Friday 11th May and Saturday 12th May

We have had an 'Indian summer' here this week but change is in the air with minus C night temps forecast for this weekend and all through next week with frosts predicted.

Went to Canberra with Rhonda yesterday to see our tax accountant (we were a year behind on returns).

After sorting out the tax (Yippee – we both get refunds!) we then went shopping.

First stop was to Bunnings Belconnen where we bought a 5m x 5m x 5m triangular shade cloth and Rhonda bought a plant. It will either survive or die, knowing Rhonda’s gardening thumb, as her style is to ‘plant them and leave them to God!' lol!

We then went to Belconnen Fresh Food Markets where we bought two small snapper from the fish markets, a dozen Narooma oysters in the shell, one and a half kilograms of cooked Paradise prawns (shrimp for American readers), and a large fillet of Flake (Filleted Gummy Shark – nice ‘boneless’ fish fillets). 

Baby snapper, sometimes called 'Squire' has they have not yet

formed the distinctive 'bump' on their head above the eyes 

'Flake' fillets of Gummy Shark - superb eating fish!

We had the snapper and oysters last night and will have the Paradise prawns tonight. 

Paradise prawns

The flake I portioned down and froze for our next trip up to “The Camp”.

We also bought a large loaf of wood fire baked crusty Italian bread, hard chewy crust on the outside and soft aerated bread on the inside, which goes terrific with any seafood.

The butchers shop at the markets had goat meat pieces on the bone, so I bought a kilogram of that which I will cook as a casserole later next week. We got a whole basket full of fruit and vegetables from Ziggys Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Markets where, not surprisingly, the produce was far cheaper and fresher than that which the local supermarket’s stock!

Rhonda went up the road to the local shops after we returned while I had a nap. She had a piece of roast lamb leg (the butt end) that we had ordered from our own butcher and were planning to bake tomorrow for Sunday dinner. I had just stretched out when the doorbell went. It was a lady I drove to Canberra 2 weeks ago, she had tracked me down thru HLSS office as she remembered I was having trouble growing my chokos and she had a neighbour who would supply me with good root stock.

This morning I visited her neighbour and he gave me two sprouting chokos and  four cooking chokos as well – his vines had over 500 chokos on them this year lol! 

The choko (or also known as the chayote,) fruit is native to Mexico and has been introduced as a crop worldwide. The main growing regions are Costa Rica and  Veracruz . Chokos are either much loved or despised in Australia depending upon your background and whereabouts.

Costa Rican chayotes are predominantly exported to the European Union, whereas Veracruz is the main exporter of chayotes to the United States. Used in both raw and cooked forms. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. It can also be eaten straight, although the bland flavor makes this a dubious endeavor. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.

Well, I must go now as there’s work to be done outside and with Rhonda home she’ll get cranky if I spend too much time at the PC and not enough time outside in the garden.