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We get quite a bit of fog and mists here at Struan Farm, especially from our house looking down to the river and across to the hills.
I know, at times I can get a bit carried away trying to share the air of moodiness and mystery that envelops us!
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Events of the past long holiday Easter weekend here at Struan Farm may result in another "fifteen minutes of fame" for me, just when I thought I'd done my dash and was fading into the shadows. John is joking that I can now write my memoir, "From Manhattan Beach to Choice TV."
About a week ago I got a call from a producer of the Choice TV show "Kai Safari," saying that they were coming to the Waitomo/Piopio area and wanted to come to film here at Struan Farm. They were interested in our figs and feijoas, and I told them about the kahikatea berries I'd been experimenting with for jam. We agreed they'd appear the morning of Easter Sunday with the hosts and crew. Later in the conversation it became clear that I was meant to cook something. Of course we also had twelve farmstay guests here over the weekend, not much on!
The weather forecast for the day was pouring down rain. Fortunately that didn't happen. John announced he did not want to feature AT ALL so I was put on the spot. A drone was sent up to get some aerial shots of the farm's landscape. Co-host Sonia and I picked figs from one of our heirloom "Huia" fig trees, also kahikatea berries (koroi). No one had known kahikatea berries are edible, so it was good to be able to spread the word about that. Friends Lizzie and Ripeka were driven into Piopio and the Community Fruit & Veg Stand for a brief chat about Piopio before returning so that I could make a fig, apple and feijoa shortcake. It was the first time I'd combined all three fruits in one cake, but producer Pete directed me to do so and he made a good choice as it turned out (he's a chef and clearly knows what he's doing!). The day wrapped with afternoon tea around the dining room table.
The next morning they went off to see Melanie at The Fat Pigeon Cafe and Night Owl restaurant. The cafe was so busy that they moved filming over to the restaurant, a quieter and better spot. Mel was presented with a wild hare shot a few days ago on a nearby Hangatiki property owned by a fellow named "Jazz" and his family. She ended up creating an amazing "Hare and Pear Salad," marinating the meat in a blackberry vinaigrette before searing it and slicing thinly, serving it with freshly foraged watercress, walnuts candied in Piopio Gold honey, and kahikatea berries. Mel hadn't known about kahikatea berries either, so I feel like I've done my bit on behalf of kahikateas. After Mel's segment was finished filming everyone involved gathered around a big table at the Night Owl for a "hakari" or feast to celebrate. My shortcake featured for dessert. Co-host Russell composed and played a song on his guitar to commemorate the occasion.
They'll let us know when the show is scheduled to air. Who knows what bits will make the show or end up on the cutting room floor, but t was a fun experience either way! Piopio: Where It All Happens.
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I'm taking a brief break from blogging for a few days. With a busy long holiday Easter weekend at Struan Farm followed by my birthday, wedding anniversary and ANZAC Day this week it's all a bit much, even for me! Back on deck with updates soon.
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Don't laugh! This is what I've gotten myself into over the long holiday weekend, in addition to several farmstay bookings. It involves making kahikatea jam and a NZ television show called "Kai Safari." Details to follow, but suffice it to say there's a whole lotta de-seeding of koroi going on here at Struan Farm at the moment..
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As widely publicised, it's been a difficult season for Monarch Butterflies throughout New Zealand, the same here at Struan Farm. We've had lots of dead caterpillars on swan plants in the gardens, killed by beetles or from other causes. Chrysalises and caterpillars are still around, so I'm hoping they'll make it through to butterflies before the weather turns much colder.
Given this state of affairs I was very happy to see a recently emerged butterfly working out its wings on one of the swan plants. After they pull themselves out of the chrysalis they unfurl their wings gradually and dry them by flapping slowly to get them working before flight. This one's left wing still looks a bit unfurled, here's hoping it isn't defective.
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This year it's been interesting to see the second heirloom "Huia Fig" tree grown from a cutting at Struan Farm flourish and fruit. Many years ago now John and I got permission from our neighbour to walk down and across the Mangaotaki River to the old Huia homestead site on their property to take cuttings from the old fig tree. While the house is long gone, the fig tree grows and fruits, still. We figured it has acclimated to our immediate climate, and that any trees grown from cuttings should thrive. And guess what? They have.
The larger of the two trees is now on the edge of the Old Orchard and Pet Paddocks, while the second has been moved around a few times but has a final resting place out beyond the two tawa groves near our house, on the point looking south. While this area does get a bit of wind, it also gets good sunlight, and this little tree has settled in for the long haul. In fact this season (to date) I've harvested more ripe figs from it than its more established larger sister down below. Perhaps because it's closer to the river and its mother tree, who knows?
We like having this living connection with the family too. "Young Tom" Huia and his family lived in the Cottage when he worked for John's dad Maurie. Not too long ago Tom's wife Beryl and his daughter Glenys returned for a stay at the Cottage. Of course Glenys returned home with a cutting from the fig.
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Last week I was talking with John about how all of our fruits used to come in thin wooden baskets when I was growing up, at least those purchased directly from growers at farm stands. There were pint or quart baskets for berries, and "bushel" and "peck" baskets for other fruits like apples and peaches. Did you have them too?
It turns out that a "bushel" and a "peck" are dry volume measures of quarts under the Imperial system. The former is 32 quarts while the latter is 8.
But mostly I was wondering if the wooden baskets might reappear given the current backlash against plastic, or were still out there being used somewhere. I suspect Martha Stewart will have some in her collection, that would be her. They were attractive and useful. In looking into this I came across a company in (where else but) Texas that still makes them! Read about them here. And I was able to order one of their shallow half bushel baskets from fishpond.co.nz.
Rather beautiful, isn't it? Hopefully these baskets will re-emerge into wider production and use. May what is old become new again!
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I'm trying to put as much of this year's apple and feijoa harvest to good use here at Struan Farm. While John and I aren't eating many desserts these days, every so often we do. So i've made a few apple and feijoa shortcakes for the freezer. It's also a reasonable treat to whip out if someone arrives unannounced for afternoon tea.
The recipe is really simple. 250 grams of softened butter is combined with 3/4 cup caster sugar, zest of one lemon, one tsp. of vanilla and one egg, and creamed until light and fluffy. To this is added 2 1/2 cups flour sifted with 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Mix to make a soft dough, 2/3 of which is then put into the bottom of a lined 20 cm pan. On top of the dough lay 1/2 cup sliced apple and 1/2 cup lightly mashed feijoa. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg, then crumble the remaining dough on top. The original recipes I've improvised from both said to bake the cake for 25-30 minutes at 180C, but I find it takes longer in my oven for the top to be a light golden brown.
The fantastic thing about this recipe is that you can use just about any fruit or jam as a filling. Slightly cooked rhubarb is good, with or without apples, figs too. Blackcurrant jam yummy.
As you might suspect, the cream was for John.
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It's rather hard to believe, but I'm beginning to think this season's walnut harvest at Struan Farm is bigger than last year's. Which is saying something! It's a one in thirty "mast" year for our native trees, with extraordinary levels of fruit, and it certainly has been a great year for plums, peaches and apples. So perhaps walnuts too.
Either way I'll be tested to get these shelled once they dry out for six weeks or so in the garage! We're up to 28 trays.
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Struan Farm's resident dog Clifford turns 16 this year, which is getting on in dog terms. We've given up on tying him up, and he's decided not to sleep in his house anymore, moving to our front doorstep. As it has started to turn cooler I've put his wool "blankie" down, but he's been moving onto the garden beside the house to curl up in the wood mulch, spraying that all over the concrete drive. He may be comfortable but it's not the best, caverns are forming in the garden.
So I decided it was time for Clifford to get a proper dog bed.
At first he wasn't so sure, but now he's loving it and isn't moving off!
Can I just say that all of us should have someone who looks after us well and loves us still when we're 112 years old? (That's translating dog years into people years...)
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I was helped in my efforts to get some apple crumbles made for the freezer this week here at Struan Farm by a rainy afternoon. It's hard to stay inside when the sun is shining, especially with the gardens calling out for some autumn clean up work. No hard choices needed to be made.
Eight crumbles down, hooray! The only issue is that Monty's Surprise apples are so large one crumble tin only uses two apples...So even with 16 large apples used there are still quite a few apples to be deployed or shared.
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It's been a great year in the orchards here at Struan Farm: plums, peaches, nectarines, blackcurrants, nashi, crabapples, some quince (finally), some hazelnuts (finally), walnuts, feijoas, figs (just happening), and of course apples. Citrus happens at another time of the year, I haven't forgotten about them.
This is my final harvest this season from our "Monty's Surprise" apple tree. John was up north for meetings a few days this week, so I had time to get out my extendable fruit picker to finish picking apples off the upper reaches of the tree, we've been plucking them off the lower branches for almost two months now. Monty's Surprise is a NZ variety, the skin of which has been established by overseas researchers to have anti-cancer benefits. The apples are also HUGE. The bigger ones above weighed over 500 grams (1.1 lbs.), with the largest from this picking 572 grams! (1.26 lbs.).
I've decided to take a break before making two more batches of "membrillo" (quince paste) to make apple crumbles for the freezer. I use Annabel Langbein's crumble topping recipe, which makes heaps and can be frozen for later use if you have leftovers. The only problem with apples this large is that it only takes two to make one crumble, so I have a feeling some of these apples may make their way to the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand, where they fly off the shelf.
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DIY, it's in our blood here in New Zealand. At least that what's Mitre 10, one of the major hardware chains, advertises. And we would agree with that here at Struan Farm, where we tend to improvise when required.
Take my new fig picker as an example:
The figs on two of our three trees at the farm are turning ripe at the moment, and I can't reach most if not all of them. A step-stool wasn't going to cut it. I started to think that maybe I needed a hollow pipe with a noose at the end to capture and cut off the figs, but John had a better idea with this tin can.
It works reasonably well, here's my first harvest:
And there's enough to make a batch of "Spiced Figs in Brandy," aka "Figs to Die For," hooray!
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We've been seeing heaps of "Little Blue" butterflies around the gardens this summer and autumn here at Struan Farm. They are also called "Common Blue," "Zizina otis labradus," and "Pepe Ao Uri."
I'm hoping some Monarch Butterflies will still come forth this season, but the caterpillars are having a hard time surviving attacks from beetles on the swan plants. We do have a few chrysalis around plus caterpillars, so here's hoping for survival of the fittest!
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The Black Coral zucchini started in our glasshouse here at Struan Farm many months ago now that we planted out in the Homestead's "Garden of Neglect" absolutely thrived this past summer. We had over sixty zucchinis from two plants, and I'm being conservative on that (for once). They got very little water once established, which tells you something, although they were somewhat shaded growing in this raised bed.
They are tired now, entirely spent, and want to go to the compost bin for a nap. They deserve it, it was a job well done and I thank them!
I will keep the pumpkin plant growing away at the back; it is fruiting and climbing up Hydrangea Hill. At least two decent pumpkins ripening so far. I'm not sure I grow pumpkins all that well but I keep trying...
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This past week Asplundh's fourth annual "Arbor Camp" was held here at Struan Farm. We love hosting this yearly event with arborists and arborists-in-training, the trees do too--they perk up visibly with the attention. Attendees are nominated by their respective offices around the country and come to camp out with colleagues to learn and improve their skills. They set up in the Pet Paddock but also camp out down at the river.
For our part we do our best to stay out of the way, although one night we host a BBQ at our house, including any farmstay guests who may be staying. John shares some family and tree history, especially his dad Maurie's love of special trees and lifelong efforts to plant both exotics and natives around the farm and in Piopio. It's pretty clear to all by what we're doing around the place that this acorn has not fallen far from the tree!
An overgrown cedar in the back of the Pet Paddock got an amazing clean up from one of the guys, which starts to improve this end of the Paddock:
Word had gotten around that I have an issue with stumps; basically I think they're a blight on the landscape, while John is happy to leave them to rot over the years. One of the team brought a stump grinder to tackle a few of them, which also allowed several attendees to get certified to use them. When we win Lotto John may find himself with a stump grinder, I see them as very useful around the place!
It's a good few days here at Struan Farm.
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Some afternoons we just take time to enjoy the view here at Struan Farm. Of the green hills, the late afternoon light, and yes, the sheep!
We know we're lucky to be here.
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Long time readers of this blog will know I'm a fan of quince. The two trees we've planted in our orchard here at Struan Farm are just starting to fruit properly after many years (6), so I'm optimistic we'll harvest a reasonable quantity of the fruit in years to come. In the meantime I manage to get some fruit from friends and the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand.
A box of nice looking quince was left at the stand a week or so ago. Some of the fruit was taken but not much. I eventually decided it was coming home with me to be put to use, with some if not all of the byproducts recycled back to the stand. You see, I'm on a mission to demystify quince. People just don't know what to do with them, especially since they cannot be eaten raw. Quince fall into the "too hard basket" when they shouldn't be there at all.
And so I made quince jam, quince jelly, and "membrillo," or quince paste.
I used the "membrillo" recipe from "The Modern Preserver," but this one is quite similar. I used a lined, greased bread tin this time, but you can also use ramekins, jars, whatever you'd like. Once slow baked I cut the paste into slices, wrapped them in baking paper tied with string, and put them out in the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand for people to sample.
I will say that if everyone just tried Nigel Slater's Roast Quince recipe my mission would be done and dusted! It's extraordinarily delicious.
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Yesterday afternoon I went out to the Pet Paddock here at Struan Farm to resume gathering this year's walnut harvest, following a rainy Monday. I quickly realised that my peaceful walking meditation was out the window, it was "head down, bum up" as they say.
I quickly filled my trug, had to improvise with a reusable shopping bag from the car to get the job done. At least for today. Asplundh's annual Arbor Camp starts in the Pet Paddock this afternoon, and John was out there with his mower tidying things up. He's been known to crunch over a few walnuts despite protests from the resident nut gatherer, so it was best to get as many nuts out of harm's way as possible before the Mad Mower got carried away. Six trays have been added to what is already drying for six weeks in the garage.
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We can put this one firmly in the category of "hope springs eternal" here at Struan Farm. But then we did finally harvest some hazelnuts this year, and I'm still optimistic about the almonds. So why shouldn't I be about pomegranates as well?
The pomegranate bush I planted several years ago now in the backyard against the house is thriving and in flower right now. More so than I've ever seen it do: five flowers! I did have a wee chat with it before this happened, telling it I would love to see some fruit some day but it was still a beautiful shrub even if that never happened. Maybe it was encouraged by my encouragement, who knows?
The last time it flowered Clifford barrelled through on some important dog-ly mission and knocked the flowers off the bush. He's not doing very much barrelling these days, so hopefully the flowers have more of a chance than heretofore. I'll report back if anything happens. Yes, I know these are a fruit that grows in a mediterranean climate, and Piopio is far from that. But it's in a very protected spot, so maybe?
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