Basil from the garden to make Pesto

Homemade Basil Pesto

This week I finally managed to pick some of my basil and made some pesto it

So So easy to make and taste so much better than shop brought

Also a great way of using up most green veg like

lettuce

Rockett

Broccoli

Parsley

kale,

chard

spinach

It does not take a lot

Basil

To make pesto all you need is

50g (2oz) fresh basil leaves or a mixuture of the above (I had a half empty bag of lettuce in the fridge so I chucked that in as well.
2 crushed garlic cloves
30ml (2tbsp) pine nuts (you could even use walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans)

100ml (4fl oz) virgin olive oil
50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground salt and black pepper
Put the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to blend. Slowly add oil through feed tube until it makes a nice paste.

Keep in the fridge for up to one week. Stir into hot cooked pasta or even  serve as a sauce with grilled fish or chicken.

But I also freeze mine and take it out when I need it.

Summer all year long 

 

Summer ?

Summer is certainly talking it time this year and of course the garden is being affected.

Everything is well behide and you feel yourself willing all your plants on.

But I thought I would share with you some of the successes so far.

The Cucumbers are doing well

Cucumber nearly ready to be picked 

Tomatoes the flowers on on the plants but no fruit as yet  

More tomatoes, give it another 4 weeks and I should have more tomatoes then I know what to do with 

Yellow peppers it you look closely you will see the start of a pepper   

Baby Sweetcorn these won't be ready for some time (these will get really big)

Runner beans trying there best to climb the poles except the wind keeps blowing them back down again 

Potatoes 

New Potatoes 

Lilies can't eat them but don't they look pretty 

Cherry Tomatoes and if you look closely we have some fruit (just need to go red) 

Pea 's and you can even see the pods some I'm guessing I should have some in the next week or so 

Tomatoes

• 

I’m growing four different types of tomatoes this year.
I Sow tomatoes about 1 cm deep into a seed trays in a propagator in my green house back in March but  you can Sow them from February - April.
Germination takes 8-11 days.

1st variety is

Tomato Big Boy

Reliable variety. The plants produce fruit weighing up to 250 grams.  Meaty flesh, great for cooking, grilling.

2nd variety is

Tomato Golden Sunrise

Tomato Golden Sunrise produces medium sized yellow fruits, which have excellent sweet taste with fleshy consistence. The golden yellow fruits add a lovely colour to your summer salads.

 

3rd variety is

Tomato San Marzano

San Marzano is considered by many to be the best sauce tomato in the world.

The fruit is thinner and more pointed than that of the Roma tomato.
The sweet flavour, meaty flesh and low seed density in the fruit make this an ideal variety for making tomato sauce.

4^th Variety

In the Hanging baskets

Tumbling Tom Red

 Tumbling Tom Red sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes throughout summer.

 

 

I planted all theses plants out last week when we had that really hot weather.

All I have to do now is water and Remove side shoots and wait for all my lovely tomatoes

 

Update on the Pea's

I think this is what I love about gardening  a few  weeks ago theses were tiny but now

The birds left them alone this time

not long now 

Lou's Great bargains

• 

  Bath

I've found a great offer for all you foodies, 

The Bath Prior has The Priory Restaurant which is truly a great restaurant.

The Executive Head Chef is Michael Caines MBE

Michael Caines MBE

It is fine food at it best with quality and locally produced food and great services, I have eaten there a number of times and it’s certainly not cheap.

But this offer is too good to be true it called there Spring lunch offer

Three courses from the Seasonal lunch menu for £25.00

The only draw back is it is only Monday to Thursday throughout May but I think I may be taking a day of work to enjoy a meal there at that price.

http://www.thebathpriory.co.uk/restaurant/ 

How’s the gardening coming along

How’s the gardening coming along

I planted theses 3 weeks ago when we had that lovely weather

Peas

I’m growing Pea Hurst Greenshaft Seeds

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Vegetables/Vegetable+Seeds/Pea+Hurst+Greenshaft+Seeds_192081.htm

The ones in the pot are doing really well

peas in the pots

But the ones I planted in the raised beds have been eaten by the birds, I birds love peas, I should have covered.

As you can see below all gone,nothing 

birds ate them all

Replanted today and 

So it may not look pretty but it's got to be done 

covered up

Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry

My Post of the 15 January 2012 gives the recipe for Green curry paste; I make the paste in bulk and freezes in Ice cube trays.

Last night a cooked up a really hot Thai Green curry it was lush so hot it may my lips tingle.

I used Two of my  Green curry paste ice cubes if you do have time I would suggest taking them out of the freezer and allowing them to defrost, I forgot to do this and so place straight into pan (it spat everywhere and made a right mess of my cooker, slightly dangerous  as well  )

You will also need

5 tbsp coconut cream
1 tsp fish sauce
180ml chicken or vegetable stock
180g chopped chicken, (I use chicken  but you could use -seafood, pork or tofu or even vegetables like baby corn.
100g peas (you are suppose to use pea aubergines , but I really don’t like them as they are so bitter also very hard to get hold of in England)
2  kaffir lime leaves, shredded (You may need to use dried as yet again very hard to get hold of fresh , I have my own kaffir lime leaf plant)
3 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
Handful of Thai basil leaves (if you have them not to worry if you have not as the homemade curry paste as a ton of basil in)
In a saucepan add  curry paste you decide on how much as it depends how hot you want it , I added two Cubes of my homemade curry paste as I wanted it hot
Mix, stirring continuously until aromatic – taste to see whether the spices are cooked.
Add coconut cream, and allow to come to the boil.
Add the fish sauce and sugar to taste, pour in the stock and bring back to the boil, then put in the meat or tofu, and the peas (or pea aubergines). Simmer until cooked through, then stir in the lime leaves, red chilli and basil leaves. Stir in a little more coconut cream if it's too spicy, and serve with jasmine rice.


Guilty secret time
I also love to cook up a few chips to eat with the curry as I love dipping the chips in the curry it’s so wrong but so right. 

Thai Green Curry