New Year's Day - day of the agapanthus

It's a beautiful day, and so I vowed to start the year as I would go on by going for the Eltham walk and the thing that struck me was that in more or less every moment of the walk I could see agapanthus - or should I say agapanthi? And no you can't eat them, they are mildly toxic in fact, so this post is not going to have much 'food' content. But they were so ubiquitous that I just couldn't let it pass.

Here in Australia the authorities don't like them - they are an invasive species from southern Africa. In New Zealand they have gone so far as to declare them a noxious weed. But they are beautiful to behold especially at this time of year with their huge purply/blue or white flowerhead and their glossy big green leaves. They recommend wrapping the leaves round sore feet by the way. And I think the Africans use them in some way for various pregnancy and fertility related things. The article that mentioned this wondered whether they had developed a resistance to the toxins. And interestingly the name comes from the Greek and means flower of love. It is sometimes called the Lily of the Nile and I even saw it called the Star of Bethlehem. It is not a lily by the way - indeed they still seem to be arguing about where exactly it fits into the plant hierarchy. I think the latest thought is that it is own special thing. There are around 6-10 different ones.

So basically it's a weed but a beautiful one and grown by many in their gardens in Australia. You do have to watch it though as it spreads - it tried to spread into our little bit of bushland, but I dug it out - there is no other way. However, I see it is resurfacing. As I said - very difficult to get rid of. Does it spread in southern Africa I wonder, and if so, why isn't it a weed there? I did see one positive comment though - hedges of it were said to have saved some houses from extinction in those bushfires in Kinglake. I'm not sure this is true but I can imagine that they don't burn as easily as the native vegetation which just loves to burn. The other positive from a very poor gardener's point of view (mine) is that they will grow easily and are virtually indestructible - do not need watering even in the driest of spells and stay green and beautiful for ages. You need to cut off the flower heads though when they're done or you'll get ugly looking seed heads.

Another beautiful weed. And I have to say the dandelions were looking pretty special today too. Why oh why do we get so protective of our native vegetation - it's a bit like not accepting people who are not native either - but hey doesn't that mean us? As with people so with plants and vice-versa. The landscape and population changes - but isn't that what evolution is all about?

agapanthus 3

agapanthus 2

But it's the beginning of a new year which is a cause for hope and excitement and I have dutifully made my resolutions. Three of them are food connected.

One - I vow to cook something new from an actual recipe every week. My cooking needs revitalising I feel. Though how I'm going to choose the recipe I have no idea. Should I be slightly anal and devise a method? Start at the beginning of my shelves of books and then randomly pick a recipe for example? That's democratic and methodical but full of danger I feel. But then I don't have to be completely beholden to the choice if I don't fancy it. Stick to the book but just pick another recipe. Equally dangerous is working one's way through a particularly admired book - Great Dishes of the World by Robert Carrier for example. What do I do when I get to oysters, or tripe or lobster? Or should I just search my books according to whatever it is that I have to cook? All these methods have their appeal I have to say, so maybe I'll do a bit of each. Re the Robert Carrier method - I did try that once, but didn't get very far. I didn't start at the beginning and work my way through, just picked recipes from here and there according to what I had to cook that day. If I think about it it was rather like a predecessor of this blog because when I made something I looked into it and wrote about it - in a book - by hand. it was a long time ago!

Two - I vow to have some friends (or family) over for lunch or dinner at least once a month. Sounds easy but I bet time will fly so fast that it won't happen. But this too should give me a chance to widen my repertoire. Must get on to organising this month's get together or it really won't happen.

Three, though this one is a bit tenuous food wise. I vow to see one commercial film a month - and this would most likely involve a meal out either before or after. This one is going to be achieved this week. We have the grandchildren for two nights and have decided to take them to a film on the second night. It will only be something like pizza again for the meal though.

I guess I could vow to eat out at least once a month too but I feel that is one that is more for my husband really. I can't really do that one on my own. Well I could, but it wouldn't be so much fun.

I have other resolutions but they are nothing to do with food - well I vow to maintain my weight more or less - by diet and exercise. Tick for the exercise and the fasting on that one - I'm fasting today. Not much other chance this week. Well tomorrow, but I'm not going to fast two days in a row and after the Christmas binge I think I have to keep to 5/2 rather than 6/1 for a week or so.

Happy new year.