Thursday 2 April 2015

In My Kitchen April 2015

And so April rolls around bringing Easter, ANZAC Day, school holidays and birthdays.  Daylight savings ends and Autumn has well and truly set in.  My kitchen has been filled with lots of fresh produce, generosity and a few favourite recipes.

Above is a picture of the salts in my kitchen: spicy salt, onion salt, French lavender salt, Himalayan salt, smoked salt, BBQ salt, wild garlic salt and regular salt in the salt hog.  Then I remembered I hadn't included black salt and table salt.  It sometimes seems like my salt habit is taking over the kitchen!

We have been off to Farmers Markets quite a few times, including one weekend when I went to three, having discovered the two were actually not on that week.  I am particularly keen on buying in-season apples from markets because they are so much better than those at the supermarket.  The above haul is from the Flemington Farmers Market.  Apples, plums, bagels, tomatoes, strawberry vinegar, dried apricots, almonds and beetroot. 

The tomatoes from the farmers market went into a batch of Tomato Kitchen Sink Chutney.  It is something I really love but E isn't eating it as much because he is ploughing through a chilli jam he was given for Christmas.

Another tomato product in my kitchen has been these Karg's Tomato and Mozzarella Crispbreads.  They were rather tasty with some hummus.  And very crunchy.  I bought them out of curiosity.  They are not likely to be a regular fixture in my kitchen but I would definitely buy them again.

On International Women's Day I was invited to an afternoon tea.  My friend Penny asked us all the bring bunches of purple and/or white flowers.  During the afternoon tea she made bouquets for everyone to take home made of a selection of the flowers we brought along.  It was a lovely gesture of community and I loved having the flowers in my kitchen.

Another kind gesture was the offer of quinces by one of the mothers at school.  We took away a heavy bagful.  Mardi warned me they were wormy and we did indeed spy one worm trying to escape the fruit bowl.

I cooked up the quinces and baked an apple and quince crumble (a bit like this).  It was lovely with some yoghurt.  That left me with lots of quince syrup.  Sylvia and I have gradually been drinking it with a little vinegar and lots of soda water.

I gave a lot of the quinces to my mum.  She has been making quince jelly ever since I can remember.  When we were young one of dad's colleagues had a quince tree.  These days my mum takes quinces where she can get them.  And still makes quince jelly.  The colour is just beautiful.  She sent me home from our last visit with a jar for us and a jar for Mardi.

My mum also gifted us some eggplant and feta filo pastries that a friend of hers had baked.  They sat in the freezer until I needed some quick dinner.  We already had coleslaw in the freezer.  I just had to cook the corn and broccoli and chop up some tomatoes.  Easy.  And delicious.

When I originally made this teriyaki tofu with brown rice and kale, E said it would be better with more vegies in the rice.  This version with corn and carrot was lovely.  However I think I could have cooked the tofu longer until it was a little charred.

A friend gave me this pomegranate off her tree.  I tried to blend up some of the arils in a smoothie in a high speed blender but it was still a bit gritty.  We really loved the rest of the arils plain or with yoghurt and muesli.  I just wish I had got organised to scatter them over a salad.

We had pancakes the other morning.  Unusually we didn't have a manky banana to use in our regular pancakes.  So we made these vegan pancakes.  I doubled the recipe, but didn't double the maple syrup, turmeric, salt and vanilla essence.  The mixture was really thin and a bit of a nightmare when we tried to make shapes with a squeezy bottle.  I added a bit more flour and it worked much better.  I tried a face, a flower, a gingerbread man and a giraffe.  I am hoping to make a green giraffe pancake one day.  That would make me very happy!

I am sending this post to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her In My Kitchen event.  Head over to join in (by 10th of each month) and/or check out what is happening in other bloggers' kitchens.

27 comments:

  1. that quince jelly looks delish and I'm drooling over the corn...fresh corn doesn't exist here sadly, you can buy it vacumn sealed or tinned.

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    1. Thanks Cate - I just love fresh corn on the cob - how strange that they don't have it in Germany but I guess it is quite an American food and maybe you need a warmer climate

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  2. I do so love your pancake giraffe. Thanks for enlightening me as to the appearance of quinces, too! I don't know if I've ever seen them (although it seems odd if I haven't)...they do look funny.

    Daylight savings has started here and it does feel like we are moving slowly but steadily in opposite weather directions :) Enjoy the cooler change, and happy Easter for this weekend.

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    1. Thanks Kari - quinces are a strange fruit - these ones were particularly knobbly - I quite like their downy yellow skin. It is quite wintery today with a creek flooded as we took the train home from the city and it feels dark with the end of daylight savings - hope you are enjoying the warm weather

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  3. Look at your giraffe pancake, he's perfect! And the quinces - what a gift! Your mum's quince jelly is glowing like rubies. Everything is red and shiny and healthy in your kitchen this month, with the exception of those pretty purple and white flowers! :)

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    1. Thanks Celia - yes quinces are really special - it is so amazing how ruby they become from such a pale yellow colour.

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  4. It's funny you should say that about salt. I have a post coming up on salt in the coming month or so. I love those Dr Kargs biscuits. When we lived in Switzerland for a few months, the Emmental with Pepitas were my treat. They were hideously expensive but I loved to take them with us on hikes. Loving the giraffe! A truly tasty tour.

    ps: shut up about those quinces! I'm so jealous… Your syrup and vinegar sounds like the shrub I make:
    http://www.tiffinbitesized.com.au/2013/10/01/strawberry-rosemary-shrub/

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    1. Thanks Fiona - ooh will have to look out for your salt post - this was my first taste of Dr Kargs biscuits - I think I might like them occasionally as a treat. Have looked up your shrub and it sounds very interesting - a good way to use up syrup from stewed fruit.

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  5. Happy Easter Johanna! I <3 the adorable giraffe pancakes…

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  6. I always do so enjoy your IMK posts! You kitchen is certainly filled with generosity. I have some himilayan salt in my kitchen and also picked up some kali namak aka black salt. I am curious as to what you did with the lavender salt? The giraffe pancake is awesome!

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    1. thanks Shaheen - I use the lavender salt as an all purpose salt - particularly for European style dishes - lots of soups and stew. I will add the link to it to the post. I love using it because it makes me feel very fancy.

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  7. The pancake giraffe is amazing Johanna. I am very impressed! How did you make it? So cool!
    Having read so many summery posts from you over recent months, it seems a little strange that it all now begins to switch round! Happy Easter!

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    1. Thanks Kate - it is a matter of drawing the outline of the pancakes using a squeezy bottle, letting the outline cook a bit so it is darker and then filling it in - not the easiest way to make pancakes but fun - and easier if you get the consistency right for drawing. We read so much about the opposite season in the northern hemisphere for us on blogs but always seem to be chasing each others' tail :-)

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  8. So many lovely goodies in your kitchen, Johanna! Love the quinces... and wow that quince jelly looks amazing!

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    1. Thanks Lizzy - quince jelly is so beautiful when done right - my mum has many years experience of making it and does make a lovely one - she is very critical of quince jellies that she sees for sale as she has high standards :-)

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  9. Your pancakes look amazing! Did you have a stencil or just freehand? I must admit, I have a bit of a salt addiction too. I just can't go past trying something new. How good is apple cider vinegar - I take a capful with water everyday. Lovely seeing In your Kitchen this month, see you next month

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    1. Thanks Miss Food Fairy - the pancake is freehand - I copied a picture off the web. I get excited when I see a new salt but I go through them so slowly. Apple cider vinegar is great - I really like the braggs one in the drink - it is quite robust.

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  10. Lots of fresh produce, generosity and a few favourite recipes.sounds good to me. Lovely look in your kitchen.

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  11. What a busy kitchen. I adore quinces and the jam. Nothing says autumn like a bowlful of quinces on the kitchen bench.

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    1. Thanks Milk and Honey - and quinces smell so lovely in the kitchen too

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  12. Love your quince jelly and your giraffe made me smile today!
    What a warm and welcoming kitchen view this month also! Thank you!

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  13. I don't think I've ever tried a quince. I'm curious now. Will need to see if I can hunt one down to sample.

    My toddler likes pandan paste mixed into pancakes and baked goods. It gives a lovely fresh taste and a bright green colour. Perhaps something to consider for your green giraffe pancake (the non green one is just delightful!)

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  14. I love your kitchen =) Wow - my salt collection is so boring - I only have two. I would really like to try the lavender one.
    The flowers are gorgeous! And the pancake is so cute!!! My pancakes barely resemble a regular pancake let alone something adorable ;p

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  15. Wow, that pancake giraffe rocks! Much skills!
    I adore making chutney, jam and jelly but my husband (quite fairly) tells me I have to empty the cupboard before I can make more. I don't eat any of them very fast so am taking some with me everytime I meet up with a friend, which is going down well!
    Kavey (fellow IMKer)

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  16. arils? i had never heard of the word before but this is the second blog i have seen it on this week! love your salts. i too have a huge salt collection including the tridosha. i also have saffron salt, truffle salt, vanilla, lime, maldon, pink river, roast olive salt, etc.. obsessed? who me? cute pancakes.

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  17. For some reason blogger doesn’t like wordpress as my comments on anyone with a blogspot address completely vanished! So, for the second time, I think I said Johanna that your salt collection is probably matched by my vinegar one, and as I’m sure you find, they’re all essential :) I also love your quinces - clever idea to use the syrup as cordial - and your market haul! And in future I’ll remember to just use my name and URL rather than wordpress :)

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  18. I also have a salt collection, it's quite addictive. But, also amazing how much flavor they can add.

    The first time I read your post I didn't get past the tomato chutney before I started pinning. Wonderful idea to use peaches with the tomatoes.

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