Delish Oils, Good Neighbours and a bountiful garden......

One of the joys of gardening is that you get to share your excess produce with others. Our next door neighbours have a home business that does the most exquisite things with herbs, spices and oils, today I received the most wonderful smelling Chilli oil from them for some of the fresh chillies from my garden....a great way to share!

If you love healthy products and live in WA you really should check them out HERE, their products are all delightfully delish!

Today I planted out more carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, onions and silverbeet, all of which we eat a great deal of most of the year. The silverbeet is used fresh in quiches and I dry large quantities to use in soups, casseroles etc, in addition my chooks love it!

I've picked a pile more chillies, they too have been dried and whizzed into flakes, those I use in just about everything too, here though we like just a taste, not the full heat thing :)

The capsicums are just about ready to finish, I have dried about 3kg of them, the last plant has 3 left on it, those I will use fresh.

The tomatoes are still madly producing, with still more flowers arriving.

We love these either fresh, roasted or in soups, casseroles etc........can never have enough of these little beauties!

My white sapote has gone mad! For a tropical fruit it has certainly survived our extremes very well. It is native to the Mexican highlands and Central America. It is a pleasurable tasting fruit reminiscent of vanilla custard mixed with creamy banana and peaches.

Although often called a white sapote it is not a member of the sapote family. The yellowy-green skinned fruit has white flesh and is used primarily as a dessert fruit.
The trees have a very appealing drooping habit with long branches that can almost touch the ground. They are fast growing with two main spurts, once in early spring and again in early autumn. Casimiroa trees fruit prolifically and a healthy mature tree can produce 1000 fruit per year. They are also long lived and can crop for 100 years or more. Fruits should be picked when they are just beginning to soften and change colour from green to yellow, if picked too soon they are astringent.
 

The pommegranate has fruited, although I have to say it seems as though the fruit takes forever to ripen!
 
Of course being the impatient one that I am I will admit about 4 fruit have gone by the wayside because I picked them way too early!
 
This time they stay until a brilliant red :)
 

 
 
Chooks are waiting for a feed! They have had their ramble in the garden, before I planted out all those seeds I might add!
 

The Dragon fruits are doing very well, I have both the pink & yellow, hopefully next year we will see some fruit on them!

 

And what do they taste like? The pitaya or dragon fruits are delicious, they have a delicate flavour, the flesh is watery and textured with the small black edible seeds. They are lovely eaten fresh out of hand or sliced into a fruit salad.

 

Research show that this red dragon fruit is good for the circulatory system and also reduces emotional pressure and neutralizes toxins in the blood. Research also shows that this fruit can prevent colon cancer, reduce level of fat in the body, and prevent high cholesterol.

Overall, every red dragon fruit contains adequate protein that can increase metabolism and care for cardiovascular; fiber (to prevent colon cancer, diabetes, and diet); karotin (eye health, strengthen the brain and prevent the disease to enter body), calcium (bone strengtening).

Dragon fruit also contain adequate iron to increase the blood’ vitamin B1 (prevent fever); vitamin B2 (add to taste); vitamin B3 (lower cholesterol), and vitamin C (increase slipperiness and smoothness of skin, prevent acne).
Quite a list of benefits I'd say:)
 

 The Indian Cream Guava is growing madly, seemingly putting on inches a day now it has settled in.
 
Even if this never bore fruit I just love the shape of the trees, we have 3 in, two red and one white, can't wait to taste the fruits, however I suspect it will be a year or two yet.
 
 

Another of the guavas, only this time the Strawberry one. Now these, like the yellow cherry ones I could eat all day.

 

What I love about these fruits apart from their taste is the prolific nature when fruiting, they just keep sending out fruits for extended amounts of time here.

Hope you're enjoying the weekend:)

Pay it Forward Day: 29 April

There is tremendous power and positive energy in giving – it is a shame that not enough people have experienced it to the fullest.

Pay It Forward Day is about all people, from all walks of life, giving to someone else and making a positive difference.

More than 15 countries around the world, including Australia, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany, participate in the event.

There are many of us that have been doing this for years now, not just on the day, but regularly over the years - its fun, it costs nothing more than a little postage, and it promotes sharing with others. It's about recycling, passing on information, skills, goods or sometimes its just a simple smile or how are you...try it:)

I would like to offer the Pay It Foward to all Aussies (sorry to those outside of Aussie, but postage rates are horrendous here), with the book titled "The Great Disruption - how the climate will transform the global economy" by Paul Gilding.
 
If you would like to win from a draw there is only one rule..........you must join in on the Pay It Forward on your blog, with something you think others would enjoy. Just leave your name with your comment. Entries close 29th April, 2011.
 
You know, I often ponder on the pay it forwards, we so often touch lives but are unaware, (from the simple smile to the real "going out of our way" stuff).....that in itself is worth treasuring:)

On another note, my garden is overflowing with guavas, capsicums (peppers), chillies, pepino and other goodies, just have to love eating what you grow, there is so much satisfaction each time you put it on the table!

Saturday sowing.......

This morning was just delightful-sun shining, breeze cool, I just couldn't help but spend the early hours of this morning in the garden!

I planted out the Elephant Garlic. Now for lovers of a VERY mild garlic taste, this is the garlic for you, although truth be told it is more closely aligned to the leek than true garlic, and doesn't have the medicinal values, so I also planted out some of the more traditional garlic for tinctures.
Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is probably more closely related to the leek than to the normal variety. The bulbs are very large and can weigh over a pound. A single clove of elephant garlic can be as large as a whole bulb of ordinary garlic.

In terms of flavour, elephant garlic is to garlic what leeks are to onions. It is much less intense and sweeter. It has been described - rather unkindly - as "garlic for people who don't like garlic".

Cloves are large, easy to peel and can be eaten raw, sliced into salads. It can also be steamed or boiled as a vegetable, cooked like onions in a soup or baked in the oven. Young leaves can be sliced and added to salads or used as a garnish. It is high in vitamins A, C and E.

Pest Control; useful as an ornamental planted at the back of rose gardens to repel pests such as aphids.

One more secret. The flowers, the big lovely flowers are very tasty indeed. Sweet, floral, onion-garlic spice. Toss a few in a salad, the flowers alone are worth keeping the plant for.

Elephant garlic is a source of manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper and Vitamins B6 and C.

Calories: 13.4, Protein: 0.6g, Carbohydrate: 3g, Total Fat: 0.04g, Fibre: 0.2g

I also planted out some Herb Robert. There are some very intriguing stories on this herb, apart from anything else it is a pretty plant to have in the garden....be careful though, it can spread like wildfire!

Herb Robert
Geranium Robertianum
Family GERANIACEAE
This delightful herb has many names: Herb Robertianum, St. Robert, Storkbill, Cranesbill, Red Robin, Fox geranium, St. Robert's Wort, Bloodwort, Felonwort, Dragon's blood.

It is an irrepressible, joyous addition to any garden and will add beauty, health, healing wherever it grows.

Constituents: volatile oil, bitters, tannin, geraiine

Vitamins: A, B, C
Minerals: calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, germanium

Actions: astringent, antibiotic, adaptogen, antiviral, styptic, tonic, diuretic, digestive, sedative, antioxidant

Medicinal uses: Herb robert is a supreme, therapeutic herb. Although, very little information is available, on the constituents, this herb’s action is one of the most outstanding herbs that we can use regularly, as an enhancer of the immune system.

Research has revealed herb robert is a source of germanium, a valuable element to the body, as it has the ability to make oxygen available to the cells.

It is used internally for diarrhoea, gastrointestinal infections, dysentery, peptic ulcers, skin ulcers and haemorrhage. It also helps with inflammation of the urinary tract, cystitis and kidney stones. It staunches bleeding and mucous discharge, and promotes healing.

Externally Herb Robert is used for skin eruptions, inflammations, wounds, bruises, nosebleeds and herpes. An infusion makes a good gargle for inflamed gums and throat, and also as an eyewash for inflamed eyes. Fresh leaves rubbed on the skin repel mosquitoes.

Herb Robert contains tannins, which probably are responsible for its ability to check bleeding and diarrhea and alleviate sore throats and skin irritations. Research showing that herb Robert lowers blood-sugar levels supports its use in treating diabetes. It is little used today, however. Further studies are necessary to confirm its use in treating other illnesses.

The herb can be used fresh and dried. It is best harvested for drying as flowering begins.

The details provided above are for information only, and is in no way intended to substitute for the advice of a health care professional. I encourage readers to consult a physician or a medical herbalist before trying anything herbal.