Garlic + egg yolks + olive oil = Aoili

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012

The garlic is dug dried and plaited.

What better way to use up the egg of which I accidentally broke a little bit of the shell than turning into Aoili for a special Christmas extra.   First the cloves of garlic are pounded in a mortar and pestle. The egg yolks are separated.

Then bit by bit the olive oil is added into the mix, a dash of lemon juice until it all magically thickens up and becomes Aoili.

What to do with the leftover eggwhites? Whip them up into a meringue, smash that up and mix with cream and all those excess strawberries and raspberries we have at the moment. And what do you have? Eton Mess for dessert.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Herbs for all seasons, December 11, 2012

Tarragon

Dill

My new herb garden is growing like crazy.  This afternoon I harvested a few pieces of tarragon, coriander and dill and chopped them up finely. They keep really well in small ziplock bags in the freezer to have on hand whenever there isn't enough of the fresh variety in the garden. Now I am looking for some recipes to use the tarragon in as it is the first time I have ever grown it.
Updated Dec 12. Oh no - I was just reading Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion and she recommends growing French Tarragon as it is much more flavoured than Russian. I just checked my seed packet and......yes, mine is Russian.  :(   Better luck next time.

My 100th post.......simple salads for summer Monday December 3rd 2012

Everything is planted in the garden and now we just have to wait for it to grow. There are tiny zucchinis and squash forming. The climbing beans have commenced their climb. The lettuces are flourishing. Even the snow peas are podding up. Those pesky birds can't get to the strawberries and blueberries any more.
With warmer days and even sometimes warm evenings, it is time for barbecues. There is nothing simpler than putting a salad together to accompany whatever is on the barbecue so it's nice to have some snazzy dressing on hand to go on the salad of freshly picked lettuce and mustard greens. Add a few dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes from last season's stock and it is ready.

Supplies were running a bit low the other day so it was time to whip up a new batch. This dressing is really simple but super tasty. Olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, thyme, oregano, basil and curry powder. Toss everything in the blender, mix it together on smoothie setting and voila.....a dressing to have on hand for any occasion. Tastes great!
And as for that Stilton.....it is wrapped in foil in the fridge but I dare not look at it.