This morning Stephanie, granddaughter Charly and I went to Derwent Estate Vineyard to pick some of the gleanings from the grape harvest. The morning could not have been more idyllic - brilliant sunshine with the vineyard resplendent with the leaves of the grapevines changing with the onset of autumn. As we picked the riesling, pinot … Continue reading Grape Picking in the Valley in Autumn

That's Tom of course, the ex-feral, who literally has come in from the cold.  He knows that there's a winter chill in the air and has swapped the outdoors that he generally favours for a snuggle into his bean bag in front of the fire. Good choice Tom.

What a great time was had at the Derwent Valley Autumn Festival! There's lots of preparation beforehand for all the stallholders of course. Early one morning last week Stephanie and I went to pick grapes at Derwent Valley Estate - these went into her pinot paste and jelly and riesling grapes into a wonderful raspberry … Continue reading Derwent Valley Autumn Festival

For those who requested the recipes from the ABC segment last Saturday:  Vicki's Chocolate Birthday Cake, Jennifer's Empire Puffs, Colleen's Dutch Honey Cake and a recipe of mine for a delicious stuffing for chicken. Vicki’s Chocolate Birthday Cake A recipe belonging to Vicki’s grandmother. Apparently, the birthday boy or girl would get a circle cut … Continue reading Recipe from ABC segment last Saturday

Well, that's the end of the gardening for today, rain - just when I was feeling so virtuous. I did learn a thing or two though while I was weeding the blackcurrants. Mother hen (Millie) brought her brood over to see what I was doing. She always follows me when I'm digging, hoping that I … Continue reading Gardening – down came the rain

Now much has been said when I've been on ABC radio about the virtues of nettles. Well, I finally was able to get to weeding the vegetable patch this morning and hidden in the depths was a pretty fine crop of nettles. This is what they did to my arm. So if you see nettle … Continue reading Grasp the Nettle?

Harsh life here on the farm this morning, not. It was absolutely idyllic with the mist hanging on the hillsides. A short walk across the paddocks was like watching a mini play in motion. Truffles the kitten who loves to chase the chickens, was attacked by mother hen, which she throughly deserved, and ran for … Continue reading Autumn morning

Yes, that’s me I have to admit. Trouble is that there’s been so much else to do, in the kitchen primarily – so much preserving. It’s all I can do to get to mow the grass lately. Finally today I was able to make the time to plant out a punnet of red cabbage seedlings … Continue reading The Neglectful Gardener

Some of today's pickings, reflecting the beautiful colours of autumn. There's riesling and pinot noir grapes from a nearby vineyard, cumquats from a kindly hairdresser's garden, hops from Stephanie's neighbour's vine and of course, of course - yet more tomatoes from our garden. Should be a good day for preserving tomorrow. No-one could say our … Continue reading Today’s pickings ……

One of the by-products from all the juicing yesterday was, of course, the pulp. Son-in-law Nat here shows a new version of 'apple cake'. Quite a bit of the pulp (a ute-full) served as dinner for some friends' pigs. Today the last barrowful is being visited by hundreds of bees and bumble bees. I would … Continue reading Of apple cake and bees