Tomato Relish

Doug has made a batch of tomato relish for the lucky few. It tastes fantastisch. Even Elizabeth Taylor eats it apparently, or at least she once did ... but that's another tale for the fireside, winged-back chair evenings. What I'm really getting around to suggesting is that Doug has way too many tomatoes this time of year, and we here at Dougies Garden are scratching our heads thinking up all the uses for tomatoes. I suggested fake blood, but Doug looked absolutely horrified to think it would be exclusively used by myself & the kids for fancy dress, no, no, no, it had to go further up the food chain, dizzying heights of actual tomato consumption. Henceforth Doug trawled the extensive recipe archives kept in the library, and came up with "Spencer's Relish" tried and tested recipe to the stars (apparently Shirley Bassey had some on toast after the Melbourne Cup back in '64). Yes it's good, oh way good. But the produce doesn't stop there, we've got beans coming out our ears! Beans, beans, beans, it's beans at sacrificial prices. Bean madness! And then how about eating a french bean salad!, But wait! Maybe you could have some steamed beans with that? Did somebody say beans? "Just keep picking 'em" say the wise old people who know. So I use that as my mantra everyday when Doug sends me down into the bean fields to 'do my bit' for the bean effort. Fame and fashion do not last, but if you grow beans you have friends forever. You'd be surprised at the number of people who like beans.

All that glitters is not golden corn

The beans are growing like magic! Okay I know it was only a fairytale, but these beans are vigorous. Doug and I are running out of freezer space. Sascha and Grace are enjoying the wet weather by running through puddles until drenched. The dogs are behaving disgracefully, and the sunflowers are beginning to flower. The tomatoes are really coming on now. We have bunches of tomatoes ready to go. Bottling is being considered carefully. The purple carrots have almost run out, and I'm particularly sad about this. The were delicious, but we have a new crop planted. We have cos lettuce ready to go, and lots of baby pumpkins growing. A mother of zucchinis growing delicately like an elephant in the garden. It now seems the golden corn was left on the stalk too long. It became all rubbery and translucent. Fascinating texture. Lovely to look at, astounding to eat.

Poodle of the Serengeti

Doug's French beans, purple beans, purple carrots with a neon orange centre, are all on the menu at the moment. Doug & I are eating paw paws with ice cream. The orange trees have lots of small jade green fruit on the branches. Doug and I are wondering if there's anyone who can tell us why the purple beans go green when cooked? We have a crop of blue & white cornflowers, and if only I could crack the bridal market in this town I have lots of pink baby's breath just waiting for a great aunt's fascinator, or flower girls posies. Rupert and Jonathon have developed a deep bond. Jonathon loves rubbing noses with Rupert and they play Rupert's favourite game 'Poodle of the Serengeti', as Jonathon plays 'Guinea pig all alone in the bush gambolling whilst poodle of the Serengeti is on the loose'. I could watch them for hours until I'm shaken from my reverie by small children riding over my toes with surprisingly heavy plastic trikes.

5am Starts on only One cup of Coffee

Doug was in the garden today at 5am, like Farmer Macgregor planting out his beans. We're on water restrictions at the mo' so we can only water the garden every second day, with hand held hoses. Doug has been experimenting with recycled water from the washing machine. It takes about 80 litres to wash a load, and if we could turn it around and put that on the garden, it would make a tremendous saving over time.