Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Week in Pictures...

 
 
** The garden is a wonderful place to be: We had a slight reprieve from scorching summer temperatures this week (2 whole days!) so I got out into the vegie patch, did a bit of mulching, some pruning and picking. I am genuinely surprised by how well eggplants (aubergines) and potatoes survive persistent daytime temperatures of 40+ (degrees Celsius, obviously). They are faring better than the tomatoes, which are really beginning to look tired and forlorn.
 
** Also looking tired and forlorn is the patch of garden that is supposed to be our lawn. Once-upon-a-time it was beautifully green and lush, but that was during the La Nina years. These days a decent shower of rain is as scarce as hen's teeth, and the salinity of bore water tends not to do wonders for a garden in crisis. I think it's time we returned to the books and begin to look at other landscaping options for the patch of lawn that simply refuses to grow.
 
** I picked our first eggplant this week and am now looking forward to more as I want to try my hand at making aubergines in oil (my favourite way to eat eggplant). I have a fancy of it on toast with crumbled fetta for lunch one day in the coming week, so watch this space (that's assuming it works out, of course!).
 
Did you spend time in the garden this week?
 

7 comments:

  1. That eggplant is so big - yummy! I love cooking it on the bbq with some sweet potato and zuccini and putting in a rocket salad!
    I am not much of a gardener but hoping to start growing some herbs soon.

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    1. Wow, that salad sounds amazing! Next time it is cool enough for a BBQ I'm going to give it a try. Eggplant is so underrated, imho.
      Gardening is fun! If you give it a go don't be too disillusioned when things die. I'm discovering gardening is very much a trial-and-error process.
      ~S.

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  2. Are you talking about the Italian way of preserving the eggplants, strips in oil...? I do this with great results...I have posted how on my blog....it really is delicious...I mostly grow mine just for preserving....your first pick looks mighty fine...so nice to have a couple of coolish days, yesterday I spent in the garden too...

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    1. I most certainly do mean the Italian way of preserving griddled eggplant in oil. Ohmygosh, yum! I didn't even know this existed until my BFF's dad made us a meal of vegetarian hotdogs and put his homemade preserved eggplants on them.
      Did I say yum already?
      YUM.
      I'm going to check out your recipe. :)
      ~S.

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    2. Just saw yours, and read that you char grill them first...? sounds good...we do a different way, but thats the thing with Italians, they all do things differently depending on what region they come from...good thing is, they are all delicious!

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  3. Your eggplant looks wonderful! I spent the crazy hot day in the garden, trying to keep the new spinach seedlings alive with frequent sprayings. It worked, but only until my friends dog arrived. They were shredded in minutes! I'm so disappointed. I do hope you get your eggplant in oil dream, it's delicious.

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    1. You spent THE crazy hot day in the garden? Not even I'm that dedicated. My spinach died the first hot spell we had. If the temperature reaches 40+ (most days at the moment) then I cover the vegie patch in shade, give the plants a good water first thing in the morning, and then check them (somewhat sporadically) throughout the day. Normally it's only the zucchini that needs a pick-me-up.
      The rest of the garden (flowerbeds, lawn and what have you) is looking dreadful. They get watered regularly, but for plants that are supposed to be "hardy" they're being a bit soft, I reckon. Even the geraniums are struggling. What we need is a good, soaking rain...
      Yeah. I won't hold my breath.
      Stay cool!
      ~S.

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