Simply Homesteading in Stroud Road, New South Wales, Australia | Fruit & vegetable shop

Simply Homesteading

Locality: Stroud Road, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 488 493 411

Address: 846 The Bucketts Way 2415 Stroud Road, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.limestonepermaculture.com

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22.01.2022 Just recently I was invited to a dear friends farm 'Clifton' to harvest some of their 'excess' delish citrus including kilos of the sweetest cumquats. This year I've crafted them into Plonky Preserves CUMQUATS w/ APPLE & A SPLASH OF COINTREAU WHISKEY CUMQUATS w/ PRUNES & WILD BLUEBERRIES. These self-designed recipes were stewed overnight in the slow cooker & finished off with a stovetop boil 'n bubble before bottling. The leftover syrup I've reserved as fruit cake syrup in readiness for soaking Christmas cakes & pudding fruit or just for splashing into soda water. Can't wait for Katie to try them.

21.01.2022 We have so many fluffy ducklings awaiting cuddles at this Sundays farm tour. We are fully booked (thankyou!) for group tours 'til December with a few tickets still available for our Christmas Farm Tour // still a few spots left in 2020 for our mid-week Private Tours. For tickets head to https://www.limestonepermaculture.com/upcoming-events Have a wonderful week y'all

18.01.2022 As I was looking around the farm for inspo. for my next batch of WILD FERMENTED CHILLI SRARACHA SAUCE, there it all was staring right at me... loads of chillies, spring onion flowers (very spicy 'n sweet) & cardamom ginger. I've thrown in most the petite chillies whole & I separated the little seedy fluff balls from the spring onion flower heads. This batch will ferment now for a few months to then be blended with some of the whey, a little ACV & sugar/honey. I was never really one to tolerate chillies yet so loved the flavour. Alas as Jane Wholefood Family says, "when fermenting chillies, the longer you leave them to ferment, the milder they become". There truly is no better way to eat them.

18.01.2022 Was just so chuffed when Permaculture Australia asked if they could use some of my Limestone Permaculture snaps to be featured in their 2021 'A Design Principle A Month' Calendar. This is a gorgeous collaboration of pictorials from across the globe, celebrating the wholesome beauty of Permaculture Living. Printed sustainably & all profits go to Permafund Australia which since 2012, has supported 39 community permaculture projects in 14 countries Nici & Brett link to purchase below

17.01.2022 I could honestly say I have devoured hundreds of mulberries over the past week or so, students, friends & family have also been happily feasting. Our region seems to have had a banger of a season and the birds must be spoilt for choice as they haven't touched our trees yet! Before they do, cuz they will, I'm preserving and bottlin' as many of them as I can. This little concentrated number I just created is just divine it's easy to create yourself esp. with an excess of mulb...erries around right now and I know so many of you have a bottle of Kylie's Gin on hand Basically in a big pot I boiled up a kilo of Mulberries, added 3 cups of Prosecco, 1 cup of h2o, coupla cups of raw sugar & a good splash of The Farmers Wife Distillery Winter Gin. Bring to a boil & simmer for 10 mins whilst mashing the mulberries to release all their juices. Heat off & strained. Back into the cleaned pot with roughly 1/2 cup lime juice & simmer 'til reduced & thickened. Magic as a low alcohol mixer splashed into soda & ice / delish drizzled on ice cream or yoghurt See more

17.01.2022 The aroma of the orange blossoms was just so intense that I wanted to capture the essence & enjoy a little longer. A handful of fallen blossoms gifted from a few gently shaken branches. Popped into the pot with 2L of h2o, 1/2 cup of raw honey & 1 large lemon juiced & sliced and placed into the pot also. Heated 'til the honey dissolved then heat off and strained. 1/4 cup of strained ginger bug slurry stirred into the mix (you could use another activator such as whey, booch etc). Funneled into bottles and lidded. Left to ferment for 24 hours at room temp (it was hot & humid so that's all the time it needed). Tastes amazing and as a bonus, it's good for your gut!

16.01.2022 Bush lemons have the perfect proportion of pith for making HOMEMADE PECTIN. With so many 'low acid' Summer fruits on their way, it will be handy to have some of this lemony syrup on hand for jam making. The pith & juice go into crafting this and the leftover rind popped into some white vinegar for making natural citrus cleaner (or you could use it to make some limoncello ) HOMEMADE BUSH LEMON PECTIN About 8 bush lemons (you can use normal lemons) 1/4 cup lemon juice (from th...e above lemons) 2 cups water Peel the zest of the lemons (leave zest aside for making homemade citrus cleaner or limoncello). Cut/trim off the white pith bits (only) ‘til you get about 250g. Chop them finely into little chopsticks. Juice the lemons ‘til you get about or so cup worth of juice. In a medium non-metallic bowl, add the chopped pith and pour over the lemon juice. Let stand for a few hours (or overnight). Then add the 2 cups of water and let stand for another hour few hours. Add this to a medium saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain mix through a muslin layered sieve into a bowl. Use or keep in the fridge for about a week / or freeze into individual iceblock cubes. I did 4 X 100ml blocks. These will last about 6 months. See more

16.01.2022 Just a reminder folks we have a Limestone Permaculture YouTube channel with virtual tours & fly-overs (old & new), our permaculture experiences and general gard...ening advice. https://www.youtube.com/user/0zDigga/videos & subscribe . . . . . #permaculture #permaculturegarden #permaculturedesign #permaculturelife #permacultureprinciples #permacultureeducation #permaculturehomestead

15.01.2022 One of my fave ways to play all this bartered 'raw' milk is to craft into BUTTERMILK. Buttermilk is just so easy to make and you can utilise it in so many delish & nutrish recipes. Like a sourdough starter is to the said bread, buttermilk is to my crepes, pancakes, cakes, sweet breads, salads & slaws, soups, stews, chicken... endless possibilities! Buttermilk technically is the slightly sweet liquid that remains after butter is churned but these days of 'very little homemade ...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Just as we put so much effort into making sure we keep us and all of you nourished here on Limestone Permaculture Farm, we also put effort into keeping our farm animals 'well' fed. Here on the farm we run an integrated animal management system, keeping all our furred & feathered friends healthy & happy which in turn benefits all involved, including the environment. This CHOOK WELLNESS MIX is a mashy mushy combo of turmeric & ginger bug slurry scraps, pumpkin incl. seeds, nast...urtium leaves & flowers, parsley, raw & fermented black garlic, yoghurt, whey, cayenne pepper, boiled eggs w/ shells, hemp oil, raw honey, dulse flakes, sprouted linseeds, wormwood & ACV. We don't chemically treat our poultry and a regular wellness mix (the recipe varies) along with fresh water daily ensures we can keep it this way. Our girls provide us with nourishment & companionship, so naturally we return the love See more

09.01.2022 The perfect day for serving up PUMPKIN, GREEN PAW PAW & KALE CURRY on BASMATI w/ GF GARLIC & CORIANDER NAAN. The aromas are still wafting through my kitchen It seriously is worth sourcing all these spices listed. I have made plenty of curries over the years and this combo is now what I am totally happy with. You may want to scale back the measurements to suit a small batch...or you could make this big birtha load and freeze for later (I'll post the GF/Vegan Naan bread rec...ipe tomorrow ) PUMPKIN, GREEN PAW PAW & KALE CURRY 2T EVOO 1 onion diced 4 garlic cloves chopped/minced 2T fresh grated ginger 4t ground cumin 2t ground coriander 2t turmeric ground OR 2T fresh 1t cinnamon 1t fenugreek seeds 1t nigella seeds 1t chilli flakes or 1 whole chilli chopped 2L vege broth/stock (enough to just cover veges) 2 cans diced tomatoes 1T raw honey or coconut sugar 8 curry tree leaves 8 cups diced pumpkin pieces 2 cups chunky chopped green paw paw or chokos or zucchini Loads of chopped kale or spinach leaves 800mls coconut milk S & P to taste / smoked salt Cooked rice or quinoa to serve Heat a large pot with oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for a few mins ‘til soft. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, fenugreek, nigella and dried/fresh chilli. Sauté 1 min more, ‘til fragrant & caramelising (but watch the bottom of the pan doesn’t caramelise too much!). Add broth/stock, tomatoes, honey/sugar, curry leaves, pumpkin & paw paw/choko/zucchini. Stir a few times and then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer ‘til pumpkin & paw paw are tender but not mushy, about 20-25mins (for this big pot), stirring occasionally. Turn off heat. Stir in kale/spinach leaves & coconut milk. Season to taste. Lid and remove from heat. Let curry sit for about half an hour to cook greens & enhance curry flavours. Serve on cooked rice/quinoa & top with a lime wedge, fresh coriander, mint raita, pickles/chutney, edible petals & toasted Naan bread.

09.01.2022 Today I ran my very first 'Hands on Homesteading' session with our adult PDC class. In keeping with social distancing, it wasn't quite as hands on as initially intended but it was a real treat to escape the kitchen & spend some time with these lovely permie peeps. I demonstrated a few simple homesteading preparations using only FRUIT, HERBS, HONEY, WATER, VINEGAR & SUGAR. We started with a chat about my journey with health & homesteading then followed with some 'from scratch' fun creating a ginger bug soda, apple scrap vinegar, natural mozzie repellent, natural citrus cleaner & herbal honey cough syrup. It's a good feeling sharing knowledge that you know others will find useful.

08.01.2022 Following on from the curry post yesterday, as promised here is the recipe for THE most delish Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Vegan NAAN BREAD. Honestly the whole thing is made in a matter of minutes and the taste (omg) & texture (light, crispy & chewy) is spot on Thankyou to https://glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk/tag/baking/ for the inspo! NAAN BREAD *GF,DF,Vegan *recipe Adapted from Gluten Free Cuppa Tea... 250g coconut yoghurt (dairy yoghurt is fine too) 250g gluten free self-raising flour 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour (saving a little of this for the benchtop & rolling pin) 1/4 t xanthan gum 1/2t gluten free baking powder 1/2t salt To Top: 1/2T minced garlic 2T finely chopped fresh coriander About cup oil of your choice Good pinch of salt flakes To a large bowl add the Yoghurt, GF flour, Tapioca Flour (leave a little for dusting the rolling pin & benchtop), Xanthan gum, Baking powder & Salt and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula. As it starts to come together, wet your hands and work the dough ‘til you can make a big ball. On the floured benchtop, knead the dough briefly so it's smooth and combined (use a little extra flour if it's too sticky or a little water if it's too dry). Cut the dough into 4 even pieces. Start with one piece and on the lightly floured surface, use the floured rolling pin to roll out the dough. Roll it out pretty thin & shape it like a Naan (rounded edged rectangle shape) & then brush the herby oil mix on top. Heat up a large frying pan & apply a light spray or smear of oil to the pan. Carefully lift up the Naan with both hands and lay it in the hot pan. Cook on one side for a few mins (it will start to puff up a bit). Flip over onto the other side and cook ‘til lovely & toasted. Watch is doesn’t burn! Repeat for the rest of the dough or fridge/freeze the dough for another time. *Once cooked this Naan doesn’t store at room temp that well (like many GF breads). For leftovers, you are better off freezing the Naan soon after cooking it and then re-toasting/frying it. Enjoy!

07.01.2022 Huge congrats to our 2020 PDC Class who graduated with flying 'designs' They called themselves 'The Drought Breakers' as they commenced just as the skies opened up after relentless drought & horrific bushfires. Well who woulda thought the year would've unfolded as it did? This resilient group of permies stuck it out through the lockdown, then to return to a newly adapted delivery of 'outdoor' education. Thankyou for your support, friendship & those amazing flowers. You have all left a lasting imprint on Limestone Permaculture Farm As a thankyou gift I made them all a jar of PICKLED TURNIPS & BEET. Here they are busy harvesting them!

05.01.2022 For a while now we have been lucky enough to barter some of our goods & services for litres & litres of the most delicious, 'super creamy' raw milk & farmcrafted raw milk products from a neighbouring Permaculture farm. Here are 2 of their healthy happy Brown Swiss X Jersey girls When it comes to raw milk/products the freshness, flavour, texture & nutrition are incomparable. Here in Australia 'raw' unpasteurised & unhomegenised milk is often not easy to come by unless you ...milk your own animal or in our case have good contacts OR you live in a country where there is a regulated raw drinking milk industry, such as in England & Wales, Northern Ireland, some USA states, some European countries and New Zealand. In our country it's still very much a 'politically sensitive' & 'highly debatable' subject. There is plenty of information online for you all to make your own educated judgment on the safety of personal consumption. This is another reason why milking your own & personally knowing your 'farmer' and their methods of safe & sanitary handling of the milk really is the way. Some of the raw milk is bottled for short term consumption, the rest I let sit & settle in the fridge for 48 hours to separate (pic 1). Then comes the very satisfying job of skimming the cream off the top to reserve & make good in ice cream, sour cream & scambled eggs. I then utilise the remaining milk to craft products where heat is involved, such as yoghurt, custard, ricotta & labneh (saving the whey for other recipes)....I still have so many milk recipes to play around with! Some tested & ticked recipes coming soon PS. Sorry, I cannot at this stage recommend the dairy farmer but I do know they are working hard towards becoming a local supplier so sit tight! See more

05.01.2022 PUMPKIN CHUTNEY WAYS Caramelised Curry Roasted Pumpkin Chutney w/ late season apples, raisins & ginger.... Rosewood & Tangelo Chutney w/ chillies, brown sugar & Christmas spices... so busy stocking up the Limestone Larder in readiness for the COUNTRY PUMPKIN FARMGATE re-opening in about 1 month

03.01.2022 This is a good time here to be preserving the last of the season's lemons. One of my fave ways to keep enjoying these sunny citrus bombs is to craft into the ever so simple, ever so tasty, ever so long lasting PRESERVED LEMONS. This batch I added some fresh NATIVE LEMON MYRTLE & some dried NATIVE MOUNTAIN PEPPER BERRIES. There are so many easy to follow recipes on the web so just pick one that tickles your fancy. If you are new to fermenting & preserving this is probably the ...easiest & safest way to start! The pepper berries I added will probably create a little blush shade into the preserve so thinking this may make a pretty PRESERVED LEMON, FINGER LIME & The Farmers Wife Distillery GIN & SODA Just muddle a small piece of unrinsed preserved lemon with some fresh finger lime pearls (or a squeeze of lime juice) & a spoonful of sugar. Add ice & top with gin, soda & a pretty native violet. Stir & enjoy! Note to self .....make this drink once preserved lemons have fermented in a few weeks! *RECIPE IN COMMENTS BELOW See more

03.01.2022 A friend just sent me this little clip. It's so naturally beautiful & ever so heartwarming