How Can Olive without You?

Olea europaea

olives on my tree

I spent more than 40 years wanting to like olives and it is only since I have grown and begun to process my own that I have truly begun to appreciate their particular appeal. We planted four trees in 3 varieties over four years ago and this year was the first harvest of more than one olive. The exponential potential of future harvests has me almost afraid of how many olives we can look forward to.
Once processed olives can be rather high in sodium which can cause pause for anyone watching their blood pressure. On the up side they are high in vitamins A and E, have some vitamin K. They are high in healthy monounsaturated oleic fat, omega 6 fatty acid and some omega 3. They add some dietary copper, iron and calcium as well as small amount of magnesium, selenium and zinc. The real nutritional power house is in the vast array of amino acid and antioxidants.

Olive Traditions and Mythology

 

olive branch

Athena, Goddess of justice and wisdom and protector of arts and literature had the olive tree as one of her most recognised symbols. 

Poseidon, God of the seas and Zeus' brother, coveted earthly kingdoms and so claimed the possession of Attica, driving his trident into the Athenian Acropolis which became a well of salt water. Later, Athena came to town and took it in a very peaceful way calling Cecrops, first King of Athens, as a witness. Athena made an olive tree spring from just next to the well. Poseidon, in anger, challenged the goddess, but Zeus intervened and ordered the formation of a divine tribunal to decide which of the two Gods should be enshrined in the city. Thus, the tribunal formed by the Olympic deities, after listening to the testimony of Cecrops decided to side with Athena. It was determined that it was she who had the right to own the land because she had given the city the greatest gift: the first olive tree. Thenceforth, the city adopted the name of Athens and the olive tree planted by Athena was revered for centuries in the Acropolis symbolising the victory. In Greece the olive tree symbolises peace and prosperity, as well as resurrection and hope. This was demonstrated by the events after the burning of Athens by the Persian King Xerxes in the V century BC. Xerxes burned the entire Acropolis city, within which was the centenary of olive trees of Athena, which was also burned. However, when the Athenians entered the scorched city, the olive tree had already grown a branch, symbolising the rapid recuperation and renovation of the Athenians in the face of adversity.

An olive branch was often given as a mark of atonement in many stories including the tales of
Orestes and Thesus and crowns of olive branches became traditional for warriors, magistrates, priests, athletes and winners at games and competitions.

As a symbol for protection and fertility it was often conspicuous at the door and in the home and farm.

Recipes

Preparing Olives for pickling

leaching out the bitterness

Slit each olive with a knife or pit them.Put in a large vessel, cover with water and weight them down so they have air excluded. Change water daily for 2 weeks.

Drain and rinse well then make up a brine solution of 10% salt in water and weight the olives down in that for 2 weeks.

Estimate the amount of pickling liquid required by filling preserving jar(s) with olives and then to the top with water. Drain reserving the water and measuring. Adjust the pickling liquid with some to spare.

pickled olives

Olives, a more traditional pickle

 
Pickling solution:
700ml 10% brine solution
(630ml water +70gm salt)
70ml white wine vinegar
(additional vinegar if you like a strong flavour pickle)
Add herbs and spices to taste. Be creative.
(here I used 3 birds eye chillies and fresh bay leaves)

Bring the brine and vinegar to a simmer. Fill the sterilised jars with olives and herbs and spices. Pour the pickling liquid to cover and seal. Turn upside down any pop tops and allow to cool before storing for 4 weeks.

Olives, a cheat version on a frugal budget

perfectly pickled

Pickling solution:
500ml reserved jalapeno pickling liquid
200ml flat lemonade 
400ml white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tspn each peppercorns, 
dill seed & fennel seed
1 dried Kashmiri chilli
1 fresh bay leaf

Bring the reserved pickle, lemonade and vinegar to a simmer. Fill the sterilised jars with olives and herbs and spices. Pour the pickling liquid to cover and seal. Turn upside down any pop tops and allow to cool before storing for 4 weeks.

Olive Tapenade 

Tapenade with sage flowers

200g whole black olives, pitted
3 tbsp pickled nasturtium pods (or capers)

2 anchovies, roughly chopped
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
2 tspn fresh thyme, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put in a food processor the capers, anchovies, garlic and thyme, and whizz to a rough puree. Squeeze in the lemon juice and, with the motor still running, add the oil in a steady drizzle.

Taste, and add pepper and more lemon juice if necessary.

Serve on small toasts or croutons, as a dip or stir through pasta

Nasturtium please!

Tropaeolum majus

nasturtium flower

These cheerful, sunny, herbaceous garden inhabitants are underestimated in their charm and culinary value. The ease with which they grow and self propagate as well as their sweet and pepper flavours make them a must in so many ways.

A native of South America it's natural antibiotic properties were used to treat urinary tract infections and the Meso-Americans valued them for their aide to kidney health. Their use to prevent scurvy also points to them being high in vitamin C, in fact they contain approximately 92mg/100gm.

Some other uses that may be of health benefit is as a tea of the buds. Rubbed on the skin it may improve surface circulation and even promote hair regrowth as well as treat excessively oily skin as is mildly astringent.

A poultice of nasturtium leaves and buds may be useful in treating minor cuts, abrasions and mild acne due to it's antibiotic, antiseptic, and antifungal properties.

seedling

Nasturtiums also supply small amounts of vitamin D.

Nasturtiums also contain lutein and zaexanthin, compounds that can help protect your eyes from age-related disorders.

Nasturtiums help deter aphids, squash bugs, white flies, cucumber beetles and a host of other pests. Plant them along side veggies such as tomatoes, cabbage, radishes and cucumbers as they are great garden companions.

Recipes

Brined Nasturtium "vine" leaves

nasturtium leaves

20 large nasturtium leaves
1 cup water
2 tbsp rock salt

Trim the stem close to the leaf and place slightly of centre on top of each other in a row and roll tightly into a cigar and place in a clean sterilised jar with as little gap at the top as possible.

Bring the water and salt to a simmer, turn off and fill the jar and seal. Place the jar on it's lid to cool.

Brine the leaves for a week before using.

Nasturtium Dolmades

nasturtium dolmades

20 brined nasturtium leaves
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tbsn chia
tbsp water
2 green onions, finely sliced
4 sprigs fennel frond, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
1/2 tspn dried mint
1/2 tspn lemon rind, finely chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice 1 lemon, some pulp

Soak the chia in the water for an hour, mix with the quinoa, green onion, herbs and seasoning
place 1/2-2/3 tspn of mix on each leaf and roll neatly and tightly.

Place the rolls in a pan large enough to have one layer and cover with oil and juice mix. 

Poach on a very low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve warm with Greek yoghurt or keep cold in the poaching liquid for a week in the fridge.

Stuffed Nasturtium Leaves

stuffed nasturtium leaves

20 Nasturtium leaves
1/2 cup chicken mince
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1 tspn chia seed4 fresh sage leaves
50 gm feta, finely crumbled
1 tbsp lemon rind, finely shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup roasted tomato sauce or passata

Mix the chicken, rice, chia, sage, feta and rind well and season.
Place a small teaspoon on mix on the central star of each leaf and wrap and roll tightly. Lay open edge down in a greased oven proof dish that has a lid. Layer until all leaves are done.

Mix the tomato and stock, season and pour over the nasturtium rolls until covered. place the lid and slow cook in a moderate oven for half an hour. remove lid and allow the sauce to thicken.

Serve as a side, on croutons with a drizzle of olive oil or as a snack

Fakers

fakers - faux capers

(Pickled Nasturtium Pods - Faux Capers)

1/2 a cup of nasturtium buds & pods, washed and dried
250ml rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Put the vinegar, salt, garlic, bay and peppercorns into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for two minutes, then remove from the heat. Fill a small sterilised jar with the pods and buds then pour the pickling liquid over the buds and pods until the jar is full. Put a lid on the jar and leave for a couple of weeks in a cool place. The buds and pods will be ready to eat when they have sunk to the bottom of the jar. You can keep adding new buds and pods to the liquid.

Use the buds in dressings and salad creams. Use the pods in any recipe that calls for capers.

Green curry paste ingredients

Green Curry Paste

Curry pastes are a "to taste" kind of creation for me and my green curries are a blend of what is in my garden at that time as well as what I have preserved from past harvests.

Adding green nasturtium pods was a natural progression with their sweet peppery flavour.

This is just one of the combinations I have played with to great effect. Don't be shy to try your own.

Nasturtium Flower

add nasturtium to salads

Any green, garden or leafy salad will be lifted to another level of wow with the inclusion of nasturtium flowers

garnish with Nasturtium

Use Nasturtium flowers to add vibrant garnish to any meal

Haws ... Cheaper in the Country

Hawthorn Berry (Crateagus monogyna)

Hawthorn berries

Hawthorn are abundant in the hinterland and highlands around my coastal idyll. Our frequent trips up to the Capital Territory have proved that our colonials loved their hedgerows and culturally familiar plantings and their transplants of their familiars to our sun burnt land are oft lost to the culinary traditions of modern Australian cuisine. I had to make many a google trip into the secrets of rural British Isles and European self sufficiency to find adaptable recipes and uses and what fun it was going from roadside forage to table.

Hawthorn,

Royal Hobart Botanical Gardens

Hawthorn is widely regarded in Europe as a safe and effective treatment and used to promote the health of the circulatory system, treat angina, the early stages of heart disease, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, myocarditis, arteriosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmia, for strengthening blood vessels, vascular insufficiency and blood clots, restoring the heart muscle wall, lowering cholesterol and has been found to strengthen the heart. Hawthorn is used in nervous conditions like insomnia, and in digestive issues like diarrhea and to aid digestion.

Hawthorn in Richmond, Tasmania

Its use in the treatment of hepatitis in modern Chinese medicine is supported by the demonstration of hepatoprotective activity in animal studies

Although generally considered safe hawthorn can cause nausea, stomach upset, fatigue, sweating, headache, dizziness, palpitations, nosebleeds, insomnia and agitation in high doses.

Hawthorne berries are loaded with vitamin C along with lots of the B vitamins which includes vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12.  They additionally include some calcium and a variety of bioflavonoids and antioxidents.

 

Myths and Symbolism

Hawthorn berries on the left
with their close cousin Rosehip
on the right

Hawthorn bears both Pagan and Christian symbolism, for it is said that the thorn crown of Christ was made of Hawthorn. Biblically it may be claimed that the Holy Spirit has a certain peculiar affinity with thorn trees as the Bible mentions its apparition in the burning bush, which is thought to have been a thorn.

In British Christian mythology it is said that the Glastonbury Hawthorn was derived from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, an uncle of Jesus who brought the grail cup to Britain after the he had died on the cross. His intention was to find a place where the grail could be buried and the new church could be founded. When he arrived in Glastonbury and set eyes on the Holy Isle of Apples he struck his staff into the ground at Wearyall Hill, where it at once burst into flower. Joseph of Arimathea took this as a sign and founded the first Christian Church of England in Glastonbury. Today, various descendents of that original miraculous walking stick have been transplanted as cuttings and decorate various Christian sites around the town. To this day, these special trees flower not once but twice a year. Once at the time when it is right and proper for all Hawthorn trees to burst into flower, in May, and once at Christmas, the purported birthday of Christ.

Hawthorn's symbolism is that of protection, but also as a gateway to this other world of magical beings. Thus, in folk medicine it was primarily used to protect against all manner of evil spirits and demons that were apt to give you a sudden fright. To ward them off, amulets of hawthorn were carved and hung above doors or worn for protection.

The goddess-witches, Nimue, had her great victory over Merlin when she snared him eternally in the thorny branches of a hawthorn.

Like few other trees Hawthorn is also associated with the old Beltain rites of 'fetching the May' into the village to bestow fertility and plenty and to celebrate the return of the green life-force. Hawthorn was deemed particularly suitable since it flowers abundantly from the beginning of May. It seems as if the entire tree is completely covered in blossom, even though the leaves are already out at this time. The white dainty, typical 5-petaled 'rose-type' flowers exude a peculiar smell that is often described as reminiscent of rotting meat, (Hawthorn is fertilized by bugs that are attracted by the smell of carrion) a smell that was long associated with the Black Death. As a result Hawthorn flowers, despite being much loved, were never welcome into the home. Others, however, associate its scent with the perfume of sexuality, which would also fit its orgiastic symbolism as a tree to signify the joys of Beltane celebrations.

Having a hawthorn in your care could gift you with the blessing of the fae or fair folk, but cutting one down could cause you ill luck forever more. It was additionally believed that if one were to hang a sprig of hawthorn in the barn, this would cause cows to give better milk. A hawthorn sprig in the rafters of a home helped to keep ghosts and evil spirits at bay.

In Arabic erotic literature, hawthorn is regarded as an aphrodisiac because the flowers presumably smell like aroused women. The hawthorn was sacred to Hymen or Hymenaeus, the Greek God of the marriage chamber and to the Greek Goddess Maia (Roman Flora). For this reason boughs were long used for luck and protection in Greek and Roman households and were symbolic of hope well into the Christian era.

In Teutonic ritual it was used for funeral pyres because smoke of the hawthorn bore souls into the afterlife. The Hawthorn's association with death gave rise to many frightful superstitions about this tree.

Recipes

Hawthorn Berry Jelly

Hawthorn Berry Jelly
as part of a cheese plate

1kg haws 
3 cups cider
1.5 cup of water

place all three in a pan and bring to a slow simmer. Mash  the haws every half hour until the mix is very mashed and the liquid has a high red colour.
strain through muslin until it no longer runs then press in a cheese press until every drip has dropped, I left it over night.
 
3 cups haw concentrate (above) 
1.5 cups raw sugar
juice of 1.5 lemons (I used 2 because they were a bit mean)
silicon molds

Hawthorn Berry Jelly
perfect with blue cheeses

Simmer gently for as many hours as it takes to get the gel to gel in the usual jam method then another hour-ish to get it to be able to be cut.
olive oil spray the molds and pour carefully being careful of sugar burns.
Place in the fridge to set.

Serve with cheeses, cold meats and game.

If you have poultry give them the pressings ... 

Apple, hawberry and rosehip cider

25 litres first ferment

5kg foraged wild apples, juiced pulp retained
1/2 kg hawberries, juiced pulp retained
1/2 kg rosehips, juiced pulp retained
2 kg rich brown sugar
10gm champagne yeast

Place all juice and pulp into a large pan and bring to the boil for 15 minutes to kill off wild yeasts. Decant into a fermentation vessel for 30 litres. While the juice and pulp is still hot the brown sugar is stirred in until dissolved. When the mix is room temperature and water added to make up to 25 litres, the yeast is added, the unit sealed and a vapour lock put in the bung. 

The vapour lock will bubble to release gases and this is evidence that fermentation is taking place. Allow the ferment to continue until the bubbles are less than a hour apart.

first decant
2nd ferment

Pour the young cider through a large sieve with muslin liner to catch the wort and as much sediment as possible. return the cider to the fermenting vessel and stir in another 1kg of brown sugar, seal and replace the vapour lock and an added ferment period will follow. When the bubbles again reduce to less than one bubble per hour decant the cider into 5 litre glass carbo


uys with 5 tablespoons of sugar each and bung and vapour lock. Alternatively you can bottle into long necks or stubbies ... 

Chill at least 2 hours prior to drinking an drinking can start in approximately 4 weeks. be warned this is a hard cider and a hydrometer calculation will need to be done to establish the alcohol content. Drinking and driving is not recommended.

Apple, Hawberry and Rosehip cider

Excellent as the cooking liqueur for pulled pork or as an alternative for half the stock in boulengier potatoes.

This Feta be Good

Undoubtedly one of the most famous of Greek cheeses this soft pickled curd cheese has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine solution.

Feta styled cheese is surprisingly easy to make:

Ingredients

4 litres of full cream milk
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup of unchlorinated water
1 dose of MO 030 Mesophilic starter culture
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup of unchlorinated water
2 tablespoons of cheese salt

cut curd

Equipment

large stainless steel pot
cheese thermometer
large slotted spoon
long bladed knife
one 90cm square piece of cheese cloth
large colander
piece of string
hanging space

Method

draining the curd

Place the milk in a stainless steel pot and place in a sink of hot water. Mix in the calcium chloride solution and wait for the milk temperature to slowly get to 30 degC
Add the starter culture and stir well and leave at 30 degC to incubate for 1 hour.
Add the rennet solution and stir well using an up and down motion to ensure even distribution then allow to rest for 1 hour maintaining 30 degC

pressing the feta
for a denser product

check the curd for a clean break, meaning that the knife splits the curd and stays split. If a clean break is not noted then leave for another 5 minutes and check again.
Once the curd is firm and gives a clean break cut the curd into 1.5cm cubes then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Gently stir the curds for 20 minutes breaking up any clumps and all the while maintaining the temperature at 30 degC
Gently pour the curds into a colander, lined with your cloth and sitting in another large stainless steel pot or bowl, and allow to drain for a few minutes.
Tie the cloth together to form a bag and hang to drain over the 2nd pot to reserve the whey and allow to drain for 5 hours.
untie the bag and cut the curds into 2.5cm cubes
sprinkle the curds with cheese salt and allow to age for 4 days stored in the fridge.

preserved feta

Preserving

Cut the aged curds into 1/4's and pack into a sterile preserving jar with pepper corns and bay leaves and cover with a blend of half sunflower/ half olive oil. The olive oil will slightly solidify in the fridge if used on it's own, but the oil and other elements will impart a flavour that is very nice while keeping the feta fresh.

Flavouring

peppercorn feta

Peppercorn Feta:

We just mixed in the preserved green peppercorns before we drained and hung the curd. Now cut and salted it is ready for preserving

Feta Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers

Preparation:

9 mini bell peppers (tiny capsicums)
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
slice off the top of the capsicums and remove the seeds and pith. mix the salt into the water making a brine solution and submerge the capsicums in the brine for a week.

Ingredients:

store bought on the left
home made on the right

1/2 cup of home made feta
1/2 cup home made labna
sprinkle of chili flakes (to taste)
pinch of greek oregano
6 capers chopped finely
freshly ground black pepper

Method:

mash the 2 cheeses together and add the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking, I ended up adding more chili. Drain the capsicums. Put the mix into a piping bag and force into the center of the capsicums until they are full. Chili the capsicums once filled.

If you want to preserve these morsels submerge them in extra light olive oil in an airtight container in the fridge.

Eat as finger food, as part of a cheese platter or slice and put on mini toasts for an appetiser or cocktail party fair.

Arancini - Risotto Balls

Ingredients

Arancini

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
juice 1 small lemon
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock (can substitute 1 cup with a cup of whey from cheese making)
shake paprika
2 rashers of bacon finely diced
home made feta - enough to put a good cube inside the center of each rice ball
1/2 cup home made feta diced
1/4 grated parmesan
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Method

place your rice in a microwave dish with the bay leaf, lemon juice, paprika and 1 cup of liquid and cook in the microwave on high for 6 mins. Stir and add another cup of liquid and repeat. Stir add the last of the liquid and another 6 mins should finish it off.
Add the diced bacon, remove the bay leaf and stir the bacon through then let sit covered until the mix cools enough to handle and not scramble the egg.
Add the feta and parmesan and eggs and mix well.
preheat your deep fryer to 170degC
Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and take a golf

ball sized amount of the rice mixture and roughly form into a ball. push a cube of feta into the center of the ball and reform it. Dredge each ball in bread crumbs and place gently into the hot oil. Lightly brown each ball turning gently and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve hot

Feta, Pear & Rocket (Arugula) Salad

Feta, Pear & Rocket (Arugula) Salad

Ingredients

pressed feta, cut into thin wedges
firm ripe pear, cut into thin wedges
rocket leaves
shake paprika
freshly ground pepper to taste

Arrange your salad and season ... that is all

Tomatoes? Get your Nightshades ON!

Always it happens - You plant a few tomato seedlings and just when you get to enjoy a few salads and then BAM! too many tomatoes. I love this seasonal bounty when it happens because it allows me to draw out all the stoppers of creativity to make the most of the season.

The tomato is native to central South America and was cultivated by the Aztecs centuries before the Spanish explorers introduced it to all over the world. There are many hundreds of cultivar varieties of different type and size. Most cultivars produce red fruits, however, a number of cultivars have yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or white coloured fruits.

The Tomato Festival is a tradition in Spain since 1945 and there are several theories about how it began, but no one knows for sure. One of the most popular theories is that during a town celebration the city councilman were attacked by some discontented people. The people enjoyed this so much, that they repeated the event the next year, and in a couple of years a tradition was established.

In Magickal tradition the tomato is a fruit associated with heart health, money, love and love's protection. Not surprising that it is also associated with the planetary energies of Venus.

Tomatoes!

 

Health benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the low-calorie fruits and have just 18 calories per 100 g. They have zero fat and zero dietary cholesterol. Nonetheless, they are an excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins.

The antioxidants present in tomatoes are scientifically found to be protective of cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumours. The total -ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) in this vegetable is 367 µmol TE/100 g.

Lycopene, a flavonoid antioxidant, is an unique phytochemical present in the tomatoes. Red varieties are especially concentrated in this antioxidant. Together with carotenoids, lycopene may help protect cells and other structures in the human body from harmful oxygen-free radicals. Studies have shown that lycopene protects the skin from ultra-violet (UV) rays and thus offers some defence against skin cancer.

Zea-xanthin is another flavonoid compound present abundantly in this vegetable. Zea-xanthin helps protect eyes from "age-related macular disease" (ARMD) in the elderly by filtering harmful ultra-violet rays.

This fruit contains very good levels of vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as α and ß-carotenes, xanthins and lutein. Altogether, these pigment compounds are found to have antioxidant properties and take part in good vision, maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin, and bone health. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids is known to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Additionally, they are also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C (provide 21% of recommended daily levels per 100 g); consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.

Fresh tomato is very rich in potassium. 100 g contain 237 mg of potassium and just 5 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure caused by sodium.

Further, they carry average levels of vital B-complex vitamins such as folates, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin as well some essential minerals like iron, calcium, manganese and other trace elements.

Semi Dried Tomatoes

preserved in sunflower oil
with bay and peppercorn

2 kg ripe Roma tomatoes
3 tbsp sea salt
3 tlsp caster sugar

Halve tomatoes lengthwise,
Leaving attached along one side. Remove cores and seeds with a grapefruit knife. Stand tomato “shells” upright on a wire rack. Scatter with one third of the salt and sugar and leave to drain for 4 – 6 hours. Scatter with another third of salt and sugar and leave another 30 minutes. Turn over and allow to drain. Leave a further 4 – 6 hours. Stand upright again and scatter with remaining salt and sugar. Leave for a further 4 – 6 hours.
Arrange the tomatoes on a rack in a fan-forced oven. Set temperature at  50 - 75°C and dry for about 4 – 5 hours. Adjust oven temperature as required. Tomatoes must not darken. Turn over when tops are dry and continue for a further 2 – 3 hours until bottoms are also dry. Cool on rack, store in an air tight jar with a bag of silica gel.
(If you wish to dry the whole tomato out, seed and all rather than wasting it, just allow for an extra hour or so in the oven to dry)

Tomato Soup

Tomato soup

3kg beef bones
2kg tomatoes very ripe, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 onions diced
2 sprigs sage
2 bunch basil
salt and pepper to taste (a fair bit may be needed)

Roast the beef bones with a sprinkle of salt and pepper until a fair amount of caramalisation has occurred and they are nicely browned. Place in a large stock pot and just cover with water and add tomatoes, onions and garlic. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes collapse and then for 40 minutes more.
Remove the bones and allow to cool while the stock and veg simmers and reduces.
Skim any excess fat and scum from the top of the soup.
When the bones are cool enough to handle pick off any meat you can find, chop and return to the soup.
Taste and adjust the seasoning and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
Taste and adjust again for seasoning if required.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a fine shred of fresh herb
A crust roll or some toasted sour dough would not go astray.

Spicy Tomato Relish

Spicy Tomato Relish

2.5 kg ripe tomatoes cut into small dice
500 g red onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
2 tspn cumin seeds
3 long dried chilli peppers
475 ml white wine vinegar (we used 1/2 apple cider 1/2 white balsamic)
220 g raw sugar

Place the diced tomato and the onion slices in a shallow dish and sprinkle with the salt. Leave overnight. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the mustard, cumin and chilli peppers. Drain the tomatoes and onions and place the pulp in a saucepan with the spices, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 45 min. stirring frequently. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 15-min. Spoon the hot relish into sterilised jars, filling completely. Cover.

Tomato Relish

3 kg tomatoes
1 kg onions
2 cups vinegar
1.5 tbsp dry mustard
1.5 tblspn curry powder
750 g sugar
3 tbsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
4 tbsp cornflour, slaked with water

Scald and skin tomatoes, sprinkle with half the salt and leave overnight.
Peel and chop onions, sprinkle with half the salt and leave overnight.
Next day combine the two mixes with the sugar in a large pan. Mix the other ingredients in well and bring to the boil and simmer for at least an hour. Thicken with the cornflour, stirring well to avoid lumps, then boil a while longer, usually around 2 hours in all.

Tomato Pasta Sauce

spaghetti and meatballs
with tomato pasta sauce

1.5 kg ripe tomato
1 large brown onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
125 ml olive oil
salt
1/2 tspn sugar
4 tbsp verjuice or white wine
freshly ground black pepper
2 large basil leaves

Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters and place in a pan. Peel and chop the onion, carrot and celery and add to the pan with the oil, tossing to coat well. Add the salt and sugar and place the pan over a high heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning until it starts to caramelise and the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the verjuice, check for seasoning and add the basil, torn. Fill jars with the sauce and seal.

Tomato Kasundi

225 g ginger, peeled
100 g garlic, peeled
50 g green chillies, sliced in half and seeds removed
600 ml malt vinegar
300 ml canola oil
2 tbsp turmeric
5 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chilli powder
5 tbsp mustard seeds, ground to a powder
2 kg tomatoes, washed and chopped
450 g salt
3 tbsp sugar

Puree ginger, garlic and chilli to a paste with a little of the vinegar. Heat the oil in a preserving pan and add all the ground spices and heat gently. Add the paste, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and half the salt, stir and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the oil is all floating on the surface. Taste and add more salt as needed. Bottle into sterilised jars while hot. Pour a slick of hot oil over the surface to prevent the preserve from drying and cover with screw tops. Leave for a couple of weeks for the flavours to develop.
This is great with lamb, chicken, rice or lentils. It can be used as a marinade, and is great with cheese.

Green tomato chutney

8 cups green tomatoes , peeled and sliced
¼ cup pickling salt
1 ½ onions , peeled
8 cups apples , chopped
1 ½ green peppers , chopped
1 ½ fresh long hot red peppers (optional)
2 cups vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons pickling spices
3 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Put layers of tomatoes with pickling salt.
Add enough cold water to cover tomatoes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Drain& rinse the Tomatoes
Put them a large pot place and add Onions, apples, green pepper and vinegar.
Bring to a boil and boil 30 minutes.
Tie the pickling spice in gauze and add to the pot.
Stir in the brown sugar.
Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours
Watch that it doesn't burn! Pour into sterilised jars, seal and water bath for 10 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 kg tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 onions sliced thickly
1 capsicum deseeded
1/2 cup olive oil
Few sprigs sage
bunch basil
Fresh pepper, a little salt & sugar to taste

Place everything into a baking dish and toss to spread & oil.
Cook at about 180°C for 35 – 40 mins until all softened. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic soft centres from the skin and return to the tomatoes, discarding the papery skins.
Blend together, including the oily juices, tasting and correcting seasoning. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and water bath for 10 minutes.

cockle butter ravioli with roasted tomato sauce

Beetrooted Adventures

Beetroot is one of my favourite roasted veg and we have been eating quite a few baby beets simply roasted in the meat juicy pan and a sprinkle of salt, but here we will share other lovely ways to serve beets.

Beetroot bulbs fresh from the garden

Beetroots have long been used for medicinal purposes, primarily for disorders of the liver as they help to stimulate the liver's detoxification processes. The plant pigment that gives beetroot its rich, purple-crimson colour is betacyanin; a powerful agent, thought to suppress the development of some types of cancer.

Raw beets are an excellent source of folates and vitamin C and is also rich source of B-complex vitamins such as niacin (B-3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B-6) and minerals such as iron, manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium.

Beetroot in the garden

Beetroot is rich in fibre, exerting favourable effects on bowel function, which may assist in preventing constipation and help to lower cholesterol levels too.

Beetroot fibre has been shown to increase the level of antioxidant enzymes in the body, (specifically one called glutathione peroxidase), as well as increase the number of white blood cells, which are responsible for detecting and eliminating abnormal cells. Beetroot is also one of the richest sources of glutamine, an amino acid, essential to the health and maintenance of the intestinal tract.

Beetroot is rich source of phytochemical compound, glycine betaine. Betaine has the property of lowering homocysteine levels within the blood. High levels of homocysteine in the blood result in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.

Other studies have looked at the effect of beetroot juice on blood pressure. A reduction in blood pressure is beneficial for the avoidance of heart disease and stroke. Studies state that nitrate rich foods like beetroot may help in heart attack survival.

Beetroot leaves in a salad harvest

Beetroot contains betaine, which in other forms is used to help treat depression, and trytophan, the feel good chemical in chocolate.

Beetroot Greens should not be overlooked in the harvest menu. The greens are an excellent source of carotenoids, flavonoid anti-oxidants, and vitamin A; They contain these compounds several times more than that of in the roots. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Consumption of natural vegetables rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. They also provide dietary Protein, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

Beetroot microgreens

Beetroot sprouts have a light earthy taste, just a touch different and neutral in combination with other vegetables. It is the fantastic colour that that makes all the difference on your plate. Mostly used to decorate salads, toast dishes and other snacks or stir fries. The sprout are rich in vitamins, amino acids and mineral salts, they are easy to digest and have a low calorie content. Eaten raw, they maintain all of their nutrient value.

Beeturia is a harmless condition of passing red or pink colour urine after eating beets and its top greens. The condition can be found in around 10-15% of the populations who are genetically unable to break down betacyanin pigment.

Beet greens contain oxalic acid, a naturally-occurring substance found in some vegetables, which may crystallise as oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people. It is therefore; in individuals with known oxalate urinary tract stones, kidney stones, are advised to avoid eating excess greens.

Caramel Beets

 

Ingredients

12 fresh baby beets (don't buy canned!, the vinegar they can them in will ruin this recipe!)
100 gm butter
4 tbsp brown sugar (raw will do, rapadura/muscarvardo is better)
3 tbsp fresh cream

Method
Melt butter in a small pan, Peel baby beets, add beets to melted butter and rigorously 'fry/cook'. 
In approximately 5 minutes when the beets are slightly softened add the sugar and allow to bubble, occasionally shaking the pot to stir (remember DO NOT WALK AWAY, burning sugar does not smell nice!) 
When the sugar has dissolved and reached the hard ball stage add the cream.

The most glorious reddish caramel savoury sauce occurs and, the beets just absorb it.
The beets were so luxuriously sweet and creamy they had changed from the slightly earthy tasting vegetables that bleed red all over the plate into a delightful sweet and savoury side.

Pickled Beets 1

ready for pickling

peel and slice beetroot, place in a large saucepan and cover with a bottle of red, half bottle of apple cider vinegar and a spoonful of honey. Adjust the liquid so that it covers the beetroot completely.

Simmer gently for until the beetroot feels tender but still crunchy.  The wine/vinegar/beetroot juice goes kind of thicker and darker and its done.

Put the slices into sterilised jars while hot then pour the hot liquid over the top and make sure there is no air bubbles, screw on the lids and as it cools, the pop tops will suck in.

Store in a dark cupboard - they keep for ages.

Perfect addition to a salad

Pickled Beets 2

see Pickled beets above but using rapadura/muscarvardo sugar  instead of honey and add cloves and peppercorns. I like to get them as babies (golf ball size) and have them whole early in the season and then do the sliced ones later so I have variety.

Beetroot Dip (so pink it's crazy!)

 

Ingredients

1 large fresh beetroot trimmed and well scrubbed

Beetroot dip as part of a platter

1 * 1.5 litres fresh home made natural yoghurt
(yes you can use greek if you want)
salt to taste
rind of half lemon finely grated

Method
Place your yoghurt in 2-3 layers of fine muslin or cheese cloth tie up and hang until the whey stops dripping and the yoghurt is thick (this new product is called Labna or yoghurt cheese) 8 hours should be enough
Roast your beet in a hot oven until tender, peel and chop finely. Place all your ingredients into a processor and blend roughly. season to taste and serve.

* Reserve your whey for birchering oats

Beetroot White Chocolate Icecream

 

Ingredients

Beetroot White Chocolate Icecream

300 g fresh beetroot
4 x egg yolks
100 g raw sugar, milled to a fine powder
200 ml double cream
300 ml whole milk
100 g white chocolate broken into small pieces

 

Method

Roast the beetroot in a oven proof pan with 1 cm water and covered with foil for approximately an hour or until tender. Remove and leave to cool.

Put yolks in a bowl with the sugar, whisk sugar and egg yolks until well beaten.

Heat 200 ml of the milk and all the cream in a pan to scalding. Pour milk and cream mix over egg and sugar mix whisking as you go.

Return custard to the saucepan and heat over a gentle heat stirring constantly until mixture has thickened to cover the back of a spoon. Take off the heat and pour into a clean bowl to cool. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin forming.

Custard for Beetroot Icecream

Melt the chocolate over a gentle heat.

Peel beetroot and chop roughly. Place chopped beetroot in a blender along with the remaining 100 ml of milk and blend until smooth. Add the beetroot puree to the cooled custard, mix and add the chocolate and stir thoroughly to incorporate.

Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and churn for approximately 45 minutes. Place the icecream in a freezer proof container and finish in the freezer.

serve with Beetroot and Chocolate Cake.

Beetroot and Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Beetroot and Chocolate Cake

180 g self - raising flour
75 g cocoa
1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda
125 g beetroot, finely grated
125 g home made or greek yoghurt
1 Tbls fresh mint, finely shredded
3 x eggs, free range & organic
200 ml olive oil, extra light virgin
1 tspn vanilla extract
100 ml beetroot juice, freshly juiced
10 ml olive oil, extra light virgin
200 g dark chocolate, 70%

 

Method

Preheat your oven to 180degC
Sieve the cocoa powder, self-raising flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sugar
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, grated beetroot, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract until it is well blended.
Add the beetroot mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together and then pour this in to a pre-lined spring form cake tin.
Bake for 30 minutes or until it is springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
For the ganache:
Place the beetroot juice and the olive oil into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Pour over the chocolate and mix together until smooth.
When the cake is cooked and cooled, pour over the beetroot ganache and serve with beetroot white chocolate icecream

Beetroot Ink - this makes a reddish-pink ink

1. Boil a couple of beetroots then either juice them using a juicer or mash then up and strain through muslin or a fine sieve ( if using a sieve you may have to strain more than once to get any fibres out).
2. While the juice is warm (if it’s cooled just reheat in a microwave or on a stove) add in a little gum arabic powder, stirring until this juice has thickened slightly.

Believed to have magickal properties associated with the feminine, Saturn, Earth and Love. Use as an ink in love magick, also as a blood substitute and for healing old wounds from the past.