SPICE OF LIFE
IAM OFFICIALLY GIVING UP trying to grow vegetables. My raised bed has been handed over to The Landscaper and hopefully whatever he chooses to grow (can you grow beer and potato chips in a raised bed?) will be a roaring success.
But just to prove I’m not a complete failure, I’m going try growing some spices. There are two reasons for this.
One is that I have reasonable success with certain herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary) so I’d like to build on that and redeem myself a little.
The other is that after a holiday in the South Island I came back two kilos heavier, and I’m not talking about my weight of my cabin baggage. This has highlighted the need for a new eating plan, and I’ve been inspired by the salads sold at one of our local cafes. They contain ingredients which I would formerly have deemed inedible, but the spicy flavours do a splendid job of disguising whatever the raw vegetables are. Yes, even what I suspect might be Brussel’s sprouts.
Obviously I can buy whatever spices I need but growing my own should be much more interesting.
CARAWAY
I am a big fan of bread, but since the two kilos arrived I’ve decided to swap to glutenfree for a while, which will necessitate The Landscaper, a baker and pastry chef in a former life, taking on the role of breadmaker. Yes, I know you can buy gluten-free bread, but I have yet to find a loaf that bears any resemblance to what I know as bread.
I used to by bread from a cafe in Dunedin in the 1980s which was made with caraway, and I loved it, so I’m hoping the addition of this spice to our gluten-free bread recipe will stop it from tasting like ground cardboard. In medieval times it was believed that feeding your lover caraway seeds would keep him or her from straying. Less romantically, its medicinal uses were to relieve flatulence, indigestion, colic and sore throats — all of which would, presumably, make straying less of a possibility.
You can sow carraway seeds directly into the garden in spring and early summer and the plants will flower and seed every second year. But if you plant in autumn, they’ll flower the same summer and you can collect the seeds in autumn. I like that.
Harvest the seed heads before the first seeds fall. Put the cut heads heads upside down in a paper bag and hang it in a warm, airy place until the seeds drop out. Then you can store them in an airtight jar in the kitchen.
You can also harvest the roots, which apparently taste a bit like parsnip. I read that Julius Caesar mixed caraway root with milk to make bread, so I’m sure The Landscaper can do it too.
CUMIN
Cumin is a relation of parsley and I’m quite good at parsley, so this should be a winner. Like caraway, cumin is said to deal to flatulence and colic, but it’s also noted for increasing your appetite. Oh dear.
However, the truly wonderful thing about growing cumin is this: the Greek philosopher Theophrastus advised those who wanted to grow cumin would need regularly to curse and slander it if they want it to be healthy and prolific.
Plant it in a sunny spot in well-drained soil, or in pots. Keep it well watered and be prepared to cover it on cold nights.
If you swear at it enough it should produce flowers in midsummer, followed by seedpods. You can harvest the seeds once the pods turn brown. If they crack when you press them, they’re ready. Let the pods dry and rub them to release the seeds. Make sure the seeds are thoroughly dry before you store in an airtight container.
TURMERIC
I’m not sure whether turmeric is better known for making your food taste fabulous, reducing inflammation or leaving yellow stains on your favourite T-shirt and your benchtop. Whichever, I’m going to try it because it should grow quite well outside in our warm climate. If you live somewhere cool, try it in a pot in a warm, sunny spot.
You can buy plants from some nurseries, or make your own from the fresh rhizomes you can buy from Indian stories, markets and even some supermarkets. Leave these in a warm, dry place out of direct sun until shoots appear. This can take several weeks. Press the roots shoot-side up into potting mix with compost added and put them in the warmest, sunniest spot you can find. Water them regularly except when they’re dormant over winter but don’t let them get soggy. Fertilise every couple of weeks.
Don’t get impatient and start digging them up after a couple of months — turmeric is anything but speedy and it might be 10 months before it’s ready. When it is, freeze the roots, and grate them from frozen as needed.
Black Spiral By Eileen Merriman, Penguin, $19.99 .. ..
.. .. .. .. .. The third and final book in this excellent Young Adult trilogy from Eileen Merriman. Violet Black is on the run with Johnno, having escaped the Foundation. Both are survivors of M-fever, which has left them with enhanced abilities — their intelligence is increased and they can hear others’ thoughts and can “shift” into animal forms. Violet is pregnant and the Foundation is desperate to get their hands on her and advance their plans to create a modified race. Violet and Johnno don’t know where to go, or who to trust. A gripping finale to this series and an author to watch out for.
— Ann Kilduff