YOU MAY WELL ASK

Apart from the obvious, my Family and the Collingwood Football Club, I share my passion equally between the garden and cooking.

I am often asked how I find time for work. I am employed in the optical industry and see myself as a service provider, assisting in making people’s lives easier, I have no problem going to work.

My garden was designed to be viewed from all levels of the house. No matter from what level of the house you look at the garden it is there to greet you.

The past week I have spent my home time in the vegetable garden, like many home gardens there are tomatoes, beetroot, cabbage, turnips, celeriac, cauliflower, broccoli....and I have a whole patch of potatoes growing....I never need to weed as I use sugar cane mulch to cover the beds, this can be purchased from Bunnings or Dahlsens a bale covers 6 sq metres, more than sufficient for a home veggie patch......and any excess can be used around your flowering plants.

The orchard is resplendent in the pure green of the new leaves on the fruiting trees and shrubs, among them are figs, guava, peach, nectarine, pear, apple, nashi, feijoa, quince, kiwi fruit, strawberry, rhubarb, and gooseberry.

I am a devotee of Elizabeth David an English woman who taught herself to cook and found not only the practical side but also writing about food an absolute absorbing interest. Elizabeth David has taught me more about food than any television show instructing me to follow a recipe could ever have.

I cook to improve and seduce flavours from and add to..... meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. I cook out of my head rather than recipes .......it is from reading Elizabeth David that I now have a feel for food.

I was first introduced to Elizabeth David while reading the book Bittersweet by Matt McAllester.

That is one unforgettable book.

This week in the kitchen has been a little bit fancy but ever so easy with Moroccan meals ....you may well ask why........and the answer is because it was easy and interesting...coat your meat (any cut) or fish with cinnamon, sweet paprika, ground cumin and coriander....make sure the cut you are using is completely covered, then cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate overnight or least 4 hours for flavours to permeate, then cook as you would normally. You may prefer to add this herb mixture to cover your vegetables that are to be oven baked.

You can also put this mixture of herbs in Greek yoghurt and add two small red chillies and use as a side serve to your meat chicken or fish.

GREEK LEMON SOUP

This is a heavy soup which makes a quick all in one meal

Bring 6 cups of chicken stock to the boil. Add 2 cups of rice and let it cook for 15 minutes. Add the juice of 2 lemons. Beat 4 eggs in a separate bowl and add some of the boiling stock, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup. Stir and season with course ground pepper. Serve in individual bowls with grated lemon rind sprinkled over.