Kitchens and gardens...

 Kitchens and gardens, in my mind they always go together, the best food come fresh from the garden, sometimes via the stove straight onto a plate. I rember being in kindergarden when I made my first garden of my very own, and I have never stopped since. Even living in flats years ago I would have heaps of houseplants and pots of edibles on the window sill. No matter how hard I was working I always had fresh salad and vegetables growing for my boys and here is no different.

 I am so pleased with this garden, my view from my kitchen sink window is very similar to the top pic of me in the garden, I can cook and watch things grow- what a pleasure, then there is the beautiful wall Praveen built for me...many little joys. See here our first pawpaw starting to swell, all our seedlings are coming along so nicely...

 Everything was glowing in the crisp early morning light, I just had to share it with you.

 Been in the kitchen trying out new recipes. My latest favourite collection is The Essential Andhra Cookbook published by Penguin....
A friend from NZ Louise has been visiting and she is keen to try things that are new, so we found jackfruit in the market and decided to give it a go....sorry I had cut it up before I remembered to take a pic...so you will have to workout what it looks like from clues
1. what is a big as a foot ball?
2. has skin like a dinasuar's leg

 3. inside has large soft seeds
4. and a texture that somehow reminds you of eating flowers.....
you got it! A jackfruit.
Kind of bland, welcoming of flavours you add....seems a bit like an aubergine in character, most wonderful when well dressed.
I think you could substitute aubergine in this recipe if you can't get jackfruit.
Jackfriut Curry
recipe compliments of the cookbook, quirks and changes compliments of me...

-3 cardamon pods
-3 cloves
-1” cinnamon
• Fry in a little oil until smells good
-½ kg jackfruit peeled and diced 1” squares
• Add bit more oil and fry until starting to brown….it is hungry for oil like aubergines and more luscious for a generous amount
• Add
- 2 onions fine chop
• Pound these and add
-1 t ginger
-1 t garlic
-1 t poppy seeds [white if possible]
-1 t coconut [or a bit more for yum factor]
-1 t red chilli powder
-1 T coriander seed
- salt to taste
• Continue to sauté for a few minutes until all smells good
- ½ cup yoghurt
- bay leaf
- some water
• Add and stir through
• Put lid on and simmer until veg cooked
• Serve with
- generous handful of coriander sprinkled through.

This is the best chicken recipe I have tasted in a very long time- simply fabulous....do see if you can find the balck cardamon pods if not I would substitute half the amount of green cardamon pods. Seriously yum!!!
Kodi Tamatar

Andhra Chicken and Tomatoes
-6 black cardamon pods
-1” cinnamon
-4 cloves
• Fry in a little oil until smells good
-4 onions fine chop
• Sauté until golden
-1 t ginger
-1 t garlic
-1 T red chilli powder
-1/4 t turmeric
-1 T coriander seed
- ½ cumin
• Pound together
• Add and sauté until all aromatic
-1 kg chicken pieces
• Add and brown off
-½ kg tomatoes chopped
- 1 t tamarind pulp
-6 curry leaves
- 4 green chillis chopped
• Add, stir through
• Bring up to boil and turn down heat to simmer until chicken cooked and tender