lamb slow cooker and Ottolenghi's cous cous

Tonight we had a simple and delicious meal. It was simple in that is was dead easy to prepare. (The photos are particularly bad. I was too focused on eating it!)

Preheat the oven 120ºc. In an ovenproof pot place:

3 large organic carrots, diced
400g lamb back strap, diced

10 fresh roma tomatoes, diced

400g tinned chickpeas

Handful parsley 

150ml water

1 cinnamon stick, 

1 tspn ground coriander

1 tspn ground cumin

Pepper and salt, to taste

Cook for at least 5 hours. 

I served the lamb with the recipe for Ottolenghi's cous cous but I added these to the cous cous:

a handful mint

a handful parsley

a handful each of almonds (broken with a mortar and pestle)

a small handful sultanas

and a sprinkling of pine nuts.

za'atar

Until a few months ago I hadn't heard of za'atar. Like when you buy a new car and you suddenly see 'them' everywhere I have been spotting it in recipes and restaurants.

Za'atar isn't dissimilar to dukkah. It's a blend of spices and herbs and sesame seeds.

A friend took me to the most incredible supermarket - and by supermarket I do not mean like the big two supermarkets. This compared to no other I've seen - in Northcote, Melbourne. Terra Madre stocks the most extensive range I've seen of quality and organic products - at prices that are, in some cases, less than the big two. I was in heaven!

I wanted to grab a couple of things- cacao beans and sumac. Sumac is a vital ingredient for za'atar and it's a very easy recipe - and good for entertaining.

Za'atar

ingredients

1/4 cup sesame seeds
20g cumin seeds

10g thyme, dried
10g oregano, dried
20g sumac

method

Dry roast the sesame seeds in a medium-hot frying pan for a few minutes until the sesame just start to change in colour. Place in the TM with the remaining ingredients. Process until all ingredients (except the sesame seeds) are consistent in size (about 10 secs/speed 10).

Za'atar is best served with fresh Italian bread and good quality extra virgin olive oil and in perfect for entertaining. Store in a dry airtight container.

my own enchanted broccoli forest

basic soil mix + chook poo + straw + guinea pig poo

These flowers are almost ready to eat...

Two weeks on...

I'm pretty pleased with my broccoli harvest this morning! There's a good three meals here. These were grown from seedlings and now we can use the space in the garden for something else!

We ate these florets in three meals:

* accompanying a beautiful baked barramundi (Jamie Oliver rock salt style) and a huge salad. We shared this meal with 'climate refugees' who escaped Sydney's Blue Mountains during a week of property and life threatening bush fires. Fortunately their home was spared and they were able to return home a couple of days later. We spent a lovely evening eating and drinking and distracting them from the fires which was the upside!

* in a true (lazy) meat and three veg style with mashed potato, organic sausages. Oh - make that meat and two veg. Not an ideal meal.

* steamed on top of a huge tuna salad mountain!

Réunion Island: Cilaos

Cilaos is a quaint town perched high (1220 metres above sea level) in the volcanic mountains of Réunion Island. It's worth the drive (if you can manage to avoid being hit by oncoming cars which 'pass' you on a {sometimes single} lane that winds along the edges of the mountainside.) There's rumoured to be four hundred (mostly hair pin) bends in the road. We gave up counting. It was more important to watch the road. At one point we managed to overtake a slow driver only to be faced with oncoming car, in our lane, heading straight towards us. We were a whisker away from an accident. There are many youtube videos which provide an accurate account of the trip.

Our Fiat barely had the grunt to get up some parts of the road but she didn't let us down!

Cilaos is truly beautiful and unlike any town along the coastline. Market gardens and vineyards grow along the mountainside. Tourism is big and the day we went up the mountain there were many tourist buses traveling along the same, single lane, route we took.

 Dodo Beir - the (seemed to be) favoured choice of locals. 

We preferred Phoenix Beer which was all of €1 in the local supermarket. Yes, they sell alcohol in the supermarket.

 I was geared up for the food on Réunion having read that it is Creole and a combination of the African, Indian, Chinese and French influences. We didn't see a vegetable or salad for the first five days and I was desperate to get some leafy greens in my mouth. One night I had the equivalent of a king-prawn cocktail and I was so pleased to see and eat greenery. This surprised me given the fresh vegetables we saw at the markets and that the local economy relies on tourism, defence and produce.

In Cilaos I ate my favourite dish of the trip. It was a lentil curry but I was just craving this type of food after experiencing some ordinary dinners for example, poo sausage - the innards of a pig stuffed into a pig intestine. I didn't even go near this thing but I did have to have it removed from the table when we could no longer bear the smell. I kid you not!

Despite the lack of dinner options Reunion, as you would expect, does pastries very well! The island is a French colony and the preferred language is French there are many patisseries scattered through the towns. The pastries were to-die-for (you would if you ate them all, all of the time) and very reasonably priced.

Nothing like a spot of wine tasting in the hills. And a few for gifts and our cellar for when we return! Rose (about €12) is the popular variety in these mountains and it was dry almost like a white so it will be interesting to sample again, at home, come summer.

One of two single lane tunnels that you pass through to get to and fro Cilaos. 

You must sound your horn before entering and swing a hard right hand turn as you exit - to avoid falling down the cliff!

Towns perched on the edge of the mountain range.

salmon, salad & salsa verde

J brought home a pile of fresh salmon from a work trip to Tassie recently and we ate some fresh then froze the rest. The fillets were thawed tonight and it topped 32°c in Sydney today with strong (hot) westerly winds so a light salad was the perfect dinner. This is kid-friendly too.

Salmon 

Marinate the salmon fillets with 1 glove grated garlic and 1/2 knob of ginger (also grated), dash Tamari (or other good quality soy sauce), slightest splash of sesame oil, half a lime, parsley and coriander, anda sprinkle   of salt. Wrap the fish in the foil and cook in a moderate oven for about 20 mins until fish has just turned opaque. 

While the fish is cooking prepare the salad and salsa verde. 

Salsa Verde

In a food processor chop 1 clove garlic and 1/2 knob ginger. Add a generous handful of parsley and mint and third of a dried long red chilli. Add the juice of a lime, a good lug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Process until a chunky paste is formed. 

Salad

In a bowl combine a bag of spinach leaves, a handful of blanched beans (halved), half a punnet of cherry tomatoes (halved), a diced Lebanese cucumber, a handful of finely chopped parsley and mint and a cup of cooked frozen peas. You can also include two finely chopped spring onions.

Salad Dressing

Combine the juice of a lime, a splash of sesame oil, a dash of Tamari and a lug of olive oil. Dress the salad just before serving. 

To serve: 

The fish is best served warm combined with the salad. Be sure to sprinkle the salad with black sesame seeds. This summery salad also goes well with a beer!