The Greening of Gavin

Pumpkin and Squash

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It has been a pretty ordinary growing season in my neck of the woods.  Below average rainfall with weird below average temperatures.  Not much grew well, especially the pumpkins, zucchini, and squash.

I had these three vegetables growing in one of the two front yard garden beds and rotated it from the other bed they were in last year.

Zucchini

Zucchini – BlackJack

As always, the zucchini were prolific and these six got away from me.  I don’t think I will plant zucchini in the front yard next year because I only visit it once a week and didn’t pick the smaller ones as often as I should.  These will be cut up and frozen into chunks or shredded for stews and soups during the winter.

Australian Butter Pumpkin

Australian Butter Pumpkin

I planted Australian Butter Pumpkin and Queensland Blue, but the Qld Blue didn’t produce a single pumpkin.  I harvested four Aussie Butter Pumpkins of 6 plants.  A pretty dismal effort.  You can tell that they are ripe when they turn this orange colour and the stem looks wrinkled.

Random Squash

Random Squash

From a plant that Jessie (aka Rabid Little Hippy) gifted me, this random squash grew.  I harvested 2 of these.  The vine for this squash was the most prolific of all the pumpkin vines and basically went feral through that part of the yard.

Jessie, if you know what these are, please leave a comment letting me and the readers know the variety.  It is a nice looking squash but I would like to know what I am eating before I cut it open!

Total Pumpkin harvest

Total Pumpkin harvest

So unlike the 17 pumpkins I harvested last year, this years crop was nothing to write home about.  Mind you, all of these gifts from nature are welcome in our house.  We will put them all to good use and eat them over the colder months.

I am looking forward to roast pumpkin with skin on, Pumpkin and Chorizo Risotto, Pumpkin Soup, to name a few.  And not to mention all the Zucchini in Minestrone and pasta sauces as well.

Now that I mention it, I feel blessed to have reaped a tidy harvest.  I have to remember to be grateful for what my garden provided.  I still won’t have to buy any pumpkins over the winter.  We will just make do.

How did your pumpkin crop pan out?  Was it a bumper one, or on the smallish size like mine?

 

Potato and Leek Frittata

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Potato and Leek Frittata is one of the simplest meals to make.  You only need a few ingredients that are readily available at the greengrocer or in your own garden.

In fact it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that this meal I made for lunch today was 100% homegrown on our little suburban food farm!  I grew the leeks, potatoes, eggs, parsley, and beans.  I harvested the veggies about 30 minutes before I cooked our lunch, so you can’t get much fresher than that.

Potato and Leek Frittata

Here is how I made it.

Potato and Leek Frittata

Serves two

Ingredients

  • 6 free range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 large leek, halved and finely sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes, skin on and diced
  • 2 sprigs parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 runner beans, sliced.
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1.  Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add leeks and saute until translucent.
  2. Move leeks to side of pan, add potatoes and fry for 5 minutes or until soft.  Stir to ensure even cooking.
  3. Mix leeks and potatoes and shake pan to distribute evenly over bottom of pan.
  4. Turn heat to medium.  Pour eggs into frying pan and cover with lid.  Sprinkle chopped parsley and runner bean over top.
  5. Cook until eggs have set.  If frittata is still runny on top, place frying pan under grill until cooked.
  6. Turn out onto a plate and divide into portions.  Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Potato and Leek Frittata

Not only is this dish simple, it is very delicious and healthy.

What do you think; is it something you would try?

TGoG Podcast 094 – Local Food Equals Less Waste

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Local food equals less wasteWhen you grow your own food you are less inclined to waste it.  This is the basis of this weeks episode.  My belief is that organically grown local food equals less waste.

I talk about our failed 100 mile diet and how hard it was to stick to it, and the realisation I came to that most of our food is grown with the assistance of fossil fuels.  In the second half of the show, I give tips about how to prevent food waste.

I believe that growing your own food is one of the most radical acts that you can achieve in your own home.  You break that dependence on the industrial food system and become that little bit closer to be able to look after yourself.  Especially that most of our food is grown using oil.

Did you know that for every 1 calorie of food grown, it takes 10 calories of oil to grow it?  That is unsustainable considering that fossil fuels are a finite resource.  Something to think about when you tuck into your next meal.

It you liked the show, please click-through to iTunes using the button below the player, and leave a comment and a rating.  It helps push the show up the iTunes charts where it will reach others who may be thinking of beginning their own simple/sustainable journey.  Every little bit helps.

Also, if you have any questions or observations that you are burning to share, please leave a comment below.  I answer as many as I can and would love to hear from you.

Next week we have our Christmas Special where Kim and I share what we achieved this year, including the highs and lows.  I don’t know if we will be singing this year, but you never know.  I might even belt out a verse or two of a White Christmas, that old Bing favourite that gets a hammering around here at this time of year!