Soups

In denial!

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Lockdown number 5, winter, dull days and cold weather…

The COVID lockdown I can deal with.  Its supposed to be a short one, just five days, we will see…

Winter and cold weather are another thing!  I cannot cope with the cold weather, the shorter daylight hours, dull days, oh, and did I mention the cold…  I know we are now on the right side of the solstice and the days are getting longer, but last night I was in denial… I needed warm weather and warm weather food that would suit a cold winter’s night.

So with dodgy tomatoes on hand, some sad looking basil that needed to be used up, I decided to try and make a flavourful tomato soup.  I started with a recipe, but that soon went out of the window!  Winter tomatoes are nothing short of sad and flavourless – nevertheless they needed to be used, and I needed  a touch of summer.  So with garlic, red onions, dodgy winter tomatoes, sad basil, and some tomato paste, I set to work. Continue reading →

Cook or Cure!

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After an amazing Christmas break with our family, we returned home feeling relaxed, refreshed and looking forward to an additional mini break at home.

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Unfortunately that feeling vanished very soon!  Gary discovered that I hadn’t closed the freezer door properly prior to our departure and everything had begun to defrost!

First job, stock take, make a list of everything that could be salvaged, dispose of what couldn’t, and then work out what to do with a freezer full of meat, seafood and poultry!

Idea’s began to form as I worked through it all, most would have to be cooked and then could be re-frozen.  I realised that I could also, smoke and cure a little as well.

I had duck marylands, I would do Confit Duck and then freeze ready for use.  There was one duck breast, it would be cured, airdried and then sliced/diced and frozen.

Here, I have carefully packaged each piece and labeled it ready for freezing.
Confit duck served with a salad of rocket, orange and walnuts, and chips.
Air Cured Duck Breat
Air Cured Duck Breat

 

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The Frozen Garden!

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We have recently endured a spate of heavy frosts, and for us it was very cold – minus 7.6 celsius etc. The first morning I got up and wandered down to the vegie patch, before heading into the garden for the community in Stratford. As I worked in the garden there I was kicking myself for not having got up earlier and taken photos of the beauty that a frost creates. I know that it also causes devastation, but all I saw was beauty. Continue reading →

Another Garden!

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While I have been a little quiet of late, I haven’t been idle! Earlier this year I started to do some voluntary work at a local community hub in nearby Stratford. This little hub called Segue, combines a café, gallery and shop where you can purchase handcrafted goods produced by local artists. There is also a bookroom and a sustainable living room as well. Continue reading →

Massaman Curry with Beef

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This is the final recipe for my Thai Banquet! Massaman Curry with Beef is a little different to the curries you may be expecting from Thailand.  It is a delicious rich curry that can be used as part of a Thai Banquet, equally what we like to do, particularly during the colder months, is to cook the meat in the delicious rich spicy sauce and serve it with hot creamy mashed potato… Continue reading →