DINING ALONE ...NORTH AFRICAN LAMB MECHOUI

It`s a rare occasion that I cook for one ,  (well not alone as such Peaches and I were home alone .) so apart from sharing the contents of Peaches bowl , I decided on North African lamb mechoui .

It is a simple meal , but one of the best quick recipes.
Heat a lightly oiled gridle pan .
Make your mechoui salt , 1 dsp of  ground cumin , 1 dsp of  rock  salt , 1/2 tsp of chilli powder ,1/2 tsp of  smokey paprika .

Coat your lamb chops  (I used 4 loin chops ) with 2 tbs  melted ghee and rub  1/2 your salt mix onto the chops.
Place your chops on the hot gridle . Turning once .

I made a simple green leafed salad dressed only with sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced red onions drizzled with red wine vinegar .

I sliced some crusty bread to dip into the unused salt .
Accompanied by a glass of chilled Jacob`s Creek reisling .

Cheers Peaches ...

 

WARM SUMMER PASTA

This a great way to use some of your home grown tomatoes .

Peel and chop 5 good sized tomatoes
And slice 8 sun dried tomatoes
Now place the tomatoes in a bowl
 Add 60 gm of pitted black olives
Add a handful of freshly sliced basil
And 3 tbs of basalmic vinegar .
Cover and let stand for 30 minutes .
Slice up a spicy chorizo sausage   and cut into strips , set aside .
Place 500gm of ribbon pasta  ( your choice ...purchase a good quality egg pasta if not making your own ) , in boiling water till tender , drain and keep warm.
Heat a good glug of oil in a fry pan .
Saute 3 cloves of sliced garlic
3 tbs of fresh sage roughly chopped
chopped chorizo
Saute until chorizo warmed through.
Remove from heat
Toss through pasta and tomato mix
Serve with parmesan and garlic bread

FOR PAUL.......

Paul...
It is one  year ago today  that your world changed forever .
The phone call you made through a trembling voice  telling me that Shane had collapsed and was on life support in the Alfred hospital , Melbourne .
Witnessing your strength and courage over the following days as you sat with Shane , your family and friends , offering them support . You were amazing.
You were there for Shane right till the end.
As your mother it broke my heart to watch you suffer , and even worse I couldn't fix it , none of your family could .
A simple touch , a hug or those empty words " it will be alright " all seem so inadequate .
On the other side of your sadness , you have a beautiful memorial tree growing in the Alma Park Reserve .
A tattoo .
A beautiful feline called Polly .
You work for a very supportive company .
Caring friends
A family who will always  love you  .
And memories that will never fade.
Love you Paul.
Mum xx

 

AUNT RUBY`S VINAIGRETTE

This vinaigrette is one I fondly remember my aunt Ruby making in a `Carnivale ` glass jug .
I have that jug displayed on a dusty shelf in my kitchen .

This vinaigrette is made with a raw egg yolk .
( I grew up enjoying egg flips , sometimes as a treat but mostly on the occasion of recovery from an ailment , made with fresh milk from `Daisy` the Jersey  cow , which I hand milked everyday for family consumption. ..... the world is a very different place to 50 years ago  )
This vinaigrette is great with a green salad  or a dish of  lukewarm asparagus .
In a small bowl or jug use a fork to blend a teaspoon of Keen`s mustard powder with a teaspoon of honey .
Add the raw egg yolk , a pinch of salt and a tbs of cider vinegar .
Add a little  olive oil and continue to stir until the ingredients combine and becomes golden and creamy.
Any left over dressing keeps well in a jar in the refrigerator .

If the dressing separates , a brisk shake or stir restores the homogeneity.
 

VICTORIAN FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT - LATROBE VALLEY FOOD TOURS

 

Dear Julia,

My name is Emily, I am contracting you on behalf of Moral Fairground. Moral Fairground is a Melbourne based organisation which works with fair-trade and ethical businesses and producers to promote products and business practices to consumers and fellow businesses. Moral Fairground also works with ethical and fair-trade business to grow their market and impact.

Moral Fairground runs a series of events and programs each year, including the Ethical Enterprise Conference in November and the largest ethical festival in Australia, Fair@Square in December. For the last six years Moral Fairground has also been running a series of events during the Victorian Fair Trade Fortnight (8th - 22nd May 2015).

I understand you are Coordinator of the Latrobe Valley Food Systems Network, who you will be launching the Central Gippsland Interactive Food Map during April and May 2015 at the Regional Victoria Living Expo. We think the Central Gippsland Interactive Food Map is a wonderful initiative. It will highlight the rich variety of local and sustainable food produced in the region, while also providing a central information source for visitor planning to visit the valley as a food destination.

We would love to work with you to cross-promote this new initiative during the Victorian Fair Trade Fortnight in May by launching a one-day fair food tour in the Latrobe Valley. Moral Fairground would like to work with you to promote the diversity of sustainable and fair food produced in the valley.

The one tour would include 3-4 stops which provide visitors with access to local produce, growers, hands on experience, cooking demonstrations, behind the scene production and interaction with owner, producers and chefs. We also wish to provide visitors with the opportunity to purchase produce along the way. We wish to take groups of visitors from Melbourne CBD to show them how close they are to local, sustainable food, while the tour is also a regional destination tour for visitors.

Moral Fairground will also be working closely with our Ambassadors, local Chef and personality Noelene Marchwicki to making this tour possible. If this program is successful and with the support of the region and local producers, we would like to invest in the region by running sustainable and fair food tours every 2 months thereafter.

Susanna Bevilacqua, Director of Moral Fairground and I would love to come and talk to you about our proposed program in the Latrobe Valley, as a part of our larger umbrella event, Victorian Fair-trade Fortnight 2015.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warmest regards,

Emily Keen
Project Manager

Moral Fairground Pty Ltd
No.9/1 Heller Street
Brunswick Victoria
Australia 3056

M: 0455 791 969
F: 9387 3096
E: emily@moralfairground.com.au
W: moralfairground.com.au

This e-mail and any attachments may be confidential. You must not disclose or use the information contained in this e-mail if you are not the intended recipient. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately and delete the e-mail and all copies. Moral Fairground Pty Ltd does not guarantee that this e-mail is virus or error free. The attached files are provided and may only be used on the basis that the user assumes all responsibility for any loss, damage or consequence resulting directly or indirectly from the use of the attached files, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not. Moral Fairground Pty Ltd is not responsible for any changes made to a document other than those made by Moral Fairground Pty Ltd, or for the effect of any changes (not made by Moral Fairground Pty Ltd) on a document's meaning. The content and opinions in non-business e-mail are not necessarily those of Moral Fairground Pty Ltd.
 

SPICY THAI SOUP WITH PRAWNS

Shell and devein about 20 medium sized prawns ...set aside in refrigerator

Bring 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock to the boil
Add 2 tbs of crushed lemongrass
1/3 cup of sliced galangal
4 tbs of shredded lime leaves
1/2 cup of enoki mushrooms
4 tbs of fish sauce
2 tbs of chilli flakes
4 tbs of coconut milk
4 tbs of lime juice

Add the prawns to the pot along with sliced fresh green chillies .
Remove from the heat as soon as the prawns turn pink .
Serve immediately in warmed bowls
Garnish with coriander leaves

 

BRANDY BUTTER OR HARD SAUCE

Process .......
1/2 cup of soft butter
1/2 cup of sifted icing sugar
2 tbs of brandy
In a blender .
Form into roll in cling wrap
Chill
Then slice into small discs for serving.