Versatile vegetables

Phoebe is always doing interesting things with cauliflower but I've never done much other than cauliflower cheese, curry or soup until now. This week I branched out with two new cauliflower ideas.

On Sunday we had lamb kofte with cauliflower "couscous".  To make the kofte for two, combine 300g lamb mince, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, chilli flakes, 1 clove crushed garlic, finely chopped parsley, zest of half a lemon, 1/2 tsp dried mint, salt and pepper.  Make little meatballs - I made 6 - and poke a pre-soaked bamboo skewer through each one, then shape into sausage shapes on the skewer. Set these aside while you prepare the couscous.
Break half a cauliflower head into florets and grind to a fine crumbly couscous-like texture in the food processor.  Spread these out on an oven tray and bake at 200 for 5 mins.  You could microwave in a bowl for a few minutes but I can't as I don't have one.  Set them aside to cool and cook the kofte on a tray in the oven for about 12 minutes.
While they are cooking mix finely diced cucumber, chopped tomato, a small quantity of finely diced red onion, chopped olives, chopped mint and parsley, and crumbled feta with the cauliflower. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil.  Serve with yoghurt and a little chopped dill.
I used the other half of the cauliflower to make a pizza base.  Crumble the cauliflower and lightly cook as above then wrap in a tea towel and wring out any moisture.  I didn't do this and mine was a little soggy but still delicious.  Mix the cauliflower with a little beaten egg, crushed garlic and a little grated parmesan, mixed dried herbs, salt and pepper.  Shape into a pizza shape on an oven tray lined with baking paper.  Make it quite thin - about 1/2 a centimetre.  Bake at 200 for 30-40 minutes.  It should be firm and golden.  Take it out of the oven and turn up to 220.  Spread the base with passata or a similar kind of tomato sauce, halved cherry tomatoes and blobs of mozzarella.  Grate over some parmesan and sprinkle on a few basil leaves.  Bake another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and serve with a few more basil leaves.
I will definitely be trying other things with cauliflower.  Any suggestions?
I returned to a favourite from this winter.  The charmingly named Dr Feel Good winter salad.  This is a brilliant recipe and although it looks fiddly is well worth the effort.  I save a bit of time by using roasted capsicum in a jar rather than roasting from scratch.  These are great and can go in many dishes.  Try them with the cauliflower couscous.  On this salad occasion Phoebe was coming for dinner and got there first so I phoned ahead for her to turn on the oven and put the beetroot on to boil.  That was useful.  You will really like this salad and you can be flexible with the ingredients.
I also made brilliant little apple puddings that I was alerted to on Facebook.  When I told them at work they all cried, "too hard", but in fact they were "too easy".  And they did taste delicious.  I sprinkled with icing sugar mixed with cinnamon because I had some pre-mixed which had been left over from a cake I had taken to work.  It was a great combination and a little dollop of whipped cream is the perfect finishing touch.
Now that asparagus season is upon us I like to eat them as much as possible.  A great idea for a spring Saturday lunch is salad greens, thinly sliced radish and steamed asparagus piled on a grilled slice of sourdough that has been spread with mayonnaise.  Add egg boiled just enough to peel with the yolk still soft and drizzle over a little lemony vinaigrette.

I See Red

You really can eat beetroot every day.  Beetroot burgers will please both omnivores and herbivores.  Saute 1 finely chopped onion for about 5 mins until soft then add 1 peeled coarsely grated beetroot, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp zahtar with a pinch of salt & cook 5 mins.  Stir frequently to prevent the mix catching.  Put the cooked mix into a food processor with 2 tins drained chickpeas, 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, zest of a lemon, 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs.  Season and pulse until  well combined but not completely smooth.  Divide into patties of a size you want and chill for 30 minutes.  Cook the patties in oil 3 mins each side.  You can serve them on buns but if you think the addition of two hefty pieces of bread is too much, do as we did and just serve with the toppings.  Consider lettuce, avocado, grated carrot or beetroot, sprouts, tomato, feta or even a fried egg.
Beetroot risotto is a favourite of mine.  In one pan slowly steam a finely grated beetroot and in the other make a risotto base.  The beetroot will take 40 mins or so to soften so start it first.  This is the same principle as the beetroot relish I developed a while ago and you could add onions but you will also have shallots or leeks in your risotto base.  When both components are ready combine in the risotto pan and add juice and zest of a lemon with a knob of butter.  Cover & rest 5 minutes.  Season and serve dotted with ricotta or feta.  I had some unused ricotta in the fridge and that worked wonderfully.  I think it is better than Parmesan with the beetroot.  Make risotto cakes with the leftovers & serve with a poached egg.
As an aside, I used the rest of the ricotta in beefburgers which was a Nigel Slater idea and made wonderful moist burgers.  We had bought the ricotta to stuff courgette flowers and not done it.  Really I think that it is a fiddly job and I'd rather let a cafe do the work.  Floriditas do them beautifully.  We served the burgers with our now flourishing courgettes and the last of  the cranberry sauce.  Nigel suggests a tomato relish but I think that almost any relish you have in the fridge will do.
You will really impress with this colourful beetroot salad.  In a large bowl mix 3 peeled grated carrots, 2-3 radishes mandolined (you could substitute 1/2 celeriac), 2-3 beetroot peeled and grated (use 2 colours of you have them), 1 grated apple spritzed with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.  Make a dressing with 1 tbsp horseradish sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 tsp English mustard, 1 clove crushed garlic, salt & pepper.  Combine with salad and garnish with cumin & pumpkin seeds and parsley. We had it on it's own but it would go well with any lean meat or fish or just a side of roasted potatoes.
Lastly a beetroot soup.  Put a largish beetroot in a baking tray with 1 cm water and bake at 200 for about an hour.  Cool (under cold water is fine) and peel.  In a pan soften 2 finely chopped onions then add 2 apples quartered (with a squeeze of lemon)  and the beetroot roughly chopped.  Pour on 1 1/2 litres chicken or vegetable stock, add 2 star anise & simmer 15 mins.  remove the star anise and blend with a hand blender until smooth.  Serve with snipped chives and a dollop of yoghurt mixed with horseradish.

Beetroot ... and radishes

It was encouraging to see two new signed up followers and a suggestion for radishes - thank you, readers.  We are still in summer eating mode even though there is a dearth of summer weather. 
We have been working hard on both the beetroot and radishes.  We had end of season asparagus with a lamb fillet and a couscous salad.  For the couscous I mixed a little olive oil and lemon juice through the couscous while it was still warm and then tossed through a selection of salad veg - spring onions, capsicum, parsley, feta and, of course, radishes.  I served it with beetroot relish and yoghurt with mint.  I didn't really need both but the relish needed eating and I love lamb with minty yoghurt so I splurged and it was worth it.  Put lots of mint in the yoghurt.
We have taken a fancy to spring rolls. They are so easy.  Buy a pack of spring roll wrappers and some vermicelli.  Finely slice a selection of fresh vegetables and herbs, including radishes.  Toast and crush some skinned peanuts and/or cashews - maybe add a pinch of cumin.  Make a selection of dipping sauces.  Put a dish of warm water on the table and construct and eat spring rolls until you are replete.  On this occasion I thought we had more wraps in the cupboard than we did, however a squid tube from the freezer came to the rescue.  Salt and pepper squid rings were delicious dipped in the sauces.
We were visiting in Auckland and I thought I would contribute pudding.  Make a jelly by dissolving 2 tbsp sugar in 1/2 cup wine (white or rose, still or sparkling) on the stove.  Don't let it boil.  Remove from the heat and add 4 leaves of softened gelatin, a further 1 3/4 cups of wine and 1 tsp lemon juice.  Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate around 6 hours.  To serve put a mixture of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries into glasses with diced papaya and top with cubes of jelly.
Back home it was radishes and beetroot.  For a change from lamb we tried rump steak with caper, anchovy and rosemary sauce served with shaved veg with a lemony dressing.
For the meat dressing, pound 4-6 anchovies with a clove of garlic using a mortar and pestle.  Add 2 tsp very finely chopped rosemary and pound again.  Add  2 tsp capers, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well with salt and pepper.  Cook the rump steak to your liking and brush both sides with a little of the dressing.  Rest then slice and pour over the remaining dressing.
For the vegetables make a dressing with 1 tsp English mustard, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil and salt & pepper.  Using a mandoline with care not to slice fingers (we have had mandoline incidents here), very finely slice a selection of raw summer vegetables - radishes, beetroot, kohlrabi, courgette.  Trickle over the dressing.
On the side I served a mix of salad leaves including beetroot leaves with a regular vinaigrette, and some freshly baked thyme-flavoured Turkish-style bread (pide) to mop up the juices.  To make the bread, combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp honey, 3 tbsp olive oil and add to 1 1/2 cups bread flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp chopped thyme.  Combine and knead for a few minutes until soft and smooth.  Leave to rise for an hour then divide into eight pieces, shape into rounds about 1 cm thick and cover with a teatowel to rise again for 20 minutes.  I only needed half the dough so have frozen the rest for another time.  Cook the breads on a grill 3-4 mins each side until golden and puffy.
Still trying to use up the last of the cranberry sauce, we had venison sausages with roasted beetroot and wilted spinach and beetroot leaves.  I cooked the beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks then put in a roasting dish with some olive oil and salt and pepper and thyme.  When done I splashed over a little vincotto.  I wash and slice spinach then just add in batches to a pan over a medium heat.  As the spinach wilts, push it to the back and add another handful.  When it is done stir in a small knob of butter and seasoning.  I often add nutmeg or cumin but on this occasion used only pepper.  Adding beetroot leaves with the spinach is delicious.  Try it.
Thank you to Jean-Marie for roasted radishes with dukkah. We tried them this evening with our aperitif of saffron gin.  The gin was a Christmas gift and I recommend you try it. It has a unique pizazz. The radishes were very interesting and I really liked them.  I have never eaten a cooked radish and I enjoyed the change in texture and depth of flavour.  The dukkah was brilliant and will become our staple recipe I suspect.

Festovers

Last year I was busy with other projects and I let this blog slide.  Some of you were a little judgemental.  I have resolved to do better this year.  However I need you to do your bit.  A little encouragement will spur me on.  Sign on as a follower and participate.  Comment, positive or otherwise, ask questions and share your culinary ideas.
This time of year in our house is all about leftovers.  I like the challenge of slowly clearing the bulging fridge shelves after the excesses of the Christmas festivities.  This year we were a table of only four for the main meal and you might have thought it would be easy.  Not so much.  However as usual we rose to the challenge.  Peter made bread pudding from the left over stuffing bread.  This is not bread and butter pudding which is another dish altogether, but a cake to eat with a cup of tea.  This was a really good idea and saved the bread from the bin but then we had to eat the cake along with the left over summer pudding, Phoebe's festive baking and other sweet treats we were given.  Peter made the pudding with cold tea - I might have used ale myself.
We had our usual boxing day meal of turkey with an asian style slaw. A small cabbage goes a very long way and so there is the challenge of how to finish the cabbage while not ignornig the turkey or ham or nut roast.  We prepared various styles of coleslaw and ate these at lunch with ham or turkey or on one occasion a pork pie from the freezer.
As well as keeping up with the left overs we have had to contend with the garden's produce.  I have been slowly turning flower beds into vegetable beds and we have a beautiful crop of beetroot.  The warm rain seems to have acted on the radishes as a performance enhancing drug and they are growing to alarming proportions.  I made a batch of beetroot relish.  In a largish pan soften 1/2 a finely sliced red onion with 2-3 finely grated raw beetroot - use gloves or the food processor.  Keep the heat very low and if it looks like catching add a few drops of water.  After 40 minutes or so it will be a lovely saucy consistency. Add the zest and juice of a lemon and season well.  You could add 1/4 preserved lenon finely sliced.  Cook down a little more.  This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long.  The radishes have been a little more challenging.  I did happen upon a great recipe to make a type of dip with cream cheese (I found a small quantity in the fridge), spring onions, lemon juice and zest, and mint. That was great not only on radishes but just spread on toast or sourdough fresh from the oven.
There was a quantity of pizza dough left from the traditional turkey, cranberry and camembert pizza and that became flat bread served with hummus and beetroot relish. I made a Greek salad which it transpires will benefit from the addition of radishes very thinly sliced.
There was such a tiny bit of cabbage left, I finely sliced it and sauteed with 1/2 finely sliced red onion with a splash of cider vinegar and red wine until soft and added a spoon of cranberry sauce at the end. The result was a mountain of cooked cabbage. I served this with venison sausages from the freezer with beetroot relish and cranberry sauce. We had used all the raw cabbage and now we had a surpus of cooked cabbage.  It was surprisingly delicious mixed through some basmati rice the next night.
But we have done it.  The fridge is clear and we can shop again.  I still need help with those radishes.  Any suggestions?

From the garden

The summer garden is producing potatoes, courgettes & lettuces as fast as we can eat them.  We also harvested our garlic on the longest day and plaited them with the help of our visitors.  There aren't many but I am pleased with them as a first attempt.  The weather is a mix of glorious sunny days as hot & calm as we ever have in Wellington, 2-3 days of gale force northerlies strong enough to whip the lettuces untimely from their beds.  When it's neither of those we are blessed with those delightful sea mists that engulf us & in Karori mean we are unsure if our neighbours have not been swept away by the previous day's northerly.  The upshot of this is that we are eating a great deal of the above in a variety of combinations, and dining out of doors when winds permit. 
For a really quick after-work meal cut some small potatoes into 2-3 pieces & boil for 8-10 minutes, then add a handful of trimmed green beans for an additional 3-5 minutes.  Meanwhile heat some olive oil in a pan & add thinly slivered garlic being careful not to let it burn.  Add about 50g of olives stoned & roughly chopped & heat through then remove from the heat.  Tip the olives into the pan with the potatoes & toss with a handful of shredded basil, the juice of half a lemon & some salt & pepper.  Serve with grilled courgettes. Our basil isn't doing so well.  Perhaps it doesn't like those northerly winds.
To make best use of these summer evenings we are aiming to keep things simple.  Peel 3-4 medium red onions and slice into 6-8 wedges, keeping the root attached at one end. Heat a tbsp oil in an oven proof  frying pan.  Arrange the onion in a concentric pattern in the pan.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper & cook for until they are quite tender & beginning to caramelise around the edges.  This will take 20 mins or longer, turning once half way through.  Trickle over 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar & cook a couple of minutes more.  Remove from the heat.  Using ready made puff pastry - keep some in the freezer - cut out a disk that will fit in your pan over the top of the onions.  Lay on the pastry sheet & put the pan in the oven at 190 for 20 minutes. To serve, invert the pan onto a plate and there you have an attractively presented onion tart.  All you need now is a leafy green salad.
An abundance of courgettes called for a lamb rump served with a Greek salad, quinoa with rose petals, the aforementioned courgettes & a dollop of fresh beetroot relish.  This was something I had a while back at Floriditas.  I successfully replicated it then forgot what I had done.  This wasn't it but I think this was better.  Very finely slice 1-2 red onions and finely grate 2 large peeled beetroot.  I used disposable gloves for this operation.  Put in a large pan & cook slowly until the onions are very soft.  Add juice & zest of one lemon plus the peel of 1/4 preserved lemon.  Season to taste.  Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
And when you have still more courgettes to use the next day, try deep fried courgette flowers.  For the filling, beat 100g Zany Zeus ricotta until smooth then stir in 2 tbsp Parmesan, a handful of finely chopped fresh herbs & salt & pepper.  Scoop the mixture into the flowers & gently twist the tops to secure.  You can use both the flowers with the baby courgettes attached & the other ones.  They are the male & female flowers.  When these are done prepare a tempura batter with 100g sifted plain flour, 40g cornflour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.  Whisk in about 200ml ice cold sparkling mineral water until you have a thinnish batter.  Don't over mix.  Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or deep pan to 180.  Dip the flowers in the batter one at a time & drop into the hot oil.   Only cook 2-3 at a time in the pan to prevent the oil from cooling. Cook 1-2 minutes until the batter is crisp & puffy.  Drain on kitchen towel.   You'll probably have more batter than flowers so also cook tiny broccoli florets, red onion wedges & more sliced courgettes.
Phoebe treated us to a tortilla stack during the week.  Make a tomato sauce.  Soften 2 cloves garlic, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped capsicum, 2 finely chopped green chillies.  Add 2 tins tomatoes & about 400ml water.  Swish the water around the tins first to catch all the tomato.  Add 1 tbsp tomato paste.  Cook about 10 minutes more.
Mix 2 tins black beans, 2 cups sweet corn kernels, 250g grated cheese in a bowl.  In an ovenproof dish, about 26 cm in diameter & 6 cm deep spread 1/3 of the sauce then layer on 2 tortillas so they cover the sauce & slightly overlap.  Spread 1/3 of the bean mix then 1/4 of the remaining sauce then 2 more tortillas.  Repeat so that you have 2 more layers (8 tortillas altogether) then top with the remaining sauce & sprinkle with more cheese.  Bake at 200 for 30 minutes.  Let it rest 15 minutes before serving in wedges with a green salad & an avocado salsa.  You can freeze the leftovers in wedges.
If you have a glut of beetroot or like me you just can't resist beetroot any way, try a beetroot & chocolate ice cream.  Make a regular custard as you would for vanilla ice cream using 300ml whole milk, 200ml cream & 4 large egg yolks.  Don't add vanilla.  Set aside to cool.  Put 300g whole beetroot in a roasting pan with a little water in the bottom to prevent burning & roast at 200 for about an hour or more until very tender.  Peel - use those disposable gloves - and blend to a puree.  You want no more than 300ml puree but a little less won't matter.  Melt 100g 70% chocolate & stir into the custard.  Then stir in the beetroot puree.    Leave to chill then churn either in an ice cream maker or using the freeze & whip method.  It is truly delicious.

Thinking of spring

This week's effort may have been the best tagine ever.  This was my first beef tagine.  Soften one finely sliced red onion, 3 crushed cloves of garlic and a small piece of grated ginger.  When they begin to colour, add one red chilli finely chopped, 2 tsp coriander seeds crushed and 2 sticks of cinnamon.  Add 3-4 lightly cooked beetroots, peeled & quartered.  Saute the beetroot for a minute or so then pour in enough boiling water to nearly cover.  Put the tagine in the oven (put it in at 100 & bring the temperature up to 180).  After about an hour  & 1/2, add an orange peeled & segmented, a tbsp runny honey, 1 tbsp orange flower water & seasoning.  Cover & cook a further 15 minutes.  To serve, sprinkle over lightly roasted pistachios & chopped parsley.  I served it with couscous.
Sunday was Phoebe's last dinner at home before heading back to university & she asked for home made burgers.  I went for a lamb variation.  I make a delicious mix of lamb mince with bulgar wheat, garlic, dried mint & oregano (dried has a more intense flavour) & lemon zest - I think I've told you before.  Sometimes I make them into big patties, sometimes little meatballs to serve on skewers.  On this occasion I made medium sized patties to serve in pitta bread with hummus & a mix of  salad items.  This makes a great change from burgers.  We had the leftovers in our salad lunches.
On Tuesday I made a broccoli & blue cheese salad with the last of the broccoli from the garden.  It was so wonderful I may have to make it again this week with shop bought broccoli.  I urge you to try this.  Apart from broccoli & blue cheese which you have to use - otherwise I'd have to rename the dish - you can put in what ever you have in the fridge.  For the base I used crispy cos and baby spinach.  These days with a composed salad I dress each component as I compose it.  I made a lemony, mustardy vinaigrette & tossed the lettuce with the dressing in a bowl before adding to the salad dish. Cut the broccoli into tiny florets & blanch 1-2 minutes then toss in the dressing bowl & add to the lettuce.  I had some French bread left over from the weekend so I made tiny crispy garlic croutons.  At the market on Sunday I bought some speck from Little Wolf.  If you live in Wellington you should try this.  Sometimes his wife brings delicious Hungarian baking to the market. I put the rind (plus a parmesan rind I found in the freezer) in my pumpkin soup on Monday.  Finely dice the speck, fry & drain well.  I used Roquefort from the French cheese stall at the market and it was the perfect crumbly consistency.  I added halved cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds & micro greens.
Wednesday we had a delicious chicken & couscous meal.  Use 2 boneless chicken thighs, skin on, per person & tie them up with string to reatin their shape while cooking.  Brown on all sides in a pan then set aside.  Add a thinly sliced onion, 1/2  tsp ground corainder & 1/4 tsp each ground turmeric & ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove & a bayleaf.  Soften, adding a sprinkling of water to the pan if the spices start to catch.  Add 1/2 tin drained chickpeas, a handful of green olives & 1 cup chicken stock.  Season, then sit the chicken thighs on top, cover & simmer about 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the pan from the heat & transfer the thighs to a plate to rest - keep them warm.  Stir 3/4 cup couscous to the pan, cover & leave 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.  Add lemon zest & chopped parsley.  We had the left over couscous in our lunch salads.

Table for Two

Cooking for two every night is not the same as cooking for three. We have been thinking ahead as it is often difficult to cook up a smaller quantity of, for example, ratatouille. You need a certain quantity to actually produce the desired consistency. I made the quantity for 4 and served half of it with a fillet of beef. The beef was seared in a pan on a high heat, then cooked to rare in the oven, at 180, for about 20 minutes. Slice to serve. Peter actually made some thick chips cooked on duck fat, which is probably so bad I shouldn't be owning up to it. But you are going to see them in the picture. They are delicious and very well drained. As you can see we didn't overdo it. Any left over beef can be used up in a packed lunch salad. All sorts of left over things go in my salads. It's amazing what works cold with some greens and a dressing. Let me know if you have any new ideas.
A couple of nights later we reheated the remaining ratatouille and served tossed through penne pasta. Ratatouille really does taste better second time around. The flavours meld beautifully. And this is a great quick meal if you are going to be home late or need to rush out straight afterwards.
Try cooking meatballs in a fresh sauce. Make up some meatballs with about 350g pork mince, a clove of garlic crushed, a little salt, sugar & pepper and a tbsp chopped parsley. Brown the meatballs over a moderate heat and then add 1/2 each of a red & yellow capsicum roughly sliced and a handful of black olives. Cook a further 15 minutes then add 2 tomatoes roughly chopped, with a handful of capers. Cook a further 3 -5 minutes. Sprinkle over some balsamic vinegar to serve.
This meal would stand well on its own however I have been introduced to a new vegetable and we decided to add it to this table. Kamo kamo is a vegetable from the squash family which was cultivated by Maori before Europeans arrived here. You may see it in the shops or market called kumi kumi. I am not sure of its origins. There are all sorts of opinions on the Internet but I was told to treat it as a courgette. My instructions were to cut into largish chunks and steam in lashings of butter & pepper. It was delicious. I have modified subsequently. Cut 1 smallish kamo kamo into chunks and toss in ground pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a pan & add the kamo kamo with a knob of butter. Cover the pan tightly with tinfoil and firmly apply the lid. Steam 20 minutes or so. This is better than courgette if you can imagine such a possibility.
Lastly, you know my penchant for beetroot. I found this amazing recipe for grated carrots & beetroot. We used Clevedon buffalo mozzarella. This is the perfect accompaniment for lamb steaks and couscous or on its own for lunch or even a light supper. And it is really yummy in the lunch salad the next day.

A Birthday Dinner

Harriet had her birthday dinner at our house on Friday night & I promised her a birthday blog. In typical Harriet fashion there was some initial vagueness around numbers. When she told me who was coming I expressed some surprise because I thought her initial request had suggested more than 2 friends. The next thing you know she had invited 12, but in the event there were 8 including Harriet plus Peter, Phoebe & I so that was fine. She had wanted a barbecue and you know what our weather has been so I was a bit worried. But that worked out as well.
So what did we eat?
Initially we put out hummus & that amazing Galilee cheese spread plus olives. And the famous cheesy feet & hands. Then we did a plate of Zany Zeus haloumi with lemon wedges and the broad bean fritters served with lemon yoghurt. If you've not cooked haloumi do try. It's simple and delicious. On the other hand, maybe not. It's not cheap & we have a bit of a reputation for it now.
By the time they'd finished with that lot it was getting a bit cooler so we came in and sat around the table. We barbecued vegetarian sausages that went down really well with my homemade tomato sauce. And we just did a selection of salads. Quite a selection actually because as usual I don't know when to stop. I did the Turkish vegetable fattoush and the carrot salad from the Moorish blog. Then I found an amazing beetroot pilaf I wanted to try. It's really 2 pilafs (is that a word?) combined but don't let that put you off. You just need 2 cooking receptacles. For 6, heat a little oil & butter in medium frying pan with a lid (or cover securely with tinfoil). Add half a finely chopped onion and partially soften. Stir in 3/4 cup brown basmati rice - I used a combination of brown basmati & wild rice - & fry 3-4 minutes, then add 1 medium beetroot peeled & finely chopped (yes you will have messy fingers) plus 400ml hot vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce to the lowest possible simmer, cover & leave 25 minutes, resisting the temptation to peek. While that is doing, start the 2nd pilaf off in the same way adding a cinnamon stick & 1/2 tsp turmeric to the onion. Stir in white basmati rice, cook 3 minutes, add 375ml hot stock, bring to the boil, cover, reduce to lowest simmer and cook 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking time rest both pans covered 5 minutes then 15 minutes uncovered to cool slightly. Gently fold both together into a serving dish with some chopped flat leaf parsley and lots (about 200g) of crumbly feta.
That was my absolute favourite but the 'piece de resistance' was probably the quinoa & edamame salad. Again really easy. Quinoa is available in most supermarkets & I buy Ceres Organics. Rinse about a cup of quinoa & simmer in a little over twice the volume water or stock about 2o minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Spread 0ut on a tray & leave to cool.
Saute about a cup of frozen corn (or kernels scraped off 2-3 cobs) in a pan with crushed garlic & salt about 5 minutes on a high heat until lightly coloured. Blanch & pod a 400g bag of frozen edamame beans. We got these at Moore Wilson's. I don't know if you can buy them not frozen. In a large bowl mix the quinoa, corn mixture, a drained tin of chickpeas, 3 finely sliced spring onions and 3 finely sliced radishes. If you get them from your garden you may be lucky enough to find 3 in slightly different shades. Make the dressing in the processor:
1/3 cup olive oil
zest & juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
handful basil leaves
salt & pepper
Then toss with the quinoa mix. Colourful & delicious.
We finished the evening with Floriditas Vegan Raspberry Chocolate cake.

Three kinds of beetroot

It's been a while. I've not been able to get into the study due to exams. They're not over, however I have been granted entry to make a small post.
I thought I'd mention beetroot. I would happily eat beetroot every day & I suspect I do. It is one of the most versatile vegetables. It is wonderful with lamb. Recently I couldn't decide so I made 3 kinds of beetroot. First cook your beetroot. I bring it to the boil in cold water & then simmer until cooked. About 30 mins for baby beets & 40 mins or longer for larger ones. Then skin them. Allow one large beetroot per person
A hot beetroot dish. Cut 2 large beetroot into six pieces each - halve then cut each half into 3. Put them in a roasting dish just big enough to fit snugly. Toss in olive oil, season with salt & pepper & roast in a hot oven about 25 minutes. Meanwhile make a dressing - whisk 1/2 tbsp liquid honey 1 tbsp balsamic & 2 tbsp olive oil, add 1/2 dozen black olives, chopped rosemary & season. When the beets are roasted, slice some goats cheese or any good feta on top & drizzle over the dressing.
Beetroot salad. Slice a red onion & steep in a small dish with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar & olive oil for at least 1/2 hour. This softens the onions & renders them a beautiful translucent pink. Slice the beetroot onto a dish, then artfully arrange the onions on top. Tip on the vinegar & oil residue. Drizzle over a little more oil, the sprinkle sea salt, grated orange zest & finely chopped mint.
Or chop the beetroot into chunks. Make a dressing of yoghurt, crushed garlic, caraway seeds, salt & pepper. Stir the beetroot through the yoghurt & sprinkle a little paprika as a garnish on the top. Or chopped mint is nice.
I had my 3 kinds of beetroot with lamb on skewers. Mix 400g lamb mince with 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 preserved lemon rind - finely chopped, 1 dozen finely chopped sundried tomatoes, olive oil, finely chopped parsley & thyme, salt & pepper. Divide the lamb into about 18 portions. Flatten the lamb & wrap around a small piece of bocconcini - you want about 3 bocconcini balls, and roll into elongated balls. Cook the meatballs in a frying pan , then when cool enough to handle tread onto skewers with cherry tomatoes & basil leaves. I make 2 skewers per person with 3 lamb balls & 3 tomatoes on each. It goes lamb, basil leaf, tomato, lamb, basil leaf, tomato etc to end with tomato.
Finally I make salad for my lunch for most of the summer. I have cos lettuce, baby spinach, capsicum, spring onion, radish, puy lentils, quartered baby beetroot, left over lamb or chicken, left over roast potatoes, left over peas are yummy, feta cheese topped with pea tendrils, puy lentil sprouts, micro greens. Drizzle over some vinaigrette. You get the idea - just what I can find in the fridge.

Spicing up cold nights

This week has been cold and wet and very windy so the one-pot hearty meal has been our standby. We've had a version of chicken cacciatore (which means something like hunter's chicken in Italian) and is a hearty chicken stew with any number of variations. I brown chicken thighs (6-8, halved) in the Le Creuset, then put aside. I then saute onion, garlic and halved button mushrooms until onion is soft. Add a squeeze of tomato paste, a tin of crushed tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup rinsed red lentils. Return chicken to the pan and simmer covered for about 1/2 an hour, until chicken is done. Before serving, stir through a handful of olives & capers and some fresh oregano & chopped parsley. I love this meal and it is great reheated the next day.

I also did a spicy lamb stew which is a great standby in our house. This is so simple I'm not sure I should share - at the table it gives the impression I've gone to a lot of trouble. Cut about 500g lamb leg steaks into cubes & toss in flour. Cut 1 or 2 onions into thin wedges & soften in the pan (Le Creuset again), then add the floured lamb & brown. Stir in 1 tsp each of ground cinnamon & turmeric and cook 1 minute, then add about 1 cup beef stock and a handful of prunes (even if you don't want to eat them, put them in as they really add flavour), cover & walk away. The lamb will be tender in about 1/2 an hour but can handle longer if you're busy. To make it go further I often add a tin of drained chickpeas 15 mins before the end and if, as I did this week, I have rows of spinach in the garden calling to be picked, I add a large handul of roughly chopped spinach to wilt just before the end. If you don't add the spinach sprinkle on some chopped coriander leaves or parsley. I usually serve with couscous because we all love it and it soaks up the juices, or you could serve with rice.

We had the chicken pilaf I talked about last week again and, just because I could, I sprinkled some of my freshly sprouted puy lentils on top. That turned out to be a great idea. We served the pilaf with Lois Daish's Afghan sweet poached pumpkin from this month's Cuisine.

I had been put in mind of tagine, having recently had a phone call from my cousin who is an excellent cook herself. She had asked for some tagine spice advice and I couldn't remember where my best lamb tagine recipe came from. This was itself a concern and had been on my mind since the phone call. Luckily I have an excellent book of tagine recipes given to me by aforementioned cousin and that is usually my source for other tagines. Yesterday morning it came to me and so we had it for dinner and here it is for you.

I have just bought a new pestle & mortar (on special at 1/2 price), as the one we had didn't quite cut (or grind) the mustard. I would recommend investing in a good, heavy one as it is really satisfying making your own spice mixes and you will find more & more uses for it. In another blog I'll introduce you to a fantastic garam masala mix we learned off a visitor from Guyana. Remind me if I forget. I have a tagine but if you don't, use the Le Creuset. With our tagine we also had a beautiful chickpea dish - with spinach (from the garden), onion and preserved lemon.

Another thing I have been meaning to tell you about is Canaan Israeli cheeses. They are based in New Lynn and you can get them at Botany New World in Auckland or in Wellington at Moore Wilson or the Mediterranean Warehouse in Newtown. Try the Galilee. It's indescribable.

As I seem to be on a bit of a Middle Eastern theme tonight, we had chicken roasted with spices. Cumin, cinnamon & Spanish smoked paprika - I use La Chinata. To accompany we had roasted pumpkin rubbed with cumin and roasted beetroot (from the garden) dressed with honey & pomegranate balsamic vinegar and feta (great for those who are not so keen on beetroot!). To complete the ensemble I prepared the couscous in hot chicken stock and mixed through some finely chopped spring onions and pinenuts.

Before dinner this evening we sat down with a plate of home made water crackers and a selection of cheeses. Remember those onions I pickled a couple of weeks ago - well they are ready and delicious. And you may be interested to hear that the olives are coming on nicely.