Lemons; my grandmother's copper and how to make yoghurt cake

A friend (hi Libby!) asked me for this recipe so I thought I'd share it.

You could use your passionfruit or lemons from the garden for this one. I have cooked various versions of these yoghurt cakes for years. Reason being...you throw it all into the bowl without having to cream butter and sugar etc. Quick and easy and moist. In fact one of my mothers' group friends collects recipes where you don't even need a mixmaster or beaters to make things super quick and easy. The women in my mothers' group are the best cake makers I've ever come across and put me to shame with their baking but this yoghurt cake is always a success for me. I removed references to sifting flour etc - who has time for that? Throw it in and mix it up I say!

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup (280g) thick Greek-style natural yoghurt
2 cups self raising flour

Passionfruit or lemon syrup

1 cup passionfruit pulp or 1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius. To make the syrup place passionfruit pulp/lemon juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until syrupy.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the eggs and yoghurt and beat until well combined. Fold through flour. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased
 24 cm Bundt tin and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with skewer. Remove from tin and place on a serving plate. Spike all over with a thin skewer, drizzle cake with syrup and serve while still warm. Serves 8.

A bundt tin, by the way, is a round fluted cake tin with a hole in the centre.

Credit to Donna Hay's book Seasons - the best of donna hay magazine - I can recommend this for beautiful seasonal recipes replete with 'eye candy for gardeners' art direction.

Exquisitely scented Meyer lemon flower

My new lemon tree has lots of flowers on it in a late flush of summer growth. I bought the Meyer lemon (best for Canberra) with some trepidation. I think many people in Canberra know how I feel...after losing lots of plants in the drought we are battle scarred and make a commitment to new green 'babies' with sadness for the ones who were lost in the five years of bushfire, dust storms and water scarcity. Even the so-called drought hardy plants did not always live. The lush growth we are experiencing now is a temporary paradise but we all know what could lie ahead post El Nina.


Making a commitment to a Meyer lemon


There are lots of heritage lemons trees around Ainslie that are big, bushy and gorgeous but it's one of those plants that really isn't suited to local conditions and needs TLC. Once established, however, they must cope okay because there are heaps of great specimens around here that are thriving and surviving and that I eye off jealously.

I should explain that my garden has been somewhat neglected for many years due to time constraints, kikuyu grass, ravaging pet dogs, babies and toddlers needing constant supervision and, a house that was difficult to live in. We have now moved back into our beautifully renovated home which enables us to interact with the glorious garden block in which our house is situated. There is a pergola and lots of inside and outside living space and shade from the harsh elements.

 In the same way as I'm finally able to write again (I used to be a journalist) I have rediscovered the absolute joy of gardening helped by others who have inspired and helped me including the wonderful Tony T. the gentleman farmer of Crookwell who showed me how to use a mattock for weed control a la Edna Walling. With my mattock I can do anything! I have a big job ahead of me but I also have lots of existing garden infrastructure. Weeds have moved in while we were living out of our house and the place is lush and overgrown but I know through the year I will tackle everything and I'm looking forward to the transformation that will take place.

Verdigris 'the green of Greece' on my grandmother's copper.

I have planted my Meyer in a plastic tub which sits inside my late grandmother's old laundry copper which has aged to a stunning verdigris. I plan to write a post on the plants and objects we have in our gardens which are handed down through the generations like my cast iron plant and most recently a classic red geranium struck for me by my grandmother's sister.

I added worm castings and rich compost to the tub with some blood and bone and mulched it with pea straw.  I buy Seasol in bulk and feed my plants whenever I can with this liquid goodness. I'm suspicious of potting mix I have to say after seeing it dry out often enough and not really hold enough organic goodness, in my opinion. The horticulturalist at the nursery told me only to use potting mix but I ignored his advice on that one for the lemon which needs a rich rich organic medium. I did however heed his advice to give the lemon LOTS of water - the bigger the lemon, the more water it consumes he said. My compost heap contains humus-enriched soil. I feel as if I have riches more precious than gold with this beautiful earthy goodness that I have been able to use to revitalise my pot plants and start my little courtyard salad and herb garden. Six bags of sheep pellets are sitting in my front yard waiting to be added to my composting systems and future ornamental vegie gardens (check the Saturday classifieds for deliveries) and I have some pea straw on order that was advertised in the local paper for delivery.

Something useful to know - I no longer plant direct to terracotta pots but recycle plastic ones and place them inside the decorative container. Otherwise the terracotta can be too porous and crack eventually. It can also help with drainage in the case of my verdigris copper.