New recipes – Term 2

I’ve been absent for a while and realise now – so late – that it’s been months… where does the time go? I’m starting to feel like a cliche, in that the older I get, the quicker time flies. I’m always running late, I clearly never plan my time well and am forever trying to scrape through at the last minute…. and then see that the weeks fly past, and now we’re almost in July. Yikes!

Anyway,  my excuse for the absence is that I’ve dived back into the pool of employment and become what is statistically known as a ‘Working Mother’… hmmm. One child in daycare for four days, the other child can only fit in on two days so we also have a nanny on one day – and I’m only working for three days! My wage comes in one hand and goes straight out the other, it’s crazy. But I am enjoying the job, and also the enforced separation for my darlings – I relish picking them up from school having missed them all day, and love that they missed me too…

So my new job is my perfect job. Cooking with school children! The primary school students grow the veggies in the school garden; they harvest when the time is right; they prepare and cook the food; they share the food (and then they clean up!). It’s that simple.

We have been cooking up a storm at school recently & I thought I’d share a recipe from one of the most popular dishes: Rocket, silverbeet & potato soup. This has been such a hit (I think it’s all the garlic) and is perfect for the cold wintry days we’ve been having…

and here in full is another easy & fun recipe to do at home:

 Rosemary & Thyme Grissini

 Fresh from the garden: Rosemary, thyme

 Recipe source: The Cook and the Chef TV program

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A simple & fun bread-making exercise – I’ve found that the thinner you make the grissini, the crunchier and more delicious they are! It also pays to knead the dough well too.

• Kitchen towel
• Chopping board
• Large knife
• Large bowl
• Large spoon
• Measuring jug
• 2 baking trays
• Pastry brush
• Rolling pin

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ teaspoon cooking salt
• Large sprig rosemary
• 4 or 5 sprigs thyme
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 100ml lukewarm water
• A pinch or two of flaked salt

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Wash & dry herbs thoroughly
• Strip herbs from stalks and chop up finely to yield 2 tablespoons of herbs
• Mix all the dry ingredients (except for the flaked salt) and herbs together in a large bowl
• Add the water and olive oil and knead together until a smooth dough is formed – this might take between five and ten minutes. If the dough is too wet just add some more flour, bit by bit
• Brush baking trays with a little olive oil
• Flatten the dough out and roll into an even rectangle shape. Divide into halves, then quarters, and then again and again until you get 32 pieces
• Roll each ball into a thin cigar shape with floured hands & place evenly onto the baking trays
• Sprinkle with flakes of salt
• Carefully slip the trays into the oven & bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown

Notes: Grissini are thought to have been invented in Italy in the 17^th century – what other dishes have originated inItaly?

Here also is a list of recipes of other lovely dishes the children have been making this term:

Basic pasta dough

Linguine with herb sauce

Baked ricotta slices with capsicum & tomato

Gnocchi with burnt butter & sage

Carrot & coriander soup

Eggplant, garden herb & bocconcini pizza

Happing reading, happy eating!