Hedgehogs or no

Last night I found a little hedgehog in the veg patch. Not knowing what to do, I looked it over and it seemed quite well but young. I put it in a box with bedding,water and a bit of bacon, and hit the internet. Searching ‘hedgehogs in Dunedin’ threw up two startlingly different points of view, a horrifying conundrum for an animal lover (meaning everything alive) like me and my household.

There is the conservationist view that hedgehogs are introduced disease carriers and that they deplete already endangered species, think ground roosting birds, and that they should be treated as vermin and killed. I understand the conservation theories behind this totally and would agree wholeheartedly that endangered indigenous species should be protected had I not found this cute little fellow who is now sleeping beside the back door myself. Also, the idea that a bounty was paid in the past for hedgehog snouts makes me shudder.

The opposing point of view is that hedgehogs mainly eat invertebrates, making it the friend of the veg patch. Apparently the diseases they carry are mainly mange and ringworm which are treatable conditions. There is plenty of advice about how to keep the hedgehog in the garden well and happy and how blessed one is to have these small critters in the garden.

I will never be able to harm the little fellow, so the question is to give it to someone in the department of conservation or set it free to live in my pesticide free back garden with the chickens.

My grandchildren are on their way to see the hedgehog, so I think I can guess the outcome of this one!

FREE: Biga Bread Starter and Bread Making Recipe

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If you follow our Blog and Email us that you want a FREE BIGA, you can either collect it or we shall mail it to you for the cost of postage only, which is $4.80 for New Zealand.

Here is the recipe for the Biga if you want to make it yourself.

La Biga or Natural Wild Yeast Starter or Bread Mother Plant

Bidga is a natural yeast starter that adds so much character to the bread. When used, the crust will be crunchier, the crumb moister and the bread will be more flavourful with a longer shelf live. Above all, you save on the cost of buying yeast all the time. The idea is to introduce natural wild yeast spores and natural bacteria to ferment the simple, introduced sugars and encourage bubbling. The lactic acid from the bacteria strengthens the gluten elasticity and intensifies the flavours.

Method

Grate one apple and one pear and place in a glass jar with one litre of temperate tap water and leave for three days at room temperature. Strain the juices from the solids and discard solids. Add 150 g of plain flour and 200 g of temperate tap water to the juice and mix very well. Mix well every couple of hours during the day. On the morning of day two mix very well, then discard 250 g of the product and top up with 150 g of plain flour and 200 g of temperate tap water. Stir very well, and keep at room temperature. Always work very hygienically and clean to avoid any outside contamination.

Repeat the above process for 14 days in a row. Stir very well every so often. You should now have almost 1500 g of product as you add more every day than you discard. If the Biga is now smelling sour and is foamy it is almost ready to use in your baking. When you have your Biga doubling in volume in about eight hours, start baking wonderful bread, focaccia, pizza and more!

Remember to start with a big enough container, preferably glass, as you will end up with a 1500g Biga that is expanding.

Making the Bread

700 g plain flour

700 g of your biga

200 g temperate tap water

60 g Extra Virgin Olive oil

20 g salt

If you were weighing accurately this should have the right consistency for your bread. Mix the above in a large bowl by stirring it slightly and then get your hands in and knead the dough until smooth (10 – 15 minutes). If the dough is too soft ad flour and if too dry add water – the dough must just not stick to your hands. The best way to work the dough and get maximum air into it to make a light bread, is by flattening the dough out in a large square of about 400 mm by 400 mm. Now press holes into the dough with your fingers, fold it double, turn it 90 degrees and flatten it out to the original size again. Keep on repeating this for 10 to 20 times until dough is light, velvety and smooth. We call this process Colomba (dove) – it is like folding over the wings of a dove.

After you have used your 700 g Biga top the rest up with 300g plain flour and 400 g temperate tap water. Mix very well and leave at room temperature until it starts to bubble – depending on temperature it will take two to eight hours. Now put it in the fridge until 12 hours before the next baking, when you should take it out and allow it to become active before using. You can vary the 400 g water and 300 g flour so that the volume stays about the same, but always in the ratio of 4 : 3 :: water : flour. This will keep years if you treat it well and work clean at all times. Every so often you can re bottle to a clean sterilised bottle.

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Dunedin – New Zealand

Today’s Harvest

What I harvested today were Carrots, Beetroot, Celery, Spring Onions and Radish. Of all the delicious foods I am going to cook from this I am most exited about the Carrot Leave Pesto. I have all my life made Basil Pesto with the abundance of Basil that was growing where ever I was, but Dunedin has taught me that you cannot grow Basil unless you have Greenhouse. So I have to make Pesto from Carrot Leaves, which I have NEVER done before. Should it be edible at all I shall post the recipe within the next few days.