Vented Kitchen Kaddy

Autumn Update

Autumn is my favourite time of year.

Afternoons are still warm and long, yet there is a refreshing breeze. It’s the time of year when we tend to take our dinner and eat on the deck enjoying the gorgeous fresh air and late sunsets.

Our current family favourite is Pesto Pasta, inspired by our basil which has thrived with the consistent rain. My gorgeous daughter and I attempted to make a batch the old-fashioned way with a mortar and pestle. It was certainly a nicer texture, however we moved quite quickly to the less traditional food processor, which makes the process fast enough for quick school night dinners.

 

It has been such a lovely summer season in our vegie garden with rocket, carrots and lettuce fighting for room. I should admit that I do have a bad habit of planting as if I live on a farm, rather Autumn Gardeningthan being conscious of the reality of my few raised garden beds squashed in the backyard. As a result, we have decided to go up! We have cherry tomatoes, climbing cucumber and beans all being woven between our new mesh grid panels. It’s a great way to expand the garden when space is limited.

Our autumn planting has added spinach, which is a favourite, and as the temperature starts to drop, we are adding our Coriander and Dill seeds. These herbs are my favourites, even though they seem to dislike me, refusing to flourish as I imagine! Hopefully, this will be the year we become friends! I’m also aiming to add a few fruit trees to our garden this season, although I do have some research to do to select the right trees, given our space is limited and so precious. I’d love to hear any suggestions.

 

We have also been busy refreshing a few of our products at Compost-A-Pak. All our larger Bin Liners will soon be available in rolls, rather than folds. We work with numerous businesses, councilsVented Caddy and schools who are focused on reducing their use of single-use plastics, and we hope this new approach to packaging will make our commercial rolls even more convenient to use.

This month we are also launching a new Vented Caddy. The idea of storing food scraps in a caddy with holes can seem counter-intuitive… my mind rushes to the idea of spills on my new kitchen benchtop 😊However, research shows that if you let food waste breathe for the 2-3 days it is on your kitchen bench, moisture evaporates and so any smells are actually reduced. Given Compost-A-Pak bags are completely organic, they also breathe, assisting this process. As usual we have worked to make this product as sustainable as possible. The unit is proudly manufactured with almost 80% Post-Consumer Recycled content, so it’s made of discarded drink bottles and food packaging.

As we continue to work with local councils to roll out Food Organic Recycling, this Vented Caddy will be another option, particularly in the warmer regions of our beautiful country.

 

FOGO Liner Delivery

 

Speaking of working with councils, the Federal Government has committed to making FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) collection available to all  households over the next few years.

Providing FOGO facilities so all families can compost their food waste is a really powerful change. Through such initiatives, if we can lift our national food and garden composting rate from the current trends of around half, to an average of 80%, it would be equivalent to planting 314,006 trees or taking 486,021 cars off the road each year.

With Australia already experiencing such volatile weather, let’s hope climate change initiatives like these continue to be a priority for government. We need real change! In the meantime, like so many other families, we continue to make the changes we can, to ensure we live as sustainably as possible.

Enjoy my favourite season.

Mel


 

Garden Pesto

Garden Fresh Pesto

Garden PestoOur early Autumn Harvest this year has included an abundance of gorgeous shiny green basil. Inspired, we have tackled Pesto, and it has quickly become a favourite for family dinners. It’s the perfect meal for this time of year, when an early dinner means we can eat on the deck and enjoy the last of the warm afternoon sunsets.

It also means our abundance of Fresh Basil can be preserved and enjoyed throughout the next season.

Ingredients

  • 50 Basil Leaves. The newer small ones have the best flavour! 
  • 1 Large Organic Garlic Clove
  • Sea Salt
  • Tablespoon Pine Nuts (Roasted)
  • 3 Tablespoons of Freshly Grated Cheese -either all Parmesan, or if available 1 Tablespoon of Mild Pecorino and 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan
  • 3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pesto RecipeFresh Pesto

  • Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread Pine Nuts over a baking tray and bake for a few minutes until lightly roasted. Once lightly roasted, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 or so minutes. Toasting the Pine Nuts enhances their nutty flavour, however you can skip this to save time and simply add them fresh.
  • Gently wash and dry the Basil Leaves
  • Pound Garlic and Salt in the Mortar and Pestle using a circular motion
  • Add the Basil Leaves and continue pounding
  • Add the Pine Nuts, Cheese and a Tablespoon of Olive oil and continue pounding until everything is mixed and a nice creamy consistency. You made need to add another Tablespoon of Oil at this stage to get the right consistency.

Making Pesto in a Mortar and Pestle crushes the leaves of the basil and garlic cloves releasing the flavoursome oil. It also creates a lovely organic texture….. However, if you are making a large batch, or are pressed for time…I had an Easter Hat to finish for the parade… simply use a hand blender, following the steps in the order above. The results are similar.

Storage Tips

Place the Pesto into small glass containers and flatten the top, then add the additional Olive Oil. This acts as a seal, keeping the trapped pesto fresh.Food Storage Tips

We use recycled glass bottles such as caper bottles. Having the Pesto in a small jar which is essentially a family dinner serve keeps it fresher for each meal. The Pesto will stay fresh for up to a month in a fridge.

Pesto Dinner

  • Cook desired pasta as per the instructions on the packet.
  • Mix the pesto through the pasta once cooked and gently stir until combined. There is no need to add extra heat at this stage.
  • Serve with salt, black pepper, a squeeze of lemon and lots of freshly grated parmesan.

 

Fresh Produce