In my kitchen this month (and always) are free range eggs, fresh from the Capital Region Farmer's Markets. Unfortunately, I don't have space on my current block in suburbia to run chickens, so I barter for or buy my eggs. Rather than buying from a supermarket, I choose to buy eggs direct from the producer and don't mind paying more knowing that they have come from hens that are free range. If you'd like to know more about free range produce, visit the web sites for Animal Welfare Labels and Humane Choice. Also in my kitchen is home grown garlic and rosemary from the kitchen garden. Peter and I were delighted with our first crop of garlic. Here you see one of the smaller bulbs, perfect for a Sunday roast. According to Australian Garlic Producers, Australia imports 95% of our garlic from China, a country where (alarmingly) chemicals banned in Australia are still being used to grow garlic. Apparently, 'Chinese garlic is gamma irradiated to prevent sprouting and is also sprayed with Maleic Hydrazide to extend shelf life. And all imported garlic is fumigated with Methyl Bromide by AQIS on arrival in Australia.' A good reason to buy garlic from your local farmer's market, buy processed AUSTRALIAN garlic paste, or, better yet, grow your own! Brendan Goullet, Growing and Agronomy Manager for Australian Garlic Producers,was interviewed recently by ABC Rural. You may find it interesting to hear what he has to say. In my kitchen is Brookfarm's new gluten free bircher with our home grown strawberries. Thank you to the team at Brookfarm for sending me this muesli to road test. Like the rest of your products, the quality is superb (and that is not gushing!). Having just come back from a four day weekend in South Australia for Eat, Drink Blog (EDB2012), on my kitchen bench is Angela Heuzenroeder's Barossa Food. This delightful and well researched book, published in 1999, delves into the changing history of The Barossa, its recipes and food culture. It's been a while since I cooked any of the recipes and I'm keen to try them again. Also in my kitchen is this Wild Mushroom and Black Garlic Salt, produced by The Mushroom Man, Marco Marinelli, who has a stall at Central Market in Adelaide. It's delicious sprinkled on meat and vegetables prior to roasting. Use it sparingly. It was one of a few goodies in a sample bag given to the delegates who attended Eat Drink Blog. Watch my Market People pages for an upcoming snippet about this interesting personality. In my belly, err sorry, I mean kitchen are these moreish roasted sugar and spice almonds from Shingle Hill Estate, just outside of Canberra. Another snippet to watch out for on my Market People pages! My Peter has been home for a few days, in between trips interstate for work. On Saturday mornings he makes a beeline to the That Bagel Place stall at Capital Region Farmer's Markets. The bagels freeze extremely well, meaning we have access to 'fresh' bagels on occasions when we don't make it down to the markets. One of my favourite snacks are mandarins and there are still some varieties available at the markets. Sweet and succulent in a neat little package, they are on my fruit platter in my kitchen. Smoked salmon produced by Tassal in Tasmania was in my kitchen until the weekend. We had a smoked salmon and dill pizza (with Matso's Ginger beer!) for dinner. I like to keep a pack or two of smoked salmon fillets and steaks in the fridge as it gives me access to great ingredients to use as the base for quick and easy meals. And finally, in my kitchen are these long stemmed roses from my garden. If only I could make this photo one of those 'scratch and sniff' thingeys! The perfume is exquisite (and that's not gushing either!). Pop in and visit my food blogger friend, Celia, at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, who hosts this monthly series titled In My Kitchen, and introduce yourself to food enthusiasts, cooks and bloggers from Australia and around the world.
And tell me, what good things have you in your kitchen or from your garden this month? 10/11/2012 10:57:04 pm
How wonderful to have your own garlic Lizzy. Is it easy to grow? I wish I had room for chickens too. One day hopefully!
Lizzy
11/11/2012 09:01:32 am
Hi Claire... thanks, Peter and I are delighted to have harvested our first crop! Yes is was relatively easy to grow. We bought Australian garlic bulbs from the nursery. Main thing is to ease off the watering as the leaves start to die down. That way the bulbs stay dry and won't rot as you get close to harvest. I would love to have chickens some day too! We had them when I was a little girl... and a duck too!
What a lot of goodies you have in your kitchen this month!
Lizzy
11/11/2012 06:16:14 am
Good morning Heidi... how wonderful that you buy your eggs in Amish country! Thank you for your kind words. ; D 11/11/2012 08:16:49 am
What lovelies indeed Lizzy! I love home grown roses, they have such a deep dizziness to their scent that is impossible to capture with shop bought ones :)
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:48:30 pm
Thank you Bec... so true... I stop and drink in the perfume from them regularly too! 11/11/2012 08:29:22 am
Lovely treasures in your kitchen! The muesli and almonds look like wonderful snacks and nothing is better than homegrown vegetables and herbs!
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:48:56 pm
Hello Laura, thank you. The muesli is delicious! Thanks for popping in. 11/11/2012 09:18:34 am
I like that your eggs came with a chook feather - so we know they're the real deal! What will you be using your truffle salt for - I'm stumped?
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:51:19 pm
Thanks Mel.... I am loving the truffle salt... try it on steak, roast, salad. A little sprinkle on tomato is lovely too.
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:51:57 pm
Hiya Maureen. Oh, braiding it would be lovely. I am waiting for the leaves to dry out a little more. Thanks for stopping by. 11/11/2012 03:16:13 pm
i too wishi could have chickens (i have blogged about it!) but am lucky enough to get eggs from my parents. who let the girls run free and eat real food (no layer pellets).
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:53:53 pm
Sounds as though you may have overwatered your garlic if it rotted in the ground. You are fortunate indeed to be able to source eggs from your family members. I was bartering for wonderful eggs and chickens up until recently. Now I am working on the other side of the city from my lemon fairy... and my chook owner friend has moved to Washington! *Sigh*. Have jam and caulis, will barter! 11/11/2012 05:42:12 pm
I love that you have grown your own garlic. This is something I have been meaning to do for a long time now :)
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:54:34 pm
Hi Tandy, yes, we seemed to have put it off, but now I'm so glad we did. Will definitely be growing more! Thanks for visiting. 11/11/2012 06:04:37 pm
I would be so chuffed to have my own garlic stock! How wonderful for you Lizzy! :D
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:55:04 pm
Hi Lorraine, LOL, our chests are slightly puffed out at this home grown garlic, I must tell you. 11/11/2012 06:17:15 pm
Lizzy, what wonderful treasure you have in your kitchen this month and so much of it from your own garden too.
Lizzy
11/11/2012 07:55:17 pm
Hello Mandy, thank you ; D
Jane @ Shady Baker
11/11/2012 08:28:39 pm
Hello Lizzy! It has taken me a while to get back to my regular blog visits...my life has been a little hectic since EDB.
Lizzy
11/11/2012 08:54:47 pm
LOL, hello lovely Jane, I am hearing you! I feel the same. Those almonds were yummy. I have made them before myself, but it's nice to pick up a treat from time to time. The smoked salmon pizza was good. Thanks for visiting.
Christine Food Wine Travel
11/11/2012 08:58:33 pm
Another lot of lovely fresh goodies in your kitchen/garden, Liz. There's another good reason to grow your own garlic too - cost. I can't believe how expensive it is to buy garlic in Australia. Even the Chinese garlic is expensive. In the US, we bought garlic in the supermarket for about 40 cents a bulb (unheard of here). Why on earth Australia even needs to import garlic is beyond me. I find it is very easy to grow. You just pop an individual clove into the ground (pointing upwards) and it creates a new bulb. I am growing garlic whose lineage can be traced more than 40 years this way, which is incredible isn't it?
Lizzy
11/11/2012 08:59:51 pm
Thanks Christine! Personally I don't mind paying for good quality garlic, especially as we use so much of it in our cooking. I agree, I don't understand why we have to import garlic either. Your heirloom garlic sounds amazing.
Lizzy
11/11/2012 09:21:20 pm
Muppy, thanks so much! And that one in the picture is the baby of the bunch. We are delighted! Thanks so much for stopping by ; D 11/11/2012 09:40:23 pm
Hi Lizzy, lovely to have met you too and I'm so glad we were able to have dinner together on the Friday night. You have a lot going on in your kitchen! I try to avoid buying any food goods from China as I'm aware of those horrid chemicals. How the Chinese don't glow in the dark is beyond me. I'm glad Claire asked if it's easy to grow. Thanks for the tips. I'll plant some and see how I get on. I too wish I had room for chickens xx
Lizzy
11/11/2012 09:53:20 pm
Hi there... I think there are plenty of chemicals in our food here in Australia, too. Strawberries, for instance. All the more reason to grow your own if possible. As Christine said, garlic is easy to grow, but I note that e/dig said that theirs rotted in the soil.
Jo
11/11/2012 10:13:40 pm
A lovely collection in your kitchen this month. I was in the Barossa Valley the weekend before the bloggers conference and there was a copy of Barossa Food in the cottage we stayed in.
Lizzy
11/11/2012 10:30:38 pm
Hello Jo, thank you for your kind words! Oh, a weekend in The Barossa, how delicious!
Lizzy
11/11/2012 10:20:38 pm
Just on the topic of garlic, my research shows that between 300-500 tonnes of garlic is produced in Australia annually. Meanwhile fresh consumption of garlic is about 3,500 tonnes annually. So we don't produce enough here to meet the demand. 12/11/2012 03:20:08 am
What a great initiative the "In My Kitchen" idea is! Are we EVER alike - but I knew that. I would love to have urban chickens - but not legal here...
Lizzy
12/11/2012 09:07:33 pm
Hello lovely! Why don't you play too? Pop in to Celia's blog and add your post? Best wishes for a successful garlic harvest. 13/11/2012 01:09:50 am
I would love to have chooks, maybe one day. I actually bought a few bulbs of Aussie grown garlic from Adelaide Central Markets when down in Adelaide. Couldn't help it, bit of bargain price wise compared to Sydney.
Lizzy
14/11/2012 12:33:28 pm
Hi Sara, firstly, it was great to meet you in Adelaide... wish we had more time to chat! I don't blame you for buying the garlic, or anything, from Central Market. Such a smorgasbord of wonderful produce! Peter and I hope to have chooks one day too.
Lizzy
14/11/2012 12:34:03 pm
Hi Glenda ; D I am now starting to think about planting more. Best wishes for a successful crop. 14/11/2012 08:58:20 am
Like many, I am also in awe of your garlic. I bought a bunch of locally grown garlic from the farmer's markets yesterday and am looking forward to cooking with it. I did notice that our ginger seems to have rejuvenated itself when I was in the garden last week so am looking forward to that.
Lizzy
14/11/2012 12:34:46 pm
Hello Mel... I am in awe of you growing ginger! How interesting. Bagels and smoked salmon, delicious!
Lizzy, so many beautiful things in your kitchen - love your new season garlic! We now buy 3kg of Aussie garlic each year from friends, and freeze 2/3 of them broken into unpeeled cloves. That way we don't need to buy garlic for the rest of the year.
Lizzy
14/11/2012 12:37:12 pm
Hi Celia... I remember reading your post about freezing the garlic. Must dip in again and read it! I am dying to grow more. I'm sure we will get through it. Like lemons, I am never without garlic in my kitchen. Re the mushroom salt, you can buy it from Marco online. I will be popping a snippet about him and his mushies onto my market people pages, BTW. Here is his web site. Watch this space for my EDB write up coming soon.
Lizzy
14/11/2012 12:38:20 pm
Thank you Amanda. I must tell you, I am loving the goodies we were treated to... especially the EVOO, the caramelised balsamic (going to get more of that!!!) and the mushroom salt. The roses are so beautiful, I wish I could share their intoxicating scent.
Lizzy
15/11/2012 04:19:30 pm
Hi, thank you... roses that have no scent are a waste of time, methinks.
Lizzy
15/11/2012 04:20:07 pm
Hello to Liz from across the miles. Thank you! We are very fortunate indeed. Thanks for stopping by xo 15/11/2012 12:50:52 pm
I really need to stop buying the garlic from Coles - I've heard similar horror stories from my Mum about what they do to their garlic, and now you've got me convinced! I should really try growing it myself. Would you consider doing a post on DIY home grown garlic? I could definitely use the help hehe!
Lizzy
17/11/2012 03:35:51 pm
Indeed you do.... per my email to you, I am in the process of writing an article on home grown garlic... hope the tips I sent you will help xo 17/11/2012 11:47:56 am
OK, I nearly fell over when I read what you wrote about imported Chinese garlic! What a shame. I truly appreciate fresh garlic and I bet yours was amazing. Maybe I'll grow my own this year. Thanks for the head's up!
Lizzy
17/11/2012 03:36:27 pm
Wow, glad you read this then! Do grow your own, indeed, or buy from growers at your local market! 19/11/2012 09:01:16 pm
Wild Mushroom and Black Garlic Salt: wow, I'd be putting that on everything! Lovely to have a nosey in your kitchen. Reminds me also of how lucky I am to have some backyard hens (3 is enough for us). Good info about the China-garlic problem: I wonder how much of what is sold in the UK is also Chinese? I use loads and loads of garlic but it is easy to get Scottish grown most of the time, but I will make sure I definitely keep with UK grown from now on. 30/11/2012 08:43:35 pm
So much deliciousness in your kitchen, Lizzy. Hope you're enjoying the Barossa book Comments are closed.
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Welcome...Üdvözölöm
Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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