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Merchant Homestead
Merchant Homestead

Category: Kitchen

A key part of a successful Homestead is the kitchen. Where we are fed and sustained, through whole foods and home cooking. Where our bountiful harvests are preserved for the future, and transformed into delicious fresh meals for today.

Even if you are not growing or producing your own food, you can still practice your homesteading skills in the kitchen! Buying harvests from local farmers, markets, or fruit and vege stores when crops are in season is a great way to fill your larder. Plus we all know eating fresh produce in season always tastes the best!

This also means you can practice the joys of jam making, dehydrating fruits, pickling, baking, brewing and preparing delicious meals – even if you haven’t got a backyard garden to supply you. You can make the most of abundance when it is here and establish food security for when things are either more scarce or more expensive.

In this area I hope to share with you some of the great recipes and ideas cooking in my kitchen. Some great ideas I’ve picked up from skilled homesteaders, homecooks and other kitchen dwellers. Where I use fresh food harvested from our Homestead, foraged locally or purchased in season to cook up delicious bites. If you come across something new or interesting, I encourage you to try it! Cooking is a skill learned through practice so the sooner you start, and the more you try, the faster you will learn.

Plus everyone loves the result, eating whole delicious and nourishing meals, which fuel our bodies and soothes our souls. A homegrown, home cooked meal is one of the most wholesome and warming gifts we can give ourselves, our families and our friends. As you would have heard, the kitchen really is the heart of the home.

Kitchen Seeded sourdough bread

Seeded Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Debbie,
August 19, 2024August 19, 2024

I’ve lived most of my life as a plain white sourdough bread enthusiast. The classic….

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Kitchen Roasted white beans and tomatoes on toast

Roasted White Beans and Tomatoes

Debbie,
May 26, 2024May 26, 2024

This recipe for Roasted White Beans and Tomatoes is a highly nutritious, delicious and vegetarian…

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Garden

Salad in all Seasons

Debbie,
March 21, 2024March 21, 2024

Salad greens are a staple in many diets, offering a burst of freshness and nutrients…

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Kitchen harvest of lemons and tangelos

Tangelo Spritzer Cocktail

Debbie,
October 27, 2023October 27, 2023

It’s Spring cocktail time! This is my go-to sunny evening sip for this time of…

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Kitchen cornbread

Cornbread Recipe

Debbie,
July 12, 2023July 12, 2023

Let’s be honest here, when I was a child the only good thing about Soup…

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Garden

Winter Herbs

Debbie,
June 28, 2023June 28, 2023

As the winter season settles in, many gardeners might think it’s time to bid farewell…

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Kitchen

French Onion Soup

Debbie,
June 8, 2023May 22, 2023

Let me tell you a little story about French Onion Soup… first off, I’m not…

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Kitchen Patatas bravas

Patatas Bravas Recipe

Debbie,
June 1, 2023May 12, 2023

Patatas Bravas is my go to, whether it be at home or out with friends…

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Kitchen tromboncino

Tromboncino Soup Recipe

Debbie,
May 18, 2023May 18, 2023

One of the most fun vegetables to grow in the summer garden is Tromboncino. A…

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Kitchen Sourdough sandwich loaf

Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Debbie,
May 8, 2023May 10, 2023

If you know me, you know I love a good sourdough. But I am also…

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Welcome to Merchant Homestead

Gardener Debbie
This is me, Debbie, in my natural habitat. Messy hair, natural face, wearing Dan’s borrowed jersey. This is the happy face of a girl in the sunshine, snacking on peas and picking spinach. It’s a good time and I’m glad you can enjoy it too. Thanks for following along my garden journey.
Ventured out to the mandarin tree without a basket Ventured out to the mandarin tree without a basket today, came back with loaded pockets 🤣🍊
Well it's been a hot minute, but focaccia is back Well it's been a hot minute, but focaccia is back on the menu! 😋🍞

#thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #sourdough #bakingbread
A moment please for this delicate pink starburst l A moment please for this delicate pink starburst little blossom. Just sprouting up from the lawn, and sure, it's a "weed" but that doesn't mean it's not a thing of beauty. Hello flower 👋🌸
If you're anything like me, you haven't removed yo If you're anything like me, you haven't removed your dead hydrangea flowers from last season yet. Turns out it only takes like two minutes, so let's do it now. 😅🪻

#mybackyard #gardening #flowergarden #nzgarden #gardeningtips
It's porridge season! Time to stock up the oat jar It's porridge season! Time to stock up the oat jar and unleash warm creamy breakfasts on my unsuspecting family. 🤤🥄

#fromscratch #homemadefood #breakfastideas #inmykitchen #healthyeating
First broccoli harvest of the year! And what a bea First broccoli harvest of the year! And what a beautiful specimen too. 😊🥦
It's mandarin season and these are some of the swe It's mandarin season and these are some of the sweetest juiciest little balls of goodness - what a sunny winter blessing 🤩🍊

#thegoodlife #urbanhomestead #growyourownfood #urbanorchard #wintergarden
You can see why they call this dinosaur kale 🦕🦖🥬 You can see why they call this dinosaur kale 🦕🦖🥬
Curried kumara soup, coming right up! 😋 #thegoodl Curried kumara soup, coming right up! 😋

#thegoodlife #fromscratch #homemadefood #soupseason #dinnerideas
When I say we're having baked beans for dinner, th When I say we're having baked beans for dinner, this is what I mean 😋
My life now 😅 #nzmum #nzbaby #relatableparenting My life now 😅

#nzmum #nzbaby #relatableparenting #pov #funnyanimals
Hello beautiful 😍 Hello beautiful 😍
So I was unaware that it's time for the bulbs to s So I was unaware that it's time for the bulbs to start flowering. We are one day away from the shortest day of the year and already these little bulbs are up and about to blossom! Which reminds me, I have another bag of daffodils that haven't even made it to the ground yet 😅 😬 time to hustle!
Homemade tandoori paste! 🤤🤤 #fromscratch #homemad Homemade tandoori paste! 🤤🤤

#fromscratch #homemadefood #UrbanHomestead #cookinghacks #homecooking
I love these little beauties. I never planted them I love these little beauties. I never planted them, they just grow here. And every now and again I spy one of these tiny little flowers peering up at me from under the grass, and that makes me happy. 😊
Easiest way to deseed a pumpkin! Put the knives do Easiest way to deseed a pumpkin! Put the knives down folks, you only need a spoon. 😊🥄

Loving the butternut in our @wonkybox.nz this season!

#fromscratch #homemadefood #cookinghacks #inmykitchen #soupseason
The winter veg are really starting to shine now! R The winter veg are really starting to shine now! Rain or shine, frosty mornings, still thriving. 🥬
Fritters!! An attempt at making a savoury pancake Fritters!! An attempt at making a savoury pancake snack for the wee man. Not posting a recipe for this one because it certainly did not meet the deliciousness threshold... 😅

#fromscratch #homemadefood #babyfood #cookingfail #homecook
Shout out to this tiny ornamental kale. Victim of Shout out to this tiny ornamental kale. Victim of an over enthusiastic (or careless?) lawn mowing man, who took out a third of our beautiful front flower garden... but hey! Look at em, he's back and ready to shine. 🤩🥬
It's starting!! Broccoli begins 🤩🥦 It's starting!! Broccoli begins 🤩🥦
There's something really lovely about orange manda There's something really lovely about orange mandarins on a frosty winters day, bringing the brightness to the garden even when the summer sun is away. 🧡🍊
The most satisfying five minutes of food prep 😋 🥬 The most satisfying five minutes of food prep 😋 🥬

#growyourownfood #KitchenGarden #homegrownfood #gardentotable #nzgardener
And just like that we're home again. Seeing off au And just like that we're home again. Seeing off autumn and welcoming winter. Red and yellow leaves litter the lawn. Mushrooms sprout around the trees. The broccoli starting to form tiny little heads. And this wee garden gnome is seeing it all for the first time. ❤️🍂
Peep the gardener! 👀 But for real, gardens are alw Peep the gardener! 👀 But for real, gardens are always under maintenance, there's always weeds creeping in or old dead growth to clear away. And while we don't need to do it every single day, it often is easier when we stay on top of things.

Life seems much the same you know? Little bad habits or niggles can creep in, old ways of being might not serve us as well as they used to. There are always things to be pruning from our daily lives to stay happy and healthy, and while it's not something we have to obsess over daily, it is much easier when we regularly prune just a little here and there. 

It's a good time to reflect on what I could prune to make my life more lovely. 

#thegoodlife #mindfulness #japanesegarden #gardening #intentionalliving
Long time, no post! If you haven't grown suspiciou Long time, no post! If you haven't grown suspicious yet, the rumours are true. We are adventuring across Japan as we speak. I have a huge backlog of photos and videos that I haven't had the time to post because I've been too busy living life to the fullest. Perhaps I'll catch up at some point, but for now, let me show you a beautiful torii gate at Meiji Jingu. The first Shinto shrine we visited on our trip and one of the most beautiful. 

If you ever have the opportunity to visit this place, I highly recommend taking a tour with Alex from @welcome_to_jpn_ he is the best tour guide we've met on our trip so far and made it a great and insightful experience. 

Sending love to everyone back home ❤️✨️
Sourdough kit from @symbiota_fermenting has delive Sourdough kit from @symbiota_fermenting has delivered! Look at this beauty of a loaf. Got to be happy with that! 🤩🍞

#gifted #homebaking #fromscratch #sourdough #sourdoughbread
I know these aren't turning into fruit this time o I know these aren't turning into fruit this time of year, but I still appreciate the effort and the little blip of yellow in the winter garden. 💛
Smashing out some banana pancakes, too easy 🤤🍌 #f Smashing out some banana pancakes, too easy 🤤🍌

#fromscratch #homemadefood #cookwithme #breakfastideas #satisfying
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