Dig it

DIGGING in a new vegetable bed or three is so satisfying.

 

On the weekend I finally planted out some vegetables including three varieties of tomato - Tommy Toe, Rouge de Marmalade and Burke's Backyard best - kale, climbing beans, basil and broad beans.

 

 

Preparing the beds took longer than I thought as previous owners have dumped bricks, stones, china, plaster and all manner of rubbish in the yard and sifting and removing the junk form the soil was a job and a half.

 

Luckily I managed to get this all finished just as the rain started.

 

Roll on summer!

 

Here I have put in paths using some of the old pavers I found stacked

under some grass clippings.

 

Rouge de Marmalade planted in front of the beans which will grow and hide the back fence.

To the right are some jacaranda trees and an old fuchsia whose days are numbered as I have to dig out the surrounding running-bamboo.

 

The hens commence digging up the lawn for my new tomato garden.

Winter on the Farm

This is a lovely cookbook that reads like a memoir.

A rare combination of a love letter to cooking, family and farm.

Evans most recent cookbook (July 2011) gently showcases the food he cooks for his family at Puggle Farm in Tasmania, also the setting for his popular TV series 'The Gourmet Farmer'.

When it’s time to swap cotton sheets for flannelette, thongs for boots and your straw gardening hat for a beanie, you can’t but help thinking of hearty soups, slow braised casseroles, yummy puddings, velvety roasted vegetables… and treats to eat while drinking hot tea.

I for one have become addicted the delicious, healthy and dead-easy-to-cook Paprika Braised Chickpeas with Kale - a single great reason to grow this vegie. 

Another cook book you will actually use, again and again.