So, this is the state of things on the Far South Coast of New South Wales - freezing, dry, windy, an early fire season, and no relief in site.
The citrus is doing reasonably well, but the temperature overnight is so cold the lemons are freezing - never had that happen before. The rest of the orchard is only just starting to flower.....
The garden is slow-growing, but we have:
Greens – Swiss chard, spinach, nettle
Brassicas – broccoli, cauliflower, Brussell sprouts, cabbage, kale, arugula/rocket
Alliums – garlic chives, potato onions, garlic (dried from last season)
Beans – broad /fava beans, snow peas
Citrus – lemons, lemonades, oranges, grapefruit, mandarins
Herbs – coriander/cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, chives
And eggs from our beautiful hens, about 6 per day.....
Autumn was a better season, we had heaps of summer fruits - tomatoes, chilies, capsicums, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. We made a massive effort to preserve as much as we could - many long days in the garden and long nights in the kitchen, but it was worth it. In the pantry we have:
Tomato pasata
Tomato and summer veg sauce
Spiced pears
Preserved peaches
Applesauce
Rhubarb compote
Salsa verde
Pickled jalapenos
Marmalade
Kasoundi (Indian chutney)
Tomato soup
Olives
Pumpkins
And lots of ferments:
Choko sauerkraut
Jun
Kimchi
Fire cider
Beet kvass
I've been lucky enough to acquire a freezer full of local meats and homemade items:
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Venison
Lard and tallow
Bones
Fish
Applesauce
Stewed stone fruit
Lemon juice
Veg stock
Venison stock
Chicken stock
In the fridge there are some staple items which are sourced locally or made here from local products......
Yogurt, homemade
Ricotta, homemade
Labne, homemade
Whey
Kefir milk
Duck eggs
Zhoug (Coriander Pesto)
Blood Moon Tonic (high-iron herbal formula)
Honey
Hazel nuts
Hazel nut meal
Dairy products – milk, cheeses, cream
Olive oil
Seasonal fruit & veg (that we don't produce)
Seaweed
Salt
Right, if I have all this what could I need for my 10 'treats'?
Coffee
Black tea
Rice
Pepper
Vanilla
Quinoa
Cardamom
Tofu
Chickpeas
Tamari
After looking over this list there's an amazing variety of foods here, I don't think we will feel in the least bit deprived!
I'm quite excited!
In my next post I'll try to articulate why this idea is so important to myself and my partner, so stay tuned.......
N x