Starting growing my own fruit and vegetables and a recipe for raspberry ices.

My 2014 vision is to attack the back garden and bring it into some sort of order, while expanding the old, overgrown vegetable garden and developing my culinary herb collection and compost heap.  I am starting out small with herbs on the back door step, and have popped in some celery and zucchini that a friend gave me, as well as some garlic, in the existing flower bed, but am hoping that it won't be long before we are eating our own herbs, vegetables and fruit.  My nearest and dearest is making me a new, super dooper chicken coop and fencing off part of the garden to create a dog-proof and fox proof run.  Then, I can traipse off with the grandkids to buy some new chickens so I can have fresh eggs.  My only concern with my plan is the over-enthusiasm of the local possums.  Because we are one of the few gardens in the area that isn't super groomed and which has lots of fruit trees and roses, they focus on it.  Unfortunately, they are not good at sharing and are quite capable of killing a tree with their attentions.  They have already killed an almond tree and a plum tree and seem set on killing my apple trees.  I think careful pruning away from fences, some netting, and a nesting box for the local owls is in order if I am going to get a share in my fruit and vegetable growing.

You can still make good meals with shop bought ingredients, but after you have grown your own, you really notice the difference in freshness and flavour.  My growing collection of herbs and lettuces on the back stairs reflect my liking for fresh, unsprayed herbs, and my determination to get as self-sufficient as I can, as quickly as possible:

 
In the meantime, I am making do with supermarket fare and , more excitingly, goods from the Box Hill market.  Check out these cute apples:

I have been cooking a lot of old favourites, but have begun experimenting a lot too.  My daughter made some brilliant strawberry cream icy-poles using the recipes from this month's Feast magazine.  I got so excited, I had to make them too, but I didn't have any of the ingredients.  This is my version of icy poles done in patty pan holders and a cake tin because I didn't have icy pole moulds.   Next time, I will add a bit more yoghurt and I will buy some moulds -  but they tasted brilliant!  Very refreshing on the 35 degree day we were experiencing.

 

 

Raspberry and yoghurt ices

Ingredients:

750 grammes fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Greek youghurt (I will use a cup in future)

Method:

Process berries and sugar until roughly chopped.
Transfer to a samll saucepan and bring to a boil. cook a few minutes until thickened.
Stir in  lemon juice and leave to cool completely.
Put a layer of the berry mixture in the mould, then the yoghurt, then another layer of the berry mixture.  Swirl together.
Freeze.