"We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and for each other. It is either that or continue merely to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make. The great obstacle is simply this: the conviction that we cannot change because we are dependant on what is wrong. But that is the addict's excuse, and we know that it will not do."
—Wendell Berry

Thursday, 1 March 2012

As it goes

Ever had one of those days where you work all day yet don't seem to have anything to show for it at the end?
I spent the day busy. Milking and doing the morning feeds. Scything the driveway (must go pick the hay up when I have finished this). Moved the pigs to their top paddock. Spent the middle of the day in the workshop where I am making a new cheese press. Then in the afternoon I put up some more framing on the new chook pens. I have cream out to make another batch of butter tonight and a big bowl of jalapeno chilli's to make sauce and some pickled chilli's for myself waiting in the kitchen. Yet here I am at the end of the day and although I am tired I feel like there is little to see for my efforts.
Mmmmm chilli sauce. Not for the faint of heart!
Uncle Ulfs Chilli sauce.
  • Two big handfuls of fresh Jalapeno chillis
  • One big handful of fresh fiesta chillis
  • One brown onion
  • Half a cup of brown sugar
  • Half a cup of cider vinegar
  • Half a cup of water
  1. Mince or blend chillis and onion to the desired consistency. Leave the seeds in if you like it hot. Remove the seeds if you do not like to live dangerously.
  2. Fry, on a high heat, with a little olive oil in a heavy pan until the onion turns translucent.
  3. Add sugar, vinegar and water. Stir until the mixture comes to the boil then turn the heat to low and continue stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken.
  4. Spoon while still hot from the pan into sterilized hot jars and seal. Allow to cool and ensure the seal is tight.
  5. Age for at least one week to allow the flavour and heat to mature.
Other news. We have had a bad run of luck with the geese. Last week four geese turned up with their throats torn out by some predator. I am completely mystified as to what exactly- the bite marks are too small for a cat or dog. Besides we have a maremma on the place and she has been completely successful in keeping the local feral dogs away. A Quoll perhaps? Or some other native predator. Whatever it is it certainly must be tough to take down a goose. A cat or even a fox would not be able to do that. Anyway, goodbye geese and I will not be putting anything else in the orchard until it is properly cleared.
Only half grown at the moment. They are currently the size of a large dog. For reference, the fence is 90cm tall.

The pigs have grown. No longer cute little piglets who could all sleep in their trough together. Their trough now could only just contain one. Feed time is sort of a porcine opera combined with all in mud wrestling. Fun to watch though. We had a good stroke of luck with a local potato grower. They are dumping their seconds potatoes in the fields for cattle and were only too happy for us to have as many tonnes as we wanted for free. We made a donation though as I feel it would be poor manners to take without any return. So I drove over last week and they loaded a one tonne crate of potatoes on the back of my truck. Now the piggies are eating like kings- boiled potatoes at every meal and we are saving a lot of money on feed.
Happy as a pig in mud and they are too. It is great fun to watch them digging and rolling about.
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