or when tonight he decided to make his favourite meal twice cooked pork belly (yes he can cook, what a catch right?). Yes, Matt was definitely thinking of me as he poured the white, refined, poisonous sugar into our meal. Safe to say I was not impressed, and he, well he has some grovelling to do. But all his effort was not in vain, as I decided to make use of the roasted veggies he had made and turn them into a tasty pasta topping.

Despite the terrible photo quality, excuse my phone camera, this was actually yum. Zucchini pasta made by steaming thinly sliced zucchini, topped with home-made rocket and cashew pesto, roast potatoes, and roast tomatoes. Mmm-mmh! And Matt thought it was good too, which I take as a huge compliment.

My lovely sil showed up at my door in the pouring rain this morning with a basket full of garden goodness.  Kale, parsley, rocket, beet tops, basil, rosemary, sage..all kinds of greens from her garden, so that I could make a batch of green soup today.  Cashews were soaking over night.  The aroma from the onions, garlic, celery and zucchini is wafting through the kitchen.  I can’t wait to spoon this soup into my gullet today.  And right on cue, Mr Mini Gastronome crawled out of bed and followed his nose to the kitchen.  He’s ready for a big bowl of hearty goodness, too.  Here he is enjoying a bowl at Aunties last week.

While I was in the kitchen whipping up green stuff, I decided to try my hand at Rocket Pesto. I am totally addicted to Wattle Valley Rocket and Parmesan Chunky Dip.

But at nearly $5 for a little 150g container that I could literally eat in one sitting (spread on seeded toast, mmmm) it would be great to be able to make my own. (Yes, I realize the container says it holds 10 servings! I’m giving up sugar, not bliss!)

The list of ingredients seem simple enough. Some cashews, rocket, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, a bit of chili…

What a wreck! Maybe a blender isn’t the go. Instead of “chunky dip” I’ve got some kind of sludge. Tastes all right though, so I put it in a jar and decided to call it salad dressing.

OK, one more go this morning. I’m getting pretty hooked on smoothies. Quick to make and they are filling. Today I put in a couple dollops of Jalna BioDynamic Organic Yogurt, a big spoonful of chia goop (I soaked chia seeds in water and keep that slurry in my fridge), a banana, a sprinkle of probiotics, a small spoonful of peanut butter (the no salt, no sugar stuff) and a couple dashes of cinnamon (good for keeping the blood sugars level). It was yummy. And bubs thought it made a nice moisturizer – he painted it on his legs. Oh well, a bit got in the belly first.

(Faith)

What a warm storm came through last night. I could almost hear the vegies outside squealing with glee. Summer has been a warm wonder this year (putting earlier bushfires right out of my mind) and the garden has been most benevolent. My compost area alone has supplied us with much stinging nettle & an unknown variety of lettuce which has been sweet & crisp. I love to meander and pick anything and everything for my green soups or fresh juices. Most abundant has been my mini kale forest. Kale goes into my soups and my juices.

Here, all but the carrots, are from our garden. Overgrown lebanese cucumbers are great for juicing.

.

Oh, remember that big ‘bladder’ of hanging chilli paste? We bottled about 14 litres of the stuff. Come June/July, when the weather turns alpine cold, we’ll be smearing this stuff onto the minced pork to give flavour, colour and moisture to our salamis.

At my place of work we have one of those annoying tubs of candy bars on the counter. I don’t think they are there to raise funds for anything worthy. Today they stared me down, but I was strong and munched on my Activated Almonds whilst hiding a sticky note with “down with candy” where only I could see to remind me.

I’ve word that my sil is experimenting with some sugar free treaties for easter. I can’t wait to be a taste tester.

So far so good. I’ve not had any melt downs. I was even tested in my temprment today. One of our sidelines is a holiday rental I manage. Can you imagine how I felt when I discovered that I’d double booked the little Barnhouse during the Easter school holidays?! OK, I hyperventilated just a little, but mostly kept my calm whilst sorting the dilema out. I’m happy to say all is sorted and our guests remain happy, not to mention I didn’t claw at my own eyes or pull my hair out.

Hors d’oeuvres

 Millefeuille of local fish with aubergines and melted local smoked “scamorza” cheese

Or

Prawns and smoked mozzarella cheese on a skewer in a delicate batter

Or

Plateau of lemonscented seafood delicacies (marinated anchovies and sword fish, sea food salad, sautéed shellfish, shrimps with rocket and walnuts)

 First Courses

Paccheri with octopus , rocket pesto sauce and almond filets

Or

Risotto with citrus fruit from the Amalfi Coast and shrimps,  enhanced with wild fennel

Or

“Scialatielli”  home made pasta with mussels and clams

Main courses

Wrapped in foil seabass with seafood, scented with bay leaves

Or

Fillet of seabream in a potato crust

Or

Grilled sword fish aromatized with mint sauce

Wedding Cake

I went to the garden to dig up some potatoes to serve with the meat.  I made a really good potato salad.I also had bunch of spicy rocket salad in my garden as well so I made some really really tasty rocket pesto.

Potatoes with rocket pesto

• Rocket, bunch of it
• 100 g almonds
• olive oil
• Fresh basil, a good handful
• 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g pumpkin seeds
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt and pepper
• Boiled potatoes

Put everything but the potatoes in the mixer or blender, make a pesto.  Mix it with the boiled potatoes in a bowl.  Serve!

I took this photo of wonderful wild flowers that are in my garden.

The sun lit them up so beautifully one summer evening. Nature is pretty.

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]]> http://mybeautfulthings.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/tiny-socks-warm-bath-and-pea-souk-cafe/ Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:22:06 +0000 mybeautfulthings http://mybeautfulthings.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/tiny-socks-warm-bath-and-pea-souk-cafe/ 1  A friend saw my little golden-boots in yesterday’s post and sent me this picture. What beautiful little socks and such skill of the maker to whom I send the utmost admiration! Do click to see the detail.

Tiny socks

2   I love this beautiful advice sent to me today by a young friend.  Putting them in water if they are crabby is such brilliant advice! A warm bath works wonders!

How to really love a child

3    We’ve been out to eat tonight at the most amazing little vegetarian restaurant, Pea Souk in Falmouth. What a delicious spread and everything freshly prepared and all grown here in Cornwall if not right there in Falmouth.

Bruschetta of Mozzarella, pea shoots, homegrown rocket pesto and radishes

Indian plate of Keralan green pea cakes, coconut, spinach and fresh curry leaf broth, aloo gobi, rice, carrot salad

Delicious Key Lime pie

This is what happens when you have spare rocket pesto and a chicken to roast.

You know about that space between the chicken breast and the skin of a chicken? You don’t?  This one..

You fill that up so that your chicken looks odd and green.  Like this

Cover the chicken with foil until about 15-20 minutes before it’s due out of the oven to let the skin brown (don’t forget to stuff half a lemon up it’s insides too!).

It’s good, keeps the breast moist and if you’re not mad keen on white meat (that would be me!) it makes the best chicken, pesto and salad sandwich. Which I ate before I thought about taking a picture and this is why I’ll never be a famous food blogger…

We have found a new organic veg supplier, which is really cool. In this weeks box we had some beautiful young artichokes and a bunch of fat peppery rocket leaves (as well as other stuff obviously).  Artichokes are stunning looking thistle-type vegetables and it always seems such a shame to rip all their leaves off and throw them away. I did it though, using this tutorial.

To be honest preparing an artichoke is a complete faff. Such a lot of work for little return. Is that controversial?

That’s why they sell them already prepped and cooked in delis or in jars in supermarkets. So, if you are impatient (like me) or they are not in season where you are, save yourself some time and buy them. Use the whole vegetable as a table decoration instead with some lavender maybe, or even some fat rocket leaves as an alternative bouquet….

The artichokes reminded me of the delicious tart we had at Babel restaurant at Babylonstoren. The pastry was the amazingly crumbly and I managed to get the recipe from the Chef Simone. This tart came with the best chips in the world that I have recreated too. I will share the recipe in my next post.

I have already written about our day at Babylonstoren in another post . They have a huge farm on site that supplies the restaurant with fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a beautiful greenhouse that houses the more exotic plants where you can sit and enjoy a fresh from the garden herb tea.

The interior of the restaurant is effortlessly chic.

Even the menus are gorgeous.

Their version of the tart came with tamarillo (a cross between a tomato and a passionfruit), onion marmalade and pesto. I made a rocket and walnut pesto with the gorgeous rocket and a sweet raisin puree to cut through the sourness of the goat’s cheese. After preparing the artichoke hearts I roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and fresh thyme to enhance their delicate flavour.

You could also buy the tart cases if you are short of time but this pastry recipe is definitely worth the effort.

Roasted Artichoke & Goat’s Cheese Tart

Makes 4 x 10 cm tarts, Vegetarian. Adapted from the Babel Restaurant recipe

For the pastry:

Prep time: 35 mins (including resting)  Cooking time: 15 mins

• 100 g  chilled butter, cubed
• 125 spelt flour (or plain)
• 65 ml sour cream/creme fraiche
• a pinch of salt

Pulse the cubed butter, flour and salt in a food processor until it resembles crumble mix. Add the sour cream and pulse again until it just comes together. Do not over mix. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling:

Prep time: 40 mins (if using fresh artichokes) Cooking time: 15-25 mins

• 3 young artichoke hearts, quartered (to prepare artichokes read this)
• olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• a sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed & chopped
• 4 small garlic cloves unpeeled
• 150 gr soft goat’s cheese
• 75 ml sour cream/creme fraiche
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• fresh thyme, rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
• pinch salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 180C and toss the uncooked artichoke hearts (you can leave this part out of you have bought cooked artichoke hearts) with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and the whole unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast for 20-30 minutes until slightly browned.

Whisk together the goat’s cheese, sour cream, herbs, egg, salt & pepper until combined.

Butter and flour your tart tins. Quarter the pastry and roll out each piece between two bits of floured cling film to about 3mm thick. Lift the pastry and carefully push it into the tin, do not stretch it, until fairly even. Trim off the excess with a sharp knife. Put in the fridge while you do the rest.

Prick the bases all over with a fork, cover with a square of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans or any dried beans.  Bake at 180c for about 10 minutes then remove the paper and beads and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour in the cheese, but not to the top, then add in the artichoke hearts and peeled roasted garlic cloves so the filling now reaches the top and bake for 15 -25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

 Rocket & Walnut Pesto

serves 4, vegan, gluten free

• a bunch of fresh rocket leaves
• about 100 gr walnuts (toast them in the oven for 4 minutes) then chop
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• a squeeze lemon/orange juice
• a pinch of sugar

Put all the ingredients except the oil in a measuring jug (or food processor) and start to puree with a stick blender drizzling in the oil until you get a nice consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For the Raisin Puree:

serves 4, vegan, gluten-free

• about 100 gr raisins
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic/sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp miel de cana (molasses)

Put the raisins and sugar in a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Reserving some of the liquid blend the raisins with the rest of the ingredients and a splash of the cooking water if necessary to a smooth puree. Taste for sweetness.

Serve the tart hot or warm with the rocket pesto, raisin puree and some fresh rocket leaves if you like. The perfect accompaniment though would have to be these chunky chips.

Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle, sprinkled with sea salt, cracked pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Perfect.

I’ll give you the recipe in my next post, I promise….

2. The trailer for the movie The Tree of Life (2011) by Terrence Malick. Once again, can’t wait to see it.

3. Gunne Sax style jackets everything for spring! “the term “Gunne Sax” is often associated with its 1970s fashions, which could stylistically be called “prairie-revival”, drawing on many elements popular in late-19th and early-20th century American fashion such as pinafores, gingham prints, and calico. The company was named after the “gunny sack” or burlap trim used on some of the earlier dresses.”

'1970s Yellow Quilted Victorian Inspired Jacket ' from ReCultivation

4. Bottling the apple cider hooch this Friday! Documentation and all that to follow.

5. The Chicago Code tv show (theme music by Billy Corgan)

6. Reading through all of my teenage diaries. I was hoping for moments of profundity, but truthfully it’s mostly hilarious. It seems like I may have written a library’s worth of earnest, radical feminist poetry about my reproductive system. Keywords: goddess, validate, truth, scent.

7. The open letter calling on the Haitian government to cancel the second-round vote scheduled for 20 March and to organise a new round of elections, without exclusions or interference (thanks to Haiti Action Announcements for the link).

8. Relief efforts for the Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami: Canadian Red Cross.

9. The Lunar Perigee

10. This crazy image of a seahorse

11. Francesca Woodman

12. Homemade oatmeal muffins, so delicious smelling.

So I turn to Pasta…

A great Pasta Salad.

Recipe: Pasta Salad – cavatelli with rocket pesto. 

Cavatelli is a pasta originally from the region Puglia, Italy.It’s hand made, forming a hollow rod shape about 3cm long with curved edges. This hollow form is great for capturing sauces,it can be purchased fresh or in dry form.As I’ve used for this recipe.

Ingredients for 4 serves

350 grams dried form cavatelli pasta

100 grams cherry tomatoes

100 grams smoked ricotta (grated)

100 grams parmesan (grated)

100 grams fresh rocket

3 tablespoons pine nuts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, (optional)

1 jar pitted kalamata olives

Prepare the pasta, as directed on package, this pasta in dry form, usually takes 9 minutes to cook, drain and wash with cold water immediately to stop the cooking process, leave aside. Prepare the tomatoes. Slice long ways,cleaning out the centre,this takes time but is worth it…by de-seeding the tomatoes you don’t add water content to the salad.Place in mixing bowl.

To make the rocket pesto:

In mixer add rocket,smoked ricotta,parmesan,garlic and olives.

Blend to form a paste.Add to tomatoes.

Add pasta, and mix well.Add olive oil,salt and pepper freshly grounded.Add additionional whole pine nuts, and pitted kalamata olive.

A great Summer Lunchtime treat.

Enjoy!

Conchiglie with mushrooms and rocket pesto

I had some rocket that was on the verge of going off, and didn’t fancy salad (it’s freezing again), so decided to attempt a rocket pesto.  I’ve made regular basil pesto before, but never this variation.  The interwebs yielded this recipe, which I used as a rough guide as I was feeling far too lazy to measure anything.  It worked fairly well, and I suspect would have benefitted from the lemon zest instead of the bottled lemon juice I had to use as a substitute.

I served it over conchiglie and sauteed mushrooms, and it was pretty successful.  But even improved with lemon zest, it’ll never trump my love of basil pesto.  And one word of warning – it’s very prone to getting stuck in your teeth.

Rocket pesto (from Taste Italia):

3 tbsp pine kernels, toasted
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large bunch of rocket (about 100g in weight)
100ml olive oil
sea salt
55g Parmesan, finely grated

Process the pine kernels and garlic until finely chopped. Add the lemon zest, rocket and a third of the olive oil, and process until the required texture is achieved, gradually adding more oil. Stir in the Parmesan by hand and season with salt. Adjust the olive-oil content to reach the desired consistency – this pesto needs to be quite thick.

- Anna

I am privileged to be able to make decisions about my diet that are based on my personal philosophy rather than necessity- there are people starving to death all over the world at this very moment. There are also people eating themselves to death.

People freaked out when I stopped eating complex carbohydrates 18months ago and were sure I wouldnt cope as an athlete with my weird diet. Now they are equally sure I cant do it as a raw vegan.

I have learnt more about nutrition in this last 6 weeks than any other time in my life and I feel confident as I near the end of my experiment that I can take this journey a lot further and even begin to intergrate it into my family’s diet.

Tomorrow I will tell you my next 6 week plan… I am getting a little excited.

Recipe for rocket pesto.

2 big handfuls of rocket

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 tble sp olive oil

2 tble sp pinenut ‘cheese’

dash of lemon juice

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried basil

sprinkle of dusle

salt

Blend the hell out of it until it is all smooth and eat on crackers or vege sticks

Yummy!