Uncategorized

Kale, potato and egg soup

Posted on June 4, 2016 by melhm

IMG_1709

Amazing what you can put in a soup isn’t it? Sounds very simple this one, but the flavours and bold and bright at the end. And it’s perfect for this freezing, wintry and blustery day…

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, garlic, kale, eggs
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on thekitchn.com
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Garlic press
  • Measures: tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Medium stockpot
  • 4 little bowls or ramekins
  • Ladle
  • Microplane grater
  • 4 serving bowls

 

 Ingredients:

  • 2 medium yellow potatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cooking salt
  • 1.5 litres water
  • 2 tablespoons bouillon
  • 1 bunch kale (about 15 big leaves)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 large eggs
  • Flaked salt and pepper
  • 20g grana padano or parmesan cheese
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

What to do:

  1. Scrub the potatoes then chop it onto centimetre cubes. Peel the garlic cloves and squeeze them through the garlic press.
  2. Add potato, garlic, salt, water and bouillon to a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.
  3. While the potatoes start to cook, wash the kale and shake dry over the sink. Remove any thick, tough stems and chop them into tiny pieces. Add the chopped stems to the pot with the potatoes and simmer for 2 minutes.
  4. Stack the leaves of kale on top of each other. Slice them crosswise into thin ribbons, and add them to the pot with the potatoes and kale stems. If necessary, add more stock or water to the pot to just about cover the kale.
  5. Cover the pot and let the soup cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The soup is ready when the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, and when a ribbon of kale has become tender, but has not yet become stringy or pulpy. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with more salt and fresh cracked pepper. Also add more stock or water if a more liquid soup is desired.
  6. To finish, crack the eggs into little bowls, and then gently slide them into the soup. Ladle some of the soup broth on top of the eggs to submerge them. Put the lid back on the pot and cook for 4 minutes. When done, the whites of the eggs should be opaque, but the yolk should still be soft. If the eggs break into the soup before they are poached, just use a fork to swirl them into the soup.
  7. Carefully spoon the eggs into a soup bowls. Ladle the soup on top. Finish with a grating of grana padano cheese and a thin drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Notes: What else could you put into a soup? What else could you use instead of kale?

IMG_1686

Advertisement
Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pistou soup

Posted on April 12, 2016 by melhm

IMG_1137

French pistou sauce is like Italian pesto except has no pinenuts, and is a classic accompaniment to this rich veggie soup.

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, beans, basil, onion, garlic, bay
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on jamieoliver.com
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Mixing bowls – 2 lge, 3 med
  • Colander
  • Medium stockpot
  • Measures – litre jug, ½ cup
  • Scales
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Serving bowls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 leeks
  • 3 potatoes
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 3 zucchini
  • A small handful green beans
  • 2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • Olive oil
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans
  • 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans
  • ½ cup small macaroni

Pistou sauce:

  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 6 sprigs of fresh basil
  • 60g parmesan or grana padano
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

What to do:

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then trim, clean and slice the leeks.
  2. Wash the potatoes, carrots, celery and zucchini, then chop them all into small cubes by slicing lengthways first and then into dice (peeling the carrots but not potatoes).
  3. Wash the beans and drain them, then tail them and chop into 1cm lengths.
  4. Wash the parsley, pat dry then pick the leaves and roughly chop.
  5. Pour a film of olive oil into a medium stockpot over a medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic and leek for 5 minutes.
  6. Add all the rest of the chopped ingredients, the bay leaves and the tin of tomatoes.
  7. Drain and rinse the cannellini and borlotti beans then add them in.
  8. Cover with a litre of water, season and simmer for 10 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender – check by piercing a piece of potato with a sharp knife.
  9. Add the macaroni and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes until cooked, adding a little more water if the soup is too thick.
  10. Meanwhile, for the pistou sauce: Peel the garlic and add to a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle in some flaked salt then start to pound to break down.
  11. Wash the basil and spin it dry, then pick off the basil leaves and add to the garlic. Pound until puréed, then finely grate in the parmesan (weighing the piece first) and muddle in the extra virgin olive oil to make a paste.
  12. Divide the soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of pistou on the top.

Notes: What is pistou? Why do we weigh the parmesan before starting to grate it?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Koosa Ma Laban

Posted on March 1, 2016 by melhm

IMG_0209

Taking inspiration from the Middle East, this is a dish called Koosa ma Laban and is a delicious zucchini dip for crunchy veggies or garlicky flatbreads.

Fresh from the garden: cucumber, garlic, ginger
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on thekitchn.com
Serves: 8 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Measures: cup, tablespoon
  • Frying pan
  • Tongs
  • Salad spinner
  • Microplane zester
  • Olive pitter
  • Food processor
  • Flat bowls to serve

 

 Ingredients:

·       2 large zucchini

·       2 cloves of garlic

·       3 tablespoons olive oil

·       1 cup Greek yogurt or labneh

·       A handful of mint

·       A lemon

·       Flaked salt and pepper

·       4 green olives

What to do:

  • Wash the zucchini, then slice lengthwise and cut into 1cm half-moons. Smash the garlic cloves, peel the skin off and finely chop.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle zucchini slices with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until both sides are nicely browned. Add the garlic in the last minute, then remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
  • Wash the mint, spin dry, pick off the leaves and chop finely to yield about 2 tablespoons worth. Wash the lemon, dry it and zest the yellow part of the skin only. Pit the olives (use the pitter or you can squash them on a chopping board) and cut in half.
  • Once zucchini have cooled, place in a food processor. Add the mint and lemon zest (reserving a bit of both for garnish), a pinch of salt, pepper and yogurt. Pulse until pureed.
  • Spread dip onto a serving plate, dot on the olive halves, drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with reserved mint and lemon zest.
  • Serve with flat breads or sliced carrot, cucumber or radish.

 Notes: What is labneh? How does an olive pitter work? What other Middle Eastern dishes do you know?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cornersmith’s bouillon

Posted on January 3, 2016 by melhm

This recipe comes to us from the picklery Cornersmith in Marrickville. Bouillon is what we use instead of stock in all our soup and risotto recipes. The aim of the recipe is to use up excess vegetable parts – carrot tops, fennel tops, spinach stems, parsley stems etc.The recipe can be varied with the seasons by adding what you have on hand.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: leeks, fennel, carrots, parsley, mint, coriander, onions
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe from the Cornersmith Café
Makes: 4 medium jars

Equipment:

  • Jars and lids
  • Large oven tray
  • Paper towel
  • Scales
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Peelers
  • Large mixing bowls
  • Salad spinner, colander
  • Scissors
  • Wooden spoons
  • Food processor
  • Funnel, teaspoons
 Ingredients:

  • 200g brown onions
  • 200g leeks
  • 200g fennel
  • 200g Dutch carrots
  • 200g celery
  • Carrot tops
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1 bunch mint
  • 1 bunch coriander
  • 40 sundried tomatoes
  • 1 head garlic
  • 200g fine cooking salt

What to do:

  1. Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse well and drain upside down. Place all the jars onto an oven tray, right side up, and slide into the oven. Turn the oven on to 160C to sterilize for 15 minutes.
  2. Dry the lids with a clean piece of paper towel.
  3. Wash all the vegetables and scrub if needed. Trim any ugly bits and discard. Peel the onion & garlic, and carrots if needed.
  4. Wash the herbs, spin dry and finely snip, discarding any tough stalks.
  5. Using a large knife, chop all vegetables into small sized chunks. Snip the sun-dried tomatoes into thin slices using scissors.
  6. In batches if necessary, add the ingredients to the food processor.
  7. Process into a thick paste and then scrape out into a clean and dry large bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with the salt so it is mixed in evenly. You can use your hands for this but beware of the onion fumes in your eyes!
  8. Put the funnel into the top of the sterilized jars.
  9. Fill the jars without touching any of the inside or rims, and seal tightly.
  10. You may want to ‘can’ the jars in a water-bath to preserve longer: Line a wide saucepan or stockpot with a rubber mat or tea towel, then place the full, sealed jars in so that none are touching the sides of the pot or each other. Fill with lukewarm water and then set to boil on high for between 10 and 20 minutes. Turn off then using tongs, carefully lift out the jars and leave to cool on a wooden board. Label when cool.

Notes: This is used as a replacement to stock: one tablespoon dissolved in 1 litre of boiling water. It can be added to stews and soups or any meals that need a boost of flavour.

Bouillon will last for a year unopened and stored in a cool dark place. Once opened, store it in the fridge and it should last you for at least 6 months.

ourkitchengarden.net

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Leafy salad with poached eggs, kale and herby mayo

Posted on November 7, 2015 by melhm

ourkitchengarden.net

The list of ingredients we can add to a salad is endless… here at Bondi we base our salads on lettuce leaves, fresh herbs and then seasonal additions. This one is a favourite with just-poached eggs and a wonderfully creamy and tangy dressing, but the key is to show the children how to handle delicate lettuce leaves without crushing or bruising them (the lettuce, not the kids…) and the gentle art of cracking an egg without destroying the yolk!

Fresh from the garden: Lettuce, eggs, kale, edible flowers, spring onions, garlic, lemon, herbs

Recipe source: Melissa

Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

·       Mixing bowls – large, medium, small

·       2 salad spinners

·       Tea towels and paper towel

·       Chopping boards & knives

·       Saucepan and lid

·       Deep-sided non-stick frying pan

·       Slotted spoon

·       Stick blender &its cup

·       Measuring: jug, ½ cup, teaspoon

·       Scales

·       Scissors

·       Garlic press

·       Citrus juicer

·       Serving bowls

 Ingredients:

  • 4 freshest eggs (plus two for the mayo)
  • A bunch of salad leaves & kale
  • A large handful of herbs
  • A few garnishing flowers
  • Any extras like radishes
  • White wine vinegar & olive oil

For the herby mayonnaise:

  • A small handful fresh herbs
  • 1 juicy lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup rice bran oil
  • Flaked salt & black pepper

What to do:

For the salad:

  1. Fill up the 2 big bowls with cold water & wash the salad leaves in several changes of water. Spin the leaves dry and wipe the bowls dry.
  2. Lay out the tea towel and line it with kitchen paper. Spread the salad leaves over the paper and roll the whole lot up like a log. Keep the rolled parcel of leaves in the fridge until needed.
  3. Reserve the small garnishing leaves and flowers in a separate little bowl of cold water.
  4. Wash the kale and shake dry. Snip the leaves from the stalks and discard the stalks. Spin dry thoroughly, then put in a clean dry bowl, drizzle a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, and then massage the salty oil into the leaves with your fingers for 5 minutes.
  5. Fill up another bowl with water and wash the herbs. Spin the herbs dry and pick leaves, reserving in their own small bowl, discarding stalks into compost.
  6. Scrub the radishes and then finely slice using a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer. 

For the mayo:

  1. Meanwhile for the mayo, wash the herbs in a few changes of water, spin them dry and finely strip off leaves from the stalks (coriander stalks you can leave in).
  2. Cut the lemon in half and juice the halves. You will need 2 tablespoons lemon juice in total.
  3. Smash the garlic clove, peel it and squeeze it through the garlic press.
  4. Carefully separate the eggs and reserve the yolks in a small bowl.
  5. Into the stick blender cup add the egg yolks, the mustard and 2 teaspoons only of the lemon juice. Whizz together until all is combined.
  1. Measure the rice bran oil, then get a friend to help measure in the oil a tablespoon at a time every 30 seconds into the egg mixture while you are whizzing (this takes a few minutes so don’t rush it).
  2. Then slowly add in another 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, the pressed garlic, the herbs and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and check if it needs any more lemon juice or salt and adjust if needed.

To poach the eggs:

  1. Fill the deep-sided frying pan with water to a depth of about 10cm, then bring it to the boil and then turn down to a bare simmer.
  2. Then break the eggs into separate little bowls, then slide them into the simmering water, one at a time until they’re all in, and let them cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Fill a large bowl with cold water.
  3. Then use a draining spoon to lift them from the water and transfer them to the bowl of cold water if you’re not ready to use them just yet.

To serve:

  1. Strip the kale leaves into smaller pieces and add them to the separate bowl. Drizzle over a little olive oil and pinch of flaked salt and then using your fingertips, rub it all in to the kale leaves to make them soft.
  2. Take the lettuce from the fridge and chop into smaller strips. Pop them into a big bowl, then drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of white wine vinegar & a sprinkle of flaked salt over the whole lot.
  3. Add the kale into the lettuce and using your hands, turn the leaves to coat in the dressing and then divide the lot among your serving bowls.
  4. Spoon an egg at a time out of the water and dry off with some paper towel or a clean tea towel, and then carefully arrange one egg on the top of each salad.
  5. Drizzle the mayo over the top of each salad, followed by a sprinkle of herbs and the flowers and serve immediately!

Notes: What is mayo short for? What other salad dressings could you use? Why do we need to wash the leaves so well? Why do we roll the leaves up to put them in the fridge? Why don’t we always need to use vinegar to poach the eggs? Why do we put the eggs into cold water?

ourkitchengarden.net

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Silverbeet soup with curry spices, coriander and yoghurt

Posted on November 7, 2015 by melhm

ourkitchengarden.net

Curry spices in soup? Yes! And even a little spicy heat too, as I find the children love the challenge.

Fresh from the garden: silverbeet, onion, garlic, coriander

Recipe source: Melissa

Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Mortar and pestle
  • Measures: tablespoons, teaspoons, ¼ teaspoon
  • Kettle
  • Mixing bowls, large, med, small
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Peelers
  • Graters
  • Stockpot, wooden spoon
  • Stick blender
  • Ladle
  • Paper towel
  • Scissors
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1.5 litres boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons bouillon
  • A large handful silverbeet
  • A small handful coriander
  • A small tub Greek yoghurt

Curry Powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

What to do:

  1. To make the curry powder: Measure the spices into the bowl of the mortar and gently pound to a fine powder with the pestle.
  2. Fill the kettle to the 1.5 litre mark and set it to boil.
  3. Peel and finely chop the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.
  4. Wash the silverbeet and shake it dry over the sink. Finely chop stalks and leaves and reserve in a large bowl.
  5. Heat the oil in the large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, 3 teaspoons of the curry powder blend and a grind of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft for about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped silverbeet and garlic, stir in and then sweat for 1 few minutes with the lid on and the heat low.
  6. Carefully add the boiling water and the bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile wash the coriander and pat it dry. Finely snip and reserve in a little bowl.
  8. Puree the soup using the stick blender until super smooth and then check the levels of seasoning. Stir the yoghurt into the soup, creating a big whirl.
  9. Ladle into soup bowls and serve garnished with the coriander.

Notes: What do the individual spices of the curry powder smell like? And then how do they smell when they’re all combined? What could you do the left-over powder?

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sharon’s broccoli soup

Posted on August 30, 2014 by melhm

Sharon is my very good friend who cooks this soup for her kids, and mine too when they stay over. It was the first soup ever that my children specifically requested! Happy birthday Mrs!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: broccoli, potatoes, spring onions, basil
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Sharon Quill
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards & knives
  • Mixing bowls
  • Colander
  • Salad spinner
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measures: tablespoon
  • Scales
  • Handheld mixer
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres water & 1.5 tablespoons bouillon (or 1.5lt stock)
  • 500g waxy potatoes
  • A large onion
  • 4 spring onions
  • A large head broccoli & leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A bunch of basil (or ready-made pesto)
  • Flaked salt and black pepper

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle up to the 1.5 litre mark and set to boil.
  • Wash and scrub potatoes & cut into 2cm cubes – do not peel. Peel and finely chop the onion.
  • Wash and trim spring onions, removing & discarding the tough outer layer. Slice into 1cm bits.
  • Wash the broccoli & shake dry. Cut off the florets leaving them walnut-sized, and chop up the stems into pieces about 1cm cubes, trimming off any hard edges. Strip any leaves from the stalks (discarding the stalks) and slice the leaves into strips.
  • Peel garlic cloves and finely slice.
  • Meltthe butter in the large stockpot over medium heat and gently sauté the chopped onion and spring onion for 2 minutes.
  • Add potato, garlic and bay leaves and turn with the wooden spoon so that the potato sweats in the butter. Add the hot water and bouillon or stock, bring to the boil then cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, if you’re using fresh basil, pick the basil leaves from the stalks and wash them, then spin dry. Using your fingers, tear them into smaller pieces.
  • After the potatoes have simmered for 10 minutes, add the broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and turn heat off. Drop the torn basil leaves, if using, into the soup or dollop in a tablespoon or two of pesto.
  • With dry hands, plug in the handheld mixer and carefully whizz the soup until it is silky smooth. Add salt to taste and a good grind of pepper and ladle into bowls to serve.

Notes: What is bouillon and where do we keep it? Why do we tear the basil with our fingers?

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kitchen News – 24th October 2013

Posted on October 29, 2013 by melhm

ourkitchengarden.net

Week 3 already and it’s hot, humid and very smoky… scary to think what the rest of these warm seasons’ weather holds in store? While the mountains burn, the garden here bursts with produce… For a while there I thought that this term would be quieter than the last’s multitude of activities and extravaganzas but I’ve been deluding myself!

We have been welcoming the Year 2 students into the Kitchen Garden program these last weeks, so they’ve been boning up on all the safety issues related to working in a busy kitchen, and also demonstrating knife skills (and Bear Paw: RAAAARRRR!) with flair and precision. Next lesson will include the formal ceremony of Presentation of the Knife Licences…! The children also got a taste of kitchen lessons to come and managed to whip up some snacky antipasto snacks too while they were at it, (clever little cooks that they are already!) so we feasted on Bruschetta with smashed broad beans and garlic; Danish feta with lemon and thyme; Roasted capsicum and garlic cloves with herbs; A simple salad with edible flowers; and rolled out some crispy Rosemary and thyme grissini. Tutto bene!

The biggest news is that we have a new Garden Specialist! Allison has jumped into the role with gusto, and has already started lessons with the children. (Thanks to Emma for all your support this week!) Please drop in to the garden and say hi if you have a moment – and PLEASE consider volunteering for one of our 10 weekly lessons if you have an hour or so to spare! Or even put your hand up for a bit of Stink Bug extermination?!

On the menu this week: the gorgeous-hued Beetroot linguine with landcress, lemon and aromatic herbs; a super-delicious Green lentil and spinach soup; the most fabulous crunchy and spicy Eurasian slaw; and also hand-rolled out some Rosemary and thyme grissini to dip into Yotam’s hummus. Veg-heavy and wonderful – and very little scraps left for the chooks!

For loads of great photos from the week and recipes updated fortnightly, check back here!

Cheers all x

ourkitchengarden.net

Categories: Kitchen Garden, News, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: