Home made apple labels

I will never now forget which apples I've stored for the winter.

Making cheese

I has some milk that has turned so I made it into paneer. It was a very simple process and the resulting cheese is mild and creamy. I did use real full-fat milk.

Making cider

I hired the Melbourne Area Transition apple press tonight to make a demijohn of cider. I added a tsp of yeast and the first couple of days will start the fermentation off without the airlock and just with a bit of tissue in the hole. The apple press was so easy to use and I did not get hoardes of family members offering to help but managed quite ok on my own.

Melbourne Food Festival 2013

Beetroot cake and fresh veg dips

Delicious tasters at Melbourne Festival - made by Jo

Redcurrant wine

Last year, with a glut of redcurrants, I made redcurrant cordial which nobody really liked, so about 3 months ago I decided to make it into wine. It was really simple - I put two bottles of cordial in a Demi-John and topped up with water, added a tsp of yeast, and that was it. It's the most beautiful, jewel-coloured rosé wine and tastes good too (better than the cordial!). I've racked off today as there was a lot of sediment. I think I might make some more now.

Figs

Figs from our tree. The two year old fig bush in a pot outside the back door has produced about 10 delicious figs this year.

Racking off rhubarb wine

I made this wine back in the Spring. I think rhubarb makes the best home-made white which is very drinkable. I find some garden wines too heavy. I'm racking it off to another container but actually there is surprisingly little sediment so it won't be long until it goes into bottles. You have to taste it when racking off as you get a mouthful anyway, and it looks like it's going to be good.

Squash Supper

 


Local Squash stuffed with chicken curry and Garden Corriander.

Beautiful organic cauliflower

This beauty was grown in the school garden and picked and eaten by the children today. Thank you to Swarkestone Nurseries for the donation of the plug plants.

Artichokes again

Baby carrots and fennel

This is the first year I've grown fennel and I'm thrilled with how it's coming on. Can't wait to taste it.

Organic strawberries

Today we picked 4.9 kg of strawberries from the garden which at Tesco organic prices are worth about £40!

All homegrown summer salad

 

 

This salad had shredded lettuce, mange tout peas, broccoli and baby carrots in with an oriental dressing made with soya sauce.

Elderflower champagne

Use empty plastic water bottles, which should be sterile.

 

36 elderflower heads

1 lemon

680g caster sugar or granulated sugar works fine too

2tbsp white wine vinegar

4.5 litres water

 

Make sure there are as few insects as possible on your elderflowers. 

 

Put them in a clean bucket along with the juice of the lemon, its rind without any pith, sugar and vinegar.

Add the cold water and leave 24 hours.

 

Stir from time to time to dissolve sugar.

 

Strain through muslin into sterilised bottles.  Screw on tops.

 

Leave 2 weeks.  Check fizziness and let off excess build-up.

Artichokes

These grown from seed last year and really productive now in forest garden. Yummy with French dressing.

Edible lime - Tilia Cordata

Lovely eaten raw in salads.  The leaves are best when young, so it is a good idea to coppice the tree every few years to keep it manageable with lots of new leaves. 

Alpine strawberries

 

I love these tiny little alpine strawberries.  They have quite a different taste to normal strawberries, more like little sweets.  Best eaten straight from the bush - I have been snacking on them whilst working in the Forest Garden. 

New bees in top-bar hive

First strawberries