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.

All week The Boy and I have been having the same conversation around a bag of brussel sprouts where I suggest they be part of our dinner and he suggests we get a bbq chicken or that he may head to his parents’ place for dinner instead. The guy just doesn’t like his brussel sprouts.

I know, I know… I should know better right? I should know when to quit and stop being such a nagging girlfriend. Its just that I never know how give up because he never really gives up trying to convince me that playing World of Warcraft really is fun. So we both have our battles.

So, this time instead of steaming the sprouts I had a new plan of attack. Roasting!

Roasted brussel sprouts is the Inga Garten way (aka the Barefoot Contessa). I have read a few posts about these divine beauties and since then I’ve been waiting for sprout season to try them on The Boy. Its not even a recipe, just a method to get them all crispy and golden. All I did was roast as many brussel sprouts as I had after coating them generously in good olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I halved them, so they were in a 180 C oven for 20 minutes. If you leave them whole, just double the roasting time.

Their light natural bitterness turns into deliciousness especially with other steamed vege and grilled salmon. I popped a few back in the oven for extra roasting because I quite like burnt bits. The Boy said he would try one half of a sprout just to placate me. After that one half when his face contorted this way and that, he continued to enjoy a dozen more halves! After I picked myself off the floor I may have danced a short jig.

I’ve toyed with the idea of ordering a box of fruit and vege from The Organic Grocer, but never got around to it for various reasons. Having our weekly groceries home delivered would give me spare time and the head space to do other things (oh… like study!) but it also feels very indulgent for two people who are still in between studying and working. I also enjoy zipping over to Harris Farm Markets or my local shops for food stuffs of an evening or through the weekend and do a random shop of whatever is in season. Alas not all the stores I visit have reasonably priced organic produce, and the more I read on the commerical cycle of food I’m begining to want to be more diligent about the kind of food I eat. I don’t know enough about the organics debate yet, to have drawn any final conclusions - but if my tastebuds are to be my guide for now I suppose I’m sick of eating plastic tasting apples and bland vegetables.

This situation brought a round about decision to look for a food co-op close to home or work which I could become involved in. The food co-op I found was is based at the University of Sydney and services students, staff and the local community. It is run soley by volunteers which means the opening times can be sporadic and most of the co-ordination is done via a mailing list. I’m not sure how involved I want to be, so for now I am supporting it by becoming a dedicated buyer of their weekly fruit & vege boxes and free range eggs. They also sell an array of other products; coffee, tea, grains, legumes and very soon organic dark chocolate.

I picked up my first fruit & vege box last Wednesday and was impressed with the quality as well as the ease of getting the basics for the week. The produce comes from Eco-Farms; a certified supplier of organic product and packaged products based in Homebush. The boxes start at $10, which means a larger amount and variety of fruit and vegetables if you go up to larger sized boxes (in $10 increments).

Because it was the first time I was ordering I thought I’d start off with a $10 box to see if it would cater to our two person household. The $10 box is perfect for our day to day needs; enough vegetables for salads for lunch and dinners through the week. When I picked up the box I found a head of broccoli, one ear of corn, leeks, celery, carrots, sweet potato, snow peas, cucumber, tomatoes, and apples. Sure you don’t get to select the contents, but if last weeks box was any indication the selection is spot on for what I’d buy. However I am thinking about going to Eco-Farms on a monthly basis to stock up on things like garlic, ginger, onions and potatoes, which my Mother usually supplies us with when she does her bulk shops of 5kg bags of onions and potatoes.

It isn’t a fancy pants operation. Most of the volunteers are students from the university who seem liked dedicated supporters of “green eating”. You pick up your box from the small shopfront, you can either carry your box as is, or empty it into your own bags. They appreciate extra bags or boxes left for the shop to use during the week as well. It may not be for everyone; but it feels rather nice being part of a “community” rather than giving my money to big companies who sell us par average stock at inflated prices. Plus its a real bonus when you can leave work at quarter to six have your fruit & vege shop done and be home by 6:30 to have a sweet potato and corn soup on the boil before The Cook and The Chef starts.

University of Sydney Food Co-op
Wentworth Building, City Road, University of Sydney (Walk across the bridge and go up the stairs, you will see signs for the co-op)
Orders for fruit and vegetable boxes are made before Tuesday for collection on Wednesday 5pm - 6pm or by appointment
If you would like to know more send an email to the mailing list [usydfoodcoop AT yahoogroups DOT com DOT au]

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying a small harvest of home grown sprouts. They have been enjoyed in sandwiches with boiled eggs and sundried tomatoes, as topping on crackers with peanut butter, as light snacks on their own and this evening as a tangy and nutritious salad. Home grown sprouts are a simple, rewarding and thrifty way to ensure you are eating well as well as making a box of store bought sprouts last the distance. To sprout them at home all you need to do is soak some sprouts, seeds or nuts and allow them to germinate. The length of time depends on the type of sprout, seed or nuts you intend to harvest. I haven’t used any fancy sprouting machines, but I hear machines are a good way to sprout different types at the same time as well as under controlled conditions.

I prefer a simple method which comes recommended by friends and family. The method requires a deep bowl, some muslin cloth, fresh water and a good memory to remember to rinse the sprouts every day during the germination process. This week I used a sample of store bought alfalfa sprouts which worked really well. Alfalfa sprouts require roughly 3 - 4 hours soaking time and then 5 - 7 days germinate. After soaking the sprouts, all you need to do is place the muslin cloth in a deep bowl and then place the sprouts on top, cover with the remaining edges of the cloth and leave in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Every day rinse the sprouts and repeat until you see some growth. It is an on going project, as you can eat your fresh (and organic!) sprouts as they appear, just make sure you rinse them thoroughly and consume them when they are nice and fresh.

I had a small amount of alfalfa remaining from this weeks harvest, so I made a salad for dinner this evening. I was bowled over the simple and dare I say earthy flavours both the sprouts and lentils brought the salat. It appears The Boy was too as there was a request for a second batch to be made. As you may know The Boy has a certain affinity to things such as pizza and mashed potato (I do too, but I also love my vegetables!), so the alfalfa and lentil combinations may have pushed the boundaries. I was pretty chuffed with this request, seeing as I was expecting a few complaints after setting the table with our food. Sure he’d be happy with the roast chicken and Afghan bread, but the salad was the risky component. Alas there were nothing but enjoyment all round, even the decoy of danish feta was pushed aside for more greenery!

I have found with salads where dainty sprouts and lentils play the leading role, a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and salt works a treat. The addition of creamy feta adds a nice balance to the zing of the lemon and heat of spanish onion. You can use a good quality can of brown lentils (I quite like the varieties from Harris Farm Markets) if you don’t have time to bowl your own (and who does after a day at work!) Best of all, the sprouts were fresh and crisp and require not much muscle other than rinsing, which I do while waiting for the kettle to boil of a morning.

Something about homemade just makes it taste even better.

Lentil & Sprout Salad with Danish Feta
Serves 4

Salad
2 cups of alfalfa sprouts
1 cup of snow pea sprouts
1/2 cup of boiled brown lentils (fresh or canned)
1/2 a spanish onion (sliced, thinly)

Dressing
3 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon (juiced)
maldon sea salt to taste
1/4 cup of danish feta (cubed)

Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl until well combined. In a shaker add fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt to taste - shake well and pour over salad. Sprinkle with danish feta and serve immediately. Enjoy!

I am on a small mission this winter. The mission is to serve homemade soup at least twice during the week, with a focus on vegetables. It is purely selfish of course; it means less time behind the stove after a day at work and it also means I can count on a healthy meal at the end of the day. So far I have barely achieved this, having only made soup one other time the last two weeks. But this week I am prepared with homemade beef and chicken stock; packaged into handy portions in the freezer, fresh cauliflower, sweet potato and beetroot sitting pretty in the kitchen and newly unpacked slow cooker on the kitchen bench.

I call it a mission because The Boy would much prefer a t-bone steak over a bowl of vegetable soup, and there is always a little pre dinner grumble when he knows there is soup on the menu. Alas I am a persistent homecook and girlfriend so we often reach a compromise, soup one night if there is the promise of a good curry the next. He entertains me though, by referring to our liquid meals as “birdie num num“ and I answer back with little decoys of proschuitto and cheese platters with crusty bread to make the meal a little more appealing. So far there hasn’t been any major complaints and I was suprised when he took to last week’s soup; Mint & Ginger Carrot soup.

It’s simple enough, lots of ginger sauteed lightly with a small white onion. Stock. Carrots, Pureed and simmered with some mint. I served it warm with some crusty bread from the Haberfield Bakery and the next day had enough for lunch - bonus! For something pretty, you could serve the soup in small glasses as pictured above. The aromatics of mint and ginger would also lend itself to being served chilled; perhaps as a light starter for a Moroccan feast.

Mint & Ginger Carrot Soup
Serves 4

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion (finely diced)
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (finely grated)
4 cups of homemade stock (beef or vegetable)
4 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 springs of fresh mint (roughly chopped)
salt flakes and cracked pepper to taste

In a heavy based pan saute the white onion in olive oil until transparent. Add ginger and lightly saute for a minute or two, making sure not to brown. Add stock and bring to boil. Add carrots and allow to boil until tender. Using an immersion blender to blend carrots until you have a smooth consistency. Continue simmering on low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the roughly chopped leaves of two springs of mint. Served warm or chilled. Enjoy!