What does your garden grow?

I live in a rental and there is not much opportunity for me to make the gardens look as lovely as I wish to.  I could if I wanted to spend money on someone else's investment (and over time, I have - I can't help wanting my nest to look appealing for my own benefit). 

Instead I grow things in pots.  I also like to strike cuttings from plants that I have liberated from friends, family or 'in passing' and plump up the garden beds at the front of the house. 

My back patio has evolved from humble ratty beginnings into may own little culinary garden and it is bringing me so much joy.  I am so proud of all my little plants.  They are doing so well.  My garden is a wonderful ambient and sensory place for me to relax and enjoy.

I never thought I would ever grow my own raspberries!  The above photo is the first raspberry that came off the bush.  I was so enamoured with the fact that I cultivated it I had to mark the event with a photo on a pretty plate!  It is so exciting to be able to walk out my back door and pick them, fresh off the bush.  Unfortunately there are only enough at the moment for snacking purposes, but I get such a buzz knowing that they grew from my tender care and love.

 Herbs are essential in my garden.  You would be suprised how much more inspiration you can be filled with when you have beautiful fresh herbs on hand, ready for picking.  My 'must have's' are mint, parsley, thyme and basil.  (Above is my lovely 'Boxwood' basil).  Any of these are a wonderful addition to bring dishes to life.  Especially pasta.  I grow them in the pots I bought them in, in a container (which started its life as a humble automotive oil drip tray can you believe?!) in a sunny spot right by the kitchen door, so all I need to is reach out and pluck them as I need them. 

I love to pick at my herbs and nibble on them while sitting outside while dead-heading daisies and marigolds or just enjoying the space.  Pinching them out from the top encourages more bushy and compact growth so it's a win-win.  After much consideration (as to what I would do with it) I bought a Stevia plant and it is great for guilt-free snacking as it is a natural sweetner.  I simply pick a few leaves and roll a mint leaf around them and it staves off hunger pangs (and makes your breath sweet and minty-fresh!). I haven't experimented yet with it (apparently its sweetness is intensified by drying) though I do plan on trying it in my baking sometime soon. 

I have all kinds of fruit trees, flowers  annuals and perennials.  In addition this year I have Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses.  I keep pests at bay where possible using organic pesticides - and natural ones, encouraging Lady Beetles and companion planting (aphids hate marigolds!).  Catterpillars are welcome as they turn into beautiful butterflies.  I love how they munch on the leaves, it reminds me of the book 'The Very Hungry Catterpillar'.

My garden is a lovely place for me (as well as Gidget) to sit and contemplate.  To flip through magazines, read my cook books, or to just soak up the beautiful morning sun.  On weekends I treat myself to breakfast at my table.  Warm summer nights are perfect for barbecues too.

You don't need rambling acres of land to enjoy a garden.  Mine is very compact and modest and I love it.  All you need is a small sunny area or windowsill - even the World's greatest gardens started with just one plant.

Until next time...

Kitty xx

Vieni con me!

Come with me out into my little patio garden.  It is amazing what you can grow in a small space if you want to.  I rent so I don't have the luxury of being able to dig up the lawn to make a vegetable patch, though I do yearn for a big kitchen garden.  If I could grow a crop of anything in my backyard, it would be Heirloom tomatoes.  Then I would have a big 'Tomato Day' and make passata.  But I digress.  I improvise by growing a few citrus in large, terracotta pots.  Nestled around the trunks of each tree I have built up my own humble little herb garden.

 I can only dream about growing tomatoes as luscious as these.

 I grow rosemary, thyme, flat leaf (Italian) parsley, sage, sweet and perennial basil, bay and mint.  These are the herbs I use all the time, I don't waste time growing the ones I don't use.  I must confess though, that I really do love the smell of lemon thyme, but I find I never use it.

A few pots is all you need to grow herbs with minimal fuss.

Rosemary has a nice homely aroma which reminds me instantly of roast lamb.  Recently I have discovered that rosemary takes dishes like mushroom barley soup and my 'quattro fagiolo minestra' (four bean soup) to another level. 

Thyme is my favourite herb of all.  My favourite use for it would be scattering sprigs around par boiled wedges of potato tossed in olive oil, garlic cloves and salt. I bake in a hot oven until crisp.  I could eat these potatoes as a meal on their own.  They just  develop a lovely sweetness that makes me want to keep eating them.

Parsley would have to be the most indispensable herb in my garden.  Basil comes a close second.  The two are brilliant together and are fantastic when I feel like pasta but don't feel like making a long, laborious sauce.  Instead, I make my own pesto.  Once you have made your own pesto, it is hard to ever go back to the stuff in jars. 

Pesto alla Genovese

1 clove of garlic (or more or less to taste)
50g pine nuts, toasted
2-3 handfuls of fresh, sweet basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Yes I buy the good stuff now...)
Olive oil (enough to combine your mixture )
Pinch of salt

Add garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt to a mortar and pestle and pound.  Add basil and pound again until the leaves resemble a rough paste.  Add a little of the Parmesan.  Gradually add the olive oil until and pound gently until the mixture is combined.  Check seasoning and add more salt and Parmesan to taste if necessary. 

(Alternatively you can use a food processor, but I like making pesto in my mortar and pestle, it just feels more rustic and 'home made'.  Also, I like to add a handful of Italian Parsley to my pesto.  It isn't in the tradition of Genovese Pesto, but I just like the extra green and it helps me out if my basil plants are not yielding enough leaves for the recipe!)

In this Pesto I used Macadamia nuts as I had run out of Pine nuts.  It is OK to improvise!

 

I like to cover my pesto with Olive Oil and use within 3 days, covered and kept in the fridge.

Sage is one of those lovely musky and woody herbs that I adore.  I love crisping leaves up in butter and pine nuts to make a brown butter sauce to top fresh pumpkin ravioli.  It is also sublime on chicken breasts wrapped with pancetta or prosciutto.

My Sage looks a little sad and worse for wear, but it will come back in Spring.

Mint is a wonderful addition to Greek yoghurt and finely chopped cucumber to make a cooling relish to slather over tandoori chicken pieces or dolloped liberally over slices of seared lamb fillet for souvlaki.

I am growing my latest mint plant from some store-bought mint in a vase of water in my kitchen.

Along with my herbs, I have a Kaffir Lime tree.  The leaves are essential for Thai curries and Laksa, which I like to make often.  It is also nice that it is a lovely ingredient that I can share with friends and neighbours.  The leaves are also really good to rub on your hands after shelling prawns or handling fish to get rid of the smell.

The leaves of the Kaffir Lime Tree rather than the fruit are the best to use in recipes.

Fresh home grown herbs may not be available to everyone, but if you have space for a few small pots and a sunny position in your garden (or balcony or window) they are easy to grow with not too much fuss.  They just need a little love.  The results are really satisfying.

Who needs a Scarecrow when Miss Gidget is on duty?

Until next time...

Kitty xx