It is May! We have the May Flower full moon right now. The clouds parted long enough for me to get a good view a short time ago.
The last weeks I've had produce, enough to be preserving or cooking some of it pretty much everyday.
I've had so many things going that my kitchen was a sticky mess from jam, quince paste, baked quinces... cakes and more.
The chooks have enjoyed a continuous stream of all the odds and ends.
This week I decided I needed to slow down and get out of the mess. I sorted fruit and stored in the fridge a few things to buy me more time.
On Monday and Tuesday I got my kitchen in order and it's too bad I didn't take a photo as it's not like that anymore. So that was short-lived! On Wednesday I went back to preserving and using produce up in cooking. I harvested my fourth cutting from my basil and made three batches of Pesto.
Chloe's family don't eat nuts. I just make nut free pesto for them and they love it.
Then I made two more batches, some for myself and some for my younger daughters family.
I have jars of jam lined up waiting for labels. This was more Quince and Pear that I made on the weekend.
Then I dehydrated a tray of figs. I have the opportunity to pick a lot more next week.
With these I did an experiment and made my favourite Date Loaf... except with dried figs instead.
Well, it worked out! It was delicious and yes it tastes like fig instead of dates but it is equally good. So now one of my plans next week is to dry a years worth of figs.
Each week I have really marvelled at the produce coming in. I have shared a lot too. I thought what a wonderful run, what an opportunity to build up my pantry and help feed everyone! But also I thought this is bound to come to an end soon.
Not so!
Apart fro the figs to pick I had a box of lemons arrive...
And a box of apples! These are ripe, they are green cooking apples. I think people have passed them over thinking they haven't turned red yet.
By now my one at a time plan disintegrated as we are going to Lucy's and I had more things I wanted to take than days to make them. So yesterday I made a huge spaghetti sauce (with zucchini included) and a big try of meatballs, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, tomato sauce and cheese...
My own container of left over pasta with pesto and a couple of meatballs and cheese has been delicious!
Tom came and I told him I am in mess with too many jobs and not enough time. He was happy about that as he feels important helping. One thing he did while I watered was top up my celery bed with manure. He did two (of his) wheelbarrows and it made a world of difference.
I got all may seedlings watered.
In the evenings my blanket for Chase has grown.
Today in town I took things to church and the swap tables and came home with another huge haul of tomatoes.
I quickly made a batch of honey crackles to also take tomorrow as the kids love them.
I also have eggs and some school lunch box treats and a list to remind me to take spaghetti sauce, pesto and meatballs. And Mum is coming and she has cooking too!
More lemons and apples are available. My friends and I are going picking. There are just so many things to make with both of these fruits! The apples can go in the crisper and hopefully will keep a fair while giving me time to work through them.
The prices of produce here are high. ie one tomato is a dollar. One potato is 95c. Once cabbage $8.80. One lemon $1.66. One apples is $1.38 . One passionfruit is over $2. And packaged things look like they are from Honey I shrunk the kids. Next week I am going to share the prices of preserves. It is INCREDIBLE!
I am going to feature at least one helpful video each week (as I remember). I love
Farmers Wife Homestead. I chose this episode as carrots are still affordable... especially if I buy the odd shaped ones. But she has a ton of videos on how to make and preserve so many things! Please mention the channels you enjoy and learn from.
I hope it has been a good week for you. How did you build up your nest? We love to hear. xxx
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