October 5th, 2021
Nasturtiums
with Corinne Mossati
Quite often we gardener have flowering plants in the garden but never think about bringing them into the kitchen to make something.
They may be just fillers or self-seeders, but in this case, the nasturtium, has so many extra uses other than ornamental, you’ll be inspired to do something.
Germinating Nasturtium Seeds.
Plant the seeds in moist well drained soil, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.
Corrine find it takes between 14-21 days.
Why not try the Alaska variety with variegated leaves, or 'Black Velvet' with deep red flowers and dark leaves.
The one pictured is growing in my garden, is 'Cherry Rose.'
Eating Nasturtiums-Corinnes'tips:
Leaves taste peppery and are great for adding with other greens to salads.
Why no try drying the leaves and grind them to a powder.
When combined with salt you have a condiment to flavour food or crust the rim of your margeurita cocktail glass!
Nasturtium flowers are edible too.
Use them as you would zucchini flowers.
Nasturtium seeds are edible, often referred to as 'poor man's capers.'
Let’s find out more, listen to the podcast.
Her website tagline & hashtag “Grow It. Eat It. Drink It.” sums up Corinne’s garden and we look forward to more segments with Corinne.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
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
June 25th, 2021
KITCHEN GARDEN
Banana Growing parts 1 & 2
Did you know that bananas are the world's largest herb. Have you ever wondered if it would be possible to grow your own bananas?
You may have seen the plants for sale in a couple of plant catalogues and thought to give it a try, but never got around to it.
Would it help if I told you that a number of gardeners around Australia already do it and it’s surprisingly not that difficult.
- I'm growing the sugar banana or "Musa 'Ducasse.' The flower is pictured here and yes, it's a big plant.
- The trunk is actually layers of tissue that are wrapped like a swiss roll.
The key to fruiting is keeping the amount of stems or suckers down to a manageable number so the plant doesn't take over your garden.
A good number is three which includes the mother plant which has an active flowers on it, then one sucker ,and a smaller sucker.
- Get rid of all the others by chopping them to the ground.
Once the mother plant has finished flowering, it won't produce anymore, so cut the stem to the wrong and mulch it up for the garden.
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| Banana 'Ducasse' growing in my garden photo M Cannon |
NOTE: You have to buy banana plants from a QABN-Quality Approved Banana Nursery, that way you are buying a disease free plant.
You can't just take a sucker from somebody else's garden.
Bananas do like a lot of moisture so during periods of drought, the banana plant do not throw as many flowers.
The other suggestions which I thought was worth a try, is to bury some kitchen scraps in the ground near the main stem of your banana plant.
Have a listen to find out more.
If you want more information about bananas why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
June 11th, 2021
GINGER AND GALANGAL
What's the difference?
Are you into Asian cooking?
Not with the pre-made pastes but starting from scratch.
Even if it’s just a stir fry, you may be wondering about two items you can buy in the supermarket.
Both are used in Asian cooking but one is a more reddish brown colour and the other a sort of light brown.
Both are rhizomes,and both are members of the Zingiberaceae family, so what’s the difference?
Galangal tends to get used in South East Asian cooking.
Galangal has a very different and somewhat stronger fragrance to ginger.
Centuries ago, powdered galangal was used as snuff!
- There's two varieties of Galangal,
Greater galangal is used mainly in cooking.
Lesser galangal is used mainly for medicinal purposes.
Some alternative names for galangal is Laos powder, and Siamese ginger.
Ginger can be bought fresh as a brown rhizome, but it's also available in various preserved forms.
Candied ginger; ginger in syrup; pickled ginger (pink in colour); ginger powder is derived by slicing the ginger root, then drying it and pummeling it into a powder.
Ian's Tips
- If you often buy fresh ginger from the supermarket, or even grow your own, the best tip for peeling it is not with a knife or a vegetable peeler, but scraping it off with a spoon.
- The other tip is to use a ceramic grater especially designed for grating ginger and not the skin off your fingers.
- Fresh ginger should not be fibrous.
- The longer the ginger stays in the ground, the hotter and more fibrous it gets.
- What great tips from Ian!
Can you substitute galangal for ginger?
Use about half but do not use it in sweet cooking because it has more of a savoury flavour.
You can grow your own ginger even though it's a tropical rhizome.
Growing it in a container in cooler climates is perfectly acceptable.
So let’s find out more.
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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