Week 5 - Family Feud

I think that if it were not for two families of plants (and I mean that literally, in the taxonomic way) I would be dead by now, or at least lying wan on my bed feverishly dictating my last will and testament while Toby asks cheerfully, "When you're dead Dad, can I have your pocket knife?"


The way I see it there is a battle going on down in the peaceful front garden of Lofty Meadows, a family feud if you will, between two of the heavy weights of the vegetable world. The two families are vying for superiority, to see who can be the most delicious and sustaining to me. The first family has been extremely productive for me so far in this project but I am expecting the second to come through later as the plants we have in the ground start to mature and bear fruit. Lets have a look. 


If you have been following the blog, and bless you if you have you little darlings, you will have noticed many of the plants from the first family featured in the Inaugural Compendium of Lofty Meadows Cuisine. If you had a horticultural bent you would've noticed a theme of the family Solanacae.  For those of you with horticultural straights I mean Eggplant, Tomato, Potato, Chillis, and Capsicum. Quite a collection of useful plants wouldn't you agree? These have all been staples in my diet for the past five weeks and I can honestly say that there hasn't been a meal that hasn't contained tomato in some way. Where would I be without Solanacae?

These are Thai Pink Egg tomatoes just like the ones we are picking now. Beautiful colour.

There are a few others in the Solanacae family that haven't made it into the Compendium but which a large part of the population find irresistible: my old acquaintances Tobacco and Datura and the mysterious but romantic sounding Deadly Nightshade which I've never had anything to do with, thank goodness. Sounds like a lamp cover gone wrong. 


There is only one other family that I think could rival such a useful bunch of delicious foods and that is the Cucurbits. Check it out: Cucumber, Watermelon, Pumpkin, Loofah, Zucchini, Sqaush, Gourd, Rock melon and probably others that I can't think of at the moment or, God forbid, don't even know about. Still, a pretty formidable list eh? Cucumbers have been fairly high up there on the menu lately too. Someone told me once eating a cucumber actually takes more energy to digest than it provides. Can anyone verify this? Banana and Cucumber, eaten bite for bite makes a very quick, convenient and tasty breakfast. 


The other family that I will probably blabber on about later, in the cooler months, is the Brassicas. Their fifteen minutes will come another time though.


I weighed myself this morning and blow me down if I haven't punched through the magical three figure barrier. Punched through it like a skydiver does a bank of cloud I might add. Check it out! 

For some reason my picture has been turned upside down. Can you work out what weight I am?

Will it ever stop it's perilous downward descent, or should I hide my pocket knife now, while I have the strength? Maybe just stop eating cucumbers.


Thankyou all for for reading. I hope it is enjoyable and you keep coming back. 


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Toodles till then,

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