Breakfast in Germany on our way home, devine waffles.
Lunch in Singapore
Eggs Benedict Singapore style
We were very interested in the use of Carobs and carob processing in Malta, but we were unable to find carob used in menu's anywhere. The same with pommegranate, and prickly pears. We did however, find jams and liquers made of all of these fruits. Our favourites were the carob and almond liquers. We brought some home with us.
We came home at the end of summer expecting to find the landscape pretty dry, and our garden not too productive. Happily, we found green everywhere, the summer had been so wet, and mild, only one heat wave to speak of, and there was an abundance of fruit and vegetables. What a lovely home coming.
This was the bounty of one morning's picking. The village is providing figs, almonds, plums, peaches, and the largest harvest of beautiful apples I have ever seen in the village.
I decided to use for the first time a fantastic Fowler's Vacola kit that I bought from a friend, Chas Martin.
I was very excited to be able to use this fancy machine, and it came complete with original instructions.
It seemed to work beautifully, but time will tell, I hope the fruit and chutney is more successful than the dehydrated fruit and veg I tried last year. Unfortunately, many of the dried tomatoes went mouldy, wasting time, energy, and olive oil.
It gave me such a great feeling of satisfaction when I pulled these jars out of the tub. I felt somehow more secure, I just found it all very exciting.
I picked 6 kilograms of tomatoes from the garden - some were under ripe and some were eaten on one side, so I decided to try making tomato sauce for the first time ever. (I have never grown so many tomatoes in my life). I finally get to try my Willunga Lion's Auction purchase - the capping machine. It worked beautifully.
Enough tomato sauce for our needs, and enought to give away as gifts to people giving my son lifts to work experience!
The biggest jar of anchovies I could find!
We have been having lots of fun since our return, shopping for foods that we have not bought for 12 months. I have noticed how expensive food is, processed food that is. My son is so excited to have nutella in the house! I am allowing a honeymoon period in the household, while we re-adjust to life with anchovies.
I would like to return to a diet of predominantly local foods, with a few condiments and treats allowed. The reality for me is that it takes a lot of time and energy to buy local, and prepare it, and cook it. I have spent vast amounts of time in the kitchen and garden this past year. I would like to spend more time doing other things, to have more balance in my life. So I say goodbye to the strict 100 mile diet, and hello to a more relaxed, hybrid diet of mostly local foods. It feels okay to have this compromise, ultimately, it needs to be flexible enough to marry into a modern lifestyle, and convenient enough to allow me to persue other interests. My son I think for one is so relieved to be able to eat "normal" food again, and I am enjoying being able to take snacks like organic chocolate with us when we have spontaneous invites to other people's homes (instead of the usual almonds and olives). I am also enjoying shopping at the local food co-op again!
I have learnt so much about food, and my local area, and picked up so many skills of preserving and preparing foods. It has been an interesting and valuable experience, and there are certainly many foods that were staples, that I will not buy any more, now that I am aware where they come from.
There are many new things I have not tried, that I will go on to do, such as learning to fish, and learning to kill and prepare fowl. I would love to try smoking and salting fish/meat as well.
So this year I am determined to continue learning, grow more food, catch more food, and spend less time on my computer!
