Autumn Bliss

6am, just before sunrise at Seven Springs a couple of days ago.
No, it is not photo-shopped.  Note the reflection in the dam.

The weather is just gorgeous here at Seven Springs, cool nights, crisp mornings, clear days, it makes you want to breathe deep and get out in the country sunshine.

Autumn this year is glorious.  Here's what's happening in our piece of serenity.

The Merry Milkmaids
There is nothing quite like leaning against a warm cow on a chilly morning and milking by hand.  We have been milking China for three weeks now, and it is a wonderful experience.  She is such a lovely cow, easy to manage, ready and waiting for us at most milking times.  But if she is down the paddock, one call and she immediately heads up the hill to be milked (and eat a bucket of pollard).  Ok, so maybe she is more attracted to the pollard than the milking, but she is so well behaved we don't use the stanchion or a leg rope.  There have only been two kicking incidents and now that Baron is a little older she is very calm and patiently eats while we milk.  It truly is a lovely thing.

Ian the milkmaid, and little Baron at China's feet.

And of course, we now have our own fresh milk and cream.  Dexters are known for having a butter fat ratio as high as a Jersey cow, and China's cream to milk ratio is excellent.

China's lovely milk, the cream has separated to the top of the jar.

Milk on the left, cream on the right.

We've talked in previous blogs about making cheese, which we can now do with homegrown whole milk.  But now we can also make butter with the cream.  Delicious !!

About 3 days of cream + kitchenaid ...

+ about 5 mins of whipping = .....

buttermilk & butter.

We use the buttermilk to make bread, which gives it a lovely flavour and texture, and the butter is enough for our toast and sandwiches for about a week.  Strangely, we seem to be eating more bread and butter than we used to...

Vege update
Corn and cucumbers are gone and have made way for cauliflower and broccoli.  We've also put in carrots, parsnip, onions and turnips.  Haven't tried turnips before, but a recent article in a gardening magazine convinced us they were worth a try - judgement is reserved for the taste test.  We've also put in two varieties of Kale (Cavolo Nero and Red Russian), and rainbow chard.  Seeds of peas (Greenfeast and Massey Gem), more beetroot (Burpees Golden, Early Wonder and Bulls Blood) and cabbage (Golden Acre) are germinating as I type.  It takes a little care and attention, but growing from seed really is extremely cost effective.

A rather large butternut pumpkin, ready for picking.

The pecans are falling from the tree, and sweet potato and pumpkin harvests have begun.  Both delicious and generously proportioned.  We will definitely grow both again next year, quite likely in the same bed as this combination of planting has worked very well.

One sweet potato plant, ready for digging up.

The dug sweet potato, secateurs show scale.

Summer's tomatoes are still hanging on (no pun intended).  The San Marzano were ok, but in terms of yield and flavour were nothing compared to the giant tree tomatoes.  The best of the smaller varieties are definitely Tommy Toe (large cherry tomato) and Yellow Pear (look great and lovely and sweet).  The stand out summer tomato is the Black Russian - beefsteak style tomato, dark flesh, exceptional flavour, average yield.  We have repeat customers that come to our market stall especially for the Black Russians.

Herbage
We haven't made much mention of the herb garden in past blog posts, but it is an important part of our culinary garden, providing flavour and seasoning to most meals.  In the herb garden the stevia is flowering and the basil has flowered and is setting seed.  Sorrel, parsley, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, savory and three varieties of mint are available for the picking.  And the rosella is flowering - an annual plant, we will save seed from some flowers and make a syrup with the others - delicious over ice cream, in a cheesecake, added to soda or tonic water for a refreshing drink, you can even use the calyxes as a natural dye.

Wherever we go in the garden, Foxy is our steady companion, always locating a comfortable position for herself.

Michelle planting seed, Foxy relaxing with head in the shade of the carrots.