Potatoes, garlic and carrots

  It sounds like a perfect dish! But no -  this is really a post about small beginnings.
I planted Jersey Benny potatoes for the first time this season. I also planted organic garlic - another first, the result was not exactly a massive harvest but you have to start somewhere I suppose. I also harvested carrots of a strange shape, not your usual carrot shape, more 'stumpy'. My hubby thought they looked like something from 'Hobbiton' but then nothing surprises him when it comes to my gardening! They were delicious, so sweet. I grew the Jersey Bennys in a big barrel (another first). They certainly took their time and while the quantities were not big they tasted wonderful. 
  Another success was my rhubarb. I was given a plant when I first moved to Welly but it hasn't really thrived. This season, after a lot of compost and the odd sheep pellet and lots of watering, I have a lovely crop. I made some into a yummy Chelsea Winter rhubarb crumble. So delicious. I secreted away a little plate of left overs but unfortunately my little grandson had spotted me and asked for it the next day. How could I say no?! Drizzled with cream, the plate was literally licked clean.  

potatoes, garlic and my stumpy carrots

   Looking over my photos recently I came across these of my first house. It was a truly humble little place but I was so proud of it. As you can see the back yard was pretty much vegetable garden, which supplemented my pathetic income at the time. In those early years I had a little more strength and energy, so it was well and truly laden with vegetables. I do remember spending hours digging and weeding, often in searing heat, and the early experience planted (excuse the pun!) the love of growing my own produce. I spent months and months redecorating the inside, landscaping the outside of the house and sorting a driveway and single garage. I sold it after about three years. It looked a picture on sale day and the first person (a woman) through the door bought it on the spot.

Me, proudly in front of my vege plot

A garden not that flash looking but good soil

The back yard on sale day - with new fancy paths and lawn

   While my daughter was visiting over the holidays we organised a 2013 book of my blog using Blurb. When I first started my blog I thought it would be a great way of recording and sharing my 'tried and true' recipes but it has become a little more than that. Now I also see it as a way of 'talking' to my friends and family, a bit of a journal really and making the book ensures these conversations are not lost. So now I have the 2012 and 2013 Capital Living editions and it is lovely to look back on them and use them as recipe books.
So from small beginnings - looks like I will continue gardening, creating and writing into 2015!

from my garden

Because I love food I also like to grow it! Many years ago when I was a solo Mum I had a huge luxurious vegetable garden (which supplemented our meagre household income), I also had the time to spend in it! Many years later I have left a stressful corporate life behind me and can enjoy the pleasure of a vegetable garden again.  My successes are worth celebrating, my failures I find hard to handle! When I first moved to Wellington (5 years ago) I knew little about what I could grow here but the first thing I did was create a herb garden. I love vegetarian cooking so fresh herbs of all varieties are essential to have on hand. It is still flourishing, although I have to re- plant Italian parsley and coriander every year. This autumn I am going to let my parsley go to seed and see if I can grow it like a weed! The second thing I created was a compost heap, we are lucky to have 3 brick 'pits' from the old house once on the property, I can rotate the 'heaps' and can distribute the glorious stuff onto our garden when needed. I can grow silver beet (so can everyone apparently!), lettuces, broccoli, carrots, beetroot and tons of runner beans. I'm no good at zucchinis, basil, cabbages and tomatoes. In fact the tomatoes are my biggest disappointment, probably due to the lack of sun and gale force winds we have here! I have tried 3 varieties now - the latest the cherry ones. I have about 1/2 bucket of little green balls that I will need to make into pickle! Can't bear to waste them! Watch this space! We have a very old lemon tree on our property, I use a lot lemons and love to preserve 2-4 jars of lemons every year- must remember to give them a shake today, they will be ready in 6 weeks.

from my garden

Because I love food I also like to grow it! Many years ago when I was a solo Mum I had a huge luxurious vegetable garden (which supplemented our meagre household income), I also had the time to spend in it! Many years later I have left a stressful corporate life behind me and can enjoy the pleasure of a vegetable garden again.  My successes are worth celebrating, my failures I find hard to handle! When I first moved to Wellington (5 years ago) I knew little about what I could grow here but the first thing I did was create a herb garden. I love vegetarian cooking so fresh herbs of all varieties are essential to have on hand. It is still flourishing, although I have to re- plant Italian parsley and coriander every year. This autumn I am going to let my parsley go to seed and see if I can grow it like a weed! The second thing I created was a compost heap, we are lucky to have 3 brick 'pits' from the old house once on the property, I can rotate the 'heaps' and can distribute the glorious stuff onto our garden when needed. I can grow silver beet (so can everyone apparently!), lettuces, broccoli, carrots, beetroot and tons of runner beans. I'm no good at zucchinis, basil, cabbages and tomatoes. In fact the tomatoes are my biggest disappointment, probably due to the lack of sun and gale force winds we have here! I have tried 3 varieties now - the latest the cherry ones. I have about 1/2 bucket of little green balls that I will need to make into pickle! Can't bear to waste them! Watch this space! We have a very old lemon tree on our property, I use a lot lemons and love to preserve 2-4 jars of lemons every year- must remember to give them a shake today, they will be ready in 6 weeks.