Posts Tagged With: Herbs

The holiday salad (AKA the Salad with Massaged Kale)

Posted on January 4, 2014 by melhm

This is where we clean out the garden in preparation for the big break… so expect the unexpected! Why do we massage kale? To soften it and infuse it with the wonderful flavours of olive oil and lemon. Also we recently discovered the delicious crunchiness of radish pods – if you purposefully let your radish harvest go to seed, you’ll be rewarded with unfeasibly long and spindly branches of delicate flowers complete with the most amazing – and not too hot – pods to eat straight off the plant, or include in your favourite salad. Here’s our version:

Fresh from the garden: The last veggies of the year…
Recipe source: Melissa with inspiration from Allison!
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Mortar and pestle
Citrus juicer
Measures: 1/3 cup, teaspoon
Teaspoon
Scissors
Paper towel
Bowls – 2 big, med, 4 small
Salad spinner
Chopping boards and knives
2 frying pans, one deep-sided
Slotted spoon

What to do:

Ingredients:

Cavolo nero
Lettuce, rocket, baby spinach
Beans, bok choy
Tomatoes
Radish pods
1 egg per person
Ground coriander

Herby vinaigrette dressing

1 clove garlic
Flaked salt & black pepper
1 lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
A small handful mixed herbs: parsley, marjoram, thyme, chives

For the dressing: 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 the teaspoon and scrape it into the large bowl. Stir in the oil and grind some pepper, then whisk the dressing lightly. Wash and spin dry the herbs, pick off the leaves and snip finely with the scissors. Add to the dressing.
For the massaged kale: Wash the kale and using scissors, strip the leaves from the stalks in small pieces. Dry really well with paper towel, then place in a bowl and squeeze a segment of lemon over with a pinch of flaked salt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Massage all the flavour into the kale for 5 minutes until the kale is soft and juicy.
Fill up the 2 big bowls with cold water & wash the salad leaves in several changes of water. Spin dry and wipe the bowls dry. Fill the small bowl with water and wash the small garnishing leaves, flowers and radish pods. Reserve them carefully on a piece of paper towel then keep separate in the bowl.
Wash the beans and snip the stalk-ends off. Wash the bok choy & tomato & chop. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan & add the beans, bok choy & tomato with a pinch of salt, a squeezed clove of garlic & a teaspoon of ground coriander. Cook on high for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, to poach eggs, fill the deep-sided frying pan 5cm deep with water and bring to a simmer. Fill the large bowl with cold water. Carefully crack each egg into a small bowl without breaking it and then carefully slide into the water. Let the pan sit for 4 minutes before removing each egg into the bowl of cold water with a slotted spoon and reserving until needed.
Add the salad leaves to the bowl with the herbs and the dressing. Gently turn the leaves in the dressing using a clean hand without squishing the leaves.
Pile up the dressed leaves into the serving bowls, carefully drain an egg and place in each bowl with the massaged kale, beans, bok choy, garnishing petals, leaves & pods, & serve immediately.

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: cavolo nero, children, cooking, gluten-free, Herbs, kale, kids, poached eggs, radish pods, salad, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Rocket and herbed feta salad

Posted on January 4, 2014 by melhm

Salad is a tiny word for a massive selection of broad-ranging ingredients, held together by any number of sauces, unguents and potions. Here’s another one to add to the list!

Fresh from the garden: rocket, lettuces, early tomatoes, radishes, limehairy (perennial basil), marjoram, parsley, garlic, lemon
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Bowls – big, medium
Salad spinner
Chopping boards & knife
Measures: tablespoon, teaspoon
Tongs
Small jar & lid
Scissors
Colander
Serving bowls or plates

Ingredients:

A small handful limehairy leaves
A small handful marjoram
A small handful parsley
A block of Danish feta (150–200g)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 handfuls rocket & lettuce leaves
Any early tomatoes and radishes
A few edible flowers

For the dressing:

One small piece of preserved lemon
½ small garlic clove
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
A pinch of sugar
Flaked salt and black pepper

What to do:

To make the herbed feta: Wash the herbs, spin them dry and then pick off all the leaves. Chop them finely on a small chopping board and then unwrap the feta and then place it on the herb mixture. Slice the feta into small cubes, turning them over in the herbs, and then drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Reserve until needed.
To make the dressing: Using tongs, take out a small piece of preserved lemon out of the jar and rinse under cold water. Using a small sharp knife, scrape off the fleshy inside part and discard. Chop up the remaining skin very finely and add to the jar, along with the rest of the dressing ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and shake until emulsified.
Fill up a big bowl with cold water and wash the rocket and lettuce leaves gently, emptying and refilling several times before draining and spinning dry. Chop or snip any large leaves into 2 or 3 pieces and reserve in a clean and dry big bowl.
Wash the tomatoes and carefully slice into small mouth-sized pieces and place in a medium bowl. Scrub the radishes and slice very thinly, adding them to the tomatoes. Drizzle a tablespoon of dressing into the bowl.
Drizzle the rest of the dressing onto the rocket and lettuce and gently toss to coat.
Divide the dressed leaves on to your serving bowls or plates and distribute the tomatoes, radish and feta cubes over the salad.
Garnish with the edible flowers and serve straight away.

Notes: What does emulsified mean? What is limehairy also known as?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: cheese, children, cooking, feta, gluten-free, Herbs, kids, salad, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Risotto primavera

Posted on November 24, 2013 by melhm

This lovely spring risotto is positively bursting with green goodies!

Fresh from the garden: broad beans, green beans, marjoram, garlic, onion, pea shoot tendrils
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Saucepans – small, medium and large stockpot
Salad spinner
Bowls – 1 large, small, med
Large knife& chopping board
Grater, microplane zester
Ladle
Wooden spoon with a flat end
Heavy based stockpot
Measures: scales, jug, cup, tablespoon
4 bowls or soup plates to serve

Ingredients:

2 litres water with 2 tablespoons bouillon (or 2 litres stock)
3 garlic cloves
1 brown onion
20g butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
400g Arborio rice
A handful broad beans
A bunch of asparagus
A handful of green beans
A cup of frozen peas
1 lemon
50g parmesan
A small handful marjoram
A handful pea shoot tendrils

What to do:

Measure 2 litres of water into the medium saucepan, add the bouillon and bring it to a simmer on medium heat.
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter over medium heat in the large stockpot. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent & then stir in the garlic and then rice until the grains begin to crackle.
Begin adding the simmering stock, a ladle at a time, and stir in until fully absorbed. The stock should just cover the rice and bubble. Stir every minute or so, making sure you get into all the edges of the pan with the wooden spoon.
Meanwhile fill the smaller saucepan with water and set to boil. Pod the broad beans and boil for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh in a bowl of cold water and pod again. Reserve in a small bowl.
Wash and chop the asparagus into 1cm lengths. Measure out the peas from the freezer and reserve. Wash and snip the beans into 1cm lengths.
After about 15 minutes add all the peas, the broad beans, the green beans and the asparagus and stir in, cooking for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, zest the lemon and grate the parmesan to yield about ½ cup. Wash and gently spin the pea shoots dry. Wash, spin and strip the marjoram leaves.
When the rice is just tender all the way through but still slightly firm, usually in about 20 minutes, it is done.
When you are ready to serve, add in a last ladleful of stock. Stir in the pea shoots, lemon zest and parmesan, and remove from the heat. Taste now and check the seasoning. The mixture should be creamy.
Serve onto the bowls and eat right away!

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: arborio, asparagus, broad beans, children, cooking, gluten-free, Herbs, kids, peas, Rice, vegetarian | Leave a comment

BASC Vacation Care Program 2-6 Wednesday 2nd October

Posted on October 8, 2013 by melhm

After the simple joys of rolling pasta at the low tables with the wee junior folk, it was fun to get back to the stations and whip up a full menu of springy delights… So we had four groups preparing a different dish each: they prepared the ingredients and cooked the dish, we set the tables and then gobbled up what we had prepared!

And then we all helped to clear up, stack the dishwashers, sweep and tidy… So much fun!

Our Menu

Salad of baby beets, broad beans and goats’ cheese

Beetroot linguine with land cress, lemon and garden herbs

Pizza with rosemary, olives and rocket

Lavender honey cakes

Categories: Kitchen Garden, News | Tags: children, cooking, Herbs, kids | Leave a comment

Beetroot linguine with land cress, lemon and garden herbs

Posted on October 8, 2013 by melhm

Our Kitchen Garden students love making pasta – and this recipe sings of spring! It includes the dough mixture as well as instructions on how to use a pasta machine.

Fresh from the garden: eggs, beetroot, land cress, lemon, marjoram, parsley, coriander
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 8 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Salad spinner
Pasta machine
Scales, garlic press
Scissors
Plastic wrap
Chopping board & knife
Pastry brush, grater
Large stock pot
Tongs, large & small bowls
Serving bowls

Ingredients:

500g typo ‘00’ plain flour
4 free-range eggs
70g pureed beetroot
A large handful of land cress (or watercress)
A handful of freshly picked herbs
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A lemon
2 garlic cloves
Flaked salt & black pepper
30g parmesan

What to do:

To make the pasta:

Place the large bowl on the scales, reset to zero then measure the flour in to it. Add the beetroot.
Crack the eggs carefully into the small bowl, discarding any shell, then add them to the flour. Mix thoroughly with the wooden spoon, then tip the dough onto a clean, dry workbench.
Knead the dough for a few minutes, then wrap it in plastic film and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Fill the large stockpot and the saucepan with water and set to boil on high with the lids on.
Fix the pasta machine to a suitable bench or table – if the surface is not thick enough you may need to place a thick book under the machine. Screw the clamp very tightly.
Clear a large space on the workbench alongside the pasta machine. All surfaces must be clean and dry. Press or roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 cm wide.
Set the rollers on the pasta machine to the widest setting and pass the dough through. The dough will probably look quite ragged at this stage. Fold it in 3, turn it 90 degrees and roll it through again. Go to the next-thickest setting and pass the dough through 3-4 times.
Continue in this manner (changing the settings and passing the dough through) until the dough has passed through the second thinnest setting. Don’t use the very thinnest setting, as the dough gets too fine and is hard to manage. If the dough gets too long to handle comfortably, cut it into 2-3 pieces using the large knife, and roll each piece separately.
Lay the pasta strips on a lightly floured surface & dust with a little more flour. Attach the pasta cutter to the machine and pass through the largest rollers, draping it in your hands to catch.
Carefully separate each strip and hang over a pole to dry.
Clean the pasta machine by brushing it with a dry, wide pastry brush& putting back in its box.

To finish the dish:

Check that the stockpot has been filled with water and is set on high to boil.
Wash the land cress in several changes of water and spin dry. Using the scissors, snip the leaves into thin strips and reserve in a big bowl.
Wash and dry the lemon and zest it. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze its juice into the big bowl too.
Peel the garlic cloves and squeeze them through the garlic press into the bowl too.
Wash and spin dry the herbs and strip their leaves, then add them into the rocket bowl.
Measure 1/3 cup of olive oil into the bowl and sprinkle on a few pinches of flaked salt and toss to incorporate.
Measure the parmesan and grate what you need and keep separate.
When the stockpot has started a fast boil, gather your drying pasta on a large baking tray. Add a tablespoon of cooking salt and then the pasta to the pot, stir once and quickly put the lid back on.
As soon as the pot begins to boil again, take the lid off. The pasta should only take 1 or 2 minutes to cook from boiling. Taste to check – it’s important that the pasta remains al dente and is not overcooked!
Using tongs, carefully pull the pasta (and some of its cooking liquid) out and into the big lemony bowl, sprinkle the parmesan on and toss thoroughly to incorporate.
Divide into serving bowls, sprinkle the remaining parmesan on and eat immediately!

Notes: Never wash the pasta machine – it will rust! Just brush down with a strong brush to remove the leftover dough.

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: beetroot, children, cooking, Herbs, kids, lemon, meat-free Mondays, pasta, vegetarian | 2 Comments

Pizza with rosemary, olives and rocket

Posted on October 8, 2013 by melhm

We love every kind of pizza, even with more savoury toppings… and we absolutely adore making as much noise as possible throwing the dough!

Fresh from the garden: rosemary, rocket, onion, garlic, marjoram, olives
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 8 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

A wooden chopping board & knives
A frying pan
Bowls – large, med, small
Salad spinner
Measures – ¼ cup, tablespoons, teaspoons
Colander, grater
Scales
Paper towel
Wooden spoon
2 pizza trays
Metal spoons
Wide egg lifter
Pizza cutting wheels
Serving plates

Ingredients:

1 amount Hugh’s magic dough recipe

Tomato sauce:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
A small handful marjoram
A small handful thyme
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tin diced tomatoes
Flaked salt and black pepper

For the pizza topping:

A stalk of rosemary
A clove of garlic
A small bowl or jar of plain olives
1 tub bocconcini
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
30g parmesan
A handful rocket

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 220C.

For the tomato sauce:

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, reserving half of the garlic for the topping.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the frying pan & gently cook the onion and garlic until translucent but not brown.
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 marjoram and thyme. Roughly chop then add to the tomatoes.
Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quite reduced.

For the topping:

Wash the rosemary stalk and wipe dry. Strip the leaves and chop quite small.
Pit the olives, press the garlic clove then combine with the rosemary and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.
Open the tub of bocconcini and cut each ball into 3 or 4 slices.
Wash and spin the rocket dry and then reserve in another large bowl.
Grate the parmesan and reserve in a small bowl.

Assembling the pizza:

Scatter some flour on the workbench, divide the dough into four and roll to form four thin ovals– you will fit two pizzas side-by-side on one oven tray.
Flour the trays first and then assemble the ovals onto the trays.
Usingthe metal spoons, swirl a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce onto the pizza bases, spreading so that they become totally covered with a clean border.
Layer the bocconcini on top, spoon on the garlicky olives, then slide the pizza trays into the oven.
Wash and dry the wooden chopping boards and set them out ready.

Baking the pizza:

Bake the pizzas 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.
Once the pizzasare done, transfer them to the wooden boards using the wide egg lifter.
Cut the pizzas in half first, and then each half into squares for each plate.
Lift onto serving plates and sprinkle with the rocket and parmesan.
Eat!

Notes: Where does pizza come from? What other sort of vegetables could you use in a pizza? What sort of other pizza could we make? What other cheeses could we use?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: children, cooking, dough, Herbs, kids, rosemary, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Salad of baby beets, broad beans and goats cheese

Posted on October 8, 2013 by melhm

We love the arrival of broad beans to signify the warm weather! This salad is a firm favourite of ours, with its contrasting flavours and textures.

Fresh from the garden: broad beans, beetroot, beetroot leaves, lettuce leaves, marjoram, garlic
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Chopping board & knife
2 x saucepans with lids
Colander, scissors
Paper towel
Measuring: tablespoon, teaspoon
Bowls – large, small
Garlic press
Salad spinner
Fork, skewer
Plates to serve

Ingredients:

4 baby beetroot
A large handful of broad beans
A handful of lettuce leaves
Small sprig of marjoram
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons aged balsamic
Flaked salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A small roll of goats’ cheese

What to do:

Cut the leaves from the beetroot, leaving about 2cms of stalk. Reserve any small leaves.
Gently scrub the beets under water to remove any dirt and place them in the saucepan with cold water to cover by about 5cm. Heat on high with lid on and boil for 20 minutes until soft when pierced with a skewer.
Fill the other saucepan with water and set on high to boil.
Pod the broad beans, discarding the outer shell into the compost and add beans to the boiling water. Fill a large bowl with cold water and have ready.
Boil the broad beans for 3 minutes, drain and then immediately refresh in the bowl of cold water. Drain again and double-pod by slipping the outer shell off into the compost. Put the beans into a medium bowl.
Carefully separate out, then wash the lettuce and beetroot leaves and spin dry. Break up into smaller pieces with your hands if needed, then roll up into a kitchen paper-lined tea towel & place in the fridge until needed.
Wash, dry and pick the marjoram leaves and reserve for the garnish.
Squeeze the garlic through the garlic press into a large bowl, then mix in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and stir together gently.
Meanwhile when the beetroot are soft, drain the saucepan and fill with cold water to cool the beets. When cool to handle, slide off the skins and root and thinly slice the beetroot. Add the slices to the dressing and toss to soak.
To finish, divide the salad leaves among your serving plates and scatter the beetroot slices on top. Scatter the broad beans over the top, then remove the wrapping from the goats’ cheese and dab chunks of cheese over each salad. Drizzle over the remaining dressing, sprinkle with the marjoram and serve.

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: beetroot, broad beans, children, cooking, gluten-free, Herbs, holiday, kids, Marjoram, meat-free Mondays, spring, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Kindergarten visit: Mushroom and garden herb pizza

Posted on October 7, 2013 by melhm

So the kindergarten came to visit us – after months of peering in the back door of the cottage and asking me if it was my home! And the whole term they had been cultivating some of the 30 boxes of mushrooms given to us by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association just in preparation for their very own pizza… served with a simple salad and loads of smiles… See you in the playground gorgeous kidlets!

Fresh from the garden: mushrooms, fresh herbs, onion, garlic
Recipe source: Melissa
Makes: One large pizza

Equipment:

Bowls – 1 medium, 2 small
Salad spinner
Grater
1 large oven tray
Wide egg lifter
Large wooden board
Pizza cutter
Tablespoon measure, scales
Kitchen towel
Tongs
Metal spoons
Serving plates

Ingredients:

Half quantity Hugh’s Magic Dough

For the pizza topping:

A small handful mushrooms
½ tub bocconcini
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Small handful mixed herb sprigs to yield 1 cup
20g parmesan
A small bowl of prepared tomato pizza sauce
Flaked salt and black pepper

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 220C. You can prepare the topping now while you wait for the oven to heat up.
Wipe the mushrooms and break into small pieces 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.
Tear each ball of bocconcini in half.
Grate the parmesan and reserve.

Assembling the pizza:

Scatter some flour on the table and roll the dough out to form an even rectangle to cover the baking tray.
Assemble the pizza directly onto the tray, flouring the tray 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 herbs over the pizza.
Drizzle the pizza with about a tablespoon of olive oil, then slide it into the oven.

Baking the pizza:

Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes or until the edges are very crusty and the cheese is bubbling.
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.
Once the pizza is done, transfer it to the large wooden board using the wide egg lifter.
Cut the pizzas crossways into small squares, and lift onto serving plates.
Sprinkle the reserved parmesan cheese over the slices and then get ready to eat!

Notes: What other sort of vegetables could you use in a pizza? What sort of other pizza could we make?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: children, cooking, dough, Herbs, kids, mushrooms, pizza, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Pizza ai funghi e rucola

Posted on October 7, 2013 by melhm

Why did the mushroom go to the party? ‘Cos he was a fun-gi to be with… boom tish! And this one has some peppery rocket sprinkled over, yum yum…

Fresh from the garden: mushrooms, rocket, onion, garlic, marjoram
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 8 at home or 24 tastes

Equipment:

Chopping boards & knives
A frying pan
Bowls – large, med
Salad spinner
Measures – ¼ cup, tablespoons, teaspoons
Colander, grater
Scales
Paper towel
Wooden spoon
2 pizza trays
Metal tablespoons
Wide egg lifter
Pizza cutting wheels
Serving plates

Ingredients:

1 amount Hugh’s magic dough recipe

For the pizza topping:

1 handful mushrooms
1 tub bocconcini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
30g parmesan
A handful rocket
Aged balsamic vinegar

Tomato sauce:

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

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 220C.

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 and garlic until translucent but not brown.
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 herbs. Roughly chop then add to the tomatoes.
Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quite reduced.

For the topping:

Wipe the mushrooms free of dirt using a piece of paper towel and finely slice. Drop them in to a big bowl, drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of olive oil and toss to combine.
Open the tub of bocconcini and cut each ball into 3 or 4 slices.
Wash and spin the rocket dry and then reserve in another large bowl.
Grate the parmesan and add it to the rocket with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Gently toss to combine.

Assembling the pizza:

Scatter some flour on the workbench, divide the dough in two and roll to form two thin shapes about 26 cm in diameter.
Assemble the pizzas directly onto the trays, flouring the trays first.
Usingthe metal spoon, swirl a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce onto the pizza bases, spreading so that they become totally covered with a clean border.
Layer the bocconcini on top, spoon on the garlicky mushrooms, then slide the pizzas into the oven.
Wash and dry the wooden chopping boards and set them out ready.

Baking the pizza:

Bake the pizzas for 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.
Once the pizzas are done, transfer them to the wooden boards using the wide egg lifter.
Cut the pizzas in half first, and then each half into squares for each plate.
Lift onto serving plates and sprinkle with the rocket and parmesan.
Eat!

Notes: Where does pizza come from? What other sort of vegetables could you use in a pizza? What sort of other pizza could we make? What other cheeses could we use?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: arugula, Baking, bocconcini, children, cooking, dough, Herbs, kids, meat-free Mondays, mushrooms, pizza, rocket, rucola | Leave a comment

Mushroom and spinach omelette

Posted on October 7, 2013 by melhm

This appears to be an easy recipe but many top chefs are judged by their ability to execute the perfect omelette! This recipe is almost a meal in itself…

Fresh from the garden: eggs, spinach, mushrooms, garlic, chives, parsley, thyme
Recipe source: Melissa
Makes: 4 large omelettes (to feed about 24 people)

Equipment:

Salad spinner
Bowls – large, 4 medium, small
Scissors
Fork, butter knife
2 non-stick frying pans
A large wok
Wooden spoon
Garlic press
Tablespoon measure
Serving plates

Ingredients:

A large handful of mushrooms
A large bunch of spinach
A small handful: chives, parsley and thyme
16 eggs
Flaked salt &black pepper
50g butter
Olive oil

What to do:

Trim the mushrooms of any dirt and wipe clean with a damp piece of paper towel. Chop into thin slices and reserve in the medium bowl.
Peel the garlic clove and squeeze through the garlic press in to the mushrooms.
Wash the spinach in several changes of water, then shake dry. Roll up and chop into fine ribbons.
Wash and carefully dry the herbs, keeping then separate and picking off the leaves. Discard any stalks, and add the thyme to the mushrooms.Using the scissors, snip the chives and reserve in a small bowl. Finely chop the parsley and reserve in a separate bowl.
Break 4 of the eggs into each medium bowl, add a quarter of the chives and parsley to each, then whisk lightly with a fork and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 25g butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the wok over medium heat until foaming. Add in the mushrooms, thyme and garlic and carefully toss a few times to cover in the butter mixture. Sprinkle in a few pinches of salt, a grind of pepper, and then sauté until slippery.
Add a quarter of the chopped spinach to the wok and heat through until wilted and the liquid has cooked off.
Add a quarter of the remaining butter to each of the 2 frying pans and then when foaming, pour one of the bowls of whisked egg mixture to each and gently rotate the pan to distribute. Cook for 20 seconds or so, until it begins to bubble, then draw the egg into the centre with the wooden spoon and rotate the pan again to redistribute the uncooked egg.
The omelettes are cooked when the base is set, but is still slightly runny in the middle.
Slide a quarter of the mushroom and spinach mixture onto one half of one omelette, fold the other half over to form a half-moon and slice out on to your serving plate.
Repeat with the remaining 2 omelettes and the rest of the mushroomy spinach, and serve!

Notes: In what other languages can you say omelette? Why do we leave the omelette slightly runny in the middle? Where does the word omelette come from?

Categories: Kitchen Garden, Recipe | Tags: children, chives, cooking, eggs, gluten-free, Herbs, kids, mushrooms, parsley, Spinach, thyme, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Posts Tagged With: Herbs

The holiday salad (AKA the Salad with Massaged Kale)

Rocket and herbed feta salad

Risotto primavera

BASC Vacation Care Program 2-6 Wednesday 2nd October

Our Menu

Beetroot linguine with land cress, lemon and garden herbs

Pizza with rosemary, olives and rocket

Salad of baby beets, broad beans and goats cheese

Kindergarten visit: Mushroom and garden herb pizza

Pizza ai funghi e rucola

Mushroom and spinach omelette

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