Ho Ho Horseradish!

Everything you read about growing, harvesting, grating & preserving horseradish is true!

It's easy to grow. I shall plant out this piece again and we'll have another good harvest next season. And any little pieces of roots that you leave in the ground will grow, too.It's a bugger to dig up, if the soil is rocky, hard and/or clay.Wash and peel the roots, then chop into chunks, and grate or grind in the food processor. Open the lid very, very, very carefully, and ideally in front of an open window. And away from your face. Don't breathe! The fumes are incredible. They'll clear your sinuses in no time!
Add some vinegar and salt, if you'd like to have some ready to eat. (Quantities are stated in a post written last season.)
Taste a tiny bit - it's potent stuff! You don't want it to blow off your head. It'll keep for quite a few months in the fridge. It will get milder in time.
Or add some cream to your grated horseradish for immediate use. Very, very nice! Especially with smoked salmon.
I've also filled several small containers with the grated horseradish and put them in the freezer. Nice! :)

Horseradish...

...is amazing stuff.Easy to grow and easy to process.
Read today's blog post on Adelaide Kitchen Gardeners.

The Basil Bar

Remember the basil bar when it was freshly planted at the beginning of November?

Well, after a few big harvests (lots of delicious pesto) it still looks like this. Needless to say that I am very happy with my basil this year.

The rest...

...of the garlic harvest.

I am quite pleased with our haul. However, I am already panicking that we might not have enough to last us till the next harvest.
The biggest heads will be set aside to be planted in a few months' time.

Gaga over garlic!

I am so chuffed. This is my first garlic braid ever!
There is a lot more garlic in the ground, which is very reassuring.
Ahhh.... garlic heaven!

Garlic and Onions

I ripped out the onions as they had started to develop big seed stalks. We have been using them fresh out of the garden, but now it's time to harvest them as I really don't need a big woody stalk through my bulb. They were slightly disappointing this year, but well, the seasons have been extreme.
The garlic is starting to dry off and I have pulled the first ones to cure. Ahh.... nothing better than a really good supply of organic, home-grown garlic!

These are going to have really big heads! Yes, yes, yes. Quite a few of those will go in the ground again next season. The bigger the clove, the bigger the garlic head.
The Blue-Podded Capucyner Peas are finally coming on. I don't think we'll have a glut of peas, but at least a few fresh tender ones. That's fine.

And if your name is Kel and you are reading this, stop now. Don't read any further! Shoo...

The red currants are getting bigger and better.

The Basil Bar

...is now open.

I still have 2 windows leaning against it. Just in case we experience another cold night that could damage the basil. Then I'll just cover the bar.

This is Lettuce Leaf Basil.

Tasmanian Mountain Pepper #2

The new growth on one of the Tasmanian Mountain Peppers is very encouraging.
Have a closer look at the flowers.

Bay Tree

Everything is flowering. Even our bay tree. Spring is an absolutely amazing time of the year.

Here are the flowers of the bay tree.

Tasmanian Mountain Pepper

Finally! This plant is starting to grow a bit and it even developed some flower buds. That is really exciting. It has been in the ground for about 3 years, but due to the extreme seasons we have had the last 2 years it hasn't grown much. I am just happy that it survived! Good luck, little Mountain Pepper!