Chia Ciabatta

I used the River Cottage Recipe Book, and advice from The Sourdough Companion website on adding chia seeds which absorb 6 times their mass in water.

 

Soak 2 tbsp of chia in 12 tbsp warm water.

Add this paste to the ciabatta dough before forming into loaves.

This keeps the bread more moist, and fresher for longer.

Baker Garden Family Dinner ~ Lasagne

We had a family dinner at my new house last week ~ my new housemates are Ingrid, Joe, Shaun, and Siobhan. We had vegetarian lasagne and salad. Joe had a genius idea of coating the entire tray in the 3 cheese mix before laying out the sheets and ingredients so it turns into a big cheese cookie lasagne. To do next time.


Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients

3 cups strong pasta flour
4 eggs
2 tbsp water
pinch of salt

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 can tomatoes
1 jar tomato passata
1 glass of good shiraz
1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano
1 handful fresh torn basil

1/2 a pumpkin
1 large eggplant
2 red capsicum
2 green capsicum
2 zucchini
bag of mushrooms

3.5 cups milk
60g butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 cups of grated cheese (I used mozzarella, cheddar and colby)


Method

Pasta
Mix the pasta flour, eggs, water and salt together and knead for 5 minutes.
Cover in glad wrap and refridgerate.

Tomato sauce
Saute the onions and garlic.
Add the tomatoes and passata and simmer continuously while preparing everything else.

Vegies
Cut all vegies into 1cm slices
Lay the pumpkin on a tray and cook in the oven at 200.
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook eggplant till browned, do the same for the other vegetables.

Bechamel Sauce
Make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan and frying the flour in the butter for a couple of minutes. do not allow to brown. slowly pour in half a cup of milk and whisk rigorously, taking it off the heat if need be (if it is bubbling too much). Slowly add the rest of the milk in small 1/2 cup batches, always, always whisking.  finally, add a pinch of salt and the nutmeg. set aside.

Assemble
Find a cool dude and a lovely lady to help make the lasagne!

Use a pasta roller to roll out sheets of lasagne pasta

Lay a bed of tomato sauce on the bottom of a deep oven tray. (you could use cheese instead!)
Have fun placing layers of vegies with red or white sauce alternating with the pasta sheets.
Throw some random things in there. A cinnamon stick is a nice surprise treasure.
Finish with the white sauce and a layer of cheese!

Bake for 30 minutes at 200 then serve with a crunchy zesty salad

Im so happy to have found such nice people to live with, this was a nice family dinner to start getting to know each other :)

24hr Roast Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1kg strong white bread flour

10g powdered dried yeast

25g sea salt

800ml warm water

2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for the folding process.

500g pumpkin chopped into 10cmx3cm pieces cooked at 80 C for 24 hours.

 

Method

Mix the flour yeast and water together.
Use your hands, a huge bowl, or a dough hook in an electric mixer.
This dough is very wet (~80% water) so it is best to use a dough hook to keep folding over the gluten strands to make a silky dough that can be handled.

If using a dough hook:

Mix for 5 minutes then let rest for 5 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax a bit.
Add olive oil and salt then mix for a further 5 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Mix for a final 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl.

 

If using your hands: get a really big amazing bowl!

Follow the instructions above, and refer to this page for more detail on kneading techniques.

Place the dough into the fridge for 5-7 hours. This allows lactic acid bacteria to produce sour by products and makes the yeast dormant.

Remove from fridge an hour before baking. Fold the dough (it will have risen  in the fridge) then put in a new container and place in a warm spot to warm up. If it’s a clod day, place in a big bowl and sit the bowl in a sink of warm water. Keep covered.

Once the dough has doubled in size and you can see big air pockets forming, remove and knead in the pumpkin after chopping it into smaller pieces.

 

Dust the bench with semolina flour.

Form into baguettes or other rolls and place on oven tray. Cover with plastic bags to allow another final rise/prove. Preheat the oven to full.

 

Once the dough springs back when touched lightly, it is ready to bake. Brush with milk and sprinkle seeds of your choice.

Place in the oven and spray with a water bottle to create steam. Or, throw some icecubes in the bottom of the oven.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath.

 

 

Thanks so much Bretto for helping me and providing the most important ingredient - roasted pumpkin!

 

Pearly Persian Salad

 

1/2 cup pearl couscous

2 tbsp. red quinoa

2 tbsp. risoni

2 tbsp. yellow spit peas

half an avocado

handful of parsley chopped finely

1 tbsp. lemon myrtle olive oil

salt and pepper

handful of broad beans from the garden

seeds from half a pomegranate

Put the pearl couscous, quinoa, risoni and split peas in a saucepan with 1 tbsp. of vegetable stock and simmer till al dente approx. 10 minutes.
Remove Broad Beans from their husks, blanche in boiling water then skin them individually.
Prepare other ingredients.
Toss all together and serve!

Herby Barley Salad

Herby Barley Salad

 

 

½ cup barley

2 big handfuls parsley

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp lemon myrtle olive oil

1 handful pistachios

1 handful cashews

Piece of fetta cheese

Handful of kale

1 tomato

 

Bring barley to a simmer for approx. 30 minutes till its properly cooked. Then add Kale for 1 minute to wilt. Drain and set aside.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds, crush in a mortar and pestle then add to the olive oil with the cumin powder and honey.

Chop the nuts coarsely and crumble the fetta.

Toss  together all ingredients.

Squirrely Acorn Night

 

Al, with his amazing Acorn creations.

 

He invited us to a squirrelly munchies night. On the Menu was acorn, quinoa and Kale patties, acorn mayonnaise and a salad with Al's vegies. Plus dessert...

The acorns after they have been treated (soaking and rinsing for a couple of weeks)

 

It wouldn't be Al's without a nice big massive pot full of chai.

 

Dessert!

 

This was one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. Acorn cake!

It was golden and caramel flavoured with a crunchy outer layer and a chewy moreish middle.

There were even some bigger bits of acorn that were nice to chew in the cake.

Jules, Luke and I loved it, thanks Al!

 

I had to take a photo of his organised kitchen...a joy to bake in :)

Luke and Jules

Tomato, Basil and Bocconcini Salad

most salads don't need recipes, just go forage

Mac n Cheese with fresh Garden Vegies!

Ingredients
250g Macaroni
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp butter
handful of grated Colby easy melt cheese
salt and pepper
From the garden:
6 baby leeks, white parts only, sliced thinly two fresh garlic cloves
1 cup blanched and hulled bread beans
1 cup hulled sugar snap peas
handful of lettuce, sliced
1/2 avocado diced

Method
Boil the pasta
Meanwhile, saute the leeks and garlic in the butter and oil.
Add the lettuce, beans and peas.
When pasta is done, strain and add to pan with the vegies.
Add the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with avocado

Woodfired Pizza

at Geoff and Jess's Place

Geoff had some nice olive oil dough ready to go

Laura's Gluten Free Pizzas were also great

Shawn made a supreme

Anthony made an avocado and cheese - Bellissimo!

Tacheen - Almond, Pomegranate and Coriander

Ingredients

Basmati Rice

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Handful of green beans from the garden.

Toppings of your choice (see below)

Method

Place rice (about 3 cups for 4 people) in saucepan and rinse will water runs clear.

Fill rice saucepan with water again and add a pinch of salt.

Bring rice to boil on stove till just slightly cooked (still has a slight hardness to it)

Remove rice and strain.

Place butter and olive oil in pan (*non-stick deep saucepan is important)

Add 2 tbsp water and swirl round the bottom.

Pack half the strained rice into the base and press down.

Pile the rest of the rice in a pyramid over the base and make a few deep holes to allow steaming.

Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for up to 1 hour.

Add green beans to the top 5 minutes before serving to steam them.

To serve, upturn the Tacheen onto a wide plate and observe the amazing "Tahdeeg" the crust!

(In ancient persian feasts this was fought over for its deliciousness!)

Place lovely toppings over the crust - pomegranate seeds, fresh coriander,

roasted pine nuts and pistachios and a few cranberries.

It is also lovely served with fresh yoghurt and mint.

Pumpkins from the patch

Jufa Pasta

This traditional type of pasta from the Trentino Alto Adige northern region of Italy.  It is meant for eating in the mountains during the cold months.


Ingredients

1 glass of water
1 litre of milk
100g flour
50g granoturco (cornflour)
1 egg
pinch salt
butter

Making it

Place a saucepan on a hot flame or ideally a cauldron on an open fire in a clearing in the Alpine woods.

Bring the water to boil, adding the milk and salt and let boil for a couple of minutes.

Slowly add the two types of flour which have been mixed together, then stir the water energetically with a hand whisk. Continue to stir well for 15-20 minutes on a low heat.

Crack open an egg, whisk it briefly and pour it over the mixture or 'mosa'.

Finish by dripping melted butter over the mixture to add flavor.
Add any edible herbs that can be found around the campsite.

Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Ratatouille with Meatballs and Gremolata

Meatballs

200g beef mince

half an onion, chopped finely

1 clove garlic chopped finely

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 egg

breadcrumbs

- Mix and roll!

Gremolata
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
4 anchovies chopped finely
2 tbsp lemon myrtle olive oil
salt and pepper
- Mix!

Ratatouille
A box of Paradise fresh vegies!

- 1 red capsicum, chopped

- 6 ripe tomatoes, diced

- 1 eggplant, sliced thickly

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 zucchini, diced

- handful green beans, chopped 3cm

- handful mushrooms, halved

4 tbsp Tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup basil leaves

Method:

Spray eggplant slices with olive oil and grill on both sides till golden. Then chop.

Meanwhile, Saute onion and garlic in a large frypan with some olive oil.

Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add capsicum, eggplant, sugar and tomato paste. Cook for 10 minutes.

Place meatballs into the sauce and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

Then add beans, zucchini. Cook for 10 minutes.

Finally, add the mushrooms and half the torn basil.

Serve with feta and basil, yoghurt with nigella seeds, and Gremolata

Great Vegetarian dish without the meatballs.

Persian Lentil Soup and Abgusht

My friend Eliza recently gave me a book to read called 'Pomegranate Soup' by Marsha Mehran. It contained many delicious Persian recipes within the story of the personal journeys of three sisters who escape Iran on the eve of the revolution and eventually make their way to Ireland. This book was not hard to read so is a nice one to relax to and let yourself imagine the tastes of the warm Persian meals. It was magical and enchanting... with the village people smelling the sweet spices of cinnamon, cardamom and rosewater wafting down their main street as they walked home from work or school. The recipes are quite different from any I have encountered before, so we decided to have a Persian night to cook three of them. Sal, Eliza and I cooked together. Eliza made the Red Lentil Soup for our starter the night before so we would have enough time. We chose "Abgusht" a lamb dish and "Baklava" a sticky aromatic pastry for dessert. We found them to be delightful.

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients
2 cups dry red lentils
7 large onions, chopped
7 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turneric
4 tsp cumin
olive oil
7 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
salt and pepper
2 tbsp nigella seeds

Method
Cover lentils with water and bring to boil. Cook for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Fry 6 onions, garlic, turmeric and cumin in some olive oil till golden.
Add lentils, broth, water, salt, pepper and nigella seeds. Bring to Boil
Simmer gently for 40minutes.
Meanwhile, fry remaining onion in some olive oil till crisp for garnish.
Serve soup with fried onion and some natural yoghurt sprinkled with more nigella seeds.
Coriander also tastes really nice as a fresh garnish.

Abgusht

Ingredients
5 large onions, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 2kg boned leg of lamb, save bone
10 cups of water
1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed twice
1 tsp paprika
4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 large potatoes, peeled, quartered
7 fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 dried lime
pinch of saffron in 7 tbsp hot water
2 tsp advieh*

* equal amounts of crushed organic rose petals, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin

Method
In a large stockpot (cast iron enamelled pot works well) add olive oil, onion and turmeric and fry for a few minutes, then add the lamb and brown all over.
Add water, split peas, paprika and bone. Bring to boil. Lower heat (or place in overn at approximately 165 degrees C) and simmer covered for 2 hours.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Remove bone. Remove all meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place into a separate bowl for mashing. This allows some lentils to remain in the broth.
Mash the vegetables with the meat and serve each person a scoop of mash and a separate bowl of broth.
We served the mash on top of a little broth.
Garnish with yoghurt and coriander or tarragon leaves.
We had ciabatta I made with nigella seeds (see olive oil bread recipe) to wipe our bowls clean!

Go to recipe for Baklava.

Thanks Eliza and Sal for cooking with me, it was such a delicious meal.



Leek and Zucchini Quiche w/ nigella seed crust

Many of these ingredients are from the garden*

Ingredients for pastry

60g butter

3/4 cup flour

pinch salt

1 egg

1 tbsp nigella seeds

Ingredients for filling

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp sugar

6 medium leeks* chopped

4 large eggs (mine were from Renee's Mum Louise and all different colours!)

2 small yellow zucchini* chopped finely

1 large green zucchini* chopped finely

12 sage leaves*
2 tbsp ricotta
2 tbsp feta

1/2 a small sweet potato chopped finely

Method

Saute leeks in olive oil and add water when catching the pan

Caramelise for 20 minutes till soft, adding sugar towards the end. set aside.

Meanwhile, pulse flour and butter in the food processor till you get broad bean - green pea sized crumbs. Then add the salt egg and nigella seeds. Pulse a couple more times. Wrap and put in fridge 30 minutes.

Roll out pastry and press into a greased pie dish.

Blind bake for 20 minutes on 180 degrees C with pie weights.

Meanwhile, Finely chop half the sage leaves and add to this the beaten eggs, ricotta, feta, and cooled leeks.

Put filling in pie crust and cover with zucchini (layered) as pictured above and the sweet potato. Place extra sage leaves on top, grind over some pepper and salt, and spray with olive oil.

Bake pie for approximately 25 minutes. poke a cake skewer in if you are unsure whether it is set.

Serve with green salad* and balsamic dressing, and a coleslaw*