WHILE you wake up on a shivering morning wishing for summer, outside some plants are thriving despite the icy cold.
Coriander is one herb which thrives in winter and seeds like crazy, without going to seed as it so often does in summer.
While I have planted out some pots in a sunny area of my deck, which is handy for when i need a small amount when cooking, I've also allowed one garden bed with coriander to self-seed.
Now it's popping up like crazy - just as well as I'm enjoying using the tasty herb as a key ingredient in soups, casseroles and even breads.
Here's a recipe for coriander chilli chicken I'm going to give a whirl next weekend.
LENTILS are coming into their own as winter rolls on.
You have to love 'em - delicious, nutritious, easy to cook and as cheap as chips.
And as the coriander is going gangbusters and the two go so well together, it seems rude not to combine them.
Yesterday in between weeding, removing old bean plants and keeping the hens out of the brassica beds, I made a big pot of red lentil and vegetable soup.
I meant to save it for dinner and then decant into smaller containers for lunch this week, but it smelled so yummy I did have a bowl for elevenses.
Alison's Red Soup
Ingredients
I x pkt red lentils
1 x onion, chopped
1/2 of a big pumpkin, chopped
1 x red capsicum, chopped
3 x carrots, chopped
2 x tins of chopped Italian tomatoes
handful of coriander chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 litres water
Method
Rinse lentils then place in deep heavy bottomed casserole dish with water
Simmer for 25 minutes, removing foamy scum
Add carrots, capsicum, pumpkin, tomatoes, spices and cover with more water if needed
Simmer for an hour
Vitamise smooth
Serve with Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of coriander
