Winter warm-ups

It is the time of year that Aga owners feel particularly smug about their ridiculously extravagant purchase and are basking in the warm hue of their cosy kitchens.

 It has been a wickedly cold winter so  it is a relief to have one warm room in the house and not have to set the kitchen fire every morning.    We have lambs galore frolicking about the wet and muddy paddocks....they are doing really well this year, despite the cold, after the good start we had in the autumn.

Daffodils in the morning light

We have been on a steady diet of warming winter soups...

and burnt-bottomed brussels:

I even came across a recipe for parmesan broth and had to try it.  I read about this on Food 52, via the Huffington Post here and since I had a cupful of parmesan rinds in the fridge I gave it a go.  NEVER throw out your parmesan rinds.  They have so much flavour and can be added to soups and stews or keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge until you have enough for a broth.  It is great in minestrone or any soup really, and can be used instead of stock for risotto.   It also freezes well.

And because there is a lot of rocket in the garden I made rocket pesto:

I don't think there is any need for a specific recipe, but I toasted some cashews (say 1/3 cup), and threw them in the food processor with a couple of good handfuls of rocket (about 100g) and whizzed it up with olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, salt and pepper until it was the right consistency the flavour was balanced.  Parmesan is optional.  I have been adding it to soup, putting it on grainy bread under an egg or some avocado or smoked salmon and also made this delicious chicken:

This makes a quick and easy midweek meal and again is so simple it really doesn't need a recipe.

Just get some chicken pieces (I usually buy marylands and cut the drumsticks off) and gently push the pesto under the skin as far as you can.   Place on a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.  

Cut a lemon in half and add to the pan with a couple of unpeeled cloves of garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake in a hot oven for approximately 30 minutes, turning half way, until nicely browned.

It was good with some celeriac mash and spinach from the garden.

This clematis is like a phoenix rising from the ashes.  I thought I had killed it last summer and now, in the middle of winter, it has raced up the pole and popped out a flower when I least expected it.  So pretty.

Back to normal

School went back yesterday, yes on a Friday (don't ask), which was something of a relief as the last week can really drag on.  Despite all the rain in the rest of the country we have had a few hot days.  The kids had some fun in the dam last week:

 I spent the better part of the afternoon up a ladder pulling a rampant potato vine out of the pomegranate tree.  I had to be so careful to not damage the beautiful flowers:

There are lots of flowers on the tree, in fact there is lots of fruit on all the trees this year which made me realise that they need really good winter and spring rains to set the flowers and fruit. So it wasn't just my inadequate summer watering that caused disappointing harvests.  Here is the nashi tree, which has barely had a fruit on it for four years:

The tomatoes are so late as it has been cool but at last there is enough basil to make some pesto.

In all the years of making pesto I always found my brew to taste great but it was a bit dull and grey and never the stunning bright green of shop-bought pesto.  Until now.  I have discovered the secret of green pesto and it is worth the extra effort.

PESTO

This makes about a cup.

1 large bunch of basil

2 cloves garlic

1 cup of olive oil (maybe a little less, depends on how much basil you have.  Just add enough to make the consistency you like)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (best to use Grana or reggiano)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

salt and pepper

Pick the basil leaves off the stems and discard the stems.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.  Put a big bowl in the sink and half fill it with water.  Add a cup of ice cubes to the water and put a strainer in the cold water .

Add the garlic to the boiling water.  Boil for a minute or so then add the basil leaves and cook for about 20 seconds.  Quickly drain into the strainer and plunge into the iced water.  

Cool for about a minute.  Drain well and squeeze out excess water.

Place basil and garlic in food processor and whizz until chopped.  Add pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan and process until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Bit messy.....

The last photo doesn't really do it justice, terrible light.  

Use on practically anything.