Posts Tagged With: Herbs

Poached egg salad with peas and basil mayo

Posted on May 19, 2014 by melhm

We love making mayonnaise at Bondi and always talk about the difference in flavour from the ready-bought stuff! This salad is wonderful – creamy from the mayo and egg yolk but also tangy from the dressed lettuce – and it’s so worth fetching some fresh peas to pod as they really pop in your mouth!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: lettuce, eggs, peas, basil, salad burnet, lemon, garlic
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 4 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Small saucepan
  • Colander
  • Medium high-sided frying pan
  • Bowls – 3 large, at least 4 small
  • Salad spinner
  • Paper towel & tea towel
  • Citrus juicer
  • Chopping boards and knives, scissors
  • Measures: tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon
  • Stick blender & its cup
  • Measuring jug, fork
  • Slotted spoon
  • Serving plates

 

 

 Ingredients:

  • A handful of fresh peas in the shell
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 large handfuls of lettuce
  • A handful salad burnet

For the basil mayonnaise:

  • A small branch of basil leaves
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1 level teaspoon mustard powder
  • 120ml rice bran oil
  • 25ml olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 lemon
  • Freshly milled black pepper

What to do:

For the salad:

  • Fill the small saucepan up with water and set it to boil. Pod the peas and have ready a big bowl of cold water. When the water is boiling, add the podded peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in the bowl of cold water. Drain and reserve.
  • Separate out the lettuce leaves over the sink and rinse under the tap.Fill up a big bowl with cold water & wash the iceberg leaves in several changes of water, looking for any dirt in the bottom of the bowl. Spin dry in small batches.
  • 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.
  • Wash and spin dry the burnet and strip off the leaves, discarding the stalks. Wrap them carefully in paper towel and keep them in the fridge with the lettuce.

For the mayonnaise:

  • Wash, spin dry and separate off the basil leaves and discard the stalks into the compost.
  • Cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half to yield ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Peel the garlic clove and finely slice.
  • Now break the egg into the cup of the stock blender, add the salt, garlic, mustard powder and a few twists of freshly milled black pepper, thenblitz to blend these together.
  • Now measure the oils into the jug, mix well with a fork and ask a helper to pour it in a thin trickle into the cup whilst it’s blending. When all the oil is in, add the vinegar, lemon juice and basil leaves, then blend again until the leaves are quite finely chopped.

To poach the eggs:

  • Fill a medium-sized frying pan with water to a depth of approximately 5cm, heat it up to the boil, then lower the heat it to a bare simmer.
  • Then break the 4 eggs into the four separate small bowls taking care not to break the yolks and removing any shell with your fingertips. Then lower them, one at a time, into the simmering water and let them cook together, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Fill a large bowl with cold water.
  • Then, use the slotted spoon to lift them from the water and transfer them to the bowl of cold water, until you are ready to use them.

To serve:

  • Bring the lettuce out of the fridge, gently slice up the leaves if needed and put into a big mixing bowl. Drizzle a teaspoon each of olive oil and white wine vinegar over the leaves with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper, and turn gently to combine.
  • Arrange the leaves on each serving plate.
  • Holding a clean tea towel in one hand, scoop up an egg with the slotted spoon and carefully drain of water. Arrange a poached egg in the centre of each salad plate, drizzle some of the mayonnaise over the top of each salad, followed by a sprinkle of the peas and then the salad burnet leaves.
  • Serve.

Notes:Why do we add a trickle of oil at first into the egg mixture of the mayonnaise? Why shouldn’t we break the eggs when poaching them? What is salad burnet and what does it smell like?

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Moroccan chickpea hotpot

Posted on May 19, 2014 by melhm

As soon as the weather starts to chill, our thoughts turn to hearty veggie soups and stews…

ourkitchengarden.net

From the garden: onion, garlic, celery, carrot, coriander
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measures – jug, tablespoon, teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon
  • C0lander
  • Paper towel
  • Scissors
  • Serving bowls
  • Ladle

 

 Ingredients:

  • 1 litre boiling water and a tablespoon of bouillon (or 1 litre stock)
  • 1 brown onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • A pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 2 tins diced tomatoes
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • A small handful fresh coriander

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and set it to boil.
  • Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic.
  • Wash and trim the ends from the celery and thinly slice. Wash, peel and finely chop the carrot.
  • Heat the oil in the stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, ground cumin, sweet paprika, ground ginger and the ground cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
  • Add the tomato and hot water and bouillon (or stock) and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
  • Rinse and drain the chickpeas and add to the pot, cooking for 2 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Wash and pat the coriander dry and finely snip with scissors into tiny pieces.
  • Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Sprinkle with coriander and serve immediately.

Notes: What does cumin smell like? Where does the bouillon live? What is a hotpot?

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Autumn pizza with herby mushrooms and rocket

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

Pizza – and making, rolling and stretching out dough – is a surefire winner with kids, and you get to put any number of cunning vegetables on the top, in the form of pizza sauce and artfully decorated toppings… and the smell from the oven as the pizza cooks! Devine…

Fresh from the garden: mushrooms, fresh herbs, onion, garlic, rocket
Recipe source: Melissa
Makes: 2 large or 4 small pizza

ourkitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Bowls – 2 medium, 2 small
  • Salad spinner
  • Rolling pins
  • Grater
  • 2 large oven trays
  • Wide egg lifter
  • Large wooden board
  • Pizza cutter
  • Tablespoon measure, scales
  • Kitchen towel
  • Tongs
  • Metal spoons
  • Serving plates
 Ingredients:

Tomato sauce:

  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tin diced tomatoes
  • Flaked salt and black pepper

For the pizza topping:

  • A handful mushrooms
  • Small handful mixed herb sprigs
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tub bocconcini
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 50g parmesan
  • Flaked salt and black pepper
  • A handful of rocket

What to do:

  • Preheat the oven to 220C. You can prepare the topping now while you wait for the oven to heat up.

For the tomato sauce:

  • Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, reserving half of the garlic for the topping.
  • Heat the olive oil in the frying pan & gently cook the onion until translucent but not brown.
  • Add the garlic to the pan, then open the tin of tomato and add to the frying pan with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.
  • Wash, dry and pick the thyme and add to the tomatoes.
  • Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quite reduced.

For the topping:

  • Wipe the mushrooms and break or slice into thin slices into a big bowl. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  • Wash and carefully dry the herb sprigs – pick the leaves, discarding the stalks – and add to the mushrooms. Peel the garlic and squeeze through the press into the mushrooms. Stir.
  • Tear each ball of bocconcini in half. Grate the parmesan.

Assembling the pizza:

  • Scatter some flour on the table and roll the dough out to form 2 even rectangles to cover the baking trays.
  • Assemble the 2 pizza directly onto the trays, flouring the trays well first.
  • Using the metal spoon, swirl a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce onto the pizza bases, spreading so that they become totally covered.
  • Layer the bocconcini on top and season well, then scatter the herby mushrooms over the pizza and then the parmesan.

Baking the pizza:

  • Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes or until the edges are very crusty and the cheese is bubbling.
  • Use this time to make the dough for the next class if needed.
  • You may want to slip the pizza off the tray onto the rack for the last few minutes, so that you get a really crusty base.
  • Meanwhile wash the rocket and spin dry. Leave the leaves whole.
  • Once the pizza is done, transfer it to a large wooden board using the wide egg lifter.
  • Cut the pizza crossways into small squares, and divide onto serving plates.
  • Sprinkle the rocket over the slices and then get ready to eat!

Notes: What other sort of vegetables could you use in a pizza? What other pizza is there?

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Green herb soup

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

You can use any herbs here depending on what you have fresh – we use a combination of mint, sage, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, basil and marjoram. Herbilicious!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, spring onions, lettuce, lemon, herbs
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Delia Smith
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Scales
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Scissors, colander
  • Bowls – big, small
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Salad spinner
  • Citrus juicer
  • Measures – jug, tablespoon
  • Stick blender
  • Soup bowls or cups
 Ingredients:

  • 1 litre boiling water and tablespoon of bouillon or 1 litre light stock
  • 350g potatoes
  • 10 spring onions
  • 300g lettuce leaves
  • 50g butter
  • A large handful of fresh herbs
  • A lemon
  • 150ml cream
  • Flaked salt and fresh black pepper

 

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and set it to boil.
  • Scrub the potatoes until they are absolutely clean and then cut into thick slices and then cubes.
  • Snip the very end of the spring onions so that there are no roots remaining. Wash under cold water and then thinly slice the whole onion, green ends too.
  • Melt the butter in the stockpot, and stir in the thinly sliced spring onions and the cubed potatoes. Stir and cook over a gentle heat so the vegetables soften gently without browning.
    Meanwhile wash the lettuce leaves in several changes of water and shake dry. Roll up a handful of lettuce leaves at a time and then cut into thin ribbons. This is called shredding.
  • Wash the herbs and spin them dry. Pick off the leaves and chop any coarse leaves into small pieces. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the halves.
  • Now stir in the shredded lettuce. Get it all nicely coated with butter. Then add the stock or hot water and bouillon, bring to simmering point, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes or just long enough for the potatoes to soften.
  • Carefully remove the pot from the heat, add the chopped fresh herbs and cream and blend it all together with the stick blender until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice to taste, a little at a time, and checking seasoning as you go.
  • Ladle into soup cups or bowls and serve!

Notes: What are coarse leaves? How do you shred lettuce? Where is the bouillon stored?

ourkitchengarden.net

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Spinach, mint and pinenut gozleme

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

Bill says, “These parcels can be made with ready-made pastry, but they do taste that bit more authentic if you go to the effort yourself. They remind me of weekend wanders around farmers’ markets.”

Fresh from the garden: spinach, lemon, mint
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Bill Granger in the SMH
Makes: 8 gozleme

ourkitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Stand mixer
  • Measures: jug, cup, 1/3 cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ & ¼ teaspoon
  • Scales
  • Bowls – big, med, small
  • 2 non-stick frying pans
  • Salad spinner, rolling pins
  • A large knife, scissors
  • Microplane zester
  • Paper towel, tea towels
  • 8 medium chopping boards
  • Tongs, egg slice
  • Serving plates
 Ingredients:

For the pastry:

  • 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
  • ½ teaspoon caster sugar
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra

For the filling:

  • 400g spinach leaves
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 200g feta cheese
  • 2 large branches mint
  • Black pepper

What to do:

  • For the pastry: Measure the yeast, sugar, flour and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix lightly. Then add the olive oil and 180ml to 200ml lukewarm water and mix on low for 8 minutes to form a soft dough until smooth and elastic.
  • Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for a minute or two and then place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place to double in size for an hour or two, or into the fridge if needed the next day.
  • For the filling: Wash the spinach in several changes of water and spin dry, and then slice handfuls into 2cm wide ribbons. Measure out the pine nuts and dry-toast carefully in one of the frying pans.
  • Wash the lemon, wipe it dry, then zest it into a small bowl before cutting it into wedges and reserving for garnish. Wash the mint and spin it dry. Pick the leaves and then using scissors, snip into thin ribbons. You will need about 3 tablespoons’ worth of mint.
  • When the pine nuts are toasted, reserve in a small bowl and then heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in the same frying pan, and when hot cook the spinach over a medium heat for a few minutes. Remove with tongs into a sieve and drain any excess liquid. Place in a big bowl and allow to cool for a minute before stirring in the lemon zest, pine nuts and mint. Crumble in the feta and then season with black pepper. Wipe the frying pan clean with paper towel.
  • Divide the dough into 8 small balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle about the size of a large dinner plate and lift each one onto a medium floured chopping board. Divide the filling equally between the circles, spooning over one half of the circle, leaving a 2cm border. Fold over the other half and press the edges together to secure.
  • Heat the frying pans with a tablespoon of olive oil in each and then carefully slide a gozleme into each and cook for about 3 minutes on medium. Brush the other side with a little more oil then flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Keep warm under a clean tea towel while you cook the remaining gozleme.
  • Cut into slices and divide among serving plates with the lemon wedges.

ourkitchengarden.net

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Autumn salad with crunchy croutons

Posted on March 29, 2014 by melhm

We play around with all sort of ingredients in our salads, and this autumn we’ve had beautiful watermelon radishes to include too, as well as the most more-ish spicy croutons.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: lettuce and salad leaves, tomatoes, radishes, flowers, herbs, lemon
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Small saucepan
  • Chopping board & knife
  • Baking sheet & baking paper
  • Scales
  • Chopping boards & knife
  • Bowls – large, medium, small
  • Small saucepan
  • 2 salad spinners
  • Tea towels, paper towel
  • Mortar & pestle
  • Citrus juicer
  • Measures: 1/3 cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ & ¼ teaspoon
  • Whisk, tongs
  • Serving bowls

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

For the croutons

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Half a loaf of sourdough bread
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the salad

  • A big bunch salad leaves (lettuces, tatsoi)
  • A few edible flowers & leaves
  • Tomatoes, radishes, spring onions

Herby vinaigrette dressing

  • 1 clove garlic
  • Flaked salt & black pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • A small handful herbs

What to do:

  • For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 200C. Gently melt the butter in the small saucepan.
  • Carefully cut the bread into slices and then into cubes.
  • Combine the melted butter and tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Add the cubes of bread, and toss until coated. Sprinkle with salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper, toss until evenly coated. Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking paper-lined sheet. Bake until croutons are golden for about 10 minutes.
  • For the salad: Fill up 2 big bowls with cold water & wash the salad leaves in several changes of water. Spin dry and wipe the bowls dry. Lay out the tea towel and line it with paper towel. 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.
  • Fill up the medium bowl with water and wash the herbs and small garnishing leaves & flowers. Dry on a piece of paper towel and reserve in a small bowl. Wash and drain the radishes, tomatoes and spring onions (peeling outer layer) & slice into small pieces.
  • For the vinaigrette: Peel the garlic clove and put it in the mortar with a large pinch of salt. Pound to a paste. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the mortar (without pips) then stir the lot with a teaspoon and scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the oil and grind some pepper, then whisk the dressing lightly. Wash and pat the herb sprigs dry and pick off the leaves, and add to the dressing.
  • To finish: Unwrap the parcel of salad leaves & tip them into the bowl with the dressing. Gently turn the leaves in the dressing using your hands or tongs, and then transfer the dressed leaves to the serving bowls. Place the tomatoes, radishes & spring onion in the dressing and then add to the salad with garnishing flowers & leaves. Serve immediately with croutons scattered on top.
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Spinach and parsley soup

Posted on March 29, 2014 by melhm

This is such a lovely soup, full of flavour, verdant and vibrant! And made even more delicious by the addition of sour cream and snippets of chives at the end. We also add silverbeet, rainbow chard & even tatsoi to the spinach if we have it.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, spinach, parsley, onion, celery, chives
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Chopping board & knife
  • Bowls – large, med, small
  • Colander
  • Garlic press
  • Potato peelers
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measuring: jug,1/2 cup, tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Salad spinner
  • Paper towel
  • Scissors
  • Stick blender
  • Ladle
  • Serving bowls
 Ingredients:

  • 1 brown onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 large all-purpose potatoes
  • 2 bunches spinach
  • Small bunch celery
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1½ litres stock or boiling water and 1½  tablespoons bouillon
  • A large handful parsley
  • Flaked salt & black pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • A small handful chives 

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and set it to boil.
  • Peel, halve and coarsely chop the onion.Squeeze the garlic through the garlic press. Peel the potatoes under running water and chop into 2cm cubes.
  • Wash the spinach in several changes of water and shake dry. Trim the stems and then slice stems and leaves into pieces 1cm wide.
  • Wash and drain the celery and chop the stalks and leaves into small dice.
  • Heat the oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, cumin,celery and potato and sweat for about a minute until aromatic.
  • Increase heat to high. Add the stock or hot water and bouillon to the pot and bring to the boil. Add the spinach stalks and reduce heat to medium. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the potato is tender.
  • Meanwhile wash the parsley and spin dry. Finely chop and reserve. Wash and dry the chives carefully in a piece of paper towel, then snip into TINY 1mm-long pieces with scissors. Reserve.
  • Add the chopped spinach leaves to the soup and cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
  • Remove the pot from the heat, add the parsley and using the stick blender, whizz the soup until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  • Swirl in the sour cream, ladle among serving bowls and add a sprinkle of chives.

Notes: What is an all-purpose potato? What does cumin smell like?

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Quinoa tabbouleh with poached eggs

Posted on March 20, 2014 by melhm

White quinoa is the most common variety, but red quinoa is also available and has a nuttier flavour. They can be used interchangeably. Quinoa is a fabulous alternative to grains and is gluten-free.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: basil, parsley, lemons, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes 

Equipment:

  • Stockpot with lid
  • Measures: cup, ½ cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon
  • Wooden spoon, fork, teaspoon
  • Salad spinner
  • Microplane zester
  • Citrus juicer
  • Chopping board & knife
  • Peeler
  • Bowls – large, medium& 4 small
  • Measuring jug
  • Serving bowls
  • Deep-sided frying pan
  • Tea towel

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

Cook quinoa:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cooking salt

Make tabbouleh:

  • 4 large handfuls of parsley (about 2 cups when chopped)
  • 1 large handful mint leaves (about ½ cup when chopped)
  • 1 large handful basil leaves (about ½ cup when chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon flaked salt plus extra
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 fresh eggs

What to do:

  • Toast quinoa in a stockpot over gentle heat, stirring frequently until fragrant for about 6 minutes. Add the water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.
  • Wash, spin dry and pick the leaves from the stems of the herbs and coarsely chop.
  • Zest one lemon then cut both lemons and squeeze through the citrus juicer to yield about 4 tablespoons juice.
  • Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the teaspoon. Wash the tomatoes and wipe dry, then cut the cucumber and the tomatoes into small dice about ½cm square.
  • Add all the ingredients to the large bowl, measure the olive oil and pour into the bowl, mixing thoroughly to combine.
  • Meanwhile, to poach eggs, fill the medium sized frying pan 5cm deep with water and bring to a simmer. Carefully crack an egg into a small bowl without breaking it and then gently slide into the water one at a time until all four are in the water. Let the pan sit for 4 minutes at a bare simmer.
  • Divide the tabbouleh amongst serving bowls and using the slotted spoon, scoop up an egg, drain it quickly on a clean tea towel and pop on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with salt and serve!

ourkitchengarden.net

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People-powered pesto!

Posted on March 4, 2014 by melhm

For a spicy alternative, rocket leaves can be added to the basil and pounded together or you might like to try a parsley combination… Cooked chickpeas can be used in place of the pine nuts in case of allergy.

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: basil
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters in The Art of Simple Food
Makes: about 3 cups

Equipment:

  • Bowls – big, med, small
  • Scales
  • Salad spinner
  • Cheese grater
  • Medium frying pan
  • Mortar & pestle
  • Tea towel
  • Measuring jug
  • Tablespoon
  • Serving bowls if needed
 Ingredients:

  • 1 big bunch basil, to yield about 100g
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Salt
  • 80g pine nuts
  • 50g parmesan cheese
  • 200ml extra virgin olive oil

 

What to do:

  • Pick the basil leaves from the stalks and weigh before you wash them!
  • Then wash in several changes of water and thoroughly spin-dry the basil.
  • Grate the parmesan cheese.
  • Heat the frying pan on a medium heat and lightly dry-toast the pine nuts, shaking regularly so that they don’t stick.
  • Peel the garlic clove and place in the mortar and pestle with a good pinch of salt. Pound these to a paste.
  • Add the pine nuts to the mortar & pestle and continue to pound. Once smooth-ish, transfer to the bowl and stir in the parmesan.
  • Tear the basil leaves and put them into the mortar with a sprinkle of flaked salt. Pound the leaves to a paste. Return the pine nut mixture to the mortar and, pounding it all together, gradually pour in all the olive oil.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  • Mix into steaming hot pasta, spread on bruschetta, drizzle over tomato slices, serve as part of an antipasto plate with goats’ cheese and roasted capsicum or spoon into serving bowls to serve as a dip with flatbreads.

Notes: What else can you use with pesto? What also goes with well with basil? Why do we toast the pine nuts? Can you name any other pasta sauces?

ourkitchengarden.net

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Rice paper rolls

Posted on March 3, 2014 by melhm

Once you have mastered the art of cutting the veggies thin and short, and then soaking the rice paper wrappers for just enough time, the rest is easy! And they’re delicious served with Kylie Kwong’s home made Sweet Chilli Sauce!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: cucumber, carrots, capsicum, avocado, sprouts, coriander, mint
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on kidspot.com.au
Makes: 32

Equipment:

  • Peelers
  • Chopping board and knife
  • Bowls – large, medium, small
  • Large metal spoon
  • Scissors
  • Salad spinner
  • Measures – cup
  • Tea towel
  • Servingplates
 Ingredients:

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 large red capsicum
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • A large handful bean & pea sprouts
  • A small bunch of coriander
  • A small bunch of mint
  • 32 x 22cm round rice paper wrappers

What to do:

  • Wash and peel the cucumber and carrots. Cut into short, thin strips and place in a bowl.
  • Wash the capsicum, shake dry and cut into short thin strips, discarding the seeds and membrane, and place in another bowl.
  • Cut the avocado in half length-ways and remove the stone. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out a half at a time, place on a chopping board and cut into thin slices.
  • Wash and drain the sprouts and trim the ends if needed.
  • Wash and spin-dry the coriander and mint, picking off the leaves and reserving. Finely chop the coriander stalks. You should have about 2 cups’ worth.
  • Half-fill a large bowl with hand-hot water.
  • Dip one wrapper at a time in the water for 5 seconds, until it is just soft.
  • Drain off excess water and place on a clean surface.
  • Place a few pieces of each of the ingredients on the wrapper, about 3cm from the base. Do not overfill!
  • Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the ingredients.
  • Fold in the sides and roll up to enclose filling, keeping the wrapper tight.
  • Place on a tray and cover with damp tea towel.
  • Repeat with the remaining wrappers and ingredients, and divide among serving plates – slicing in half if needed.

Notes: Where do rice paper rolls come from? What other foods could you wrap up in a rice paper roll?

ourkitchengarden.net

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