Recent gardening and baking adventures, February 2019

The recent heat has left my poor garden suffering a bit. While I have always subscribed to the theory that if a plant needs too much care then it is not the plant for me, I feel sad when circumstances such as weather conspire against my kitchen garden. I haven't planted anything new for awhile as the heat would shrivel anything I dared to put in. We haven't had rain in awhile so all my once prolific tomato and eggplants are stunted and fruitless. Having said that, I got out there one weekend and cut everything back and harvested what there was to be picked. I ended up with a bowl of hot chillies, a handful of shallots and some spring onions. They were all used and enjoyed, so I do feel a little joy in eating the fruits of my meagre harvest. 

Some of the cherry tomatoes that did end up surviving the heat were used in one of my focaccia loaves. Even these aren't immune from the heat and I severely overestimated my proofing times. I ended up with a very puffy loaf, which although it looked a bit odd, was still tasty and enjoyed. 

After coming back from holidays over the Christmas break, I got back into the swing of baking with Lorenzo again. He's such a resilient starter, and I missed him while we were away. Shop bought bread just doesn't do it for me anymore, when I know that I can bake my own and make it just the way I like them. I think Lorenzo was happy to see me too. He put on a lovely performance for this bake. These loaves used up the very last of my beloved Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel seasoning that a kind colleague from America brought over for me. I'm very sad about that as I haven't found another source and while I know Amazon have it, I cannot convince them to send it to Australia for me. There just isn't a comparible alternative seasoning I've found.

Although I usually shop at Coles, I find that Woolworths have really upped their game in vegan offerings of late. Over Christmas, they advertised a vegan loaf, and my philosophy is that if I don't support vegan offerings, they'll think people don't want it. So I ventured to buy one. It took me ages to find it, and I had to ask three assistants for help. Eventually we tracked it down. In the meat section. I see where they are going with that. The helpful assistant who found it also proudly pointed out the vegan patties and sausages too, located right next to the meat equivalents. The only way to tell them apart was the packaging was a slightly different green, and reading the label proclaimed they were plant based. I did try to find a link to the loaf, but it's disappeared from the site, so perhaps it was a seasonal special or others also found it hard to locate. Anyway, I saw them marked down after Christmas and bought another one to keep in the freezer. Here's what it looks like - the red thing on the bottom right of the plate. I think it was lentils, beets and a few other things. To be honest, it wasn't that great, and I probably wouldn't have continued to buy them, but I applaud Woolworths for trying (they constantly have new vegan and gluten free options advertised).

I served that loaf with maple carrots, peas (at the small man's request), some creamy potato bake (I use almond milk and haven't had any complaints). Also, gravy, loads of gravy because... gravy is delicious, but also, that loaf was dry.

Finally, I have been experimenting with some baked vegan donuts lately because I bought a donut pan and I'm not having it in the house if I don't use it! I'm not sure I like them. I find them a bit dense and more like donut shaped cakes than anything else. I think it's obvious here though from the small hand sneaking in to grab one because he just could not wait for me to take my picture, that the kids do like them. So I've been making batches when the oven is on (like for baking sourdough, also visible in the picture!), trying out various ingredients in the hope that I'll hit upon a fabulous mix, and freezing the experiments for school lunches. Miss E is in year one this year, and has quite liked taking a donut to school. By the time lunch rolls around it's defrosted sufficiently to be tasty I'm told. So at least the freezer is filling with school lunch possibilities.

I am linking this into the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings. What's happening in your kitchen this month? Do you have any school lunch tips to share? Does anyone know where I can source more bagel seasoning? 

What's in my kitchen, November 2018

Forgive me readers, for I have been a bad blogger. I have nothing to say except that life is what happens when I'm trying to keep a bunch of balls in the air. I tend to be quite the perfectionist. If I can't do something well, then I like to not do it at all instead of putting in a half arsed effort. So blogging slips while I do my paid job, and while I do the thankless (but necessary) unpaid tasks that go along with raising a family. We have been busy at chez Fork. There have been birthdays and school events, there have been hospital visits (not me, but all is fine now!) and lots of follow up appointments to make sure that everything heals as it should (seems to be ok). There has been lots of family catch ups, lots of friends catch ups, and plenty of my usual baking adventures.
If this month seems a bit heavy on the processed foods, well, it is. For some reason, vegan food products have become much more prevalent in the supermarkets. It's easier than ever to walk down an aisle and find vegan products centre stage, not just pushed into a little hidden corner. And I have this thing where, if I see a vegan product that looks decently appealing, I need to buy it, because I feel like if I don't support them, they might stop making it and that would make me sad. So! Lots of (new-to-me) prepackaged things this month, although it does make my little eco-conscious heart sad too.

First of all, while not strictly in my kitchen, it was on my plate and it was delicious, so I can't resist sharing this amazing vegan from Todd and Pup. It's not on their new menu (sad face) but it was a tofu benedict liberally topped with a spiced cauliflower hollandaise sauce. It was delicious, filling and looked beautiful on my plate. I hadn't ever thought to make a vegan hollandaise before, but I can see that it would be appealing in a whole host of meals.

While I was with my in-laws at Costco, I spied this big tub of vegan cheddar cheese style slices. My eyes lit up with thoughts of melty burgers and toasted sandwiches. I had to have it. Sadly, it's very disappointing. It doesn't melt. It has an odd texture. It tastes weird... maybe too much coconut or something. However, I paid I think $15.99 for this 625g of sliced cheese approximation, and I will make it my mission to finish it because I hate waste - physical and economic. Its not too bad if I hide it in things and don't make it the feature of a meal. Buried in a sandwich with homemade pesto for extra flavour, or layered into a lasagna or under the potato of a lentil shepherd pie... well, then it's not so bad. Won't buy again.

One thing I can recommend is this Coles coconut spread. I've repurchased it several times now and I like it. There was another brand that brought out something similar at the same time, and it was almost double the price. I couldn't justify that, and this Coles version is good. I've had it on toast, in sandwiches and it also is good in baking. I had to send some dairy, nut, soy and egg free cakes to daycare for my kids birthdays (so many allergies in classes these days) and I used this spread instead of butter or Nuttelex. I made vegan cakes although neither of my children are vegan, but it was just easier to cater for the class allergies. They were a hit. Also, the spread is amazing.

As you can tell, I've done lots of broswing in the cold foods sections lately. Possibly because the weather has been extremely warm. Those fridges are awfully tempting. Sheese! I've heard lots of good things about it, so when I spied some, it was in my trolley quick smart! I'd tried the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese before and didn't really rate it so I was slower to open this tub than I was to buy it. I shouldn't have been. As far as cream cheese alternatives go, this one was pretty good. I had it on fresh baked sourdough english muffins, sprinkled with some of my precious and adored Everything But The Bagel seasoning (on that, please come to Australia Trader Joes so I can have a regular source!). So good. I also tried it with some of the Ikea seaweed balls I'd shared on a previous IMK. Good Sheese.

For a sweet treat - coconut milk chocolate mousse. Thank goodness these come in small containers because otherwise I'd eat my own body weight I think. Spread out over several desserts so I didn't feel greedy eating it all in one sitting, and served simply with some fresh berries, my sweet loving tastebuds were happy. Winner!

We had some friends over for dinner one night. I really wanted to feel included on the cheese board Mr Fork put together, so I found this tomato and basil vegan cheese to put on for me. Served alongside crackers, quince paste, pears and the other cheeses, I was a happy girl. While the cheese was ok it was definitely an obvious cheese substitute. It retained it's shape and while it had cheese intentions, it didn't quite make it. Regardless, it was nice on crackers and topped with sweet things. I can't remember how much it was exactly, but for the occasional treat if a cheeseboard is happening, I'd repurchase it.

I was also going to include Halloween goodies in my post, but funnily enough, the pickings looked quite sparse when I went to photograph them. I see my children have also inherited my sweet tooth! Christmas things are out in the stores and the year seems to have gone by all too quickly. Soon I'll need to start the Christmas baking. Lucky I don't make fruitcakes otherwise I can see myself sharing the liquor quite well with the cake! Then again... who needs the excuse of cake?! Happy November!

I am linking this into the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings. What's happening in your kitchen this month?

 I've had real trouble getting this post to format correctly and be viewable this month. Please just let me know if it looks or behaves oddly for you so I can (attempt) to fix things!

What's in my kitchen, June 2018

I know people who aren't in Queensland scoff when I say it's getting cold. For example, today, the temperature is expected to range from 8 - 22 degrees (Celsius) and was a chilly 12 when I was up making breakfast. My colleagues based in Melbourne often laugh at me when we are having video meetings and I'm encased in a woolly jacket and scarf while they are still walking around in t-shirts in much colder temperatures. What can I say, I'm thin blooded and feel the cold more! So, with that in mind, something that is back in my kitchen now that the weather has cooled down, are my old trusty Ugg boots... I do so appreciate toasty toes!

Leading into the end of financial year time, work starts to get very busy and the hours longer. I always have a snack drawer with various bits and pieces in it to tide me over, but of late I've noticed lots of sweets creeping in along with the porridge sachets and soup mixes. It feels like I hadn't had gummy anything for ages (due to gelatine) but lately I'm noticing lots of vegan friendly gummy things... like these highly addictive Sour Patch kids. It's hard to stop at one or two, but they're great for a sour/sweet sugary hit.

While grocery shopping, I like to walk methodically aisle by aisle, just looking at all the things available. My kids saw this in the jelly crystal section and couldn't walk past the glitter. Surprisingly, it's also another ninja vegan product, with no gelatine in it either. I didn't eat any, but both my children highly approved of it as a treat.

I had to pick up a few bits and pieces from Ikea recently, and as usual, I walked out with what I intended to get, and a haul of things I didn't know I needed but obviously did (hmmm). I like to look through the food hall after shopping and spied this vegan-friendly imitation black caviar. I had to have it, even though I've never eaten caviar in my life. I just like to support vegan friendly products when I see them, and the novelty of it tickled me. I don't actually know how to consume it - any suggestions?

While meeting a friend for a catch up at a vegan friendly bakery, the little man and I shared this piece of vegan carrot cake. I really loved that the cake was so moist and appropriately carrot and walnut packed. My child was rather taken with the icing more than the cake, although it's fair to say he also ate his share of the cake too. A definite winner. Cake is good anytime, but I especially appreciate it when served with coffee and eaten with friends.

I have wanted to try spaghetti squash as soon as I heard of them. They have always seemed illusive, and I thought it was just one of those things that wasn't to be had in Australia. However, I happened to be near a fruit shop I don't usually frequent and popped in for a look. They had half of a spaghetti squash for sale (and for a bargain 99c!) so I snapped it up. I scraped the seeds out, sprinkled it with a bit of olive oil and roasted it cut side down for about 40 minutes. I then used a fork to scrape the inside and all these glorious little strands resulted. I was pleasantly surprised at just how much flesh there was - it all easily detached from the skin. I served these little squash strands topped with a quick mushroom stroganoff sauce made with cashews for creaminess and it was delicious, but I think that was overkill. If I get my hands on another one, I think it would be best served more simply, maybe as a side dish with some good olive oil, salt and pepper.

I'm not-so-secretly hoping the seeds sprout from the compost. Mr Fork does not like me growing pumpkins on purpose as he is very proud of his lawn, and the pumpkin vines do tend to sprawl out of my garden space and take over whatever they touch. If one was to grow *accidentally* of course... well, it's like it was meant to be, right?!

Finally, talking of gardens, ripening on the windowsill of my kitchen (and visible behind the spaghetti squash above) are homegrown tomatoes. I'm not sure what variety they are, they are smaller than a roma but bigger than a cherry variety. They grow like a truss and are sweet and delicious with a good flavour. I think they might be from a heirloom variety I threw in and have just sprouted randomly. I am picking a handful daily and they make a nice addition to winter salads or just for snacking. 

I am linking this into the monthly In My Kitchen round-up, hosted by Sherry of Sherry's Pickings. What's happening in your kitchen this month?

What's in my kitchen, March 2018

It feels like the year has only just started, and yet, here we are at the beginning of March. It's Autumn! Where did all the time go? I feel like I can no longer say that my daughter has just started school. The year has no longer just begun. Where does the time go?! Having said that, I'm looking forward to the onset of colder weather. We have been having an unusually long spate of hotter than usual weather, which is playing havoc with my sleep, my garden, my laundry schedule (due to lots more storms than usual), and my moods. Cold weather to me means lots of comfort foods, not waking up in a sweaty heap, and fun snuggly clothes. Anyway, here are a few of the things that have been occupying my kitchen lately.

In my kitchen is...

Scrolls for my preppie's lunch. We've had some trial and error packing her school lunches, but these seem to be a consistent winner, and they're super easy to make. I have Ellie help me make them too, so I think that provides extra incentive for her to eat them since she had a hand in their creation. They're just store bought puff pastry (because I do not have the time or patience to make my own), spread with filling, rolled, sliced and then baked until puffed and golden. She is a particular fan of this version, which is pizza sauce, diced ham and shredded cheese filling. Her second favourite is a simple vegemite and cheese filling.

In my kitchen is...

While on the topic of school lunches, these biscuit bars have also been a hit. I found the recipe in a recent Coles magazine that was a lunch ideas special. Ellie was immediately drawn to the sweets pages (typical!) and as soon as she saw these, insisted that they needed to be made. They are not vegan, as they have egg and milk in them, but they seem to be a hit. I tweaked the base recipe slightly, reduced the recommended sugar, subbed in some healthier options (some wholemeal flour, swapped the brown sugar for coconut sugar etc) and then added some mini m&ms and dark chocolate buttons (her request). I cut them smaller than the magazine suggested, so I got 24 biscuit slices from a single batch. They freeze well and are super easy to pop into lunch boxes too. 

In my kitchen is...

Pierogis! My friend invited us over for a pierogi making session (yes, that's also the bottom of a wine glass in the background, because, wine!). Pierogis are Polish dumplings and, I can say from personal experience, are absolutely delicious. We made a huge batch with two different fillings - cheese potato and truffled mushroom with cabbage. My favourite ones were the mushroom ones, but both versions were amazing. We cooked and ate some fresh after making many trays, and I was sent home with a doggy bag of leftovers and some frozen for later consumption.

Yum!

In my kitchen is...

A fruity loaf of sourdough that I experimented with, not really expecting that it would turn out as well as it did. I cleaned out the pantry and unearthed some dried pineapple and dried dates that needed to be used. I added these to the mix, as well as some mixed spices and it turned out absolutely amazing... not overly sweet, but very fruity and a little reminiscent of hot cross buns due to all the spices I added. If I make it again, I think some nuts, maybe hazelnut, would be an awesome addition.

It's delicious served plainly with Nuttelex - who needs to go out for breakfast?!

In my kitchen is...

Some jars packed full of all kinds of things, hidden away for six weeks or so to turn into fire cider. As well as sourdough and kombucha, I've started fermenting other things as  well. Fire cider is something I saw at a fermenting workshop many months ago, and was recently reminded of again. I thought it would be something nice to have on hand as an immunity booster coming into the colder months, so I finally got all the ingredients and put it together. In my jars are garlic, ginger, onion, chilli, peppercorns, rosemary, tumeric, lemons and galangal, all topped off with apple cider vinegar. I'll update how it works out in a month or so, but if the initial smell is anything to go on, it will be delicious!!

I'm sending this to Sherry, of Sherry's Pickings for linking in to her monthly In My Kitchen link up.

What's in my kitchen, February 2017

I'd originally intended to talk about what I've been cooking and eating lately, but I had some other photographs ready, so this is more of a hybrid between a proper in my kitchen crossed with what's growing in my garden. With the weather being as hot as it has been recently, I've been loathe to plant anything new in the garden. I grow most of my produce from seeds, and it's far too hot for brand new seedlings to be outdoors. That, and my brand of gardening means my plants need to be hardy enough to thrive on careful neglect means I don't have the time to baby along new plants.

I do however like to see things grow and I thought in the interests of being scientific and letting the smalls get involved, that we might put a few things in water and watch what happens from the relative cool of my kitchen window sill, where we can easily top up the water as it evaporates.

When avocado prices dropped a few months ago, I was on those little green/black morsels like a pig in mud. Eventually, I got tired of just throwing the seeds into the compost... they take so long to break down so I thought we'd grow one. I admit, I was spurred on by an ad that seems to be appearing regularly on my Facebook page, where someone has invented a sort of floating mini boat to put an avocado seed in and grow. I thought that it seemed a bit ridiculous to need a specific device so I determined to do it armed with nothing more than a tall glass and some toothpicks.

I peeled the avocado seed, then impaled it on a trio of toothpicks and submerged about half of it into a glass of water. A monokuro boo glass as a matter of fact; I love those little black and white pigs! I digress. It took some time, but eventually, we saw progress. This seed has probably been growing for at least 6 weeks, possibly a bit longer.

It has shoots and roots, and the interesting thing in my opinion is that as that shoot grew, it cleaved the seed entirely in half! The only thing holding it together now is the shoot/root structure. I don't know whether it's providing any fuel or its now purely decorative, but it's sure interesting. The kids are more interested in the fact that if they turn the glass around, the shoot will orient itself to point out the window toward the light. I'm debating where to plant it in the garden when it gets big enough. I'm not sure how long avocado trees take to produce fruit but I suspect a long time.

I saved the top of my tiny piney and let it dry out a little after scraping off the bulk of the flesh so that it didn't get smelly. When it was dry, we strategically placed some toothpicks (left over from a cheese tasting from the look of them) to stop it from falling into the jar, and left the bottom part submerged in water. A few weeks later we have tiny roots growing (you can see one at about 7 o'clock in the jar), and the top is getting a bit taller as well. When the root system is better established and the days are less hot, I'll relocate this little baby into the garden. While we likely won't get any fruit for at last two years, rough leaf pineapples are so delicious and the chickens decimated my last bed of pineapples so I'm starting over.

We've also been saving the roots of spring onions and planting those directly in the garden, and re-establishing a sweet potato patch from a sweet potato that was neglected and sprouted in storage. These have gone directly into the soil in the hope that I will again have thriving sweet potato vines to use for cooking (turns out the chickens were huge fans of them as well).

I guess this post demonstrates that I've been growing a lot of things on my kitchen windowsill lately, which is true. In the heat, I've tended toward not cooking as much as possible, so many of our meals have been simple, fast and not very photogenic. Hopefully as summer rolls to a close, I will start posting more food posts!

I'm sending this to Lizzy, of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things for linking in to her monthly IMK roundup.

How does your garden grow, January 2017

I've had the most glorious gentle beginning to the new year. It's been a very slow pace, and very unstructured. There has been lots of catching up with family, lots of feasting and festivities, and lots of cheer. There has also been plenty of time to potter around the house and garden doing all the little things I always put off during the busy-ness of the year.

I regularly sign up to do courses online as I hate feeling like I'm stagnant and not learning anything new. My most recent course is called Science of Gardening, it's actually a HECS scholarship unit offered by the University of Tasmania, which means that domestic students don't incur any tuition fee or debt for the unit. It actually counts toward the UTAS Bachelor of General Studies, but I'm just taking it for the fun of it (nerd alert!). UTAS often do HECS scholarship units and I find it a good way to keep my brain ticking away.

I'll just steal the explanation about the course and leave it here:

Important and interesting questions for gardeners include why are plants arranged into families, and what features do they share? What are plants made of, and how do they grow? How do seeds know when to germinate, and how does the environment shape the way they grow? What are the crucial factors determining when plants flower and set seed? Why does soil type and nutrients affect plant health? Answers to all these questions and more when you study Science of Gardening.

It's actually a really interesting learning curve for me. It's completely online which is fine, but although it's called the science of gardening, I didn't really think I'd be delving into the chemical composition of soil, admiring the biological cross sections of plants, or re-learning the periodic table and how to recognise deficiencies or toxicities of soil and then diagnose how to correct them.

It's made me look at my garden in a whole new light and consider how I might tweak my gardening practices to make my plants more productive and happy. I appreciate just how much effort these little clumps of cells go to just to end up on my plate!

All that said, here's a peek into my garden right now.

I grew a tiny pineapple and it was delicious, if extremely small (dirty looking Sophie the Giraffe for comparison). It was so sweet and the acid was barely there at all. It was just enough for a morning tea for the smalls and me.

My eggplants are producing prolifically, as they usually do. My soil must be appreciated by eggplants. Although these two are different sizes, the right time to harvest eggplants are when they are plump and glossy. I have taken a batch over to my mother in law's house so that she can use them for Chinese New Year dishes. Yum.

Here is a picture of my sad looking lemon tree. I had an assignment where I had to diagnose citrus deficiencies, which was interesting. As my tree has healthy new growth, and the yellowing is mainly on the older leaves, I suspect magnesium deficiency, which is easily adjusted by watering in some epsom salt. I think there may also be a minor zinc deficiency also, which could be adjusted with a kelp solution spray. It's a sad tree, there is also some leaf miner activity, but it has improved of late, so there is still hope.

The chilli, eggplant, and what I'm 90% sure is a pumpkin are doing well, despite the recent heat. Mr Fork has been putting the water from his fish tank onto my garden when he does water changes, and they seem to appreciate all the fish poo.

One of my assignments also involved testing the ph of my soil. It's something I never really gave much thought to, but now I know that my soil is definitely on the acidic side. I suppose that means I should stop dumping my coffee grounds directly onto the soil and compost them instead. I also need to get some dolomite lime and see if I can raise the ph a bit for happier plants.

Our girls went rogue and built a secret nest under the house where it's lovely and cool. They were sneaky about it, continuing to lay in the regular box too, so I just thought they were slacking off in this heat. It's such a pretty nest, lined with bits of purloined sugar cane from the garden and dried grass. Sneaky things. These will be the last of our eggs as Mr Fork has gotten sick of cleaning chicken poo from the deck and has promised the chickens to a friend who has a large garden, doesn't care about chicken poo and swears not to eat them. I think perhaps it's an unlucky move, especially so close to the Chinese New Year when it switches over to the year of the Rooster, but who am I to come between a man and his BBQ-ing space. Especially when I don't eat eggs myself!

How is your garden growing?

What's in my kitchen, December 2016

I'm cutting it a bit close for this month's In My Kitchen. In fact, I didn't think I was going to do one, it's just been so busy lately. But then, Mr Fork told me that he had to go interstate for work and so I'd be single parenting for a week or so. Which, compared to what some parents have to do when their partners work fly in/fly out isn't really that bad, but I do find it exhausting. Mainly because it's so hard to always be 'on call' and available to my children without another adult backup. So I decided to snatch a few minutes time to myself and blog while I could. We're smack in the middle of birthday season (both my children and their friendship groups are second half of the year babies) so we've had parties to go to most weekends. Coupled with end of year festivities and it's been a crazy social whirl. It's actually a good thing - lots of new foods to try and since my small man has decided to wean I can indulge in a drink or two. Hurrah! Anyway, here's what's taking up space in my kitchen lately.

In my kitchen is...

Lemongrass tea, brought back from Bali for me from my lovely aunt. I like to brew it up and then drink it cold - I find it quite refreshing and a nice way to drink more water in this humidity lately. I love tea, although I do have quite the tea collection and should probably put some effort into working my way through it before it gets too far out of control!

In my kitchen is...

A jar of pumpkin pie spice. As an Australian, I've always been fascinated when Americans describe their Thanksgiving foods. I've never eaten a turkey, nor been interested in it, but the side dishes, well they intrigue me. Sweet potato casserole with marshmallow on top? Salad made of jelly? Pecan pie? Pumpkin pie? Well sign me up for those pies! When one of my colleagues was in the US lately, he told me he thought of me while walking around in Whole Foods (another place I feel I must visit one day) and brought me back a bottle of pumpkin pie spice.

After imagining it for so long I was disappointed to find that it was just a mix of spices I already have in the kitchen but it does smell delicious and I have grand plans for this bottle. I tested it out by adding some to a batch of of plain mini cakes and oh my did it make my kitchen smell delicious! I can't wait to experiment some more when I have actual pumpkin in the house.

In my kitchen is...

Sweetened condensed coconut milk. I found this is my local Asian grocer. I was super chuffed that it was on sale, down to 49c a can due to the short shelf life remaining. No matter to me, I have ear marked the ones I bought for Christmas baking - a caramel slice and some apricot/coconut balls to be precise. I'm so pleased to have found a source of dairy free condensed milk as some of my favourite childhood treats are made with it and I can add them back into my repertoire without my tummy rebelling due to dairy. Win!

In my kitchen is...

A souvenir from a recent girls' weekend away. I escaped with some friends for a weekend of wandering around markets, lazing by the pool and having tapas and wine for dinner without having to worry about getting up to tend to small humans. In a little boutique winery I found a bottle of fig and ginger jam and had to have it. It's delicious on scones, although no one else in my household seems to appreciate it, which just means more for me!

In my kitchen is...

A large bottle of Tabasco sauce, which my brother asked me to get for him next time I was at Costco. I didn't photograph it next to anything for scale, but it's the biggest Tabasco bottle I have ever seen - 355ml. It should keep him going for quite some time. I'm going to include it in his Christmas present.

In my kitchen is...

Well, not technically in my kitchen, but in my kitchen garden, are some eye wateringly hot chillies in various stages of ripeness, which I plan to use to make a batch of home made tabasco sauce.

In my kitchen is...

Sourdough loaves. Thankfully my previously reported sluggish dough has perked up and is back to producing loaves that I am happy with again. These loaves are a higher hydration, with a coarse polenta coating. They go deliciously with vegemite and avocado, which, now that prices have come down to something reasonable again, are back on my menu at home.

I'm sending this to Lizzy, of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things for linking in to her monthly IMK roundup.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy festive season, and I look forward to seeing all the seasonal goodies in everyone's kitchen. What's happening in your kitchen lately?

How does your garden grow, November 2016

This season I've taken a different approach to my kitchen garden. Instead of planting things out in neat rows and sections, I've decided on more of a laissez-faire strategy. By that, I mean that I'm letting seeds fall where they may. I'm letting things from the compost grow and revelling in the mystery of what comes up. Yes, it's a bit of a lazy approach, but it seems to be working pretty well.

I've got a new crop of chillies fruiting. The original plant was grown from a chilli Mr Fork's father gave me. They've got a great amount of heat, so I love these chillies. The plant is a prolific producer, so I've always got a well stocked freezer supply too. The kids don't tolerate heat as well as their parents do, so spiciness is always something we add at the end of the cooking process to individual portions. It doesn't taste as good in my mind as cooking the heat in, but what can you do? I hope to gradually build their tolerance up so we don't have to prepare quite so many separate meals. You can also see a small section of my chicken proof fence.

Part of my natural approach includes letting my plants with good properties go to seed so that I can save them for later planting (and let some fall where they may as well!). Coriander flowers are so pretty. I have this herb constantly growing as the Queensland heat makes them go to seed so quickly. I like the contrast of white coriander blossoms with purple eggplant flowers.

Speaking of eggplants, my sad plant has perked up with the recent rainy weather. I've got a bumper crop of eggplants. I'm never quite sure when the ideal time to pick them is, but they're a welcome addition to my cooking - such a versatile ingredient.

The weather has made my basil plant very happy. It's started to grow at a very rapid rate and keeps me busy pinching off the flowers so it doesn't go to seed.

I *think* this is some sort of purple basil. Mr Fork's aunt gave me a cutting. I thought I'd killed it but it seems to have come back with a vengeance. We use the leaves when we are making Vietnamese rice paper rolls. I'm not sure what else people use it in, but apparently it's quite hard to grow. It definitely smells and tastes delicious. You can also see my clumping sweet potato in the background. I grow it not for the tubers, but for the leaves which are great in stir fries and similar.

I found a few organic corn seeds left from last year so popped them in garden bed too. They're about six inches high now and looking very happy. There's also some tomato seedlings coming up, I think some lettuce seedlings, and I admit I have no idea at all yet what that round leafed plant in the top left corner underneath the corn is.

The rough leafed pineapple I planted from a leftover top some years ago is fruiting again. I'm quite glad as the chickens ate all the other pineapples I had planted in the garden so this is the last one left. It probably only survived because it was in a pot and it has the most delicious fruit, so I'm looking forward to that, and also having a second top to plant out too. Waste not, want not!

Finally, here are Vanessa and Jemima, greedily eyeing my vegetable patch. Chickens are much messier and destructive than I ever imagined, but they're so useful. They eat my scraps and leftover plants, they do fabulous things for the lawn and give me a great source of fertiliser. My family and neighbours are also grateful for their eggs as well. While not technically in my edible garden, Mr Fork has recently put lots of effort into the lawn and it's lovely to see it looking so lush.

How is your garden growing lately? I'd love to hear tips about when to harvest the perfect eggplant.

In My Kitchen, October 2016

I said something in a previous post about time having gone so slowly, and yet so fast at the same time when pondering my daughter's birthday. The same rings true for months and here we are, well and truly into Spring (in the Southern hemisphere) and also, apparently the sign for shops to begin bringing Christmas decorations out! At the end of this month, my 'baby' boy will turn two. I still remember when I announced his birth, and it honestly doesn't feel that long ago at all. Time. It's a funny thing. Anyway, without further ado, here are some things in my kitchen. Lots of bought things actually, but bought with the intention of turning them into something else! (which I will do... when we get over birthday season, and being the house of sick, which does tend to make for lazy meals)...

In my kitchen is...

Chia seeds galore. 1.5kg of them actually, which is really a bit obscene, but at $14.89 for the bag at Costco I couldn't pass it up. I've been having them sprinkled over oats, in smoothies and adding them to my baking. My uncle recently told me that he ground up chia to use as a coating on meat, so I was thinking I might attempt something similar with some firm tofu slices.

In my kitchen is...

Another Costco find, Eco Organic Pasta. There are three flavours - Mung Bean fettuccini, Black Bean spaghetti and Soy Bean spaghetti. These were a bit pricey at $8.89 for the pack, but I couldn't really resist them either. When I walk past something that is vegan, and organic to boot, at shops that aren't always very vegan friendly, I like to support them in the hope they'll continue to source such things. I haven't tried any of them yet (did I mention we've been sick?) but I have grand plans, although I'm not really sure which sauces would best complement each pasta type.

In my kitchen is...

Some Hidden Orchard wines sent to me by Hardy's. They're a new(ish) range of wines blended with natural flavours and juices, which are meant to be refreshing and delicious chilled.

Now that the toddler is finally well on his way to weaning, I can indulge in wine a little more, so I started with the Ripe Raspberry & Rich Cassis bottle (the dark red one). First sip saw me hesitate a little as it was so rich but after I added ice it was much more drinkable. Honestly, I'm a little weirded out adding ice or serving a red wine chilled but it made it much better (it tastes like Ribena in wine form actually).

Our guests preferred the Pink and Zesty White Grapefruit wine but it was a bit sweet for me straight out of the bottle. Diluted with soda water was much better.

I'm unsure if my tastebuds are out of commission from non-regular wine consumption or whether these wines are just so sweet and fruity, but I found them best mixed and diluted. I have yet to try to Peach, Mango, Passionfruit and Pineapple bottle, but it sounds awfully like something university-aged me would drink actually.

In my kitchen is...

Home made raspberry jam, although not made in my home unfortunately. This pot of delicious jam was gifted to me by a friend who had too much. It's a delightful mix of sweet and tart and perfect for eating by the spoonful (ahem). My kids like it with peanut butter between slices of fresh bread, but inspired by Kari's recent post about porridge toppings, I've been adding it, with chia seeds and some Mayver's dark roasted peanut butter to my oats, making a delicious bowl of peanut butter and jammy oat goodness.

I note my photo looks like there is a big glob of peanut butter inside the jar but insist that is just the bench showing through a gap in the jam and not due to double dipping!

In my kitchen is...

Dumplings. Lots and lots of dumplings. We go through phases of food in our house, and it has recently been the phase of dumplings. Which is handy because everyone in the household loves them, they're quick and easy to prepare (once made that is), and make a delicious meal.

My mother in law made me a batch of vegan dumplings which had been pre-steamed and I wasn't able to eat them at the time so I froze for later. It was a time poor night so I unearthed them from the freezer and pan fried those beauties in a little oil until they were the right combination of crispy and chewy. Served with a mix of soy sauce and red vinegar (and a bowl of edamame on the side for greens), everyone was happy. (Well, I should say that Mr Fork had made himself a separate batch of prawn dumplings as he insists on meat versions, but I neglected to photograph those).

Tell me, what's been happening in your kitchen lately? Any tips for using chia seeds? Ideas about how to best enjoy my bean pasta?

In my kitchen has a new host, Lizzy, of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things. I am linking in to her monthly IMK roundup.