The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: aliceinwonderland on February 14, 2012, 10:17:18 am
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Just saying a quick hello from summery Australia!
I grew up on a small country block (just under two acres) in central Victoria, and am currently house-, dog-, cat- and chook (hen)-sitting for my parents whilst they're in (most of) your part of the world! I'm currently looking after some Isa Browns, Australorps, a Buff Orpington and an Araucana (not sure if all of those chook breeds exist outside of Australia...), as well as a half-acre vegie garden and a few fruit trees. I've also just cured my very first streaky bacon/pork belly, but I had to buy the pork - from a very reputable butcher - as I don't have pigs of my own! I have plans (or dreams, really), of starting up my own smallholding with some rare-breed pigs and maybe some beef cattle too, and definitely a house cow.
A very quick question (and I'll post in the relevant forum too, don't worry): we're at the height of our summer over here, and I have a huge glut of zucchinis (courgettes) and am about to have many, many nectarines... does anyone have handy recipes for zucchinis or white nectarines? I've made huge quantities of zucchini and basil soup, zucchini quiche, zucchini tempura, zucchini/vegie lasagne, and I'm running out of ideas!
Thanks!
Enjoy your cold weather - I miss winter!!
Alice
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hi alice from sunny but coldish cornwall, we do have those chook breeds in uk and a few dozen more! good luck with the courgettes, i try not to grow too many to avoid having too mant to deal with, but i did once make a courgette burger relish which was lovely but i cant remember te recipe sorry, have fun here im sure youll get some other inventive uses for them! :thumbsup:
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You have already tried most of my suggestions....I put my spares at the gate with an honesty box.
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Hi Alice and welcome to the forum. As Deep says we have all those breeds and so many many more. Buff Orpingtons are very populer here, my wife's favourites actually. We have two breeding sets in the Orchard and a pet cockerel who lives with us. There are about 6 other colours as well, Black being the original from 1850.
We have an honesty box for surplus. We do occasionally get people taking the stuff without paying as if we are a charity or something! The chickens will eat some, they like the seeds.
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Hi and welcome from Carnoustie :wave:
There is a book called "What will I do with all these courgettes?" that gets really good reviews on Amazon.
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Hello Alice, my favourite courgette recipe is from the River Cottage cookbook. Pasta with courgette sauce.
I don't do weights and measures so you'll have to work that bit out as you go along :)
Slice courgettes, fry very gently in olive oil(or similar), add garlic, chopped finely or crushed and cook, very slowly until softish, chop it all up a bit with a wooden spoon then add some double cream,cook down a bit until it looks lovely and thick, take off the heat and add parmesan cheese(or strong cheddar and parmesan. Throw in some cooked linguine(or whatever you have) and there you are. Absolutely lovely :yum: :yum:
Or do the same up until the pasta and instead add to a few beaten eggs. Put in a hottish oven and bake until puffy and golden. Serve with french bread and a salad.
I like them steamed, a bit of parmesan and olive oil and a bit of bread :yum:
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Hi and welcome from Carnoustie :wave:
There is a book called "What will I do with all these courgettes?" that gets really good reviews on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=theaccidsmall-21).
I've got it and it is a good book.
:wave: Hi Alice and welcome from Shropshire.
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Hello Alice
I joined the site yesterday too. It's a great read.
Congratulations on your first pork curing.
It sounds lovely living in Australia, and those fruit trees sound mouthwatering, I only have 1 apple tree and a couple of greengage.
As for courgettes find excess is great for swapping if others grow veg locally, sorry cannot give any other recipes than those listed already.
Happy reading & dreaming ..
One day we may both find our own smallholding.
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Oh forgot to say I am in Durham , UK
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I posted a great recipe for Zucchini or Courgette pickle. It was a real hit with all my family and got rid of some courgettes. Pigs are still eating those we let get very big and kept in store.
The pickle involves thinly slicing ( mandolin) courgettes and let them dry in sun under a cloth. Meanwhile think slice onion and salt it. Rinse onion well and dry in sun.
Cider vinegar, turmeric powder, mustard seeds. Bottle it.
Keeps very well - we made loads.
Maybe search recipes for quantaties. Off to the airport now - snow melting ( at last) here in the Limousin France.
Welcome and cheers Martiin
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Thanks everyone!
I'll give the recipes a try and will let you know how they go. Also just harvested about 4kg of rhubarb (after the leaves have been chopped off), so will be making copious amounts of rhubarb champagne, rhubarb crumble, rhubarb everything! And that was only about a quarter of our crop...... We seem to have managed to get ridiculous amounts of a few limited varieties of vegies (eg millions of tomatoes, zucchini and rhubarb, but no carrots, celery, lettuce, corn or peas), because my step-father planted the garden this year and he is DEFINITELY not a cook. He has his favourites (tomatoes in particular... we have about four double-bed sized garden beds worth of tomatoes), but then totally forgets about the many other vegies that we use day to day! And to top it all off, both my parents are overseas for most of the harvest, which means that the lucky house-sitter gets to deal with the glut of produce!
Thanks again for making me feel so welcome :)
Alice
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The kids love zucchini fritters. There are loads of web recipes for them.