It’s blackberry picking season here in Australia. I'm sharing tips for safe blackberry picking and an easy recipe for blackberry jam. A common response when I mention blackberry picking is “How do you know the plants haven’t been sprayed?” This concern is justified given that blackberry is an aggressive weed here in Australia and herbicides are used in its control. I share tips for reducing the risk of foraging from recently sprayed plants. Read more →

Zucchini are at their best right now. This versatile and prolific vegetable is a boom and bust vegetable. Prices have dropped and those of you growing it at home are likely to be searching for new ways to use zucchini. I share my favorite zucchini recipes and a recipe for zucchini bread and butter pickles. Read more →

Have you been tempted to make cheese, but haven't gotten around to buying the correct cultures or equipment? Thankfully there's a range of cheeses you can easily make with what you already have. One of my favourite is paneer cheese. All you need is full-cream milk, lemon or lime juice (or vinegar), and some muslin cloth (or an old thin cotton pillow slip or a well loved t-shirt). Paneer Cheese Recipe Pour around one litre of milk into a heavy based saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally, ensuring the milk doesn't burn. Once the milk reaches boiling point gradually add... Read more →

I’ve been guzzling Lemon Balm and Rosemary tea this week. I’ve had a rotten flu and apparently both Lemon Balm and Rosemary have antiviral properties. To make the tea I pick a few generous sprigs of Lemon Balm and a small sprig of Rosemary, add hot water, and brew for at least 10 minutes. I love being able to step out into the garden and pick herbs for nourishing homemade tea. Besides Lemon Balm and Rosemary, the only other ‘tea friendly’ herbs I’m growing at the moment are Mint and Lemon Grass, so I’ve decided to make a ‘wish list’... Read more →

Have you been taking advantage of the abundant tomatoes and zucchini at this time of year? Here's two of my favourite summer seasonal soup recipes from the archives: Fresh tomato and basil sunshine soup. Pea, potato & zucchini soup What is your favourite way to use tomatoes and zucchini? I was over at Childhood 101 yesterday writing about active learning through messy play. Read more →