Yesterday I found in my fruit shop some fresh asparagus. I eagerly grabbed two plump bunches, and some hazelnuts, and when I got home steamed the asparagus, made a browned butter and hazelnut dressing and was transported to heaven. Tender crisp, sweet and nutty, they were perfect. You might wonder why I am rhapsodising about…
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According to Tennyson, in the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love; mine, however, turns towards thoughts of salad. I love them all – green salad, Greek salad, Caesar salad, Cobb salad; salads with roasted beetroot, salads with spinach and cous cous and quinoa; Asian salads, potato salads and Middle Eastern salads. I love the simplicity…
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Unless you have tasted really beautiful tomatoes you might think this salad would be dull, flavourless and not worthy to grace your table. So many tomatoes are like that – lacking in flavour, almost chalky in texture, watery and unappealing. And with this dish there is nowhere for the tomatoes to hide. There has, however, been…
Read MoreI made this super quick salad to use some of the fresh ricotta I have been making for the last couple of weeks. Along with a green salad, grilled chicken, and crusty bread it made a delicious dinner on a weekday evening. It was so pleasurable to spread the ricotta on the bread, add a…
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I was going to call this recipe “Rustic ricotta and raspberry tarts” but that seemed a little too alliterative, even to provide an excuse for pastry that did not turn out quite as it should. However, it was very delicious and a perfect vehicle for my latest obsession – home made ricotta. It was a revelation to…
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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 recipe is a whisper of springtime green in the middle of a wintry June. We still have herbs a-plenty in the garden at our place, even some basil that is remaining sweet, though it should have gone to seed long ago. The herbs called to me to make something bright and fresh and satisfying. Salsa verde,…
Read MoreToday, to finish our long weekend in style, I made this lime and ginger cheesecake – my take on the classic recipe made with cream cheese, condensed milk and lemon juice. What makes this recipe a bit different is the use of ginger biscuits and pecan nuts in the crumb crust, which adds a little bit of spicy…
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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…
Read MoreOh, to be in Queensland in the springtime. Warm days; long, sunny afternoons fading to soft twilight; jacarandas smudging the landscape with purple; and the garden full of new growth. I wanted to make some fruit waters as a refreshing alternative to soft drink and this combination is one that I love. The apple, cinnamon…
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Simple food 