Koalas, tomatoes and a walk around the frogs' gardens

Spring has sprung. Almost overnight we have leapt from frosty nights to salad days; from fireside stews to picnics; from soup to seafood. Down on the farm last evening, a koala waddled across the lawn on his way to a spring-night tryst (a koala is very noisy when he is on a date with his mate).

It was too dark for a photo and I would never disturb a koala with business on the brain, but this leaf-eater is from the same colony, and they often venture quite close to the house, which is a dog-free zone.

In the town garden, bees are buzzing, birds are bathing, and the lavender is ready to be picked and dried for bathroom posies and to put between the towels in the linen cupboard.

In both gardens, town and country, self-grown cherry tomatoes are dripping from the vines.

FROGBLOG TIP: Become a tomato convert! If you are currently a tomato buyer rather than a tomato picker, take the fattest ripest cherry or heirloom tomato from the pack, cut it into four and pop each of the quarters into a scrape of earth in some sunny spot in the garden or in a balcony pot. No need to water. Wait for rain, or the next hosing. Cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow, are generally pest free, and once you have one up and fruiting, you’ll have them for life. Let your vine sprawl and ramble, or tie it to a stake if neatness is your thing.


ROAST PUMPKIN AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

Take a double handful of pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes, and fry in a little olive oil until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add halved red cherry tomatoes and dress with fresh coriander leaves or parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature, or turn it into a meal by stirring through some cooked warm pasta. Add olives and/or sliced red onion.

SLICED HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD with char-grilled red pepper

Slice tomatoes; lie on a bed of fresh salad greens; top with marinated red pepper. Serve simply, without dressing, or use the oil from the peppers. (These peppers were hot fire-smoked down on the farm – but that is a recipe for another time!)

Next: Springtime seafood in September – some shellfish, squid and snapper...