Green banana flour
An experiment in making a prodigious banana harvest last longer. More useful than expected, with some caveats
Smoking paprika
A bumper paprika crop means it’s time to make one of my best decisions so far and smoke it.
Coconut lemon slice (new and improved)
One of my Gran’s best recipes. Now tastier, lower in sugar, and higher in protein.
Home-grown peanut butter
Three years of growing peanuts came down to this. Home-grown, home-made peanut butter. Was it worth it?
Boiled peanuts
Hands-down the tastiest and easiest way to eat your home-grown peanut crop.
Gran Shirley’s quick pickle
An easy-to-prepare vegetable accompaniment for summer meals from the summer garden.
Gran Shirley’s Cauliflower and Pineapple Pickle
Years in the making. Literally, because growing the cauliflower took that long. Gran Shirley’s pickle was worth the wait.
Canning lemonade syrup
When life gives you too many lemons, can the lemonade for a sunnier day. Preserves a citrus glut for months.
Banana loaf
A reliable, delicious way to deal with an arm of quickly-ripening bananas. Freezes well too.
Aglio e olio with green garlic
The simplest and most satisfying thing to do with fresh green garlic. Every garlic grower should know this one.
Gran Shirley’s Coconut Slice
A classic slice from Gran Shirley’s recipe book. Simple, reliable, and always popular.
Sponge-top pudding
A comforting baked pudding that uses whatever fruit is in season. Simple enough for a weeknight.
Eating water-glassed eggs
Preserving eggs in lime water when the flock slows down. A traditional method that actually works.
Apple crumble
The best use for an apple harvest, in my opinion. A simple, reliable crumble that never disappoints.
Making Nana Retter’s Fruit Cake
Last Christmas I joined a long line of women who have made this cake. My great grandmother’s recipe, finally made.
About Kat
Kat is a gardener and purrveyor of Kat's Nip. Most Sundays she writes about her life on her lifestyle block in Te Hiku (Far North), New Zealand.
