tomato kasundi

The tomatoes are ripening up so fast, especially with the hot weather we continue to have.  Pick them one day and the next day there's another lot ready and waiting.


Last year one of my neighbours gave me a jar of tomato kasundi.  I'd never heard of it before but I'll give just about anything a go!  After consulting with the university of google - as I do on a regular basis - I learnt that it is a spicy Indian tomato relish and its fantastic!  I ended up just eating it on toast by itself or in a bread roll when I had nothing on hand for it to go with.  DS16 has been hassling me to make some more, so with the abundance of tomatoes at the moment, we've now got enough kasundi to last us a while.


So here it is .....


TOMATO KASUNDI


1 1/2 black mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups malt vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
20 cloves of garlic
20 fresh green chillies (I used half amount of big ones, mix of red & green)
2 kg firm ripe tomatoes
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
4 tablespoons ground cumin
1-2 tablespoons chilli powder, to taste
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt

DAY 1


Put mustard seeds, chilli, garlic, ginger and vinegar in a blender and puree.  Let sit overnight.

Peel and chop tomatoes.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and let sit in bowl overnight.

DAY 2


Strain liquid off tomatoes.  


Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan until smoking hot.  Allow to cool slightly, then add the ground turmeric, cumin and chilli powder and fry, stirring for a few minutes.  


Add tomatoes, blended vinegar mixture, sugar and salt.  Simmer until tomatoes are reduced to pulp and the oil starts to float on top.  Taste and add more salt if required.  Bottle and seal while hot.  

Leave the pickle to mature for one week before using.

It is very spicy so you don't need a lot, we love it!




Hope you're having a great weekend :)

uninvited guest

Yesterday when folding clothes I went to drape a shirt over the back of a chair and got the surprise of my life!!

DS4 was terrified of it!  The body and head was about 10 cm long.  I left it there for a while to show DH when he came home from work and he carried it outside.


Hope you're all having a wonderful week :)

more tomato for breakfast

I'm  certainly loving my tomatoes!!!

Another yummy breakfast.


So, what do you do when you don't know what to do??


KIDS - AARRGH!


Eldest has decided to go back to the boyfriend.  He has treated her badly, she says everything was her fault - after he told that to DH of course among many other things he said.  It was his conversation with DH that was it for us.  Our opposition to her decision but more so her behaviour and treatment of her family has not gone down well.  She's not heartbroken anymore, but I am.  She can't understand why we're not embracing the reconciliation like she is, after all the things he said and the way she was treated.  We were there for her, we cried for her, we loved her no matter what.  She is our daughter.  She is shunning her family.


Last night when I went to bed, the tears start falling and I couldn't stop them.  I thought of that beautiful little baby I so proudly brought home from hospital.  The little girl who was always laughing and off in some imaginative world.  The teenager starting high school who was bewildered by the bitching and how nasty other girls could be - 'why can't everyone be friends mum'.  To the seventeen year old who said 'you did a good job raising us mum', when she left school.  To the lovely young lady she was becoming who was so kind and sweet, this is not who she is anymore.  


I look at her, I can't find my girl.  She is lost in some place and I'm scared she'll never find her way out.


In some way I feel I have failed her.  I've been a good mum.  Not perfect, I made lots of mistakes.  There were a lot of times I couldn't find that damn manual on parenting - that's right, there's not one, it was trial and error and a whole lot of gut feeling.  Gut feeling is often good - why does it feel so bad now?


Of course we will always be here for her.  She's our daughter ..... but I can't find my girl.


What do you do, when you don't know what to do??


I hope you all have a great week :)

enjoying the tomatoes!

I've been patiently waiting, waiting, waiting for my tommies to be ready.  The last few days have seen quite a few picked, going into salads for dinner.  This morning on my way out to greet the chook children, I saw splashes of red through the vege patch.


Do you know what I just love for brekkie?


Freshly sliced tomato on warm toast, lightly sprinkled with ground black pepper and salt - the best part??  All homegrown and home made.

Of course, the obligatory cup of freshly brewed stove top coffee to accompany, mmmm, what a wonderful start to the day.

Yesterdays pick of tomatoes ....... just found my recipe for Tomato Kasundi ......... think it's time for a batch!

Have a lovely day :)

homemade dishwashing powder

When we were building our new house, there were many things I wanted that I'd never had, simple things really, but a dishwasher was not one of them.  It was DH who insisted on this, not sure why as he doesn't do the dishes!  I have to admit there have been times that I've thought its the best thing I've got that I never wanted.  Its the kids job to do dishes at night, but with DS16 being in Germany for six weeks and more often than not just three of us home I've been washing them and not using it.  However, with him back and eldest being home as well now, its getting a good work out.  There was a period of three months - an electricity bill length - where I banned it to see the difference in the electricity bill.  I couldn't believe there was none, so much to the delight of the dishwashers it started up again.


About six months ago I found a recipe for homemade dishwashing powder.  I can't remember where abouts, I just googled and printed.  I just couldn't justify the cost of shop brought powder and it was another cost saving measure, although knowing what's in it is just as important to me.




DISHWASHING POWDER


1 cup borax
1 cup bi-carb soda
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid
30 drops citrus essential oil


Mix thoroughly and store in an airtight plastic container.  Use 1 tablespoon at a time.


I found in one lot that it tended to clump after a while.  I think this was due to the lid not being sealed properly, I just give it a good stir or shake up each time.

 I also use white vinegar for the rinsing aid which works just as well as commercial ones.


Hope you're having a great week, we've had a small respite from the heatwave, back up to very high temps at the moment!


Trying to keep cool :)