WOODSTOCK PEACE GARDEN

[Michael Alexander]

Mmmh! At Spar we get "casuals" that work for us, they work blerrie hard, all over the place, always busy....... they work themselves into permanent positions..... and the ink is no sooner dry on their fixed employment letter.. and they become lazy, doing the minimal work.... what is wrong with the people?

[SandyB]

Still  feeling a bit  shabby   as  I had taken  him under wing  and   done as much as possible to  give skills as well ...   a kind of  hand up and not hand out ..  still would really like to know  what caused the unravelling ..   but then again  its  no longer my concern ,,  Mike  we have it at work ...  probation  period they work like trojans  and as  you say the ink barely dry and  the  laziness  sets in.... 

[SandyB]

Walked up this afternoon ... more  veg to harvest ,  truly having to find ways to use  it all ..  sliced courgettes  thin and flat last night  slightly salted and roasted ...  tonight into  a chicken dish aalong with patty pans and  spring onion .. the brocolli on its way now as well ...  the one red cabbage I have shredded tonight and  slowy    cooking in white wine vinegar sugar  and a bit of salt .. a sort of  homeblown saurkraut ..  its normally fermented .. 

[Bertie Horak]

Are you planning to plant any other winter veggies, or will you just be preparing the soil for spring and start serious planting then, Sandy?

[SandyB]

Winter veggies  of  course ...   its  so  simple ,   will go to Cape  seedlings in ottery  ,, see what they got for winter offering ,, do eenie meenie minie  mo and choose what will go in,, takes all the   guesswork out ... ... viola  winter veg ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[SandyB]

My  harvested  red cabbage  " saurkraut " is damm delicious  ... got a huge dish lurking in the fridge .... last night I got some  bratwurst from Raith deli ...   did them in the oven ... made a nice potato bake  layered with  sauteed  onion , and  sauteed shredded carrot ...  topped with mix of veg stock  a bit of  mustard and milk and   baked  till nice and golden on top ...   mustard on the side ,, what a delicious meal , plenty of left over  so the same  tonight ... MMmmmm ...

[Michael Alexander]

If I am not mistaken Raith Deli are the same folk from Hartliefs in WIndhoek..... Cape Town Branch was in the gardens centre...

Now bratwurst baked in the oven, I do not know.,...

[SandyB]

Yup  in a pan with a light  oiling  keep on turning the sossies  till they   slightly browned  on all sides ... mmm  almost like putting on the braai .. I  dont like the other way  and thats   lurking  in a dish of boiling water ...

[Michael Alexander]

The braai tends to add a nice smokey flavour to them though, however if the coals are to hot, they gonna pop....

My latest thing that the girls and I like to braai, is smoked pork belly...... braai em till the fat crackles... gonna do some on on the fire 2morrow afternoon in fact......

Slurp!!!!!!!! with a few draughts....

[SandyB]

Cherry ,,,  you got some  of harvest to collect ...  we have cut back the  courgette  plant a bit  it was looking shabby ,,, hope it gives a  last burst ,,, methinks  its nearing  the  end of its productive  time ... paties also slowing down , but the broccoli coming to the party now ,,  a good  3 or  4  heads forming ...   think I'm gonna  harvest another  artichoke tomorrow and see  ow it  disassemebles .   that will give  me a guideline  hopefully ... one or two . Okra now starting to  flower .. it  never stops ...

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Hey you!  Got an old mate from Botswana days coming to spend the weekend so won't be able to collect - lots of braai/sport plans this weekend with him and Koos Holl.  Will give you a bell.  xxx to you and Paul.

[SandyB]

ARTICHOKES  ARE BITCHES ....   MY HARVEST  OF ARTICHOKES  GOING ON ,, BEEN EXPERIMENTING ... OK  THE CONVENIENCE OF THE CANNED ARTICHOKE HEARTS   WONDERFUL ,, BUT  ME   PLAYING  WITH  DOING MY OWN .. FIRST HARVEST  SMALL SIZE ,, NOT MUCH   NICE STUFF  TO EAT , SO I LET THEM GROW BIGGER , IN THE MEANTIME DOING THE ODD SEARCH  ON THE WEB ...    LAST TWO I HARVESTED NICE AND  BIG ... GOT MORE  CHOKE AND  OK SOME BOTTOM FLESH .. DID SOME  MORE SERIOUS SEARCHING ...  WILL NOW  HARVEST YOUNGER AND SMALLER ..
THE ARTICHOKE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF  EATING  CRAYFISH OR  CRAB ,,, MESSY BUT REWARDING ...   DOWN TO  STRIPPING THE LEAVES  AS ONE EATS ONES WAY THROUGH ... REMOVING THE CHOKE AND THEN GETTING TO THE HEART ... GONNA  HARVEST SOME   SMALLER ONES //    WILL UPDATE .

[SandyB]

PS BROCCOLI  ALMOST READY FOR HARVESTING .... CHERRY   ARE YOU  LISTENING ??

[Bertie Horak]

Sandy, you can always dry some artichoke leaves for me, I use it to make a very nice liver tincture...   

[SandyB]

Bertie ,, read up on the  benefits of artichoke leaves as liver remedy ,,,,  currently any leaves that snap of we just toss onto the  ground as mulch ,,,   will dry some definitely ...