In The Garden-Updating

The Backyard Garden

We had a busy morning yesterday, but it was a very fruitful trip and an exciting journey.  Travelling by train can be relaxing, we just sat there and would reach the destination, effortlessly.  In the meantime, we did what we wished to do.  That's what we did, relaxing, reading, enjoying the scenery. 

This morning was a different story, I enjoyed walking around my garden before doing anything else, it was cold and fresh.
I was pleased to see that the self-sown plant was doing so well.  Indeed the plant is filling up space, and I think it grows more every day, it needs to be controlled.
The fruits are getting larger since last time I showed the picture, and I am not so sure what it is.  Is it the spaghetti squash? Watermelon? Or pumpkin?

A few jobs have to be done around the garden, I have a list here:
First, potted plants have to be attended to, second, getting ready for new potted vegetables for this autumn, third, resting the soil before planting the seedlings.  

The potted petunias have finished, clean the pots and put them away.  I must say that I appreciated the blooms that last for some time, they were absolutely beautiful.

Resting the soil to get ready for the lettuces

What would you do with lettuces?  I could not do without them, in summer I never have salads in my garden but in autumn, and spring I do.  In winter, I do have winter lettuce: radicchio and endive as they are easy to grow.  Wild bitter lettuce or dandelion grows everywhere because they are the weed.  But this time I got it in a pot, easy to keep clean, excellent for fresh salad mix.

Clean and Healthy Potted Dandelion

Cooking For The Day

Stuffed mushroom with mashed pumpkin, potato, shallot, Parmesan cheese bound with egg. Baked in a hot oven until golden.  Served as it is, garnished with a salad.

Beautiful Baked Stuffed Mushroom.

Beautiful baked stuffed mushrooms garnished with sliced pumpkin, shredded sorrel and purple fresh Dutch carrots.  It is a very delicious mushroom dish a treat for a busy day.

It has been raining, colder weather is much better for everyone.  Enjoy the change!


Until Next Post
Susy

Lazy Chicken

Baked Chicken with Lemon and Bay

Susy's  Lazy  Chicken

It is a succulent oven baked chicken with preserved lemon and fresh lemon juice. 

Marinating is not needed.

  Serve with baked potato and salad, couscous and fresh herbs salad or steamed rice and vegetables.   

                                                      

Cooking Method:

Cut medium size fresh chicken in halves.  Loosen up the skin, rub the flesh with the quarter of a preserved lemon.   Place the chicken on a baking dish, sprinkle with a little salt, white pepper, put seven bay leaves, and drizzle with a bit of oil and lemon juice.  Add 1/2 cup of water on the dish.  Bake chicken on very high heat - 200 degrees C, for 45 minutes.  Switch the oven off after that time, but leave the chicken inside for 18  minutes.

To serve the chicken, sprinkle with spices: chilli powder, bay leaf powder mixed with salt. 

 Chicken is Ready to Bake

Squeeze the lemon over the chicken before putting in the oven

Lazy Chicken Garnished with Green Beans and

Pumpkin with Chili Jam.

This dish is suitable for transportation, so it is good for Picnic food.  Pack a fresh salad, crusty bread, hot drink put in the picnic basket.    Enjoy the meal outdoors.

Eating by hands is acceptable,  particularly chicken on the bone is enjoyable to eat that way.

I hope you like the recipe, give it a go, you can get preserved lemons in the supermarket.   One day I will share how to make homemade preserved lemons.

Until Next Post

Susy

Herbs Flowers (Continued)

Using The flowers of Herbs

A savoury scone with herbs flowers as promised is Susy's aromatic scone which I baked today. It is light and soft, buttered to serve warm or room temperature.  Delicious with herbal tea, it's beautiful for morning or afternoon tea.

Susy's Aromatic Scones

The Herbs flowers  Savoury Scones
Garnished with Fresh Confetti

For Tisane, take a few sprigs of mint flowers, and clove geraniums, wash them lightly.  Boil three cups of water, add in the mixed flowers,  bring to simmer for 2 minutes.  Transfer it to a teapot.  The refreshing herbal tea is ready to serve.

Another method, get herbs Flowers that you like, place them in a cup or a glass, add in boiling water, let it steep for 3-5 minutes.  Then the tea is ready.

Susy's Aromatic Savoury Scones

 Ingredients

2 cups full self-raising flour

Mix flower of these herbs:

- mints flowers

- garlic chives

- clove geranium, flowers

   

2/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon yoghurt

a pinch of salt

25 g margarine or two tablespoon oil

Method
Heat the oven to 200 degrees C

1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl, also the butter, and the mix flowers, toss and mix together
2. Make a well in the centre add in the milk mixture all at once.  Mix well. To make a soft dough.
3. Put some flour on a flat surface, rub your hands with some of the flour, then knead the dough lightly.
4. Cut with a sharp knife or a scone cutter, it makes 8-10
5. Bake in preheated hot oven 200 degrees C for 11-13 minutes.
6. Serve hot or cold, buttered.

Step By Step What To Do

 Freshly Baked Aromatic Savoury Scones

It is useful. I am telling you to have your own herbs garden.  You don't need a large place, have potted herbs garden instead. You could do so much with them, and it is a money saving as well.

Enjoy baking, today is only Monday, you have plenty of time to go shopping if the pantry has not enough ingredients.   Happy Baking and Enjoy.

Until Next Post
Susy

Herbs Flowers

Flowers  of  Herbs and Fresh Produces


oregano, mint, garlic chive, radicchio, geranium flowers

Herbs are beneficial for medicinal purposes and also for cooking.  My cooking uses a lot of them, not only for flavouring but also for garnishing and decorating the dishes.  Add them into salads which give lovely colours, also add aroma to them.

These flowers of my herbs garden are beautiful and aromatic.  Tissane with aromatic herbs and their flowers are so delightful and refreshing.

Radicchio Flowers, excellent for garnishes, salad and added into herbal tea.

Clove Geranium, flavour for casseroles/roasts, mix in salad and added into herbal tea

Roasted apples garnished with geranium flowers

Oregano flowers, beautiful to garnish pies

Garlic chives, excellent for garnish of savoury platters, delicious to add in an omelette

 Mint flowers taste like their leaves but have a milder flavour. Use in custards, desserts and vegetables that is what I learnt.  I use them a lot for cooking with lamb mince, salads and garnishes.

The latest herbs plant that I have in my garden is golden oregano, thanks to Ann and Max.

I must plant it properly, I am looking forward to using it for my cooking.

Fresh Produces.

Farmers' Market for this month was excellent, a sunny day, a lot of people there, and the regular fresh producers were busy enough.  I think they had a good day.  Well, I did, at least I met a good friend whom I have not seen for a long time, and managed to catch up a little.
We come home with a few fresh vegetables and apples, purple Dutch carrots, a bunch of celery, corn on the cobs and red, pink lady apples. 

Roasted Dutch carrots are suitable to serve with roast pork, I could bake some apples too.  To have fresh corn on the cobs is a treat.

Roasted Beetroot

dressed with honey and flower of oregano

Recipes for savoury scones are plenty around, they use a lot of fresh herbs.  I will share my delicious scone with mixed flowers of the herbs soon.  I will be using garlic chives flowers, mint flowers, clove geranium flowers and maybe dandelion flowers.

Stay Tuned
Susy

Pictures Gallery 2

Baking - Cooking  Etc,    Feb 2012

Banana Bread

Cheese Chili Muffin without Eggs

Flower Arrangement for the Dining Table

 

The flavour of Spain - Warmed Salad

Nectarine Cake

 

Baked Cheese Cake with Strawberry Coulis

Ayam Panggang -Grilled Chicken Javanese Style

Vegetables Omelet in Pastry

The first flowers - Angle Face Rose

Pasta with braised meatballs served with fresh tomatoes, basil, oregano

and Parmesan Cheese

 

Braised Stuffed Tomato with Avocado Salad    -  And  Golden  Love Heart Cake

Grape Flan  with  Chocolate

Potted Pies

Slow Baked Lamb Shanks

Non-Baked Pizza

Freshly picked potted beetroot and beetroot and sweet potato salad

Cake with Bay leaves  and  Nut and the Avocado loaf

The First Flowers - Crucifix Orchids

Stack Mini Pancakes with Fruit and Honey

Midi Pancakes Rolls

Radicchio and Oregano Flowers are Excellent to add to Salads

Sambel Goreng Boncis dengan Udang (Javanese)

Hot and Spicy Braised Green Beans with Prawns

Lavage an aromatic herb, excellent for European and Asian cooking

Flat Parsley, I cannot do without

Purple Carrots

The good carrot has long been known as an orange vegetable.  Generations of people in the west have grown up believing that carrots are always orange.  But long before the orange carrot became established in the 16th century ago the purple carrot existed across in Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. (www.carrotmuseum.com)

Until Next Post
Susy