Zesty Citrus Herbs & Aromas
I have just a bit of an obsession with anything citrus. I love anything with the aromatic citrus zing. Lemon Thyme, Lemon Grass, Lemon & Lime Basil, Lemon Verbena, all Citrus Trees & Lemon Myrtle to start.
Really looking forward to our lemon tree (now laden with fruit), Limes - Kaffir / Tahitian & Kumquat trees maturing.....patience !
Our kaffir lime leaf trees are young at the moment but we hope they grow well in the tunnel.We freeze our leaves when they are at their best, so easy to throw into curries / Thai recipes from the freezer (they keep for what seems a long time without deteriorating). There's some fruit on the trees now so looking forward to using the zest & juice.
Preserved lemons & limes, curds, together with marinades & dressings are always an option but my favourite is lemon & lime tarts.....so plenty of those coming up. Always a good way to use our excess free range chook eggs up too. May even try one with the duck eggs. Lately the ducks have been laying under the sage row & one is sitting on eggs on pumpkin hill. Every morning is like Easter seeing where the eggs pop up next.The new ponds are almost full so a paradise for the ducks.
The Lemon Grass is doing well after being flattened in last years storm and some will be recovered & big enough by this coming Summer. I have babied the Lemon Scented Myrtles grown from seed (3% germination rate) quite precious now, just over a year old. So I hope they cope with the coming Winter in the tunnel. Great dried & ground for fish & chicken. I sprinkle over a roast chicken, good with fish, in marinades, with game - wallaby etc, use fresh as a tea.........(Lemon Verbena can be used in the same way).
The aroma reminds me of orange coloured twisted barley sugar lollies I had as a child, a strong sweet lemony scent. We can only wait now ...I know they will never grow as fast or as big as the one in our old backyard but we're just very lucky to have some in Tasmania. It's always good to try different flavours & not to stick with the norm. You often hear people say "I don't like that" food but most have never even tried it ! (they don't know what they are missing).....photo on way.
