I finally made the start of Cheese Making, a couple of weeks ago I got
Ricki Carroll's book on cheese making and all the equipment and cultures etc. to start

the process going, so far I am very pleased with the results, I have made the varieties of cheeses that we prefer and will make an other batch once a month till we get a build up in the Cheese Cave.

Above the milk being brought up to tempurature, I am in a position of a very adequate F. thermometer a friend gave me years ago, he was a Thermodynamic Engineer.

the cheese press in action

the first 3 cheese drying:- plain Gouda, Caraway seed Gouda and Swiss style,

I have since then made Farmhouse Cheddar and Edam.

the 2 Gouda have been waxed ready for aging in the cave

Picked a nice crop of Beetroot for pickling


The Blue king Beans and the string less green is starting to crop

The winter crops in the Veggie garden is cropping well

Yesterday I planted some more Carrots, yellow beans. brolotti beans

and transplanted some more Celeriac seedlings as well as some more Leek seedlings

so far I have 2 raised beds, being so successful I will build an other shortly, and a 4th one before summer.

a nice bunch of Kale, it made a delicious meal a couple of days ago

Had a good crop of Cumquat's it made 8 jars of Marmalade

Just picked a huge pineapple 1.6 kg.

also a large Paw-Paw. Pink Singapore crossed with Aust. self pollinating,

it is very sweet and tasty, I cross pollinated this one about 5 years ago, and still takes seeds each year for replanting, it seem to keep its flavour, but is becoming more rounded each year

Gemini measuring up to a massive cask

sightseeing north coast NSW

still vine tasting

Above a Organic/Bio-Dynamic growing vineyard

and vine tasting at Rothberry

Vine tasting at Rothberry

at the Rothberry winery

Lunch time on the way south

I ma unable to upload the Picture's to day, will try again to morrow

Just come back from a wonderful 10 days trip to the Hunter Valley vineyards.
Gemeni and I drove down to Newcastle with friends, Linda from the farm and GB,
took 4 days sightseeing in the way,
we then had the rest of the week sightseeing in Newcastle and had lunch with Neville our son on Thursday.
Saturday we joined the rest of the Lyrebird Vine club, most flew to Williamstown Airport Saturday morning.
we had a wonderful weekend visiting 12 wineries and did lots of tasting.
left the Hunter Valley Tuesday morning arrived hone Wednesday afternoon

The veggie garden has started to yield the first of the winter crop:

we have picking bean, and a new lot will soon be ready, also pulling carrots, lots of lettuces, Celery etc., I gave the garden its bi-annually feed of trace elements, my Lemon tree is producing new leaves that with yellow and green veins, I will be giving it an extra dressing of Iron-sulphate,

the rest of the citrus trees is looking fine

Gemini admiring her Art at the new Gallery that I am in the process of setting up for her in a spare consulting room at the Clinic,

the hothouse has now got the ends on, the truss tomatoes are cropping well and the fruit is perfect without any blemishes, the cucumber is now flowering, hoping for fruit before long

a good crop of eggplant, the bush is 2 1/2 years old and crops profusely, I have just cut back the bush it was getting on for 4 feet and spreading, cut it back to about 18 inches high, and it will regrow in no time.

Heidi and the grand children visiting from North Queensland, having morning tea with home baked scones

Gemini sorting green from ripe small tomatoes from a bush that came up in the Rose bed, from where it to go
tomatoes


The green tomatoes being washed before pickeling



Pickeling in progress

the final product, they need to be left to mature for about 3 weeks for full flavour

I have had no comments for close to a couple of months?
I wonder if I have any readers or perhaps my few posts is to boring?
I am considering closing the Blog Spot!!
GD

I have covered the arches with clear polythene ready for the Winter hothouse, I will attach the end flabs that will act as a dore at each end, when the weather turns cooler, I have my new continental cucumber seedling up as it is, about 5-6 inches,

and the hothouse will produce better and sweeter crops of Tomatoes,

The black Russian tomatoes has been planted away from the hot house, they like cooler weather

where as the Truss Tomatoes like a more tropical climate

Notice the difference between using a teaspoon of "SEA MUN GUS"

in under each cos lettuce and the single one in the same bed not receiving the

SEA MUN GUS, having left my Mobile phone next to the plants for comparison

Today's Easter harvest:-

fresh crisp Lettuces, some Tomatoes, a white Egg Plane, Several Lime, and the last Cucumbers

for the season before I set up my greenhouse plastic cover over the arches, that allow me to grow Cucumbers and lots more Tomatoes through the Winter months

A new addition to the garden, a tropical Blue berry bush, it will grow up to about 2 meters according to the information tag

some of Gemini's garden creations

the first time that I have had any luck with Grape wines thanks to some advice from GB on the farm.

it is a white Muscat grape, perhaps I will have some fruit next season!!!

the next Pineapple will be ready soon

one of 2 left of the miniature cantaloupes, the wine has died off so I am ripening them in the sun doing the day and taking them in at night to prevent the slugs getting to them at night, it works!!

to day I have fertilized with 3 in one seaweed / Fish emulsion with a Hose-on spray

Thanks Linda on the farm the Horseradish is doing well

the new Cellery seedings is moving allong

5 Coffee bushes in the fernery, being propagated for GB on the farm,

it will be a while yet before they are ready for the plantation.