the cooks larder

There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t appreciate living in such a beautiful part of the world… but part of me is desperate to own land and have a huge vegetable patch and grown my own food. At the end of Autumn I tried to enjoy a little of both by ripping up a garden bed and drawing up a vegie patch plan. It looked so good on paper I proudly blu-tacked it to the wall!

the first pea

A perfect little baby and all ours...maybe left a little too long on the stalk

A small but satisfying 'harvest'

Teeny weeny but packed with flavour

I was hoping by now to be showing off lots of home grown produce… but between that awesome amount of rain we had at the beginning of winter and 40kg dog who likes to sit in the patch (because it has a good view into the kitchen) our first real attempt at a garden is probably best rated as a failure! Although we have had a limited supply of chives, oregano and parsley throughout winter and some tiny little carrots that have been teased to the surface by impaitent fingers…

A few weeks ago I heard shrieks of delight from my avid 9 year old gardener as she discovered our first snow pea had grown despite the odds! No rain, dog or possum deterred this little wonder and by the end of the week we had a modest handful of perfect peas! This week we pulled up the carrots…

There was really no point cooking our tiny vegetables so we sat and enjoyed them raw – and they were unbelieveable! Sooo sweet and crisp and it was strangely satisfying not to wash them before we ate them, knowing they were completely spray free!

I had planned to cook this dish with my beans and peas – a dish that would really let them shine but alas, they wont be home grown this year. Maybe next….Wait for a lovely warm spring day and serve this recipe with your favourite Spring Lamb or fish dish.

Super Simple Warm Fresh Pea Salad with Goats Cheese and Lemon and Herbs.

• 3 cups of fresh peas, snow peas, sugar snaps [whatever is best and freshest]
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of one lemon
• handful of fresh herbs [basil, chive, mint, oregano - again whatever is best and freshest]
• 200g grams Meredith Chevre

Fill your largest pot with water and salt it generously. Bring to the boil. Fill another big bowl of cold water and set aside. In another bowl put the lemon zest, lemon juice and a generous glug of your best olive oil – enough to coat the quantity of beans. Set aside.

Plunge the beans/peas into the water and cook only for 3-4 minutes till they are a vibrant green colour. Plunge into the cold water to stop them cooking. Then tip them into the olive oil and lemon juice bowl. Toss to combine. Throw in the herbs, toss to combine and tip onto a platter. Crumble over the goats cheese and drizzle over any remaining lemon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

PS….I haven’t given upon growing my own vegetables and the summer garden will soon be planned and plotted with trip back out to Castle Hill Markets for the best seedlings I have seen. And with help of Lolo Houbein’s fabulous book “One Magic Square” hopefully we will have more success….read this interview with the inspiring Lolo here by Patrice at the Womans Nook.

Basic ingredients...

Ginger

It was a busy night last night but my quiet morning offered a good chance to get dinner organised so everyone would get fed at some point – despite all the too-ing and fro-ing… At the beginning of winter I cannot eat enough rich heavy braises, but by late winter I really feel like eating foods with a little more vibrancy. This recipe is just right because the lovely ginger gives a delicious zing. Best of all, it covers everything needed for a great meal – one pot, simple, freezer and delicious… and it still warms you the way winter food should.

CHINESE STYLE GINGER BRAISED BEEF

Enough to feed  4-6 with left overs

• 1.5 kg chuck steak – buy it whole if you can, rather than diced
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 big piece of ginger, roughly the size of your palm, sliced as finely as possible
• 1 long red chilli (optional)
• 1/2 bunch shallots, finely sliced, reserving a handful for serving
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 star anise
• 1 tablespoon chinese five spice
• 1/4 cup dark soy (or whatever you have in the cupboard – I’m loving the heavy flavours of mushroom soy)
• 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sherry
• tablespoon of chinese black vinegar (optional)
• beef stock or water
• 2-3 tablespoons crumbled dark palm sugar
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and roots cleaned (see previous post on coriander)

Cut the beef into ‘steaks’ around 1.5cm thick and set aside.

In a heavy oven proof braising dish, fry the ginger, shallots and chilli in a little peanut oil till they are soft. Remove from the pan and set aside. Brown the beef pieces on both sides until they have a lot colour but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Put the ginger mix back in the pan and add the chinese five spice – cook till fragrant. Add the beef back to the pan and wait for the temperature to get high again and add the chinese rice wine and vinegar. Cook for a a minute or so then add the rest of the ingredients and bake in a slow oven for 1.5 or 2 hours or until the meat is falling apart. Remember to remove the star anise and the coriander roots before serving on steamed rice with your favourite Asian greens. Freezes very well.

Dark Palm sugar

Star Anise.. though only crumbles left in the corner of the packet!

We don’t tend to eat pork at home very often other than at Christmas time. I’m not sure exactly sure why but this is a great mid-week dinner. Serve it with celeriac mash for something different. Celeriac for some odd reason can be very expensive – if this is an issue use half celeriac and half potato or otherwise your standard potato mash will still be delicious. Excuse the rushed photographs… it was a chilly night and dinner was going cold!

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The first week back at school is tough on everyone involved so it is definitely time to get back to to basics… and you can’t get more basic than this stew. This recipe doesn’t even call for the meat or vegetables to be browned beforehand, making it very fast to prepare. I really don’t like the word stew… in fact we can never use it on menus because it just doesn’t sound delicious! SO call it a braise, call it slow cooked beef – call it whatever you like. It is simple but tasty enough to hit the spot. You can add herbs to taste, more vegetables such as mushrooms, hot paprika, bacon, more or less garlic or red wine. Throw in leeks if you have them but don’t worry if not… it is always satisfying. Serve with mash, steamed greens and a big handful of parsley. I make a double (or triple batch now that I have invested in an extra big Le Creuset dish) because it freezes very well and makes for a fabulous pie mix!

Simple Beef Stew

• 1.5kg beef (chuck, blade or gravy) cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 1 can diced canned tomatoes
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain flour heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 cup red wine

Toss the beef chunks in the seasoned flour. Shake of any excess. Put all ingredients into a large oven proof pot and cook for 1.5-2hours. Check if meat is tender – cook for 20mins longer if not and check again. Yup. That’s it!! Plenty of time for slow baths, homework and lunches to be made AND maybe even an early night!

particularly delicious after rainy rugby training….

Picked this morning

I was lucky enough to receive a big bunch of broccoli today – just cut from a home garden. I dream of having a garden that produces vegetables like this…. perhaps one day. When given a gift like this I feel an enormous responsibility to use it well with great respect and to use it as soon as possible so we can actually enjoy produce that is less than 24hours old! What a privilege! SO here is what we ate for dinner tonight: a simple dish showcasing this deliciously fresh broccoli…

Friends of broccoli: Chilli, garlic, lemon and parmesan

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Frozen berries will work just fine...

Bread and butter puddings work well in a big dish, or individual like these...

Some people love them, some people don’t – others simply wouldn’t dare to eat such a shamelessly indulgent combination: bread+butter+cream+eggs+sugar! Being the daughter of English parents meant I grew up with bread and butter puddings regularly appearing on our table – though mum always used sultanas – never raspberries. Here is the recipe, based on my mums pudding. It always sells out at The Cooks Larder…  I have also included a few variations on this favourite …Enjoy!

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cavolo nero

Every season I seem to develop a love for a particular food and find myself looking for ways to eat it as often as possible. This season it is definitely cavolo nero… the fabulous Tuscan cabbage. I’d love to say that I have just picked these bunches from my garden but alas, between the excessive rain here in Sydney and a large dog who likes to trample the garden, my tiny seedlings are struggling to stay alive… I don’t think they will ever look like this…. never mind. Here are a couple of simple ways I have been enjoying cavolo nero and feel so so nourished and healthier as a result!

• Shred finely and saute with garlic to serve with fish, beef, pork sausages.
• Cut finely and stir into soups for instant colour and flavour
• Served sauted with roasted almonds, garlic, lemon zest  for a healthy lunch
• Sauted with pancetta, garlic and tomatoes with loads of freshly grated parmesan for a simple dinner
• Witled with poached eggs – great start to the day…
• This is a fabulous recipe from Heidi Swanson that I shared on my birthday today with some lovely friends and a bottle of Veuve….(although I drastically upped the garlic and olive oil and accidently forgot the walnuts. I also substituted corona beans for large lima beans and cavolo nero for the kale).

When my kids know steak and vegetables are on the menu for dinner they are never enthusiastic… I get it, it is after all one of the more boring but practical dinners because it is both quick and healthy. Since doing the vegetables this way however, the dinner is greeted with far more enthusiasm! They are seriously tasty!

Make all the vegetables even if you think the kids won’t eat them… you might be surprised that they will at least try even the capsicum when it is cooked like this – my youngest is a new convert now! Make more than you need because the left overs make for a delicious lunch the next day – piled high on sandwich, mixed with rocket and tuna or tossed through lentils with balsamic! These vegetables are also perfect for an antipasto platter – serve them with a crumble of fresh goats cheese or chunks of parmesan.

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I love lemon [in case you haven't noticed]… and lemon and chicken are best of friends especially in winter…. This is a simple way of jazzing up your normal roast chicken and really infuse it inside out with flavour. You could also add a grated garlic clove or chopped parsley to the mix but there is something about the clean freshness of the lemon and a touch of salt that is a winner for me…. but use this process for making a multitude of compound butters with endless flavour combinations: chilli & coriander; sage and garlic; parsley, thyme and chive, redwine and chive and so on…..use them with chicken or when pan frying fish or top a steak with a thin slice for added richness. » Read the rest of this entry «

Okay. So I am no longer in Bali and it’s up to me to cook dinner…. Current Reality = Freezing cold, hungry family, tired from work. Never mind I have the solution with this very easy-all in one dish-throw in the oven- feed everyone family dinner…Pork Sausages baked with green apples, tiny onions, fennel, garlic and celery. Served this tonight with cabbage sauted with more garlic and a touch of butter and some steamed broccoli.

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School is back and so are the lunch boxes.. this is another lunch box loaf to kick off the term – it ticks all the boxes….simple, quick, with only a few ingredients. I have been making this recipe since I was a child, as did my mum, as did my grandmother. Everyone should have a family recipe and I guess this is ours, not in the least bit gourmet but ours all the same….Family recipes are always more about the memories than actual food. My memory is getting home from school and eating this simple loaf still warm with butter…but to be honest, it tastes better cold the next day still with the butter! I particularly love the frugalness of this recipe –  it is after all  a wartime recipe. So just one egg, no milk, no butter, no fuss. The unique flavour comes from the malt and the treacle…

PS…. If you’d like to share your family recipes with me on this blog, please feel free to send them in [smackie2@optusnet.com.au] with a little about the story and memory it holds for you. I’ll make and photograph the recipe and share with all our readers! » Read the rest of this entry «

Easter is almost gone. This year I realised we really don’t have an Easter food tradition [barring chocolate of course] and for a family that loves food like mine, this is an issue that needs to be rectified! Given I have one whole year to pull something together there is clearly plenty of time and I should possibly focus on something practical like the laundry or something. Hmm … I don’t think so! Actually I already have a contender for the winning recipe from the very lovely Patrice at Womans Nook. She has just published on her website a beautiful looking recipe for an Easter Sunday Bread… much more sophisticated than a Hot Cross Bun. Patrice advises not to wait till Easter to make it so I’m going to give it a go soon… It’s certainly a little more work than my average lunch box loaf but I can imagine the lovely yeasty sweet fresh bread aromas that will fill my kitchen…and bring them all running! » Read the rest of this entry «

This recipe is based on one I found in Dish magazine. Of course anything cooked on one-tray or pot always catches my eye for family food. This is not only a great meal for a quick midweek dinner it is a perfect school holiday recipe [especially if the rainy weather has set in where you live] – the kids in our cooking school classes at the store  this week did a fantastic job and all their plates were clean!! » Read the rest of this entry «

Coriander Lamb with Ginger Wok Tossed Vegetables

I know… it’s another lamb dish but this was a delicious accident that I decided to share.

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Lovely peaches

The peaches this season have been so lovely … here is one of our favourite breakfasts – Baked Peach and Raspberry Pancake…. A great way to say good bye till next season…

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Sunday roasts are such good family food because the prep is minimal, they require very little attention and of course having the left overs is a great way to start the week. Left over lamb can be tossed in a summer vegetable soup, through spiced cous cous, put into sandwiches and so on. This lamb recipe steps away from the standard vege to include fennel and lots of lemon. It is seared first then slow roasted giving the family plenty of time to head down for a late afternoon swim while it bakes away…. » Read the rest of this entry «

Not every dish can be pretty and this one certainly is a bit of a Plain Jane… something like your Nanna would make and good on her! This will even tempt the most fussy vegie eater to nibble away. Although the sauce appears creamy the whole dish only takes a few tablespoons of cream so nobody has to feel guilty….

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Salted Caramel Ice Cream.. a bit icy because I rushed it, but still amazing!

When birthdays come around in our house the celebration is, of course, centred around food. The menu is always a surprise and usually something we haven’t either cooked or eaten before. Finding a dessert last week for Dugal’s birthday presented a real challenge, he is after all the dessert chief among us… but I found a winner! I won’t be posting this recipe under family food or easy ideas, it certainly isn’t something you can decide  to make on the spur of the moment. Not that it is particularly difficult, just time consuming and rather long winded…but I promise well worth the effort. I rushed my batch so it is rather icy but that’s a fabulous excuse to make it again soon! If you read the recipe and decide its all too hard – don’t worry it will be featured very soon on the dinner menu at The Cooks Larder…

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Lamb cutlets always seem to end up in my shopping basket because they are easy and quick to cook. Problem is they can be a bit boring after a while. But it only took 5 seconds and a few very basic ingredients to make these particular lamb chops soooo delicious the kids wanted them in their lunch boxes tommorrow….a super simple quick family dinner

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At The Cooks Larder yesterday we left pancakes on the menu all day…and in the afternoon I made a big batch of crispy caramelised pancakes to share with my family after school… The reason for all of this pancake indulgence was of course Shrove Tuesday. When I was growing up  I would run home very fast from school on this day knowing that mum would be finishing up a big batch – just the way I like them – thin, crispy edged and loaded with sugar and lemon juice.

When it comes to pancake recipes, Margret Fulton has always been the recipe source in our family. My battered copy of Margeret Fulton’s Encylopedia Of Food and Cookery (bought for me by mum on my 18th birthday) was recently replaced and when I opened up the pancake page looked strange without the splattered sticky pages documenting Shrove Tuesdays gone by. Nevermind, there are plenty more to come. I took it one step further this time and caramelised them by cooking off the whole batch then cooked them again with  a little butter and sugar in the pan before squeezing over lemon juice. It was a rich once-a-year indulgence that the kids loved, I loved, but my husband muttered (very quietly so as not to lose his share) that pancakes should be thick, fluffy and drowned in maple syrup!

Mum & I didn’t quite know the origins of Shrove Tuesday  until I did a little research today. Basically Shrove Tuesday is the  last day before the beginning of lent. But in my house I make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday simply because my mum made pancakes on this day, because her mum made pancakes on this day – and that’s a good enough reason for me! However you like them and for whatever reason, be it religion or family tradition, nothing beats a good pancake! Happy Shrove Tuesday….This is my favourite recipe, a slightly adjusted Margaret Fulton crepe recipe – a cross between her crepe and pancake recipe…and I use two pans to speed the process up!

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