figs . feijoas . frugal kitchens
The fig is an old, old tree, there was probably some kind of fig on earth in the time of the dinosaurs. ❤️ Throw in a couple of feijoas and my Melbourne garden goes next level!
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I have two gardens, in two different countries, on two different continents and two different hemispheres. I plant the majority of my carbon sink trees in Illinois but choosing a tree for a tiny yard in Melbourne is high value. There is so much to consider. Space. Soil. Food. Climate.
We have talked about my split gardening personality before. But it certainly helps with writing this newsletter because 65% of my readers are in the USA and the majority of the others are in Australia and New Zealand. So I have a split readership too. What side of the world are you on?
This week the night temperatures are almost the same in both Illinois and Melbourne.
Sunbury, Melbourne, Australia.
Kempton, Illinois, USA
Kempton, Illinois, has an elevation of approximately 732 feet (223 meters) above sea level. In contrast, Sunbury, Melbourne, has an average elevation of about 275 meters, (902 feet).
But where is the sea.
Kempton, Illinois, is approximately 770 miles (1,240 km) from the closest shore on the Gulf of Mexico while Sunbury, Melbourne, is about 43 miles (70 km) from the ocean coastline at Port Phillip Bay.
So. Yup. I am closer to the sea here in Melbourne.
And though it feels landlocked I am calmer knowing I can get to the sea.
Look out your front windows and through the garden and across the road. Where I grew up on Westshore beach in New Zealand - that was high tide. Your neighbours fence. There were no buildings in between high tide and my childhood home. The sea was in our windows. From a baby until I was 16 I lived on that beach. That year when I was sixteen, I went to Illinois for my senior year of high school.
I have been in and out of America ever since. Almost 50 years of visiting on and off but eventually living there for the last twenty years. Things are different now. I have never before felt apprehensive about flying into the US before. But I will be flying back for a farm visit and stay for harvest in July. Lets hope things have calmed down at the border by then.
The Kitchens Garden
I found a well priced Feijoa and a little Fig tree on sale. Both are on my list for the edible garden. We have talked about feijoas before.
But I am excited about the fig. A fig grows fast, delights in a good winter prune, will develop a natural canopy to hide an ugly corner, big leaves to contribute to clean air and will begin to fruit in its second year. Plus this is an old, old tree, there was probably some kind of fig on earth in the time of the dinosaurs. It can live from 30 - 50 years so will quickly contribute to our carbon co-pay.
Fig trees are self pollinating and can grow from cuttings. They will fruit from new and old wood so you can keep that in mind when you’re pruning. In the first year keep the fig tree watered probably every three or four days so you encourage nice deep roots.
They grow on USDA hardiness zones 7-10 so I won’t be growing these in Illinois! But there is a big fig in the neighbours yard here is Melbourne so I know they will do well here.
Next I want Tamarillo bushes. We used to grow those in New Zealand when I was a kid. Super tasty and my Mum swore they cured headaches.
Granny Nanny News
Daughter is 33 weeks pregnant this week. She has three more weeks of work to go. Then four weeks to rest up before baby.
We have a rhythm in the house that enables her to get enough rest and me lots of time to write to you.
Pregnant or not she is paying off a house on one income. And doing it well. But we are frugal. We share expenses (thank you to my paid subscribers for keeping me fed - I promise I don’t eat much) and having solar power means we don’t have to scrimp on cooling or heat or cooking. All the greens are grown in the garden. We buy our proteins in bulk and portion into the freezer. I haunt the local garden center for bargains. Most of the baby stuff is donated from friends.
We have worms and a compost pile so anything we do not eat, is broken down by eager bacterias and turned back into the soil to grow more food to eat.
Yesterday we drove to a nearby town that has the best pies around. Meat pies. These are frozen into reused ziplock bags for easy dinners. Because we spent over 80 dollars at the bakery they gave us a free loaf of bread which I sliced up and froze so I can pull out a couple of slices for toast or breadcrumbs when I need them.
Buying in bulk works.
Which all leads me to:
The Frugal Kitchen
Todays tip for a frugal kitchen is actually two important tips actually maybe three.
👨🍳Cook what is in your fridge first! Cook it all. Sustainability and elegant frugal living is all about reducing waste.
👩🍳Cook with an eye to leftovers for lunch.
🧑🍳Box the lunches of leftovers at dinner time. So they are all ready to go the next morning.
Keep your pantry stocked with the basics. Shop the sales. Yesterday when we were in Pie Town we went to the butchers there. It was a huge refrigerated room of locally grown meat - so cold they even had jackets hanging inside the door to slip on if you liked!
Though Daughter craves meat, I crave vegetables.
Spanakopita is excellent for using lots of greens from your garden before they get too big.
My spanakopita was inspired by Sohla.
When I ate spanakopita in Greece (under an enormous fig tree in a tiny cafe on an island we reached by cadging a ride on a fishing boat) they were made into small rolls. This recipe makes a pie that we can cut and portion. And looks so festive.
Much quicker for dinner.
I picked a huge bowl full of green leaves from my garden (Sohla recommends eight cups) and I added a big bag of spinach from the vege shop down the road. (My spinach is still too little for picking but the silverbeet is streaking ahead so I picked that).
When I work with cooked greens, I wash, lightly chop, and pile all the greens into the top half of a steamer.
Then I pour over a full kettle of boiling water. The boiling water immediately wilts the greens and is collected in the bottom half of the steamer pot. Pop the lid on and let the greens steam a while. Then take the lid off and allow to strain and cool. Once cooled, wrap the cooked greens in a tea towel and squeeze dry.
Once cool, add an egg. Massage the egg through the cooked greens.
Then toss in 200 g crumbled feta, garlic, lots of pepper and a whisper of nutmeg.
Taste the mixture before salting. The feta I used was salty enough.
Line the greased 10 inch pie dish with eight buttered Phyllo pastry sheets. Add mixture. Press down. Top with four more buttered phyllo sheets.
This pie is just as good cold in tomorrow’s lunch boxes.
With the left over pastry I will make little galettes with canned apricots and custard.
I have run out of breakfast cookies. And extra muesli. So those are on the list for today.
I find these cookies are crunchier with white sugar. So amend the recipe on the notes above to suit yourself.
Find local oats if you can. If you find them around Melbourne let me know.
Nice News
It is OK to give yourself a little time out from the frantic life we lead especially if you are involved in the Hands Off marches. Take a little break. Recharge. You are not alone. There are many, many of us who wish they could be out there with you but simply cannot.
🐞 Watch the owls. This is a lovely feed. Most of the time nothing at all exciting happens. Parenthood is like that!
Listen to an audiobook.
🐞Later today I will record another few chapters of The Blue Castle. So watch your inbox for that.
🐞 Amanda from Earth Hope tells us that California is the world’s fifth largest economy and so the impact of solar on the use of natural gas has been significant. In fact electricity generation from natural gas dropped by 25 percent in California in 2024, compared to the year before, according to Stanford University’s Mark Jacobson, as interviewed by PV Magazine.
That is indeed good news.
Solar power is now the cheapest energy on the planet. Though getting solar into your home will depend on local legislation and whether your government supports climate initiatives and your environment. I know that some banks give zero interest loans for solar.
So, what side of the world are you reading from? Don’t be shy. Tell us some good news from your place.
Leave a comment!
Take care and Talk soon.
Celi
How ever you choose to subscribe - my paid subscription is US$5 a month - I am grateful to have you along. Leave a LIKE or a comment. I love to hear from you.
I am here - reading in your yesterday - in Kingston, Ontario CANADA - on the shore of Lake Ontario. We have moved again Celi. Within the same building BUT all of our windows look out over the expanse of the lake. From my bed I look out onto the far flicker of a lighthouse on Simcoe Island (about 8 km away) and ever so faintly the lighthouse on Other Duck Island about 35 km away. I feel so much better with nature as my window view. In the mornings I now listen to the Robins and Sparrows singing the sun up. I am loving seeing your new garden take shape. And learning the new plants you have there. You are thriving in spite of the changes. I can feel you are gaining a foothold there. Sending love from the North.
I have some redmtamarillo seeds if you can't find a tree. Let me know, I'll be happy to send you some.