Fishing with Bodge

We spent another afternoon with Ya and Bodge.
This time fish was on the menu.

Bodge has several large fish ponds, heavily stocked with a variety of fish.

 

Getting the net ready to strike.

 

With a quick swipe, the choice is made.

These were turned into a delicious curry by Ya,

 

that we ate on the deck overlooking another picturesque pond, listening to the frogs and birds, and enjoying the slight breeze that cooled the evening.

 

 

 

Fish in a tortilla

Steve (the fisherman in the family) has been away for a while, but now is back. So we have the net back in the water, and are catching fish once again.
Our favourite lunch is fish fillets in a fresh tortilla, and lots of diced red onions, tomatoes and lettuce from the garden.

Todays catch is a flounder.

The fish is doused in flour that has some pepper, salt and a little curry powder mixed with it, and is then grilled or fried for a few minutes.

The tortillas:
1 c flour ( I use spelt, but all purpose works too)
pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 dsp oil
1/3 c water (plus or minus depending on how dry the mix is)
Mix together and divide into 2 balls. Roll out each ball thinly- this makes each tortilla about the size of a dinner plate.
Cook a few minutes on each side and fill with fish, tomatoes, lettuce and onions.
Enjoy.

 

 

Abundance

There are days that I look at parts of the garden and feel a deep dissatisfaction. The lettuces aren't growing or the squash aren't producing. But in spite of these minor failings there is always an abundance of food to be harvested.
Plant enough variety and no matter what happens with the weather or pests there will always be something doing well.
Now that we have chooks we get our daily eggs. Today we picked up the 3 younger hens, so the 2 elderly chooks have company. I am still amazed to be able to go out every day to collect the eggs.

 

Then there is the surplus of fish we get daily from the river. We eat it sometimes several times a day fresh or smoked. Here are some of the fillets coming out of the smoker.

 

Down the river from us, at the mouth of the harbour, there is an oyster bank that covers several acres. We harvested a few sack loads a couple of days ago. Last night we made a big pot of oyster and fish gumbo to share with friends.

Early January we harvested the garlic. It was planted last April and had nothing much done to it since. It was a little over run with weeds, but still we got a good harvest.

 

 

Then onto the potato harvest. Potatoes that were planted in October when I was last here were ready for harvest. because I wasn't here to hill them up properly there were quite a few with green shoulders. Never mind, they can be seed potatoes for the next round of planting.

 

The tomatoes are producing regularly. Not huge amounts at once, but a constant supply for eating and making the odd batch of tomato sauce for pasta or a batch of tomato relish.

 

 As well as an abundance of veges we are starting to get an abundance of seed and dried beans and peas. Some of the dried beans will get eaten and some will be saved to plant next time.

 

 

And then there is the fruit. We have plum, oranges, apples and lemons being harvested now. And more than we will be able to eat or turn into preserves. No matter, the birds and chooks enjoy the surplus.

Next month the peaches and grapes will be ripening. Then come the figs.

As you can see we are not going to go hungry here. The land is rich with its produce, and we are thankful.

 

 

 

 

Mid summer seedlings

Now that we have the weeding under control and have established what made it and what didn't in our absence, I have the time to plant more seeds, and seedlings that will be ready to harvest in the latter part of the summer here.

 

 

I have started peas and beans, amaranth and pak choi,arugula, lettuce, summer squash and cucumbers.

If we have a nice warm summer with regular rainfall, the new plants should reach harvesting size over the next month or two. If that doesn't happen, we'll still get to harvest some of what I have started. It is always worth the effort.

 

It looks like we'll be harvesting grapes in a few weeks. The vines are laden and taking over their neighbours in the garden.

 

In the mean time we are eating plums, tomatoes, oranges and apples. The lemons are heavy on the tree and are getting great use on the daily harvest of fish we get from the river in front of our house.

 

Usually we don't get this many, but we are getting enough that we eat fish daily and get to smoke the surplus. Smoked fish on pasta-yummmm/