First Fig Harvest

  I guess it’s not technically a harvest, in the sense of a lot of fruit being gathered, but more of a small gain. Here is the fig ‘harvest’ on the plate, all two of them! We had waited for this moment for a long time:   My friend had never ever tried figs before, […]

Posted by Admin on March 24th, 2014 | No Comments Posted in Fruits, Gardening

Edible Plants in Mum’s Garden and in My Garden

MUM’S GARDEN HAS:   Courgettes, silverbeet, New Zealand spinach, tomatoes, rhubarb, artichoke, grapes, radishes, strawberries, basil, sage, mint, rosemary, parsley, flat-leafed parsley, coriander, lemon balm, yellow pepper, chillis, potatoes, beans, edamame beans, rocket, and lettuce.   One of the lettuce varieties is called ‘Drunken Woman’. The leaf is bright green and the edges are frilly […]

Posted by Admin on February 1st, 2014 | No Comments Posted in Fruits, Gardening, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, Vegetables

Te Mata Figs

tematafigs.co.nz   On a summer day my friend and I took a trip out to Havelock North to visit Te Mata Figs on Napier Road.  Fresh figs are difficult to find in this country, so earlier in the year my friend and I bought a fig tree. Our Brunoro Black fig has now sprouted up […]

Posted by Admin on January 29th, 2014 | No Comments Posted in Featured Products, Fruits, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Christmas Cakes : A History

CHRISTMAS CAKES : A HISTORY   Here, I am going to look at what we now know as a Christmas Cake: how it came to be associated with the Christmas Day tradition, how it became known as a Christmas Cake, and changes to recipes and ingredients. “Christmas Cake”, as the title of a recipe, only […]

Posted by Admin on December 1st, 2013 | No Comments Posted in Cakes and Cupcakes, Christmas, Pot Luck (miscellaneous)