Maison Bleue

The saltbush seedlings we planted some years back at Maison Bleue have grown into huge and beautiful shrubs, a picturesque windbreak and source of many pretty flower arrangements. But it is their edible nature that is of primary interest.

Also known as Cabbage Saltbush, Old Man Saltbush is a native plant that thrives in dry climates, and with leaves containing up to 28% salt making it an increasingly useful plant with climate change. Its multiple uses extend to hedges, windbreaks and firebreaks as well as being a tasty animal fodder. The salty leaves were traditionally cooked for food and were also applied as a medicine to cuts and stings. It was taken by early settlers to treat scurvy and blood diseases.

It contains a range of minerals, including calcium and magnesium, antioxidants, Vitamin E and is high in protein. The large fresh or blanched Saltbush leaves can be used as a wrap around meat, fish or tofu, as a leafy bed for grilled meat or vegetables or stir fried with garlic, ginger and soy. It can be used in salads and even battered and cooked tempura style. The dried Saltbush flakes are a wonderful addition to bread, grills and pasta and can be added to sea salt as a seasoning rub for meats. It can be grown in a pot. It’s a hardy plant with multiple uses.

Baked tofu in a Saltbush blanket

250g firm tofu

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons tamari sauce
3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon dried ginger
6 star anise – crushed a bit with mortar and pestle and placed in a small muslin bag tied with string
Place the liquid ingredients plus ginger and muslin bag of star anise in a small saucepan and warm gently for a few minutes but don’t boil. Pour the liquid over the tofu and add the muslin bag to the container to steep further. Marinate for a couple of hours. Pick several small branches of Old Man Saltbush. Break into small flexible branches and place half on aluminium foil. Place marinated tofu on top and cover with equal amount of branches. Pour remaining marinade over tofu. Seal with another piece of foil over the top to make a sealed parcel. Place on baking dish (alternatively a casserole dish with a well sealed lid can be used) and cook at 180 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and unwrap. Removing the steamed saltbush leaves. The product is a delicately fragrant baked tofu that can be sliced and placed on a bowl or plate as a base for other additions. You can top with your favourite stir fry. A mix of homegrown broccoli, leafy greens, mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, spring onion and sliced ginger in an oyster sauce was delicious. Any leftover tofu can be sliced finely and added to a broth (chicken, vegetable or miso) in which a small handful of green bean thread noodles have been cooked for a couple of minutes. Topped with a sliced spring onion, a small handful of mung bean sprouts, chopped coriander and a small sliced fresh chilli, it makes a terrific second meal.

The end of winter at Maison Bleue sees a flurry of activity as planning and preparation for summer crops takes shape. The little hothouse, the frame a clearing sale bargain and the cladding a discard from a nearby nursery, is filling fast with seeds sprouting and seedlings being protected from the last of the central Victorian frosty nights.  A new four-legged pest has emerged that has a taste for sunflower seeds, so fortification of the seed trays is required.

After months of Warragul greens and Tuscan kale it’s the versatile kale that presents a host of new opportunities for experimentation as we move into spring and the garden is a little quiet. Seasonal changes to the taste of plants are fascinating to note and the sweeter winter leaves can become stronger in flavour as the plants age. Tuscan kale or Cavolo nero is a member of the cabbage and broccoli family, making it a great addition in The Backyard Pharmacy due to its high vitamin and mineral and antioxidant content – anything that green must be good for you – and its immune enhancing indole-3-carbinol content, a boost to hormone regulation.

While broccoli seems to have had more publicity in that respect, particularly broccoli micro-herbs (but more about that in future blogs), the humble kale is a powerhouse of goodies.

Therapeutic benefits aside, Tuscan kale’s sculptural shape is a welcome addition in a vegetable garden landscape.  It looks great in a cut flower arrangement as well.

Kale chips and tips

Kale chips
Cut the middle rib out of the kale leaf and place the halves in a plastic bag with a dribble of olive oil and a dash of vegie salt and cayenne pepper. Cut the halves in half again if you prefer bite sized pieces. Shake to lightly coat and place the leaves on a baking tray and cook for 15 mins, or until crisp but not brown, in a medium oven around 180 degrees. Sprinkle with additional vegie salt to taste when done. Kale chips are great for snacking or with a pre-dinner drink, and a good way to get those a bit reluctant to eat their greens. It works well with a slightly runny dip. Try adding about 3 tablespoonsful of vegie stock to a half a cup of premade tzatziki or hommus with an extra clove of garlic crushed into it and mixed.

Sauteed Cavolo green tips
When the winter kale-fest continues into spring don’t worry when the plants start to sprout flowerettes similar to a Chinese broccoli. Chop off a bunch of stems with heads before they flower. Chop into smaller pieces. Place a dessertspoonful of olive oil and one of sesame oil in a pan and add 2 large garlic cloves, sliced finely. Cook lightly and remove pan from heat before the garlic browns and becomes bitter. Add the Cavolo green tips and a good dash of soy or tamari sauce and about a quarter of a cup of water. Place a lid on top and braise for a few minutes until stems start to soften. Serve with anything you fancy.

As our cache of homegrown garlic has depleted and, too, other local sources, anticipation is building at Maison Bleue around our next garlic harvest. Long convinced of the superiority of the locally grown product, with no need for chemicals such as sprout inhibitor found on overseas imports, here at The Backyard Pharmacy we are set to harvest over 100 garlic plants – enough for at least a few months….

The increased plantings beyond the garden beds were inspired by an idea for the use of metal drums purchased at a garage sale and the generous donation of local chemical free sprouting garlic from Mr Quinn, a local greengrocer. So far so good, and, barring a small setback when the resident magpies thought the emerging shoots were worms, there have been minimal losses.

Much has been written about the medicinal value of garlic over the years, and it is my favourite herb, a most useful medicine. It defends us from and treats all manner of viruses, bacteria and parasites, has benefits for our circulatory system and as a seasonal remedy makes the handiest of ingredients for winter goodies such as my Breathe Easy Broth for coughs. Further ideas and updates on its uses will be provided at garlic harvest time.

Breathe Easy Broth

1 whole head of garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 sticks celery with tops, chopped
6 cups vegetable or free range chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chillies
1 thumbsized piece of fresh ginger, chopped
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ bunch each (or 1 cup) of coriander, mint, basil and parsley, chopped.
Squeeze of lemon
Heat the oil in soup pot with chopped veggies, garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne. Cook slowly until softened. Add stock, bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Add chopped green herbs and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chillies, add lemon juice and adjust seasoning to serve.

The bounty of winter produce harvested at Maison Bleue is providing plenty of recipe options for pumpkin and all sorts of permutations and combinations of leafy greens, uses found for the flavoursomeness of fennel and of course a tasty range of herbs. At the Backyard Pharmacy we had our first pumpkin crop, with Japanese, Butternut and Queensland Blues – self-sown and emerging in unlikely places, the largest assisted to climb over the old metal frame purchased at the recycle centre that proved just right for the task. Seeds have been swapped and stored and next year promises an expanded array of heritage pumpkins and new opportunities for kitchen experimentation.

It is perfect soup weather and time to put the produce to the test with my immune boosting

Winter Sunshine Soup

1.5 Kg pumpkin peeled, seeded and chopped
½ a large leek cut lengthwise and finely sliced
1 litre of vegetable stock
1 stick lemongrass, chopped finely
1 piece of ginger about length and width of 2 thumbs, sliced
2 large cloves of garlic, sliced
1 heaped teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 small fresh chilli, sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 litre of stock made from the leftover peels of lemongrass, ginger and garlic, the tops and ends of the leek plus the juiced half lime (discard the seeds of chilli if you don’t like it too spicy)
1 large navel orange, juiced
chopped coriander herb and petals of a marigold (sunrays) for decoration
olive oil

Blend up lemongrass, ginger, chilli, turmeric, pinch of salt and juice of half a lime until smooth. Put some olive oil in the soup pot and add wet paste and cook lightly to bring out the flavours. Add the finely sliced leek and cook until transparent and then add the pumpkin. Add all strained vegie stock and cook until pumpkin softens. Turn heat off, then when slightly cooled add orange juice and blend. Season to taste and sprinkle chopped coriander and marigold petals on top to serve. This makes enough for half a dozen bowls plus some to freeze.

This inaugural blog, The Backyard Pharmacy at Maison Bleue, introduces The Girls. Having travelled down from Elmore, Beebie the Double lace Barnevelder, Maggie the Plymouth Rock, Julia the Rhode Island Red and Lulu the Lavender Leghorn have settled into their spacious abode in the orchard. Voracious eaters, particularly since, despite the frosts, they have started producing the most wonderful eggs I’ve ever tasted, and each one with its own distinctive colour.

Here’s a recipe for my Herby Googness scrambled eggs, rich in protein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals:

3 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs – current favourites parsley, chives, fennel tops and coriander.
2 Tablespoons broccoli sprouts
2 Tablespoons cottage cheese/quark or labna
salt and cracked pepper to taste

Mix it all up roughly and stir slowly in a lightly oiled pan until setting. Serves 2. A great start to the day.