Recipe

Oh how I love the food and flavours of the Middle East

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While the countries that are encompassed in the region, or if you prefer, term “The Middle East” can lead to many arguments, I prefer to use them to bring about discussions of recipes and delicious food that can be shared by all.   With food that is vibrant, colourful and aromatic,  many Middle Eastern countries share recipes that are very similar, in fact the same dish in the same country can have many nuances, depending on who is cooking it, and what is available at the time.

Glorious Pomegranates
Harissa Spice Blend

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Green Mangos

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Last weekend I had to pop into the local Asian Grocery Store in nearby Sale for a few things.  I love this little supermarket where Raj and his staff are always so very helpful, and the shelves are packed with all sorts of wonderful ingredients.

As I wandered through the store collecting the items I had on my list, I was excited to discover that they were now stocking some fresh produce commonly used in Asian cuisine, but generally difficult to come by in our area.  What really caught my eye were the green mangoes, and there were three or four different varieties, so feeling a little confused, I asked if Raj would be able to explain what the differences were.  Of course he was more than willing.  We were soon joined by another lady who kindly filled me in on how to use the green mango and guided me on which variety was preferred.  I selected a sour green mango, over the other sweeter varieties on her advice, and noticed that she was also selecting one or two of the same.

Green Mango

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A Care Package for the Grand Boys

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Since the pandemic hit I have tried to avoid writing about it, but as we must live with it, it often gives us a reason for doing something.

As we entered yet another lock down in the middle of the year, we had no idea of what lay ahead.  For those of us lucky enough to live in the country, our lock downs have been much shorter than for those who are living in Melbourne.  In Melbourne it is ongoing.

When I heard that the restrictions were being increased to prevent children’s access to playgrounds, I just wanted to do something for my grandboys who were being home-schooled, and now they were no-longer permitted to go to the playground.  Continue reading →

In the Garden – May 2021

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As Autumn drew to a close, work was underway to recover the veggie patch and get a few plantings done.  Beds were prepared, root veg seeds planted along with broad beans and garlic.  Self sown lettuce were moved into a neat little row and rocket and silverbeet seedlings, raised from seed sown in recycled cherry tomato and strawberry punnets, were added.  The garlic was up in no time.  The broad beans finally poked through the mulch, but as for the root veg, they were mown down overnight by snails and/or slugs!  I was left feeling very despondent…  But it wasn’t the end of the world and I just decided to leave the bed to rest through the winter so it will be ready for planting in the spring.

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Who’s on the plate!

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I often make Tartine de Chèvre et Poire (Pear and Goat’s Cheese Open Sandwich) when I want a quick, light meal.

As I was going through the list of ingredients used, I realised that it is not only what’s on the plate, but also who’s on the plate!  Apart from the Chèvre, this is truly a salad showcasing our region and our producers, along with our own garden and a couple of homemade staples.  So who is on the plate… Continue reading →