Fresh Corn... there's nothing better

Our dad, Paul, used to insist that the water be boiling on the stove before the corn was picked from the field. That way, he taught us, it is at its very sweetest. 

And that is how we prepare it for our August cookouts on the beach.

He had a valid point. Everyone tells us how incredibly sweet and tender our corn is -- and that is because it is so very very fresh.

Lesley was determined to give it the full attention it deserved!

Our organic gardens provide the freshest, tastiest veggies ever, and produce is in great demand among our guests.  Last week, Carol taught young Eric how to harvest beans...  and we are usually very open to those who'd like to learn how to weed as well!

Perfect Parsnips!

 Spring -- it's the season to get the garden ready for planting.  Towards that end, Brian gets out the 'big guns' -- the rototiller and big Ford tractor.  Having the right machinery certainly makes the job easier, and since our organic garden is over an acre in size, we need all the help we can get!

Before the whole garden gets worked up, there's some produce to be harvested. Parsnips are best when left in the ground over winter. Harvest them in the spring, and they are as sweet as candy, absolutely delicious! 

Mind you, we didn't quite bargain on the size of them...    This single parsnip could probably feed a small African country...  You'll never see these in a grocery store, where our produce is expected to come wrapped in plastic and all exactly the same.  On the other hand, you'll never taste anything sweeter than these big oddly shaped parsnips either.  One summer Carol had some children on a tour in the garden -- they weren't able to identify even a carrot, and when they learned that carrots grew in the ground (as opposed to on a Carrot Tree) they got all upset -- after all, one is never to eat anything that has been on (or in?) the ground.  It is a sad commentary really on how far away from the real world we are travelling.

Here at Bondi we still believe it is important to get your hands into the soil, to know where your food comes from, and what goes into its production.                                                         Brian found the parsnip that in the dictionary is the picture that defines a "tap root."  That's also an educational thing!  Our guests very much enjoy the chance to buy super fresh produce from our garden in season, and organic eggs from our chickens.

Once the parsnips were harvested (and yes, we did make an entire meal out of them -- incredibly delicious!!!)  then the vintage Cub tractor came out, complete with the same drag on the back that has marked out our garden rows at Bondi since that tractor arrived in the early 1950's.  That's because, when something is perfect, there's just no reason to mess with it.

Pump up the Jam

This hot weather has brought the garden on. Carol spends every moment she can out there, tinkering, weeding, picking, planning...

Right now, she's in the midst of a bumper crop of raspberries. Picked straight from the vines, at their very best, they have been transformed into lovely dark red raspberry jam to cheer the table through the winter to come.

That's the thing about gardens. Just as looking at the Stars when we go out to see the constellations is like looking into a time machine of times past (since it takes so many light years before we see the stars, lots can have happened out there and we won't know about it for ages to come), gardens let us look forward in the time machine to future menus. Turning today's harvest into jams, jellies, preserves, pickles and frozen veggies, gardeners and cooks let us keep summer's bounty on our tables through many a season yet to come.

Right now, we're selling the freshest, tastiest beans you've ever held on your tongue. Plenty of lettuce, herbs, onions and other vegetables are showing up on our guests' tables. With free range eggs, of course! The corn is not far away from our dinner plates, either!