Corn Bread, Avocado, Summer Salad

Rolling up the driveway and peering at my garden through the car window after four weeks of absence filled me with apprehension. The black radishes I'd planted just before my departure had sky-rocketed and become a huge, impenetrable hedge. The purple podded peas were leaning precariously to one side, threatening to topple their support and smothering any rainbow chard that got in their way. Giant red mustard seemed desperate to flower, their leaves dotted with dull yellow spots. Beneath it all, dreaded onion weed had popped up everywhere and rambling nasturtiums had taken over once more.
­
Six weeks and buckets of sweat later, a new bed has been prepared and little Pasilla Bajio chilli seedlings have been planted out. Zebra tomatoes are now waist-high and about to bloom at any moment. Red Aztec corn are sprouting underneath the peach tree which, at this present moment is covered in recycled envelopes and paper bags. The old compost was spread over the garden to provide all the growing plants with extra nutrients and the new compost gets turned diligently with my super sturdy, super awesome Digadoo fork which I bought online after testing out their unbreakable hand trowel at the Gardening Australia Expo earlier in the year.

Along with the pruning and the weeding, the perpetual sowing and expanding, it feels extraordinarily satisfying to create a meal from what most people would see as nothing. An avocado, some maize flour, a few basic pantry items, sharp scissors and an open mind were all the ingredients I needed to make this simple Summer-y dish.

Corn Bread

165 g flour
140 g maize flour
12 g baking powder
5 g sea salt flakes
4 eggs
306 g milk
15 g light agave syrup
100 g unsalted butter, melted

Lightly brush a shallow 8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm) tin with a little melted butter.
Sift flour, maize flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk eggs, milk and agave syrup.
Pour over flour and whisk to incorporate.
Add remaining melted butter and whisk.
Pour batter into the greased tin and bake at 180ºC for 25 minutes or until golden.
Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing.


Avocado 

130 g avocado, flesh only
18 g verjuice

Puree the avocado with verjuice.
Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate.


Salad Dressing

7 g garlic
16 g extra virgin olive oil
1 g light agave syrup
17 g verjuice
2 g sea salt flakes

Slice the garlic and let it steep in olive oil for an hour.
Whisk agave syrup, verjuice and salt in a small bowl.
Add olive oil and whisk to combine.
Discard garlic slices.


Summer Salad

5 g parsley, leaves only
4 g chervil, leaves only
2 g mint, leaves only
2 g nasturtium leaves
2 g nasturtium petals
1 g bronze fennel fronds
1 g giant red mustard flowers
20 g walnuts, toasted

Mix all ingredients and salad dressing together with light hands. 
­

Elderflower Milk Tea To Sooth a Sore Throat

collecting basil seeds / silverbeet from my garden ­

Now that summer is over and the tomato harvest has finally died down, I'm back in the garden and as busy as ever. There are plants to be cleared, seeds to be saved, harvesting to be done and sowing in preparation for next spring.

­

White icicle radishes are growing to about carrot-sized proportions and eggplants are still going strong. Coloured silverbeet have been nibbled on by caterpillars but there's more than enough to share a little here and there. A massive 2.2kg gourd was harvested and the ground cleared to make way for black Tuscan kale and golden beetroot. The crimson rhubarb have finally settled in and are getting bigger every day. Purple podded climbing peas.. Wow.. I only sowed the seeds a month ago and they're already as tall as me and covered in glorious, deep purple pods!

­

I just started reading a new book called 'A Year With James Wong: Grow Your Own Drugs' and I'm learning so much about the inherent properties of plants, especially herbs and edible flowers. Have you ever used lemongrass as an insect repellent or made your own cough syrup from hollyhock flowers? Who knew that so many common ingredients could be used as remedies for such a myriad of ailments! The book even covers tips on growing your own herbs, flower preservation, foraging, and 'how-to' of concoctions, decoctions, tinctures, infusions, etc. Definitely something I'd recommend for every home gardener with an interest in sustainable living on a household level.

­

potted cardamom

­

With a terrible scratchy throat, a hacking cough and home remedies in mind, I started mixing up an infusion of elderflowers last night to create my own decoction to fix a sore throat. Elderflowers were traditionally used to treat the common cold and flu and are known for their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Peppercorns and ginger are warming spices with ginger working to improve circulation. When crushed, cardamom pods are intensely aromatic with the essential oil known to be antibacterial. Similarly, the essential oil from cloves are used as an anodyne for pain relief and like ginger, it also acts to warm the body.

­

Elderflower Infusion

25 g elderflowers
2 g lemon zest
3 g orange zest
50 g lemon juice
500 g water
250 g castor sugar
2 g salt

Make sure there are no leaves or stalks attached to the elderflowers.

Place elderflowers and zest in a bowl.

Bring lemon juice, water, sugar and salt to a boil and simmer until dissolved.

Pour over flowers and steep overnight.

Pour into sterilised jars and refrigerate.

­

Elderflower Milk Tea

300 g milk
5 g fresh ginger root
1 g cardamom pods (approx. 4)
1 g cloves (approx. 5)
1 g black peppercorns
20 g elderflower infusion

Slice ginger, crush cardamom pods and place in a pot with milk, cloves and pepper.
Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to lowest setting.

Allow spices to infuse for 10-15 minutes.

Add elderflower infusion, strain and drink hot.

­

Tea For Dessert Looks Peachy

Anger was the motivation behind this dish. A passing comment from a waitress after service and an offhand remark from the Sous Chef about the quality of the current dessert (which for the record is not of my design) was enough to send me into a "fuck-you-I'll-show-you-better!" mood. Sunday night saw me storming straight out the door and down Oxford St to Coles in World Square.

The original idea that popped into my head while crossing Pitt St was peach panna cotta with mandarin tea (an infusion made with mandarin peels), slices of peach and pistachios. However the acidity present in the peaches was enough to curdle the milk which I had attempted to cook the fruit with. I tried folding peach puree through the mix at a later stage but the flavour didn't carry well so I abandoned the idea and switched to classic vanilla.

Mandarins were simply unavailable so I took a risk on rosehip tea (an organic brand infused with ginger and lemongrass) which I sweetened with small spoonfuls of honey until it was just right.

I suppose in a round about sort of way, you could say that this dessert is based on a popular Chinese item: almond milk jelly which is often served with a cocktail of fruit pieces, only instead of almonds I used pistachios and placed them on the side as a sweet garnish. Rosehip tea adds a unique floral note which works surprisingly well but if you don't have any on hand, a jasmine or green tea can be used.

The panna cotta (albeit a healthier modern version containing no cream whatsoever) is the hero here and care must be taken not to let the milk reduce or the result will be a rubbery jello. The sidekick peaches are not infallible even in their simplicity, so make sure you pick only the sweetest and most luscious of fruit to sit alongside the panna cotta.



There's no trick with the nuts but don't try to rush it, just go nice and slow so that the pistachios have time to cook in the syrup. Keep stirring it over a gentle medium heat. You don't want them to get any colour and as soon as the syrup dries, remove the nuts onto a silpat mat and press them apart with the back of a wooden spoon. They won't look like they're crystallising in the pan but you'll see it as soon as they begin to cool.

Vanilla Milk Panna Cotta

360 g milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
2 g salt
56 g castor sugar
3 gelatine sheets (gold strength)

Bring milk, vanilla, salt and sugar to the boil.
Place gelatine sheets in cold water to 'bloom' until soft.
Squeeze out excess water and stir into milk to dissolve.
Cool until room temperature.
Pour into moulds greased with vegetable oil and refrigerate for a few hours until set.

Rosehip Tea

260 g boiling water
12 g honey
1 g organic rosehip tea

Combine all ingredients and allow to infuse until cool.
Strain and refrigerate.

Frosted Pistachios

50 g rosehip tea
50 g castor sugar
50 g pistachios

Simmer all ingredients in a small pot, stirring continuously for 5-10 mins until the syrup crystallises without colouring.
Spread nuts onto a silpat and separate with a spoon.
Cool at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container.

Flower Bank

A nasturtium plant has completely overtaken the steep slope in our front garden. Its curling tendrils seem to grasp at anything nearby and are smothering the beans, corn, beetroot and coriander that I planted in early autumn only a few short months ago. It manages to reach even the far wall and climbs upwards, alongside the trailing ivy.

­

It's not without benefits though. Normally frost has its growth tamed but this year, without so much as a whispery breath of chilly morning air, it comes alive bearing great gifts. Deeply-coloured orange and yellow flowers lie among the pads of green. The scent attracts a pair of snowy white butterflies that flit through every morning for an early lunch. The Complete Book of Flowers by Denise Diamond provides some educational insight on this common edible garden species, related to watercress and with a similar peppery bite.

­

"Nasturtium flowers were first found in South America in the sixteenth century. Their popularity reached a peak during Victorian Times when flowers and their bright green round leaves were grown in gardens and used for food and flower arrangements. In frost-free areas nasturtiums may be raised as perennials. They are grown easily as seasonal annuals in other areas and prefer average soil with little fertilizer and adequate water. They will trail along the ground, spill over the side of a container, or climb up a fence. The single or double flowers bloom profusely in shades of orange, red, or yellow. They grow best out of direct, hot sun in warmer climates or with full sun in cooler, coastal gardens. Too much shade or excess nitrogen in the soil will produce lush foliage with few flowers.

In herbal tradition nasturtiums have been known for their antiseptic qualities, their ability to help fight infection, as an expectorant, and as a source of vitamin C."

­

This recipe is an adaptation from one I found in an excellent book called A Year in a Bottle by Sally Wise - a collection of recipes for over 100 preserves, with chapters including jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, dehydrated foods, frozen fruits, fruit pastes, fruit cheeses and so forth. Aphids seem to love nasturtium flowers, especially the bright yellow colours. A quick spray with the hose before picking should do the trick and if you see any still clinging on for dear life, they can be removed with a quick flick of a fine-haired paint brush. When separating the petals from the stamen and sepal, I found it easiest to simply cut away the petals with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors onto a blanket of paper towel, minimising damage and bruising.

­

Nasturtium Petal Syrup

55 g nasturtium petals (about 7 cups)
875 g water
790 g castor sugar
85 g lemon juice

Combine water, sugar and lemon juice in a medium-sized pot.

Bring it to the boil then reduce to simmer.

Add nasturtium petals and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Strain through a fine sieve and into sterilised bottles.

Store in a cool, dark place and refrigerate after opening.

Now.. If only I knew what to do with it.. Any ideas people? Hmm.. a nasturtium-flavoured custard perhaps?
­
(Submitted for this months Sugar High Friday with Mmm, Tasty! Don't forget to join in!)