15 November 2011
It is the night before my birthday and it feels a little like the night before Christmas or really a little better as there are cards and calls are all just for me.
I love my garden so when the husband asked what I might like I asked for a shredder for the rubbish and weeds that takes so long to compost and as we all know compost is the answer to a healthy garden.
The husband always buys this sort of thing on Trademe so god knows what it will be like. The daughter is cooking the birthday dinner and as her cooking is improving it should be a nice evening!!
I am almost at the end of my peas, most of which have been eaten on the spot but at one stage I was able to make a side dish of peas, little gem lettuces from the glass house, spring onions all sweated together in a little butter and some finely chopped tarragon, divine.
We have also had little carrots mixed with the new seasons broad beans as accompaniments to some of the left over little lamb chops from last year’s lambs. (We have to use them up as this years lambs are growing so quickly that roast leg of lamb could be this year’s Christmas dinner).
But the big problem in my life have been pea pods (only joking). Although I eat most of the peas by the vines and chuck the pods over the fence there is a problems when there are enough to bring them inside - I hate to throw away those beautiful bright green casings. So this time I made pea pod soup with the last leeks from the allium garden.
Peapod soup (you will probably never make this but it is delicious)
Sauté one onion with a small chopped leek and throw in about two handfuls of peapod after the little green round gems have been removed. Add two cups of chicken stock. Cook until all the vegetables are soft.
Push through a sieve, which is hard as they are quite fibrous but it is worth it. Add half a teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper and a little cream if you like.
We had this on one of those suddenly wintery night that happens at this time of year, with a poached egg slipped into it and the yolk broke in a golden stream of luxury. French bread and lots of freshly made salty butter, food of the gods or the Robinsons which is near as dammit, as my old mother used to say.
We had two nights on the boat last weekend first time for nine months. I said to the husband that I really feel that I can relax on the boat as all I can do is relax, read and of course cook. So I made the most delicious pineapple and lemon cake and a very smart herbed chicken casserole. I always take a bag of herbs with me on the boat just incase. I left it in the oven while I was reading and could smell something burning and it turned out to be the wood at the back of the stove and there was mad panic with the fire extinguisher at the ready. It all turned out alright and the husband instantly drilled some more ventilation holes and the chicken was delicious.
Pineapple and lemon cake
Melt 150gms of butter with 1 cup of sugar and let it cool. Add a small tin of crushed pineapple and two lightly beaten eggs. Add the juice and rind of one lemon. Gently fold in 1 cup of whole meal flour and 1 cup of white flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Bake at 150c for 1 hour. While the cake is still warm poke a few hole with a sharp knife and pour over a mixture of half a cup of boiling water mixed with half a cup of castor sugar and the juice of one lemon.
Chicken casserole a la boat
Four chicken thigh with bone in and skin on. Add a handful of finely chopped herbs, parley, rosemary, thyme, sage or what ever you have. Chop two onions and two large cloves of garlic and put them on the bottom of a shallow casserole dish and lay half the herbs on top with a teaspoon of chicken stock powder. Put the chicken on top in a single layer and chuck on the rest of the herb and slide in half a cup of water.
Bake for half an hour with the dish covered with foil and a second without. Cook at 180c. the skin should be golden and crispy.
This weekend it will be strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream, it is the season for it.
