Exploring the local markets

Now that we are living in a small town, we find ourselves buying food in the local markets and cooking for ourselves. In ChiangMai there were so many great restaurants to eat in we seldom ate at home.
I love wandering through the markets checking out the produce, and knowing that it is grown locally, and is all freshly picked, and to experience all the colours and smells.
These Thai sweets caught my eye

As did these coloured chickens. Not quite sure what they were all about or what was to become of them. But they sure were eye catching.

All is available from knives to fruit trees.

It is mango season. These are a few of the varieties available. Though we don't need to buy any! It seems like someone drops us off a bag every few days. Fortunately we love mangoes and there is no such thing as eating too many.

There are mountains of fresh herbs and spices to choose from.

 Lots of fresh meat and fish.

And don't forget the eggs.

In the process of cooking for ourselves, I have even started to plant a few edibles in our thin sliver of a garden.
The spring onions were easy. It was just a matter of buying a bunch(with the roots still attached), and planting what we didn't eat.

The chilis were much the same. Save a few seeds before eating them all, and planting them in a pot.

We won't be here to eat them ourselves, but Sook should appreciate them after we leave.

Moving house and garden

Last week in 40'C weather we moved house. for the last 25 years we have been based in ChiangMai, but we decided it was time for a change so we have moved about 50km west of ChiangMai to a small town called Chom Thong. Chom Thong sits at the foot of the highest mountain in Thailand called Doi Inthanon.
Doi Inthanon is actually the first height of land that is high enough to be called a mountain, in the range of mountains called the Himalayas. 
The gardening opportunities in our new location are limited to plants in pots except for a narrow garden either side of the entry way that the landlord has already planted with sapling shrubs.
Our garden in ChiangMai was based on pot plants. It was a sorry collection of plants that were strong enough to survive on long absences and benign neglect.

 

This collection of plants got loaded into the back of a pickup truck and made the hour long drive in the horrendous heat to their new home. They didn't do well with this treatment. I am hoping that the rains that seem to have started here will help repair some of the damage.

 

Here are the opportunities for gardening. A cemented area outside the sliding doors, with great mountain views, and a narrow strip to the side of the parking area.

 

We have already started to assemble the potted plants outside the sliding doors. It will make a great breakfast area. I can already see the possibilities.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

The rains have arrived

For the last few nights we have been getting rain, thunder and lightening. All very dramatic. As a consequence the days are cooler and fresher, and the city looks fresh and clean.
I am enjoying the numerous trees on the sides of the road that are in flower now.

 

The golden rain tree is especially graceful with its buttery yellow clusters of flowers dripping from its branches.

 

 

It is hard to miss the firey mass of red flowers adorning the flame tree.

 



 

For inside the house I have been buying bunches of alstroemerias and orchids.

 

Both are long lasting flowers in this heat. Though I think the orchids do especially well. I've had this bunch in the vase for 10 days now.

 

 

Back in Thailand

We're back in the land of smiles.
It is hot, and we are all looking forward to the rains arriving and cooling things down.
One of the first things we did was go and visit our friends Bodge and Ya and check out their garden. As always it looked fabulous.

 

There was lots of garlic drying under the eaves.

Along with the ripening squash and papaya.

 

 Lots of egg plant, cucumbers and lettuce on the go.

Ya washing up some vegetables from the garden. Some ended up coming home with us.

It is always wonderful to sit on the veranda, sipping cool drinks, and munching on dried and fresh fruit from the garden. Watching the bantam hens and rooster scratching around in the yard, and listening to the birds sing in the trees. It is hard to believe that Chiangmai is only a short drive down the road.

Chasing the sun

We are leaving New Zealand for the winter.
The chooks have gone back to their owners, who are back from their summer travels.
Today we dropped the worm farm off at my friend Debbies for the winter.
The vege garden has been stripped and covered in weed cloth.
The grapes have been pruned, and the garlic has been planted.

 

Covering the vege beds with weed mat is the best way I have found to get the vege beds through the winter without them being covered in weeds on my return.

I tried green manures, but we started returning so late in the spring that the green manures had already gone to seed and the weeds had crept in on our return.

It doesn't look pretty, but it seems to work.
There is still lots of fruit on the trees, but we shall leave it to the birds.
The figs and grapes are just finishing, and the late apples are doing fine.
A few days ago we had a big wind storm and the first of the feijoas blew off the trees, so I got my first taste of the season of those. The kiwi fruit are starting to ripen, as are the cherry guavas.
Always sad to leave, but business beckons.
We are off to Thailand for a month, then back to Canada where we can enjoy the spring and the beginning of a brand new season.

Chillies

Yesterday and today we are getting a lovely rain. Desperately needed, but for my vege garden a little late.
Though the chillies are ripening up a treat.
The Serrano chillies are not so hot, but they sure look great on the bush, and with their thin skins are easy to dry.

 

 These yellow ones I don't know what their name is. We call them the perennial chillies because they survive from year to year in this climate, which the others, while technically perennial in their native environment, aren't here.
I started 3 plants of the yellow chillies last summer, and this summer they are laden with these golf ball size chillies. There are probably over a hundred all together, and the bushes are producing more flowers.
The flesh provides a bit of bite, but the real heat is in the seeds.
Because they are thick skinned, I find throwing them whole into the freezer is the best way of storing them. To use, I chop the whole fruit up while it is frozen and toss them into the dish I am preparing.

 

I also have some habanero chillies on the go, but they have shown no signs of changing colour yet. they are grown in a pot, so when we leave here in a few weeks, I'll put them, pot and all, into the house, and hope they ripen and dry on the plant.