Seeing my pumpkins on the menu at an event with Matthew Evans
I’m sat in my favourite chair.
Looking out towards the green of my vegetable patch, just beginning to show the first effects of Autumn.
Pink Cosmos flowers bob on their super long stalks, like lollipops. Popping colour into a sea of various shades of green.
To their left, an arc of polystyrene boxes mark out vegetable garden v.2.
Cardboard collected from the local post office crowds out the ever encroaching Kikuyu grass. A grass my mother was familiar with.
“You won’t stop it”, she’d said. “It will come after you into the house…”
I’d laughed (scoffed) at her comment.
Until we returned from a two week holiday to find strands of Kikuyu grass growing up through the floor boards in the kitchen.
It’s not her first rodeo.
Despite the heat, despite the lack of rain, the pumpkin seeds I diligently planted, grew.
A bit like the Kikuyu grass.
They began as they do, from the satisfyingly large pumpkin seed. At first I planted them in pots and relocated them to the garden once established.
And then as my chores increased and time was scarce, I began to throw them directly at the garden. Sometimes not even bothering to leave the verandah, I’d peg them overarm, Shane Warne style.
When you have pigs and chickens, people begin to gift you things that might otherwise end up in landfill.
Pigs and chickens LOVE pumpkins. And because I can’t help myself, I open said vegetables, scoop out the seeds and as they say, the rest is vegetable history.
(I don’t actually know anyone who says this, maybe Costa from Gardening Australia might.).
The pumpkins grew. And grew. And grew.
Amongst rows of tomatoes, over footpaths, up and along fences. With great hulking pumpkins dropping down from overhanging vines.
Now the verandah tells a story of abundance and wonder. From all those discarded seeds, I sit amongst a sea of pumpkins. The varying colours, shapes and sizes tell of the waste/treasure I was gifted.
Shocking Halloween orange through to apricot shades and the most pleasing pale green. Rich ochre and frog greens splattered with drips of orange cream.
Bulbous masses weighing over 8kg down to delicate one meal mini ‘kin’s.
They are a wonder to behold.
They’re also making movement across the verandah challenging.
A tiny path allows a few well placed steps out the door along a narrow corridor to the garden.
Apart from gifting them to friends and incorporating them into daily meals (soup, sauces, frittatas, quiches, pasta, pies, roast dinners), it looks like they might be on the menu at an event in June held at Tocal Homestead hosted by the Local Land Services.
Matthew Evans (of Fat Pig Farm, SBS Gourmet Farmer, food critic, farmer, television broadcaster, author and chef) and yours truly are on going to be on centre stage for a day of all things smallholding.
Organised by the amazing Lori McKern of Local Land Services, the day is highlighted by a long table lunch.
I can’t wait to meet Matthew in person. I’ve fan girled him at a distance for a few years since reading his heartfelt book “Soil”.
And I especially can’t wait to chat on stage with him.
I’d love to suggest you book a ticket, but they are sold out!
If you are doing any small steps to reduce waste, composting, growing your own food or practicing any of the principles of regenerative agriculture, I see you and applaud you.
As always, thank you so much for reading.
Until next time,
Kylie x
A reminder my book Soil Sister, Farming for our Future is not just for kids. It explains, in simple terms, how regenerative farming works and how it can help heal ourselves and our planet.
And I’m also on LinkedIn.
You can contact me
if you would like me to speak at your event.
Upcoming Events:
April 20 - Book signing at the Green Seed Grocer, Kelly St Scone from 8am.
April 27 - Meet The Expert, American School of Dubai.
June 1 - Smallholder Long Lunch with Matthew Evans, Tocal Homestead. SOLD OUT.
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