All Good Things Issue 7
Kookaburras + Growing Lemons + Honeyed Rockmelon Milk + Virgin Mojito
ISSUE 7 / JULY 4, 2021
Good Morning ...
It has been a week since I got my final Pfizer Covid vaccine shot. Apart from a very sore arm (4 days) and then a heavy headache (3 days), things seem to have settled and I am feeling my normal self again. We are in the middle of a lockdown here in Sydney, I think I have personally not stepped outside the house in a week and I feel like I might've forgotten how to drive my car. But being an extroverted introvert, being at home is my jam. So, it's all good! I feel for my boys though and all the young people who are missing out on life ever since Covid started. It is a very strange world indeed. So, when you are spending 80-90% of your time at home experiencing life from the armchair and the garden (if you are lucky!), the best you can do is enjoy the changing season and the local birdlife and keep a log of the colours of the sky and the trees.
After quite a wet week, we finally have some sunshine. Raindrops on rose bushes are my most favourite thing in the world. They look like little glittering jewels and coax the soft fragrance of the roses out of the petals so you can smell them from a distance. In recent weeks, I have noticed a baby Kookaburra on the property that makes strange baby Kookaburra sounds and hops around and sits on things and I finally managed to capture it with my long lens. Our lemon trees have been very fruitful and the fruit that we have managed to rescue from possums is being turned in Iced Lemon Tea this weekend. And finally, it's freezing (4°C this morning!) and so it might be time to lay down that round firepit in the picture below and cozy around a roaring fire tonight.
HONEYED ROCKMELON MILK
A delicious rockmelon smoothie that is the most divine soft pastel coral colour you've ever seen. A jar full of healthy nutrients, this honeyed melon milk is unlike anything you might have ever tasted. It is new to us too and was even loved by my younger son who isn't usually a fan of rockmelon. Sweet, floral, velvety, musky and creamy - a great 5-ingredient smoothie to add to your weekly rotation when rockmelons (cantaloupes) are in season. They have more beta-carotene than carrots, packed with folate, potassium, manganese, zinc and fiber!
The Sunday Project
I love experimenting in the kitchen and trying out more involved recipes on Sundays. Not only do I get to learn new techniques but we all get to enjoy tasting something new and fun. This weekend, I am making some Fresh Paneer. It is similar to making ricotta and is very satisfying and easy. The homemade paneer holds its shape really well and can be pan-fried, oven-roasted and added to a whole range of delicious dishes like Paneer Fried Rice, Paneer Fritters and Curries.
On my Cooking Wishlist this week
Oh My! Soy Butter Glazed King Oyster Mushroom.
Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut And Turmeric. So comforting!
How To Make Buttermilk for pancakes and scones!
All things ginger!! Apple & Ginger Sour Cream Cake | Triple Ginger Spice Loaf | Ginger Almond Slice | David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake | Gingerbread And Pear Pudding | Jamaican Ginger Cake
Roast Butternut Pumpkin Tahini, Crispy Chickpeas & Toppings! by Chef Tom Walton
This week my cookbook/book reading pile is leaning into serious cooking - a variety of cuisines, lots of techniques, flavours and cooking wisdom scattered through a treasure trove of beautiful recipes (from top to bottom)
A Year Of Simple Family Food - Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Much More Veg - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Scandinavian Baking - Trine Hahnemann
From The Oven To The Table - Diana Henry
The Little Library Year - Kate Young
Dishoom - Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir, Shamil Thakrar
Flavour - Yotam Ottolenghi, Ixta Belfrage, Tara Wigley
Sherlock / Image courtesy IMDB
We are currently watching Sherlock with the boys. It is one of my favourite shows and the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman is sheer joy!
Speaking of all-time favourite shows, if you haven't watched Dark (in German with English subtitles!) you are missing out on one of the most brilliant shows of our times with a story so complex, it will haunt you for months! And while you are at it, add The Haunting Of Hill House to your list for an exceptional study of character building and human behaviour.
Last month I enjoyed my first batch of yuzu lemons from the Mountain Yuzu farms. I made Yuzu Curd! I have now ordered a tray of fresh Bergamot lemons and some beautiful Yuzu-infused olive oil. Have a look at their store!
Using this pure macadamia oil with a dash of water to dab my face morning and night this winter and my skin feels fantastic .. nourished .. plump and hydrated!
I get a lot of questions about Pantry organization. When I renovated my kitchen 7 years ago, I bought Bormioli Rocco Fido glass jars for all my pantry storage. I have not had a moth problem since. Not once! These jars are amazing and come in all sizes. The smaller ones even stack well. I use the big giant ones for my big-batch granolas, kimchis and various baking flours. Right now at the link I have shared they are 50% off. I literally have over 100 of these jars in my pantry.
And with that, I sign off and wish you a good one! Until Next Weekend :)
VIRGIN MOJITO
Makes – 1
*
1 cup (250ml) cold filtered water
100ml apple juice
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon passionfruit pulp
8-10 mint leaves, crushed
lime wedge, mint leaves, sparkling water - to serve
Ice to serve
*
Place water, apple juice, lime juice, maple syrup, passionfruit pulp and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously until combined.
Fill a 330ml stemless wine glass with half a cup of ice. Strain the mocktail over the ice in the glass.
Add a lime wedge and garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.