In My Kitchen February 2012

Welcome to my kitchen in February 2012.

Divine blogger and baker extraordinaire, Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, features a monthly segment titled 'In My Kitchen', where colleagues from across the miles allow readers to peek into their kitchens via links on the page. It is a great initiative and I am glad to be part of the fun. Thanks Celia for welcoming me and thanks to our fellow bloggers for introducing us to your kitchens. 

The days, weeks and months have simply flown by and as I mentioned at the end of my post on Basil and Lemon Ice Cream, I miss being on holidays and pottering in the kitchen garden for hours each day. The garden has been flourishing this year and we are enjoying a surplus of strawberries, basil, lettuce, cucumbers... and even dug up our first crop of Kipflers! 

There is a feast of good things going on in my kitchen. Below is a snapshot. What's happening in your kitchen this month?
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In my kitchen I am growing a variety of cress, snow pea, mustard and other sprouts
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The fruit platter is well stocked, as always
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There are always lots of lemons from the farmer's markets on my fruit platter, so I made limoncello while we were on holidays
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The lemon zest is currently steeping in vodka... watch this space
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We dug up our first crop of baby kipflers from the kitchen garden
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In my kitchen are apricots for making jam with vanilla and almonds. See my post for the recipe.
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I love to have fresh flowers or even sprays of foliage in the house and these are Calla lillies and agapanthus from our garden
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Having enjoyed a superb meal at the Manfredi's Balla Osteria recently, I am revisiting Bel Mondo from my bookshelf. This big beautiful book, written by Stefano Manfredi and John Newton, combines recipes with a very good peek behind the scenes and the running of the renowned restaurant, Bel Mondo. While it has been out of print for some years, copies are still available from Amazon. Click the image above to take you to the exact link. A sterling addition to the bookshelf.
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In my kitchen is the best chevre we have ever eaten... Willowbrae, available at the Orange Grove Markets (see Market People)
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On my kitchen table are these little beauties from our crop of SELF SOWN cherry tomatoes
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I recently found a secondhand copy of one of my favourite books of poems: Kate Llewellyn's 'Figs', bought with a birthday gift voucher from my friends, The Dog and MB
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And of course, fresh figs and mint for the fig salad with mozzarella and fig vino cotto in my latest post
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In my kitchen is Panettone bought at the Haberfield IGA... essential for bread and butter pudding in Winter
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Gah! Also in my kitchen are more cook book indulgences. One from a gift voucher, the other, The Retro Cookbook, a gift to myself
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Another really good find is this fragrant Maesri curry paste... see my Red Curry Chicken post for the story behind this and a great recipe
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And finally, not in my kitchen, per se, but on the fence around the courtyard and visible from my kitchen... a pair of wrens snuggle on the fence. Apologies for the fuzzy shot, they were constantly moving.
 


Comments

03/02/2012 6:34am

Thanks for your magical February kitchen tour Lizzy. It certainly captures your passion for fresh produce, and your adventures - both geographical and gastronomical! I love the shot of the three tomatoes on your kitchen bench - looks like something out of a magazine. And i agree Willowbrae chevre from Orange Grove Markets (my local!) is gorgeous. What a lovely pair of fuzzy wrens at the end. Thanks for sharing.

Lizzy
03/02/2012 6:42am

LOL, Rachel, what a pair of insomniacs we are this evening! Thank you for your very kind words. Isn't Balla Osteria just divine. Glad you enjoyed it too! I certainly want to go back. That Chevre from Willowbrae, OMG... I wish we could get it locally. And the wrens are my little garden angels. Night night.

03/02/2012 8:12am

Your kitchen is full of delightful foods and possibilities!
I love figs. I love the way they look- the way the taste- just the thought of them starts my saliva glands!
We are in the midst of a very strange winter, here, it goes from freezing cold to temperate weather and back again. But - it is still winter- and seeing your fruit and flowers makes me long for summer.
Thanks for the glimpse into your kitchen!

Lizzy
03/02/2012 2:35pm

Hello Heidi, thanks for stopping by. Would you like a tea or coffee!? We, too, are experiencing a strange season. We have not really had a Summer, just a few hot days and much rain, and then very cool weather. In a way, we are also longing for Summer! Let's visit again.

03/02/2012 1:15pm

A bizzy month Lizzy. I'll be interested to see how the limoncello turns out.

Lizzy
03/02/2012 2:36pm

Hi Barb! It has been a bizzy month. I will keep you posted on the limoncello. Leaving it to steep for a while so we can get some lovely flavours happening.

03/02/2012 3:26pm

Beautiful colours and food in your kitchen Lizzy! I love the apricots and the figs...so pretty!

Lizzy
03/02/2012 5:12pm

Hi Jane... care for a cuppa? Thank you... the apricots were divine and I have two batches of apricot, vanilla and almond jam. Soooooooo yummy! The figs are wonderful at present too. Thanks for popping in.

03/02/2012 10:27pm

Lizzy, your posts are always so full of colour and joy! Thank you for playing, it's wonderful to see what's in your kitchen every month! I love that brand of Thai curry paste as well, and the Willowbrae cheeses are absolutely delicious - must head to Orange Grove markets again, it's been an age since I was last there...

Lizzy
04/02/2012 12:34am

Thank you for your very kind words Celia. It is so good to meet like minded friends in food, such as yourself and all the other lovelies who play each month. The curry paste is just THE BEST! Oh, and Willowbrae chevre, if only we could get it locally! Thanks for stopping by and for hosting!

05/02/2012 7:30am

Those potatoes look so delicious and I don't think there's a food blogger out there who doesn't have at least a small cookbook addiction. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen!

Lizzy
05/02/2012 10:54am

LOL, thanks Claire. The potatoes are delicious. We really need to plant some more!

05/02/2012 7:45pm

Lovely photo's Liz. That basil and lemon icecream sounds superb!

Lizzy
05/02/2012 11:47pm

Thanks Nat... I should have given you some when you popped in!

Wendy
06/02/2012 11:08pm

Lizzie, that cake sounds devine. Love your photos!!

Lizzy
06/02/2012 11:33pm

Thanks Wendy!

07/02/2012 5:05am

Always love your 'what's in my kitchen this month' posts.

Lizzy
07/02/2012 11:06am

Grazie! Would you like a cuppa?

09/02/2012 5:45pm

OK. This is it. I am coming. When do you have time to show me everywhere. I love everything you have and love - I even MAKE those marinated cheese balls myself! And the little birds are TOOO cute!
XO
valerie

Lizzy
09/02/2012 11:55pm

LOL, you are too funny, my foodie friend... come on down! My pleasure to show you around xo

17/02/2012 1:57am

What a lovely IMK, I admire your photography, so vibrant.

Lizzy
17/02/2012 2:04am

You are so very kind! Thank you. Join us!


Comments are closed.

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