seasonality,locality,simplicity

When looking at the oranges at the supermarket this morning I suddenly clicked at the power of my actions. There were some wrinkly looking, yellow NZ oranges or some plump, bright and unblemished USA ones. What to buy. Then it occured to me. What the heck are we doing with fruit that really only keeps for a few days all the way from America when we have some perfectly good oranges from up the road.
A few revelations have occured in my medium sized brain this week. More than usual. And all pretty fundamental to how I want to live my life. The biggest being 'that just because things are the way they are or seem the norm, doesn't mean that they are right'.  
As I've been looking more into the concept of self sufficiency or even just workling less and living a healthy happy life I've realized there are a few adjustments that need to be made.
I currently work around 25 hours a week, but working less doesn't mean life is any easier. I have definately noticed there can be a slower pace and more satisfaction in the daily routines and tasks that I do. When some one say's "I don't have time to plant a bunch of tomato plants and water them" I say "I don't have time to go to the supermarket when I need some." I suppose it's all choices and preferences.

I don't want to feel controlled by what I have to do to get by or what I need to pay for. This does mean there are sacrifices to be made. This has all seemed fine while the weathers been warm and there's plenty of fun to be had outside and with friends. I am however a little worried about the implications this will have on me in the winter. When the days can be grey and unmotivating and things just seem a little more grim. But I think the current way of living isn't and never is going to be sustainable.

Things that I need to or have changed are...

- biking to work and only using the car when its a necessity

- reducing 'entertainment' cost's such as shows, travel, movies and outings

- not eating out (toooo much)

- eating seasonal, local food and growing your own

- having less things and reducing the ongoing cost's they all take

These will all challenge me and I'm sure I'll flake at times but the mentality change has been refreshing and I'm much more aware that the systems in place that seem harmless may not be a very healthy option.

Even buying tomatoes and corgette's in the middle of winter might not seem like a biggie but the oil required to get them halfway across the world and the markup you have to pay are backwards steps in trying to cut down cost's and our foot prints. This looks like an insignificant thing but its the expectation we have created and it spreads across most area's. We can and we do have everything here and now even if its against's natures rythms.

I suppose all I ask of you is to question your action's and maybe see the significance in what you do.

 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Meade

 

And for the record, my NZ orange I ate this morning was the sweetest juiciest one I've had all summer.



Some treats you might find in your garden if you feel like giving it a go

All the best, Al x

Almost A Harvest

As the recent weather has picked up it's game, we've been treated to a few gems in the Muirson kitchen. We un-intenionally shared our lettuce and strawberry crops with the chickens and have munched our way through the rocket and coriander in some yummo salad's. I am constantly suprised when I go out there and my once little green leaves are now nestling veges and hanging fruit.

There have been a few failures, the carrots are no where to be seen, the chickens dug up the seed potato's, chch proved to cold for the basil and capsicum and the brocolli was swarmed with butterflies. However the pumpkins, cauliflowers, courgettes and beans are all cranking. The Tamata's. Well they are another story. I am left awake at night thinking of different ways to use the abundance we are soon to have. A roadside stall on Hoon Hay road may be in order. There are trusses and trusses of giant tomatoes still awaiting there final coat of juicy redness.

 

 

The tomato's that have ripened up early are pretty darn sweet. I think I may have scrunched my face in a combination suprise,pride and because they genuinely had too much flavour for my face to handle. A few have developed blossom end rot, but this can be tackeled with a bunch of lime well watered into the roots. The zuchinni's are also finding their way into our kitchen early. With too many than we can handle I've whistled up a spiced zuchinni cake with a lime cream and pistachio's

I seem to feel slightly anxious when I see the bare dirt where my failed vege's were. A sense of failure and dissapointment I think. This little Muirson plot is helping me comprehend my minute amount of control I have in life's turns. It still doesn't get old seeing a fully grown zuchinni from what was such a tiny seed.

Which leads me to the next solution for when your zuchinni plant decide's to give you heaps of fruit at once. A delicious refreshing cake that definately won't dry out.


Spiced Zuchinni Cake, with a Lime cream and pistachio's

Ingredients -
1 ¼ cups  flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon minced crystallized ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup vegetable oil
1 apple stewed,drained and well mashed
2 eggs
1 cup shredded zucchini (2-3 zucchini)

Lime cream -
200g cream cheese (the hardblock)
50g butter softened
3/4 cup of icing sugar (less or more depending on how tart you want it)
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime

1/4 cup of pistachio's chopped

  Directions -   Preheat oven to 180 degrees C

Line and spray a smaller scale cake tin
In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, crystallized ginger, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl combine oil, well mashed stewed apple, eggs and sugars; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Add zucchini; stir until thoroughly combined.
Pour into cake tin
 Bake at 180 degrees C for 30-35 minutes or until a cake needle inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Once the cake has cooled
Using an electric mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth, add 1/2 of the icing sugar and half the lime. beat well and taste. Add remaining ingredients according to preference

Top with pistachio's and your favourite flowers

 







Keep refridgerated and covered. It's even better the next day
Enjoy x

Holy Feast

Christmas day is always changing. People, places, families, traditions and the food are constantly evolving. I was excited to be on the contributing end this year and realized the reality that I'm getting older. It's an exciting and daunting task to grow old, but I suppose it's compulsory really. So along with the cooking comes food shopping. It felt strange walking down the isle's of the outragelously busy and pricey fruit and vege shop when I had been working so hard on the vege in my own backyard. It seems its all about timing and learning as I go. Hopefully this christmas to come I will be able to get the timing right so there are plenty of homegrown treaties ready in time, in an attempt to cheat the annual christmas bankruptcy.


On the table -

Minty New Potato's
Rocket, Feta & Grilled Apricot Salad
Mediterranean Tomato & Basil Salad
Hearty Homemade Rye
Mum's Herb Crusted Lamb with Red Wine Jus
and a Free Ranger Leg of Ham
All of this digestion was aided with a refreshing elderflower sparkle

 

 

 

After the mandatory digestive nap we delved deeper into our gluttony with Margs mean dessert. Lemon tart, almond and mascarpone trifle, raspberry and dark chocolate tart, fresh raspberries.
I hope you all have a few extra rolls surrounding that belly, but thank the Lord for the beautiful summer sunshine that gets us outside to balance it all out.

Love Al x

Holiday Edition - Fruity Refreshment

Summer holiday edition today folks. I am currently surrounded by mango tree's in backyards and people that say 'heap's good' in their sentences like its normal spending my summer holidays with an old pal in the Sunshine coast of Aus. I've been buzzing about in my body seeing tree's with avocado's and paddocks with giant watermelons wallowing on the surface. Witnessing natures finest and sweetest joys so cheap and only a few steps away is making me pretty excited.

 

 

So today I have been steadily evaporating so felt the need to combine rehydration with fun. Newly known as "Fundration". When thinking of what to fundrate with I remembered sitting in the fridge was a giant Watermelon the size of 3 of my heads, 2 when my hairs boof in the morning. Along with the watermelon there were some juicy yellow peaches nestling on the bench. Add some fresh passion fruit and whiz together with ice in a blender . . . and there you have it.



Peach, Passionfruit and Watermelon Fundrator

Serves 1

Method
1 C - of 2 or more fresh fruits (atleast one super juicy type, or you canjust add some other juice)
1/2 C - Ice

Blend together till smooth.

This can be substituted with whatever you have and where ever you are located. Pal's in south island NZ try raspberries, stone fruits, melons or orange with a dash of mint.

Where ever you've been this christmas I hope you had a fun time with close friends or family and truley stretched your tummie's. Thanks always for reading and stay safe. Will be updating with more on my return on the 8th. I'm sure the tomata's will be ready for a reveal by then if the flatties have remembered the watering.

Thanks always
Keep enjoying the Creator's sweet fruity treat's

Al xx

4 Week Cake Challenge

After a few seconds of thought and a bank account showing $0.61. I realized the main predator in my weekly budget has been the not so humble anymore cake ingredients. Dutch cocoa. Marscapone Cream. Raspberries. Blueberries. Nectarines. Creme Fraiche. Hazelnut Flour. blah blah. But the amount of fun and satisfaction that these greedy little taste tantilizers have given me was most certainly worth it.
In an attempt to master the flavour, texture and appearance of this super awesome baked good I created a challenge to make a cake a week. I have not been short of weekly events to justify my obsession with these round lumps of deliciousness.

- Engagement's
- Sorrowful departures
- Birthdays
- Family fun

The theme was to embrace the summer seasons fruity goodies and create flavour combo's that no one except a diabetic could resist. Topped with fresh fruit, flavoured creams and fresh Hoon Hay flowers my cake pride inevitably grew. The journey will be long but cant wait for the next seasons inspiration and new ingredients.
I will be retiring as an amatuer caker over the summer in the hopes of still fitting into my togs but will keep you posted on any new revelations.

Nectarine and Blueberry layer cake with vanilla spiced marscapone

 
Bittersweet chocolate and hazelnut cake, gluten free

Honey roasted rhubarb cake with raspberry creme fraiche

Lemon Sourcream layer cake with lavender cream and blueberries


If you live in Christchurch and are ever interested in a cake for a special occasion I would be super stoked to help you and whip something up.

Have a happy and safe christmas with plenty of yum summer treats and laughs with family

Love Al x

Spring Sunshine in My Cup

So it's officially the beginning of Summer here in Christchurch and my Melanin cells are kickin into gear.

Elderflower is the my first thought when I think of Springs seasonal window. But to my despair in all my kitchen mayhem lately the elderflower cordial slipped off the production line. Yesterday I found my true appreciation for slow bloomers when I came across a newly opened elderflower bush. Swerving to the side of the road I clambered out of my car (currently my car door doesn't open and I have no front window) to retrieve some of the creamy white flowers. With a colour like my red haired sister's skin and a scent as wild as the Alps what better way to enjoy them than in a soda/elderflower twist.

Elderflower Cordial

Makes 1 large jar full

Ingredients -

About 25 elderflower heads

Finely grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons and 2 orange, plus their juice

700g sugar

1 heaped tsp citric acid (optional)

You want to choose newly opened elder heads, with a pleasant scent. Warm early mornings are the best time for picking.

Instructions-
Inspect the elderflower heads carefully and remove any insects. Place the flower heads in a large bowl .
Bring 1.5 litres water to the boil together with the orange and lemon zest and pour over the elderflowers and citrus zest. Cover and leave overnight to infuse.

Strain the liquid through a piece of muslin or fine sieve and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar, the lemon and orange juice and the citric acid (if using).

Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer and cook for a
5-10 minutes or until golden and like a fine syrup.

Pour the hot syrup into sterilised bottles. Seal the bottles
with swing-top lids, sterilised screw-tops or corks and store in the fridge once opened

Enjoy with soda water, mint and lemon or whatever your favourite mix is. Freeze if you want to keep for those sweltering summer afternoons

Happy brewing xx

Chai Spiced Cake With Honey Ginger Cream

Today I met Annabel Langbein. Well, she didn't really meet me, but I think you could say I met her. From behind the counter. We talked, I dithered as to whether or not I should run to the Addington Store while she was in my midst and get a signed copy of her new book 'Simple Pleasures' but in all my hesitation I chickened out. Maybe we will meet again and I'll be more on my game.
Despite this I have a recipe for you. A tried and tested, Babe'n Cake.
Its subtle and not too sweet unlike its Latte-version sibling. And the ginger honey cream is a dream. Next birthday cake you will have a winner.

Chai Spiced Cake With Honey Ginger Cream

Chai Spiced Cake
1 1/3 c (315 ml) milk
6 Tbsp loose black tea
15 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2" of ginger, peeled and grated
1 large star anise pod
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 c (390 g) flour
3/4 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 c (237 g) butter, room temp
250g firm cream cheese
100g softened butter
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger or as much as desired
grated rind of half and orange

Preheat oven to 180'C
Grease a cake tin 22cm or similar

Place the milk, tea, cardamom, star anise and ginger in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and let bubble for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let it cool and infuse for 5-10 minutes. Strain the milk into a bowl pressing the grounds with a rubber spatula to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.


In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and 1/3 cup of the chai milk. 

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Combine well then add the butter and remaining chai milk. Beat on low speed to blend, then raise speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture slowly and keep scraping the edges.

Pour into cake tin and cook for around 40 mins or until the skewer comes out of the centre cleanly.

Honey ginger cream

With an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese and butter until soft. Then add remaining ingredients, beating continually and adding the icing sugar bit by bit until you have the desired texture.

Once the cake has cooled you can serve with cream on top, or cut in half and use the honey ginger cream on the inside and top. Use a hot wet knife to spread the cream to avoid the crumbs getting mixed in.

Top with freshly peeled pear or apple and dust with a little icing sugar.

 

enjoy xx