LAVENDER AND CAROL`S LAVENDER SCONES

There is no scent quite like lavender , it conjurs what I imagine to be  the warm sweet smell of  an English summer .
Lavender is a  xerophyte , meaning that it is especially adapted for living in dry conditions . The grey leaves indicate this quality , the greyness being a mass of tiny white hairs , which are to hold moisture  within the plant .
Long ago lavender was used for making scented articles , confectionary , and in the course of cooking and medicine .
I clearly remember the lavender bags adorned with a cardboard cut out of a bonneted lady , that were hung from coat hangers in my aunts dark wood wardrobes or placed  in the drawers of the dressing table.
There are many old recipes to be found for lavender wine , lavender sugar , lavender water , lavender tea  and from another era lavender fans ..

I found the recipe below tucked precisely in the lavender section of the  book by Rosemary Hemphill.... Fragrance And Flavour

CAROL`S LAVENDER SCONES  ( WITH ANNIES TRANSLATION )

1 jug of self raising flour .....( 5 cups )
1/2 silver ladle icing sugar .....( 1/4 cup )
1/2 tsp of dried lavender
1 teacup of cream ....( 1 cup )
1 and 1/3  teacup of  milk ( 1 and 1/3  cup )

Preheat  your oven to 240 Deg C
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl
Cut the cream in with a broad bladed knife
Quickly mix in the milk
Turn onto a floured board
Lightly pat into a rectangle
Cut into 12 squares
Separate and place on a floured baking sheet
Bake for 5 minutes until coloured on top
Reduce to 180 Deg C and continue to bake for 10 minutes
Turn onto a clean dry teatowel  , cover loosely  to stop scones from becoming too hard .
Split and serve with the best jam and farm cream .

RED ROSE PETAL JAM

I live in Churchill an area of the La Trobe Valley which is a part of the greater Gippsland region  of Victoria.
If you grow roses in your garden you well know you are on the last flush of the season , so it is time to harvest your fragrant red rose petals .
I am fortunate to have over 150 rose bushes in my garden so I have to collect 50 fully opened perfumed  red rose heads ...( Roses ...Samanatha , Black Beauty , Mr Lincoln ,Red Cedar )
Bring to the boil 1 litre  of water  and 1.5 kilo of  sugar and the juice of 1. lemon .. Stir till the mix  thickens a little then add the rose petals .
Add  a pat of butter to clear the scum  , then simmer over a low heat for an hour .
Stir to prevent the jam from turning brown .
Turn off the heat and pour into jars , seal when the mixture cools.

TEAS ON OFFER ..APRIL 7TH ..... 11TH APRIL

MONDAY ...7th


Harissa and Tomato Prawns with Fetta
Womens Weekly Superfoods pg 144

TUESDAY ..8th
Kangaroo Fillet stir fry

WEDNESDAY ..9th
Red Rice Salad
Rice from Risotto to Rice Puddings...Pg 141

THURSDAY 10th
Berber Roo Stew
Mighty Spice Express......Pg 120

FRIDAY 11th
Salmon with Salted Soy Beans
Complete Asian cookbook ..pg 269

FRAGRANCE FROM THE GARDEN AND FLAVOUR IN SANDWICHES

Originally we depended on plants for food and medicine . Many of the plants that are part of the garden landscape today were once valued for their healing properties .
All through history there have been stories of gardens  ie The hanging Gardens Of Babylon , the Medieval  monastic Physic Gardens  where monks grew herbs to create healing potions and salves.
In biblical times the herbal gardens of the village of Mataria , near Cairo .
In ancient Egypt the homes of nobles on the river Nile  had cool gardens within courtyards  which have been revealed by excavators .
The love of gardens has stayed inherent in us  and today we design our houses opening onto vine covered terraces inviting the "outdoors in  "
A garden where scented plants grow has a strong attraction for winged creatures  insects , birds and bees alike.
Bees especially, love bergamot or bee balm , and borage , which  in the past was often grown as a crop for bees. ( Something we may have to consider bringing back into practice )
A scented garden is not complete without a variety of herbs .
Each plant has its own characteristic flavour and scent , which may be used in cooking , making fragrant and beneficial " tisanes " ( nourishing decoctions  ) or making pot pourri .
Herbs can be picked and used fresh , cooked or dried .
Herb sandwiches are often overlooked but they have a fresh and pleasing flavour.....
spread wholemeal or brown bread with a little butter , cream cheese or vegemite then scatter with fresh herbs  finely chopped .
A little discretion is advised on the herb combinations ....
Basil and Marjoram are pungent and go well with parsley or chives ...
Pennyroyal has a strong peppermint flavour  and is best mixed with parsley or mint
Mustard and Cress  are a Victorian Era  High Tea combination
Laying sliced  spearmint leaves on spread in your sandwich is very refreshing on a hot day

ref...Flavour And Fragrance ...Rosemary Hemphill

CHURCHILL COMMUNTY GARDEN BARBEQUE 1ST MAY 2014

Everyone is welcome to attend the barbeque being held at the Churchill Hub on Thursday 1st May for your opportunity to be part of a Community Garden in Churchill .
Come along and have your say and plan out a direction for the community garden , for my part I am hoping for an edible garden with a view to incorporating a community kitchen , its all about our community , planning  a garden we can all contribute to and benefit from .
Come along and enjoy a free barbeque sausage  at the Churchill Hub 9-11 , Phillip Parade Churchill .
Thursday 1st May  ...4.00pm - 6.00pm .

GRADUATION PHOTOS HAVE ARRIVED

BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS

I seriously recommend everyone should have a Dictionary of Food on hand in their kitchen , they are invaluable as a learning tool .  I am continually surprised how many times I reach for mine , for example this morning I used the term spatchcock in conversation with my son Dale.....he questioned my description of the term telling me it was a breed of fowl ...
Who was correct  , look up your dictionary of Food ..?


My Dictionary of Food  was written by Charles Sinclair  , it is  very comprehensive ... including historical and international food and cooking terms.....
There are a lot of food dictionaries to choose from.

A HISTORY OF FOOD IN 100 RECIPES  by William Sitwell.. is well worth the read .
I originally purchased this book to while away the hours while I was on Masterchef in 2013  and have begun to reread the book , it is really interesting giving great insight to the origins of many dishes and ingredients  ".It certainly creates food for thought " .
 
A cracker of a find in a second hand book shop is my copy of CHOICE CUTS by Mark Kurlansky , complete with hand drawings and some original photos ie  Picasso and the Loaves , translated scripts ie Taillevent`s Oyster Stew, from Le Viandier . c 1390 .

The history of food is a necessary comprehension , to understand where we are heading  we need to have an overview of where we have been in terms of culinary history and culture.