A perfect salad for a party, and some Xmas ideas...

In a moment of weakness I ended up treasurer of the Social Club at work, my duties seem to mainly involve hassling people for money, but I am also required to produce something edible for the annual children's Christmas Party. The sweet selection was already well covered, so I thought this salad would be ideal. It comes from River Cottage Everyday Veg, which I can highly recommend as a brilliant Xmas gift for anyone interested in good food. Hugh F-W is perhaps more known for his use of meat but this book is packed with excellent recipes. We have at least a night or two a week of meatless dinners, so it is great to get new ideas.....

The original recipe used beans, but as asparagus is in season at the moment I substituted those. Grilled eggplant would also be perfect instead of the courgettes and some roasted beetroot would also be a delicious addition.

Courgette & Asparagus salad with Tahini dressing

Salad
2 tbsp olive oil
3 courgettes (zucchini) sliced into rounds about 2mm thick
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 red chilli chopped (or use chilli flakes)
1 bunch asparagus (about 150gr)
3-4 handfuls salad leaves
Handful semi-dried tomatoes
Handful of fresh mint

Tahini dressing
1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed (I peel & grate mine on a microplane)
2 tbsp tahini paste
Grated zest & juice of 1/2 a lemon
Juice 1/2 orange
1/2 tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salad & fresh ground pepper

For the dressing mix the crushed garlic, tahini, lemon zest & juice, orange juice & honey together in a small bowl. Add salt & pepper, and the olive oil. The dressing will be very thick, so add enough water to this to dressing consistency. I pop everything into a jar and keep in the fridge while I make the salad.

For the salad heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan, and fry the courgette rounds in one layer until tender & golden on both side. You might need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan. Pop onto a plate when cooked, and sprinkle with the lemon juice & chopped chilli.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the asparagus, boiling for just 2 minutes. Drain & immediately dunk in cold water to stop them cooking. Drain really well, then slice into spear into 3 pieces.
On a platter spread out your salad leaves. Sprinkle on the courgette slices, asparagus & tomatoes, then the top with mind, chopped if the leaves are very large. Drizzle over your dressing if serving immediately, otherwise cover with clingfilm & take to your party, not forgetting the dressing in the fridge.......

The dressing is also delish for dunking raw veg into, or maybe asparagus that has been blanched as above, then grilled for a couple of minutes on the BBQ , yum!

Every year I bang on about being organised for Christmas, I have added incentive this year as I am hosting my family for the day at our place. So I have already sent off my UK presents (Tiffany actually asked if everything was ok, I mean, my Xmas presents normally arrive in time for New Year....if I'm lucky) and I am well into the family gift list.
One site I particularly love is Mapua Country Trading  Even if your family are not big gardeners, there is something for everyone, all NZ made & all really rather lovely ( I brought my Mum the Apple House Bird Feeder last year)

Homemade gifts are always a treat, this Strawberry & Vanilla Jam would be perfect with so many strawberries around at the moment. I will be whipping up some Apple & Walnut Chutney in the next week or so & will share the recipe, also a perfect stocking filler....

It is raining in Auckland today, Mr PK is very pleased, he wants the lawn perfect for Christmas day, what is it with men & lawns??

Oaxacan Pizza......and tractor films

Before I begin Mr PK would like it noted he is putting the washing out while I post on my blog. He will then clean the cat litter tray, and the trap in the shower. Your a marvel darling, noted.
Now onto much more exciting things , a Mexican pizza. From Oaxaca to be precise. That's pronounced Wha-ha-ka. you may well already know this, I didn't the first time I saw it...apparently in Oaxaca these are a night time street snack called Tlayudas, that's clae-yoo-das..........I think I'll stick with pizza.

These are truly fantastic, cheap, quick and delicious. I had two flat bread left over from Burritos the other night, and various bits & bobs in the fridge. With not too much effort they produced a great Saturday night dinner, with a bottle of this new NZ ginger beer

The inspiration for this came from one of my favourite cookbooks, Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers. Her version uses chicken, guacamole and rocket. Instead I have used grilled fennel, mushrooms, chopped avocado & grilled prawns. As you will see this is a very flexible dish, go with what you like, and more importantly, have on hand.......

Oaxacan Pizzas ( from Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasine Miers)

I bag/bunch of normal or baby spinach
Knob of butter/splash of oil
Salt & black pepper
2 flat bread (I use fresh ones from my local Mexican, but any flatbread would be fine)
1 fennel bulb, sliced
Handful of Mushrooms
4 spring onions
1 avocado, peeled, chopped into chunks & splashed with lemon/lime juice
Handful of grated cheese (Mozzarella would be lovely, but anything that melts would be fine)
6 kings prawns (or you could use leftover cooked chicken)
Handful of semi dried tomatoes (in summer I would use fresh chopped tomato)
Handful of chopped coriander & parsley

Wash the spinach & shake off in a colander. Heat a medium frypan and add a the butter or oil. Add your spinach, and let it wilt for a couple of minutes. Take out and put back into the colander to cool off, then grab a handful of squeeze out the liquid (spinach has a lot of water!) . Put into a bowl & season with salt & pepper.

Using a griddle pan or the same frying pan, heat up again over a medium heat, then brush the vegetables roughly with oil, and griddle or fry your fennel, spring onions & mushrooms until charred & tender.

Sprinkle your prawns with salt & pepper, or use this spice mix recipe, I like to have in a jar in the pantry. You could also use a shop brought spice mix of course. Chuck your prawns onto the griddle pan/frying pan and cook for a minute or two until charred and pink. Take out and pop onto a plate.

To assemble your pizza use a medium sized frying pan (you can use the same pan for everything in the recipe, just give it a wipe with paper towel before your cook your flatbread) and pop your flatbread into it.
A sprinkle of water helps the flat bread heat up. When it is browned on the bottom, flip over & sprinkle with half your cheese. After a minute or two the cheese will start to melt, top with half of your spinach, then lay half of your grilled vegetables on top. Sprinkle over the chopped avocado, 3 of your prawns, some semi-dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of herbs.

Allow to heat for a minute of two, then fold one half over onto the other and slide onto a plate. Slice and serve with a ginger beer, chilli beer, beer beer............whatever.

There are lots of variations to this, if you don't have spring onions, some red onion finely sliced and doused in lime juice would be ideal. If you wanted to make this vegetarian simply omit the prawns and use a salty feta sprinkled over just before you fold. Griddled fish or Chorizo would also be fantastic. For an extra kick some chopped chilli sprinkled on just before serving is great too.........

My nephew is making this for his cooking night this week, if he can make it anyone can.......:)

Tractor films? About six years ago Mr PK and I went to see a movie at the film festival, I cant recall the name, but it was a Finnish film about a paraplegic who is travelling to the firm who made the tractors involved in his accident. I wont say it was terrible, ............well actually yes I will say that, what a dog.
The lead character was thoroughly unlikeable, the subtitles were in white, which on a snowy background is near impossible to read, and it went on.............and on.
Obviously there were Finnish people in the audience, they laughed away like drains while we struggled to decipher the subtitles........to make matters even worse the Springboks were playing the All Blacks that night, needless to say Mr PK was not impressed. So whenever we see a dodge film, it's a tractor movie. Luckily we have avoided any at this years festival, instead we have so far enjoyed.........

Submarine
Very funny, 80's Wales never looked so bleak. Cringe in parts, but a clever script, and great casting. Noah Taylor rocking the Jewish carpenter look, yikes........tractor recommends 7.5/10

Taxi Driver
I had not seen this before, so it was a treat to see it on the big screen. Robert De Niro is hotter than ever, the soundtrack is pure 70's funk, and it wasn't nearly as violent as I imagined. Cybil Shepherd, now I get what all the fuss was about, she is luminous in this film. Gritty is such a cliche, I'll get back to you when I have something better.........tractor recommends 7/10

Mysterious of Lisbon
At nearly five hours this would be the longest movie I have ever seen, but I think it is worth the length. The story is captivating, it looks beautiful, and has the time to fill in all the gaps. Just a shame the Civic, while a beautiful theatre, is a bit of a trial for a 6 foot 3 inch husband.....for this it loses a point Tractor recommends 6/10

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
I love documentaries, especially low key ones like this, Jiro has been making sushi for 75 years (the best in Japan according to many), in his 10 seat restaurant in the Ginza subway station, and his passion is captivating. Also an interesting look at father son relationships in Japanese culture. Tractor recommendation 8/10

The Trip
I laughed my head off, witty, funny, the impressions for both leads are beyond clever, see this film! Just a shame I saw the 9.15pm show, again at the Civic, again a bit cramped. Tractor recommends 8.5/10

Still a few more to see this week, plus of course Happy Potter, am I the only person who has not seen it yet??? Any one else been along to the film fest, let me know if you can recommend any more films......?

Toad in the Hole, know what I mean?

Before you ask, no toads died in the making of my dinner (although a pig or two was not so lucky....).
Toad in the Hole is a traditional English dish of sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter, I also add bacon to the mix, for extra porky deliciousness.  I like it with loads of onion gravy, mash & something green, last night it was brussels sprouts. We had friends around for dinner, and my toad was a hit, I urge you to give it a go, particularly on a cold winters evening when a good solid dinner is required.

The Yorkshire batter also works perfectly on its own with a roast, either cooked as my Aunt always did I a large roasting pan with drippings from a tin under the sink, or as I do now in muffins tins (saves an undignified scramble at the table for a corner piece).
It is straight out of the wonderful Jane Grigson's "English Food", and works a treat everytime. It originally came from a Chinese gentleman, who won a competition back in the 60's to make the best Yorkshire Pudding. His secret ingredient was tai luk sauce......it took Jane Grigson years to discover that this was a joke, tai luk meaning mainland China! Actually I think the secret is in the slightly back to front way of preparing the batter

Toad in the Hole

serves 6

12 good meaty pork sausages
12 rashers streaky bacon (optional, but good good good)
Splash oil
300 ml milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Grind of pepper
250 gr plain flour

Preheat the oven to 220C
Wrap your sausages in a rasher of bacon, and place in a large metal roasting dish. Metal is essential here as the batter rises with the combination of eggs & searing heat, which wont conduct as well through glass or ceramic. Add a splash of oil, about 2 tablespoons.
Put the sausages in the oven for 15 mins, and make your batter. Beat together the milk, eggs & seasoning and let sit for 15 minutes. Sift in the flour, and whisk to a thinnish batter, about the consistency of cream.
Take the pan out of the oven & quickly pour the batter all around the sausages, it will sizzle a bit. Put the dish straight back in the oven & cook for 20-25 mins until golden & puffy. Serve with gravy, mash & greens....or whatever you like, it will taste fabulous.

Onion gravy

This is my go to gravy when, as in this case,  I don't have pan drippings to work with.
Peel and slice 3 onions into thin crescents, then cook very slowly over low heat in a frying pan with a good splash of oil, a knob of butter and a sprinkle of salt. It is the slow cooking (about 30 mins) that creates golden sweet onions, and gives your gravy flavour & colour.

Sprinkle with a tablespoon of plain flour, stirring to cook the flour for a minute or so, then pour in 1 1/2 cups of beef stock (from a carton is fine), turn the heat to medium & stirring, bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, and check the seasoning, a good grind of pepper is always good here. If it is to thick add a splash of water or stock to thin.

I am well aware Brussels sprouts are loathed by some ( I am married to a sprout hater) but steamed lightly, then fried for a couple of minutes in butter with lots of salt & pepper they are delicious. The after effects can be odourific, but worth it, I'm not kidding......

I have been very quiet of late, someone told me once " if you haven't got anything to say, don't say anything", and I suppose I have had that in mind. Winter seems especially grey this year, and I must say I feel like I lost my mojo for a while there. But a nice break in Sydney, a few new adventures (cheese making, you will be hearing plenty about that in the coming weeks) and a bit of navel gazing and hello world, the crockpot is on & I am slowly coming back to a simmer. Hoping to reach a boil by summer:)


PS Speaking of Crockpots, I have a beef stew I put on after breakfast simmering away and waiting for dumplings, is there anything so cheap & easy that can make a girl feel more competent, organized and generally beyond reproach ? The glare of my halo is giving me a headache......

Mock Paella.....

Please excuse the terrible title, but it made me laugh so I went with it. I wanted a new way to use my Cheats Chorizo, and had an idea of a quick easy "paella" type dish that could be whipped up after work and would appeal to both kids and adults alike.
I was explaining all this to Mr PK and he commented it sounded like Mock Paella. A few years back, after reading Julie & Julia I decided I too needed a project (this!) and for a brief ill advised nano-second considered cooking my way through the Edmond's Cookbook . I know, terrible idea. For overseas readers, editions of this cookbook have been around in NZ since 1908, and many households would have a version, Mum had a fab 70's edition, everything was garnished with orange slices! Mine hails from the mid 90's, and was sent specially from NZ to London so I could make pavlova and pikelets even in foreign climes.......

One look at the fish and offal sections convinced me I could never cook (or indeed eat) Luncheon Salmon Mould or Tongue Mould, but the recipes that really caught my eye were the "mock" items. Mock whitebait I can almost get, whitebait is seasonal, and expensive even then, mock hollandaise, I guess it can be a tricky sauce, but mock chicken? When is chicken ever so difficult to get nowadays? And how onion and tomato mixed with herbs and plonked on a cracker is supposed to taste like chicken anyway is a mystery known only to that particular recipe writer ....I wont even mention mock pizza.....
Anyway, this is great, tasty little chorizo meatballs, peppers, smoky paprika and rice all bound in a chilli saffron tomato sauce. Takes about 20 mins and tastes fabulous. I mock you not.

Mock Paella

Makes 2 generous servings

200 gr cheats chorizo (or use ordinary chorizo)
Splash olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped into small chunks
1/2 green pepper chopped into small chunks
3/4 cup of rice (I use Jasmine rice)
1 1/2 cups chicken or vege stock
Small tin of crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp each of sweet & hot smoked paprika
Pinch of saffron (optional)
Chopped red chilli to taste
Salt & pepper
Parsley and lemon to garnish

If you are using cheats chorizo take small amounts of your mince and make into little meatballs, about the size of a walnut. If using chorizo, chop into chunks about 1cm thick. Heat a splash of oil in a med frying pan over medium heat and add your meat. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. The meat will release a small amount of oil, which is wonderful to then fry your onions in.

Take the meat out of the pan onto a plate, leaving the oil in the pan, and add the onion and garlic, Fry for 5 mins until soft, then add your peppers and stir in. Cook for another 5 mins or so until softened , then add the rice. Stir to coat in the veges and oil, and pour over your stock and tomatoes. Next add your paprika, and saffron & chilli if using.

Stir everything together and let it cook for at a gentle simmer for 12-15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but not mushy. Check the seasoning and add salt & pepper as nessesary. You will think there is too much liquid but don't stress, it will all get soaked up. If all the liquid is soaked in and the rice still has to much bite for you just add a tiny bit more stock or water.

Spoon into pretty bowls and top with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

If you happen to have saffron in the pantry, a pinch crumbled into the pan when you add the stock and tomatoes is lovely, but the dish is great without it. I use plain old jasmine rice, if you happen to have Calasparra paella rice by all means use it, but any long grain rice will be fine.

Since the first time I made this I have come across a wonderful New Zealand smoked paprika, from Orcona, based in Napier. I was lucky enough to attend the Monteiths Cheesefest last week, showcasing all the delicious cheeses we are lucky enough to enjoy in this country. More on that in my next posts. Also at the event were all the winners of the Cuisine Artisan Awards for 2011. Among some really fantastic products I tasted was the Orcona Harissa Paste, stirred through yogurt as a dip. Completely delsih, with a wonderful kick, I was pleased to find their smoked paprika also. It is perfect in your paella, so if you see some buy it!

Green bean and pea salad with feta...

After the pastry fest that was my sausage rolls, I thought some lighter fare was in order. A salad chock full of lovely crisp beans, peas, sweet tomato, zippy mustard and a final flourish of feta and bacon? Don't say I don't look after you......

This started life as a recipe form Ottolenghi's Plenty, but to be honest I have never actually eaten his version. My sister Lizzie made a variation of it for a BBQ dinner last week, and I liked it so much I wanted to recreate it at home, as a main meal salad rather than a side dish. I realised I was missing a few ingredients , and adding a whole lot more, so it is more a homage to the original. Anyway it is delish.

Green Bean and Pea salad with Feta

( inspired by the Green bean salad with mustard seeds and tarragon from Plenty)

Serves 2 generously

125gr french beans, top and tailed (that's about a large handful)
1/2 cup peas- I used frozen, but fresh would be lovely
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed or use ground coriander
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (or use spring onion)
1/2 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 garlic clove, crushed
zest of a lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Handful of lettuce, buttercrunch is nice here
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Feta cheese
4 rashers of streaky bacon, fried or grilled until crisp (optional)


Bring a medium pot of water to the boil, add a dash of salt, and throw in your beans. Boil for 3 minutes, then take out of the water and put in a bowl of cold water that has a few ice cubes floating in it. After a minute or so, put the beans on a paper towel to dry off. This might seem a faff, but it takes the raw edge off your veges, while leaving a nice crunch for your salad.. Repeat the process with the peas, but they only need about 40 seconds.

In a small bowl put your chopped onion, mustard, chilli and garlic. Heat your olive oil in a small frying pan, and add your coriander seeds or ground coriander. Sizzle for a few seconds then pour over the onion mix and stir through. That's your cooking done.

Put your drained peas and beans in a salad bowl, and toss with the onion mixture. Add the tomatoes, lemon zest, and lettuce and season with salt & pepper to taste. Divide your salad between two pretty plates and crumble over your feta cheese and bacon if using.

This is seriously good, satisfying without being too heavy, and full of different flavours. The mustard and chilli give heat, while the pea is sweet, and the beans have great texture. I also thought it would be great with grilled fresh scallops, in which case I would keep the bacon (I love pork and shellfish together) but lose the feta cheese.
You could also lose the bacon and feta altogether and serve with some lovely little grilled lamb cutlets, in which case I would add some fragrant mint leaves to the salad..........have I convinced you to give it a go?

Ok, now for a tiny brag...........I was very excited this month to have Plum Kitchen mentioned on the Web Mistress page of the latest Next magazine. Look out for it, Maggie Barry is on this month's cover. Also make sure you check out the other lovely NZ food blogs mentioned,

Pease Pudding, My Darling Lemon Thyme, Curious Kai and Mrs Cake

I am in rather good company indeed. You can also see a version of the article at Lindsey Out Loud, Lindsey Dawson's blog. Have a read!

Pesto pasta with potatos...........and green beans too

I thought after showing off a picture of my Basil plants like a proud Mama the other day it would be sensible to actually make something with them. I have pondered this dish for a while, always thinking it seemed slightly odd to combine pasta and potato in one meal. But having beans, potato, basil and pasta to hand on an evening when I was more hungry than energetic it was an obvious choice. An given how completely smitten I am with potato pizza I cant believe I thought I might not like this. Completely delish, please make again was the verdict. So I shall, and you should too....

Pesto pasta with potato and green beans

First put a large pot of water on to boil, then make your pesto. Now I know you can buy this everywhere, but seriously, you really have not got four minutes to spare? That's how long it takes, I timed it. And that is the hand version, I refuse to use a blender as I hate trying to clean them, a mortar and pestle I can just swish under the tap....

Into a mortar and pestle put a pinch of salt and half a clove of garlic. Pound the garlic a couple of times and it will disintegrate into the salt. Throw in your basil, I use two-three good handfuls for two people.

Pound away until the juices start to run from the basil's leaves and they start to turn into mush, it really only takes a couple of minutes at most. Throw in nuts, I use pinenuts or walnuts, but try what you like and see. I figure on about 40-50 grams of nuts for this amount of basil, which for me is a small handful, but more or less will not hurt.
Pound the nuts into the basil until they come together into a green thick mass, then stir in a couple of tbsp of good olive oil and a grind of pepper. Lastly add a small handful of Parmesan cheese, taste the seasoning and check the thickness, you want a slightly sloppy paste. Add more oil if necessary. Use straight away or store in a jar with a little oil on top to keep the green colour.

For the pasta you need

6-8 new potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
A handful of green beans, sliced into chunks about the same size as your potato
150 grams spaghetti or linguine pasta
Pesto
Extra Parmesan cheese

Add plenty of salt to your boiling water, and add the potatoes. Cook for 7 minutes, then add the beans. Cook a further 5 minutes until the potato is cooked through, and the beans are cooked but not mushy. Take out of the water and set aside.
Now add your pasta to the water, and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until cooked to your liking. I like my pasta cooked slightly more than any Italian ever would, but I also put cheese with fish so am probably beyond redemption........
When the pasta is done, add the beans & potatoes back to the water to just heat up again for a couple of seconds, then drain the whole lot and add a couple of tablespoons of pesto to the pot. Stir and add some of the water the pasta was cooked in to slacken the sauce until you are happy with the consistency.
Dish up as tidily as you can onto serving plates and add a good sprinkle of Parmesan and a grind of pepper.

This sounds like a carbo loaders stodgy dream, but it is much lighter than it sounds. Fragrant with basil, you also have textural interest with the crunch of beans, creamy potato (hence the use of waxy new potatoes) and slightly chewy pasta. Have I convinced you?

A word of warning however, this is not sexy date food. You may cover yourself with sauce as I always do eating spaghetti, or worse. As Mr PK so solemnly pointed out, "the leggings and green stained t-shirt combo is already a winner, but it's that stonking bit of basil in your front tooth really does it for me......." Steady tiger......

Finally got Freedom by Jonathan Franzen from the library at lunch, my first grown up book of the year. Check out My Villa Life for a great 2011 reading list. I don't think I will aspire to quite those dizzy heights, I am so tired at the mo I fall asleep after a few pages, but it is good to have ideas for new books to read.

Ratatouille and goat cheese crumble

 

 As everyone except me seems to have a glut of both tomatoes and zucchini right now I figured it must be ratatouille time. Watching Trish Deseine on Trish's Paris Kitchen the other day make a Ratatouille crumble I knew the universe must be talking to me so I listened. Of course I could not help fiddling a bit, and I think the following adaptation is really delicious. The goat cheese melts slightly under the crispy topping, and blends with the juices of the vege, so you get a wee bit of creaminess, slightly sour cheese and a crisp buttery topping with the crunch of pine nuts.........try it and see what you think. If you don't like goat cheese just substitute it for a cheese you do like. Or leave it out.

Ratatouille Goat Cheese Crumble (adapted from Trish Deseine)

For the Ratatouille

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 eggplant, cut into chunks about 2cm thick
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
3 zucchini,  cut into chunks (can you see a theme?)
1 kg tomatoes, (that's about 6-7 decent size tomatoes) skinned and deseeded (it's easy, I will tell you how)Handful of fresh basil

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and the red and green peppers, stirring to combine.
Meanwhile skin your tomatoes. Just chuck them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Wait about 30 seconds, then fish them out with a spoon and dunk straight away into ice cold water. After a minute or so take out and the skin will peel away in no time.

Cut across the middle, and squeeze out the seeds as if you were squeezing a lemon. All the juice and seeds would water down your ratatouille so it pays to get rid of them. The whole process only takes a couple of minutes, and is strangely satisfying. If you can coral some child labour in to squeeze the seeds all the better...

When the vege have softened, add the zucchini, tomatoes and herbs, some salt and pepper.

I got some lovely purple and green basil in my vege box, but if you don't have any use another herb you like, thyme would be great, or rosemary, and maybe some parsley and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until cooked and soft. While the vegetables are cooking, preheat the oven to 180C/350F and prepare the topping

Goat cheese crumble topping

100g very cold butter cubed
150g plain flour
Handful parmesan cheese, grated
Handful pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan for a couple of minutes until golden
Freshly ground black pepper
Soft goat cheese, or if you prefer a melting Gruyere, or a soft blue....actually whatever cheese you like/have

In a food-processor, or with your fingers, rub the butter into the flour and parmesan. I use a food processor as a) I'm lazy and b) I can use really cold butter, but it is your call. When you have a mixture resembling breadcrumbs, mix in the toasted pine nuts and some pepper.

When the ratatouille is really nice and soft and cooked, spoon it into a dish, and dot over your cheese of choice.

Cover with the crumble mixture and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy. The cheese and filling will bubble up into the crumble, this is all to the good so don't worry. Serve hot or warm.

I made a small one for my lunch, and a larger dish for supper, it reheats well. The addition of the cheese and crumble makes this more substantial than traditional ratatouille, and needs nothing more than a salad to make a filling summer meal. And a glass of vino perhaps........

New Year in Italy.......

No, Santa didn't leave a plane ticket to Rome in my Christmas stocking, which wasn't a complete surprise (I'm an optimist, but not delusional...) He did however, leave a pasta making attachment for my Kitchanaid, bellisimo!
After spending a couple of hours wrestling with my magazine mountain, and boxing up about a decade worth of Cuisines for the Hospice shop I was knackered and decided pasta making had to be easier. Unfortunately despite the pouring rain (serves me right for being moaning Mary about the heat) the humidity in still in the 90's, which I think may have affected my pasta. Still, I was pretty happy with a first attempt. I am doing my spring holiday clean room by room, so after tackling the kitchen (wish me luck!) I will need fortifying with a glass of bubbles and fresh pasta and pesto, yum!

The pumpkin and walnut sauce came about after seeing an open pumpkin ravioli on Trish's Paris Kitchen. She used wild mushrooms, but I could only find fresh buttons at the grocer. I added walnuts and sage, my sage plant has made a miraculous recovery from being near dead, so I wanted to use some..... The pumpkin I over-brought for Christmas day, it was a really yummy sauce for my fresh pasta, but would work just was well over dried fettuccine or even penne.

Fresh Pasta with Pumpkin, Mushroom and Walnut sauce

First make your pasta. I used the proportions from Jamie's Italy, that is six eggs to 600 grams of flour. This makes a lot of dough, I still have half in the fridge, it made about 950 grams of dough, I used 450 grams and made more than enough pasta for four people.

I used Tipo 00 flour, as I got some in my Xmas box, it felt lovely and fine in my fingers. I put all the flour on my table, broke the eggs into the middle, and started working it all together with my fingers, imagining I was sitting in a pretty frock in sunny Umbria, while my cherubic olive skinned children played outside in the grapevines, watching their impossibly handsome father chop wood or do something manly and Italian.........in reality Mr PK was beating the crap out of the wall trying to hang a picture while my pretty frock was actually badly creased linen pants covered in flour and a very sweaty T shirt..as for cherubic children, does a pissy cat suffering in the heat and collapsing under my feet count?

I read somewhere once the dough should be as smooth as a baby's bottom........my baby has a touch of cellulite, but after about eight minutes of kneading I was sweaty Betty and out of energy. It was pretty smooth, and bounced back when pressed the dough with my finger......

I cut the dough into smaller portions, and ran them through the pasta machine roller, getting gradually thinner with each roll. I look like I have made stockings.......!

 Changing attachments, I made fettuccine noodles , tossing them in flour to prevent sticking. In reality my kitchen was probably a little to humid, but they were ok, only a few sticking together in the cooking water.

While the water came to the boil, I made the sauce.

Pumpkin mushroom and walnut sauce

1/2 Pumpkin-peeled and diced into small cubes
Splash of oil and a knob of butter
Handful of mushrooms - any kind you like, sliced
Tbsp chopped sage
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
Splash white wine
1/2 cup of cream
Seasoning
Pasta cooking water
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Heat the oil over med heat and add the pumpkin. Fry for about 10 minutes until soft and beginning to colour. Take out of the pan and leave to one side. Add a splash more oil to the pan and a small knob of butter. Toss in the mushrooms and fry until browned. Stir the sage and garlic in, and cook for another minute or so.
Add the wine, picking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the pumpkin back to the pan, with the walnuts and cream. Stir the whole thing together until bubbling, check the seasoning then thin as necessary with some of the water you cooked the pasta in.
Pour over your cooked pasta, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, yummo.

I am looking forward to more fun with my pasta machine, and my other Christmas goodies. A vintage fondue maker will make an appearance when the weather cools down, and I have the wonderful Tender Vol 2 by Nigel Slater to read. Each year my younger sister and her partner make me up a box of food goodies, this year I have a few of may favs such as Chardonnay vinegar and goose fat, and some new treats including squid ink, truffle pasta, and a rather divine concoction made from Vincotto and cocoa, so many things to play with....!

I hope you had a lovely holiday, and are looking forward to a new year with anticipation. I am not sure what mine holds, happily Dad was out of hospital and home for Christmas day, and we hope things will improve in the coming weeks. I have decided to just be thankful for every good thing that comes my way, big or small. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big picture we forget the small stuff that makes up a life actually lived.
 As John Lennon famously said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans".......

Off to have another shower, than a My Skied episode of Midsomer Murders, ( Joy, I think it is one I have not seen!) and a cheeky glass of wine, now that sounds like a fun plan.........

Afternoon Tea, and a bit of a pickle......

What a lovely weekend! Fab weather, and a great time catching up with friends, and meeting new ones. Mairi from over at toast and I ventured to West Auckland to meet up with pease pudding and enjoy a delish Afternoon Tea at her kitchen on the amazing west coast. Do I have kitchen envy? Yes I do.
Did I scoff cakes, sandwiches (including cucumber, yum) tarts (both sweet and savoury) and scones with homemade jam? Oh yes I did.

If you want to enjoy a beautiful spread, with some unusual teas (the Valentine, scented with chocolate and rosebud was my fav), keep checking her blog for dates, don't miss out.....
Aside from the spread, it was also a treat to meet fellow bloggers, also attending was Sasa from sasasunakku, this is a beautiful blog, so it was cool to meet the clever bean behind it. Allison also had a couple of charming local friends along, so we had a great time talking (I know, a bunch of clever girls in a room and we talked a bit, who knew?) eating and supping, a very civilised way to spend the afternoon.

Lets bring back afternoon tea! It is such a brilliant relaxed way to entertain. One of my sisters is particularly crafty, and I love the idea of having "craft soirees" (or stitch 'n bitch if you prefer...) , sitting knitting, sewing or whatever, while enjoying cakes, sandwiches and tea (and a crafty bubbly?).......obviously I would be on food and beverage duty, me crafting usually ends in tears, sometimes of frustration, sometimes because I have sewn over my finger, either way I am better in the kitchen.......


So I wont be crocheting my own bikini this summer, and now it is warm the hottie cover I have been knitting (for five years) isn't likely to make a Xmas stocking. I can however, create my own edible gifts. A fav of the men in my family , and me, is gherkins. Also known as dill pickles, these are a fairly polarising item, but we love them.
The gherkins themselves are ridiculously easy to grow , and the actual pickling process takes about 15 minutes of very low stress labour. I have four plants I picked up at the garden centre growing in recycling bins. They require little more than good soil and plenty of water. The great thing about gherkins is you can make jars as the fruit ripens, rather than having to do it all in one hit. I did a jar the other day, and will do another in about a week when the little fruits ripen up.....

Pickled Gherkins - recipe from Homegrown 2 by NZ Gardener magazine

6-10 Gherkins
a clove of garlic per jar
fresh dill (if you don't have fresh use 1 tsp dill seeds)
1 tbsp pickling spice
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp salt
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
1 1/4 cups water

Put the garlic clove and dill into a clean jar, then squash in as many gherkins as you can. The liquid will
 be enough for one jar, so multiply accordingly. Put the spices into a muslin bag (or use a piece of cloth or an old undyed hankie and tie the top with string). In a small sauce pan put the spice bag, with the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, then bring to the boil and pour over the pickles. Seal the jars, your pickles will be ready in 4 weeks.

Heaven with cold meat, on a burger, chopped into potato salad.........or eaten standing in front of the fridge, right from the jar.

Charitable thoughts of leftover roast chicken

I popped into New World at the weekend for something boring but useful like loo rolls, and came out with a lovely organic chicken, on special no less. A whole chook is quite a lot for two people, but I knew after roasting I would have left overs for lunch, and bones for stock. At this purse emptying time of year these kind of economies , especially after an ear numbing lecture from the Minister of Finance about a recession, expensive Xmas pressies and the hole in the ground, can make me feel quite virtuous. But after hot chicken roasted with herbs and lemon, then cold chicken with salad for lunch, I still seemed to have quite a bit of meat left. I also needed to use a zucchini who wanted to be a marrow and tried to hide from me under a leaf. Nabbed him just in time.

The answer presented itself when I came across some flatbreads in the freezer. Leftover Chicken Enchiladas (or my version of anyway), super tasty, quick and satisfying. And if you don't have leftover chicken, they would work equally well with those cooked birds you can get at the supermarket or food store.
These were on the table in about 15 minutes, so great when you just want food.Now.Please.

Chicken and Corn Enchilada type flatbread things

Splash of oil
1 zucchini
1 cob of corn (or use 1/2 cup of canned of frozen corn kernels)
2 spring onion, chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes (or use chopped fresh chilli if you have some)
Lime juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 flatbreads/flour tortillas
Leftover chicken
Coriander
Grated cheese (I use good old Tasty Cheddar, but whatever you like)

Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Lime juice

Firstly take your corn off the cob by running a knife down the edge of the cob, under the kernels. The corn will shoot around a bit but persevere. Chop your zucchini in half down the middle then into half again. Slice each quarter so you are left with small chunks. Put a splash of oil into a non stick frying pan and place over medium heat.

Add the corn, zucchini, spring onions, chilli flakes and salt & pepper, and fry for a couple of minutes, to cook the vegetables, and give them a little colour. When they are done add a big squeeze of lime juice, and tip into a bowl.
Wipe the pan out with a paper towel, then put one of your flatbread on the bottom. Cover with half your corn mix, then as much shredded chicken as you want/have. Sprinkle a good handful of cheese over the top, and a bit of coriander if you like it, parsley if you don't.

Cover with the second flatbread, and put a small plate of top, with a couple of cans to weigh it down. This will encourage your filling to meld together, with the cheese acting as a sort of "glue".

After a couple of minutes, flip it onto a plate (you will think it is going to fall apart, but it wont, trust me) then slide back into the pan to cook the other side. When golden and crispy, tip onto a board or plate, slice into wedges and top with the sour cream, avocado and lime.

You can really play around with these, some chopped capsicum, chopped tomato and salsa would be great, just steer clear of anything to wet, you want that lovely crispy crunch, not soggy bottoms...........

Now I don't want for a second to compare me saving  few bucks on a posh chicken (could I sound anymore wanky middle class? Um, no not really........) with people who are really struggling with putting any meal on the table , especially at this time of year. I was thinking about this on my spin through the aisles , as the Remuera Rotary club had joined forces with the Auckland City Mission to get more food for the foodbank by handing out flyer's as you went into the supermarket. You were encouraged to buy an extra item or two with your shop (they provided examples such as cereal, coffee, tinned food etc), to deposit in their trolley by the doors as your left after checkout.
I thought this was a really clever idea, people could do something useful, but not actually have to DO a great deal, I mean you are shopping anyway, whats the hassle in throwing an extra can or jar in the trolley? Sometimes the best intentions get lost in the business of the season, so after my super chicken deal I figured I should add a few more items to my Mission basket, so along with Special K cereal I picked up a big jar of coffee and some Squiggle Tops, my personal fav choccie biscuit.
A friend commented she would get cheaper brands (and not biscuits), to get better value, but I suspect she didnt grow up with jumbo boxes of Weetbix (blah!) and bags of farmbake biscuits.

If you would like to donate to the Mission they really appreciate any assistance at this time of year (or anytime!) , check out http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/

Great Hole of Calcutta Ellerslie update..................we have a wall , kinda.........