Herb puree frozen into cubes keeps well into winter.
Herbilicious ice cubes
I love cilantro, so much that I planted WAY too much of it this summer. I couldn’t wait to cook with fresh cilantro again! Mmm, mango chutney, sweet potato soup, any number of Indian dishes.
However, this full crop was far more than one person could possibly manage before it became a much dreaded additive to every meal. So here’s what I did – and by the way I stole this idea, most of my good ideas are borrowed – I took big handfuls of cilantro and threw them in the blender with just enough water to emulsify it to make a puree, then poured them into ice cube trays and popped those puppies into the freezer. Presto, you have a flavour punch ready for stir-fry, soup, or whatever, all year ‘round.
Slugs dying a happy death in Pamela’s garden.
Beer-dead slugs
Slugs, earwigs and other unhelpful creepy crawlies were taking over my garden. They have been lunching on my spinach, herbs and greens for weeks, until I remembered a most helpful gardening technique: feed them beer. Who doesn’t want a beer one on a hot day while hanging out in the garden? Well, this is how you make a beerdead slug:
- Have a BBQ; invite a couple of friends who bring good beer, and others who bring beer that is barely drinkable.
- Take barely drinkable beer and pour it into a shallow dish (pie plates work well) and leave the dishes under plants, and in infested areas.
- Be prepared to find a dishful of dead, smiling slugs and earwigs within a few days. They go happily and your greens will be equally happy without infestation.
I find I might need to re-fill the pan once, so essentially two treatments per summer.
Happy gardening everyone!
Pamela Johnson lives in Sydney. She recently came up with a Facebook group called “The Urban Food Propagandist.” She writes, “I came up with this so I can share the fruits of my backyard farming with my friends. I was inspired after dropping by a friend’s house yesterday and seeing all of the great things in their garden and thinking, “Hey, I want some of that stuff!”. Well, let’s trade people. If you are backyard farming here in Sydney, and you have more than enough for you and your family, let’s share.”
You can find the group on Facebook, and ask to be added. Here is the link: #/groups/331032030323462/
The other Frugal Friday posts on this blog:
- Leah on overcoming impulse buying.
- Brian Dean on Thrift.
- Alicia Lake on eating locally, for cheap
- Erika Shea on savings websites.
- Erika Shea on banking fees.
- Angela Mercer-Penny on how to make milk paint.
- Kate Oland on Frugal Friday at the Baddeck Library
- Erika Shea replies to reader comments
- Erika Shea on Do It Yourself sushi
