fire and ice aka summer gardening in Melbourne

By the way, blogger tells me this is my 600th post. Who'd have thunk it?

The subversive plot has suffered neglect, golf-ball sized hail and days of scorching heat in the 40c’s over the last few weeks. On my return after Christmas, I was surprised to find I had anything left at all after the hailstorm.

My lazy gardening strategy of letting the tomatoes range with minimal intervention, that served me so well in the 2009 heatwave, continues to pay off. While a small amount of fruit was damaged (especially of the larger sized tomatoes), the majority has survived.

While the tomatoes are staked and pruned haphazardly at best, the strawberries require a little intervention. After watching the first two berries ripen, only to be nabbed by the birds before I could pick them, a couple of dollars of netting was a suitable investment. The old, concertina-style wine rack was also repurposed.

I possibly lost some of the eggplants, as there was a glut of flowers that set over a month ago. But I spied one, hidden at the back growing contentedly. The hail/heat cycle appears to have triggered a second round of flowers.

January 9sqM garden round up

Tomatoes – Burnley Surecrop and two Tommy Toes producing a steady stream of fruit. The perfect amount for a two-person household so far but weather catastrophes willing, there should be a glut in a month or to be roasted, pureed and frozen. I thought I'd lost the two other seedlings planted late, but they're just crowded out by the older siblings.

Strawberries – so many plants but on average only 2 or 3 ripe ones to nibble on each day.

Carrots – thought I’d harvested them all a month ago but found 4 or 5 decent ones this weekend. Still sweet, not woody.

Parsnip – like the carrots I’d thought I’d had the last of them but just spied a lurker this morning.

Silverbeet/chard – most now gone to seed and removed (lots of seed saving first) but a couple of plants soldiering on with new leaves.

Sorrel – looking a bit worse for wear after the hailstorm. Hanging in there, just.

Chives – robust small tuft planted in garden continuing to produce.

Parsley – garden patch gone to seed, after cutting back some edible leaves still usable.

Chilli – having removed my prolific plant when the garden was regenerated earlier in the year, the replacement is flowering but not fruiting as yet.

Tarragon – in a pot competing with weeds, the herb you use least always seems to last the longest.

Mint – has survived in a pot for another year. Thanks to the higher than usual rainfall it’s still lush and green.

Rosemary – stunted bush in a pot, waiting to be strewn on roasted potatoes.

tofu and eggplant in a gingery tomato sauce

There are two types of cooks, those who worship recipes in the same way that scientists reproduce experiments or some like me (and maybe you) who can almost taste a dish by reading the recipe and use the imagined experience to bounce off.

I’ve learnt not to be deterred by missing members of the supporting cast ingredients-wise. Sometimes substitutions don’t work as an exact replica but create something else entirely that is equally delightful to dine on. With last night’s experiment, having never tasted the original version, I can’t say how authentic it is but I do know, it sure tasted great.

Just reading the title of Sophie’s dish “Tofu in a moriesh tomato and ginger sauce” and her excellent introduction in what the balance of flavours was aiming for, I could taste the tang of the ginger in the slightly acidic sauce. But with no fresh lemongrass for the citrus element or molasses for the depth of flavour, it was a challenge. Fortunately the stash of Kaffir lime leaves I keep in the freezer meant the first ingredient could be substituted but the “umami-driven moreishnes” from the “dark and sticky” molasses, I wasn’t so confident about but figured kecap manis would tick the box. It did, though I had to add more than the equivalent of molasses and play a little with the tamari to balance it.

I’ve also jiggled the quantities, not just for the recipe to serve two versus four, but adding a bit more zing and extending the cooking time. The eggplant was in need of using and melted nicely into the sauce.


Tofu and eggplant in tomato and ginger sauce
(serves 2 or more as a side dish)

1 block (250g) firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieced
vegetable oil for frying (I used raw sesame but any light flavoured oil will do)
1 medium sized onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 – 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (depending on your heat tolerance)
3 Kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 (400g) can, chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon kecap manis (sweet soy) OR 1 tsp molasses
2 tsp tamari
small knob fresh ginger
1 small – medium sized eggplant (variety of your choice), sliced into half moons
Lime wedge – to garnish
Handful of fresh coriander leaves – to garnish

Drain the block of tofu, wrap in a clean tea towel and place between two plates with a weight (e.g. a can of beans) on top.

In a heavy based fry pan, heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté the onion on a medium heat. When transparent add the garlic, chilli and half of the Kaffir lime leaves. Stir through the onions and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes.

Give the tomato/spice mixture a few minutes to get acquainted then add the kecap manis and tamari. Stir and taste for a balance between sweet and salty. Now get out your fine grater or ginger grater. You need at least a generous teaspoon of the grated pulp and juice, or if you have a fancy ginger grater that collects the juice aim for a teaspoon of the juice. In my usual slapdash manner I just grated the peeled knob over the pan, stirred, tasted and added more til the ginger was noticeable but not overwhelming.

Simmer covered with a lid, on low for 15-30 minutes to let the flavours develop. You may need to add a little water so the sauce doesn’t dry out. Stir frequently.

Don’t walk away. Once the sauce has begun cooking, get another fry pan, cover the base with oil to shallow fry and heat on high. Get the pressed tofu, cut into pieces and fry on both sides. Set aside to drain on paper towels or an old clean tea towel. Now add the eggplant cut in bite-sized slices to cook in the pan in batches, add more oil as needed. Set aside.

After cooking the sauce for the initial 15 minutes add the eggplant. I gave it another 5 minutes before adding the tofu and the rest of the shredded Kaffir lime leaves. Stir and allow the tofu to heat through, about another 5 minutes.

Serve on basmati rice, with a wedge of lime to sprinkle and a generous handful of coriander leaves.

* I reckon fried tempeh and green beans, instead of tofu and eggplant, would make another great variation of this dish.

plants - the first reveal

This



yielded this



and was plucked straight from the plant, cut into slices, brushed with oil and grilled on the brand new BBQ.

Heaven!

The eggplants are growing before our eyes. How exciting to pick and cook in the space on one small pirouette.


Summer is growing on me and reviving my spirit (much needed, the family visit was tough). Another tonic was a visit to Boz's beach house on the Peninsula.



Iphone pics

Who'd have thought how difficult it would be to procure fish and chips in the evening of the first sunny weekend of the school holidays?

"Sorry we are out of flake"

"No hamburgers left"

*Not answering phone*

"Taking no more orders"

*Shut - reopening soon*

"Fifty minute wait but we are out of most things"

In a tourist town no less!