Tag Archives: choko

Planning a kitchen

On air on bayfm 99.9 community radio, Byron Bay, on 23 April 2012

 

Today on belly we talked about designing the most important room in your house, the kitchen, with Don Hansen. We spoke about materials and budgets and environmentally friendly options, but also a lot about one of Don’s big passions, good communication.

 

FRESH REPORT

 

A couple of ideas about this week’s best in season fruit and veg.

A budget choice,  CHOKOS are everywhere.  One stallholder had a sign at the markets, “choko apppreciation society meeting in the Bangalow phone box” .  I will be there, yes they can be a bit tasteless if just boiled into submission but chokos can be a really good ingredient. . Try online searches for chayote recipes, their Central American name.  Just like the avocado, which is also beginning its season, it was a favourite of the aztecs. Or look for mirliton recipes from Luisiana, or christophine from Trinidad.  I tried choko Italiano this week, testing the idea that it takes on other flavours. It was really good in an onion,capsicum and tomato pasta sauce. The taste team approved, saying choko chunks did take on the flavours, but made the sauce lighter and juicier.
For an exotic choice try JIKAMA (Don says this should be pronounced ‘hikama’), it looks like a giant white water chestnut or a fat beige turnip. Just peel it and eat raw, or quickly cooked. It has crunchy juicy and sweet white flesh.  Great raw in salads and keeps its crunch in stir fries, so can substitute for water chestnuts.  Could be interesting in a sushi roll.  Also from Central America, in Mexico it is used to dip in salsas, much healthier than corn chips.
Plentiful choice – lemons, limes, mandarins – citrus time, yum

 

CHOKO ITALIANO – Belly Lab recipe by sister Tess

 

For 4 people

 

1 pack penne or spaghetti

1 can tomatoes and/or very ripe tasty tomatoes (I prefer a mix of both)

1 red onion, chopped or sliced

1 large red capsicum, sliced

garlic, good olive oil, salt, pepper

capers, anchovies, chilli,  freshly grated Parmesan to taste

fresh or dry oregano

1 beautiful large choko, peeled seeded and cut into smallish chunks

 

Fry onions in oil until soft, add capers, chilli and chopped garlic, fry a couple more minutes.  Add capsicum and choko, salt, pepper, cook on fairly high heat.  Add tomatoes, oregano, anchovies, cook gently until the sauce is quite dense and tomatoes are cooked. Skip or change any of these ingredients that you aren’t really into.

Serve on al dente pasta with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

 

 

BELLY BULLETIN

There is an egg fight going on in Australia. Consumers love free range eggs, they are nearly 40% of eggs sold in Australia and were the biggest growth category in eggs last year. The Egg Corporation, the main egg producers association, announced its plans to change the allowable outdoor stocking density for free range chickens from 1500 to 20,000 per hectare. The consumers association Choice says that the RSPCA and Humane Choice set a limit of 1500, while the Free Range Farmers association sets 750 chooks per hectare as a limit. Choice says consumers will stop buying free range if they are not confident they are getting what they pay for. the egg corp is concerned about overseas competition, and says stocking density is not as important as appropriate farm management, and that this density allows chickens to display all their natural behaviours, like scratching in the dirt. Check the links below to make up your own mind.

http://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/media-releases/2012-media-releases/free-range-eggs-not-all-they-are-cracked-up-to-be.aspx

http://www.aecl.org/

 

You may remember a lot of discussion about the proposed new markets policy in byron shire, including a big meeting here in the community centre. The council has now revised the policy, it is open for viewing and comment until May 18, 2012 in various public places and online. Council would like anyone who has already commented to submit any comments on the new policy, as well as the rest of us of course.    For a direct link to the policy on the council’s website click here.

citruses, choko cake and a farmers market in the volcano

ON AIR ON BYRON BAY’S BAYFM 99.9 ON MONDAY APRIL 4, 2011

Today on belly our seasonal bellysister Alison was talking about the good things of April, even a choko cake if you want a very different birthday.  Also a new farmers market is starting up in Murwillumbah, so we had an interview with the new market manger Deborah Fuller about all the tasty produce of the Murwillumbah/Tweed area, and lots of local news.  So grab a snack to stop the belly rumbles and stay right here with sister Tess.

THE FRESH REPORT – IN SEASON IN APRIL

April is the month of conserving and preserving what’s left over as it is a little bit of an in between time as it is not late enough for the winter vegetables the brassicas broccoli, kale and cabbages yet its evening cardigan time so we need something a little heavier on our plates.

Pumpkins are abundant and especially in my garden. Warm salads are great for April. There is some rocket around and new lettuces coming up with the cooler weather.

It is a good time to buy citrus fruits on the side of the road limes and lemons so make marmalade or on your trees or neighbours. Marmalade is a great was to glaze meat and ensures that you are not using sauces with added chemicals and additives and your saving money.

Seasons

It is important to note that seasonal guides really vary from region to region and within a region so that as an immediate start you need to look to buying and cooking with what is in your area.

This is our wrap up of what is in season around NSW and then for the Northern Rivers.

April is the season for:

Apples
Beans
Capsicum
Dragonfruit
Eggplant
Grapes
Lettuce
Persimmon
Pumpkin
Quince
Tomatoes

Northern Rivers

Pumpkins
Rocket
Shallot
Silverbeet
Snowpeas
Beans
Eggplant – still around
Sweet potato
Pineapples
Chokos of course
Bananas

CHOKOS

Chokos are like tripes they can be really amazing if cooked well. Yes it is amazing but true.
Whatever you do don’t boil them

Contain fibre, vitamin C, they’re low in fat and they can even taste good!

CHOKO CHIPS

Peel the chokos. Cut in halves lengthwise.
Pop out the seeds.
Cut into chip shapes.
Pan fry or deep fry until crispy on the outside.
Serve with salt and pepper to taste.

Choko vines everywhere are bearing now (Autumn) – when other veggies are a bit scarce (This veggie is technically a fruit). The choko originated in South America and was still ‘new’ in Australia in the 1880’s.

Recipes by Alison Drover www.thealisonprinciple.com

CHOKO AND PECAN CAKE WITH LIME MARMALADE AND SOUR CREAM FROSTING

CHOKO CAKE

•    2 cups plain flour
•    1 teaspoon bicarb soda
•    2 teaspoons ground ginger
•    1 cup brown sugar 100g butter melted (careful to do so slowly so your butter does not split)
•    2 eggs lightly beaten
•    1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts
•    2 cups grated pecans
•    (about 2 chokos)

Combine flour, soda, ginger and sugar in bowl, add butter & eggs, and mix well. Stir in choko and pecans. Put into greased 14cm x 21cm loaf tin. Bake at 190 degrees for 80 minutes or until cook

This is great served alone however if it is a special occasion it is great with icing.

LIME SOUR CREAM ICING

11/2 cups icing sugar mixture
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon of lime marmalade – see recipe

Other ideas

Chokos are great in pear crumble they take on the flavour of the pears and caramelize if you add brown sugar, & add cinnamon – very good.

ROASTED PUMPKIN, RED CAPSICUM, DUKKA SALAD WITH LOCAL GOATS CHEESE

•    ½ Pumpkin or more depending on how many you have to feed
•     a small bunch Oregano
•    2 teaspoons Paprika
•    2 teaspoon Cinnamon
•    Salt
•    1 tablespoon brown sugar
•    200grams Goats curd – this region has great cheeses try Tweed Valley Whey, Nimbin, Bangalow
•    3 tablespoons of Dukka – buy a local one made from macadamias
•    4 tablespoons Olive oil or macadamia oil
•    1 -2 capsicums

Cut up pumpkin and slice it wedges. Try not to make these too thin they should be about 5 cm diameter. Mix up your spices and rub pumpkin with salt, paprika, cinnamon, and oregano

Place pumpkins flat in a deep oven proof baking tray.

Slice capsicums in half remove seeds and then slice capsicums in strips and then place alongside pumpkin.

Place tray in the pre heated 220 oven and roast for 15 -20 minutes
Hint: the pumpkin needs to caramelize as it will sweeten and should hold its shape but not break up.

Take pumpkin out of the oven and place on a platter. Sprinkle Dukka mix over the pumpkin and arrange roasted capsicums. Arrange cheese over the pumpkin and some fresh oregano leaves.

LIME AND LEMONGRASS MARMALADE CHICKEN

Organic chicken is widely available from supermarkets and farmers’ markets, so there is no excuse.
•    1 unwaxed organic lime– hopefully off your or a friend’s lime tree
•    4 cloves of local garlic, chopped
•    1 x 1.6 whole, organic chicken
•    125g butter, room temperature
•    2 tablespoons lime marmalade
•    Lemon grass
•    pinch of sea salt
•    black pepper, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 190° Celsius fan-forced (slightly less for a regular oven).
Zest the lime and chop the zest finely. Set aside the rest of the lime for later.
In a medium bowl place your butter, lemongrass all of the garlic, the lime zest, salt and pepper. Mix together with a spoon.
Place your chicken on a baking tray. If you have a wire rack, place the chicken on top of this and then in the tray.
Carefully lift the skin on the top of the chicken and push your butter mix under the skin on both sides. Using a wooden spoon or spatula helps.
Warm your marmalade a little by placing it out of the fridge on very low heat for few minutes and then taking it off.
Take a pastry brush and then brush over the chicken
Cut the lime in half. Squeeze over the chicken. Rub the salt and pepper over the outside of the chicken.
Place in the oven and cook for approximately 60 minutes.
Place a skewer or knife into the chicken. Juice will run from the chicken. This should be clear. If you notice the skin is pink or there seems to be colour in the juice return to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve.

LIME & KAFFIR LIME MARMALADE

•    12 limes
•    6 Kaffir Limes
•    White granulated sugar

Makes about 2.5kg (5lb 8oz)
12 limes,
6 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
about 1.75kg (5lb) white granulated sugar, warmed in a low oven
Wash the limes. Cut them in half and juice them (reserve the juice). Cover the skins in cold water and refrigerate overnight. The next day drain the skins, cut into quarters and scrape out the flesh and membrane. Put this on to a 40cm (16in) square of muslin and tie into a bag with string. Slice the skins into fine shreds lengthways. Place a small plate in the fridge to chill.
Put the shredded limes into a preserving pan with the muslin bag, lime leaves, 2 litres (3½ pints) water and the juice, cover tightly and cook gently for an hour and a half or until the fruit is soft. Limes have tough skins; so make sure you are happy with the softness – once the sugar is added the skins will harden slightly. You don’t want to lose too much water, so cook it gently. Remove the lime leaves and the bag, squeezing out as much pectin-filled juice as you can; squeeze it between two plates for maximum efficiency.

To sterilise your jars wash them and the lids in warm soapy water and place in an oven preheated to 110°C/225°F/gas mark ¼ for half an hour. It’s easier to lift them in and out if you put them in a large roasting tin. Leave them in the oven while you finish the jam. The jam has to be potted in warm sterilised jars. You should also sterillise the ladle you use and any jam funnel in boiling water.

Weigh the fruit and liquid, then put it back in the pan and add the same weight of sugar. Gently heat the mixture until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Once it has reached boiling point, test for a set. This jam has a very high pectin level so setting point is reached quickly. Jams set at 105°C on a sugar thermometer, but if you use the ‘wrinkle test’ you can manage without a thermometer: put a teaspoonful of the mixture on the cold plate, leave it to cool for a minute then see if it wrinkles when pushed with your finger. Take the pan off the heat while you do the test, so you don’t overcook the jam. If it hasn’t reached setting point, put it back on the heat for four minutes and try again.
Stir and remove any scum from the top of the marmalade while it is still warm. Once the marmalade has reached setting point leave it to cool for about 12 minutes (this helps distribute the rind more evenly in the jars) then pot in the warm, sterilized jars and seal.

The April Fresh report and all recipes by Miss April herself, Alison Drover

 

Australia's groovy chestnut mascot : Mr Chesty!

CHESTNUTS

Absolute comfort and nostalgia food for sister Tess.  Like many foods, they are a poor people’s staple which is now a bit of a luxury.  In season briefly now in Australia.  You must always slit the skin before cooking to avoid exploding chestnuts. The easiest way to cook them is in boiling water with dill or fennel tops or seeds.  Taste, ready when soft.  You can eat them hot or cold, or use them in recipes after boiling.
Or put holes in an old thin, definitely not non-stick coated frypan, and roast over coals. Eat hot.  mmm

 

 

 

 

THE NEW CALDERA (MURWILLUMBAH) FARMERS MARKET

From this Wednesday April 6, the Caldera Farmers’ Market will be held every Wednesday from 7am to 11am in

The Dairy Pavilion (enter via the Harry Williams Gate),
Murwillumbah Showground
Queensland Road, Murwillumbah NSW

It will focus on the wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown in the surrounding Tweed Valley.  And it is called caldera in honour of the beautiful huge volcanic formation that Murwillumbah sits in, and of the Caldera Institute that has championed the market.

Thank you to Deb Fuller, market manager, for speaking to belly.  She can be reached on 0401 306 818.

“As we are starting as a growers market, only farmers who already provide
value added products such as relishes & jams from their farms will be
permitted to sell them.
One of main objectives is to strengthen the local economy by providing a regular income for farm businesses therefore keeping the money within the local community as well as shorten the food supply chain within the area which hopefully will lead to reduced  food miles and fuel costs. The primary driver is to assist the area in
becoming self sustainable longer term. Our preference has be given to
farmers within the Murwillumbah area. Our growers must reside within a 50km
radius of Murwillumbah. Whilst we have selected our first round of growers
we would love to hear from others in the area.”  Deb Fuller

Deb also told belly that the market is particularly looking for a breadmaker, and that hopefully at a later stage the range of food on offer will be broader, especially if they get lots of customer support, so get thee to the market, bellysister!

BELLY BULLETIN

Lots of local happenings in the belly bulletin this week.

The Byron Bay Slow Food group is closing.  It used to be one of the largest Australian rural groups for the international group that fights for good, clean and fair food.  Secretary Janene Jervis believes other local groups have now taken up the fight.  And they have a bit of spare cash to give away to a suitable local group, maybe a community or school food garden.  Contact janene via email, janenejarvis@bigpond.com

If you make, bake or grow something delicious, and you like in Byron, Ballina. Lismore or Tweed councils, you may want to take it along to a special Easter beachside market on saturday 23 April, in Byron Bay.  Contact the Byron Community centre or www.byronmarkets.com.au

And the Echo reports that people living near the Myocum tip are suffering severely from stinky fumes at the moment, identified as mostly methane, carbon dioxide and rotten egg gas.  Which all sounds very much like the gases produced by food and garden refuse, so wouldn’t it be good if we had a separate organics rubbish collection in Byron Shire.  Meantime, I strongly recommend the composting and waste course run cheaply by Byron Community College.

And if you are involved in a sustainable local food business, contact Byron council.  They are producing a sustainable food guide to distribute at tourist and council outlets, also an online version will be available.

Another good council initiative is the Foodlinks Project – a regional sustainable food initiative of  the 7 Northern Rivers Councils and Rous Water.

Last week, Foodlinks facilitator Sharon Gibson delivered a workshop for YAC students to learn about growing organic food and they helped build a beautiful vegetable garden to feed young people attending courses at the YAC.  Local businesses donated goods and skills for the project.

Composting workshops will be held at the City Centre Produce Market on Thursday 7th April.  Many short free demonstrations will be conducted from 4.30 to 6.30 in Magellan St Lismore. Sharon Gibson will be demonstrating how to turn your kitchen scraps and garden weeds into soil building compost. Bring your questions and get inspired!

And Leah Roland of the Bangalow Cooking School is running several kids cooking workshops starting next week, and welcoming kids accompanied by an adult to her adult classes.  If you’d like your kids to be as talented in the kitchen as those at the Bangalow Public school, check out the bangalow cooking school website.  Then lend me your children so they can make me dinner.

Finally, if you enjoyed our Thai belly with Thome, the Thai New year celebration, Songkran, is on this Sunday april 10 from 9.30 to 5 at the Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery.  There will be chanting, offerings to the monks, Thai dancers, and most importantly lots of free delicious Thai food.  Everyone welcome.  See www.buddhanet.net

EDIBLE QUOTE

from the Godfather movie : “Leave the gun; take the cannoli.”
Which obviously is good advice – if you point  delicious ricotta filled, chocolate covered cannoli at someone, they will do anything you ask and you can’t shoot yourself in the foot.

Love and chocolate cannoli, sister T

MUSIC

Yma Sumac – gopha mambo

Abbie Cardwell and her leading men –  future’s so bright

Harry Belafonte – the banana boat song

Arrow Tour – mahalo hotel, from Fish smell like cat

Nina Simone – here comes the sun

Juryman mix of felicidade- from Suba Tributo

And our regularly played tracks are:

The Mighty Imperials, Thunder Chicken

31 May 2010 radio show – wild fermentation

yes it was  a hubble bubble show when we talked about harnessing the wild things in the air to make our food more delicious and healthier.  Our wonderful new bellysister Andrew gave us a quick introduction to permaculture, it sounds like you can adapt its principles to gardens large and small, wild and messy or neat and contained. And he has a fermentation fetish!  (His words I promise)  We love a boy with a fetish on belly.  This intro will drive the search engines crazy I reckon. Sister T

GUEST : Andrew Carter, permaculture, sustainable living and delicious fermented things educator

Introduction to wild fermentation – by Andrew

My approach to pickles and ferments is inspired by living in Korea several years ago. Also Sandor Katz has been a huge inspiration. He wrote a great Wild Fermentation Book which you can get from the wild fermentation website www.wildfermentation.com  The book’s called Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (Chelsea Green, 2003). It’s the best and most accessible book on fermentation. Sandor is a long-time HIV survivor living in the States and boosts his natural immunity with a range of ferments that he makes (from miso, to sourdough to sauerkraut and much more). Sandor has earned the nickname “Sandorkraut” for his love of sauerkraut.

There is a wide range of scientific evidence that traditional fermentation techniques like these create healthy, disease preventing foods. But for me it’s also about the unique tastes that fermentation creates, no two ferments are ever the same.

Some people worry about germs and contamination which is understandable given the social emphasis against germs, bacteria etc. We forget that we have co-evolved with microorganisms and need them for optimum nutrition. Anyone not into yogurt these days. In the war on germs, we forget that some bacteria are highly desirable to add nutrients, assist in preserving, and removing toxins. Further, presence of many probiotic, healthy lacto-bacteria displace other unwanted ones. I believe we should take precautions against spreading disease and contamination but I sometimes think our society’s obsession with sterile conditions is linked to our state of chronic disease.

For both of the following recipes you need some equipment that can compress the pickle contents. Different cultures use different strategies. I find it easiest to use a wide mouthed, round food grade container and then find something that fits snuggly inside to weight down the ingredients. Use either food grade plastic (a honey container), glass jar or ceramic crock that easily fits your ingredients (with room to spare). The size depends on the quantity but for these recipes 1-3 litre capacity should be fine. This technique helps the material ferment and also protects against contamination. You will find that the salt draws liquid out of the ingredients which rises above the other contents – this is what you want.  You can use a saucer weighted down by a glass jar full of water, or just use a glass jar which fit inside the mouth of your chosen fermentation vessel. You will also need a muslin cheesecloth to cover the ferment to keep out flies.

Organic ingredients work best and have healthier bacteria. Also don’t use iodised salt. Iodine is anti-bacterial and will compromise your fermentation, sea salt is best. Use clean equipment and clean hands at all times.

RECIPES :


DELICIOUS GUEST RECIPES FROM ANDREW CARTER

Andrew says this is a great way to use the abundance of papayas we have in this area – practically weeds, we see them popping out everywhere, laden with fruit.  That’s the bellysisters idea of a good street tree!

PAPAYA PICKLE

Equipment

Glass, ceramic or plastic crock
Another jar (or saucer) that fits snuggly inside the mouth of the jar
Muslin or cheesecloth or tea towel

Ingredients

1 or 2 green papayas skin and seeds removed (total weight approx 500 grams)
I clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of ginger (grated)
Two teaspoons of salt (or to taste – should be on the salty side but not too much)

Method

Chop or grate papaya, finely or coarsely, however you like it.
Add papaya to your container, and sprinkle salt on as you go. The salt pulls water out of the papaya (through osmosis), and this creates the brine in which the pickle can ferment and sour without rotting. The salt also has the effect of keeping the papaya crunchy, by inhibiting organisms and enzymes that soften it. You might need to experiement with the amount of salt. I use more salt in summer, less in winter. For larger quantities 2 kilos of ingredients will need 2 tablespoons of salt.
Mix ingredients together and pack into jar. Pack just a bit into the jar at a time. This packs the ingredients tight and helps force water out.
Cover papaya with a plate or some other lid that fits snugly inside the jar. Place a clean weight (a glass jug filled with water) on the cover. This weight is to force water out of the ingredients and then keep the ingredients submerged under the brine. Cover the whole thing with a cloth to keep dust and flies out.
Press down on the weight to add pressure and help force water out of it. Continue doing this periodically (as often as you think of it, every few hours), until the brine rises above the cover. This can take up to about 24 hours, as the salt draws water out of the ingredients. Some veggies, particularly if old, simply contain less water. If the brine does not rise above the plate level by the next day, add enough salt water to bring the brine level above the plate. Add about a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water and stir until it’s completely dissolved.
Leave the container to ferment. I generally store the jar in an unobtrusive corner of the kitchen where I won’t forget about it, but where it won’t be in anybody’s way.
Check the pickle every day or two and taste it. Generally it starts to be tangy after a few days, and the taste gets stronger as time passes. A minimum of 2-3 days should have it tasting great. In the cool temperatures of winter, kraut can keep improving for a longer period (5-10 days perhaps). In the summer or in a heated room, its life cycle is more rapid and it may taste less pleasant sooner. Trust your senses about whether it’s okay.
Enjoy. I generally place the finished pickle in a jar in the fridge and eat as a condiment with meals.

BLOODY BEETROOT

Equipment
as above

Ingredients

3-4 fresh beetroots peeled (500 grams)
1 tablespoon Caraway seeds
2 teaspoons of salt

Process

Follow same process as for papaya pickle. Watch the brilliant crimson liquid doesn’t escape from the jar and make a mess. Beetroots can exude a lot of liquid – hence the name.


YOGURT

Andrew tells me there is a word “to yog” meaning to make yogurt – so follow his recipe and advice for happy yogging.
Equipment:

Saucepan
Thermometer
Insulated cooler
Storage Jars

Ingredients: (for 2 litres)
2 litres whole milk
2 tablespoons/30 millilitres fresh live-culture plain yogurt for starter

Directions:
Preheat jars and insulated cooler with hot water so the yogurt stays warm to ferment.
Gently heat milk to 82o stirring frequently to avoid burning the milk (heating the milk results in a thicker yogurt)
Cool the milk to 43o or as close to body temperature as you can (+/- 4o is okay as the culture is pretty robust)
Add the starter mixing it thoroughly into the milk.
Pour the mixture into the sterilised preheated jars and seal.
Place the sealed jars in the insulated cooler and place towels or bottles of hot water in with them to ensure a warm temperature is maintained.
Place the insulated cooler in a warm spot where it will not be disturbed.
Check yogurt after 8 to 12 hours – it should have a tangy flavour and some thinckness.
If your happy with the flavour and the thickness remove from insulated cooler and place in the fridge ready to be consumed.

Things to remember:
It takes 8 to 24 hours to make yogurt.
Starter Culture – you can buy specialised cultures for this or use any commercial live-culture yogurt make sure it says “contains live-cultures” on the label.
When cooling the milk to 43oc don’t let it get to cool as the yogurt cultures are most active in the above body temperature range.
With the starter less is more: The bacillus, if crowded, gives a sour, watery product however if the culture has sufficient Lebensraum (German for ‘room to live’) it will be rich, mild and creamy.
If after 8 hours the yogurt isn’t thick then it hasn’t “yoged” if this happens warm it up again by filling up the insulated cooler with hot water around the jars of yogurt, adding more starter and leaving it for 4 to 8 more hours.
You can leave the yogurt to ferment longer if you wish, if you do it will become more sour  more of the milk’s lactose is converted into lactic acid.
A longer fermentation period can often make yogurt digestible even for lactose-intolerant individual.
Yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks, though its flavour will become more sour over time.
Save some of your yogurt to use as starter for the next batch.

yogurt being incubated in a recycled veggie box


BELLY LAB RECIPE BY SISTER T

PICKLED CHOKO

This is not fermented sorry, just a quick easy pickle for a tasty snack, but you can eat it while drinking something fermented, and chokos are the very definition of abundance.

Peel your chokos, slice them, put them in sterile jars with garlic cloves, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fresh tarragon sprigs, or any flavours that take your fancy.

Bring to the boil 1/2 cup white wine or cider vinegar and a cup of water with 2/3 tbs salt, dissolve the salt.  If you have a lot of chokos of course multiply these amounts.Fill the jars and wait 10 days if you can.

FRESH REPORT

*garlic lovers’ alert, local almost all finished, get some now
*chokos, still some, throw one at the fence to plant them is choko grower Craig’s advice, make choko pickle so you won’t miss them when they finish
*lots of green leafy things & rooty things like turnips, if you find fresh and local roots you can eat the tops of many, blanch in salty boiling water, squeeze and chop in spinach recipes, or on pasta with the steamed root – you can do this with beetroot, some turnips,  also try them with Japanese  miso dressing and make like a Buddhist monk
*lots of local citruses, great with sharp leafy things in salads: lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, pink grapefruit –  make marmalade, experiment with flourless cake and muffin recipes because there are  new season local nuts too, pecans and macadamias, try nuts in short pastry bases or biscuits or in jams
*pineapples, passionfruit, they seem all wrong to me in this cold weather, but still in local markets
*plant some chervil – Debbie the  belly herbologist, says now is the time to plant herbs that like rain and cool weather, divide gingers/galangal, and harvest them

BELLY BULLETIN

Di , one of the many wonderful bayfm listeners is doing a fundraiser in Suffolk Park this Friday June 4 for the breast cancer foundation.  This is part of the Cancer Council’s biggest morning teas, if you missed one of the others in May – cake and tea at the Suffolk park centre 9.30 to 12, ring Di to pick up raffle tickets or donate a cake, she is near the  Suffolk shops, 6685 9970, the raffle prize is a great painting by local artist Alexandra Spiratos, – so go to Suffolk eat cake and do some good.

Tuesday June 1 is the screening of The Future of Food, a fundraiser organised by Seed Sowers Organic, to raise funds for school gardens at the Byron Services Club  [at 4 pm and 6 pm]

The first 200 people at this event will be invited to participate in the installation of a school garden,at which time Seed Sowers Organic and friends will conduct free workshops related to Gardening, Fermentation, and Raw Food Preparation.
More details at http://lifechangingdocos.com/northernnsw/blog

And Byron Council is running mini composting workshops at New Brighton and Mullumbimby farmers markets, and selling cheap compost bins and worm farms.


EDIBLE QUOTE

Rick Stein,  a travelling food presenter that doesn’t completely ignore the dark side of the places he visits – he says, no matter where you are:    “Food is all about good times even if there are terrible things going on all around you”. Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey – ABC1

CONTACTS/LINKS:

Andrew Carter , thegardenteacher@gmail.com        0432 406 228

www.wildfermentation.com

www.byroncollege.org.au – to enquire about Andrew’s courses or other sustainable living courses