[Leo]

I know it's winter now but I'm sure this hasn't put off our avid gardeners, especially those who have been lovingly cultivating their indoor bays/greenhouses :nice1

I was wondering if anyone has spotted in NZ and/or is presently cultivating the following spice / food plants:

1. Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix DC., Rutaceae)
Widely grown worldwide as a backyard shrub, the kaffir lime is a rough, bumpy green fruit that grows on very thorny bush with aromatic and distinctively shaped "double" leaves. It is well suited to container growing. The green lime fruit is distinguished by its bumpy exterior and its small size (approx. 4 cm wide). Kaffir lime juice, with fresh Mint and Lemongrass garnish, is a refreshing soothing drink (...a potential L&P contender?)

2. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon)
Native to India, Lemongrass is widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Lemon grass is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African and Latin American countries.

Research also shows that lemon grass oil has anti-fungal properties.

3. Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius)
Used widely in Southeast Asian cooking. It is an erect green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike leaves and woody aerial roots. The plant is sterile, flowers only very rarely, and is propagated by cuttings.

The plant is rare in the wild but cultivated widely for use as a flavoring in cooking. The leaves are used fresh or wilted, and are commercially available in frozen form in Asian grocery stores in nations where the plant does not grow. They have a nutty, botanical fragrance which enhances the flavor of Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese and Burmese foods, especially rice dishes and cakes. The leaves are sometimes steeped in coconut milk, which is then added to the dish. They may be tied in a bunch and cooked with the food. They also may be woven into a basket which is used as a pot for cooking rice. Pandan chicken, or gai ob bai toey, is a Thai dish with chicken wrapped in pandan leaves and fried. The leaves are also used as a flavoring for desserts such as pandan cake and sweet beverages.

A knot of fresh Pandan leaves has also proven to be highly effective as both a fragrant natural air freshener as well as cockroach deterrent. Many good folks are happily using them in their cars! :)



Descriptions of the above 3 plants were adapted from Wikipedia and interspersed with my own humble recipes and observations.

[Moorf]

I'm afraid I haven't quite got to the point where I've have a greenhouse, but if you start growing those I'll be straight round for "cuttings"!! :nice1

[Moorf]

PS - you don't fancy giving some of girlies in Chch a cooking lesson do you?!! ;)

[Leo]

PS - you don't fancy giving some of girlies in Chch a cooking lesson do you?!! ;)

*Blush* I am but a humble gardener and incidental cook :)

It would certainly be my greatest pleasure and honour to share culinary discoveries with everyone though I must confess that my skills are merely rudimentary relative to my mum's! :yes

[Moorf]

Deal - I'll teach you to make cheese! :D

Right, we better start organising these culinary get-togethers!! I think we've had the ideas for about 3 yrs - all talk and no action!

[Sam B]

I've got a Kaffir lime tree, we planted it last year and it seems to be doing ok. It's alive at any rate. It's outside on our windy hillside, with a few weather beaten lemons and oranges. It's too windy for a greenhouse up here, I need to wait until my shelter belt has grown up.

[Leo]

I've got a Kaffir lime tree, we planted it last year and it seems to be doing ok. It's alive at any rate. It's outside on our windy hillside...


Fantastic! Sam :nice1 I hope you'll take good care of your Kaffir Lime tree.

It'll be great if I may have a stem-cutting from you when I finally get the chance to start my own spice & herbal garden/greenhouse in Chch!

[Arwen]

I have an orange and lemon tree that I'm desperately trying to protect from those frosty mornings here in the valley!!

The frost is not all I have had to protect them from mind you!!! The other night I had to fight off some 'citrus loving' aliens!!!

(See M-Squared's Mash get Smash thread for explanation)!! :laugh:laugh

The rest of garden looks like a bomb has hit it at the moment. Just waiting for it to warm up a little before I go out there and get my fingers all green again. ;)

Oh how I HATE the bloomin' cold!!!!!

[NikT]

The frost is not all I have had to protect them from mind you!!! The other night I had to fight off some 'citrus loving' aliens!!!

(See M-Squared's Mash get Smash thread for explanation)!! :laugh:laugh


They're still about eh? Little sods.:wah

Nick.:cheers

[Arwen]

Yes Nik, they are still about, crafty little beggars!!! :mad:

I hit one over the head the other day and buried it in a shallow grave. The only problem is the cat keeps sniffing and digging around the site and now when she comes in at night, she glows a weird green colour????

I hope she hasn't turned into a citrus loving alien cat!!!!:exit

[frootbat]

I stuck a stick of 'eating' lemongrass in some compost, since I had heard this was the way to do it, but it flatly refused to grow and has now been added to the compost bin. We've since seen much healthier looking lemongrass plants, I think in Mitre, and intend to buy one to add to the 'herb bed' when we remember. The coriander is doing well, among others.

We've recently planted a couple of olive trees and a lemon (can you see the thinking behind this? -G&Ts and Martinis) - so it will be interesting to see what develops....

[NikT]

Yes Nik, they are still about, crafty little beggars!!! :mad:

I hit one over the head the other day and buried it in a shallow grave. The only problem is the cat keeps sniffing and digging around the site and now when she comes in at night, she glows a weird green colour????

I hope she hasn't turned into a citrus loving alien cat!!!!:exit

Not seen much of em round here last week.
Probably cos of the rain, + the fact they'll rust!:clap

Nick.:cheers

[Arwen]

Don't let your guard down Nik. I think they're fully galvanised!!:exit

[KelvinAng]

I'd love to have a greenhouse... for me (and maybe some plants to recycle the carbon dioxide I create!). It would make a great lounge in winter daytimes. While tramping in the Himalayas a few years back I came across one such lounge. Imagine it... frosty outside, toasty inside!

[NikT]

Don't let your guard down Nik. I think they're fully galvanised!!:exit

:mad: Damn! Just when you think you've got rid of em!:wah

Nick.:cheers

[Leo]

I stuck a stick of 'eating' lemongrass in some compost, since I had heard this was the way to do it, but it flatly refused to grow and has now been added to the compost bin. We've since seen much healthier looking lemongrass plants, I think in Mitre, and intend to buy one to add to the 'herb bed' when we remember...


Growing Lemongrass begins with either purchasing the young plants from a nursery or buying Lemongrass stalks from your local specialty food stores or grocery store. Growing Lemongrass from seed has generally lesser chances of success as the Lemongrass clumps propagate through division rather than seeding.

Lemongrass can tolerate very light frosts. It will die back but will re-sprout when the weather warms up again. Lemongrass likes well-drained soil that is not over-fertilized. It can be planted in full sun but can also tolerate part shade, making it a versatile, fragrant and attractive addition to your garden.

Growing Lemongrass Purchased From The Store:
Purchase at least ten stalks of lemongrass from your local store. The stalks will usually be trimmed of leaves and bundled in groups. Select the bundle that has the most alive-looking and healthy stalks. Look for plump green and white bottoms that smell of lemon without bruising. Choose a bundle with roots on the lemongrass stalks or root nubs. If there are no detectable roots on any of the bundles, choose the brightest green bundle.

At home, trim the lemongrass stalks to four inches from the roots. Fill a glass with water an inch deep. If the water has come from the tap, leave the water to sit out for at least an hour in order to allow the chemicals, including chlorine and bromine, to dissipate. Place the lemongrass stalks in the water and put in a sunny windowsill. Keep the water level topped up. After a week or so, you will start to see new root growth. When the roots are an inch long or more, it's time to plant the lemongrass in its permanent location.

Dig a hole wide enough to plant the lemongrass shoots at least two inches away from each other in a disc-shaped design. Plant the lemongrass one inch deep in the hole and push down the earth firmly around the roots, taking care not to snap any off. Sprinkle water over the newly-planted lemongrass. Keep the lemongrass well-watered until established, then only water if the garden has gone without significant rain for two weeks or more.

Harvesting Your Lemongrass:
You may trim the leaves with scissors any time after the plants are established. The leaves can be used in salads or teas. Harvest the whole stalk by finding the largest, plumpest one and carefully tugging it from the ground, roots and all. Trim the Lemongrass leaves and use them fresh or chop and freeze for later. :nice1


Adapted from 'How to Grow Lemongrass in the South' by Angie Mohr