MELBOURNE WINTER FOOD

After a few days of Spring-like weather last week, Winter is back in Melbourne… So once again, we’ve moved back into the house and consume meals that are warming, hearty and flavoursome. And of course soups head the list, especially the ones that are a complete meal in the themselves, not just a first course. We enjoy this vegetarian soup often in Winter and tonight it will be just right!

Lentil and Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock

2 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

300g carrots, peeled, cut into 1cm pieces

200g turnips, peeled, cut into 1cm pieces

400g boiled lentils, rinsed, drained

100g can peeled tomatoes

2 tsp dried mustard

1/2 tsp ground mace

1 tsp curry powder

2 bay leaves

Chopped parboiled spinach, to serve

Method

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic, stirring, for 6 minutes or until soft. Add the carrots and turnips. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes.

Add the stock, increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the lentils and simmer for 10 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked and tender.

Divide the soup into serving bowls and top with parboiled spinach.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,

and also part of the Photo Sunday meme,

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'PURPLE KING' BEANS IN OUR GARDEN

Phaseolus vulgaris 'Purple King' beans produce bumper crops of straight, flat beans that are bright purple in colour, contrasting with the green leaves, making them easy to pick. They also have lovely pink flowers, This bean variety crops over an extended period and is a prolific producer of the best tasting beans. Cook lightly, otherwise the pods will turn the normal green in colour, hence its other name, "Magic Bean".

Direct sow the seeds 15cm apart in rows that are 45cm apart. Gently push the seed into the soil, cover lightly and water. Poor germination generally reflects over watering and rotting of seed. Beans are a nitrogen fixing crop. Sow in Spring to Summer in a well drained, full sun position. Make sure the soil is not too acidic by the addition of woodash, lime or dolomite. The beans are vigorous climbers so ensure that you give them adequate support. You will be rewarded accordingly!

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FRUIT CORNUCOPIA

We are lucky in Melbourne to have an abundance of fresh produce available year-round. The range of climates across the continent means that fresh fruit is available country-wide through the efforts of our commercial carriers. Large greengroceries and fruiterers shops exist in all shopping centres and healthy competition means the prices stay relatively low.

Here are some Sugarloaf Pineapples (Ananas comosus), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), mandarins (Citrus reticulata), and in the first photo you may even see some bananas (Musa × paradisiaca).

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Food Friday meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme.