I thought for this blog post I would post some photos of the harakeke plant that I am cleaning at the moment. The plant has lots of muka so is good for making piupiu and is a good length and strong so is also great for whariki. Yay!
harakeke close up 2
Initially I thought I would use it for making flax paper. I still can but now I will use it mainly for weaving whariki and share it with other weavers who may want to utilise it. I am still to plant this type at home so once I have cleaned it out, I will bring some home!
The harakeke plant has always fascinated me not only because it is a plant that my ancestors readily used in their everyday life but also for its beauty. Most of the photos that I have taken have been from inside the plant looking out or down low looking up.
harakeke close up
There is something about this view that appeals to me and with anything in nature it reminds me that there is something out there that is bigger than me.
Enjoy the photos! You can also see more of my harakeke photos at flickr and some of my flax paper art work at http://jotito.wordpress.com.
February 8, 2011 at 8:34 am
hi i love the little dandelion and it grows very very well in the backyard where i am living …..i use it as rongoa but i see you get oil from dandelion please tell me how you do that ….arohanui joan
February 8, 2011 at 9:06 am
Kiaora Joan,
Wow its been a while since I posted to this blog but am so glad that someone is still reading it!! We pick the dandelion flowers and then place them in olive oil, enough to fill the oil up. We leave them in there for 2-3 weeks depending on how quickly the flowers soak in. Its good to stir regularly over those weeks as well. Once that time is up or you think there is a reasonable amount of flower gone into the oil then strain and use! Its something that doesn’t last forever either so you might want to make small batches at a time. I hope that helps!
February 17, 2011 at 10:43 am
THANKS HEAPS IM GOING TO TRY THAT XX
February 17, 2011 at 10:47 am
OH AND LOOKING AT YOUR AWESOME PICS OF THE HARAKEKE i was at a maori food fest in kawhia a few days ago i tried some harakeke seed muffinns they were awesum im looking to see if i can find a recipe for those too now….sooooo just in case you have one?????
February 27, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Kiaora Joan, no don’t have a recipe for harakeke seed muffins but it shouldn’t be too hard to make. We make flax seed bread in a breadmaker which is absolutely delicious…Sort of my own recipe as I have adjusted although sometimes that is the way to go, find a bread recipe and modify it as you go along. I had to modify my recipe a few times but now the recipe is perfect haha and very good for you! We are also gluten free so we use buckwheat flour and a mix of rice flour and corn flour. The bulk of the recipe is ground flax seed and buckwheat. Hope that helps