tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88651657151056285742024-03-15T00:11:27.947+11:00What's for dinner?Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-25383012546263700762009-05-15T10:06:00.008+10:002009-05-15T10:23:25.569+10:00An autumn day at Sunnybrae<div><div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_XAjWBPAitcXT3E5n4nXx6z5vWB5v1VRzSlCQD83gVSZjZvV-cOdJSVcw8EEUu_D2muwRtn6KurH7v57uQoxDqvGF07HpxvT54Lt-5tYpzV4Sc48eJjcxQDB8sWz1i0Dd1LYdwIaj60/s1600-h/IMG_3795.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836677064773426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_XAjWBPAitcXT3E5n4nXx6z5vWB5v1VRzSlCQD83gVSZjZvV-cOdJSVcw8EEUu_D2muwRtn6KurH7v57uQoxDqvGF07HpxvT54Lt-5tYpzV4Sc48eJjcxQDB8sWz1i0Dd1LYdwIaj60/s400/IMG_3795.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Our first wedding anniversary was in late March. To celebrate, Nathan decided to actually listen to my complaining for once, and booked us in for a weekend lunch followed the next day by a class at Sunnybrae restaurant and cooking school in Birregurra.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>George Biron reopened his cooking school/ restaurant a year ago, after having being closed for 9 years. I am not old enough to have been in the old days, but I had read enough on his <a href="http://sunnybraerestaurantandcookingschool.blogspot.com/">blog </a>and by other food bloggers to know that he cooks my kind of food. His emphasis on using local produce, as well as growing his own vegetables (including olive trees from which olive oil is made, a bee hive, and in the future some oak trees with truffle spores!) struck a chord with Nathan and I and our crazy garden experiment, so it was with great excitement that we headed to Birregurra for the weekend.<br /><br />And what a glorious autumn weekend it was. Wonderful sunny days filled with food. I really could not ask for more! We had a lunch booked for the Sunday and a class on the Monday…<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335835972469251842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXncRq0xF0G47mFjCqUnPA5uVKxSrpJmPKxqjqnd4ddEUGO1GMynSG2igFyBaDsgIMYAejTwzDv3opWFVaO5WCqcMUznPah-N3Zj_5MrO6YhUiO0Pcp3zohyphenhyphenhlpoXzixM29xQTLptvQR0/s400/IMG_3773.jpg" border="0" /><br />The menu at Sunnybrae is mostly a set menu with very few decisions, starting with an individual entrée, two shared entrees, a main and a dessert, punctuated throughout with the fabulous potato bread. Decisions can be made on the main, and dessert. And at 66 dollars, I consider this an absolute bargain! We were eating from 1230-430ish, punctuated with a couple of walks around the property to build up more room for the next course, and to check out how the vegetable garden was going. This is such a lovely way to spend a Sunday, relaxing and eating and talking with friends and/ or lovers.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335835969046910578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAf0ZCin3tmVKqhCNQ1yTf2HgubBxE2k3dw6tf7SmvhvTquD8fiOzFV11h7rTqWEf5wYEihMqSoPVPZR5TUmu53MfGYLWq9RKUj66zKuS3qxaT2YG-sPeBJwv2UU4-3rY3ZYDctfC43o/s400/IMG_3771.jpg" border="0" /><br />When we were travelling in Europe, Nathan had a saying – ‘you can tell how good a restaurant is by the bread they serve’. This potato bread was just beautiful. And we made it the next day at the class. And then Nathan made it the next weekend. Nath made three loaves! So we must have liked it. Nathans version was a rye based version, but George’s white potato bread was crusty yet soft inside, and though not officially a sourdough, had some sour taste and a nice structure.<br /><br />We had chosen a local pinot noir to drink with lunch and it was perfect for the food – not too strong in flavour – it supported the food rather than overwhelmed it.<br /><br />As for the food, I won’t go through each course as I did forget to take photos of everything. I did love the use of edible succulents though, such as in this garden salad.</div><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836336414665458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PlDq3JERMmj4rznS7GvMd29_X4lrfGSi6QPd9R1kgaa5bnCwzCI1MA5xzCPZP9wlAWR4_KjH9ifxBFbyxwrFeM3MN2ovmsCtyAk_P_sLStPy3w9OHNYlP6gG-Nntn_lRwu2aEc1ejuI/s400/IMG_3778.jpg" border="0" />And Nathan (in the middle of a weird succulent obsession at the moment) did get a cutting of this succulent which is doing well in a pot at home.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335835974344718002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwCTIso5n8r6LL3y6DttUAcFsNDtHx5nGlaxX5zJJSI1vXhKxMC2SzAwVf_MLgmLrqmVBxckGjv9iweyZbQhMBgSdA-G_VveYZvDGEVhwcvonXZzUyOPojQigj_Rf22KJnHRyWgqMHNQ/s400/IMG_3774.jpg" border="0" /><br />Seasonal use of pomegranates which I am loving at the moment at home too. And the jamon in this dish was spectacular. </div><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335838789863038162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27Bw2waB0ZnIaYwWHd5XRkAzaTGR4gFsJey2JiYA2V-iwUjFBgrI3_etZcpbP47aFi7T8YrgPNSmuYnE4Ky3gbXSQhbOCZV-IzQ8A6CvmRMZbphtH6zUtvPT0zgyp7vX44aaJmnpc61w/s400/IMG_3776.jpg" border="0" /><br />Comfit of duck with ratatouille </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335835981367694370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKaz-6V41K5ch_P8tCOLmYFRBwjECIrRO8YM8PRi-QHVbzyCuzI808E9Uz_-ogW8CKW_QkJziGgCOhBdYYT6vmdIzN2C16JS_EI9Tb4CJSWoyvFVTzY8XsUyIqPsD1ULZkqQKIGc21Jg/s400/IMG_3777.jpg" border="0" /><br />Rabbit fillet in hare sausage with a porcini based sauce (I can’t exactly remember the description of this dish but it was fabulous) </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836338492295858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0BemG1Jh2gyFh_45ppM3DinerlwKp4AL_u7hhOzguB8teV98lv8qjiAKm15mOtyBxVCes6a60MU8Eqc7B6Kxbbwx8Ap4s28LdczJFdBZF-L16RpJGx0LpCFjiUWArvs7a01WEccuu2Y/s400/IMG_3791.jpg" border="0" /><br />Hungarian pancake with poppy seeds<br /><br />The food at Sunnybrae involves fresh seasonal produce with simple, fresh flavours that really highlight each ingredient. The use of fruit gelato in the desserts was inspired (and I am jealous of the big ice cream maker he has in the kitchen).<br /><br />We were seated facing the garden and light was streaming into the dining room. A large book case full of cook books made Nathan a little uncomfortable as he saw me getting excited about all the books (he has currently banned me from buying any more cook books until I start using the ones I have more). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836335164193426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWaYxHDPsMpAFPogG3U7167exzkYC6sDwa1qJ3FIPhYjgRGQd8wyyS5ENSZhYOy0AXo1ZvwqR7cT1z3-hguuXo0p-SMIOfsHcq3MtpGs5va_06Uq9qzWXZaym9kRrR_nQdeAfBeTsKps/s400/IMG_3785.jpg" border="0" /><br />We did not need dinner after this lunch. We stayed the night at nearby Forrest, which is in the Otway’s national park area, and has the delightful Lake Elizabeth – home to platypus and other wildlife. There are also 50km of mountain bike trails which we are yet to sample but another trip to this part of Victoria is definitely on the cards, and not just to eat at Sunnybrae again!<br /><br />The next morning we were back at Sunnybrae at 930am. George made us an expresso and we were introduced to the other folk taking the course that day. It was great speaking to other people who were basically all there because of a love of food.<br /><br />The class involved making a 4 course lunch which we all ate together at the end of the class. We started with the bread in order to give it enough resting time. George also showed us how he made his tomato passata using tomatoes from his vegie garden, and some preserved cumquats. The class involved George taking us through the techniques but sharing out the actual work which was a good way to try out what he was saying and to build camaraderie between the participants.<br /><br />We were also directed to plate our own courses in order to get a feel for presentation. I think mine needs a bit more work…<br /><br />Though the star anise cured ocean trout was beautiful and well matched with an apple and green pawpaw based salad.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836673489569954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9CZpxPbYMfR4R2LTEqX72GBMn_weq-h-xaDEf_o_lUn3ihyphenhypheng-Ii2U8S6YtOsYh_VGV7wVyNJVCfthq2b2xvFRe2zDJ5OMjUxSGE_MPYRWxQngjkuds0fPX6YSSZNhskbRkZP1soxPO0/s400/IMG_3796.jpg" border="0" /><br />The wood fire had been lit the night before and the oven was at the right temperature for us to bake our potato bread- enough loaves for us to take one home and to eat one with our shared lunch that day too.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836345866540450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBXSIdyHIiEJyW5hT7BBKuoLsCTC0hAHons2v8iL7XBCij35yuaiMK45nxIClH79eLIYuAseqhlUYebFxFT_-o5G69CmTQmnW-i-QluWPB8rWi3le640qjV1_9OoiDiiHKDyM_UFg7Vg/s400/IMG_3794.jpg" border="0" /><br />Again I did not take photos of everything, though we also made a mussel and blue eye stew, a rabbit stew served with a rice pilaf (the rice pilaf was the winner with us and we have been making it at home since), and dessert, a bay leaf scented rice pudding, which I think I plated up a bit better… (and I was impressed with my sugar burning attempt too)… <div><br /> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335837004098357010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjartQryMA3pBiy_KF73XBACEs9J_yjxR6WiH3FoQbS94mZAT2uDMacxb_FRxyfcSEQ-3d12RIZscHCqUXQ8cYf-JsDkDI_9T17ceql8Sa7Zoc9P3OHJz4A5yW6ftWuXBlHusHCch3G5Ds/s400/IMG_3802.jpg" border="0" /><br />I love capturing Nathan flaming food up –<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335836681437984226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh0ov6Ig53vSZpdcmp_SFU0uOjFnZ_DPKdHemTNR5hxxufsiv0tOavsZif1ZMMVh-Xxswe6y90GRt5bRIIboPAqdLEuCvNvr6Ldhetm01x1dZOO0jSIOBMQwVuCnqFbYMXeqD1cIjOik/s400/IMG_3801.jpg" border="0" /><br />And amusingly enough it involved a rather large blow torch (now that we have a small one at home after I complained against the use of large propane burners in the kitchen!).<br /><br />I spend a lot of my time thinking about food, reading about food and cooking, but I did pick up a lot of tricks from George during this class, and it was good to use unfamiliar ingredients. I had asked George if we could cook game in the class as I have an un-based fear of cooking unfamiliar meats. Since this course I have cooked up a rabbit at home so it did help. Nathan especially picked up some good ways of shaping bread (Nathan being the master bread maker in our household) and we are super jealous of the wood fired oven.<br /><br />The class is wonderfully informal, and I asked many questions during the day on anything I could think of. Eating the food with some wine and some conversation at the end of the class is a great way to end it. I think I will be back to Sunnybrae during truffle season! And maybe in asparagus season, there was a very impressive asparagus bed in the garden which I am a bit jealous of. Thankyou to George, Angela and Di for a great weekend.<br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-28952163650153997652009-04-22T14:45:00.004+10:002009-04-22T14:57:18.257+10:00Creatures from the Deep... or not, Yabbies!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfeT75bx1ykN44-GWRqB3vrfTCxutyYUaKdQEBu2ndSplDoWQhxy6AjY_XozZoFUHLyTc4THAt53h0NiTOu_hrxEgtmj4KN__6KRQM_2A_Kvhu_0d_zeEyl0xxMj21D8tEaSKPyicjvY/s1600-h/IMG_3768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327374116309350898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfeT75bx1ykN44-GWRqB3vrfTCxutyYUaKdQEBu2ndSplDoWQhxy6AjY_XozZoFUHLyTc4THAt53h0NiTOu_hrxEgtmj4KN__6KRQM_2A_Kvhu_0d_zeEyl0xxMj21D8tEaSKPyicjvY/s400/IMG_3768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Growing up in Sydney I never had anything to do with yabbies. Country kids seem to all have some memory of fishing for yabbies, usually involving some sort of meat on a stick/ line and often a disappointing wait for nothing. And this is what I had last year when my husband tried to show me what yabbying was like at his parents property and we got a big fat NOTHING.<br /></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Fast forward a year and the west of Victoria did not get any of that rain that Melbourne was enjoying last month, that filled our water tank plus some. It is so dry west of Geelong in this state, we drove past many empty dams, and big fields of brown. All I can say it that is is disappointing and very depressing (even more so for those who live out that way).<br /></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">On Easter Saturday, I was having a lounge around at my in laws when my mother-in-law told me to grab some wellies and head down to the (empty) dam. Father-in-law had a couple of buckets full of yabbies!<br /></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">We got two monster yabbies and many little ones (and left many behind- hopefully they dig their way into the mud and wait for the rains).<br /></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">We soaked them in buckets of fresh water for half a day and then plunged them in boiling water for under a minute. Eaten unadorned, they were very tasty. Not sure I liked the plunging them into their deaths bit but sometimes I guess we need to face the fact we really do eat (once) living creatures. Some people find their taste a bit muddy (hence the need to soak them in fresh water first), but I find it very sweet and juicy. It is rather strange that yabbies have never really been taken seriously as a commercial food stock in this country, when i think they are on par with sea cray and similar. Oh well, all the more for me!</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327374111185013474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBxfI_f7bLl3RtOY5O-Fx0zHapeOJI8agB3u2GER7SUuZBVCLWC06xhP2QqV-ZGESBBHAIhO-y8cbp8m3Y2vVSzpFAjE8ctQ5h8B9sSO58AHReUI2lEjaBjWn7Qvy9T2OXSC6SWOdrZE/s400/IMG_3762.jpg" border="0" /></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-45903986795587411922009-04-17T16:25:00.008+10:002009-04-20T13:43:18.910+10:00Collingwood Childrens Farm CafeWe have gone to the Abbotsford convent precinct quite a few times and have ridden around the Yarra river near the children's farm but I have never actually gone in or eaten there.<br /><br /><div></div><div align="justify">A couple of weekends ago we were in the neighbourhood and so we strolled down to check out how the community gardens were doing (quite well! better than ours by the looks of things), when we noticed the cafe. It seemed busy and not having had breakfast yet (and it being 12:30pm) we decided to stop in for that favourite Melbourne meal, 'Brunch'. I have to admit, since discovering how to poach our own eggs, we have not been going out for breakfast very much on weekends, but this was very enjoyable.</div><br /><div align="justify">The seating consists of some big wooden tables, some smaller tables, and some logs scattered throughout the farm (some quite close to the chickens). Ordering is done at the coffee bar and the menu consists of the usual brunchy items like eggs, pancakes and some other items like salads and a plough mans platter. Being big egg fiends we focused on the egg menu. We decided on some slowly baked beans with a poached egg on top and some oven roasted mushrooms with balsamic, thyme, feta, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a poached egg on top. These were served with some lovely toasted and buttered sourdough which we admired (and compared to Nathans latest sourdough attempts). The winning dish was the mushroom dish (which we then tried to replicate the next day, though i think our feta let us down a bit, see photo at end). The coffees were brilliant and the setting just lovely looking out over the paddocks and the free ranging chickens (and one must admit children running around chasing the geese as they do. Everyone has to learn that geese are evil and will steal your food as soon as look at you. Or is that just me and an unfortunate ice cream misadventure when I was 8?). It is difficult to remember you are actually only about 7km from the Melbourne CBD sitting there on a sunny Saturday. Highly recommended.</div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326613698473481074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK0WSOz5BRktn__5foCDOQsAe8ucdc-NnnEkHPtV20kF6MnVHPMyXmkA5BTgcKXXsLHmSpm7oo7Eqh7FakvEbSnhkW1MccwDSjHc9Ve7lIBKMrttZ2aybn28S0I-HFNYgMbl_qDXNAo0/s400/IMG_3749.jpg" border="0" /></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-41945139849711693302009-04-17T15:59:00.007+10:002009-04-17T16:24:04.128+10:00Sake and Grill Maedaya, Richmond<div align="justify">The first time we tried getting into Maedaya we had just done a yoga class and were starving, and the place was packed, with a half hour wait. So we walked on to the Vegetarian Nirvana down the road instead(which is always a good meal).<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Next time lucky it was a Wednesday night and we got bar seats right in front of the grill. Action view!</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Maedaya does 'izakaya' rather than the more common Melbourne Japanese model of sushi/ sashimi and noodles/ rice. This means most dishes are cooked on a charcoal grill and consists of marinaded meats and vegetables. Generally you order per skewer. The menu is a big laminated photo type menu (not unlike the TGI Friday menu!) which is useful for seeing what you are getting (but I could not help wondering if this means that this place is similar to TGIF for authentic Japanese?)</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">To begin with they placed a selection of dipping sauces on the table with some flat bread and told us to taste each one and if we particularly like one we could get it in a larger size. The wasabi mayonnaise was my favourite and though I do not remember the other 4 well, we found that the meats were generally well marinated as it was and did not really need more sauce.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">From memory (sorry no photos) we ordered some edamane to start and a wakame and rocket salad (which had just the right chilli kick for me and was really tasty). These came from a 'special tapas' menu that the waitress gave us as a little paper specials menu (and then took away which was a bit annoying as i wanted to try more of this stuff).</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">We then had pork belly skewers which were naughty but tasty, asparagus rolled with pork belly (similar to pancetta rolled asparagus), marinated tofu skewers, shitake mushrooms, eggplant with miso and soft shell crab (not done on the grill - was deep fried). We also got some rice ($2 each). The cost of each item was between $2-4 with the crab being $6 (my memory might not be super accurate here). What I do know is that the entire meal with some green tea cost about $40 (no Sake for us tonight on a school night, though the list was impressive).</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Overall I enjoyed dining here. The dining room fit out is interesting, with dark timbers and some random ropes hanging down one wall. The extraction system over the charcoal is quite impressive as at no point did we feel smokey. Sitting at the bar meant we got food straight from the chef as he cooked it which was nice. There were a few blips with the service and the rice came out a bit slowly but in general it was a really pleasant meal. Just a shame that it is usually so crowded or I would go there more! There is more to the menu than we tried, including some noodle dishes and some more 'main meal' style dishes but I think the grill is the way to go here.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Can someone please explain to me why blogger wont let me have spaces between each paragraph? It is very frustrating!</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-22841711950627105032009-04-05T12:21:00.002+10:002009-04-05T12:26:30.482+10:00Announcing the arrival of our first born pumpkin!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBFBG57z_QSQ2UeThBfiZvuE9FauW5GiKemCJTcg8VeNXd-eDXfl8MTF5YcP12yGhcJGOCQpZWxKFuuXAZMcwSQhrzhOKro078bMLnGWB4PMKTywRu3YR1y7hFr4DCn-3n7PZjqaLzo4/s1600-h/IMG_3743.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321027193550073794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBFBG57z_QSQ2UeThBfiZvuE9FauW5GiKemCJTcg8VeNXd-eDXfl8MTF5YcP12yGhcJGOCQpZWxKFuuXAZMcwSQhrzhOKro078bMLnGWB4PMKTywRu3YR1y7hFr4DCn-3n7PZjqaLzo4/s400/IMG_3743.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Statisitics</strong></div><div align="center">Born 4th april</div><div align="center">weight 7.5kg</div><div align="center">variety unknown (Diggers variety heirloom seed pack)</div><br /><br />So, my qustion to you is... what do I do with it?! It is too big for much other than soup i am thinking...<br /><br />And for pumpkin birthing pros - do i have to age it or harden it or something before i can eat it/ store it?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOQVH-U3bmpfHE8tRu5U-JhUn-ooMsE0C-wmdE_eolnE9ODzGp2fZzPuDeNhQW6MZrf6AOh9SXMUtimWDo0fwkks2iVU389sYyFu8w-7WFEMVQcgY6J5spWGPz4keRIBsF3J1B7mEy_Y/s1600-h/IMG_3745.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321027183927049154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOQVH-U3bmpfHE8tRu5U-JhUn-ooMsE0C-wmdE_eolnE9ODzGp2fZzPuDeNhQW6MZrf6AOh9SXMUtimWDo0fwkks2iVU389sYyFu8w-7WFEMVQcgY6J5spWGPz4keRIBsF3J1B7mEy_Y/s400/IMG_3745.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-34559812632720314282009-04-01T16:42:00.002+11:002009-04-01T16:46:18.414+11:00I did a bad bad thing...Tinned corn. red onion, capsicum. a little cheese. red wine vinegar and a dollop of yoghurt.<br /><br />This was my dinner after a game of netball last night. I had been craving TINNED corn for a little while. it has to be tinned, not frozen, not fresh.<br /><br />This, after I grew and harvested the sweetest corn I have ever eaten in my life this year. What is wrong with me?<br /><br />I think the changing of the seasons is doing strange things to my eating habbits. I am craving potatoes, meat pies (?) and really stodgy, dodgy, bad for me food. I just want it to stop so I can just eat soups and vegies from the garden.<br /><br />what are you craving at the moment that you shouldn't be?Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-78344213694054257372009-03-14T19:20:00.008+11:002009-03-16T11:57:06.310+11:00Spring vegetable soup (in autumn)<div align="justify">There have been a few rather cold and rainy days this March. A little different to the searing heat of February and to last March's heat wave. I am sitting in the dark cold of a Saturday night (maybe I need a life?), with hail outside and me very worried about the vegie garden!</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJseHBrEfTqSF_Kavuq3d1S07_r1PM01MP_B7i2CTmGK5GhUK6DVCJq-ZjVOBMYcUATnfUSdIenNa6SQLAtku1jarUBl3AEVIpD8TebqDKAqtrepiC788NItPHXtrEGHGhlc_Nt3S5MQ/s1600-h/IMG_3482.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312956273804798514" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJseHBrEfTqSF_Kavuq3d1S07_r1PM01MP_B7i2CTmGK5GhUK6DVCJq-ZjVOBMYcUATnfUSdIenNa6SQLAtku1jarUBl3AEVIpD8TebqDKAqtrepiC788NItPHXtrEGHGhlc_Nt3S5MQ/s400/IMG_3482.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div align="justify">A couple of weeks ago, I made a soup with many of the ingredients from my garden. It is based on a Bill Granger recipe, though I have changed it to suit my garden! </div><br /><div align="justify">I should also point out that the success of this soup -apart from home grown vegies, is home made chicken stock. Whenever I roast a chook (usually a barossa chook) I use the carcass to make a stock and then freeze it to use in soups, risottos etc. Play around with quantities to suit. </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong>Spring Vegie Soup</strong></div><div align="justify">serves 4 i guess. we freeze leftovers for later.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">big handful of barley (about 150-200g) boiled in water for around 30 minutes until tender, rinsed and drained</div><div align="justify">2 zucchini diced</div><div align="justify">1 carrots sliced</div><div align="justify">1-2 onions diced</div><div align="justify">cup of peas</div><div align="justify">1L chicken stock (or vegie stock)</div><div align="justify">tin of cannelini beans or other similar beans</div><div align="justify">2 red potatoes diced (i dont peel but you can)</div><div align="justify">2 garlic cloves, sliced</div><div align="justify">1 bunch silver beet</div><div align="justify">bunch of green/ purple or rattle snake beans</div><br /><div align="justify">salt, pepper and basil, lemon thyme or parsley to top soup</div><div align="justify">Parmesan cheese to serve</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Fry onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add potato, zucchini, garlic, silver beet, and cook for 5 minutes until the silver beet has wilted. Add the stock plus 1L water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rinsed barley, beans, cannelini beans and peas and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season and serve with herbs and Parmesan.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Good for cold wintry nights at any time of the year.</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-23208203190608871802009-03-14T12:37:00.007+11:002009-03-14T19:15:19.658+11:00Homecoming<div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTc_wkiC5dgQwJTYNj-ZfNvRNkclak9rOyO2nDF2vv0vVGMEJ0IwvreoB6iOv8AY4hjz6wpQLukxT4BGoB-i3SWTFPD5TtrtYX6Tg0ulJ8p-EyH2np9HJL2-kaiyunFlYzo4w4SV_gHY/s1600-h/IMG_3569.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312942487230650674" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTc_wkiC5dgQwJTYNj-ZfNvRNkclak9rOyO2nDF2vv0vVGMEJ0IwvreoB6iOv8AY4hjz6wpQLukxT4BGoB-i3SWTFPD5TtrtYX6Tg0ulJ8p-EyH2np9HJL2-kaiyunFlYzo4w4SV_gHY/s400/IMG_3569.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="justify">Last weekend we went home to Sydney for a cousins wedding. What was unusual about it was that all my siblings returned for this wedding. We haven't all been together since my wedding early last year and before that about 2 years ago. And we haven't all lived together since I moved out about 7 years ago. My sister is now in London and my brother in remote country NSW...</div><br /><div align="justify">The crazy thing was, us siblings decided to act like we did about 15 years ago. Talk about regression! It was like we had never left home, or aged. The highlight was the car trip to the airport with the three of us crammed in the back, fighting noisily before all falling asleep. Things never change!</div><br /><div align="justify">And to celebrate, my mother went into crazy cooking mood. For 5 of us she made this many dishes, most of them Arabic dishes. I forgot to take photos of all the savoury pastries she made as well. Apologies for the photos - I was hungry! </div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFNXjKYqHnV2Gd5ohyz_x_VVYInkrTj9dcRcv5j6T343L6Z44abIye1_IT12JQaq9rR99Ut57U8cYGESeHklTsOUnGeAQvonWooN4O6VhJyG-8guUU8rId3-BhcznD7j4ykakh_nhy0Q/s1600-h/IMG_3575.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312942487216662994" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFNXjKYqHnV2Gd5ohyz_x_VVYInkrTj9dcRcv5j6T343L6Z44abIye1_IT12JQaq9rR99Ut57U8cYGESeHklTsOUnGeAQvonWooN4O6VhJyG-8guUU8rId3-BhcznD7j4ykakh_nhy0Q/s400/IMG_3575.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="justify">Left -molkeyah and right- bamia. Molkeyah is a green leafy vegetable -leaves pulled of the plant 'jute' (also makes hessian!). This is cooked with lamb and lemon and too much garlic, served over rice. I have found it impossible to get this vegetable fresh in Melbourne (though I am sure you can probably find it in Dandenong somewhere) so have settled for the far inferior frozen product. Bamia is an okra and lamb stew which i have blogged about <a href="http://whatisfordinnertonight.blogspot.com/2008/07/bamia-lamb-and-okra-stew.html">here</a><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPDrNil0JJzoicO2yRfpD56R_sjawRl9l_SiPKQlUCEu89P285rQ-Rsdc0P6vBDveiJqLhBRWYBKnu1l4TZSDgB4q-cvcIvzo6dx-fkxIKLd3jVX9YF19Kliz1fe6BULYZtFXDHzcX_s/s1600-h/IMG_3574.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312942486505076114" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPDrNil0JJzoicO2yRfpD56R_sjawRl9l_SiPKQlUCEu89P285rQ-Rsdc0P6vBDveiJqLhBRWYBKnu1l4TZSDgB4q-cvcIvzo6dx-fkxIKLd3jVX9YF19Kliz1fe6BULYZtFXDHzcX_s/s400/IMG_3574.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="justify">and here we have a pasta bake and kefta bil tahini, which I have blogged previously <a href="http://whatisfordinnertonight.blogspot.com/2008/10/kefta-bil-tahini.html">here</a>. I wish I had a Pyrex dish as big as this though - mum has had it for 30 years.</p><p align="justify">Too much food was had on this trip leading to a week of vegetarianism (is that a word?). Luckily my garden is still overproducing so that has not been a problem. Arabic food often has a lot of meat in it which i can only really handle in small doses. The food and family though, were great! Hopefully it will not be as long between family get togethers.</p>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-69722470667137155902009-03-03T17:27:00.010+11:002009-03-10T11:29:00.444+11:00Stuffin’ Time<div><div><div align="justify">It is that time of the year when the vegie plot has been yielding its treasures and making it difficult to keep up with cooking things as I pick them. A couple of weekends ago, I decided to celebrate the fact that my white zucchini plant had finally fruited by stuffing them, as well as a few other things I could get my hands on! Now this did take me a while but it was a pleasant way to spend the day and it definitely tasted good!<br /><br />I wanted to do the Arabic traditional vine leaves and stuffed zucchini (warrah and koosa siami) but did not have enough vine leaves. My mother suggested on the phone from Sydney that I could use silver beet instead if I had any. Had any? I have 5 plants in the backyard! I had never eaten these silver beet rolls before but they were really lovely – difficult to say if it is better or not to the vine leaves…<br /><br />I originally posted on the way to make vineleaves the Arabic way <a href="http://whatisfordinnertonight.blogspot.com/2007/11/stuffed-vine-leaves-dolmades-warrah.html">here </a>. I basically used the same rice mix, but this time threw in some currents and pine nuts. I think these were a really nice addition, adding something sweet to the already sweet silver beet.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WtCq3NNYVZbboStjFdIO4ti_E-2VdgcvEUXL_fsdHz1HVDS-3p9D-TJ0z9DytpAHw3MLqz5Wh0nBUFglO4-dKdQpkS48OuhGmn-rhyLHhncR6ypkvlBTlrLtm_TmZapAy2IJCRxTg5I/s1600-h/IMG_3492.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845759472487794" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WtCq3NNYVZbboStjFdIO4ti_E-2VdgcvEUXL_fsdHz1HVDS-3p9D-TJ0z9DytpAHw3MLqz5Wh0nBUFglO4-dKdQpkS48OuhGmn-rhyLHhncR6ypkvlBTlrLtm_TmZapAy2IJCRxTg5I/s200/IMG_3492.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6h6YxVwhyUjCVgyWV1J-I3y4nPSNRh9kdLhv_NUD0BOuqQUiSH2JGIdEtRJkAv1O1PHzZYTpKZ__tJl40sqa8Jl1rw1rzoPJDgxu762f6S_mET_i10a4RQNwaghohZRl48msF-co1o4/s1600-h/IMG_3494.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845763337820834" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6h6YxVwhyUjCVgyWV1J-I3y4nPSNRh9kdLhv_NUD0BOuqQUiSH2JGIdEtRJkAv1O1PHzZYTpKZ__tJl40sqa8Jl1rw1rzoPJDgxu762f6S_mET_i10a4RQNwaghohZRl48msF-co1o4/s200/IMG_3494.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihdfChMWiMV4yni-UwZSDjpkfyKMuwcKE7w9JyEwrPfsi6nwehrA7Aad8wY2EownMO9mRPiY_tlvnDBWtHojfL3xpV2dz03s_gObk48T-7LDPHGk_-TEyMo1QoLjyXQQPOmNX1O3OGI4/s1600-h/IMG_3495.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845763409058530" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihdfChMWiMV4yni-UwZSDjpkfyKMuwcKE7w9JyEwrPfsi6nwehrA7Aad8wY2EownMO9mRPiY_tlvnDBWtHojfL3xpV2dz03s_gObk48T-7LDPHGk_-TEyMo1QoLjyXQQPOmNX1O3OGI4/s200/IMG_3495.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMm2Q7n9r0xI98Q7wEXGfKwEk50f11yLln_TFaVcAYsHm2Dlu_wsnDuNqZBinHjjQTmuab-SgMcePDG6hI_iw7_PowkESG2blEXk-_PHCa7GJqSkalUHQOqJyRReZMtrzvOy1OrTKMTIc/s1600-h/IMG_3496.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845766663145698" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMm2Q7n9r0xI98Q7wEXGfKwEk50f11yLln_TFaVcAYsHm2Dlu_wsnDuNqZBinHjjQTmuab-SgMcePDG6hI_iw7_PowkESG2blEXk-_PHCa7GJqSkalUHQOqJyRReZMtrzvOy1OrTKMTIc/s200/IMG_3496.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0bKNfGxAwxpt5uxwZymaNHpd-LYOcUOlRgNZTgWXKwHC1ctxCyEoisEFy2Zdyv9RXcGMjKpKLDiXbxfuPFTnUVrQ9JkhuJ8tc6UsW2DByhOSB38i7maudAbrYQ1cyZfhLzfw1TMg_3g/s1600-h/IMG_3498.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308845763565761682" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0bKNfGxAwxpt5uxwZymaNHpd-LYOcUOlRgNZTgWXKwHC1ctxCyEoisEFy2Zdyv9RXcGMjKpKLDiXbxfuPFTnUVrQ9JkhuJ8tc6UsW2DByhOSB38i7maudAbrYQ1cyZfhLzfw1TMg_3g/s200/IMG_3498.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8Kz4NHA4Tl1YJ7RN9yQbNftf4WOD86I_CjcpLNFiUQb1HN58KJcaLL2LskNmjhX7NMoER5yAviNluGbhY1_kHgDc2H1nsTs38uQRprpGyJOm9TTFz5diwJP-NHohr2RTmJNzovnrGCA/s1600-h/IMG_3508.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846220975783570" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8Kz4NHA4Tl1YJ7RN9yQbNftf4WOD86I_CjcpLNFiUQb1HN58KJcaLL2LskNmjhX7NMoER5yAviNluGbhY1_kHgDc2H1nsTs38uQRprpGyJOm9TTFz5diwJP-NHohr2RTmJNzovnrGCA/s200/IMG_3508.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These photos show the rolling up process for the silver beet. They need to be blanched briefly in boiling water to make it easier to roll. One thing to note is that the stems need to be cut away or else it makes it very difficult to roll. Large silver beet can be cut into two (or three). Place the silver beet rolls tightly into a pot as shown in the last photo. Make a sauce out of tomato paste, water, lemon and oil and pour over the top. Cook on a low heat on the stove. The silver beet rolls don’t take as long as the vine leaves – I think 30 minutes was probably enough. </div><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846956854618930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8ahcqBWV9IRltUjP-L5PFmigyF4AldCLKw0Sez4JHSPltnNv5Rb7vc4VK3Ky4bqbXpk-jq7-tk5FyomRALjjZvfWiOi2BtrHb-qH7f-6r0q-JmWyQylAOwkSn4g3Co1JKOVZnQfeyS4/s320/IMG_3514.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><br /><p align="justify">And don’t throw away those stems! Cut them up rather small, throw them into some boiling water, cook until tender. Then toss them with a sauce made from tahina, lemon and garlic. This makes a really nice side salad to the stuffed goodies.<br /><br />I also stuffed some white zucchinis from the garden...<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd3CXxdB_T0MhJAGZ5xBa2jUb8vbIPokuqjQD808xVX1u0-sP5V32e8SwiuRbMckriw5Z1MOGSfeFQ2CXH1xHkm9nB4TL0T0bQS9SdnqHt4lAccq7N0D5zVrqmEIZb0OlrmS5ilOCAb4/s1600-h/IMG_3491.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846962586126610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd3CXxdB_T0MhJAGZ5xBa2jUb8vbIPokuqjQD808xVX1u0-sP5V32e8SwiuRbMckriw5Z1MOGSfeFQ2CXH1xHkm9nB4TL0T0bQS9SdnqHt4lAccq7N0D5zVrqmEIZb0OlrmS5ilOCAb4/s320/IMG_3491.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="justify">This photo shows the hollowed out zucchini. The hollowing out tool can be purchased from Arabic grocery stores (such as in Coburg) or I guess you can try using a knife, though I think it would be very difficult to not cut the shell. I dont believe that the normal dark green zucce variety can be substituted in this dish, as it does not have the nice thick sweet skin.<br /><br />And don’t throw out the inside of the zucces! I sauté it slowly with onion and garlic for a long time until it breaks down and then add lemon, salt and pepper and cumin and coriander. This is delicious hot or cold, served as a dip with extra olive oil or as brushcetta topping. Really really good! </div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5xVv07fIPTDyFipZSxGp-5NqBgC1VUnRMEv2ZQU_KXvxZsyHtIKvKIFFO5JGS4B79IhjVnqVW44-y4Umf7LGIOLol2gZPSjUmSEQF6sMVKnpTCOdQwqY0KVGgMVjQo0FyHtSqmS_1Hs/s1600-h/IMG_3504.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846967611463906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5xVv07fIPTDyFipZSxGp-5NqBgC1VUnRMEv2ZQU_KXvxZsyHtIKvKIFFO5JGS4B79IhjVnqVW44-y4Umf7LGIOLol2gZPSjUmSEQF6sMVKnpTCOdQwqY0KVGgMVjQo0FyHtSqmS_1Hs/s320/IMG_3504.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="justify">I also stuffed these – alas not from the garden but how cute is that pumpkin! I roasted these rather than cooked on the stove and added the rice mixture already cooked (for the silver beet and zucces the rice was added uncooked). </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSUYsmGmq2C39otGAR_rFrhJ-sW8uirbeg7J4ZSEKxjRXO-iIE3r8vlMiS1g8nIm8kiPk21MUeaEu6nmUjEwoNwT1J1knzhKUQOsHafn3tuDdH3dV74ddoQUQ-YWoL1_73W7t1Yr8daA/s1600-h/IMG_3524.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308847132936126562" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSUYsmGmq2C39otGAR_rFrhJ-sW8uirbeg7J4ZSEKxjRXO-iIE3r8vlMiS1g8nIm8kiPk21MUeaEu6nmUjEwoNwT1J1knzhKUQOsHafn3tuDdH3dV74ddoQUQ-YWoL1_73W7t1Yr8daA/s320/IMG_3524.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">This is a close up of the cooked zucchini and long eggplants. So good!!! </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstB-nxSXMsJk-DknEwLXqyUAQ76lid0y2pG5oaftFDc6XaGYL-nYJD6SEL9XoiNVZZ7_AtD-lfZsgjZjg7ysTXDu30nfjk8T5L94-BeYnCHOUVK7TR5RKDNY_OmwxXKlHWhlaXR1ZONY/s1600-h/IMG_3515.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846966865020466" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstB-nxSXMsJk-DknEwLXqyUAQ76lid0y2pG5oaftFDc6XaGYL-nYJD6SEL9XoiNVZZ7_AtD-lfZsgjZjg7ysTXDu30nfjk8T5L94-BeYnCHOUVK7TR5RKDNY_OmwxXKlHWhlaXR1ZONY/s320/IMG_3515.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">This yoghurt dip is essential with stuffed goodies. Yoghurt, salt, garlic, cucumber and mint (all from the garden!).<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBXoijMbpDxHrskq8xlk1UoZhcTTLx7fRFboDXRoqyJzgUwEjKu7Yr-hPnJKE-Q2J_JL1GZieNO8gu2ALFm5atzVR2t1MUkxbf_yatpG-Ncu0Ghyfra6bw8vzq58QwRhPai7bGLVtwt8/s1600-h/IMG_3520.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308846971808704642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBXoijMbpDxHrskq8xlk1UoZhcTTLx7fRFboDXRoqyJzgUwEjKu7Yr-hPnJKE-Q2J_JL1GZieNO8gu2ALFm5atzVR2t1MUkxbf_yatpG-Ncu0Ghyfra6bw8vzq58QwRhPai7bGLVtwt8/s320/IMG_3520.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p align="center">As is this salad! Fatoush – basically tomato, cucumber, spring onions, parsley, mint, radish, toasted pita bread and a dressing of oil, lemon, sumac and garlic. We positively reeked after this meal from all the raw garlic but it was worth it! </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4hVbP2qpHaOR1XGvHrD7N5akm_d1Mn-Vp9Ajlqt0n2YQp_5gyi-651L8FYBQ2y9AZnYSjVpXKbE75EcWuVNUT1dvOPfsoqRZyvIaRLA3D5r7M2dBT-CX5IQbHiHCu5wu93vHRKHzQeo/s1600-h/IMG_3526.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308847131479244098" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4hVbP2qpHaOR1XGvHrD7N5akm_d1Mn-Vp9Ajlqt0n2YQp_5gyi-651L8FYBQ2y9AZnYSjVpXKbE75EcWuVNUT1dvOPfsoqRZyvIaRLA3D5r7M2dBT-CX5IQbHiHCu5wu93vHRKHzQeo/s320/IMG_3526.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div align="justify">And my final dinner plate (minus the pumpkin and capsicum – do you think I may have cooked too many things?).<br /><br />Wow, that was a long post. But if you find yourselves with a glut of any of these vegies – give this a go, you will not be disappointed!<br /><br />Note: All these vegies were stuffed ‘siami’ which means without meat. There is a meat version, which I personally do not like as much, but if anyone is interested I can post my mothers recipe. </div></div></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-39693401721960489752009-03-01T13:52:00.005+11:002009-03-01T14:10:58.052+11:00Swimming in tomatoes<div><div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRqCSePOgG9xg1KBX1j2goGdLvtOf-IU4pzs5ydtvJaXMQ0vK4h3wYTEY7MB97ZMY0rVWQj5eB3D9pk1gB3d3NVoxcRnma2jAJQY5qk9pgYvig46hKyVuEZ3ta4s56Q6aWb8UwUBb0EA/s1600-h/IMG_3534.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308049214620798722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRqCSePOgG9xg1KBX1j2goGdLvtOf-IU4pzs5ydtvJaXMQ0vK4h3wYTEY7MB97ZMY0rVWQj5eB3D9pk1gB3d3NVoxcRnma2jAJQY5qk9pgYvig46hKyVuEZ3ta4s56Q6aWb8UwUBb0EA/s400/IMG_3534.jpg" border="0" /></a>In early January I was moping around the garden wondering why I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">didn't</span> have any ripe tomatoes yet.</div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308049219484506274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhum4h7pJ4bW4EgRnNMS-nHXAXE7N6KBIbuED8n7RC79Q7sdEZH_p-Wv22PmgSxLb4hnkRUc2zqIQSAUbFAv8O13GvNZgEqnBfZZ0YMy6DCOpPJ9sCJnJzu0bWAtblcyML7k5Xz6MiNY/s400/IMG_3545.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="justify">Fast forward to the end of February and I am drowning in tomatoes. We are picking buckets this big every couple of days! Not bad for a first time gardener. I am wondering if maybe I planted <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">too</span> many cherry toms but I have started eating them as snacks and for almost every meal!</div><br /><div align="justify">The mission to use all our tomatoes began this week. So far we have made a tomato sauce/ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">passata</span>, a tomato relish, a gazpacho soup, and tomato and basil sorbet. We have also unfortunately started to become inundated with zucchinis (a few we <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">didn't</span> notice in the garden got to 900g!!!). So the pickling adventures also begin!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308049214485382770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII3yU2E05d4GkOUdSIJDze2ejxsSsEqwXtrE67F4_hp2i1wRa0iN6JvhAY8QkWW5KswJYuupJZKMMHwflITLgvBCWvc4fd0pWuA9iNVc7fUHLArEkQUM64L8fh9SR5tqCDglJ4ZphoHk/s400/IMG_3551.jpg" border="0" />The gazpacho was a revelation. I have never made it before and didn't realise how easy it was! I had some left over home made spelt bread which I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">whizzed</span> up to bread crumbs in a food processor. I then processed about 700g tomatoes, 150g of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cucumbers</span> (also from the garden), added 150g of the bread crumbs and then added 2 cloves of garlic, a cup of water, salt, pepper and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tabasco</span> sauce. Leave in the fridge for an hour (or overnight - I am still eating it and it is beautiful), add some good quality olive oil to serve and enjoy! I think I will try serving it with some tomato sorbet next time. <div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308049218348023010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTkCsEfqUgIILiQXs0EA7q_K2xiuOj8xLaELstpRXQLfWyj6D7bqyYCxE7VmnfnpOCNT_s7Maz0DRyFFhX3qbWu5-H7gU9fN2EHRsxWkBJKp_ENqM55RduP34Dr5Qgg6ReBwZepNzZ6k/s400/IMG_3541.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div><br /><p align="justify">We made a batch of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">passatta</span> earlier in the week. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">haven't</span> tried the results yet (as we have so many fresh ones still!) but I followed a recipe by Maggie Beer. I am a little concerned with shelf life as I have not made preserves of any kind before - any information from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">worldly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bloggers</span> reading this would be appreciated! </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308049222379840658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZTzQdBkZkiyqJZyH-yKRwsw-JKcX6NmaLxsiueNIJdtvtki4p-uT_SjBz-Yg_lIL8QmTlNjUHbTYIoIDdnQ4bFeSD8VZ2jh-L4i6lqmGz_lKmgcyxiL0OEiMnukf9JFmt6nXUWETulU/s400/IMG_3554.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="justify">And this is the latest preserve -tomato relish based on a Stephanie Alexander recipe. It seems a bit thinner than I am used to but I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">haven't</span> tried it yet. I was also thinking a tomato jam might be nice but cannot find a recipe I am happy with. </p><p align="justify">Of I go to make some zucchini bread and butter pickles. Happy eating everyone!</p>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-75279982750696361272009-02-03T17:56:00.010+11:002009-02-03T18:43:57.803+11:00Seasonal at its best<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7n_hMVMi5M3sMJ4vB8xwa0BnqVMKBsH-2Kf4mXdQFfo3Nik6ofWiVtopC2XZJqnWyIoLmWbn-6DG5zw1JY9Yc_8FknD50p-8qYz6yWb7oLghG8E_BLO53IJcZwFxJ6EjM5Ym2h06_MA/s1600-h/IMG_3459.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469476979737090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7n_hMVMi5M3sMJ4vB8xwa0BnqVMKBsH-2Kf4mXdQFfo3Nik6ofWiVtopC2XZJqnWyIoLmWbn-6DG5zw1JY9Yc_8FknD50p-8qYz6yWb7oLghG8E_BLO53IJcZwFxJ6EjM5Ym2h06_MA/s320/IMG_3459.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7w7SWnY5Z2R017RZv4qqwCc6FAhGSjOZjWdaLzc2MTp-NZtNqei77eojUBWU9qadJ9mVNBJ9AC96UoS9-vSfuZ0fnR1T6iAFsVcKI13MIpEyVpUyII4BPbFyEMi4Eo9gRKfvBXpS5hc/s1600-h/IMG_3456.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469473157335634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7w7SWnY5Z2R017RZv4qqwCc6FAhGSjOZjWdaLzc2MTp-NZtNqei77eojUBWU9qadJ9mVNBJ9AC96UoS9-vSfuZ0fnR1T6iAFsVcKI13MIpEyVpUyII4BPbFyEMi4Eo9gRKfvBXpS5hc/s320/IMG_3456.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div align="justify">Melbourne has been too hot to eat or think about food. And i have been a very tardy blogger. It is hard to be enthused about food when you have heat stroke (and yes I realise playing soccer in the middle of the day in 40C heat was not my smartest move).<br /></div><div align="justify">Somehow my garden seems to have made it through the heat, with some burnt ferns that should bounce back, and a couple of burnt tomatoes but not too many. We even got our first couple of ripe toms on the weekend which was pretty exciting. The seedlings of leek and celery that i put in the weekend before have mostly died though.</div><div align="justify"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469170803979714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdV-9kITNsBLldp3T-4u3_sBLsUvRHxhzVYEC_ufMCtxYTcDDGXVwHNT1ZVWhevTG26ruCvU9ER_tv7BkIUSBuB1JquVOyvujtKu2cU-BT4IIFbUxpIFJ2Pjhdm3uCbTDtgJaeeM6ENys/s320/IMG_3447.jpg" border="0" />And for cooking? It has mostly revolved around salads, BBQ, and for one dinner, just icecream. Luckily having all the makings of a salad in the garden makes life a bit easier and the grocery bills down. <div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">My fave salad is still the beetroot salad. We have some amazing heirloom beetroot that just need a shave, some lemon and oil and seasoning, and damn that is a good salad. In this case served with salmon, my mother-in-laws potatos in a salad, and the steamed beetroot leaves and some beans from the garden</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469154340804882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfrpC8loYFvWwERT6sU8MN7GMO62JQMGfmOviZEUJLKOq-AOMFc_2ycW-BH7f3JkdfK_KqyvDLV-gqNY0qy-RE8mME86F6fpA1tJamK8qXlSDh9jXSFIOmiV21LXvO3xPVTZxQy1VCaY/s320/IMG_3431.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="justify">I havent downloaded all my photos so dont have pics of the tomatoes, zucchinis and cucumbers or the amazing sweet corn. The 6 different varieties of basil are doing really well though and the cinnamon and lemon basils are really adding that special something to slads, sandwiches and basically any meal! The real quantities have come from my beans and my rocket. i just love the purple colour and have been adding it to everything, even sambos!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469160380633650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBnzal_LX6gBKugvWA-jzJrlmnPN1gHHxNOC1HUhlF1R-KpnLfJRXiS1bxfB65miiyY0wMaXEO97nhz_M5t9eHyCk9o9XPOP55X8EWzfduMreKA2IRlOT3YKX2gbhyphenhyphenVuaOJFIxXHNosk/s320/IMG_3444.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">We went to a Day on the Green staring Leonard Cohen a few weekends back. The show was amazing as was Paul Kelly in support! The best thing though is that you get to relax on picnic rugs and bring your own food. I am just getting too old to go stand at gigs all night (and my back never forgives me). I went with the garden theme and made a quiche using stuff from the garden pictured below. From memory it had onion, zucchini, beans, beetroot leaves and silverbeet and tomatoes. It was bloody good! All the salads were garden specials too ;) Oh and the eggs came from the inlaws and are the best eggs I have ever eaten. Real, fresh, free-range eggs. A bit of babaganoug in the corner there too.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469176529471810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjIYVG82tSUubtgHQKYACIujqu7D93lqqkUhxpF1q12vErjuzsbBb5G3Ba0hyAcNSsGV9Yhxs-kucmcquS86y_HVse5eu89ac6BynZ06zv07QeUz0KYTXkfJqZnAMvvXvIwZ1O-NAFYo/s320/IMG_3451.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div><br /><p align="justify">And lastly for today I want to talk about this wildrice salad. Basically I cooked up some brown and wildrice. I drained and rinsed the rice until cold and then added spring onions, a lot of basil and mint, some pepitas, sunflower seeds and raisins. A little bit of red capsicum and dressed with orange rind, olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Oh and some cumin and corriander spice. This salad was absolutely a winner, my husband fought me for the leftovers the next day.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298469153759866898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx047ZER69WOXulY2FeCoQihRFMxSi0XkVHuAfBYNFTXXvlwRl34KoagcPYYQzGOoyPipC4O97vL0VrcXNLz32koscC8y7bo_sb5byh496r4vdG_tNMY88_21GL13hzevvrPSXi-tqoQ/s320/IMG_3440.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Am waiting for my tomatoes to really start ripening, I have many ideas awaiting!</p><p>What are you guys eating in this hot weather?</p>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-36248741990026782332009-01-12T13:48:00.002+11:002009-01-12T13:53:08.342+11:00Kangaroo Recipes part 2; stir friesHappy New Year to all! Hope the break was restful, not too stressful, and full of fabulous food… and unlike me eaten in moderation ;)<br /><br />I finally have a chance to finish off my posts about kangaroo. Over the break we were fed many other types of meat and different functions and I struggled to eat them as they seemed so much heavier than roo. I was nice to come home and have a simple BBQ of marinated roo and salads made from vegies from the garden. More to come on our lovely garden and the vegetables it had waiting for us after 10 days away.<br /><br />The following pictures are of stir fries I have made several months ago so I won’t endeavour to put up exact recipes. To be honest it would be guessing anyway, as I never follow recipes for my stir fries anyway. As long as the basic principles are followed, tender tasty roo should be the result. I have used both the fillet and the steak that are available from supermarkets in Australia, and while the fillet is marginally better, there is not a noticeable difference.<br /><br />I found Kylie Kwong’s ‘Simple Chinese cooking’ to be a great resource for simple stir fries and techniques and now use it as a guide only. The basics need to be there – good seasoned wok, peanut oil, metal spatula, very short cooking times and never overcrowding the wok. I also find marinading the meat, particularly for roo which is very lean, to be important.<br /><br />This dish was a black bean based roo dish. I used Lee Kum Kee Black bean and garlic sauce, which I used to marinade the meat in (mixed with soy and sesame oil). Any vegies you like can be used, cook the meat first for about 1.5 minutes, in batches until seared but tender. Remove meat, then fry vegetables, again in batches and not for long. Return all ingredients to the wok and pour over a sauce made with black bean, soy and sugar. This dish is repeated often in our house as it is so quick and tasty.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290234215174201426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3HeJ-beSbXjnujXUFmeSRuGIhs1tmktzoGWhRhC2ryiQ-lddK3WmA83QiGISODIYCPit6Hh-LMvj4zuEtGWt_LxgjCBDlrBb_4z8JGPsZjiN8rV9s6vkT_t7H4YjO9hAtpI0PtN4p2s/s320/IMG_3077.jpg" border="0" /><br />This extreme close up is of my take on sweet and sour kangaroo. The sweet was in the form of fresh pineapple and the sour from the sauce based on lemon, malt vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and fresh tomatoes. Coriander is a good final addition, and again, marinade the meat in either the sweet and sour sauce or just some soy/ vinegar/ water/ cornflour mix. The meat I sliced very thinly across the grain. I found the meat broke up a little in this dish, I may have over marinaded the meat, but Nathan liked the texture of the shredded tender meat.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290234211744924706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif7pFv0aOEsU97OrvG-IF_ISyApuLBsOxS0xlnEy6qIsfyiCyGm7wSd-uS6W_EiKZI_UhfJS7vfsuylAzB_Op4biZE75eH6L_neStxEJqNIDY-AHujQo0VXKHLbSfc69Nxyp3ifHOri0/s320/IMG_3015_1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />This was Sichuan salt and pepper roo, served with steamed Asian veg, rice and pickled radish from the yard. This was an absolute winner. I used the recipe for Sichuan beef from Kylie Kwong and served the Sichuan pepper and salt separately so everyone could put as much as they liked. The meat was super tender and as it had been stir fried on its own, really quick.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290234218846939170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtnQa2RDJbKELoonrjKJ_5v8JLQQjjjwvzlwFgpdbFoy43V2FmoJ0AsBX1SUpnlQ-VbQGhekRJuc34_A_jT_Kud7mbVwBDG-S9P64Sd3ompkBqC8FvVhyGp_iD5t7RbND4G9Ru1puJdU/s320/IMG_3300.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290234226501221522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPMzvlcZ-yWDGiJScTcb3c_Ekao8VOOSoXEP3Ke8Ait-IIY708TpEjE05l1itnr_a0Bp1qcUwwUyuJJe37PfGV-ugGxLnezpQdW3lAITohBrzH5l8OTTB_gJEzqgCV4T_mfg8VTHhQXk/s320/IMG_3301.jpg" border="0" /><br />The pickled radish was pickled in salt and sugar for 40 minutes, the liquid drained and then tamari and sesame oil sprinkled over the top. I have done this with daikon too and I absolutely love it.<br /><br />If you would like more specific recipes for the sauces, leave a comment but the idea is to make the sauces to taste with whatever you have on hand. I just love the versatility of Kangaroo; so far I haven’t made a bad dish with it.<br /><br />And no I do not work for a Kangaroo meat company ;)Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-61534585971752701042008-12-12T13:23:00.014+11:002008-12-12T14:17:47.689+11:00Kangaroo Recipes: Part 1I have been quite tardy with the posts. Life seems to get in the way sometimes doesn't it? My apologies to my small readership ;)<br /><div><div><div><div><br /><div>I have been meaning to do a series of posts on my experimentations with kangaroo. Up until recently, my cooking with this native meat of ours was limited to the BBQ and spaghetti bolognaise and lasagne (which I have blogged, see recipe index). All fine recipes and a good substitute for other meats. Lately though we have been trying to think more about hip and up to the minute topics such as food miles, and sustainability. We could never be vegetarians but we are not the typical Aussie type who needs meat in every meal. I am happy with some sort of animal product once or twice a week. If my body needs more it lets me know through cravings.<br /><br />It seems crazy that we are still farming beef and lamb, which may work in the European countries, but in this tougher land of ours, makes little sense in terms of farming practise in Australia, esepcially in the drought. These ruminant animals with their hooves rip up our topsoil and their four stomachs leads to copius methane production. They require large amounts of water, directly and indirectly through feed. With a figure of 25% of our emissions being due to our four legged friends, at home we really started to feel that this type of meat should be a luxury or once in a while thing, rather than a weekly part of our shopping list.</div><br /><div>Kangaroo, on the other hand is a relatively soft-imprint-on-the-land meat. Being mammals they do not produce methane, and are very light on the ground. Moreover, it is very hard to farm kangaroo, but much of our inland pastures are full of these transient creatures (which anyone driving at dusk in country victoria quickly finds out). The method of killing kangaroos, is considered humane - shooting (though is killing any creature ever 'humane'). There are estimated millions of roos in inland Victoria and NSW, and the farming requirements are pretty much nil, apart from needing liscenced shooters to kill them.</div><br /><div>Apart from these 'lofty' reasons for eating roo, the mince is supercheap ($6-7 a kilo) and the fillets and steaks are comparitive to other meats. And importantly, they taste great, are low in fat, keep well in the fridge and are high in iron.</div><br /><div>Having said all this, my mother would never touch it, considering it a 'dirty' meat and I think this perception is quite prevalent in Australia, probably due to years of kanga mince being sold as pet food. My understanding is that all kanga meat for human consumption is triple checked and export grade (which domestically sold cattle meat is not).</div><br /><div>On to the recipes. The easiest way to eat kangaroo is to BBQ it! It is a lean meat though, so should be coated or marinaded in oil and whatever other flavours you like so that is doesnt burn. This is the mariande I most often use, but any other spcies or herbs may be used.</div><br /><div><strong>BBQ marinade</strong></div><br /><div>Olive oil</div><div>garlic</div><div>native or other pepperberries, crushed</div><div>lemon myrtle</div><div>parsley</div><br /><div>Mix ingredients and coat kangaroo fillets for at least an hour. Bring to room temperature before grilling. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, rest for 5 minutes, season, and enjoy. Do not overcook, this really does need to be medium at the most. Lemon is also very good in the marinade.</div><br /><div>The picture below shows a meal I made for myself one night. I made a quick mushroom sauce with the steak and instead of potato mash i made cauliflower and parmesan mash, which was beautiful.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278728444403266146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqB2uoQR8Pa3oF2JEr7zBgEhbMTltlPExrjrVt7H2weyDNWrYDyw8LKEN66vwmH2We24uoYlx2I9cIG03ubTBsLFR-JEzTR7QMB8Bc9zX6uV-o1n4o-mog1jQdJRxTz6YtRjL9Ickk1k0/s320/IMG_3119.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Shepherds pie and variations</strong></div><div><br /></div><div>Kangaroo mince goes absolutely beautifully in shepherds pie. I use <a href="http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/shepherd_s_pie">this recipe</a> with modifications. One is that I obviously use kangaroo mince, the other that i had a spoonfull of vegemite and of curry powder to the mince. The shots below show two different accompanying salads. One was a grated carrot salad which is a staple in this house, and the other was a salad that involved some cherry truss tomatoes, roasted.</div><div> </div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278730035282853682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cyL_2aRQ58KsxdGhSN58bXHqXB4A-KJdEkvhZ_d6_MRnVvZjsPkPtEzA2Wv1ZPRFZ1PL2JAKoy5NdnTELnLTk-lNA289twYKykaFgycwtERBWuV04G7x4IPn9mEP1xRecXiqOuL-VJo/s320/IMG_3132.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278730028904604738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIIiqX_62rPrUwevii9aazDecR0sQ6tE8hTiOQwm9O95wKbEEUw-Ctobi2iahB-ZVN4F_dBtfpbtdvhQMlxRLN2XG4OePUkwKq-sDIyEenr5FQfDKzAlw0qLDuo5l3mORSw2t0ruWoY4/s320/IMG_3238_1.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div>I have also experimented with topping with a pumpkin/ potato mix mash and this is just lovely. There needs to be at least one potato in the mash or else it is too runny, but this can always be fixed by adding breadcrumbs.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278730034728851682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpozsSKEitSg3X6XN33Ph6nSwyJLlaE9XxhHje2fLd4LZDPt9HQNpAH4WBymhWb5H17tUKhiUyoMrvNN6c8EvFewK69kdXv9rQ4m4aIVXBWxycHKKa1y1UIg_JJfhgkdZjevaifF6LrQ/s320/IMG_3288.jpg" border="0" /><br />I have also made a <strong>kangaroo stew</strong>. I used home-made chicken stock and seared the kanga before adding it to the mix. The stew doesnt need to be cooked for too long with the meat, but after 40 minutes, I found the meat was still tender (which can be a worry when cooking kangaroo due to its lean-ness) . I wont include a recipe as most people have a stew recipe they use.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278731145608826706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKW0ij8x8MDe6Ahgi0_eDhChLOdldxWntMXvdVXwzUBzU9xWBz5zDT4wzeWw-2QbQdELCnsI7uX9nw5hjPQMn1FUUWnYhGcKFzFWJVzgc-RaqiqDQB5HFEeErVs8pN6GsUl5reyHpWCs/s320/IMG_3043.jpg" border="0" /> <strong>Arabic Mousakka</strong><strong></strong></div><br /><div>I didnt know what else to call this dish. It resembles a Mousakka, but contains no bechamel or cheese, and is served with rice. </div><div><br />2 eggplants, sliced</div><div>onion</div><div>1kg mince</div><div>tomato paste</div><div>salt, pepper, mixed spices</div><div>pinenuts</div><div>2 potatoes sliced</div><div>2 tomatoes sliced</div><div>parsley </div><div><br />Firstly, grill or fry the eggplant slices </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278732650353350642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDIE9PStZqNUWWV-ngJdtRd2cUANOSAiamPwe-FxhEj5TbciWH3llGF_bdyny6O3tnn-0084Awpq-MV1GMDfjK_8gwe6R6ETscqZJZCRvIMxt8kgZk66QYHQDXDiLsQebFa8n2DRSbA8/s320/IMG_3250.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Brown the mince with onions and garlic and spices (mixed spices are good) until cooked and add parsley and pinenuts.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Lightly grease a baking dish. Arrange potato slices in one layer at bottom of dish. Top with one layer of eggplant slices. Place cooked mince on top of each eggplant slice and then top with another eggplant slice (like a sandwich). Top eggplant with tomato slices. Dilute a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste into enough water to just cover the dish contents. I also added a tin of tomatoes to the top, but this is not really necessary. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and fragrant</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Serve with rice and salad</div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278732644876601474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknifLckdA1KGsPbpaIknpC7Fm-uSgxud6_-13Lni5B-gXwIxK8rRFVUN47hFNu6-Ff7r7EX8T-5lR4nVaMKYN8P3yNLRTCgreG-uHEPVEPaoCADBgLSCFNTHL_opvDT1mOo6wlksRx9U/s320/eggplant.jpg" border="0" /><br />I have also been using Kangaroo fillet in Chinese style cooking, which tastes great! The quick stir-frying technique works really well for kangaroo and I have tried many different variations and haven't been dissapointed yet! More recipes to come in part 2... enjoy</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-31020656345750126462008-11-24T14:01:00.004+11:002008-11-24T14:17:47.860+11:00A rainy day of baking...<div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaTYr9KCDvjvZsC68OpyT-O5byzL2JIEO2KsciWTN1JUOJKKQG3LeZ4oO8JedHScnlpSsz9DEBfUNilSvFxxov34oPu6rbGjg-AdT5TffFLg_dvLkzfXQNfXSvlOUpFZSEWFGYIMtk74/s1600-h/anzac+uncooked.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054924153684098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaTYr9KCDvjvZsC68OpyT-O5byzL2JIEO2KsciWTN1JUOJKKQG3LeZ4oO8JedHScnlpSsz9DEBfUNilSvFxxov34oPu6rbGjg-AdT5TffFLg_dvLkzfXQNfXSvlOUpFZSEWFGYIMtk74/s320/anzac+uncooked.jpg" border="0" /></a>The weather this weekend was crazy. On Saturday, we had rain, hail, winds, intermixed with bursts of sunshine. The wood heater has been going flat out all weekend. The 15000L water tank we plumbed into half the roof a week ago is now half full. The vegie patch is happy (and a little battered). </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054937743691762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfIyjnWHnefE-iUW9qD1qnSm_MiL74B6NGwYvJiaPDzpiuXnJ9mEAhx_dD46JAegv84KP6hRkHjgKnihMTmWfdUYZxa8bG3lduF9OpUkmVTOyvycWdnoyZj6m6wXJLuz8HYYODH-NmEY/s320/IMG_3266.jpg" border="0" /><br />After looking forward to spring so much this year, I rather enjoyed this weekend back in winter. I nested a little, baking, and making soup, and filling the house with warmth. I ran out to the garden to pick some salad greens and radishes between downpours, but mostly took an easy weekend. I also fed some king parrots that used our deck as shelter from the rain… </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272057093114248130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz65pKAfZge5IWby9Mwh3JLtj2gt8zvSP67DCpSFkjFaSNmzIa82CjaTzM6xztejeKyo5hRhiH2sPS1xitfnes4gWXIFZF8D4qWyZR847Q2yKSBgkcmXlpA0pSlTJ-cTO9cfITlOz1Evk/s320/IMG_3270.JPG" border="0" /><br />So food wise, first up I decided to bake a loaf of bread in the neglected bread maker. We prefer to make bread using our own hands but it does take a lot of time. This sunflower and burghul wholemeal bread recipe came with the bread maker, and was easy and reasonably good for a bread maker bread. It was a bit heavy though, maybe my yeast was a bit old and maybe my flour was too (have gone and bought fresh everything now) </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054934549520306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIOQqbVCOEBF532ObB-XAERCjM7eplV2J8x-0bVzL_WimYwSvMb3CQZsZyHIGJmtIHfiffQ5n05QcVdXXWeObIP7ZchRHlri6qXLkiBWdLdG_4cHzv_MvZ9c3bbuz_EuPzLkWFOQ2kgc/s320/IMG_3275.jpg" border="0" /><br />Nathan then decided to make Anzac biscuits. We used Belinda Jefferies recipe from ‘Mix and Bake’, and the results were fabulous. Anzac biscuits are so easy to make, and were perfect for this rainy weekend (and for morning teas during the week if Nath doesn’t eat them all) </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054941719260850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PD9fQP4pAojygFM22zDWjPubCdQkY6FjUyc3G0Err7l-5mmthegIMzjQY3xGBA3ekOdVsy8uJe555d49JVAfckAdj3En8JDmYIbz7AK7WtnL2LDFnVpX58uWsa7bvcHAR-M6AYW0LxA/s320/IMG_3278.jpg" border="0" />Back to the bread maker, I decided to make pizza for dinner. Using the recipe from the instruction manual, two thin based pizzas were made with absolutely no effort. The base is not as good as the base I prepared by hand using Maggie Beers recipe for the <a href="tp://whatisfordinnertonight.blogspot.com/search/label/Pissaladière">pissalidiere </a>but it was reasonable.<br /><br />For toppings I decided to try one of our favourites – potato and rosemary. I also dropped some garlic on it and drizzled a fair bit of olive oil and salt, and a little parmasen. It was pretty good, but would have been better if the base was better. </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272057087725130306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPvFGslMN_dKQnCh8SbiuKJtdNJX2py9Wk6dnvLU3z4cmpbM-uWrZmiEgPklAOYjTBJ6HahHPGKEp76OGgJM-iP9T1bPZWkbNVV7CfxnSQ3j_7PJpXb_HmgZPg0lcyOYZSwf-nFlBKN4/s320/IMG_3284.jpg" border="0" /><br />The other pizza was a tomato based pizza with pancetta, mushrooms, olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke and mozzarella/ parmesan to finish. This was pretty good and not too heavy which was nice.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054954102855970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUR6l9Fd0VaBvGvzb2L8kcl-oGaNvcms-tzmNWhsWa_VkPcRb2R7gRHFje5FLLM-Ih7zZZRys1tlts2HHAL2fj-AJ8iQnD9CHpgh7EmFMkufXOWsrQ1kAK8X8uJlEyi7WPt-QBxyvKY1k/s320/IMG_3281.jpg" border="0" /> I served these with a fennel and anchovy salad.<br /><br />Much too much baking for one day, and I am all carb-ed up now, but it was just what we felt like! Hopefully the next two weeks will fill our tank up so we can set the drip irrigation going for the vegies. So far we are just harvesting the quick green leafy vegies and radishes but the longer growing plants are looking good (apart from some pest problems).</div></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-84870034667222340942008-11-17T15:23:00.006+11:002008-11-17T15:46:36.529+11:00My garden - a work in progress (and constant battle with the possums)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvZ8fTM5u-I29ZwnjKmRuCsAocE86yky3okBTUSnzvBSl94cJMmezB43ORXcLAjVw6Ia3GEb9WVf3_YcXaOGOcsbVVZavf2jW-fJIQD22_vRKFLtZH5QSHS9s_cuoo4nbeGwQlS3kfVo/s1600-h/yard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269480234621132482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvZ8fTM5u-I29ZwnjKmRuCsAocE86yky3okBTUSnzvBSl94cJMmezB43ORXcLAjVw6Ia3GEb9WVf3_YcXaOGOcsbVVZavf2jW-fJIQD22_vRKFLtZH5QSHS9s_cuoo4nbeGwQlS3kfVo/s320/yard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div>I have been a bit quiet on the blog front lately. I have still been cooking (and obviouly the eating never stops) but all my spare time at the moment is being taken up with my garden.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269479293822180530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY59oGyvOuJ9mabjH3HPqBGaCw-CocsBC8ToVX0o4s9_z7CJoyvkeGg9q5_F7WAzmB4cVSvjguqrs1ajKaDUbaPhorBqQubUsIIPi6FTm8G6heIxKcTD-hXdUbQyB0-_nXxaqRHpd_Yw/s320/IMG_3125.jpg" border="0" />The unplanted garden...<br /><br /><div>A moment of insanity in an unnamed supermarket led me to declare to my husband that i just HAD to start growing my own food NOW. Never mind that we need to renovate the bathroom rather urgently, or paint, or a million other things. </div><br /><div>And as my husband always does, a 'little garden' became a massive undertaking. We are still not quite done but we are getting there!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269479299346444226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscuaYxWwSgzyqa8Iwaitrn9KKekenvWYUO8aOFjQqh_O8ILJB6gFSvRTCwEKHybP7Qd8vuepUxVILnvL0WxaVbGTjmx-lYBcvpG1CuKBQ-hwgw8JiI3PwKCNwEmqRltfM9uY5vSA5eds/s320/IMG_3127.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269479288784891746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuTwMt6Te-2E6DVVi0aDBD8rU9lqKqYlA3ZmQoqqzDquqxWiOUuux7AtKdTjQSD8gpRACuytF8PjCdCv-8Tk5-HMB6SNcXULnx9TCcOcRXrasSp5haCwSaSmJq437xGCExzzPokzJVu4/s320/IMG_3122.jpg" border="0" />levelling out ground for a water tank<br /><br /><div>We have plenty of room in our yard, but we have one massive problem - possums. Possums who have now had a nibble on my vine cutting, my strawberries, by lemon and lime tree and some seedlings. Thank god they have left my front herb garden mostly alone as I have been gorging myself on parsley, rocket, corriander, dill, rosemary and mint for a few months now. Some of these are going to seed now but I cant complain.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269479282983086354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jkjCdRzDM472FVnP_qrwWXckX_foGLFQWEcpkGrJaL37cfymc_5OBFMvZFOjF8vxcbJNrvvonmEzY3AKn88bppahQ6tvKgjpYMbplzvqFQHB8Ny3TJ2H6VhoW1mc3hxRhzkXixZ3pQY/s320/herbs.jpg" border="0" />The herb garden </div><div><br /><div><div>So, this leads to the construction of an electric fence. And also the installation of a water tank. Both are not quite done yet, and i am growing the pumpkin, zucchini and jute out of the fenced area (as they need room to grow everywhere), but we are getting there...</div><br /><div>We are also having some bug problems. I think they are little grasshoppers but I am trying to be organic so not sure what to do here. I am growing some marigold and poppy and the garden is surrounded by lavender and rosemary to attract the 'good' bugs, but at the moment, the bad are outnumbering the good...</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269480241595959954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI2Gor0n7Ky8f4LXVY9Xeyoqr4kuvjA15HIfhiXx32-g2_VWqqdaAwRNiLTAgaFUIyOU3rlbcllSsorj6XXfCeRIeo4EKdpR6o9ZZyi1zR09u1VoRjRN0ogWQ1rrKB_O1IhTGKoCWh80/s320/IMG_3246.jpg" border="0" />And this photo is of an unexpected guest we had last week - an echidna! Hoepfully he has been eating some of the ants that seem to be everywhere in the garden at the moment...</div></div></div></div><p>We will have to do some netting when the tomatos start flowering to stop the birds but we are getting there slowly. Most of my plants have been grown from seed bought from the Diggers club.</p><p>An interesting point - I have planted some seeds that I got from my uncle - molkeyah as it is known in Arabic. In english, this is known as Jute - used to make hessian. Arabs use the leaves in a stew with lamb and lemon and spices for a pretty amazing dish (also called molkeyah) and as I havent been able to find any of this in melbourne's markets, I am going to try growing my own. Apparently it grows as easily as hemp so I am hoping to get a good harvest that I can freeze for the entire year.</p><p>Planted - tomatos, capsicums, eggplants, rocket, pak choy, chinese brocolli, corn, beans, beetroot, potatos, carrots (having issues with these), fennel (not doing well), silverbeet (only one plant has survived the possums), beans (climbing), zucchini, pumpkin and jute.</p><p>Hopefully in a couple of months, my posts will be about using copious amounts of tomatos! If the possums, birds and wallabies dont get it first of course!!!</p>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-43294170680678988772008-10-30T16:13:00.004+11:002008-10-30T16:17:16.650+11:00Kefta Bil Tahini<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo1I7BLT3B-hFe8jE23jDbWuu7rWBKwKNG8MO2IOjYh8iQcgJ7FePWlmnhquF6qqCREAyZA7djjHwUFSbVpn-aA2PF-xM4fXJSskqxY9UJyBzo3Tk9Ayriog9ep1_dTPt6vCVsWVVENY/s1600-h/kefta+bil+tahini.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262810976672007442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo1I7BLT3B-hFe8jE23jDbWuu7rWBKwKNG8MO2IOjYh8iQcgJ7FePWlmnhquF6qqCREAyZA7djjHwUFSbVpn-aA2PF-xM4fXJSskqxY9UJyBzo3Tk9Ayriog9ep1_dTPt6vCVsWVVENY/s320/kefta+bil+tahini.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is comfort food for me that reminds me of my childhood. It could probably be compared to ‘rissoles and mash’ if it had to be but it tastes much much better!<br /><br />This translates to Kefta with tahinin; kefta being a mince meat ball (also known as kofta in other cultures)<br /><br />It is a very simple dish, the only tricky part being making the tahini sauce, but if you follow the instructions, it should be fine. Serve with steamed basmati rice and a salad.<br /><br />Sorry i dont have a photo fo the served product - we were all too hungry to wait for a photo!<br /><br />Kefta bil tahini (serves 4)<br /><br />Kefta<br /><br />500 grams mince meat (lamb or beef)<br />1 onion, diced<br />1 tomato, finely diced<br />Bunch of parsley, diced<br />1 egg<br />Breadcrumbs<br />Cumin, coriander, mixed spice<br />Splash of Tomato sauce<br />Mixed spices, salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Tahini sauce<br /><br />2-3 tablespoons of tahini<br />Juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste<br />Water<br />Salt, pepper<br />3 Potatoes, sliced 1cm thick<br />1 onion, sliced thinly<br /><br />For the kefta, mix all ingredients with your hands, adding enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture hold shape. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to give it more hold. When ready to grill, preheat grill to 180C and roll the mixture into balls (about 2 tablespoons worth per ball). Flatten slightly and grill on both sides until cooked.<br /><br />For the tahini sauce, put the tahini in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water and beat into the tahini well, until it stops being lumpy and forms a smooth paste. Add another table spoon of water and do the same thing. If you skip this step, when you add the rest of the water, the tahini will coagulate and form a lumpy mess. Add the lemon juice, mix well and then add about 1L of water, stirring well to for a nice sauce.<br /><br />Arrange the potato slices on the bottom of an oven proof dish (such as a lasagne dish). Top with sliced onion and cooked kefta. Pour sauce over and make sure it covers most of the kefta. if it doesnt, add more water.<br /><br />Put into an oven at 180C for about 30 minutes (covered with foil), or until the liquid is bubbling and it smells good.<br /><br />Serve on rice<br /><br />yummmmmmRanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-46290465566058346612008-10-15T15:44:00.004+11:002008-10-15T15:54:46.584+11:00Why the Italians invented pasta machines...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWn6ILNMKdWb_Z-Knhxv9AvPLeoEYfofzrVJrNGzGINuY78GRIOb_PimQB2Rj8YJjpWkv3uWlPZ4UAkFR0MKmej_EBOYJAAOoNLUl3kC8D9joa3kqeYllkpXN9wk5proIbS0QQVAnJb2M/s1600-h/ravioli.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257239008295424722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWn6ILNMKdWb_Z-Knhxv9AvPLeoEYfofzrVJrNGzGINuY78GRIOb_PimQB2Rj8YJjpWkv3uWlPZ4UAkFR0MKmej_EBOYJAAOoNLUl3kC8D9joa3kqeYllkpXN9wk5proIbS0QQVAnJb2M/s320/ravioli.jpg" border="0" /></a>They only cost around 30 dollars. So why didn't I get one?<br /><div></div><br /><div>Oh no, I really want to make pasta from scratch. What was I thinking?</div><br /><div></div><div align="justify">After having a lovely pea and parmasen ravioli at Ladro a few months back, I couldnt get it out of my mind. I had to make it for myself! And luckily, the recipe was online at the <a href="http://gourmettraveller.com.au/pea_ravioli.htm">Gourmet Traveller </a>website!</div><br /><div align="justify">Apparently there are ravioli cutters too. All this would have made my life much easier. It was actually a rather easy recipe, apart from the actual rolling of the dough and filling the ravioli. My problem lies in the fact that i dont have a very good rolling pin, and i couldnt roll it thin enough. Also, I ate too much of the filling while I was making it and so made myself sick of it before dinner even arrived. Sigh</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257239011562948338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF-cdhsIa_uhD0WdUYg0snGDMyzckNR0whKJuhHxx3nCTWL8l0ZW75LtqH2xtXsVWLMUIH5wIpHHypGxHD1yx5XpQQ-JUUhPXFsOlGJG62NigPZj8PaQ7shD4zsfwY34EldmD8ynQDjM/s320/IMG_2794.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Having said all that, after serving it with a butter and sage sauce, my husband had nothing but praise for it. I couldnt enjoy it. I think there is still a bag of it in the freezer.</div><br /><div>You win some, you lose some.</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-40096234391633165972008-10-02T09:25:00.004+10:002008-10-02T09:37:35.465+10:00Pissaladière<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxS0Lk0H8ON1jYkz4G6dfZcXwkLckvG9j2oVTbMINKvFB7scNtlG5ot9iQdkC_dFI0tJtR1GfU_EIDXGhS5_JMTbuDqxRyA2PHO3uA9PPAvLc5TLaTPJM3n0T_D4aoa394vPGLCniTjs/s1600-h/pissalidiere.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252333405971586898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxS0Lk0H8ON1jYkz4G6dfZcXwkLckvG9j2oVTbMINKvFB7scNtlG5ot9iQdkC_dFI0tJtR1GfU_EIDXGhS5_JMTbuDqxRyA2PHO3uA9PPAvLc5TLaTPJM3n0T_D4aoa394vPGLCniTjs/s320/pissalidiere.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I was first introduced to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pissaladière">Pissaladiere </a>by a French friend who brought some to a picnic. I was hooked! What is there not to like in a pizza which is covered in slow cooked onions, anchovies and olives? (I may have eaten much more than my fair share that day!) While travelling in France we came across it in the bakeries in Nice, and dragged ourselves away from their baguettes long enough to purchase a few in our travels.</div><br /><div>So, I decided one Saturday that I had to make some myself. I didnt have a set recipe (which is what i do all the time), i knew the topping was basically slowly cooked onion with some thyme, salt and pepper and then topped with the anchovies and olives. For the base i used a recipe from Maggie Beers massive cook book for flat bread. The base can also be a shortcrust style pastry, depending on your mood. As I begun though I noticed I only had spelt flour so it became a spelt based pizza. This was not a problem in itself though it was a bit more difficult to knead and I had to call in the master kneader (Nathan) to finish it off for me.</div><br /><div>And the result? Fantastic! The spelt probably made the base heavier but this wasnt a problem at all, with it being crispy and chewy and a perfect base for the onions. i had too much dough and not enough onions so one pizza ended up with an olive oil, garlic and rosemary topping which we ate straight out of the oven with more oil drizzled over it. mmmm</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-19945194419099914942008-09-23T14:25:00.002+10:002008-09-23T14:29:15.985+10:00The ethical quandary of chocolate and how to better appreciate it<div align="justify">Upon telling my friends excitedly that I was going to a chocolate appreciation course at Monsieur Truffle, the standard response was ‘and you don’t already know how to appreciate chocolate???’<br /><br />There really is a difference between enjoying the consumption of something, and really paying attention to the thing you are eating, where it came from, and how it was made.<br /><br />We have an after dinner tradition at my house of eating a square of dark chocolate (usually Lindt 70%). As a child I liked all chocolate; milk, white and dark but these days I cannot really eat Cadburys or similar products. They are too sweet and not really about chocolate to me (and looking at the ingredients list the amount of cocoa mass is very very low). To me, chocolate is chocolate by itself, without too much embellishment (with the exception of truffles, or very well made French style chocolate).<br /><br />So I thought I knew all about chocolate. I was pretty wrong! The chocolate appreciation course at <a href="http://monsieurtruffe.wordpress.com/">Monsieur Truffle’s </a>new shop (90 Smith St) really opened my eyes to a product I think we take a little for granted. For a start, it can only be grown close to the equator, which means that it is sensitive to climate change and also the product itself changes year by year depending on rainfall etc. Secondly, most of the large companies are buying second grade beans from all over the world and mixing them together (with a whole bunch of other crap like emulsifiers, flavourings, heaps of sugar and preservatives) in order to develop a homogenised product that doesn’t change in flavour year in year out.<br /><br />The course started by looking at the growing of cocoa and the way it is picked, dried and roasted (and we ate some cocoa beans and some straight cocoa mass, which tastes amazing). Unbelievably, this is done in small villages in poor countries, usually by hand, and typically the locals are not paid very much for their labour (and use/ depletion of their land). I recently came upon an article from <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/epicure/chocolate-leaves-a-bitter-taste/2008/09/17/1221330918327.html">the Age </a>which focuses on the way chocolate is grown and issues such as child labour. West African and Asian countries typically have worse conditions for the workers than other countries.<br /><br />The next stage is shipping the cocoa (butter and mass) typically to Europe where it is processed and then sent all over the world to be consumed. Considering how many food miles one chocolate bar has travelled to be sold at Coles for $2, you start to realise that the people making the money out of it will be the big multinationals but not the locals.<br /><br />Luckily, at the higher end of chocolate products, the latest trend has been not only single origin bean products, it has also been to start taking care of the communities from where the beans are coming from. Valrhona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valrhona) recently lost a plantation they had for years to a rich Italian philanthropist who offered the community a chance to grow and has introduced schools and hospitals to the area. This is quite promising for the local communities, who for years have been missing out on this precious ‘commodity’. Remember this is only being done for the premium beans and plantations.<br /><br />And can chocolate ever be <a href="http://solemama.freeforums.org/">SOLE </a>in Australia? <a href="http://www.coolhealth.com.au/">Cocoa Farm </a>is an Australian company with a plantation in North Queensland (but they also get beans from surrounding Pacific islands). You may have seen their products in Wine shops, often with shiraz and other grapes. It is not a bad tasting chocolate and is as local as we can get in Australia. Green and Blacks Organic chocolate is available in supermarkets, but remember that it is now owned by Cadbury and is an English company.<br /><br />The course also offered a tasting component of premium chocolates (of single origin beans) including Valrhona, Michel Cluizel and Felchlin. We even tasted a chocolate product made with ‘wild’ cocoa beans. Part way through the evening we needed to put it into perspective so someone went down to the local corner store and came back with some Old Gold dark chocolate. It was quite interesting to note the difference between a high end product to a supermarket brand. For a start, the overwhelming flavour of the Old Gold was in fact of vanilla. It also had a real ‘dirty’ flavour to it that I had never noticed before, a real bitterness. The premium products on the other hand were all different to each other and varied from smooth, to smoky, to hints of chilli, honey, and other subtle flavours, that were actually due to the bean and not additives.<br /><br />The course was supposed to go from 6:30pm to 8:45pm but we ended up being there till 9:30pm! He also had take home booklets for us full of useful information. Monsieur Truffle used to be at the Prahran markets but has moved to a shop in Collingwood/ Fitzroy so that he can make the chocolate on site. If you are at all interested in chocolate, I would recommend this course as a really good way to taste some premium chocolate and learn a bit more about it. What I really want to do next is watch him tempering chocolate and making Ganache but I don’t think that is on the cards! </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">And yes we have been eating much different chocolate for our 'after dinner snacks since this course ;)</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-8489946337973649342008-09-22T16:37:00.001+10:002008-09-22T16:39:28.468+10:00Bistro Vue<span>Bistro Vue<br />430 Little Collins Street<br /><br />This post is a couple of months late, but unfortunately life gets in the way of these things sometimes. In the cold winter months I had the pleasure of both a cocktail night at Cafe Vue with the girls (<a href="http://herestheveg.blogspot.com/2008/06/june-13-2008-cafe-vue-friday-cocktail.html">Where’s the Beef </a>did the vego version of the same month I was there) as well as a dinner at Bistro Vue with a group of friends. I guess the next logical step is Vue De Monde itself (are you reading this dear husband?)!<br /><br />The lighting and my camera skills leave much to be desired so I don’t have any really good photos. Hubbie and I shared an entrée and a dessert (and had a main each) and the table finished with a huge cheese plate. I find I can not really fit in all three (or 4) courses at most restaurants, but I want to try so many things, it can get quite frustrating!<br /><br />The service was great (much better than the service at Café Vue I should add which was almost nonexistent the night I was there) as was the wine we had (which I sadly didn’t take note of).<br /><br />Styled after a ‘bistro’ it is almost a bit clichéd, with the velvet furnishings and French style furniture. However it still did make me a bit nostalgic for France. I guess I am just a sucker! Apparently some nights there is even an accordion player but luckily not the night we were there.<br /><br />For the entrée, we had the 2 hour poached eggs with mushroom foam. I had read about this dish before and was curious. It was very very good. The presentation was impressive, with three eggs split in half with one containing the white and the mushroom foam and the other containing the yolk, and the 6 halves presented in a Vue de Monde egg carton! I love runny eggs and have been craving egg yolk ever since having this dish. The yolk is cooked (just set), but very runny and warm, not hot, so the flavours really stand out. The dish was served with bread sticks that you use like toast soldiers to dip into the egg.<br /><br />For mains we had the wagyu steak with chips (friend in goose fat of course) and the confit of duck. As a side we ordered the brussel sprouts fried with pancetta and chilli. Both wonderful dishes. The steak was tender (and relatively cheap at about 50 dollars from memory) and the duck was probably one of the best confit ducks I have had recently. The brussel sprouts have prompted me to make my own copycat version at home, and covert my brussel sprouts hating hubbie!<br /><br />For dessert we had the chocolate soufflé. The waitress put it onto the table, used a knife to put a hole in it and then poured chocolate sauce into the hole, causing the soufflé to expand. A nice bit of table theatre, but it also tasted great, worth the twenty minute wait upon ordering it. I wish I had written all the cheeses down but by this point I was a little tipsy. There was a fabulous French blue, a manchego and a French camembert style cheese, as well as another hard cheese which I don’t remember.<br /><br />All in all a good night and a place I would definitely go back to. I forgot to mention the bread and butter that we were served at the beginning of the night (but sadly not replaced during the meal), which we all loved and made me rue yet again that there are no good bakeries near my house. </span>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-16544418713064568012008-09-08T13:50:00.002+10:002008-09-08T13:53:56.825+10:00Simple Meals – Sticky chicken wings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW7DbdKPpqKaIuDSDdmmg1NLXBB0oA_ko4mc28YPfK8DmStdh2ftL3mMi1ZfqYsGseGsBD2P1DprXt5vhL_5x5cdk3lLf2D6gdIyJthx3GNcyptHgm-JlIOdl9EMeQUiZSoJWS3n53sI/s1600-h/reduced.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243493189946752130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW7DbdKPpqKaIuDSDdmmg1NLXBB0oA_ko4mc28YPfK8DmStdh2ftL3mMi1ZfqYsGseGsBD2P1DprXt5vhL_5x5cdk3lLf2D6gdIyJthx3GNcyptHgm-JlIOdl9EMeQUiZSoJWS3n53sI/s320/reduced.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I love a simple meal. This is a super easy recipe I got from Bill Granger’s Holiday. I imagine it would be a great family pleaser -at least I know I would have liked it as a kid. I probably won’t be making it too often due to my new diet (weddings, holidays and winters are not good for my waist line). I did change quantities etc so will give a very general outline of the recipe I used – it is quite robust. If you can, marinade it the night before so you can just pop it into the oven, but I didn’t marinade it and it still worked out well.<br /><br />Chicken wings (4 per person)<br />Soy sauce<br />Sugar<br />Mirin (Japanese wine)<br />Ginger - grated<br />Sesame seeds<br /><br />Combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger and mirin until sugar dissolves. Marinade the wings for as long as you like. When ready to cook, lift the wings out of the marinade and place in a deep roasting dish and roast for 40 minutes at 200C, turning once.<br /><br />Meanwhile, reduce the marinade by about half on the stove.<br /><br />After 40 minutes, pour the reduced marinade over the wings. Bake for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds and bake for another 5 minutes. The wings will get quite dark and sticky.<br /><br />Serve with soba noodles (dressed with soy and mirin) and some steamed green veg.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>On another topic, I had stewed broad beans for the first time this year last week. Spring really IS here! At last! I am already wheeling out the barbie and the salads...</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-51527462468853442182008-09-01T16:48:00.003+10:002008-09-01T16:52:31.428+10:00Aglio Olio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLB6SGPU431RwPvrVyk8jtbppWtOEj3dY0L4tcstIMjOiSOwK4YB9l0p0Mx7Vs746MowWgf0KdvtDw6F7k3foX2QOqPM5GJ8itFBQZ63hWSB4oFA2HGn8bVO5t-OwCsVpXTvLqz-bAn0/s1600-h/IMG_2956.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240941861213296242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLB6SGPU431RwPvrVyk8jtbppWtOEj3dY0L4tcstIMjOiSOwK4YB9l0p0Mx7Vs746MowWgf0KdvtDw6F7k3foX2QOqPM5GJ8itFBQZ63hWSB4oFA2HGn8bVO5t-OwCsVpXTvLqz-bAn0/s320/IMG_2956.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Not the Beastie Boys EP. Aglio = garlic Olio = oil<br /><br />We had been meaning to make this pasta dish since we got back from Italy. For some reason, we kept putting it off until one night we had an empty fridge apart from a sad looking bunch of parsley. And OMG, we are such fools for not doing this earlier.<br /><br />It doesn’t get ANY simpler than this. And it tastes great. I thought it would be really fatty as the ‘sauce’ is basically olive oil, but I don’t think we actually used copious amounts of this. I made a salad to go with it to make it feel like a more complete meal, and bread is a must to wipe up the bowl.<br /><br /><strong>Aglio Olio (serves 2)</strong><br /><br />Olive oil<br />Half a pack of good quality dried spaghetti<br />6 or more cloves of garlic, sliced thinly ( i thik we used more)<br />Chilli flakes<br />Salt, pepper<br />Finely chopped parsley<br />Good quality parmesan to serve<br /><br />Fry the garlic in oil on a low to medium heat, covered and stirring occasionally. It takes about 15 minutes to get golden, caramel-ly garlic (be careful not to overcook).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240941854778825090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13mVg4EWGV7whAg7DWwhU0h5xd9B1kS1s6dVyvI7p12yA3Rt3Vs24BmMjDvCId7CRHHLbMKnUgWM671UUH8C2X8ARe4U1fB8EIEZyEUjNrN88oXn_WTn3_IbS9mpZlYF9Mp_qr7eT9Cg/s320/IMG_2954.jpg" border="0" /><br />Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil, salt well and cook spaghetti until al dente.<br />Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan and toss with oil and garlic. Add the chilli, salt and pepper and parsley. Serve with parmasen. Eat. Enjoy.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240941856694164994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgD_J5hNZzIbRa1T-8BS9gfFAuBZjC5fIuUu2U7lY2dUAwW3QSNlrpV1pR8I3Hjg6_MY7f-iV-zPkHRUUvZ9zYCz2IzdxZymsJoWJ06O_HrB_T5c-AmzI3lMheyGRTyUKzXeXbglRrXY/s320/IMG_2955.jpg" border="0" />Action shot!<br /><div></div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-25935463635894958172008-08-14T14:25:00.007+10:002008-08-14T14:57:53.306+10:00My winter of (fat) contentment<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234230194954462818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyoNfRw85ZmB4CpofjYGA62V3bNiEyV-nhsM6AxIr4n8_CTxP-nn_-4FYMVKiC_Zi4MlXdad8wlz8m1mv_WfY9BisvSsEmHaW6-Pm-Mw-L_1ZdblBbRoFbQD71j_o2rZULE5te7ZUvls/s320/chilli+con+carne+pototaoes.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>The installation of our slow combustion wood heater has had a few negative impacts. </div><br /><div>The first is that it is now very hard to leave our house on the weekends. Example one. Lets check out Movida next door tonight. Actually lets eat something from the freezer and stay in front of the fire and watch Buffy DVD's. Example 2. it is raining and howling outside, should we a) go to the gym or b) curl up with a good book in front of the heater?</div><br /><div>The other rather bad impact is that eating and sitting in front of the fire seem to go hand in hand. Why, I am not sure but it might help explain the sudden weight gain. Sigh. And now I can take that one step further and combine the heat from the fire with the actual cooking of food! Just like in the good old days (which were not actually my good old days, but you know what I mean).</div><br /><div>After reading <a href="http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/2008/06/fire-roasted-potatoes.html">Neils </a>post on jacket potatoes in his fire I was just itching to try it in my fire. Unfortunately it worked too well and I am now blaming him for my weight gain. Ok that is probably not fair and my husband is loving the whole potato in the fire thing so I really should be thanking him.</div><br /><div>The winner so far has been serving the potatoes with a slow cooked chilli con carne. I made way too much of it and froze some batches so we have been pulling it out for easy dinners. So easy! And gives me more time to watch Buffy. I didn't say that. We have also popped some spuds into the fire to have with roast chook and just for snacks. All good!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>The recipe below is rough and I probably added more stuff to it (as I usually do) but it is a hardy recipe, and using cheaper cuts of beef is the only way to go here as they tenderise with long cooking times and allow a richer flavour to develop.</div><br /><div>Chilli Con Carne (makes a fair bit)</div><br /><div>1kg chuck steak<br />diced onion</div><div>crushed garlic</div><div>diced carrot</div><div>diced celery</div><div>diced leek</div><div>ground cumin</div><div>ground corriander</div><div>cardomen pods, bashed lightly</div><div>bay leaf</div><div>cinnamon stick</div><div>chilli powder and fresh chilli (to taste)</div><div>tinned tomatoes</div><div>frozen corn</div><div>tin of red kidney beans</div><div>salt, pepper, etc</div><br /><div>Basically, gently saute the onions, carrots and leaks in some oil, add the spices and fry for a few minutes until fragrant, season, add tomatoes and stock/ water. Bring to simmer and add chuck steak (not diced) and simmer gently for 2 hours or until tender. At this point, i remove the chuck steak and shred with 2 forks before returning the meat to the pot with some corn and kidney beans and simmering for 10 more minutes until cooked.</div><br /><div>Serve over potatoes, in a burrito or over rice and with guacomole, sourcream and grated cheese. Eat in front of fire and follow up with chocolate. Or worse, a chocolate pudding.</div><br /><div>For the potatos, we pierced them with a fork a few times, wrapped them in foil and put them at the front of the fire box (not in direct flame). After about 40 minutes we put them directly over the coals for 10 minutes so that the potatoes develop a nice jacket. And dont have the fire roaring as you dont want to incinerate the spuds.</div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234230185142736418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XJv4hWPnW0WY_EGvg8ROjSzJjBZs3YyjWlvhmsGmmv-hhe1EVq2q58miojZPoWL0-Q6frAxGZR1OpLovnF4Wq1YPCFcHEl5PijKPI7ARCDftQqAitm6SSDjaozZsVURyh-0V-sRSzmY/s320/fire+box.jpg" border="0" /><br />I need to take a better photo of our fire but you can see the two big foil wrapped spuds in the left front corner there. mmmmm spudy goodness.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I am going skiing at thredbo next week and have been coming up with meals we can cook for 7 people (hungry after a day of skiing) that is easy and nourishing to cook. so far i have come up with spag bog (with kangaroo mince of course), a chicken stirfry, a veg curry, a dahl and some frozen soups for lunches. Any other ideas for good dinners that are simple and scaleable for many hungry people?</div>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-48784607995278842952008-08-07T15:33:00.003+10:002008-08-07T15:49:47.692+10:00Winter Beetroot SaladsI am in love.<br /><br />My love is sweet as can be, tasty, versatile and knows how to make me feel better when winter is getting me down.<br /><br />My love does have one fault though...<br /><br />Purple stains.<br /><br />Not that that is so much of a problem. Unless you want to go out after dinner and have to explain to people why your hands have strange purple stains all over them.<br /><br />I cannot believe that up until about 2 years ago, my only real exposure to beetroot had been of the canned variety. Not that the tinned beetroot doesnt still have its place on the salad sandwich, but I didn't know how much better it could be.<br /><br />My beetroot education started off with roasting it along with other tubers for roast dinners. It then grew to beetroot curries (is there anything more dramatic than a very purple curry?). Then I discovered salads, and I havent looked back. Until I also discovered that the leaves of the beetroot were also edible and tasted great in salads.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231645093681424466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfbLhnKd0SHdn9PyrUQ4VL7JDy3mF3X-bOB-WQpArOGJMYby_TXYpBIBh22pD4owkeH6B0SvYgPOzewPZyPySkb6U040mbuSBxPZlrY4sHlsT-KjcLW48IneEvkseOk6JE53E8lC88Cc/s320/IMG_2836.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />This one is simple. Roast baby beets covered in foil for about 20 minutes or until soft. Peel off skin with fingers (I suggest gloves at this point). Cut in half, and add to the leaves of the beetroot if they were in good condition (or else use other salad leaves such as rocket). Add sliced red onion, raosted walnuts and goats cheese or fetta. The salty cheese works very well with the sweet beetroot. Dress with a vinegar/ oil combo. I love macadamia oil and red wine vinegar at the moment.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231645094928096194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC_pUpCEhyiLfgHom8oZgKDJJ2lWLMapM755x7h3ZVfpJttJevUY9B9fhO5RKplUnXwV0Xr6FONYADbfKN8CPNlLpzwwDNtV1s-C_GFgc_vHIzd6bxfeupGJBrb4A9YiAd7M-F0l0owE/s320/beetroot+1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Apologies for this terrible photo. I would never have attempted grated raw beetroot if it was not for my food processor. Basically, grate beetroot (sans skin) and then add to a bowl with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and the rind of an orange. Sit for 20 minutes for the flavours to develop. I then add chopped parsley, any type of roasted nut, salt and pepper and often a cheese of some sort too, though it doesnt really need any of these additions. Goes great with roast chook or fish and well, anything actually.<br /><br />I have been treating myself to organic beetroots lately - I figure I can get two uses out of them (leaves and bulb) so really it is worth it to get the best looking stuff I can, right?<br /><br /><br />SO what do you guys out there use beetroot for? I have not been brave enough to try the soup version yet.Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865165715105628574.post-67130363366456002502008-08-01T11:54:00.005+10:002008-08-01T12:00:34.050+10:00What to do with a box of….<div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Part 1: Apples</span></em> </div><div align="left"><br />I love buying things in bulk. Not only is it cheap, but it forces me to come up with new ways to use things. One Saturday we were driving around some of the local farms and came across one selling a box of granny smith apples for 5 bucks. My husband couldn’t resist and hey, it was a bargain! What I love is that these apples didn’t have that waxy coating that so much fruit has these days. It might make it look shinier and prettier in the supermarkets, but what the hell am I eating?<br /><br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362162432870322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASVkuu-PUFHRlrbz0PldevZLQPMqI6jgeS39GhsYgUBBFDJVA0Q2v77ZfxdGZAminrrekbs_B99EzZy2EAp52SUKStpPegOkkQtznvcGKDlTv81845DyLzXpKkrQIPd4WYIOXw2Weua8/s320/apples+coring+and+box.jpg" border="0" /><br />You can see the box in the background there with my fabulous apple corer in the foreground. Now, one may accuse me of having some unnecessary items in my kitchen, but I don’t think that my apple corer/ slicer is one of them. Yes I don’t use it all the time, but you try coring, peeling and slicing apples by hand, and then try a whole box, and you will understand why it is useful!<br /><br />The original idea was to use it for juicing and as snacks in our lunchboxes, but we were not getting through them quick enough. So we had to use our imaginations a little… </p><p><br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362170607073858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRQB6soPZgQZq3NXSvXxNgapj_JAM8Keba5d1Sttzv3WV12iPeWbsz7zHMWnsqffBPJZlpkO3BEAR3J7njAIBhTXl2mPxRn9j1ntGPuuV5fsH23CFxy758z2HZM50AHQdbId8DrhH7Z0/s320/juicer.jpg" border="0" /><br />So the first thing I tried was making an apple and pecan crumble cake. This recipe was taken from ‘Mix and Bake’ by Belinda Jefferies. </p><p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362165700918466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjM9QALGwXZwkbjKLUsUYMCC_mYhMThDwWEE8WJzM-UCldRg1w3K4WbyunbFMYgQftk2H4zUE9I_lgQkyRHQgZjQ4B-liCWqY2KDjt2eg43Ep85hU6fm6vHgRd7opZoG8y6ku4z-lHYw/s320/cake+2.jpg" border="0" /><br />It was an olive oil based cake with pecans throughout the cake as well as on the crunchy topping. Nathan thought the crunch had a strange consistency but I didn’t mind it. The recipe did say to put it in a bundt tin which I didn’t have so I used a round tin. It needed a much longer baking time and I was still unsure if it could have done with a bit longer, but the olive oil keeps it very moist. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362168894707218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZxMSK6-jI0LxNx0eAvZmz9EMYlx8drVKMbmxNF4K8DvjenXaSozGCn6M0QWAD7hJCNqfofbzBz48wqv2p3LR-MLyVWjMYissPO5tMLwg4iQyGkSoV63NZRV5P7NkVD6KiDXrikptwnY/s320/cake.jpg" border="0" /><br />The next thing I made was apple and walnut muffins. These were based on Stephanie Alexander’s general recipe for muffins to which I added a grated apple, cinnamon and walnuts. The preparation takes about 10 minutes and then the baking 25 minutes. I love easy recipes like these!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362332938044434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYQQ2XeNQCv_3PQlvDDb0ArJV3kdn3u_lE8RmY6sjv0DUJLQtboMub7azLnbQmhBaXsavmoZcOMoQ4WZDXnAp6WIXsdmcocXV0RqZL2uBMjqXmJQCh_tDaUuERYgslBaZSfJMHyQ_duo/s320/muffins.jpg" border="0" /><br />Towards the end of the box, we still had a lot of apples left and they were starting to get a bit floury for eating. At this point some friends of ours loaned us the use of their dehydrator. Basically a load of trays with a heater and a fan, we loaded up the trays with cut apples (dipped in a lemon bath to stop discolouration) and then left them overnight. The resulting dried apples then went into a jar which was snacked on. They would have stayed good for a decent time in the pantry, but we got through them in under a week (I’m pointing the finger at Nathan here!). It did occur to me though that if I had children, these would be a great substitute for lollies as they are sweet, tasty and completely natural.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229362170529509922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZaCVZFvrXeinqGxg9yHpBmcJvgrEokiIU2ccuguD1T5Gf-26DD8JBiutKzAQypdM9DKRmz9NYH1MPaMankmZT2cXNUmuKqPkJWjpUXKH04ny_x9mTXvgRUqjviwSlmzyByDSezJPKv8/s320/drying.jpg" border="0" /><br />So that concludes part one of my series of ‘What to do with a box of…’. The next instalment will be carrots – some friends and I went halves on an organic box of carrots (20kg for 25 bucks) and we are still making our way through it…<br /><br />I have my eye on the neighbours lemon tree which is so full the poor thing looks like it will collapse under the weight of all the lemons, and they don’t even use them!! They have just moved in and I haven’t introduced myself and am feeling a little reluctant to do so as they also just got a new dog which they don’t give enough attention too so it spends all day tied to the deck crying. I love dogs and don’t think people should get dogs if they don’t intend to give them the attention they need (and no we don’t have one for that reason).<br /><br />But those lemons! I want to make preserved lemons, lemon curd, lemon tart, marmalade and of course use it for juicing. I have to find a box of lemons for 5 bucks somewhere… anyone?</p>Ranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568352148465203176noreply@blogger.com4