With the continual rain we’ve been having lately (so over it!), there’s been an explosion in our little vegetable patch. The vegetables have shot up and we’ve been very happily harvesting the leaves for salads and cooking. But this rapid growth of our plants has brought a new challenge—aphids. No doubt attracted by all the tender new leaves, aphids have had a population explosion within our little garden. They’re even on the habanero chillies! These nasty little sap-suckers destroy new growth so we’ve declared biological warfare…

We’re trying to be organic and given that these plants are for us to eat—not the aphids, as they seem to think—we’ve had to read up on how to get rid of the aphids without using harsh chemicals.

Method 1: Companion planting

Coriander is supposed to repel aphids. Aside from wanting to use it in our cooking, its aphid-repellent properties were part of the reason we chose to grow it alongside the others. Our four planter boxes had quite deliberately been stocked with a mix of the beetroot, silverbeet, lettuce and coriander, rather than having each pot with only one type of plant in it.

Three of the four pots included coriander and the aphid assault started in the pot without coriander. So it’s fair to say that there may be some merit to coriander repelling aphids, however they have spread to the other pots and now are even on the new coriander leaves…annoying little critters.

Method 2: Lady beetles

I don’t know about your area but it’s not often we see lady beetles in gardens around here these days. And lady beetles are the natural predators of aphids. But with no flowers on the balcony, and no more space and pots to plant with flowers that would attract them, it seemed this option was not available to us.

Method 3: Soap spray

The organic gardening community swears by using soap spray to control aphids. So we gave it a go…

Mix together 1 droplet of environmentally-friendly dishwashing liquid, 1 tsp vegetable oil and 1 cup water and spray on the plants affected by aphids.

It does work but the process needs to be repeated every few days on an ongoing basis to ensure that you wipe out all stages of the aphid population. Unfortunately, part way through this process I noticed too late some lady beetle larvae on the chilli bushes, but the soap spray also gets rid of them.

Not sure how the lady beetle larvae turned up in our little garden and definitely wanting to encourage them, soap spray was no longer an option. We decided to leave spraying anything for a week and keep an eye on the plants for the appearance of more lady beetle larvae.

Method 4: Garlic spray

More reading uncovered the suggestion of using a garlic-infused water spray to control aphids. All the while wondering how this might affect lady beetles, we decided to try it.

Finely grate 1 or 2 cloves of garlic into a cup of water. Allow to infuse for 30 minutes or so. Strain into a spray bottle and then spray the affected plants.

So far so good. We’ve used this application three times and the aphids don’t like it. The lady beetle larvae that have reappeared seem undeterred, contentedly munching on aphids. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. Most dishes taste better with a hint of garlic, don’t they?!

What we’re really keen to find out is how the lady beetles know to appear. How do they know when a particular spot has an infestation of aphids? Their arrival seemed so random but they turned up right when we needed them. And while they haven’t obliterated the enemy yet, we know they’re not far off it.

Home-grown basil

For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than using home-grown herbs. It pleases the wannabe hobby farmer lurking within. So what is it that’s attractive about growing my own herbs? Well, I like that I’m saving the $2-plus per bunch for cut herbs from the greengrocer (which don’t last long) and only using what I need, so there’s less waste. But mostly what’s appealing is the simple pleasure that I’ve created a green space on an inner city balcony, I’m reaping the rewards of my garden, and enjoying the superb fragrance, taste and freshness of eating herbs that were living just moments ago.

The first of the birdseye chillies starting to ripen.

Jim and I have been fortunate enough to have a successful balcony herb garden for several years now. How we’ve managed this, I’m not sure because it doesn’t take a lot of input from us—regular watering and occasionally applying extra nutrients, checking for pests, pruning if needed (although that’s usually covered just by cutting what’s needed for cooking). I would say easily less than 30 minutes a week spent tending to it.

On our productive little patch (a 3m² balcony garden that only gets the morning sun) we grow three types of chillies—birdseye, habanero and Apache chief (Jim is a chilli freak)—basil, mint, flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, sage, lemon thyme, thyme, oregano, garlic chives and rosemary.

Even after all this time, I still find it satisfying each time I go and collect what I need for a recipe. Jim can attest that I frequently comment on the wonderful taste and smell of our fresh pickings. It amazes me that we can do this in such a small space and get so much out of it. It’s very rare that we have to buy fresh herbs to supplement our in-house supply, and this was always my goal with the balcony garden.

The new balcony garden potted with beetroot, silver beet, lettuce, coriander, rosemary and bay.

Now I’ve decided to turn my hands to the larger space on the back balcony we use for entertaining. Gone are the pots of colourful petunias, snapdragons and alyssums now past their best, replaced with beetroot, silverbeet, lettuce, coriander and another rosemary plant. I’m hoping that the different varieties of multi-coloured beetroot and silverbeet will brighten up the space as much as the flowers did.

I had started this process a few months ago, swapping out a sad looking palm for a bay tree to see how it would handle the very hot and drying conditions of a balcony that gets the harsh afternoon sun. The experiment went well—it has doubled in size in that time despite my stealing its leaves for cooking.

I’m sure that the rosemary will love its spot but not sure how the softer foliage of the others will go. Stay tuned! And any advice is gratefully accepted…

A Mediterranean feast is also very easy to prepare with the help of a good providore. Our staples for eating this way are:

• olives—we love smoked kalamatas, Sicilian olives marinated in lemon and garlic, and green olives stuffed with either feta or blue cheese
• ciabatta or Turkish bread—1cm slices lightly toasted
• garlic dip (this is essentially fresh garlic cloves ground with salt and olive oil till it’s light and creamy—delicious)
• dolmades—vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs
• baby Roma tomatoes
• marinated Persian feta
• marinated artichoke hearts.

Just today we had a variation of this for lunch. If you wanted to have meat as part of this then you could add some finely sliced salami or ham.

When we are entertaining or having a Mediterranean feast for dinner we add:

• Greek salad
• Grilled haloumi (with onion, parsley & lemon)
• Chicken souvlaki (I use Jamie Oliver’s wicked souvlaki recipe, but substitute pork for chicken)
• Marinated lamb skewers.

There are many ways to make a Greek salad but I have a simple and effective recipe that can be put together in no time.

Greek salad

2 cups salad leaves, torn
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
200g baby Roma tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
12–16 pitted kalamata olives
250g marinated Persian feta, drained but retaining the liquid to use as salad dressing
½ a Spanish onion, finely sliced (optional)

Combine these ingredients in a large salad bowl. Drizzle some of the marinade from the Persian feta over the salad and toss to coat. Once the salad is dressed, serve immediately.

Grilled haloumi is something I love. Haloumi has a high melting point so, despite being fried or grilled, it holds its shape and chewy texture.

Grilled haloumi

250g packet of haloumi
½ a brown onion, diced
Juice of half a lemon
⅓ cup of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Combine the onion and lemon juice in a bowl and leave to stand (this will soften the onions and take away any astringency). Meanwhile cut the haloumi into 5mm slices. Heat some olive oil in a fry pan. Fry the haloumi over medium heat until golden on both sides. Remove from the heat and drain the slices on paper towel. Add the chopped parsley to the lemon and onion and toss to combine. Arrange the haloumi on a serving plate and sprinkle the onion, parsley and lemon over the top.

Now until the end of spring is the season for beetroot. If you haven’t tried this colourful and healthy vegetable, why not give it a go while it’s at its best.

Every part of beetroot is edible, including the leaves, so there is nothing wasted. Beetroots (the tuber part) can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled; the leaves can be rinsed and added to salads. They taste like spinach and can be used in the same way. The leaves actually have more vitamins than the roots.

When choosing beetroot:

• always buy them with the leaves on. You can tell how fresh they are by the leaves—wilted leaves, old beetroot
• make sure the tubers are brilliant purple-red with smooth firm flesh—the softer and more wrinkled they are, the older the beetroot.

Beetroots have health benefits too. They are an excellent source of fibre and are full of antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium, vitamin C, folate and betaine (important for a healthy cardiovascular system). Beetroot juice can lower blood pressure and have a positive effect on exercise performance, increasing the uptake of oxygen in the bloodstream.

I’m fond of pickled beetroot but absolutely love it roasted. It’s so simple to prepare and delicious served with roasted red meats, such as beef, lamb and venison.

To roast beetroot:

Rinse and clean or cut away any roots, leaves and stalks. Peel the skin and cut the beetroot into wedges, toss with olive oil and bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for around 1 hour, so they’re really soft and sweet.

To boil beetroot:

Rinse and clean or cut away any roots, leaves and stalks. Place unpeeled beetroots in a pot of cold water. If the beetroots are different sizes cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size. Add a splash (approximately 1 tbs) white wine vinegar (or plain white vinegar is fine too), cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Peel before serving.

Chestnuts are amazing. Their flavour is rich and ever so slightly sweet, and the smell of them roasting takes me back to New York in winter.

A few fast facts…chestnuts:

• have about one-third of the calories of other nuts
• are low in cholesterol
• have very little fat or oil
• contain vitamin C
• have a similar texture to firm baked potato.

It’s only been the last few years that I’ve noticed them available in my local green grocer, starting in mid to late April and throughout the winter months. When buying them fresh, it’s best to look for shiny, dark brown shells and the nuts should be firm and feel heavy for their size.

My favourite thing to do with chestnuts is make soup. I know that a soup made from nuts probably sounds quite strange but it’s absolutely delicious! I stumbled across a lovely recipe in Maggie’s Harvest by Maggie Beer. Since then, I’ve made the soup quite a few times but varied it to suit my tastes.

This soup is a dinner party winner but beware, it takes quite a while to prepare the chestnuts ready to go into the soup—double peeling is required to remove the outside shell and then papery skin.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
2 sticks celery, diced
500g blanched chestnuts
2 fresh bay leaves
2 tbs olive oil
1.25 L chicken stock
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
½–¾ cup double cream

To prepare the chestnuts:

Carefully make a slit in the brown shell with a sharp knife and remove it, trying not to cut the nut inside. The nuts will have a light brown papery skin. Place the chestnuts in a saucepan of cold water—just enough to cover the nuts—and bring the water to the boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as it starts to boil.

Remove the chestnuts one at a time and peel away the second, papery skin. Now the chestnuts are ready to use.

To make the soup:

Gently sweat the onion and garlic in a covered soup pan for a couple of minutes. Set aside the lid and add the celery, chestnuts and bay leaf, and sauté on a medium heat until the celery is soft.

Add the stock and allow to simmer until the chestnuts are very soft and some of the liquid has reduced, approximately 45 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and puree the mixture. Season to your liking with salt and pepper. Add the cream and heat through on a low setting.

This soup can be eaten straight away or, when cooled to room temperature, divided into meal-sized portions and frozen.

Porcini, shiitake, Swiss brown, oyster, enoki, wood ear, king, shimeji, button, truffle…these are just a few of the mushroom types available, all of them delicious with their own distinct tastes and textures.

Mushrooms contain natural glutamate, an amino acid found in all foods with protein. Natural glutamates provide “umami”, otherwise known as a savoury or meaty taste.

While many people shy away from mushrooms because of the texture, I love them. I think Stephanie Alexander’s description in The Cook’s Companion sums them up pretty well: “the earthy, sweet, sometimes buttery, sometimes meaty textures and flavours are magnificent”.

Not only are they are full of flavour, but mushrooms also contain essential vitamins and minerals, and are rich in antioxidants, while being low in fat. Definitely a staple on our weekly shopping list…

Useful mushroom hints:

• texture should be firm and the tops dry
• avoid ones that are discoloured, wrinkled or moist
• store them in the fridge in a brown paper bag
• use a moist pastry brush to brush away any dirt
• there’s no need to peel them or remove the stems.

Mushroom risotto

A favourite dish in our household is mushroom risotto. It’s warm and hearty, and the way I make it uses a variety of mushrooms to make the most of the different flavours and textures.

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 brown onion, diced
½ cup flat-leaved parsley, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1¼ cups arborio rice
750ml beef stock
125ml red wine
2 tbs tomato paste
250g assorted mushrooms—I most commonly use shiitake, Swiss brown, oyster, king and wood ear
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbs cream or mascarpone

Method

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter on a medium heat until transparent. Stir through the parsley.

Add the arborio rice and stir to coat. Put the lid on the saucepan and allow the heat to rice until it starts to turn translucent. Stir regularly to ensure that the rice doesn’t stick.

Add the red wine and stir until evaporated.

Add the mushrooms and tomato paste and stir through with a ladle of beef stock. Continue to stir regularly and add beef stock one ladle at a time, allowing it to be absorbed each time before adding more.

When the rice is creamy and firm, but not crunchy, remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan cheese and cream or mascarpone. Serve immediately.

I am a massive fan of the humble pea. I think it comes from my childhood, helping Mum out by shelling the peas for dinner. They’re so sweet, fresh from the pod…it usually went something along the lines of one for me, one for the bowl. I also loved just-cooked peas with a bit of melted butter stirred through. Heaven!

Peas are delicious and so good for you. They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre and protein. They also provide vitamin C, niacin, folate, beta carotene, iron, zinc and potassium. That’s a lot of punch for something so small!

While most people opt for the convenience of frozen peas (after all, shelling peas is time-consuming), you can’t quite go past a fresh pea. They’re worth the effort because they taste so much better. I get excited when I see them at the greengrocer and yesterday I was even happier to see that broad beans were also available.

For me, that meant it was time to make one of my favourite lunches: smashed peas and broad beans on grilled ciabatta. Thank you, once again, Jamie At Home.

The dish is essentially the age-old combination of peas and mint, beefed up with broad beans, lemon and cheese, served on crusty toasted bread. Yum! Jamie suggests buffalo mozzarella on top but I prefer Persian feta.

It does look a bit like green mush when smashing it all up with the mortar and pestle but don’t be deterred, it is absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling.

It’s ideal for spring/summer because the mint and lemon juice are cool and refreshing with just the right amount of zing from grated pecorino. Pair it with a glass of pinot gris and now you’re really onto something extraordinary!

I love rhubarb, I think because it reminds me of being in the kitchen with my grandmother. Stewed rhubarb served with cream or custard was a popular dessert in our household and I’m thrilled to see it in varying forms on more and more restaurant menus.

Rhubarb is readily available at the greengrocer or farmers’ markets. Even the major supermarket chains stock it.

When selecting rhubarb, choose thin stalks that are firm and bright red. Paler stalks that are mottled with green will generally be more bitter and dull pink when cooked, whereas the red ones will shine like raspberry jam. Thicker stalks can be stringy and are more acidic in flavour, best avoided in my opinion. Never use the leaves as they are poisonous.

Every time you cook rhubarb the result will be slightly different, depending on the time of year and the quality of the stalks you choose. I like rhubarb that is a bit tart, rather than sweet. But if you have more of a sweet tooth, simply add more sugar or cook it with apple to even out the flavour.

For a tangy treat try it out…

An old-fashioned favourite – stewed rhubarb
8 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces
½ cup water
¾ cup castor sugar

Place the rhubarb pieces in a saucepan with the sugar and water, and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until rhubarb softens.