Strawberry Season in Queensland...

It is strawberry season here in Queensland Australia and I can’t get enough of this beautiful fruit!

We visited a local farmer’s market in Mackay and stocked up. I have to say they are truly THE BEST strawberries I have ever tasted (sorry England).

What I really love about these strawberries is that they are so juicy and flavourful you want to eat them just as they are. A delicious, wonderful gift from Mother Nature.

Omelette With Fresh Herbs And Cheese....

There is a real art to making the perfect omelette. I will confess that I haven’t quite mastered it yet (they tend to be a bit on the mangled side), but I do like to try. For me the key ingredients in any omelette (aside from the eggs) are fresh herbs, freshly ground black pepper and some grated cheese. That’s really all you need for a perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner! Well actually add some freshly sliced tomatoes and a few slices of whole meal toast on the side, and you’re away!

Unfortunately our tomatoes aren’t ready for eating yet – but they are getting there. So for this meal we used tomatoes from our local farm shop. I really can’t wait till we can use our own!

Luna Raye’s Recipe For A Fresh Herb and Cheese Omelette.

Ingredients

6 eggs (I always used organic and free range).

Fresh Herbs:1 Tablespoon Sage finely chopped.

3 Tablespoons Curly Parsley finely chopped.

3 Tablespoons Tarragon finely chopped.

4 Tablespoons Chives finely chopped.

¼ Cup of grated mature cheddar cheese, (You can also use Gruyere).

Salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste.

3 – 4 Vine tomatoes sliced and served on the side.

A few slices of buttered wholemeal toast cut into triangles.

Directions

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk.

Add the grated cheese and the chopped herbs and mix together.

Season with some freshly ground salt and pepper.

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and when melted add the egg mixture. It’s important NOT to let the butter brown as this means the pan is too hot.

While the mixture is cooking use a spatula to lift the edges of the omelette so that some of the uncooked mixture runs underneath.

When the omelette is set (or a golden brown colour) underneath it’s time to flip it over. It will still be slightly runny on top and as you flip it, it will finish cooking through.

This is usually where I cross my fingers and hope for the best (or more likely I call my husband in to deal with it so that I can go and pour the wine!)

NOTE: Tonight I finally realized where it was all going wrong. For too long I was trying to cook ‘Kent’s biggest omelette’ in my kitchen. This is NOT a good idea and it makes omelette management very tricky. More often then not a large portion of it ends up on the stove top (which I then have to clean – not fun!). So the key to success is a smaller pan and cooking each omelette individually.

Have fun experimenting with different herbs and above all – enjoy!

Fresh herbs for my omelette; Parsley, Chives, Sage and Tarragon.

Omelette with Fresh Herbs and Cheese.

Picnic Success: Spicy Cucumber, Carrot and Cashew ...

I am still recovering from last Saturday when my husband and I went on our first ever road trip since passing his driving test. We got some supplies the night before, namely an extra large cooler box. Perfect for keeping our picnic cool and also providing a great storage place for any treats we happened to pick up along the way. It is cherry season after all!

I woke up early and set about making the Spicy Cucumber and Cashew Salad. I had planned on making it the night before but got carried away watching several episodes of Burn Notice (Bruce Campbell is my hero!). Fortunately it is a very simple dish to make. The most labour intensive part is chopping and mixing.

We did make some adjustments to the original dish that chef Bill Granger showed on Saturday Morning Kitchen. He made a marinade for some chicken thighs and used half for the chicken and the rest as a base for a spicy salad dressing. As we just wanted the salad we followed his recipe for the salad dressing but added a few extra bits to compensate for the lack of marinade.

To view Bill Granger’s fantastic original recipe courtesy of the BBC Food website please click here.

This is how we made our version of this tasty salad.

Luna Raye’s version of a Spicy Cucumber, Carrot and Cashew Nut Salad with Vermicelli Noodles.

Ingredients

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 large red chillies, finely chopped

2 tsp of fresh ginger, minced

4 tbsp sugar

4-5 tbsp of fresh lime juice

250g of vermicelli rice noodles

1 large cucumber halved and thinly sliced

1 medium sized carrot halved and cut into thin strips

4 spring onions, sliced finely

Small handful of fresh mint leaves (we used apple mint from our garden)

3-4 tbsp unsalted cashews, crushed.

Directions

Put fish sauce in large bowl with lime juice and sugar.

Stir until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add the chopped garlic cloves, chillies and minced ginger to a pestle and mortar and crush and blend until you get a nice paste (it won’t be a smooth paste but everything should be blended up well).

Add this mixture (it should smell fantastic!) to the liquid in the bowl and give a gentle stir.

Cut the cucumber, carrot and spring onions into thin strips and set aside.

Cook the vermicelli noodles by putting them in a heat proof bowl and adding enough boiled water to cover them. I gave them a quick stir as I did this just to make sure they didn’t clump together.

I also snapped the noodles in half before cooking them – to make them a bit more manageable in the salad.

Leave the noodles to cook for 4 – 5 minutes. Once they have softened drain and rinse them in cold water.

Once cooled, add the drained noodles to a large bowl and gradually start to mix in the liquid (fish sauce, lime juice and dissolved sugar) and the finely chopped vegetables.

Toward the end add the finely chopped fresh mint and continue to mix until well combined.

Just before serving add the crushed cashew nuts.

Enjoy!

NOTE: I also wanted to mention a really helpful tip that Bill Granger shared as he was preparing his dish. Limes can be difficult to squeeze, and even rolling them on the countertop before hand sometimes doesn’t help. He suggested cutting the lime in half and then taking the very end of the lime off. This leaves you with a rather large ‘slice’ of lime which is much easier to squeeze. I tried it and it worked a charm!

We had a fantastic day out and really enjoyed our picnic. The salad made a refreshing change and in the current heat wave we have been experiencing it was just what we needed.
In our eagerness to tuck into the salad we forgot to put the cashew nuts on. Luckily we brought the bag with us but we hadn’t crushed them. My husband not having the patience to wait dumped a handful of cashews onto each plate. It still tasted great but I think in future we will crush them, if we can remember that is!

As we continued with our driving adventure (Ok we got lost!) we passed a sign saying cherries for sale. We turned down a lovely country lane and found a mother and daughter selling the most beautiful cherries out of their back yard, which led into their orchard. We got a pound of cherries and ate them all on the way home. It was a successful day and a very successful picnic. We did make it home eventually and it was no thanks to the sat nav!

Spicy Cucumber, Carrot and Cashew Nut Salad with Vermicelli Noodles

Underneath a Willow Tree, The Perfect Picnic Spot.

Perfect Picnic Food But We Forgot the Cashew Nuts!

A Perfect Summer Meal: Luna Raye’s Light and Ea...

Summer has well and truly arrived. For the past few weeks the sun has been shining everyday and it has been hot, hot, hot! This lovely weather has worked wonders on my garden and everything seems to be thriving (which makes a change from last years disappointing efforts.)

There is an abundance of herbs and I have been incorporating them into as many of my meals as I can. Last night I had a craving for pasta. Sometimes you just can’t beat a bowl of spaghetti served with a nice chilled white wine.

Although I am growing tomatoes, they haven’t started to bear fruit yet so I bought some plum tomatoes from a greengrocer that specializes in local Kent produce. I also bought a few chestnut mushrooms. Once I had assembled those ingredients I went out into the garden to collect some herbs. I decided on Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme.

It was a very light and refreshing meal and the flavour of the herbs came through beautifully. I really love being able to use ingredients from the garden and I can’t wait until we can use our own tomatoes!

So here is my recipe for a perfect summer meal:

Luna Raye’s Recipe For Light and Easy Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs from the Garden.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (I used enough for 2 people approx 160 – 200 grams).

9 Plum Tomatoes cut roughly into chunks (Cherry Tomatoes also work well. What’s important is that they are fresh).

9 Chestnut Mushrooms sliced ( I like mine a bit chunky but they can be sliced thinner if you prefer).

A selection of Fresh Herbs preferably from your garden! I used Curly Parsley, Coriander, Sage and Lemon Thyme. I used approximately about 4 Tablespoons of the chopped mixed herbs.

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Directions

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking roughly chop the tomatoes and slice the mushrooms. Set them aside.
Roughly chop the herbs and also set aside.

When the spaghetti is al dente drain it and do not rinse. The idea is to keep a small amount of the cooking water in the pot.

Put the spaghetti back in the pot and add the tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Mix well and transfer to serving bowls.

Add some freshly ground pepper and parmesan cheese to taste.

Enjoy it out in the garden with some chilled white wine!

NOTES:

For ages whenever I cooked pasta I would add a wee bit of olive oil to the water which I thought would prevent the pasta from sticking together. This was not only rather costly it can actually impair the flavour of the dish. The pasta becomes oily and is unable to absorb any sauce.

I also remember being told that it was important to rinse cooked pasta after it’s been drained. This isn’t a good idea either. Rinsing pasta cools it down which means it stops the pasta from absorbing sauces. This can also impair the over all flavour of the dish.

Rinsing also washes away any starch that is left on the pasta. This starch is important for thickening sauces, so it’s beneficial to always reserve some of the cooking water from your pasta.

I first tried this technique when I made Nigella Lawson’s Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms and it was wonderful.

Here is a great article by Shirley Corriher on How To Cook Pasta Properly.

Light And Easy Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Herbs

The Abundant Garden.

The Joy of Local Produce: Apple and Rhubarb Crumbl...

Since my husband or I don’t know how to drive, much of the Kent countryside has remained a mystery to us. There simply are some places we can’t get to via bus or train. As for cycling, I wouldn’t feel comfortable on the small winding country roads.

When Jessica was here she rented a car and we were able to do some exploring! One of the highlights was discovering farmer’s markets and the many farm shops selling local produce. One such farm shop was in a lovely little town called Hadlow in Tonbridge. The shelves were full of home made pickles and jams. There was loads of fresh produce as well and some beautiful rhubarb caught our eye.

We bought a few goodies and made our way home! Unfortunately, our plans for an apple and rhubarb crumble didn’t materialize while Jess was still here. I ended up making it the day after she flew back home. I have to say it was delicious (sorry Jess!)

So here it is:

Luna Raye’s Scrumptious Farm Shop Apple and Rhubarb Crumble.

Ingredients

3 large cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped into chunks.

3 medium sized rhubarb stalks, cut into chunks.

½ cup of sultanas.

2 Tablespoons ground All Spice.

50 grams unsalted butter.

3 Tablespoons brown sugar.

Splash of water.

For the Crumble Topping

150 grams of flour.

50 grams cold unsalted butter.

50 grams granulated sugar.

2 Tablespoons crushed pecans or walnuts.

Directions

Place unsalted butter in a saucepan and add the chopped apples.

Mix in the brown sugar and all spice and coat the apples.

Add a splash of water if you need more moisture.

After 5 minutes or when the apples start to soften, add the rhubarb and sultanas and mix all together.

When everything is nice and soft add to a large oven proof dish.

Directions for the Crumble Topping

Add the flour and granulated sugar into a bowl.

Cut the cold unsalted butter into chunks and gradually add to the flour and sugar mixture.

Use your hands to mix the butter in. You should end up with a mixture that is similar to bread crumbs.

Add the pecans to the crumble topping before spreading over the apple and rhubarb mixture.

Place in the oven preheated to 180 and cook for 30 – 45 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of cream or a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

Scrumptious Apple and Rhubarb Crumble