Hola - it's a phiesta!

When a teenager asks to have a party many images leap into the mind of a parent.  Most of them are ones you don't wish to play out in your home.  Our children therefore steer away from the party word and instead suggest they would like to arrange a small gathering to celebrate their birthday or the end of exams or whatever.  I always call this thing "not a party" - until Phoebe & I were sitting down to discuss the food preparations for this year's birthday "not a party".   Her favourite cuisine is Mexican and as the event morphed from a planned barbeque and salad to a Mexican evening I coined the term Phiesta.  She made me promise not to say it in public, so this is just between us.  Don't tell anyone.
All good events start (and/or finish) with a cocktail (see last week's entry) so we began the evening with the ubiquitous Margarita.  I always thought I didn't like this drink and was pleased to see the back of a bottle of tequila which had been lurking since Phoebe made a batch of Margarita cupcakes a year or two ago.  It turns out I was mistaken and we now have to replace the bottle. 
To make the perfect Margarita, fill a glass with ice, add 1 1/2 oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz cointreau.  Stir until chilled.  You can make this in a salt rimmed glass or not.  Just one and you too will be planning a phiesta.
I should note that you need to buy a good quantity of limes, chillis of various kinds & avocados.  We started with tostaditas.  These involved topping good quality round corn chips (we used Mexicano) with a salsa, morsel of something meaty and a pinch of salad.  The first was prawns tossed in garlic & olive oil then sauteed.  This was assembled with a dab of almond salsa on the corn chip,  then a couple of shreds of iceberg lettuce, a small slice or two of perfectly ripened avocado. Then the prawn, another dollop of salsa & a sprinkling of finely chopped coriander or if like me you are averse, flat leaf parsley.  I used prawn cutlets & removed the tails after cooking. 
Make a quantity of almond salsa - it will be popular as a dip.  Take 2 dried guajillo chillis & tap out the seeds.  Soak them in boiling water for half an hour.  I bought them at Moore Wilson or you can probably buy them on line.  When they are done soaking, roughly chop them & blend them in a processor with 2/3 cup sour cream (I use Zany Zeus), 1/2 cup blanched roasted almonds, 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 2 tbsp coriander/ parsley, zest of a lime plus 3 tsp juice, salt & pepper.  Add more lime juice to taste & to get to a consistency you like.
Second tostadita was chicken.  Cut a chicken breast in half to get two thin flat pieces. Marinade in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 clove crushed garlic, salt & pepper.  This is enough for two breasts.  Cook the chicken in a pan until golden and slice or shred.
To assemble, spread the corn chip with refried beans then top with a slice or 2 of chicken, a dollop of lime crema then top with a little pile of julienned radish & coriander/parsley.
To make refried beans, heat a little oil in a pan and soften 1 finely chopped onion with 2 cloves crushed garlic.  Add 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and cook for a couple of minutes.  If any teenagers mistake the chilles for tomatoes & eat three before realising the error, a glass of milk will help.  Don't ask me how you get three down before you notice they're not tomatoes! Back to the pan.  Add 2 tins of beans - you could use pintos or really whatever YOU like.  I used Westbrae organic chilli beans which was a mix of black, pinto & kidney - not flavoured which the label suggested but I assume intended for use in chilli or refried beans.  Cook gently for a few minutes to heat through then crush half the beans with a fork or other mashing implement.  Don't be precise - you just want some beans mashed & some not.  Stir through coriander/ parsley and 2 tbsp sour cream.  Oh, and add parsley/coriander to the list above.
To make the lime crema, mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup thick yoghurt, 1 clove crushed garlic, zest of a lime, 1 tbsp lime juice, salt & pepper.
I made an interesting dip with tomatillos & avocados.  I have sometimes bought tomatillos fresh at Moore Wilson but on this occasion I had to buy tinned.   Blend the tin of drained tomatillos with 1/2 cup coriander/parsley, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 avocados, 2 tbsp lime juice, salt & pepper, tabasco to taste.
When I make guacamole I usually just mash avocados with a splash of lemon or lime & some hot sauce.  I went to a bit more trouble and the result was amazing.  Pound 1/2 small very finely chopped red onion, 1 lge finely chopped red chilli, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander/parsley, 1 tsp sea salt, in a pestle & mortar until you have a smoothish thick paste.  I initially tried to blend it but you really need to go down the pounding path.  Transfer to a large bowl & scoop in 2 large perfectly ripened avocados with lime juice to get the taste & consistency you want.  Fold in some extra of the green herb you are using
For the main event we did tacos filled with pork carnitas and a vegan version with refried beans (sans sour cream).  I got 1 1/2 kilos pork shoulder, skin off, fat on, and cut it into approx 3 cm chunks.  Put it into a large roasting pan and toss with 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, 2 tbsp water & cover tightly with foil.  Braise at 170 for an hour and a half.  It will be exceedingly tender.  When it's cooled remove the fat and drain off most of the liquid - leave about 2 tbsp.  I made this the day before & refrigerated overnight.  To serve put the pork in a saute pan & sprinkle over 2 tbsp soft brown sugar.  Cook over a high heat until the meat is golden brown & caramelised then sprinkle over the juice of a lime & let it bubble up.
We put dishes of the pork, beans, all the dips, a dish of shredded lettuce, and a pico de gallo on the table with plates and pieces of parchment paper (for ease of handling and left them to have what they wanted. 
Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato salsa.  Dice 2 cups tomatoes  - if they seem liquidy, sprinkle on a little salt & leave them to drain in a colander for 1/2 an hour.  Combine them with 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1/2 cup finely chopped green herb, juice of a lime, olive oil - I used Olivo's chilli infused - salt & pepper.
For afters, I made a chocolate cinnamon chilli cake.  This is sooo easy & so delicious.  Melt 200g butter & 200g dark chocolate in a large bowl over a pan of hot water.  Use the bowl you are going to mix the cake in. Stir in 1 cup caster sugar & 1 tsp vanilla extract & leave to cool.  Mix in 4 lightly beaten eggs, 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cayenne.  Pour into a greased, lined 20cm cake tin and bake 25 mins at 170.  It may not seemed cooked but you want a delicate almost crisp crusty top with something sludge-like within.  Leave to cool completely in the tin.
 To serve dust with icing sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp each cocoa & cinammon.  I think it would be nice to dust over a paper doily to make a pretty design but we didn't appear to have one.  Must buy some.  Serve with whipped cream infused with vanilla extract, and candied pepitas.
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds.  Combine an egg white (not beaten) with 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon & 70g pumpkin seeds.  Spread this on a lined baking tray & bake at 170 for 10 mins turning once.  To turn it I laid another piece of paper over the top & flipped it then peeled off the first piece.  It was still a bit sticky in parts but it crisps up when cooled.  Break it into bits to serve.
We also served Margarita cupcakes - the vegan version.  These called for coloured sugar crystals & it just happened that we had bought Phoebe a tin of these from Dean & De Luca in NYC.
And in case you were wondering, in spite of the Margaritas and Corona beer served with lime wedges and eating slightly messy food on their knees, the house looked almost as tidy when the phiesta-goers left as when they arrived.  When one reveller came into the kitchen looking for something to mop up a spill, Peter asked how large, wondering whether to provide a sheet of paper towel or the whole roll.  The response - approximately 50 millilitres!

Pastrami on Rye

I love New York!  The food is wonderful. Our movements were somewhat restricted due to Hurricane Sandy but that didn't seem to prevent us from eating all the things we wanted to and some things we hadn't thought of.
Again the oysters were unexpected.  Many bars have oyster happy hour - $1 per oyster.  On the Sunday evening before the storm we enjoyed a dozen oysters in a the Domaine wine bar in Long Island City.  Then because there was a hurricane coming by and not so many customers, the barman suggested that we have another dozen at happy hour prices. 
That evening we also went to a nearby bar to listen to Edgar Allan Poe readings by the fireside.  This event was related to Halloween but the eerie atmosphere was enhanced by the strengthening winds swirling outside.  Unfortunately, the basement of this bar was flooded during the storm and it lost power for some weeks and all its sound equipment.
I had the best cocktails ever in the Dutch Kills Bar in Long Island City.  If you are in the area visit this bar.  They serve outstanding cocktails mixed with hand cut ice.  Visit the web site and watch the videos. Rather than too sweet, many of the cocktails are made with ginger and lemon and are really refreshing.
I wanted to go to an authentic New York Italian restaurant and we went with our host and his neighbours to the very thing.  Trattoria L'Incontro in Astoria, Queens.  There is an extensive menu but don't pay much attention to that because once you have perused it and considered what you might order, your waiter will return and reel off a list of specials so long you won't retain any of it although you will vaguely recall that you liked the sound of item 13 if you could only remember what it was.  This was an outstanding meal. 
The other thing I was keen to do was to eat in a New York deli.  We were recommend to try the Stage Deli on 7th Avenue and I can recommend this to you.  Peter and I both went for the traditional pastrami on rye with a side of potato salad.  We barely managed it.  I saw a Triple Decker being delivered to another table and I must have looked so astounded the server came over and said to me, "yours is just a trainer sandwich!"  We shared a slice of New York cheesecake between three with coffee afterwards.  I have never liked cheesecake in my life but I liked this.
And you can't go past the traditional diner.  We absolutely loved the Red Flame diner on West 44th St.  You could even order and have the meals delivered.  Good quality, affordable meals - the problem is what to choose off a menu the length of a small novel.  The salads are really good and it was here that Peter had wonderful homemade lemonade.
It's nice to be back to home cooking but I am looking forward to a follow up hurricane-free visit when I hope to sample more traditional NY fare.

Dining in DC

We have been enjoying the delights of North American cuisine and I thought I'd share with you.  We spent 4 days in Washington DC and that was an unexpected culinary delight.  We stayed at the Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle.  This was recommended by a friend and I am recommending it to you.  Breakfast was included in the room rate and this was a great breakfast.  We also spent some time in the hotel lounge enjoying the pre- and post-prandial cocktails.  I recommend the Don't Bring me Down, Spruce. 
Washington is located by the Potomac river and seafood abounds.  On our first day The Old Ebbitt Grill caught our eye and we dined there that evening.  They had an extensive oyster menu and we shared a dozen as a starter with the recommended glass of Jules Taylor Sauvignon, which was named Grand Champion in the Old Ebbitt Grill 2011 International Wines for Oyster Competition!
I followed these briny delights with lobster which I have never eaten before.  It just seemed the right thing to do.  It's a bit fiddly but well worth the effort if you haven't tried it.  This is definitely a seafood town. 
Peter had the crab cakes which are a speciality of the region.  They are essentially a fish cake so comprise fish and potato.  These and the ones I enjoyed later in the week at the Tabard restaurant were definitely a very high ratio of crab to potato.
They did not disappoint.   I am not sure if they are seasonal or if you can enjoy them year round. 
The rest of the time we enjoyed diner fare.  A good American diner is a delight and we enjoyed 2 in Washington.  The Luna Grill and Diner nearby served classic diner fare including delicious salads, burgers and somewhat over-sized sandwiches.  This is proper food at affordable prices.  Yes, some of the meals are over-sized but you don't have to eat it all.  Your lettuce will be fresh and crisp, your vegetables will be perfectly cooked,  your burger will be grilled to your specifications and the service will be impeccable. As you can see I am a fan of the diner.  When we spent a morning strolling around Georgetown we had lunch in a diner there.  Martin's Tavern claimed to have served every sitting president since it opened and that JFK proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier there.  Certainly their home while he was a congressman is just around the corner.
I was really delighted with eating in Washington.  I hadn't been expecting anything special and was saving my eating for the next leg of our trip - New York City.  Here we enjoyed more cocktails, classic NY Italian fare, the deli sandwich and a hurricane.  More on that to come.

Fish suppers

We've been having a fishy time recently.  Wonderful fish at the market and scallops & whitebait on the menu.  I thought I would share some of our favourites.  If you are not a partaker of fruits de la mer turn away now.
I love a creamy risotto with a simple fillet of pan fried fish.  We have had rainbow chard in the garden this winter.  I thought it would die back but it has not.  We just have to keep eating it.  Fortunately I came upon a recipe from Floriditas for rainbow chard risotto.  You could make this with any greens I think including beetroot tops and this is the perfect accompaniment to a pan fried fillet of terakihi or gurnard.
I also like to do an oven based vegetable dish with a piece of fish cooked on top at the end.  Try these braised potatoes with leeks and thyme, topped with a firm fillet of white fish.
For four, lightly boil 600g waxy potatoes and slice to about 1/2 cm thickness.  Halve 3 leeks lengthwise and slice about 1cm thick.  Mix the potatoes & leeks with a little olive oil, thyme and 2 cloves crushed garlic then tip into a wide shallow ovenproof pan (or cazuela) & place over a medium heat.  Pour over 1/2 cup white wine & a cup chicken stock & bring to the boil.  Cover with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven.  Cook at 180 for about 45 mins until the vegetables are tender.
Put the fillets on top of the vegetables pour over 1/3 cup cream then grate over Parmesan.  Cook uncovered about 15 minutes until the fish is just cooked & the vegetables are just coloured.  If it is still quite liquidy remove the fish & set aside to keep warm then reduce the liquid down on the stove top.  Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad if you fancy.
For a quick scallop treat try gingery scallops with spinach.  We often have this for Saturday lunch  or it could be a birthday starter if your birthday falls in the scallop season. Warm 2 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp v finely chopped red capsicum in a little olive oil.  Heat a pan to very hot & cook the scallops in batches (6-10 per person depending on hunger/greed), 30 seconds each side.  Remove from the pan & rest in the marinade.  Add a bunch of chopped spinach to the pan with a little lemon juice & wilt down.  Place the spinach onto warm plates, top with scallops & drizzle over the marinade & pan juices.
For a very seasonal and rather luxurious soup night, what about pea & parsley soup topped with scallops & fried tarragon?  Soften a finely sliced onion and 2 stalks finely chopped celery in a little butter, with a bay leaf. Add 3 cups chicken stock & bring to boil then add 1 kg freshly picked or frozen peas & boil 3 mins.  remove from the heat & stir through 1 cup chopped parsley & 3/4 cup cream with a little ground white pepper to taste.  Blend until smooth.  Add 2 tsp red wine vinegar & salt to taste.  Keep warm while you pan fry 3 scallops per diner.  Cook them in a little butter with a little salt & some tarragon leaves.  Pour the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with scallops and tarragon leaves.

Sunday Curry

We recently had an old favourite curry with some new additions.  I may have mentioned it before but I am going to tell you again.  This has been a family favourite since 2001.  It is known as Malcolm's Curry and is named after the person who first  made it in our kitchen. 
You first need to make a garam masala mix. Take 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 6 cloves, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds.  Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium flame.  Put the peppercorns in first.  After a couple of minutes add the cloves.  After another 2 minutes add the coriander seeds.  Shake the pan gently as the spices roast.  After a couple more minutes a fragrant smell will waft into the kitchen.  Add the cumin & fenugreek seeds.  When the mustard seeds start to pop remove from the heat & pour into a bowl to cool.  Grind with a pestle & mortar.  You can store in an airtight jar for several weeks.  I always keep a quantity on hand.
Now you are ready to make the curry.  Do a good quantity.  You can always freeze or reheat later in the week. For 1 kg meat, in a food processor blend 2 roughly chopped onions, 4 cloves garlic,1 inch piece of ginger until you have a smooth paste.  Add 2 tbsp of the garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric & 1 tsp paprika & mix well.
In a heavy based pan add a little vegetable oil and add the spice paste.  It will sizzle & smell quite strong.  Malcolm recommends changing into your gardening clothes and his wife suggests you remove all laundry, coats & bags from the kitchen at this stage, unless you want to smell like a curry house.  I also recommend opening windows because the smell is lovely while cooking but not so much 3 days later. After a couple of minutes add the meat.  You can use any meat you like including chicken, on the bone or off.  On this occasion I used lamb shoulder cut into largish chunks.  This cooks beautifully.  Brown the meat on a high heat and add just enough water to cover.  When the water is simmering, cover and cook until tender.  We cooked the lamb for about two hours. It might take longer if your meat is on the bone.  Less for chicken.  Add water during cooking if it looks dry.  Serve with rice and dhal plus vegetables.
Malcolm also provided a dhal recipe but I prefer mine. Melt ghee or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 finely chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic.  Sautee until onion is soft then add 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, pinch of salt & a few grinds of black pepper. and sautee 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 cup red lentils. juice of half a lemon & 3 cups water.  Bring to the boil & simmer uncovered until lentils are cooked - about 15-20 minutes.
I served this Nigella Tomato Curry sans coconut rice, because it looks so pretty in the picture.  It tastes as good as it looks.  Nigella is a fan of English mustard powder and it really is a good addition to many things.  I always put a pinch in the cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese.  Do you?
 I wanted an Indian type pudding and I had eaten a yoghurty thing at Moore Wilson's producer day a few weeks ago but couldn't buy it.  Jack Santa Maria came to the rescue.  It's called Shrikand.  Take 600ml thick yoghurt - you could strain it overnight, but it's fine without.  Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 dsp rosewater, then whisk into the yoghurt. Mix in about 1 tsp ground cardamom and chill.  Jack noted that in Nepal, cloves, cinnamon & pepper are added with the cardamom so I did that.  He didn't say how much so I did similar quantities.  Adjust to your taste.  Jack mixes though chopped almonds & pistachios before chilling but I added them just before serving with a tsp rose petals.

Catching Up

It's been a while.  We've not been going hungry.  We have been eating delicious dinners everyday and baking bread every week.  I have had other things going on and I haven't made the time to sit down and record them.  The photos however have been taken and I thought I would take this opportunity to update you on how we have been eating over winter. 
I've just picked three highlights.  I'd never made Coronation Chicken before.  Have you?  I thought I would have a go this Queen's birthday with all the Jubilee events going on and I was very pleasantly surprised.  It wasn't even that complicated.  I used Rosemary Hume's original recipe and I pretty much stuck to the recipe even when it sounded a bit odd e.g. apricot jam & mayonnaise.  I did just poach chicken breasts rather than a whole bird because it was only for three.  The rice salad with peas was delicious.  Try it in the summer or at the next Jubilee.
On the retro theme I also recently made a prawn cocktail with a classic Rose Marie sauce and Steak Dianne.  It's worth revisiting those old favourites - they were popular for a reason.  Perhaps I'll have a dinner party with a retro theme.
Phoebe gave Peter a very exciting pizza cutter for his birthday and, yes, I know that was a while ago, however pizzas have now been eaten & sliced & I can report that it is very effective.  I should have some of the other gadgets in the series.  The pizzas were also good.  I made one classic margherita & looked to Hugh for inspiration.  I always use Hugh's magic bread dough for pizza these days. Any dough left over shape into a loaf, make a couple of cuts in the top and pop in the oven at 250 for about half an hour or till it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.  I have made the beetroot pizza and recommend it along with the kale and onion, however on this occasion I did potato, rosemary & blue cheese.  The classic margherita & this one are the two pizza greats.   They also do a fabulous version of this at Scopa in Wellington - it's the Rosa Maria.  While I'm on the topic of the Bresolin brothers, we had the Wellington on a Plate menu last week at Duke Carvell's between movies and it was a stunner.  And tomorrow is the Moore Wilson Food Heroes which is one of the highlights of my culinary year. 
My house guests gave me Ottolenghi's Plenty and I made Chickpea, tomato & bread soup.  Make this soup.  Ottolenghi describes this as a warming & filling meal in a bowl after which you need nothing but a "little pillow to rest your head on".  It's true.  Try it.
And there are many more gems to be found in the book.  It has become one of my "go to" books when I have a vegetable & need an idea.
And I have to tell you about the dinner I have just eaten.  Peter made us braised fish with leeks, thyme and potatoes. 
For two, cook a couple of waxy potatoes, sliced 1/2 cm thick, for about 4 minutes & set aside to cool a little.  Halve a leek & slice about 1cm thick. Mix the cooked potatoes & leeks with 2 tbsp melted butter, some thyme leaves & a clove of crushed garlic.  Tip into a wide saute pan - Peter used the cazuela - pour over 1/4 cup white wine & 1/2 cup chicken stock & bring to the boil.  Cover with baking paper, seal with foil or a tight fitting lid & put the dish in the oven at 180 for about 45 mins.  Cut about 350 g white fish into large pieces & place on top of the veg.  Pour over a little cream, season & scatter with grated Parmesan.  Cook uncovered until the fish is cooked - about 15 mins.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Eat your greens

We went straight from the simple cazuela to the grand sounding Arroz de Mar y Montana - sea & mountain rice - with chicken, pork, prawns & squid.  You want to make this for 4 or 6.  For 6, season about 300g diced pork and 6 chicken thighs then brown in a cazuela or casserole.  Transfer to a plate.  Take 4 good pork sausages & squeeze them out of their casings and form into  small balls.  Brown them all over then remove.  Add 250g squid cut into smallish pieces & 1 finely chopped onion.  Cook until the onion is soft then add a tin of chopped tomatoes & cook 15 mins.  Return the other meats to the pan along with any juices on the plate and add 1 tsp smoked paprika.  Add 6 cups water & simmer gently 1/2 an hour.  Make a picada which is usually a mix of herbs and nuts - maybe a Spanish pesto.  Perhaps one of you Spanish cooking experts can enlighten us here.  In this case 2 cloves garlic, 10 skinless hazelnuts (roast in the oven a few minutes and the skins will rub off) & 1 tsp flat leaf parsley.  Pound in a mortar & pestle, or blend, with a little of the simmering liquid until you have a smooth paste.  Sprinkle some saffron threads into the cazuela, bring the liquid to a boil & add 2 cups rice, the picada, & a handful of shelled prawns.  If you have ones with the shell on give them a quick turn first back with the sausage balls.  Make sure the rice is evenly distributed then cook uncovered on a medium boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce the heat & cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed & the rice is al punto.
Now that the cold weather is closing in, try a spicy winter stir fry.  For 4, cut 2 carrots into thin batons, 2 parsnips into thin disks, 200g mushrooms finely sliced & 200g finely shredded Brussels sprouts.  Heat some sunflower oil in a wok or pan over a high heat & stir fry 6 finely sliced shallots & 1 hot finely chopped chilli for a few minutes.  Add the carrot & parsnip & cook 2 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms & 2 cloves finely chopped garlic & fry another couple of minutes.  Finally add the sprouts & cook another couple of minutes.  Season & add a pinch of sugar.  Scoop everything out of the wok, reduce the heat.  Add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp rice wine, 1 tsp Chinese five spice, a good squeeze lime juice and 4 nests of cooked drained egg noodles.  Cook a couple of minutes, then return the vegetables to the pan & toss through.  Serve with another good squeeze of lime juice.
One of my other favourite meals of the moment is chard & potato curry.  We have some rainbow chard growing in the garden and Wairarapa Eco Farms is now at the market every week.  Between us we produce a wealth of leafy greens for this dish.  You could use any waxy potato but I have been using Eco Farms Kowiniwini potatoes.  For 4, take about 500g rainbow chard, beetroot leaves, spinach, curly kale - whatever you have to hand.  Separate the leaves from the stalks.  Cut the stalks into 2-3 cm pieces & roughly chop the leaves.  Fry 1 finely sliced onion in a pan with sunflower oil until golden. Pound 3 cloves garlic with 1 finely chopped green chilli & a knob of chopped ginger with a pinch of salt, to a fine paste.  Add to the onion with 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp turmeric & 3 cardamom pods.  Stir through, then add about 350g small waxy potatoes, quartered and the chopped stalks.   Fry a few minutes then add 400ml water, bring to a boil & simmer 12 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add the leaves & stir until wilted.
In a bowl mix 250g thick yoghurt, 1 1/2 tbsp tomato puree & a little curry liquid.  Stir this back into the curry & warm through gently.  Scatter over toasted mixed chopped nuts - almonds, cashew, pistachios and serve with rice or naan bread.
Try this Tunisian breakfast soup which I actually made for Saturday lunch.  Soften a finely chopped onion then add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tbsp cumin & a finely chopped red capsicum.  Add a tin of chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes & 750ml chicken stock.  Simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Add 500g roughly chopped greens - the ones you didn't use in the curry.  Stir through 2 tbsp harissa paste. Grill a slice of sourdough bread per person & lay in the bottom of a bowl then pour over a ladleful of the soup.  Top with hard boiled egg, capers & a little more chopped capsicum with a drop of harissa.
I have often thought of making corn bread but never done so.  This week Hugh inspired me to have a go and it was a huge success.  His recipe include pumpkin and chillies both of which were lurking in the fridge looking for something to do.  I added a tin of creamed sweetcorn.  I think I have mentioned before this is a weakness of mine.  We couldn't eat it all so I divided into batches for the freezer & we will reheat for lunches from time to time. 
Finally I ordered some dumplings from Vicky Ha at the market and served them for Sunday dinner with my version of Alan Fong's greens.  I emailed Vicky & she put the dumplings aside for me with the dipping sauces and emailed me instructions on how to cook them.  They were truly wonderful.

The Big Apple

Tagine Saturday was such a success but now it's over.  Peter bought me a cazuela for my birthday & the second half of my paella book is all about rice in the cazuela, so off  we go with cazuela Saturday.  The cazuela is a beautiful dish & I think would also be perfect for risotto so I am going to try that too.  The book says that the Spanish cook almost everything in the cazuela.  It distributes & retains heat well & is great for simmering & braising and cooking rice on the stove top.  These cazuela dishes are more soupy than paella which is a drier dish with that lovely crust on the bottom.We started with something simple - white rice with herbs.  If you don't have a cazuela do this in your Le Creuset or other Dutch oven style pot.  For 4, bring 4 cups of water to the boil in the cazuela.  Blend 2 cloves garlic & 1 tbsp parsley with 1/2 cup water in the processor.  When the water reaches the boil, add the garlic mix & a pinch salt.  The rice makes a difference here & I would recommend Spanish rice - Bomba or Calasparra.  If you don't have those use a short or medium grain rice - Calrose, Japanese short grain, or any of the Italian rices.  Don't use long grain or Basmati.  Add 2 cups rice with a bay leaf and a stripped thyme stem.  Yes, strip the leaves off the thyme stem!  We used the thyme leaves in the accompanying chicken.  Cook uncovered stirring occasionally for 10 minutes over a medium high heat.  Check the seasoning at this point.  Reduce the heat & cook another 8 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed & the rice is al punto - the Spanish equivalent of al dente. You don't want this to be dry & fluffy and it's not quite creamy like risotto but something in between.  You just have to judge.  This was so delicately flavoured that I think you want to serve it with something equally light like chicken or fish.
 We had our old favourite chicken with herbs.  Sprinkle 4 chicken thighs with salt & pepper & brown on both sides in butter with a little oil.  Lower the heat, cover & cook another 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Set the chicken aside & tip away most of the fat from the pan.  Add finely chopped spring onion & when golden add 3/4 cup liquid - a mixture of chicken, stock, white wine, water. Scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan & reduce the liquid.  Add a handful of chopped herbs & pour over the chicken.
Sunday we went for a walk at Makara.  It was a lovely afternoon & half of Wellington was there.  We spotted some wild samphire & we had bought a fillet of porae from Yellow Brick Road at the city market, so we picked a little for dinner.  It was the perfect addition to our fish supper with roast potatoes & courgettes.
There was polenta in the cupboard & I thought it should be used up so we had chicken involtini - I think this means rolled up - with polenta.  This seems fiddly but isn't really & is worth the effort.  Make a creamy polenta - for 4, I use 6 cups water or stock to 1 1/2 cups polenta & add Parmesan & a knob of butter at the end.  Heat the oven to 200 & cut 2 large chicken breasts into six slices each including the tenderloin.  Pound them between 2 sheet of baking paper to about 4mm thick.  Lay out each slice, top with a sliver of prosciutto & a slice of mozarella.  You'll want 2 balls of mozarella for four.  Season & roll up, lay a sage leaf on top &  secure with a toothpick.   Brown on each side in a pan with butter.  You'll need to push the stick though when you turn it but it's not nearly as fiddly as it sounds.  Cook in batches so as not to crowd the pan then transfer to an oven proof dish & cook in the oven another 8-10 minutes.  In the pan crisp up a few sage leaves in butter.  Serve the chicken on a bed of polenta topped with crispy sage.
And of course you are wondering what became of the apples.  Well, Anzac Day was Apple Wednesday in our house & the smell of apples wafted through the house.  Try this cake substituting apples for pears.  I made three of these.  I cut the apples in quarters & then sliced them almost through from the fat side of the wedge (like a hasselback potato) before caramelising.
If you find you can't fit all the caramelised apples into the cake, take a break & eat the leftovers with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  You deserve it.
That didn't make much of a dent in the apples and it was Florence White to the rescue with  a Somersetshire recipe for apple butter.  Quarter the apples - don't peel or core & put everything into a preserving pan.  I filled mine to the top - the recipe assumes you are using windfall apples so you just have as many as you bothered to pick up.  Cover the apples with water or water & cider.  I added liquid about 3/4 up the side of the pan.  Stew to a pulp which took about an hour.  Press through a sieve which was a little messy as there was a great deal of pulp & I had to use more than one bowl.
Wash out the pan, measure the pulp, then return the pulp to the pan.  Simmer for about an hour until quite thick.  Add 3/4 lb (330g) sugar for every pint (600ml) of pulp. I actually put much less - I started with a cup per quart (2 pints) then added 1/2 lemon plus peel per quart, then added more sugar and tasted till it seemed right- not losing the appley tartness.  But do remember the sugar is the preservative.  Boil up until it is stiff enough to spread without running.  Use the jam crinkle method to test.  Pour into sterilised jars & "cover in the old fashioned way with a piece of paper dipped in brandy".  That's what she says!  She adds that if properly made this will keep for 2 years.  We'll see.  It is so yummy that I could just spoon it out of the jars.  So far I have had it for breakfast on fruit with yoghurt.  You could certainly serve as apple sauce with pork.
That was not the end of the apples.  I peeled & thinly sliced a few then blanched to stop the discoloration & when cooled bagged up in pie quantities & froze.  We will have 3 or 4 pies over the winter.  The rest were stewed with rhubarb.  And that is the end of apples.

Pasta, grains & greens

When I first introduced soup Monday I made a wonderful barley soup inspired by Alison Holst & I returned there this week.  This had two pleasing consequences.  I discovered I had more pearl barley in the cupboard than I needed & remembered a barley salad I had been meaning to make.  You could serve this with anything really but we had lamb meatballs which worked well.  Just make your favourite meatball recipe.  We included onion, garlic & cinnamon.  For the salad cook 1/2 cup of pearl barley for about half an hour until tender.  It may take a little longer.  Drain, toss through 2 tbsp olive oil & set aside to cool slightly.  In the meantime mix a cup chopped parsley, 1/4 finely diced preserved lemon, a few black olives, juice of 1/2 a lemon, crumbled feta & some finely sliced mint leaves.  Mix in the cooled barley & top with meatballs.  Good as lunch leftovers later in the week.  Look forward to lots of barley on these pages in the coming weeks.Are you wondering what the second consequence was - did you think I had forgotten?  The soup requires a can of creamed sweetcorn & I only needed 1/2  a tin for two.  We added the remaining corn to the Friday night omelette.  Try this - it was delicious.  I have a real soft spot for creamed corn.
I often think of the green vegetable first & then come up with a way to fit a meal around it.  For a simple weekday meal you can't go past Hugh F-W's macaroni peas.  Cook pasta - we used macaroni but penne or whatever shapes you have to hand would do as well.  Cook some frozen peas.  While the peas are cooking gently soften a clove of garlic in a little butter.  Blend half the peas with the butter, garlic, 25g Parmesan & enough of the pea cooking water to make a puree.  Think pesto.  Combine with the rest of the peas & pasta, add more Parmesan & mix through basil or parsley.
Roasted roots crumble seemed like a good accompaniment to leeks & greens this week.  Roast a selection of pale root vegetables - potato, parsnip, swede, celeriac - cut into smallish chunks & some sliced onion, with a mustardy dressing.  Mix equal quantities of wholegrain mustard, honey & olive oil with a good quantity of chopped rosemary and toss the veg around in it.  Cover the veg & roast at 180 for 45 minutes then uncover & cook a further 20 minutes at 200.  You want the vegetables well cooked & golden but not browned.  Pour a few tbsp cream over the vegetables - this is just to meld them together a little so you could omit if you don't have cream in the cupboard.  Top with a crumble made of a handful of rolled oats, 2-3 slices of crumbed bread, toasted hazlenut roughly chopped , grated cheese & a little melted butter.  Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the crumble.
We made way more than we could eat & there was a little cranbapple sauce in the fridge so the next day we had lamb rack with the left over crumble mixed with the left over leeks & greens.
If we are planning to eat mixed greens it seems impossible to buy only what we need for a single meal so another pasta & greens meal was called for.  Again this can be whatever pasta & greens you have to hand.  In our case penne & cabbage with beetroot leaves.   Soften an onion in a little oil then add finely chopped garlic & chilli & cook a little longer.  Cook the pasta in the usual way & a few minutes before the end of cooking add the shredded greens.  Drain the pasta & greens & toss with the onion mix & some grated Parmesan & a drizzle of olive oil.
There was still some spinach & beetroot leaves to use so out came that meal of the moment  - spicy potatoes with greens.  Top it with a poached egg and you have a splendid meal.
This week a work colleague gave me 5 kilos of windfall apples.  Look out for apple recipes next week.  If you have any ideas post them here.
You may remember that when I go to the market every Sunday & have a cup of chowder from Yellow Brick Road for Breakfast.  I occasionally try something different but always return to chowder.  Nothing else quite measures up - until now.  I may have found a new favourite - Vicky Ha and The Dumpling House.  Try those dumplings.  She now sells them frozen by the dozen and I am planning to buy a dozen tofu & spinach dumplings to treat a vegan.  I think my favourite is the pork & cabbage but the Nepalese lamb & veg is a close second.