Addington Vege Co-op

This morning I found myself in a noisy hall filled with cackling old ladies and barefooted activist men, many wearing hi-vis. I thought to myself how cool it is when 2 spectrums of community collide. This unusual combo of people are here every wednesday morning to help get affordable and seasonal fruit and vege to the local neighbourhoods.

For $10 you get a bag of vege and bag of fruit. Banana's, oranges, apples, rockmelon, pomegranate, kiwifruit, zuchinni, tomatoes, sweet corn the list goes on. It is just whatever is available that week. The idea is that you get all the lower grade supermarket produce and deliver it all to this one hall where volunteers from different areas, separate and bag it all up and take it to their local drop off spot. Then you (the buyer) find your nearest dropoff spot and pick up your fruit and vege bags from there.

It's simple, even if I may have just made it sound complicated.  So if you live around the west/south ish side of Christchurch and want some cheap as delish produce then find your local spot and contact them  http://www.addingtonaction.org.nz/p/fruit-veggie-co-op.html

I left feeling pretty excited about what is being done around the city and chuffed to see how dedicated some people are to see the health and wellness of others around us improve.

So get amongst it. You can order more than 1 bag if your feeding a big household and the quality of the produce is good as.

 

Summer Salad's Selebration

We dont eat much meat here at the flat. Along with my beliefs in local seasonal food I am understanding the real cost of meat and the fact that we can't enjoy the amount of meat we do without sacrificing the quality and humanity of the animals. Which I'm not willing to do. I really do love meat, but with the demand that farmers are under for producing cheap and high quantaties of meat the animals are the ones that suffer. Smaller confined spaces, poor feed and health and a loss of nutritional value and ethics. Chicken and pork are the worst examples where we expect it to be a cheap and accessible product without much thought of how it gets to our plate. The solution. LESS. Just like everything else in this time, we 'expect' and we 'can' have accessiblity to anything. But this all comes at a cost and the we can't expect to eat meat everyday and still have well looked after livestock.

 

So with all that said. No meat can leave a bit of a gap on the plate and tummy sometimes while still adjusting. In come, Carrots. I do love carrots. They may not be sprouting of my garden this season but I'm more than happy to enjoy the success of others. There have been 2 carrot salad's I've been gawking over this summer. Both zingy, sweet, refreshing and both help you see really well in the dark.

 

Indian Spiced Carrot Salad (with yellow zucchini if its in your garden)

Serves 4

Ingredients -

 

6ish carrots and 1 yellow zucchini (zucchini optional and different coloured carrots are ideal)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Small bunch of coriander 

Small bunch of mint

I didn't have any coriander so used the tarty goodness from the carrot leaves, mix it up with what you have.

 

Dressing;

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small red onion, peeled

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 heaped teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Extra virgin Olive Oil

 

Serving Idea -

Naan bread

Yogurt

Lemon halves

 

Method;

 

Shave the carrots into long thin strips with a peeler or a good slicer

Heat a small frying pan over a moderate heat and toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds to get the oils going.
Put them into a pestle and mortar and grind them up.
Then toast the sesame seeds till golden brown and smell nutty, transfer to plate

Finely chop the red onion, (finely being the key word)

Dressing;
Combine lemon zest and juice into a bowl and add the onion, grated ginger, ground cumin and a pinch of salt. Whisk everything together with about 5 tablespoons of extra- virgin olive oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots, add the coriander and mint leaves, and mix it all together using your fingers. It's important that you have a little taste to check whether the dressing needs more lemon juice, oil or seasoning.
Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Served with naan bread, some yogurt and a lemon wedge.

 

 

Orange, Carrot and Beet Salad

Ingredients -
5-6 Carrots
1 Beetroot
2 Oranges
Small bunch of mint and coriander
Walnuts or cashews (any nut or seed)
1 large clove of garlic
Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons of White vinegar

Method-
Grate the carrot and beetroot into a large bowl, add the zest of 1 orange and mix together well.

For the dressing
Combine the juice of 2 oranges, the white vinegar, finely grated garlic and 4 Tbsp of Olive oil. Stir well. Tear the coriander and finely chop the mint leaves and stir through the dressing. (save a little for the top)

In a dry fry pan lightly toast the cashews or your choosen nut/seed and roughly chop, set aside.

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Add the dressing to the carrot mix and toss well to combine flavours

Place on your serving dish or bowl and scatter with the nuts and remaining coriander.

 

Enjoy with a cold beer and good company, and a clear conscience that you have made a difference to the welfare of an animal.  



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