Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Herbs

I normally get up, cook The Wife breakfast, drink as much coffee as I can, read the net news and blogs, get ready and walk out the door muttering my mantra, phone, wallet, keys.

This is fairly important, I can't live without the iPhone on the road and I need fuel every other day and the chances are I'll be 100+ km away from home when I need it.

Of course when I do forget my wallet and fill my tank before I realize it, it's when I'm doing one call at the bottom end of the coast before going to work on the north of Brisbane.

Which brings me strangley, to food. Normally I work flat out, without breaks, snacking as I go, but on the occasions when I hit midday (I start about half five) and know I won't get home for a substansial snack, I give in to my completely stupid cravings for hungry jacks. It's irrational, because I kicked most junk takeaway years ago and every time I eat there I'm comparing it to my beautiful sour cream burger I pump out at lantanaland.

So- no more HJ this year.

But I'm starving about 3pm as I start back down the coast to my fuel bill and I start dreaming about herbs. Not the herbs you traditionaly grow around Beenleigh in 10 acres of lantana, but kitchen herbs. I grow now chives, parsley, basil, horseradish, coriander, rosemary, bay, lavender, thyme, oregano, chilli and lemongrass. I'd like to grow and make part of my everyday cooking chervil, tarragon, dill, sage, juniper and sorrel. I'm thinking I might get another old wheelbarrow so I can move it around the garden for variable sun. Whatever I do, now is the time to start, I'm off to www.edenseeds.com.au

Oh and if anyone has good cucumber recipes, pass them along, I'm swimming in them.


Lantanaland from the iPhone

3 comments:

  1. That wasn't the 'herbs' that came to mind.

    Quite the array of spices you're growing! And a fine looking garden there.

    How do you process the horseradish? That stuff's nasty to work with-burns the eyes and respiratory system big time. Horseradish is good on roast beef, though.

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  2. ha ha the wife said that people might think thats mine, unfortunately not, it was dark when i was writing and i didn't have a pic i liked....

    haven't used the horseradish yet, not really established enough, but i'm keen to. I got it and kava at the same time

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  3. 8 cups sliced cucumber
    2 cups sliced onions
    1 tbsp SALT
    1 & hf cup vinegar
    2 teas celery seed
    2 teas mustard seed
    2 cups sugar
    Salt cue & onion. Let stand for least hour. Drain. Mix remaining & jar. Best to fridge...sometimes it oxidises. I Think this depends on the salting process. you want to rid of as much water as possible.
    Great recipe -it doesn't get rid of nearly asmany cues as you want to mind!
    I feed excess to ducks -they love it
    Nice work beeso! i'm working on a visit. I haven't bred any birds-maybe fox or goanna troubles - no evidence, no remains only a few feathers......hhmmm

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