Gearing up for the next GFC...NOT!

Another GFC is apparently threatening. This time around food replaces financial. Global food supplies are on a knife’s edge according to some reports. So, before food security becomes a full blown issue I better start learning how to grow my own.

Honestly though, my intentions have less to do with the looming crisis but more about making the most of my idle garden plots.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve invested time tidying up my garden. I’m less interested in ornamental that’s why I went full blown edibles when deciding what to plant. I figured I can do more with a chilli plant than say geraniums. By the way, did you know that geranium is both a flower and a colour? I digress...

Here’s a snapshot of what I currently have:

Guava - I got a big surprise a couple of years ago to discover a guava tree happily growing in our backyard. Just goes to show that apart from the kitchen I venture very little to other parts of the property. We’ve harvested a decent amount of fruit from this solitary tree. None of them feature on any of my recipes as the rest of my tribe are not so fond of “cooked” guava.

Coriander – an essential to Asian cooking. Not so much in the Philippines but definitely in most parts of Asia. Great for curries.

Chillies – this is the long and thin variety Filipinos use to spice up a sinigang (Filipino hot & sour soup). Also works well as a “hot” addition to condiments.

Pechay (Bok Choy) – a very versatile Asian green perfect for soups and stir fries.

Mustasa (Mustard greens, leaf mustard, Gai Choy) – has got a distinct horseradish/mustard flavour. In the Philippines it is mainly added to soups. In other parts of Asia though, specifically Vietnam, it used as a salad wrap.

Eggplant – no fruit yet obviously. It’s the Lebanese variety. Best served grilled together with barbecued meats and seafood.

Flat leaf parsley – I prefer this to the curly variety. The flavour is more robust. I mainly use this with meatballs and roasts.

Mint – great for salads. Adds freshness to a dish.

Calamansi (Philippine Limes) – last but not the least my favourite citrus variety in the whole world. If you have been following this blog you’ll know I have been quite unsuccessful in growing this. I think my luck has changed as I am now able to mature the fruits. But at the current rate of 1-2 fruit/s per month I still need a lot of help.

I've also got basil and lemon grass and did manage to grow a pineapple. I'll be adding more in the next few weeks time and space permitting.

Calamansi Watch Update and Other Garden Stuff

It’s been almost a fortnight since the post about my calamansi.

I’m delighted to report that things are progressing really well. All the flowers have dried up to reveal tiny green balls which are the beginnings of the calamansi fruit.

I counted over a dozen of these teeny weenie orbs. I think that’s a pretty good yield. In fact, it’s an excellent yield for a foot-tall shrub. That’s 1+ fruit for every inch.

Just to prove to you that I’m not entirely useless in the garden I’m posting photos of other delights available in my front yard. Yup, they’re not in the back.

Kaffir Lime

What is it with citrus and me? I’ve never been able to make my Kaffir lime fruit, ever! Fortunately though, Kaffir is more prized for its leaves than its fruit. Thai curries and soups just would not be the same without this essential ingredient. It adds a layer of flavour and freshness to the taste that no other herb can provide. A packet of about half a dozen of these leaves can set you back at least AUD$3 (approximately P120). My Kaffir shrub is worth hundreds (if ever I decide to harvest all the leaves).

Lemongrass (Tanglad)

Look at how luscious they are. No thanks to my gardening skills but more to the fact that they are grass. They need less looking after than other plants. Tanglad is central to chicken binakol. And it is the secret to my clean, light and fresh tasting tinola.

Chillies

My chillies seem to thrive without much intervention. I have had capsicums, birds’ eye and other strains of chillies in my yard before. The only one I’m left with now is the siling haba variety which we use mainly for sinigang. This tiny plant also blesses us with leaves which we use for gulay na mais (corn soup), monggo guisado (mung bean soup) and tinola.



Different times of the year you’ll find mint, parsley and tomatoes in my garden. But in the height of summer it is a bit too hot for them to flourish.