note to self: it’s a crime to buy ready made preserved lemons when you have an aunty who has a lemon tree with a generous bounty.

today i managed to get a lot done. one of them, preserving a couple of kilos worth of lemons. a simple enough task, but also one of those thing i’ve been putting off for ages. with a pig full of salt i filled a few jars worth of lemons. for the next thirty days i hope to remember to turn the jars upside down and back straight up for the extra lemon juice to coat the golden skins. all of which will be ready for lots of moroccan feasts this summer!

when i lived in a house with a back yard and space for a vegie patch i didn’t have the time to spend gardening, so of course as these things go, now that i’m living in an apartment on the second floor my green thumb has sprouted and now i’d like to make time for such things. alas, its not in my nature to let a few things like a smaller dwelling stop me from trying growing a green thumb and maybe a few herbs along the way.

last weekend i spent some time at the local nursery to get this project in order. i needed the buy some seedlings, potting mix, a watering can, and a herb pot. i also needed something to plant a strawberry plant i had purchased a few weekends ago and i needed to get it right then and there if i ever wanted to see the leaves grow into a patch and (fingers crossed) a few gauntlet strawbs appear from those flowers.

i ended up with herbs which everyone in this two person house-hold would be happy with; even the nay-sayer who thinks this will be a failed project due to my poor memory and bad organisational skills first thing in the morning. herbs which everyone loves and uses is bound to create a few happy participants no?

so with a few seedlings of coriander and a triplet of basil (italian, thai and curly) i was onto a good thing. the boy’s mum gave me a mint plant and a mixture of organic herb food to get me started. however i didn’t get very far, as i still needed a pot; something which could hold everything, and maybe a temporary place for the strawberry plant. the fellow at the nursery saw me tugging at a few planter boxes and suggested the pot you see above; a terracotta creation with little windows for various plants to sprout from. the pot would allow me move it around the balcony, especially an eastern facing spot which has a harsh sun during some parts of the day, and also bring the garden into the kitchen on those crazy windy days sydney has been experiencing recently. perfect and quite cute wouldn’t you say?

with a little help from the boy’s mum, i had the pot half filled with vegetable potting mix and i transferred the seedlings over (after gently squeezing the roots a tad to release them from the soil in their original containers). after packing them in tightly and adding a smaller layer of potting mix i gave my new mini garden a good watering and hoped for the best. a week later they are still alive, and even after pinching a few of the new leaves of the basil plant, it seems to have given it a little growth spurt. hurrah!

next weekend i plan on getting the second herb garden sorted with sturdier plants of parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano and maybe try my hand at a citrus tree or curry leaf tree.

These two jars are on their way to Melbourne, tightly packed and ready to be enjoyed by the truffle couriers!

I didn’t follow an exact recipe for this jam, instead I borrowed bits and pieces from the jam recipes in one of my favourite cookbooks Apples for Jam (which interestingly doesn’t feature apple jam!). The spontaneous addition of half a vanilla bean and ground cinnamon means that the jam tastes like a pear and almond tart. Tart in a jar … it was only a matter of time.

Now I’m onto more ambitious jam making in time for a jammy fest! And if you are familiar with this cathartic (and sweet!) process, you may enjoy this entertaining experience as documented by Jam Faced.

There are many ways to placate oneself when you have to be awake and functionting for a rare day of work on Saturday morning. Some may have plans for a rewarding big night in evening, with the promise of strong cocktails and dancing. I placate myself by staying on the bus an extra few stops longer so I can pop into the Bourke Stree Bakery on Broadway to buy myself breakfast and bread for the weekend. The breakfast was a fresh croissant and the bread; a rotound loaf called Mr Potato Head Bread.

Its a tangy tasting loaf. Delicious toasted or cold, with a hot soup or even as a base for a tart orange marmalade. The inside is studded with Nigella seeds, layers of potato and onion or bacon - I’m not too sure because it is slightly caramelised. This is a good thing.

Have you tried cooking with curry leaves before?