Pumpkin sage pasta bake

There are some recipes that impress as they come out of the oven and land on the dinner tables.  Others feel like a huge mistake but, by the time we finish them days later, I am sad to part with such deliciousness.  This pumpkin sage pasta break is one of the latter.  I take the blame for my ambivalence, which is a result of my tinkering with the recipe.

The great success of the bake was the tofu cashew ricotta.  I've made vegan dairy substitutes before with nuts and they are very rich.  I've made vegan dairy substitute before with tofu and they are lacking some of the substance of dairy.  Combining nuts and tofu meant it was light but with enough substance to stop it floating to the ceiling.  I even loved the little chunks of cashews that my food processor struggled to blend completely.  I only had pesto, not basil, so mine wasn't technically vegan but I tried a similar mix since without pesto and loved it just as much.

My big mistake was to substitute dried breadcrumbs for fresh ones.  It seemed a reasonable shortcut in a dish that required lots of components and saucepans.  It was also all I had on hand.  However, I underestimated just how much the dish relied on the breadcrumbs.  Too many dried breadcrumbs made it taste like a mouthful of sawdust.

I also found the bake incredibly savoury and regretted leaving out the sugar.  I added a few sliced tomatoes on top and squeezed lime juice over it the second night.  It was much improved.  Maybe more lemon juice in the mix and more tomatoes on top would address the savouriness, in future.  More testing the taste of the mixture would also help.  And a salad on the side and dollop of good chutney would have been great.

I made this pasta bake some weekends ago on a day of baking bread, making decorative paper dolls, supermarket shopping and watching the Mabo telemovie (very beautiful and sad).  Sylvia was in the mood for tipping out everything on the floor and not eating dinner.  At least the pumpkin could roast while I was at the supermarket (being directed by Sylvia to pick up any stray packets she spied on the floor)!

This pasta bake goes to Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes for Bookmarked Recipes, an event founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Easey Cheesey Scones
Two years ago: NCR Zucchini Bread
Three years ago: They Who Dare: Masterchef and Ricki’s Tagine
Four years ago: Pumpkin soup and history
Five years ago: Full Moon Cupcakes

Pumpkin sage pasta bake
Adapted slightly from Veganomicon, via Where's the Beef?
Serves 8 (6 dinners and 2 lunches)

600g pumpkin, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
375g pasta pieces
2 onion, sliced (I only had 1)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (I didn't use but will next time)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp bush pepper mix
1/4 cup vegetable stock
5-8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
extra seasoning
Sliced tomatoes for topping (optional)

tofu cashew ricotta
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
600g firm tofu, drained
1 tbsp pesto (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

crumb topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs*
1/3 cup walnut pieces, crushed with a fork
6-8 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon mild paprika
1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp French lavendar salt

- Toss pumpkin with 2 tbsp olive oil and seasoning in a roasting dish.  Roast at 180 C for 30 minutes or until soft.  Mash roughly with a fork.  Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet.  Drain and set aside.
- Gently fry onions in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 30-40 minutes until soft and caramelly.  Stir frequently to check they aren't burning.  Set aside.  (I think I would add the sugar while frying onions next time.)
- Make cashew ricotta.  Blend cashews, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in food processor.  Add tofu, pesto (or basil) and salt.  Blend again until mixture is smooth.  Set aside.
- Mix pumpkin, pasta, onions, ricotta, nutmeg, pepper and stock in a large mixing bowl (or in the baking tray if you don't have a large enough bowl).
- Make the crumb topping by frying the breadcrumbs with other ingredients in oil for 3-4 minutes until golden and crunchy (I skipped the frying because I only had dried breadcrumbs but I dry fried the walnuts and drizzled some oil through the mixture - see note*). 
- Tip pasta and pumpkin mixture into a large baking tray (I used the same dish I had used to roast the pumpkin but can't remember if I washed it out or not!) and scatter with crumb topping.  Arrange sliced tomatoes on top if using.  Bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes (or in my oven about 40 minutes) or until crisp and golden brown on top (and if using tomatoes, until they are soft)

*Note: I substituted 1 and 1/2 cups of dried breadcrumbs for the fresh ones.  It was far too much when the bake was fresh out of the oven.  Neither crispy nor soft.  Once the bake has sat for a couple of days and the breadcrumbs had soaked up the moisture it was fine.  The solution?  Maybe if I used dried breadcrumbs again I would maybe sprinkle some of the dried breadrumbs in layers through the pasta bake.  Or maybe I could have lightly fried the dried breadcrumbs.  Seems the fresh breadcrumbs are ideal.

On the stereo:

Quiet Revolution - Various Artists

Patatas Bravas and Spanish memories

I wish I had heard of patatas bravas when I visited Spain.  I booked a trip there on a whim many years ago and was thoroughly miserable because I would have preferred to be at a Pulp gig in Edinburgh with E.  It didn't help that I didn't know a word of Spanish and couldn't work out what food was vegetarian.  I loved the fruit and veg markets on La Rambla but I just didn't understand tapas.

I saw some amazing sites in Spain and yet I just wasn't in the frame of mind for it.  Madrid left me cold, though it offered museums as well as churros and chocolate.  I loved the artwork of the Prado Museum and was moved by the full sized Guernica.  Toledo gave me a taste of the beautiful Moorish architecture.  Barcelona had a charming old town, the colourful La Ramblas and the Picasso Museum but most of all it had Gaudi. I just loved seeing his buildings but was even more astounded by the skillful blending of architecture and nature in Park Guell (above).  To this day, it is still among the most amazing gardens I have ever seen.

Finally I found I had to get out of the cities.  I went to Segovia on a whim and was calmed by the gorgeous small town.  I stayed in a pension where I found my landlady (who was far bigger than me) trying to take possession of my jeans away.  The huge Roman acquaduct inspired awe, whereas I loved the small scale of the Alcazar (which I heard inspired Walt Disney) and the Iglesia de la Vera Cruz (above), a church built by returning Crusaders.  I also discovered a vegetarian paella.  But I never tried tapas.  I just wasn't in the mood.

I'd like to think that if I went back to Spain I might enjoy spending time in tapas bars, eating patatas bravas.  Though I would probably find them rather spicy, if my experiences with them in restaurants since that trip is anything to go by.  The dish has been on my to-do list for some time now but it is only recently that I finally attempted it.  I'd like to think my photography might have improved by now but the photos of this final dish were quite unattractive.

My main problem, however, was trying to get a sense of the dish.  I had thought it was potatoes cooked in the oven in a tomato sauce but I couldn't find a recipe to fit my vision.  Finally I decided to try a recipe where I roasted the potatoes and tossed them in a tomato sauce.  This actually suited us because then I could give Sylvia some of the roast potatoes without the sauce.

The real star of the dish were some lovely pontiac potatoes from Preston farmer's market.  I used whisky and water instead of white wine and didn't have any parsley.  My potatoes too ages to roast in my slow oven but they were wonderfully golden and crispy when done.  The sauce was quite spicy but pleasantly so.  We ate them with some spinach pancakes that E fried for me while I made the sauce.  The Patatas Bravas were even better the next day when the sauce had soaked in to the potatoes.

I could have done with a robust dish like this for dinner tonight.  I made a mediocre stew which didn't bring the cheer I needed.  We all have colds at the moment, work is crazy-busy, Sylvia's routine has gone a little off kilter, and Blogger just swallowed some of my work tonight.  I suspect that like my Spanish trip, life is good but I am just not in the frame of mind tonight to appreciate it.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Paula's Carob Bikkies
Two years ago: Rhubarb and apple sponge pudding
Three years ago: AWED Butterscotch pudding
Four years ago: Miss Marple’s Tea Room – cosy charm
Five years ago: PPN#20: Cultures, traditions and macaroni cheese

Patatas bravas
adapted from taste.com.au
serves 4

1.5kg sebago potatoes, peeled (I used pontiac), chopped in inch squares about
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red onion, chopped (I used a brown onion)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli paste
1 and 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 tsp smoked salt (or sea salt and add extra smoked paprika)
2 tbsp whisky
1/4 cup water
400g can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (didn't use)

Preheat oven.  The recipe directed to roast at 200 C but I found I had to heat my oven to 240 (it is slow).  Place potatoes and an inch or tow of water in a large saucepan.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes (they should only be starting to cook at this stage, not soft through).  Drain

Set out two roasting tins.  Toss half the potatoes with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of french lavender salt (or regular salt) in each large roasting pan.  (Ideally I would heat the oil in the pan first but I didn't have time.) Roast potatoes for 40 minutes or until crisp and tender.  (Mine took 80 minutes.)

Meanwhile heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan (I think I used the same once I cooked the potatoes in) and fry onions for about 5 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic, chilli paste and paprika and stir well for about 1 minute.  Add salt, whisky, water, tomatoes and oregano.  Bring to the boil and simmer approximately 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  Season and puree (I used a hand held blender so mine wasn't totally smooth).  Return to heat to check it is heated through.  (I cooked mine an additional 20 minutes as I wanted to be sure it was thick enough).  Stir in parsley and toss sauce through roasted potatoes. 

On the Stereo:
The Sound of Music (soundtrack)

TTT Macaroon cake with raspberries

A great gluten free cake recipe is a wonderful thing in this day and age.  The flourless chocolate and the flourless orange are classics.  The lovely Hannah at Wayfaring Chocolate recently posted an Almond and Coconut Cake with Raspberries to add to this list.  It was only a matter of time before I tried it.  I made it for a birthday dinner on the weekend and found it as delicious as it was easy.

My kitchen cupboards yielded some items of interest for the cake.  I use some neglected pistachios from the back of the pantry, as well as almonds.  My tin was slightly smaller than the recipe called for so I put some of the batter into a small springform tin I stumbled across.  Best of all was the help from my wee kitchen assistant, Sylvia (and no, she doesn't live in a cupboard). 

I left my cake in the oven until I was sure it felt cooked in the middle, despite it getting rather brown on the outside.  As you can see from the below photo, its underbelly was still rather moist in the middle.  I blame my oven which cooks rather slowly.  Fortunately such flourless cakes can cope with some squidginess in the middle.

Once cooled, the large cake looked effortlessly pretty and sliced up nicely.  However Sylvia and I were too impatient to wait for the small cake to cool.  This was our tester cake to eat warm out of the oven.  It was a rich, nutty, crumbly, berry-studded mess on the plate.  I had high hopes for this cake and it didn't let me down.

It was like a big warm macaroon.  Only better.  I love anything with dessicated coconut but macaroons are special because I love them with a Proustian nostalgia.  Hence I renamed it a Macaroon Cake.  After all, once I added pistachios, it felt wrong to call it an almond and coconut cake.

The cake accompanied me to a birthday dinner for my nephew Cooper.  It is the second birthday dinner we have had at my brother's place recently.  The above photo is of my niece Ashton's birthday spread.  I loved the cute shapes in the fairy bread that you can see at the front.  There is also lemon slice, grubs and rocky road.  Delicious.

Even more impressive is my sister-in-law, Erica's, cake decorating.  At the back of the above photos you can see the owl cake in slices.  Below is Cooper's alien cake.  Aren't the lollypop antennae cute?  Sylvia was intent on having a "pom-pom" off the tummy.  I must try to make Erica's mum's chocolate caramel tarts (with butternut snap bases) that went down a treat. 

It wasn't all sweet food.  I have been using these occasions to try out some sausage roll recipes that I will post about after some further experiments.  As for the cake, I think there might be a few tweaks when I next bake it.  I did consider some orange zest, slices of peach or other berries but most of all I want to try a chocolate version.

I am sending this cake to Karen of Lavender and Lovage for the July Tea Time Treats event, which is Summer Fair and Fetes and Cakestall Cakes and Bakes.  Having coeliacs in my family means I am always pleased to see gluten free cakes at a cake stall, and having to carry it home, means I want something that is sturdy enough to travel.  Plus I want something pretty and a little special.   This cake fits the bill.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Mulled wine and chocolate cake
Two years ago: Pumpkin, Ricotta and Facon Spaghetti Bake
Three years ago: Breakfast Burritos – My Way!
Four years ago: Corn bread, borscht and common sense
Five years ago: Mexicale Pie - an old favourite

Macaroon cake with raspberries
From Wayfaring Chocolate

1 and 1/2 cups (170g) almond meal (I used pistachios for a third of this)
1 and 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar
3/4 (70g) desiccated coconut
200g Nuttelex (or butter)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (55g) fresh or frozen raspberries.

Preheat oven to 180 C.  Grease and line a 24cm round cake tin.  (I used a 22cm springform tin and a 10cm springform tin).

Mix the ground nuts, sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl.  In a large jug or small mixing bowl, melt nuttalex gently in the microwave (which means you can get away without cooling it as you would need to do if melting on the stovetop).  Whisk in the eggs one at a time with a fork.  (Be quick if you are paranoid as me about chunks of cooked egg in the cake, even if the butter is so cool it couldn't cook the egg.)  Add vanilla and whisk to mix.  Pour butter mixture into nut mixture and gently mix until combined.  You will have quite a thin batter.

Pour batter into prepared cake tin(s).  Dot with raspberries.  Bake at 180 C for about 50-55 minutes (or 70 minutes if your oven is slow like mine).  The cake will be golden brown and feel cooked in the centre, though even then I found mine quite soft when I served (but that was fine).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

On the stereo:
The Soft Bulletin: The Flaming Lips

Sam Stern's Lancashire Burgers

Ah, the simple pleasures of winter.  Steaming mugs of tea.  Picking lemons off the tree.  Baking bread.  Coming home to a warm house.  Melted cheese.  Last weekend in between making barley stew and gingerbread men, I made Lancashire Burgers from Sam Stern's Eat Vegetarian.  They were fantastic.  Unlike most burgers I make, I shallow-fried these.  They were crisp and golden and tasted as good as fried cheese.

I found the Sam Stern book in the library.  Apparently he is a teen celebrity chef and cookbook writer.  I really liked the modern feel of the book.  It has lots of tempting British old-school vegetarian recipes - including these burgers, cheese fat rascals and nut roast.  I agree with the reviewer on amazon.co.uk who remarks 'If you like Jamie Oliver you'll like Sam Stern.'  This recipe was quick, easy and tasty, albeit not for those who are counting calories.

The burgers seemed unlikely to work when I had a bowlful of crumbly mixture.  Yet once squished together they looked like burgers and when the cheese melted it held them firmly together.  (They reminded me of these cheesey pumpkin sausages.)  Sam Stern suggested serving them in a bun with salad.  I wasn't so organised.  Nevertheless I highly recommend these for a quick weekend meal with chutney, roasted pumpkin and steamed brussells sprouts.  They were also lovely cold the next day.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Cookie wands
Two years ago: Falafel for E, Pizza for Sylvia
Three years ago: NCR Quinoa, Cabbage and Corn Soup
Four years ago: Curious Chipotles and Bonza Burritos
Five years ago: Peanut Butter Brownies

Lancashire burgers
From Sam Stern's Eat Vegetarian 
makes 6 burgers

110g fresh breadcrumbs (I used wholemeal that were a few days old)
175g lancashire cheese (the orange one), grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp English mustard (I used yellow mustard powder)
finely grated rind of half a lemon
seasoning, to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Mix together all ingredients (except vegetable oil).  Sam Stern chilled his mixture but I didn't.  The mixture looks like it isn't coming together enough but squish a handful together to make a patty.  Repeat until you have 6 burgers.  Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy based non-stick frypan over medium-high heat.  Fry burgers in oil for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on kitchen towel and eat warm. 

On the Stereo:
The BBC Sessions: Belle and Sebastian

Smoothie, floors and craft

I never thought I would see the day!  Sylvia is finally drinking smoothies.  Given that I haven't find time to post much else today, I thought I would share today's smoothie.  I will also tell you about a few other things that have been distracting me from my blogging.

Below is are three photos representing before, during and after our bathroom floor was updated, thanks to a couple of rotting floorboards.  It is never fun having to have this sort of work done.  Lining up our (very helpful) handyman to pull up the lino and the people to lay the vinyl the next day was lots of fun.
 

I was sorry to loose the retro lino pattern but it seems that lino (or vinyl, which is far easier to find these days than lino) comes in quite boring patterns of wood grain and marble these days.  I include a picture of the old floorboards because they reminded me of an ancient map of the world.

Above is today's craft project.  E brought home a Pringles crisps tube for Sylvia to transform.  I did most of winding the wool.  Sylvia was too busy watching Playschool and playing with her neighbours.  It was a little tricky for her anyway.  She did enjoy helping stick some spots on. (NB a few of the little pom poms fell off before drying.)  We are not the only ones with this idea.  Mr Maker was doing some art with Pringles crisps tubes today too.

Sylvia will always eat crisps.  For a long time, however, she has refused to drink smoothies.  At last she is starting to embrace them.  Perhaps she shares my disappointment in winter fruit.  It is a time of year when it is far harder to be excited about fruit.  I find it difficult to explain to her why I keep refusing her requests to buy cherries from America in the middle of our winter.

I had a little look at the open access section of the Medical Journal of Australia yesterday.  It details the health needs of vegetarians.  While it is very positive about people being able to get adequate nutrition from a vegetarian diet, it is always overwhelming to see the range we need to watch out for.

I added chia seeds to the smoothie at the last minute and both of us enjoyed it.  I also had spinach in my smoothie but sylvia prefers hers pink (as you can see in the photos).  Give her time and maybe she will come round.  I have recorded approximate quantities below.  My smoothies are always rather thick.  Sylvia struggled with her straw and used a spoon for some of it.  Lovely with cheese on toast or some barley soup.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Olive oil bread and calzone
Two years ago: Pumpkin soup for busy days
Three years ago: Slideshows, Nostalgia and Hedgehog
Four years ago: Pumpkin Pancakes on Parade
Five years ago: PPN#19: You say tuna, I say tempeh!

Raspberry, apricot and chia smoothie
serves 2-3

1 banana, broken into chunks
2/3 cup frozen raspberries
5-6 halves of stewed apricots in juice
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup soy milk
handful of baby spinach (optional)

Blend and slurp.

On the stereo:
Unknown Deutschland: the Krautrock Archive, vol 1: Various Artists

Zucchini and tomato quiche with wild garlic

It is my winter of pastry.  Today I discovered the reason.  Jamie Oliver suggests that one of the best ways of making pastry is to run your hands under the cold water tap so they are as cold as possible.  It is a cold winter and I am often finding myself with icy fingertips.  Perfect for pastry.  Serendipitous you might say.  Like this quiche.  I only made it to save scraps around the kitchen from the compost heap and to use the leftover ball of pastry in the fridge.

The quiche was also an excellent reason to open my packet of dried wild garlic that Kath of My Funny Little Life kindly sent me after I expressed a interest in it.  You can see that the box above looks a bit battered.  That is because the Australian Customs are very wary of any package containing food.  They had to open the package and play football with my wild garlic for a while until they got tired and put it in the post to send on to me.  Can you believe they would be so suspicious of such a generous blogger!

All jokes aside, I am enamoured of the wild garlic and have been using it in soups, roast veg, flatbreads and anything else I can think of.  Every time I open the box, I enjoy a whiff of the heady herby garlicky aroma.  I love it all the more because it is something I have never had the chance to use before.  It was lovely in the roasted veg that went into the quiche.  I think I am right in saying it does quite nicely as a substitute for garlic even though it has a far greener, herbier taste.  I am just sorry that I was a bit unsure of it and took a while to start using it.

The recipe for the quiche is from one of my cookbooks that got me through my student days.  Alison Holst is a reliable person to turn to when I am feeling unsure of pastry.  She calls this a vegetable flan but that just sounded too eggy and milky.  So I called mine quiche and adapted it to use up whatever was lurking in the fridge.  I served it with corn, brussels sprouts and (on the second night) with an amazing orange salad that I can't wait to share.  The quiche sliced up so neatly and tasted ever so good.

I am sending this quiche to Vardhini of Cook's Joy for the Veggie/Fruit a Month event which highlights Zucchini this month. 

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: CC Orange, Lavender and Almond Syrup Cake
Two years ago: Lemon Slice and some Nostalgia
Three years ago: A Tale of Carrot and Feta Dip
Four years ago: Sparkles the Rabbit Cake
Five years ago: The Worcestershire Sauce Puzzle

Zucchini and tomato quiche
Adapted from Alison Holst's Meal without Meat

1 x 20cm unbaked shortcrust pie shell (in a greased dish) - see below
2 tsp olive oil
1 large zucchini, diced
1 tsp dried wild garlic (or a crushed garlic clove)
pinch salt (I used wild garlic salt)
125g cherry tomatoes, halved
handful of baby spinach, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp milk
1 cup grated cheese
2-3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Toss zucchini with olive oil, dried wild garlic and a generous pinch of salt for about 30 minutes at 220 C.  Add tomatoes and continue roasting for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and zucchini is slightly charred.  Mix in spinach.  Cool slightly (well I take so long it cooled but I am not sure if it really had to).

While vegies are roasting, pop the pastry shell in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes.  (Technically I think you should blind bake it but I didn't.  Too much hassle.)

Meanwhile, lightly whisk yoghurt, milk and cheeses in a small bowl or jug.

Scatter vegies over the pastry shell.  Pour the cheesy mixture over it.  Bake for 20 minutes at 220 C and another 20 minutes at 180 C.  The quiche is ready when it is golden brown and firm in the middle.  Sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.

Shortcrust pastry
Adapted from Delia Online and King Arthur Flour

2 cups flour
125g butter
2-4 tbsp cold water
pinch salt

Place flour and butter in food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add water a tablespoon at a time until the pastry forms a ball.  Wrap in clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.  I made 12 mince pies and one 20cm quiche.  I baked the mince tarts for about 30 minutes at 200 C.

On the Stereo:
Listen Listen: an introduction to Sandy Denny

in my kitchen: July 2012

I am participating in Celia's In My Kitchen event again.   She has dedicated this month's event to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, who passed away on Friday.  I'd like to add my condolences to her family and friends.  I was aware of Barbara's lovely blog due to her fantastic event A Touch of Yellow that she held to raising awareness of cancer. 

So I start this peek into my kitchen with a touch of yellow in these Corn Crunch snacks.  Very crunchy, very moreish, and very very salty.  They come into individual packs.  Not good for the environment but great for throwing in your bag when you are out and about.

Another moreish snack that has graced our kitchen of late are tubs of these Chocolate berri-buds.  Balls of soft milk chocolate with dried berries inside.  It is hard to eat just one.

A healthier way to get a sweet fix is this Black Adder Liquorice tea.  I used to drink this a lot and haven't drunk a lot of tea for ages.  With the onset of winter I suddenly had a yen for a steaming mug of this tea.  I couldn't find it in the supermarket but fortunately our health food store stocks it.

While on the topic of teas, I can't resist sharing this cute teabag.  I bought E these RoyalTea teabags for Christmas.  He wasn't that impressed with the actual taste of the tea but the bags are fun.  Sylvia thought the man in the cup was hilarious.  (Apologies, your majesty!)

French walnut oil.  I bought this for a salad that I shall share soon.  It made a huge difference to the dressing.  I was surprised to find it wasn't the first time I had bought walnut oil.  Though not in such a fancy tin before.  I quite like the aesthetic of it.  Maybe I need to make these brownies again.

My parents had a recent trip to Sydney and brought back some goodies.  Above is the Hazelnut and Raisin Sourdough Bread from the Bourke Street Bakery.  I loved the dense bread with the golden chewy crust.  Great with soup.  She also brought me a peach tea pot from Adrian Zumbo.   It was delicious but I am less enamoured of creamy desserts.

Winter is the time when I struggle to find appealing fruit.  My favourite packham pears seem to be passing their peak but I am enjoying eating oranges and mandarins.  We only have one lime left on the tree but a few lemons still hang off the boughs of the lemon tree.

I discovered these Wallaby Bites in the health food section of the supermarket recently.  Dried fruit, nuts and rice bubbles covered in chocolate.  They hail from Byron Bay and are Gluten Free.  Work has been very busy lately so it helps to have these snacks in a drawer in case of a chocolate emergency.

I will finish with a word of caution.  Beware letting a 3 year old hold a baguette in the backseat of the car on the way home.  We bought this sourdough baguette after lunch at Sugardough yesterday.  It is hard to find a free table in the cute little bakery cafe.  It is even harder to resist all the wonderful baked goods upon leaving.  Seems that young children can't resist their bread either!