Veg Every day

My fantastic new birthday gift, River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook. I love recipes that put vegetables front and centre. Too often they are just the side dish. Not in this book. No meat, sometimes a little dairy or eggs and some recipes are totally vegan friendly. I'm not a vegetarian by any means, I farm sheep afterall, but someone like me who grows a lot of vegetables it is a great book. It would also be good for someone who wants to jazz up their vegetable portions.

Asparagus are right here, right now vegetables. They don't last long and if you let them go too far, that's the end for the season, they put on their feathery leaves and it's no more for the kitchen. Consequently when we came home from our trip, I picked 450grams for one meal for two. Last night it was another 300grams for our pizza. The recipe is on page 185 and is delicious and simple. A lovely dough, a couple of onions sliced and sizzled until brown, asparagus, mozzarella, a little parmesan and a hot oven.

No asparagus tonight. Snow peas and coriander are calling and I want a curry.

Tracy

Nettle Pasta

A basket of nettles freshly picked and no stings. Things were going well until I picked up a stray stalk in the sink and I'm still tingling over twelve hours later. Nettle pasta was worth it though. As I have one household member who has aversion to most things green and good, I made regular pasta too. It was actually good to have the two side-by-side to notice the differences. Not too much in taste really. Texture yes. The nettle pasta is moister and slightly softer. This could be due to my preparation or maybe it is always the way.I can't say, I have haven't eaten nettle pasta anywhere else but at home. Anyway, on to the recipe.

Nettle Pasta

Ingredients

250 grams pasta flour (plain flour is fine)

85 grams semolina

165 grams blanched, drained and pureed nettle leaves (try to squeeze out extra moisture)

1 egg

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix with hands until it comes together as a dough.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a floured surface and then leave to rest.

Roll the dough in a pasta machine or as thin as possible with a rolling pin and cut into desired shape.

The dough can now be left to dry slightly before cooking.

The nettle pasta took abut 4 minutes to cook in boiling water.

The water left over from blanching the nettles is great in the compost or even added to chickens mash.

Spinach or chard could be used instead of nettles and would no doubt be just as vibrant and deicious.

Tracy

Lunch Time Inspiration

A little bit of inspiration at lunchtime today. I am home alone so I read while I ate, usually I am a little less anti-social. I have Kate Herd's book Kitchen Gardens of Australia and it is a delight. If you are interested in peeking into the gardens of others which of course I am it is great. The gardens are many and varied with ideas for just about anyone who wants to grow for their kitchen. I'm just sorry it a library book and I don't get to keep it.






And what was for lunch? A runny poached egg(sorry to my sisters who both dislike runny eggs) and asparagus. I probably should apologise to Tim for eating the asparagus while he is at work and can't share but I'm not sorry. I loved every mouthful. I'm sure we will have an asparagus date sometime in the next few days and I will let him have the lions share then...maybe. Anyway it was a perfect kitchen garden type of lunch with only a few minutes between picking and egg collecting and eating.
Tracy

Surprise winter vegetables

I don't have some magic trick to grow tomatoes throughout a frosty winter. This basketful of tomatoes and a few chillies was picked towards the end of autumn and have ripened up nicely on the verandah. The tomatoes are firm and just the thing for tonights pizza dinner. I have the spelt pizza dough rising by the fire and everything else prepared for a laid-back dinner. So here I am writing a blog post which is apparently number 200.

I will save what else I was going to share for another day. As it is the 200th post, I will have a wee giveaway. If you would like to be in the running to receive a small surprise parcel from Sunny Corner Farm, just leave a comment on this post. I will draw the lucky name on Sunday, 17th July.
Tracy