From Land and Water.

Over the last weekend some new activities happened here. As we grew far more sweetcorn than we could eat when it was at its succulent best, we let the excess dry on the cobs in the garden. R and Grandson picked and unwrapped the cobs. R then scrapped all the kernels from the cobs and winnowed the debris out. 

 Using this old hand grinder R ground the corn into cornmeal.

It left it still rather coarse so he put it through a small  electric grinder. It was slightly darker in colour than commercial cornmeal.

 He then made his usual polenta.

The recipe he uses is:-

 300 grams of cornmeal

700 mls of chicken stock ( or similar )( or water )

300 mls of milk 

 1 finely chopped onion

 50 grams of butter

 1 tsp salt

120 grams of finely grated parmasan

 Sauté the onions in the butter in a large saucepan.

 Add the liquids, stir  and bring to near boil. Add salt. 

Slowly add the cornmeal while stirring, stirring stirring. 

 Pour into a buttered dish and let set. Refrigerate.

 It can then be cut into squares and fried ( makes the edges crispy ) or chips and baked with rosemary.

 It is quite rich but very tasty.

*******

 Meanwhile son was setting his net in the estuary.

 This time he caught a very large Kahawai.

 A smoker has been bought so the fillets got smoked and looked like this.

 From this he made very tasty fish cakes 

( which had mashed kumara and potato in them ).

 ******

Some of us took a trip to the closest beach  ( Omokoroa ) as Sunday was such a clear warm day. ( Mt Maunganui / Mauao in background)

The tide was well out and there were lots of mud crabs.

 The mornings now feel like Autumn but the days are still very warm.  30 degrees C  here yesterday.