Planted Garden

A garden in the making with successes & failures. Building up the soil & utilizing sun & shade.

Finding just the right spots for things to grow happily. 

Watching the Dragon fruit Cactus grow, develop amazing night flowers & delicious fruit, learning how to hand pollinate the flowers....oops! they too high up the wall in our absence and a ladder was needed to reach them.

The red fruit is deliciously fragrant.

Night flowering flowers are spectacular

This was the largest of the harvest so far!

Planted Bananas are growing and have developed bunches. We await the first harvest.

A climbing frame was errected for the Passionfruit. An ample supply of ripening Panama Yellow's has attracted others interested in the harvest.

Who? Not me!

I'm innocent.

Netting seemed the only way to ensure we got to taste some of the harvest
.

Garden Residents & Visitors

We share the garden space with other residents and visitors.

Whoops! That wire was supposed to protect the Sunflower seedlings!

Wild Ferments / Starters & Sourdoughs

At last I'm back to feeding my Starters and being rewarded with delicious Sourdough Breads.

Liquid Levain


Rye Levain

Whoops! This one got a bit carried away....could have made 2 smaller loaves.

 Waiting for the loaves to rise. One Rye & One wholemeal.

Cultured Cream & other delicacies

Delicious and easy as well as loaded with gut friendly critters.
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/sour-cream/

Have been experimenting with Lacto ferments  like the cultured vegetables and Lacto fermented Whole Grain Mustard & Cultured cream in the picture.

Lacto ferments of Carrot sticks & Dill Beans are hard to resist. So delicious and refreshing.

Kefir has been on the menu for some time and can also be used to make Kefir cheese and whey.

Sauerkraut

First batches were successfully made in an old glass jar that I think used to be a Pablo coffee jar (very cheap & nasty coffee but an excellent straight sided large jar)

Since then I have acquired a German made fermenting Pot.

Great, as its a set & forget with a water moat seal under the lid.

   This pot also has ceramic weighting stones  to keep              the vegetables submerged.

Other Breads I Love

Possibly a cutting from an old Women's Weekly was the source of a few interesting breads that have been tucked away in one of my recipe folders for a long time.
American Indian Fry Bread is one that I have used many times. It puffs up beautifully when fried. This time I decided to fry it in coconut oil with a delightful puffy, crisp result. It was delicious topped with spicy lentils, a sprinkling of cheese & a dash of hot sauce.
This recipe makes 8 generous rounds. As they are best eaten hot & fresh, I often halve the recipe for a smaller serving. Great cool weather treat to warm hungry tummies.

American Indian Fry Bread
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1 dessert spoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup warm water
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl & cut in the butter till the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the water till the dough clings together. Knead several minutes till smooth. Divide into 8 balls and let rest under a cloth about 10 minutes.
Roll into flat rounds. In a pan heat oil ( I used coconut oil)
Cook one at a time in the shallow oil and turn when it puffs up ( about a minute) Turn again for about 45 seconds. Lift out & drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining rounds.
To serve top with your favourite spicy mince or vegetarian
mix. I chose Spicy French Lentils.