the basic laws of heredity. His experiments with the breeding of garden peas led to the development of the science of genetics.

Mendel was born in Heinzendort, Austria. His parents were poor peasants. Mendel was an excellent student, and he decided to become a teacher. Many teachers at that time were priests. Therefore, in 1843, at the age of 21, Mendel entered the monastery of St. Thomas in Brunn, Austria. He came a priest in 1847.

The monastery was a scientific as well as a religious centre, and Mendel was exposed to many scholars there. In 1851, the monastery sent him to study science and mathematics at the University of Vienna. He returned to the monastery in 1853 and taught biology and physics at a local high school for the next 14 years. Mendel's fame came from his research in the monastery garden during those years.

In his experiments, Mendel studied the inheritance of seven pairs of traits in the garden pea plants and in their seeds. These pairs included (1) rounded or wrinkled seeds and (2) tall or short plants.

Mendel's results were published in 1866, but they remained unnoticed for 34 years. (World Book Encyclopedia)

Agricultural Show

Today my girls and Dad went to the Agricultural Show which is like a County Fair. We won a few prizes, which was pretty good I thought. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a section for our apple sauce, they only offered tomato and plum, which is fair enough I suppose.

Our dog got two show ribbons, second place ones. My youngest daughter entered a doll and did a floral saucer and got two red second place cards. My middle daughter got a first prizes for her photography, and a caterpillar made from the tomatoes she grew herself.

Winter Squash Bread

Below is the recipe for the winter squash or acorn squash bread that I made a few years ago (2006). I had bought some seeds from Eden Seeds called Table Queen.

Squash Bread

Equally delicious for breakfast, snack or as a light dessert, this honey sweetened loaf can be spread with low-fat cream cheese or whipped butter. To warm: Wrap thick slices in a paper towel and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds on high.


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup pureed cooked winter squash*

On a plate, sift together first six ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar and honey together until light and fluffy.


Beat in egg and egg white. Add squash puree and beat until smooth.


Fold in dry ingredients. Turn into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.


Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about one hour. Remove from the oven, let stand in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack or cake plate to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Variation:

Squash Bread with Nut Topping

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

After Step 4, pour melted butter over the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake as directed above. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

I found the recipe here.

I found peeling the squash difficult, I don't have the knack, they have ribs in the sides of them. They are a really interesting vegetable. I really enjoyed Betty Crockers Fall Pork Dinner. I was very good at interpreting US recipes then as I did it often. I used a scone mix from the supermarket to make it with, and saladas.


Three Acorn Squashes