Simple Pumpkin Soup

When I have pumpkin, I will always turn it into soup, cake or pie. I love the intense colour it shows up in our food.
It's just brighten up your day.
This is a really easy recipe but it takes some times to brown the onions. It is important to 'caramelise' the onion so that it will bring out the taste in it.

Ingredients:

• 30g Butter
• 600g cubed pumpkin
• 1 chopped big onion
• 100ml cream
• 2 cups of water
• some salt to taste

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pot, add in the chopped onion.
2. Use medium heat, sauté the onion till a bit brown. (it will take about 20-30mins)
3. Add pumpkin and water, boil until the pumpkin is cooked, let cool.
4. Scoop the soup in the blender and blend until fine.
5. Add cream, salt and black pepper to taste.

Green Tea Cake

Mmm.. how to say? I make this cake by my experience, so consider the recipe is created in my head.
If you like green tea and the antioxidant agent in it.. lets enjoy and keep young! :D


Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• A pinch of Salt
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 green tea bags (tear and grind)

Methods

1. Sift flour, baking powder and green tea powder together 3 times.
2. Beat sugar, salt and melted butter together until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until blended (approx 1 min before adding another one), on higher speed until the mixture become pale.
3. Add half of the dry ingredients at a time, alternating with milk. Beat in low speed.
4. Add the rest of the flour by folding method and alternate with milk.
5. Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake at 160C for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans.

Taranaki Rhododendron & Garden Festival

Taranaki could easily claim to be the garden capital of New Zealand. Because the richness of volcanic soil, some said you just plant anything on the ground and watch it grows.
There are more than 50 gardens participated this year. The vision being to show case the many facets of gardening in Taranaki region : organics, artists gardens, large and small, personal or grand. However I only manage to visit about 5 gardens during this weekend, and I have great conversation with some of the owner of the gardens.

1. Pukeiti - located at 2290 Carrington Road, New Plymouth.Rhododendron.

2. Fleetwood Cottage - 38 Carrington St, New Plymouth
Huge Orchids.

3. Sentry Hill Honey - 195 Carrington St, New Plymouth
It's a very tidy and organic vege and berries garden.

4. Japanese Tea House Garden- 59 Dorset Ave, New Plymouth
Mr. M Iwata make his dream come true in New Zealand. There will be tea ceremony during the garden festival.

5. La Rosaleda- 105 Belt Road, New Plymouth
European garden feel with white and pink roses.