Good Food - Owen Pidgeon

Owen Pidgeon

Owen Pidgeon writes a weekly gardening column for Canberra's Food and Wine magazine.

Owen Pidgeon is an orchardist and runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.

May day for perfect peas

Owen Pidgeon in the garden good food dinkus

May is a time for reflection about what has worked and what hasn't in the garden this year.

Good Food,Cook | Owen Pidgeon | Wed May 08 03:00:00 EST 2013

The beauty of beans

Broad beans - pic Luki Weatherly <<DSCN0017.jpg>>

There are few plants that will germinate once the frosts set in and the soil temperature has dropped.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed May 01 03:00:00 EST 2013

Golden oldie

Quinces. Ingredient detail image. Caroline Velik QUINCE recipes for Epicure. Photographed by Marina Oliphant. Food preparation and styling by Caroline Velik.

Quince trees are a good option for Canberra.

Cook | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Apr 17 03:00:00 EST 2013

The pick of the crops

At the farmer's markets growers get a chance to exchange information on the weather and the harvest.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Apr 03 03:00:00 EST 2013

Chillies a hot option

Owen Pidgeon in the garden good food dinkus

The hot summer has been quite harsh on apples, but much more to the liking of tomatoes, capsicums and chillies.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Mar 27 03:00:00 EST 2013

Give a fig

figs iStockphoto Item number: 139881408 Title: katya's figsLicence type: Royalty-free Max file size (JPEG): 25.4 x 16.9 cm (3,000 x 2,000 px) / 300 dpi Release info: No release required

To establish your fig tree, you must keep it well watered during hot, dry periods as their rooting system is quite shallow.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Mar 13 03:00:00 EST 2013

Heritage with bite

Owen Pidgeon in the garden good food dinkus

It is more than 400 years since o Cortes returned to Spain with both gold and ''golden apples''.

Drink | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Mar 06 03:00:00 EST 2013

Apple harvest under way

Owen Pidgeon in the garden good food dinkus

The apple harvest began several weeks ago for us, although there's still plenty of time left in the season.

Cook | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Feb 20 03:00:00 EST 2013

Summer's stone age

Peaches

We have just had visitors from Sydney in search of early apples and sun-ripened peaches.

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Feb 06 03:00:00 EST 2013

A little Aussie bottler

Farmers Market Federation Square . Friday 5 November 2004 Age Epicure pic. Rodger Cummins rcz041105.002.003 SPECIAL 002 , jams , conserves , preserves

As the Royal Canberra Show approaches, many skilled home gardeners will be preserving fruit and vegetables for display.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Jan 30 03:00:00 EST 2013

Midsummer maintenance

Weeding stock photo.

Watering, mulching and weeding are just some of the tasks that should be on your to do list.

Cook | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Jan 23 03:00:00 EST 2013

The fruits of your labour

Food and wine Kentish cherry jam by Robbie Howard 28th November 2012. Canberra Times photo by Karleen Minney.

Jam making has a long history, and you can be part of it with just a few items of equipment, time and attention to detail.

Good Food,Cook | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Jan 16 03:00:00 EST 2013

The cherry challenge

Orchadist Adam Gaudion checks the fruit at his Cherry orchard near Alexandra,the large cherries are grown using Adams method of covering the trees when fruiting with a plastic cover beneath the netting which protects the fruit from weather and ripens in its own micro climate. Age Newws Pic taken by John Woudstra Dec 16 2008

It seems a long way from the Caspian Sea to the Southern Tablelands of NSW, but that's how far cherries have travelled through time.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Dec 19 03:00:00 EST 2012

Right bulb moment

Owen Pidgeon in the garden good food dinkus

In the big farms out west, the wheat and oats crops have fully ripened and the harvest has begun. Another crop ready to harvest is garlic.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Dec 12 03:00:00 EST 2012

Fine fare, by all accounts

When 1200 accountants met for their annual congress in Canberra recently, one of the guest speakers was Maggie Beer, who told the gathering about her commitment to seasonal food and about the...

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Nov 28 03:00:00 EST 2012

Mulch to think of

As the days become hotter and longer, it's time to think about mulching. There are many types of mulch, but it all has one purpose - to keep moisture in and protect the surface.

Good Food | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Nov 28 03:00:00 EST 2012

Fruits need labour

Fruit trees need attention all year, but the rapid growth and fruit setting in spring brings extra needs.

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Nov 21 00:00:01 EST 2012

Sunshine blues

Plan carefully and you can make a success of blueberries in Canberra.

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Thu Nov 15 10:57:25 EST 2012

What to look for in a backyard chook

Owen Pidgeon goes in search of the best chicken for Canberra backyards.

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Nov 07 03:00:00 EST 2012

Grow your own strawberries

Now is the time to look out for home-grown strawberries. Healthy plants in rich, compost-filled soil and with plenty of sunshine can produce 350 grams to 500 grams of berries in their second year of...

Food News | Owen Pidgeon | Wed Oct 31 03:00:00 EST 2012