Nurturing my Sourdough...

I have started a new sourdough plant, and I am nurturing it like a newborn.  Taking it with me on trips to Ulura, ... moving it around the yard to follow the sun, and now it's  under its cosy crochet blanket next to my wood fire.  Only gets fed spring water and organic flour...  what a precious plant it is! I hope it looks after me.  I am planning a first use of the sourdough this weekend, and am still deciding on whether or not to use the pizza oven.  Stay posted.

Garden Instalment 2

I know longer need to buy lettuce.  I have so much in abundance.  I have this lovely loose leafed variety that I have never seen in shops.  Great in salads, it's a shame it's the middle of winter when I'm not hankering for salads, but have been favouring Salad Nicoise as I watch the Tour de France and try and re-vision my life for a year in France... a work in progress.

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  I also have rocket, tatsoi, fennel and parsley. Not doing so sell with the red cabbage and I have about three tomatoes that have struggled to hold on to their vines over winter

This feels like my first major success in the garden for many years, due to a large extent to the large quantity of cow poo we deposited there, thanks to the Bohning Cattle Yards.

Today, I planted some potatoes that had started to seed, onions and garlic... well overdue (meant to be planted before the shortest day of the year).  Have some broccoli and cauliflower seedlings ready to go in, again a bit late.  I also cut back our patch of asparagus, fed it some poo and watered it.  In addition to my vision of a year in France, I also have one (a vision) of eating most of my vegetable matter from my own garden. 

It's been a while...

... since last I posted on this blog. I'm no longer doing the weekly ABC food chats, and that's a story in itself, but it means the discipline of writing on my blog every week has somewhat dissipated.  This does not mean that I am not constantly thinking of food and recipes and sharing my love of food, but I'm not just  writing here.. but that is about to change.  Big news of course, is my award winning Turkish Delight at the Alice Springs Show.  Without wanting to sound like I'm boasting, it was a good one... as it should have been, as I had been forced to turf a double batch the night before that I'd made to sell at the beanie festival.

Second prize for my orange cake... I knew it wasn't my best effort, and possible a tad under-cooked, but very yummy and pleased with the presentation.

What else have I been cooking?  Carrot Halawa. Pistachio Barfi... Pumpkin, date and coconut cake... raspberry macarons... tangelo and camomile cupcakes.. And lovely winter meals of pea and ham soup, stew with dumplings, cauliflower cheese, corned beef and vegetables etc.....

My garden is flourishing, shame we're not into salads in the middle of winter.  Right now, it's the middle of school holidays and I'm looking to have cakes on hand at all times for my visitors.  Currently seeking out a lemon poppy seed cake with syrup.

It's been a while...

Rice Pie with Chicken

This dish looks great, and next time I make it I'll take a photo.. It is based on an Egyptian dish called "Biram Ruzz", but I have added onion, spices and nuts as I find the traditional recipe a bit  on the boring side.

Ingredients

left over (pre-cooked) chicken (about a half chicken, flesh taken off bones)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

walnuts

dried fruit, eg apricots soaked in  hot water  (optional)

salt &  pepper

300gms long grain white rice (basmati is good)

milk

cream

1/2 litre chicken stock

butter

Method

1. Heat olive oil in large heavy fry pan, and add onions.  Cook over low heat until soft.

2. Add cinnamon, then chicken and walnuts and fry until brown and fragrant.  (Add dried fruit here if using.)  Season to taste and set aside.

3. Liberally apply butter to inner surface of a heavy ceramic, round, oven-proof dish.

4. Spread half the rice evenly over bottom of dish, then place the chicken mixture on top.

5. Bring the milk, cream and half the stock to a boil. Pour over rice mixture.

6. Sprinkle remaining rice into dish and dot with butter.

7. Place in oven on lower rack for 15 minutes, then pour in half the remaining stock.

8. Bake for another 15 minutes, then pour remaining stock.

9. Bake for final 30 minutes in top of oven.

10. Take out of oven and place lid or alfoil on top for 20 minutes.

11. Loosen edge with a knife and wait another 10 minutes, before up-ending onto a plate.  The 'pie' should slide out easily and be lovely and brown and hold together.

Wonderful Leftovers #1 (Roast Chicken)

I'm not a chicken fan... something to do with a weirdo sound designer staying with us many years ago in Yuendumu interrogating me over the cutting of vegetables on the same bread board that I had cut chicken on minutes before.. he put the fear of god into me about chicken, and it is has never left me.  My bloke, on the other hand, loves chicken... loves any flesh in fact.  So on Sunday night we had a large roast chicken which I picked over.., and on Monday night we had half a cold roast chicken to do something with for dinner.  My childhood spent poring over the Timelife Foods of the World series of cookbooks always stands me in good stead at moments like this, and I remembered a rice pie... Actually, what I really wanted to cook was a chicken, rice and almond dish I have eat at the wonderful Abla's in Carlton, Melbourne... but couldn't locate the recipe.  So, back to the pie.  I had tried the recipe once or twice before, without success.. but my skills as a home cook have progressed substantially, and I also read recipes in detail before changing them. So, I cooked this Rice Pie  with some major adaptations, and it was fab... and looked fab too.  So, now for the recipe....

Leek & Bacon Pie

 This is the first dish I cook with leeks,.. the second is soup and that's about it for me... although I have a vague memory of a japanese dish with leeks, mushrooms and soba noodles.. must research that one.

 Ingredients for Leek & Bacon Pie

1 bunch of leeks (usually 3 leeks)

Butter

3-4 rashes bacon

3 eggs, little beaten

1 tbsp cream

Pinch nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup grated cheese (mature cheddar)

1/4 cup parmesan

+ your choice of pastry, eg. shortcrust, puff pastry or yeasted dough (my choice).. made with a half kilo of flour.

Method

1. Cut leeks lengthwise, then across into slices.  Place the sliced leeks in a large bowl or sink of cold water and pull apart with your hands to get rid of the dirt.  Strain thoroughly.

2. Melt butter in a large frying pan, and add leeks.  Saute over a low heat until soft.  Set aside.

3. Beat eggs in a large bowl, then mix in cheddar cheese and half the parmesan, and cream.

 4. Add leeks, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

5. Butter or oil a large-ish spring form pan -26/28cm.

6. Roll out pastry and line pan, leaving a good amount of pastry to cover the sides and hang over the edge around 1 cm.

7. Pour filling into pastry and sprinkle over remaining parmesan.

8. Fold over sides of pastry.

9. Bake in a medium over for around 40 minutes or until the pie is brown on top.

10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

11.  Serve with baked root vegetables in season.