Congratulations to the master food carvers!

Panic stations. No time to find a recipe. How hard can it be?

not my apple pie although it looks very similar, you know why, camera is currently in Toronto, photo by Bucklava, some rights reserved

The following is what I did. I do have a ball of left over pastry lurking in the fridge. I could have used 2/3 the quantities I used and it would have been fine. The amounts of apple filling was spot on. I used a standard family sized pie dish and it fed 10 of us with ice cream and cream nicely.

OMG I Nearly Forgot The Apple Pie, Apple Pie

2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
300g butter, cubed
4 tablespoons cold water
7 apples (preferably granny smith, I only had 6 of those so threw in a red delicious as well)
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup rapadura
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Mix all together into a dough. I mixed for about 10 seconds on speed 7 in the thermomix and then kneaded for 1 minute. Remove and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Toss through lemon juice, rapadura and cinnamon.
3. Roll out pastry and line pie dish. Fill with apple mixture. Roll out lid, place on top, pinch around edges and cut slits in top for steam to escape. Sprinkle a little more rapadura on top. Cos you can.
4. Throw Ankle Biters in car. Drive to destination. Throw apple pie in moderate oven with everything else because your weird father likes his apple pie cold. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Breathe a sigh of relief.

Happy Father’s Day to all those paternal types out there. I hope your apple pie was not forgotten.

Whilst I am not of the black thumbed variety, I am an amateur in the gardening department. Each year I pick up a little more, through trial, error, questions and reading. Last year, I allowed myself to become ovrshelmed by the weeding. In an effort to combat this, I used some of that woven plastic weed mat to minimise the problem and topped it with coconut husk mulch. Pathetic I know. But it kept me going. This year, I am all for a different approach. While the plastic matting keeps the weeds at bay, it is horrendously annoying at replanting time. I needed a better solution.

this, unfortunately, is nether my house or garden, photo by willsfca, some rights reserved

(if I have to get up an read the Ankle Biters the riot act one more time during the writing of this post I’m going to lose my tiny little mind)

So this year, I have removed all the plastic weed mat, moved the remaining coconut mulch to other beds, dug fresh compost into the beds,  laid news paper as a weed mat and mulched the veg patch with pea straw. During the week I created a new bed in an unused patch by the compost heap which is planted with silver beet (chard) and rhubarb. It got the same newspaper/pea straw treatment.Time (or a clever gardening type commenter) will advise as to the wisdom of this plan.

The biggest treat of the day was in removing the weed mat, I found a heap of new asparagus spears  just peeking through the soil. I wonder what would have happened to them had I not removed it? I kept that area free of newspaper in case of any more. I thought I’d already eaten all the asparagus I was going to get this season. Happy days.

My cabbage and broccoli plants have taken a cabbage moth beating in the last few days so I whizzed up some chillis, garlic and cayenne in the thermomix and added them to  spray bottle of water. I’ve sprayed the plants and hopefully that will prevent further damage. Upon advice from the very clever Em, I left my broccoli in the ground after we ate the head and I’ve noticed it’s sprouting lots more lovely florets up the side.

*sigh* not mine either, photo by ChatiryGirl, some rights reserved

In the greenhouse, I have eggplant, broccoli and tomato seedlings coming along nicely. Ten varieties of tomato, largely heirloom I might add. Too tired to go check the names for you I’m afraid. I also have mushrooms coming along nicely on the bottom shelf. A successful experiment.

On the shady side of the patch, I’ve planted some azaelas. I’ve no idea if their flowers will attract bees or if I should be looking for a specific type of flower for that purpose. Never mind. They’ll look pretty and it’s a spot in which they will grow well. Tasks that didn’t get done today were planting the warragul greens seeds and coriander. Hopefully that will get done tomorrow.

Now all is quiet from the Ankle Biters room, peace has descended upon Chez KP and I’m going to kick back and relax with a good book!

photo by Yuppie Nomad some rights reserved

Vietnamese Grilled Beef Banh Mi

how good does that sound? Amazing huh? It was. It really was. Son and Heir practically inhaled his. Even the carroty bits. He usually hates carrot.

Now for the bad news. No recipe. That’s right. I’ve been recipe testing for Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen again. It’s going to be a cook book worth buying I tells ya!

Tonight at Chez KP, we feasted. Oh boy did we feast. I was testing some recipes for Jaden of Steamy Kitchen who will soon be releasing her fabulous cookbook, which, based on the recipes I have tested, I highly recommend. Fast, fabulous Asian food. What could be better?

We managed to test three recipes over the course of dinner:
Pan seared steak with sweet and sour tomato and onion sauce. You get lucky with this one. Jaden has blogged it so you can see the recipe. Enjoy her fabulous photography too, I sure do! I do wish I could even begin to emulate her food styling.
The second dish was Ginger Scallion Rice. Heavenly. Simply heavenly. I’m afraid you’ll just have to take my word for it as I am without camera and sworn to secrecy on the recipe.
Thirdly, we had Stir Fried Brussel Sprouts. I’m sure you are aware of my feelings towards those little green balls of delectability. Do you like that new word I just slipped in? This, like my Brussel sprout quiche, is a recipe to covert haters. Oh my, yes it is. But once again, you’ll just have to take my word for it until you buy the book.

This is a somewhat cruel and taunting post isn’t it?

Sorry about that.

That’s one mighty fine looking chowder. Thermomix version will be coming to a kitchen near me. Soon.

Black beans, coriander, milk. Good things. Well done Liz and thanks for the wild ride PW!

I picked up 4 lovely flathead fillets for the crazy low, low price of $4.20. Flathead is one of my favourite fish. A real flavour of my childhood. My maternal grandfather (Pappy) and his bff Roy usd to go flatnead fishing often. They had a deal, Roy would take the bodies, Pappy would take the tails. Everyone was happy. Such delicate, lightly flavoured fish, a perfect way to introduce children to fish eating. In addition to my flathead bargain, I managed to obtain about 20 tiger prawns for $2.50. What can I say? I’m a bargain hunter.The resultant dish would be delicious even without the prawns. I just couldn’t resist them.

Flathead, Prawn and Potato au Gratin
served 3, easily expanded for 4 or more.
4 flathead fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
3 potatoes, thinly sliced
20 tiger prawns, shells removed
2 large handfuls baby spinach
3/4 cup pure cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan
seasoning
several small dobs butter
lemon wedges to serve.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. In an ovenproof dish, combine all ingredients except butter.
3. Top with butter
4. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden on top and bubbling.
5. Serve with lemon wedges.

I’d treat you to another poorly lit, poorly framed, poorly focussed photographic masterpiece but my camera is currently with my Bread Winner in London. So you can breathe a sigh of relief.

We’ve been on a pancake frenzy this weekend. We go through phases of pancakes. Sometimes I’ll make them every Saturday for ages and then they just fll off the radar. They’ve been off the radar for a while now. Strangely enough, what inspired their return was my slackness in getting a batch of yoghurt made. Which of course meant i had to actually buy yoghurt. Ouch. Which led me to lash out on a tub of Jalna honey and vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. Now that’s just down right out of character. We’re a plain yoghurt household. That’s just the way we roll.

Once I got the yoghurt home, I greedily scoffed about 1/4 of the tub delicately tasted a morsel and had instant visions of sour dough pancakes. Sour dough pancakes are awesome. The recipe originally comes form Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions. I couldn’t be bothered actually reaching for the book so I went from memory.

Sour Dough Pancakes
2 cups plain flour
2 cups yoghurt (honey vanilla with a hint of cinnamon was awesome but you can use any flavour)
1 egg
milk

1. Mix flour and yoghurt together. Cover and leave overnight.
2. In the morning, beat in egg and enough milk to make a pancake batter consistency.
3. Butter in a frypan, cook as usual (they take a little longer to cook than a conventional pancake).

So good. Kicks butt on the standard pancake fare. Saurday’s extravaganza were rolled with a filling of stewed apple and pear and a drizzle of maple syrup. The Sunday version were filled with strawberries, raasperries (frozen ones which I defrosted overnight and heated slightly) and berry coulis leftover from our recent dinner party. Both were divine in their own way. Both could also be served easily as dessert.

Such decadence at breakfast makes me feel better that the Bread Winner does not appear to be missing my cooking AT ALL. That’s all very well and good while you’re in Barcelona my friend but I’d like to see you keep it up in London. HA!

Sorry Londonders to vent my spleen at your expense. Dem’s da breaks. The Ankle Biters are fighting and I’m bitter and twisted. Better have another pancake…

Updated to add: I was wrong about the weather. There were a few hours of glorious gardening sunshine and a change blew in just as I hit exhaustion. Now I’m having a well earned cuppa and listening to the Ankle Biters abuse each other. Sunday bliss.

My savoury bread and butter pudding. Which is of course awesome. Which is why we eat it so often.

Cheese Muffins by Fig. I need to make these. Probably with garlic soup. UPDATE: They are superb with garlic soup. A batch of these didn’t last long, even with the Bread Winner away.

Blueberry muffins by Ellen. Blueberries, yoghurt, muffiny goodness. What can go wrong?

Black Bean Chowder with yoghurt-coriander relish by Liz. I need this before spring makes a proper appearance. Black beans, yoghurt and coriander (cilantro) has to be a winning combination.

The final recipe, by Kate Allison is Indian grilled chicken marinated in milk and yoghurt. Mmm, Indian. Love Indian.

How on earth PW is going to decide this one is beyond me. So much yummy food and so varied. Gotta say though, there’s some fierce commenters over there. Sheesh! Glad I’ve got a thick skin and I hope the other finalists do too.

Comment of the day (made about my recipe):
Something about this REEEEEEAAAALLY makes me want to blow chunks. Just nooooooo!

The first occurrence was running out of butter. A simple little thing you think? Except for the fact that it’s been 12 months since I last bought butter. That worked very well for me and I don’t intend to buy butter again for another 12 months. So I bought a 25kg block. It’s a bugger to carve up into manageable amounts but it enables us to eat our fill of unsalted organic butter for roughly the same price as supermarket home brand muck and less than half the retail price of organic butter.

The second occurrence was a call from Craig of Little Creek Beef to tell me that my order was ready for delivery. A total of 62kg of beef for the family, 14kg of pets mince plus some wonderful big bones that are just begging to be made into stock. The bones were thrown in gratis. Of course buying half a steer at a time gives wonderful value for money. Assuming of course you havet he freezer space for it. Which I do. In fact, I only have about 4 kg of beef left in the freezer from my last bulk meat buy. In case you’re doing the math and wondering, I paid a lot more per kg overall this time. The difference being 1/ the overall quality of the beef and 2/ the range of cuts bought. Little Creek Beef is grass fed and simply delicious and I have every cut from eye fillet to the most scrumptious cornish beef sausages. If we eat this beef at the same rate we ate the last bulk buy, it should last as long as the butter!

So all in all, the food bill was a little high this week. All in a good cause.