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I’m slowly working towards some simplicity within the home, but hey! It’s a lot of hard work!

I love having a go at growing my own veges and always use herbs fresh from my garden. I try to plant from seed whenever I can and have learnt to save and share my own seed for the following year. I make Award Winning preserves and pickles; and my husband brews Award Winning boutique beers as well. I love to stockpile and try to limit quick trips to the shops. I dabble in bread making and enjoy making my own stocks too.

I enjoy feeding my family good hearty meals, nothing like those tiny restaurant stacks you have to look for on the plate. My husband maintains our vehicles and machinery and we both enjoy fabricating on a small scale mostly relying on metal & timber recyclers for any materials needed.


While I don’t always have time to reply to comments, I love reading them. I hope you enjoy your stay and I hope you learn something new because I love sharing what I learn, and I'm always looking for another new skill myself.

Cheers!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Leek & Choko soup

Walking around the garden yesterday, I was trying to decide where to put some peas in....I decided that the Choko vine has to go...I'll cut it at the base, so I still get a vine next season....but most of the vine now is dead anyway.....I made lots of plans for the garden yesterday...I'm thinking of pulling up some of the pavers in the back yard, and putting down more garden beds....I know I am adding more work for myself, but with the prices of food going up everytime I walk enter the supermarket...I don't think it leaves me much choice.

Anyway... while looking around the Choko vine...I found three new Choko's...2 of which, I picked...I found it funny to be picking Choko's as I thought they were all but finished....I still have a few sprouting chokoes, if anyone is interested in a plant....

Look at this incredibly huge Choko.....

Yep, and it's not an old one either
there was so much moisture inside when I cut it open
 All you need for this soup is:

  • 1 large leek, cut into thick slices
  • 2 choko's, peeled and cubed
  • a dab of sour cream
  • a few cups of stock 
  • salt & pepper

Fry off the leek, add the cubed choko and some stock
along with salt & pepper to taste.

Chicken, Beef & Veg Stock

Maybe even some sour cream....
Although I don't have sour cream,
I do have 'crockpot yoghurt'.
 Oh dear! you can see how dirty my stove top is, that's because I let the stock boil over...oops.
Blitz with a stick mixer to blend.

Enjoy!

11 comments:

  1. that looks tasty, do chokos grow in the wet season? I have been wondering about growing them, but not sure I have the room as I hear they can really take over... I think I really want to try yakon this year - have you ever grown that?

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  2. I have a choko vine still growing here at Wangi with tiny Chokos on it I am waiting for them to get a little bit bigger. I am not sure whether that will happen as we have not grown chokos in this area before. As a kid growing up in Brisbane our family grew lots of chokos. My mum had this great recipe where she stewed the chokos in water with lots of sugar. She served them to the family as pears with ice cream. No one knew the difference. She also substituted them for potatoes in roasts and mash.

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  3. hi
    that looks very delicious!!!
    greetings from germany

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  4. Goodness, what on earth is a choko? I've never heard of them before... What do they taste like and what is the texture of it cooked? Lovely stock, by the way - I love the rich golden color - so full of flavour and nutrition. Beautiful soup!

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  5. africanaussie: I have just finished up with the second crop for the year....by the time Winter is set in...they are normally finished. I haven't tried growing Yakon as yet, but I have put down a few Taro tubers.
    Ros: that is an excellent use of choko's making a mock stewed pear...or even mock stewed apple would be fantastic too....try adding some apple juice instead of steaming them...
    Regina..Hi to all the way in Germany...do you get Choko's in Germany?
    Little Home in the Country: Hi Sherrie...they have a rather mild, almost bland flavour, but the idea is you get to expand the quantity of one food by substituting some with Choko...the Choko takes on the flavour of whatever you are cooking...This soup was so yummy..and it was the first time I have ever used them for soup too.
    We learn something new every day.

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  6. Can't tell you how good it is to hear this information...I have them growing for the first time this year. I have also looked at the other stories about them you have pictures to and read all the comments. Thank you so much. Sarah in the U. S. A.

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  7. Hi Sarah: I'm happy to share the information with you....You will get a good return from your choko vine.....Choko Pickles are a good recipe too.

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  8. Yummm.. CHOKOS! The common green are growing like weeds - Luv all the comments & pics above..Because I don't want to let them go to waste, does anyone have a recipe for dehydrating chokos?

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  9. Hi Anon, I would love love love to have the white variety of the chili, as I love having the unusual in my garden.....so if anyone has one growing, I would be ever so grateful for a fruit to pop in the ground.
    I haven't heard of anyone dehydrating chill, but that doesn't men it hasn't been done either....when mine grow again..I will certainly give it a go and come back to report.....with any glut, I usually peel and slice or quarter then bag them into weighed lots for different recipes, then pop them in the freezer.
    You could also share them out...its amazing how many people love the old chill.

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  10. My mum used to pick baby chokos, steam them and serve them with butter & pepper - skin and all.....absolutely delish. When i was pregnant I couldn't get enough. She used to make choko pickles all the time too...truly fantastic with homemade corned beef!!!
    Vicki

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  11. Your choko recipes sound great - now to try some!

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