Figs are one of the most beautiful fruits. Unctuously sweet and perfumed, they are also tender and very luxurious. Unless you have a fig tree they are an extravagance as they are so expensive, but for the short season when they are available, as an occasional treat there is nothing better. Give me figs over chocolate…
Read MoreThe beauty of late summer, aside from a welcome relief from constant humidity and long, hot, sweaty nights, is the abundance of tomatoes that ripen almost before our eyes. There are a great variety of tomatoes available now – yellow pear tomatoes, vine ripened red tomatoes, green heritage varieties, cherry tomatoes and luscious roma tomatoes.…
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Flatbreads have ancient origins, with the simplest and earliest forms just a mixture of some sort of flour, water, and sometimes salt, kneaded together, patted flat and fried over a fire. I love flatbreads, and have a weakness for chapatis, toasted pita bread, and tortillas. I’ve tried lots of recipes and this one is my…
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This simple, but beautiful recipe was inspired by the abundance of fresh pears in my part of the world now that autumn is fully upon us. The mornings and evenings are chilly and we are looking around for something warm to eat in the morning. This dish is a great alternative to porridge or eggs for…
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“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James It’s officially the first day of autumn in our part of the world. We love autumn and the beginning of a different season, but we’re not quite ready to let glorious, long summer afternoons go…
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When I made this avocado and rocket salad, my eldest son suggested I call it avocado slammer salad, because of the lemon wedges and little pile of salt on the plate. And when we eat it, it has a certain slammer-like quality – take a wedge of avocado, sprinkle on salt, squeeze over some lemon…
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Hot summer’s day, vine ripened tomatoes, basil explosion in the vegetable garden and a loaf of fresh sourdough. All the elements were aligned in our house today to make this oh, so simple, but so delicious lunch. It’s nothing more than really lovely tomatoes gently roasted with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and…
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Tangelos have a short season which makes them all the sweeter, to me, at least. I just love the intense citrus taste that is like an orange, and like a mandarine, but also uniquely tangelo. I’m salivating even as I write this. When I made this ultra simple dish, I wanted to celebrate the beauty…
Read MoreThere was a bit of nose wrinkling at our place when I first floated the idea of lemon and pine nut muffins, but when they were ready; warm, sticky with lemon glaze, and topped with lightly toasted pine nuts, there was no shortage of testers, and plenty of positive feedback. I love the sweet nuttiness…
Read MoreSometimes I need to sieze the moment and make something delicious just because I see an item at the fruit and vegetable shop that screams, “Buy me!”. These baby capsicums did just that. I scraped out the core and the seeds, stuffed them with marinated feta and heaps of herbs and roasted them for about 15 minutes in a hot…
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Simple food 