September 18th, 2021
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
SUCCESS WITH CORIANDER
Scientific name: Coriandrum sativum
I mentioned before that certain herbs that look alike and again I find myself talking about another herb that confuses people.
Australians refer to the seeds and leaf as coriander but in the northern hemisphere, the leaf is sometimes known as 'cilantro.'
Coriander is one of those herbs that people either love it or hate it.
Do you love it?
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| Coriander leaves |
Coriander is easy enough to grow but being in the carrot family,(Apiaceae) its green leafy tops can look not only like other herbs, but other vegetables!
- My guest, Toni Salter in the podcast, calls it the 'primadonna' of herbs.
There are many things it doesn't like and without a second glance, coriander will bolt to seed giving you not much leaf at all.
What causes it to bolt to seed?
- Soil is too dry
- Too little water at the right time.
- Poor or impoverished soil.
- Poor drainage in your herb garden.
- Temperatures too warm for it's liking.
- Temperatures too cold for it's liking
- Transplanting-the worst sin.
Problems with germination?
Try soaking the seeds for a few hours in a shallow saucer of water.
- TIP: Always sow the seeds directly into the position where it will grow.
Sow it into a container if you like, but keep it there.
Coriander loves rich fertile soil, much like your vegetables.
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| Coriander seedlings |
When to Sow in Australia
For sub-tropical and arid zones, you have August to September;
Temperate districts, sow the seeds from September until the end of November,
In cool temperate zones, October to November,
- Sow your seeds about 1 cm deep, cover them and keep them moist.
Whether or not you sow them in rows, scatter them amongst your other veggies, or use them to grow as a shade plant for your lettuce, it really doesn’t matter.
Companion planting: plant coriander near your spinach to confuse the grasshoppers.
Let one or two plants go to seed. The flowers attract beneficial insects after which the coriander seeds can be harvested to use in cooking, once the seeds turn brown and crispy.
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| Coriander seeds drying on plant |
A must if you like Asian cooking and even though coriander looks like parsley, as soon as you smell it, you know what you’ve got.
Heaps of Coriander seeds are used in curries, tagines and many other Asian dishes.
In fact the whole herb, including the roots can be ground up to make a Thai Green Curry paste.
September 18th, 2021
SPICE IT UP
SAVORY VS THYME
Often there’s a couple of herbs that look alike and even have similar flavour profiles.
If you had them growing together in the herb garden, you may even confuse the two because of how closely they look to each other.
Thyme is the better known herb in Australia, which from the 1950's was commonly used in soups, stews, scones and casseroles.
For some reason, savory is not very well known in Australia, but it’s commonly used America and England.
In England, and America, it's quite popular and in the US, winter savory is a key ingredient in the stuffing for the 'Thanksgiving Turkey.'
If you rubbed both herbs without knowing which was which, you would most likely think they both were the same herb.
- Winter savory, unlike thyme, is not sold as a cut herb in the produce aisle of your supermarket.
- Confusingly there is a 'summer savory' which tends to die off in winter and usually not come back.
Looking after both herbs
With their tiny leaves, both herbs are adapted to the dry regions of the mediterranean.
Both herbs are in the mint (Lamiaceae) family, but unlike mint, don't feel you need to give either thyme or winter savory heaps of water with the exception of the hottest days in Australia's summers.
- I've never seen the seeds of savory being sold however if you have a pot of winter savory that's overgrown and become leggy, follow these tips to refresh it.
- Dividing the roots in spring, will rejuvenate the plant.
- Start off by trimming about a third of any wrapped or circling roots.
- Divide the root ball into thirds or quarters, making sure that each section has a healthy piece of root and stems with green leaves attached.
- Remove one-third of the top growth, and trim away any dead or damaged stems and leaves.
- Re-pot into new containers and gift some to your friends.
But can you substitute one for the other?
Thyme has the volatile oil: thymol which is a strong natural antiseptic.
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| Wild thyme growing amongst a rocky outcrop |
You only need to use a small amount to get the flavour, and is a key ingredient in mixed herbs.
- Did you know there are over 100 varieties of thyme?
- The wild thyme of Provence is known for its strength of flavour. Think 'herbs de Provence' is a blend with this wild thyme.
The answer is yes, both herbs are interchangeable, but savoury is less pungent than thyme.
- You will find winter savory, Satureja (sat-you-rea) montana, as a plant sold in most garden centres.
- So time to get some of your own.
Let’s find out more by listening to the podcast.
I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
August 18th, 2021
PLANT DOCTOR
Pruning Figs:
Ficus carica is the edible fig that hails from the Mediterranean.
Fig trees aren’t quite as ubiquitous as citrus trees are in the produce garden but they are still a firm favourite.
What's not to like?
They are delicious to eat fresh and or dried, plus nothing beats home grown figs.
There are a few different types:
- 'Black Genoa' is typically a large growing fig tree and not suitable for small back yards. This is a fast growing heavy cropping tree that produces large sweet purple skinned fruit. Good for inlan Australia but not so good on the far north coast.
- White genoa-great for drying about half the size of black genoa: also grows well in cooler areas.
- Brown Turkey good for eating fresh, is a very hardy tree that does well in inland areas.
- White Adriatic-a green skinned medium to large fruit.
- Dwarf Brown Slow growing and compact this small tree can be kept at about 1 - 1.5 m in height. Great for small spaces and pots and smaller backyards
There’s a only few things you need to know when attending to those trees and believe it or not, winter time is one of those times.
In fact, winter time is the time you need to go out and take a look at your fig tree, assessing it for what to prune and what to leave
- When you first get your fig tree, prune the tree by half; cut it back to 3 or 4 branches.
- Prunings can be used to propagate more trees as the cuttings take root very easily.
TIP: figs like to grow in shallow soil which has been enriched with limestone.
- pH 8 is an ideal for figs, and you can do this by adding crusher dust to the soil.
- What is crusher dust?
- Crusher dust is a blend of small crushed blue metal rocks and finer dust.
- Either add it to your pot or to the soil.
- Incidentally, crusher dust is a great medium for striking 'slow to take' cuttings.
Getting Down To Pruning
Steve’s tip is to prune new fig trees by half when you get them, but for older trees, prune one-third to one-half each year.
- We are looking for the new growth to supply the current season's fruit.
- Prune out any limbs that are less than 45 degrees to the trunk. Keep branches that are more or less at right angles to the main trunk.
- Remove any branches or laterals that are less than half a metre from the ground.
- If you need to, you can now bring it into shape but otherwise you have done your main pruning.
So let’s find out what more needs doing.
That was Steve McGrane, agriculturist and horticulturist.
PLAY: Pruning figs_7th July 2021
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
May 29th, 2021
Preserving Tomatoes and Other Food Part 2
Last week on the good earth segment, we talked about which tomatoes are best for passata, and preserving.
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| Margaret's cut tomatoes for grilling. photo M Mossakoska |
It's time to delve into the world of dehydrating not just your tomatoes, but apples and other abundant fruits in your garden.
Why Dehydrate?
But what about dried tomatoes?
Can you do that without buying one of those fancy air dryers?
- Dehydrating food preserves most of the nutrients-only losing 3-5% of the nutrients and reduces the volume of your fruit. Dehydrating temperatures can be as low as 30 degrees.
- Canning loses 60 - 80% of nutrients.
- Grilling or making passata, also loses nutrients but not as much as in canning.
Sunlight is not the answer for dehydrating, because UV light affects the nutrients of food.,
The simplest method is to place the fruit on flyscreens or similar and place under shade, or as Margaret does, under a metal roof, perhaps a back porch.
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| Dehydrated apples. photo M. Mossakowska |
- The next choice is to use a commercial dehydrator.
Choice magazine has reviewed dehydrators.
The overall score is made up of: drying performance (60%) and ease of use (40%). You can see the whole article on the Choice Magazine website (you either pay subscription or pay just to view the article): https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/kitchen/benchtop-cooking/review-and-compare/food-dehydrators or get a copy at a local library for free.
The listed prices are higher than in most shops. Margaret has the Ezidri FD500 model brand new from an op-shop for $10!
Margaret's Super tip for storing the dried fruits
It's often humid in our kitchen and pantries.
So the best idea, put the dried fruit and jar in the oven after cooking has finished, so the air inside the jar dries as well.
Store in smaller containers so every time you open it, you are letting air in.
Use special moisture absorbing sachets that contain silicon, or make your own sachets from organza material filled with dry rice grains.
Let's listen to the interview.
The was Margaret Mossakowska director of www.mosshouse.com.au and sometimes a guest on Gardening Australia TV
If you have any questions about preserving tomatoes drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
May 29th, 2021
Preserving tomatoes part 1
Pretty much everyone, from beginner gardeners to the experienced, just love growing tomatoes.
It's easy to see why, they are so rewarding and easy to grow, practically jumping out of the ground as soon as you sow them.
Despite all the problems that can beset your tomato crop, we still grow them year after year, because nothing beats the taste of a home grown tomato.
Fruit Fly?
If you have had tomatoes but they were affected by fruit fly, then use exclusion bags, or net the whole tomato bed.
- So you might be wondering, but what about pollination?
Tomatoes are mostly self-pollinated, so the pollen drops from the anthers to the tip of the pistil in each flower.
Wind helps this to happen by vibrating the flowers, ensuring the pollen loosens and falls.
- But if you've covered the bed with netting, it's still easy to pollinate the flowers.
Just whack the stems with a stick to release the pollen, or use an electric toothbrush into the flower to move the pollen from the stamens to the pistil.
So now you planted, fertilised and then harvested, what next?
There's been a bumper season of tomatoes but what do you do with them all?
Tomato types and can they be preserved?
Salad tomatoes-not suitable for drying but can be made into passata.
Beefsteak tomatoes-large and fleshy, good for grilling, dehydrating and making passata. Margaret's favourite is Cherokee Purple.
Roma tomatoes-the most commonly used to make a sauce or passata.
Grape or cherry tomatoes- great if you don't want to bother with fruit fly exclusion netting. Not for drying, but eating fresh mainly. Good for beginner gardeners.
The was Margaret Mossakowska director of www.mosshouse.com.au and sometimes a guest on Gardening Australia TV
May 27th, 2021
SPICE IT UP
Oregano vs Marjoram: What's the Difference?
How well do you know your herbs?
You may have a herb garden so are pretty much used to telling the difference between one herb and another, but there are some herbs that look really similar.
- Have you ever asked one of your household to go and get something like say sage leaves from your garden, and they came back with some catmint or something else?
- Or perhaps you’ve planted one of these similar looking herbs and have forgotten which is which?
Can you tell which of the herbs pictured below is oregano and which is marjoram?
It’s time to have a closer look and write up a label.
Marjoram and oregano are very close relatives.
Even more confusing because the latin name for marjoram genus is Origanum
Scientific name: Oregano majorana
Common name: marjoram
Family: Lamiaceae or mint family
Scientific name: Oreganum vulgare
Common name: oregano
Family: Lamiaceae or mint family
How to tell the difference at a glance
- Marjoram leaf will generally be a little bit smaller and rounder whereas the oregano leaf tends to be elongated and slightly larger..
- Oregano leaf will be slightly fuzzy looking in appearance.
- Oregano grows vigorously throughout the year and is considered a tough herb.
- Marjoram is likely to die off in colder weather.
- Marjoram has a milder flavour than oregano.
- Oregano has a slightly peppery note to it.
Varieties of marjoram
Pot marjoram: Origanum onites
Winter or wild marjoram: Origanum heraclesticum
Varieties of oregano.
Greek oregano: Origanum vulgare hirtum
Mexican oregano: Poliomentha longiflora
Poliomentha is not to be confused with another herb also called Mexican oregano and a member of the verbena family, namely, Lippia graveolens.
- As always, common names will trap the unwary.
Let’s find out a bit more about these herbs and how they can be used in cooking.
PLAY: Oregano vs Marjoram_31st March 2021
If you have any questions about herbs, drop us a line to
realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
March 19th, 2021
SPICE IT UP
Tonka Bean
If you have thought that vanilla was a flavour all on its own, you would be wrong. Here is another bean that not only qualifies as a substitute for vanilla, but also for nutmeg.
Common Name: Tonka Bean, sometimes known as Brazilian teak.
Scientific Name: Dipteryx odorata
Family: Fabaceae
Fruit:The highly fragrant bean from a flowering tree in the pea family
Height: 25-30 metres. Grey outerbark with inner red wood.
Qualities: the presence of coumarin in the beans give the seed its odour or perfume.
Flavour: Marzipan like
Like a lot of members of the pea family that are trees, tonka beans starts as a pod on a tree.
The pod contains a single bean which is dried like so many other spices.
It’s used in the same dishes that you used vanilla or nutmeg for, like shortbread biscuits, custards, cream brulee' and so on.
To harvest the pods, they are picked when fully mature and have fallen to the ground. Then they are broken open with a hammer to reveal a wrinkled oblong 2.5cm seed.
When this bean is cut in half lengthwise, it has a creamy white centre.
- These beans are placed in the sun to dry, activating the enzymes within the bean.
- But did you know this bean has been banned in America since 1954 because of the coumarin present? Coumarin is also present in cinnamon and that's not banned!
Tonka beans may be grated like nutmeg before adding to a recipe or soaked in warm water or milk to infuse the flavour.
- Tonka is a strong spice, so only use in similar proportions to nutmeg.
I you wish to grow the tree yourself, it's a very pretty flowering tree suited to the tropics and sub-tropics. Not a tree for frost prone areas. The plant itself is not available for sale, but you can buy the seeds from overseas sellers.
Let’s find out more
If you have any questions either for me or for Ian you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
February 25th, 2021
SPICE IT UP
Mulled Wine and Mulled Wine Jelly
Are you missing the Christmas spirit? In Australia it was mostly too hot around Christmas time to partake in mulled wine. Winter isn't that far away, and for some people, Christmas in July is a thing.
That would include mulled wine.
Right now though, you could make some mulled wine jelly to relive some of that Christmas cheer which just seems like a faded memory.
You may have heard of the spices that go to make mulled wine, a traditional drink in the northern hemisphere at that time of year.
But here in Australia, it’s too hot, so what else can we do with these spices?
Traditional mulled wine spices contain allspice berries (ground), cassia bark (Asia version of cinnamon), ginger, dried orange peel, and cloves.
METHOD: Mulled Wine
In a saucepan
POUR 1 bottle of red wine
ADD1 cup of brown sugar,
ADD 1 fresh lime
ADD 1 fresh quartered orange.
ADD2-3 tablespoons of mulling spices.
SIMMER gently for 30-40 minutes DO NOT BOIL
STRAIN: into a jug and serve while warm.
If you’re keen to experiment with your own recipe, then use real vanilla pods, cinnamon quills, fresh citrus and star anise at the very least.
Apart from mulled wine jelly, and mulled wine fizz, there’s also mulled wine glazed ham. So experiment away. Listen to the podcast to find out more.
I’m talking with Ian Hemphill from herb and spice expert from www.herbies.com.au
PLAY: Mulled wine jelly_9th December 2020
If you have any questions about spices in mulled wine spice mix, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
February 25th, 2021
FERMENTATION PART 2
Dry Fermentation Process: we're doing a cabbage.
The whole leaf on top of the shredded cabbage is the 'plug.'
Leave some headroom in the jar so the fermenting process doesn't bubble over.
The cabbage should start bubbling which is the fermentation process.
LEAVE it out of the fridge but in a cool spot such as a tiled floor.
WAIT ten days then taste it. Before this time it doesn't taste very nice.
You can leave it longer if you like.
PROBLEMS:
White yeast growing on the surface needs to be removed otherwise it will spoil the flavour.
If you see mould, throw it out and start again.
Once you like the flavour, put it in the fridge, it will slow the fermenting process.
Let's find out more.
February 25th, 2021
THE ART OF VEGETABLE FERMENTATION
Have you ever wanted to ferment vegetables but thought it was a bit too hard?
Perhaps you’re an avid fermenter but need to know more.
In this new segment I find out that it’s actually easy to start fermenting.
Holly describes herself as an 'old fermenter.'
Jokes aside, what's the first thing you need to know before you start fermenting any vegetable.
Do you need high end equipment?
Let’s find out more.
Fermenting is a process that happens in the absence of air.
It turns out that a clip lock jar or a glass jar with a screw top lid would suffice. Or you can use a plastic jar.
NOTE: the lid needs to have a coating on it which most would have if they were on jars that were bought with food in them. These jars are perfect for re-purposing for fermenting.
Cabbages and other root vegetables are ideal for fermenting.
METHOD:
PICK a cabbage that is heavy for it's size, preferably an organic one.
Should be dense and tightly packet.
STRIP off outer leaves.
CUT the cabbage into four and cut the heart out of it.
SHRED your cabbage finely, Holly likes it between 3-5mm in width so it has some crunchy.
If your ferment comes out mushy then air has entered into the process.
ADD 20gms of fine ground sea-salt to every kilo of cabbage.
RUB sea salt into cabbage until it releases moisture-make sure it's vigorous , releasing plenty of liquid.
There should be enough liquid to completely submerge the cabbage in the jar.
STUFF into a jar and cover with the liquid.
PLACE one of the previously discarded whole leaves on top of the shredded cabbage in the jar.
I’m talking with Holly Davis, whole food chef, and educator.
PLAY: Fermentation Part 1_25th November 2020
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