Focaccia

I was looking for something different for lunch today. Decided to give the focaccia recipe a run for its money from my bread maker's cook book.





I ended up adding extras like capsicum from my garden along with fresh rosemary from out the back as well. Also home pickled olives from a friend's garden. As well as other goodies from the fridge.





Looks great and smells so good.



Pat & I ate half for lunch and the rest we are eating tonight along with home made chicken vegie soup.

Tomorrow I am thinking I'll try a pizza base and make a ham and pineapple pizza.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: cheese, ham, herbs, pizza, focaccia

Grubs Up

My dinner tonight, just finished and was it yummy. There was 7 food items harvested from my vegie patch today.

In the green vegies there was asparagus & broccoli.

Steamed potatoes were harvested this morning, variety is "Nicola". The taste is a clean, crisp full flavour.

In the mushroom sauce I made from scratch (no packet food here) with spring onion from my garden.

In the butter, was my own fresh garlic and chives. The garlic is fresh and when using my garlic press, I could hear the crunch as it was pushed through the press.

You know if I had more land, the steak could have come from my own cow too.........

All that playing out in the garden is paying off and has been for weeks now. Soon I'll be harvesting tomatoes, eggplants, climbing beans plus even more.

I know what has gone into the soil to feed the plants. I'm on a first name basis with what I ate tonight and the best part is...... its organic and freshest as it can be. Unless I move my kitchen out next to my vegie patch.

Have you checked out my main blog? If not have a look as there is a lot happening.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: garlic, herbs, vegetables

Drying Herbs

My parsley is starting to go to seed. With so many healthy leaves still on the plants, I thought I'd take advantage of this and dry some.

Up early before the sun gets onto the plants as this can lower the flavour of the herb. I was enjoying the early morning out the back with my ducks and chooks making noises.

I should get enough jars to see me through those lean days where parsley is scarce in my garden. A jar for my dad too, as he loves the flavour the parsley gives off in his cooking. Dad said its so much nicer than the bought variety.

If you don't have a dehydrator and want to dry herbs, you can use a microwave or your oven on low. I tried the oven way once...... forgot the herbs were in there, boy did that stink the house out . First time I used a dehydrator I borrow one from a friend and that sold me on getting my own.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: food savings, herbs, drying food

Tomato & Pasta

Sorry about the meal half eaten. I was enjoying it so much and then thought.... this would be good for my blog here.

It's a mixture of odds & ends from the garden.

In the summer months I like to try and freeze spare tomatoes for the winter, to be used in this manor. All those soft tomatoes aren't wasted in my house.

Use what ever amount of defrosted tomatoes and add the following in the amounts that suit you.

• sliced onion
• pasta
• basil fresh or dried
• oregano dried or fresh
• parsley fresh or dried
• parmesan cheese fresh or dried.
  
• diced eggplant
• diced celery

Really anything you want to add or use up, it's up to you. The pasta soaks up any liquid so it doesn't need thickening.

Put all of the food into a saucepan and cook until it's looking nice and soft. I added crushed garlic to my share after I had dished up Pat's serving. As he can't tolerate garlic.

So that's about it. pat had his dished up on toast and mine was with toast on a side plate.

technorati tags: tomato, pasta, herbs