Transition Fraser Coast is all about preparing the Fraser Coast for the future, taking into consideration climate change and peak oil, by raising awareness of what can be done to address these serious issues at a local level.
“So many people are unaware that food prices and food supply chains are very dependant on the price of oil,” said Maggie John, Transition Town Hervey Bay Coordinator. “One of our aims is to lower our carbon output, and this can be done by encouraging local residents to have a go at growing some of their own food.”
Transition Town Gardeners and the Hervey Bay Seed Savers Network are working together to distribute a range of plant seeds to Hervey Bay residents. This year, several varieties of seeds for edible plants will be distributed. All the plants grow well in the local area.
Seeds will be dropped into letterboxes throughout September and October and we’re aiming to reach over 3,000 households in Hervey Bay in 2010.
If you would like to help with packaging seeds or distribution please contact us. If you miss out on receiving your pigeon peas, the Hervey Bay library has packets of seeds available at the Transition Town Resource Counter.
The Pigeon Pea
Pigeon Pea
The pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), also known as the Congo bean, pesinngon, katjang goode, kachang kayu and tua re, is native to India. It is a commercially grown crop there and has been cultivated in Southeast Asia for over 500 years.
A woody, perennial and leguminous shrub that grows to about two metres in height, it is best sown from late spring through summer once the soil has warmed up. Plant the seed about 2cm deep direct where they are to grow. Plants need to be at least 1m apart.
Being perennial, once a crop has finished, it just needs a prune and another mulch of manure or organic fertiliser to prepare it for the next season’s crop. This plant is very drought resistant with the added benefit of fixing nutrients to the soil. The plant roots host bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air to convert it to soluble nitrates. Recent research also shows that the roots of the pigeon pea shrub gives off a chemical that dissolves iron phosphates in the soil, making it available to surrounding plants.
Pigeon Pea Seeds
Both young green pods with immature seeds and fully mature seeds are edible. Young pods can be eaten as pea while mature peas are usually dried and used as a pulse. The mature peas can also be sprouted. They contain more minerals, five times more Vitamin A and three times more Vitamin C then ordinary peas and the protein content can be as high as 28% making them an excellent food for vegetarians.
The leaves are excellent food for chickens and stock and a source of food for silkworms.
Use the trees as a living trellis. Plant a tomato bush underneath but make sure you plant them on the sunny side. Trellising tomatoes is work. Especially removing a dead tomato from a trellis is annoying and needless work. Let the tomatoes climb into the pigeon peas and when the tomatoes are finished, cut both back to the ground and throw them on the compost together
Pigeon Pea Pods Brown
If you only had room for one food plant in your garden, this would be it.
Pigeon Pea Recipes
Pigeon Pea Patties
1 1/2 cups cooked dry pigeon peas. (Soak overnight for quicker cooking)
Cover with water and simmer until tender, approximately 15 mins. Drain and mash and then add
1 egg
1 finely chopped onion
1 crushed clove of garlic
½ tsp minced ginger
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp cumin
1 pinch of chilli powder or a little bit of fresh chilli
Lemon juice
1tbspn tomato paste
Soya sauce or salt and pepper
2 tblpns chopped parsley
4 tblpns breadcrumbs
Mix together thoroughly then place in the fridge for an hour for it to firm up. It makes handling much easier. Form into patty shapes and coat with flour then fry lightly in oil for about three minutes each side.
Pigeon Pea Curry
Flowers of Sweet Leaf
One pound pigeon peas (dried) - cleaned, soaked, and rinsed
One or two cups coconut milk
Oil
One or two onions, chopped
One hot green chile pepper, cleaned and chopped (optional )
One teaspoon curry powder — or turmeric
Salt, to taste
In a large pot, combine pigeon peas and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the peas begin to become tender and most of the water is absorbed.
Stir in one cup of coconut milk and continue to simmer over low heat. Add more water as necessary to prevent the peas from becoming dry. While peas are simmering, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the curry powder to the oil and stir for a minute. Fry the onion and chile pepper until they are tender.
Combine the peas and onion-chile mixture and continue to simmer until peas are tender enough to eat. Add the other cup of coconut milk and simmer on the lowest possible heat for five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with Chapati or Rice
Peas and rice is a dish that is eaten throughout the Caribbean. Pigeon peas are related to the tender green sweet peas but are much higher in protein and vitamins, making this a very nutritious dish.
Pork and Pigeon Peas
Pigeon Pea Support Plant
2 cups 11oz/345g fresh/frozen pigeon peas
6 cups 48floz/1.45l water
Bouquet garni of fresh thyme, marjoram and chives
1/4lb/125g salt beef or salt pork or bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups 8floz/250ml rice
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled and chopped up
1 tablespoon lime juice
Red pepper sauce to taste (optional)
Cover and boil the peas, herbs and salt beef in four cups of water for about 1/2 hour. If you are not using salt meat, add salt to taste.
Wash the rice and drain. Add the rice, 2 more cups of water, butter, tomato and lime juice.
Bring to the boil, cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and let it simmer until all the water is steamed out (20-25 minutes).
If using Dried Pigeon Peas
If using dried pigeon peas, use 1 cup to peas and increase the water to 7 cups and cook the dried peas very rapidly for about 10-15 minutes and then reduce to simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender.