Summer Sensations

 

Summer Herbs

Three different types of basil

I only use the last one pictured, the smaller leaf basil when cooking

They all have a slightly different taste

I use basil in most summer dishes along with

Mint  and 

Parsley

Those are the taste of summer.  A refreshing taste combo for

Stuffed tomatoes

Anything with zuchhini and aubergines

Just about anything with tomatoes

Stewed green beans

Okra

And in meatballs and bifteki.  Bifteki is the greek hamburger on every taverna menu along with fried potatoes.  They are a favourite of mine along with most of the family.

Ks meatballs are more popular though.  He puts lots of mint and parsley.  No basil

20 years ago basil was not used in cooking.  It became popular when Greek cuisine branched out and Italian sauces started being used with pasta.

My very traditional Greek m-in-law would never have used basil to cook so neither does her very traditional Greek son.

She always had a pot or two in her yard.  Basil was supposed to, still is thought to, repel mosquitoes and flies.  I disagree.  Neither does lavender.  Nice to smell, they all let out a delightful aroma when given a shake, but mosquitoes just hold their noses and fly straight through to the target.  Someone's bare flesh.  Not often mine.  Ks neck or arms are more likely to be their destination.  Zoom in, probiscis sharpened and in stabbing mode.

Oregano and thyme are used a lot but more for heavier dishes, meat and fish.

Basil does NOT go into a greek salad, not a traditional one.  And neither does lettuce

Karpouzi

Watermelon time

We buy the minis, about the size of a basketball

They haven't been very flavourful but delightfully refreshing when cold

I cut them up into chunks ready for eating

The rind is cut into small pieces. I don't have a compost bin at the moment but put them round the trunk of the grapevine. So far they've been devoured by some nocturnal animal. A weasel or stoat maybe. Or a rat

March Pruning

 Pruning time.  Our gardener finally found some time to clean up the vines and roses.  Poppi has been doing this job for 4 or 5 years now and she does a damn good job.  Her arms are strong from rowing and she wields the secateurs with confidence.

This year K told her to cut the grapevine right back.  There was a lot of old wood.  Never mind the long vines whipping around in the wind. She sheared it right back almost to the thick main stem, collected all the cuttings and piled them up in the back yard for K to use on his BBQ.

Look at those nasturtiums.  They have taken over my front yard this year.  Some of the leaves are as big as dinner plates.  They would have smothered any other plants in the garden but I hadn't really planted a winter garden this year. All I had was a few cauliflowers and lettuces in pots.  And one stunted kohlrabi.

One reason for severe pruning is to stop the grapevine later from growing out onto next door neighbours driveway.

She cut the roses well down too. They were reaching for the power lines. 

I bet in a couple of months time they'll all have turned into veritable bushes. It's difficult to over-prune grapevines or roses . Or olive trees. 

Nasturtiums, lemons and no rubbish in my front garden

Maybe I should rename this blog. Lately it seems to be...

'The Life of Poppi'