I love feta and courgette fritters served with a salad, just delicious!<\/p>\n
Chillis, sweet peppers, beans and watermelon are progressing well, and my tamarillo tree is going strong. <\/p>\n
Each day, I am greeted by vibrant sunflowers, and my newly planted lime tree already has fruit.<\/p>\n
The trug<\/p>\n
With all the produce you will be harvesting this year, you will need to transport it into the house.<\/p>\n
One of the most effective and enduring tools I have used for gathering produce is the trug. <\/p>\n
This traditional wooden basket has deep historical roots, originating in Anglo-Saxon England as heavy wooden vessels known as trogs. <\/p>\n
In the 19th century, the design was refined in Sussex, most notably by Thomas Smith of Herstmonceux, who popularised the modern lightweight and elegant Sussex trug in the 1820s.<\/p>\n
In New Zealand, handmade trugs are often regarded as works of art, typically crafted from untreated willow, poplar or hazel. <\/p>\n
Their construction requires considerable skill, involving the steaming of wood and the careful shaving of slats to the precise thickness needed. <\/p>\n
The process resembles assembling a complex puzzle, underscoring the craftsmanship required to produce each basket.<\/p>\n
Although my own trug is not as ornate as some of these artisanal creations, it has served me faithfully for more than 30 years. <\/p>\n
Its durability and practicality exemplify why the trug remains a valued implement in both traditional and contemporary gardening.<\/p>\n
Beetroot and red onions in Kem Ormond’s garden. Photo \/ Phil Thomsen<\/p>\n
Recipes<\/p>\n
I thought I would share a couple of my favourite recipes that I make with some of my produce.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been lucky to receive some heritage tomato pulp (minus the seeds) each summer, and I turn this into pasta sauce that gets put into paper cups and frozen for use over winter. <\/p>\n
It is not a thick tomato sauce; it is a chunky version, and I use it to replace any recipe that uses a tin of tomatoes. <\/p>\n
I make it when peppers are abundant, and it is so cheap to make.<\/p>\n
Also, if you end up with an abundance of courgettes, try my fritter recipe.<\/p>\n
These are absolutely delicious served topped with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, alongside a fresh green salad.<\/p>\n
Pasta Sauce<\/p>\n
Ingredients<\/p>\n
Cooking oil<\/p>\n
3 large onions<\/p>\n
6 garlic cloves<\/p>\n
3kg chopped tomatoes<\/p>\n
3 capsicums<\/p>\n
Salt<\/p>\n
Black pepper<\/p>\n
Basil<\/p>\n
Oregano <\/p>\n
Method<\/p>\n
Saut\u00e9 the onions, capsicums, garlic and tomatoes in oil and cook for 20-30 minutes.<\/p>\n
Add salt and herbs, cook for another 5 minutes.<\/p>\n
Bottle or freeze in paper cups with a foil lid.<\/p>\n
Courgette Fritters<\/p>\n
Ingredients<\/p>\n
600g courgette<\/p>\n
2 free-range eggs<\/p>\n
50g tasty cheese, grated<\/p>\n
100g crumbly feta<\/p>\n
2 small spring onions chopped finely <\/p>\n
Salt and pepper to taste<\/p>\n
1\u00bc cups plain flour<\/p>\n
1 tsp baking powder<\/p>\n
Oil for frying<\/p>\n
Sour cream and sweet chilli sauce (to serve)<\/p>\n
Method<\/p>\n
First, grate the courgettes and place them in a clean tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. <\/p>\n
It is essential to get as much moisture out as you can. <\/p>\n
Place in a large bowl.<\/p>\n
Add the eggs, grated cheese, feta, spring onions, salt and pepper. <\/p>\n
Stir to combine. <\/p>\n
Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until there are no lumps. <\/p>\n
Add a little more flour if you think it is needed.<\/p>\n
Using a large non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. <\/p>\n
Add a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and spread evenly to about 10cm in diameter.<\/p>\n
Turn when golden on the bottom. <\/p>\n
When both sides are cooked, remove from the pan and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the next batch. <\/p>\n
Repeat with the remaining batter until finished.<\/p>\n
Served topped with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, with a fresh green salad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I love feta and courgette fritters served with a salad, just delicious! Chillis, sweet peppers, beans and watermelon…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238717,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2851,138,2841,8414,46227,2550,337,2082,8589,8597,59567,8594,57910,185,140711,8596,8587,111,139,69,8595,8588,13031,6207,180,6180,42591,14625,1961,2044,140710,140712,21980,686,14605,1965,379,48498],"class_list":["post-238716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-also","tag-business","tag-country","tag-couple","tag-essential","tag-even","tag-features","tag-for","tag-garden","tag-gardener","tag-happening","tag-harvest","tag-humble","tag-is","tag-januarys","tag-keen","tag-kem","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-ormond","tag-ormonds","tag-praises","tag-recipes","tag-shares","tag-shes","tag-singing","tag-summer","tag-this","tag-time","tag-trug","tag-updating","tag-vegetable","tag-week","tag-whats","tag-writer","tag-year","tag-yummy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}