The Convent veg beds are flourishing and I need to harvest crops regularly. The spinach is going well. I don’t actually remember planting it and have a feeling it may be coming from seeds scattered by locals who tend to regularly contribute to my garden beds.
Lots and lots of fresh old fashioned spinach
Anyway, today was Spinach Day and lots of picking happened for a spinach slice which turned out very well – served with garden salad on the side.
Pretty simple recipe:
lots of freshly picked spinach
5 eggs
block of feta cheese
lots of grated mature cheese
Filo pastry
grated nutmeg
Butter and olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
Chopped and ready for wilting – a really big saucepan
Melt a knob of butter and sauté lots and lots of chopped fresh spinach (stalks included) until wilted
Lightly beat eggs and combined with crumbled feta, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Add drained wilted spinach mixture
Lightly oil baking dish
Lay filo sheets in baking dish – brush each one with butter/oil – use 8/10 sheets
Spread spinach mixture over the top
Top with more sheets of filo, each brushed with butter
Place in preheated oven (approx 200 degrees) for 30/40 minutes
Now I’m here full time and tending the gardens, they are responding well. Other than hail, there have been other set backs including very dry weather and hordes of tiny flying insects that seem to invade the plants. Locals tell me these are unusual (but to get used to different challenges each year). Even the most avid permaculture people are encouraging to spray so I’ve succumbed with a Pyrethrum insecticide.
The citrus are very ‘distressed’ and will be a focus for attention over the next few weeks
The downside has been that the hail hammered the olives and citrus which appeared to be covered with baby fruit, as well as my white muscat grapes. I won’t see much there this year. On the other hand it was wonderful to go to the garden each day and pick fresh salad for my parents.
Cucumbers so far. I also have planted lebanese cucumber seeds as a back up plan
As usual, I’ve way overplanted. The cherry tomatoes are the dominant plant this Summer. Whilst they had been stripped bare with the hail, it seems like they have all come on well and I’m now heavily pruning laterals to keep under control. Some are fruiting (enough for daily consumption) but I think in a few weeks I will have a glut and preserving will be on the agenda. I have struggled with the cucumbers. Despite buying many punnets, they all seemed to disappear into nothing within a few weeks. I’ve been told that this was the work of the tiny flying insects and pumpkins and potatoes have suffered the same fate within the area. Well, I now have a few different cucumbers and am looking forward to a taste test.
The carrots are a delight – all different colours and so perfect. The brown onions still just look like blobs at the end of the stalks, but the white onions are gorgeous and so milky juicy. My butter beans are going gangbusters – we had plenty for Christmas Day and I’m still picking and storing them. My favourite is probably the lady finger eggplants that look like black dripping jewels. The zucchini are also growing, although you need to keep an eye on these sneaky little creatures – if you miss picking them, they grow into monsters. Last night my daughter and I had ratatouille using my own onions, capsicum, zucchini and eggplant. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough tomatoes yet but it was still rewarding.
I have an artichoke – not sure what to do with it yet. I also have rhubarb which I haven’t used before. The beetroot is looking healthy, the chokos have just kicked into gear and may start climbing their wire frame shortly. The kiwifruit also seem to have survived and are now showing signs of growth.
The potatoes (all nine bags) have been a disappointment. Between the hail, the bugs and a novice planter, they have gone from magnificently green to deathly and now showing signs of improving, however I will count myself lucky to find the original potatoes, let alone any new ones.
Berries – lots of green growth. Let’s see if we get more berries now the bugs are under control
I also had greater hopes for the berry bed – I’ve had some fruit – enough for sorbets and ice-cream, but had hoped for much more. However there is a huge amount of growth and now I’ve sprayed, maybe I will see more.
Anyway, it’s exciting to see the changes everyday and I value every inch of garden to see what it can be home to.
Whilst the first Convent Christmas dinner was a little late getting to the table (just after 2pm), diners made no attempt to leave the table until nearly 6pm.
A very traditional fare, but I was pleased with the results, particularly given the small galley kitchen. Perhaps Christmas in July should be on the Convent Calendar for 2014.
Lots of Christmas meat – ham, rolled loin of pork with dried apples, prunes and apricots (crackling worked) and turkey breast filled with cranberries and pistachiosJamie Oliver’s Christmas gravy was consumed with gusto.The pudding complete with brandy custard and brandy butter. A pavlova was also available but the raspberry ripple terrine will need to wait for another day.
It’s getting late at the Convent, the night before Christmas. The fairy lights are twinkling and the fridges are laden. Christmas cake is cooked and pudding is hanging. A pavlova and raspberry ripple semifreddo are finished (along with earlier mixed berry sorbet and strawberry icecream courtesy of the berry bed).
The ham is glazed, a turkey breast is stuffed with cranberries and pistachios and a rolled and seasoned pork loin awaits. Grossly over catered for one day but I’m hoping it will feed us for the few days after so the cook can put her feet up. My first Convent Christmas.
I’m not sure it’s the most relaxing thing, given how addictive this can be, but I’ve started a Wentworth wooden jigsaw – 1500 pieces.The house guests are joining in and I think progress may be slow.
End of Night 1. A few of the easier sections underway.
Whilst I had thought I’d have a few quiet weeks settling in once selling Sydney and moving all my worldly goods into the Convent, life has a way of taking its own course.
My daughter’s arrival the day after the removalists, along with the rambunctious Popcorn, meant a different but very welcome change of pace. My two small dogs have settled in to Convent life easily and now they are both around six years old, they are pretty relaxed. However they didn’t anticipate Popcorn arriving and unsettling the status quo.
Popcorn loves his shoes – stilettos being his favourite. He also likes the odd leather boot and Reebok
Whilst still young at eight months old, he is also very big and active. However he is smart and anxious to please. Quickly he has learnt not to invade little dog space or try to make them play with him. They are getting to know each other and becoming more comfortable together. Little Roxy isn’t up to joining in games but loves to watch and encourage Popcorn from the sidelines. Tango has managed to work out a bitey type game with Popcorn that they both love. Whilst they may not interact directly together much, they are often exploring and chilling together. I now seem to have a “pack” of dogs on the property.
Despite Popcorn’s gardening efforts and that he will chew anything he can get hold of, he’s a good boy and is responding well to training. He is already enrolled and attending a local training class and may get to do agility at some point.
I have a feeing the Convent animal family may grow some more as I start to explore chickens as a next stage.
You clown! That’s the bathroom bin lid on your head!
The branding worked well for us. Customers were happy to strike up a conversation and introduce themselves
Yesterday was our big day at Rylstone Artisan Markets, which are a little different as the ethos is:
“If you create it, bake it, grow it or make it, and you live locally, you can sell it at our markets”, which is strictly adhered to.
Our table settings focussed on timber fittings including articulated hands, industrial bobbins and an Edwardian swift
Accompanied by my daughter and good friend, we started off allowing for plenty of time to be shown the ropes and set ourselves up. The organisers and fellow stall holders were all very helpful and friendly and we were raring to go by 9am when the markets opened. For the first hour and a half it seemed like we’d be lucky to make a sale but a flux of people a little later meant we ended up more than happy with the outcome. We even managed to get some orders in advance for next markets.
The Noro mitts sold well – both as kits and finished knits
December in Australia is not exactly “knit” weather and it was a really hot day. We had also be warned that it may take over three markets before locals would come up for a chat. However I think that our knitting display was very accessible and it was clear we were from the Convent, which made it really easy for people to start a conversation. We also met plenty of other knitters, spinners and weavers. Gemma with her drop spindle was a good conversation-starter.
A few items sold very well and we managed to sell both kits as well as knitted items – the lace scarves were a real hit and attracted lots of attention. I know that this market had the benefit of people buying for Christmas presents and the next few markets might be a bit slower, but I’m also pretty sure come the colder months we will do very well. Also the markets sometimes co-incide with tourist buses and I think my knits should be a hit with visitors.
Bookmarks for those that thought knitwear was a bit hot for an Australian summer
Anyway, for the first foray into knitting at the markets, I ended up really pleased and am keen to become a regular. Whilst it’s great to sell things, it is even more rewarding being part of the community, speaking to locals and joining in with the other stall holders.
In the meantime, I’m back knitting the more popular items and getting my entry ready for the Rylstone Kandos Show on 22 February.
The markets were buzzing pre-Christmas with the Hall full of stalls and more set up outside.
It’s been pretty busy the last week or so, with my daughter here, settling in Popcorn and a good friend visiting.
It’s been even more busy given I’m planning my first foray into the local markets tomorrow. I have a feeling my guests think I’m running a sweat shop as they have been helping me prepare and will be there for support on the day as well.
My stall will be selling my knits and knitting kits. I know the weather isn’t all that appropriate for knitting, so for my first appearance I have prepared lace bookmarks and featherweight lace scarves. I also have simple kits for knits for those who would prefer to do it themselves.
A friend is selling pet products at the neighbouring market and I’m trialling dog treats at that stall. Hopefully they should be popular with the locals given Kandos is also known as ‘Dog Town’, with the dog population rumoured to outnumber children.
I’m looking forward to the markets as something new and a great way to meet more locals – both customers and stall holders. There’s always great camaraderie.
Kandos is nestled at the base of the Coomber Melon Mountain range on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range and provides and entry to Capertee Valley and Wollemi National Park. I see views of the Mountains from many aspects of my home and my backyard is overlooked by an escarpment.
The mountains are stunning yet not widely known, unlike the Blue Mountains. Those who have discovered them value their wonderful wilderness walks and the stunning backdrop they provide for artists.
A local friend who regularly goes for explorations provided me with these photos to share.
It’s been barely a year since the first plants went into the garden (which was many months before the property officially became mine) and after all these years, I’ve still astonished and delighted by how a garden changes with the seasons.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be clearing out some of the shaggy growth – predominantly the sweet peas, which will give the salvias space to come into their own, and the cornflowers which are now all over the place and looking worse for wear.
Two harsh hail storms in less than a week have done their damage, predominantly with the leafy veg. I’m removing damaged foliage as well as some of the plants that are now pretty much finished – the broad beans (after freezing over 4k of beans) have been replaced with heritage carrots and leafy greens. The fennel has been removed (it was like uprooting a tree!). Next on the agenda is celery, which was a tad disappointing.
Cherry tomatoes are coming good
The cherry tomatoes, which I now have so many varieties of now, thanks to supplements received via Diggers, seemed to have survived the hail onslaught and are being tempted back to growth with spray supplements of Seasol, Powerfeed and Charlie Carp. The Salvias all look like being the next series of stars as it appears to be their “time in the sun”. The berry bed is going crazy with new growth and the begginnings of berry crops. These are currently being collected for a mixed berry sorbet. This bed was fortuitously protected from the hail by the bird net that had been erected a day earlier.
The garden appears to be enjoyed by all the dogs. Roxy has always joined me whilst Tango has has her frequent “visits” with us. Popcorn loves the space but at present also needs company, so having me in the garden is best of both worlds for him.
Anyway, we are close to saying farewell to the first Spring at the Convent, and it has been an enormous one, with participating in the Kandos Gardens Fair and permanently moving our lives here to Kandos.
Salvia Madrensis managed to survive and thrive through the frostsBuddleia close to flowering for the first time
................... for lovers of ice cream. Your free on line magazine for sweet frozen treats. Recipes, inspiration, artisanal ideas for your delectation.
CONVENT AND CHAPEL 