The days are flying past so quickly of late that I can barely catch my breath. It's Friday afternoon already and, as the sun begins to set over the distant Brindabella Ranges, I thought I'd drop you a short note to wish you all a happy weekend! Lots of good things have caught my eye this week, including the wonderful news that Anne McGrath from Majura Valley Free Range Eggs is back on her feet after an accident with a tractor. Anne and her partner, Nick Weber, sell their free range eggs in a van by the roadside on Majura Road. The eggs from their chickens are cracking fresh and I'm in need of a re-stock so Peter and I must take a drive down the road this weekend. I have several over-ripe bananas in my freezer, so I'll use them, along with those fresh free range eggs in this sumptuous Cacao Banana Bread from Sneh at Cook Republic. I was salivating from the moment I saw that top photograph. The eggs will be combined with my home grown Kaffir limes and leaves in this creamy, dreamy Kaffir Lime Gelato from Saveur. I've been looking for a great recipe to experiment with for ages, so will share my results with you here on the blog. A couple of months ago, I was fortunate enough to win a pack of assorted garlic bulbs from The Plant Shop, Australia's online garden centre. I planted out the bulbs last week and they're already sprouting. Many folks don't realise that it's relatively easy to grow garlic. I would like to suggest that you give it a try, if you haven't already done so. Freshly harvested garlic is deliciously flavoursome and beats the dickens out of the nasty bleached, gamma irradiated and over-fumigated garlic that comes into Australia from China! The supermarkets here sell the Chinese garlic for $1.99 per kg, while the Aussie garlic is close to $19 per kg. Absolutely ridiculous. If you can't afford the Australian garlic, buy some of the processed AUSTRALIAN garlic paste. At least that way you won't be cooking with chemicals. Watch this space for a post about growing garlic, or pop in to A Fresh Legacy and read what Kyrstie and a local garlic grower say about growing your own. Another snippet that caught my eye during the week was this fascinating article by Dr Karl on the ABC's Science web site. Did you know that in days gone by people would drop a frog into a bucket of milk to keep the milk fresh?! No? Me neither. Read the article if you have time. I love Dr Karl's closing sentence: 'A bit of frog wee is not going to make you croak...'. And finally, 'tis the weather for some slow-cooked meals, so I think I'll be poaching some quinces for dessert, but I'll also cook Yotam Ottolenghi's quince stuffed with lamb. I've made some variations on this dish a few times now and it's definitely a keeper. I'll share my adaptation with you in the fullness of time. Wishing you a peaceful relaxing weekend and much happy cooking. Thanks so much for stopping by. Lizzy xox Tell me dear readers, what good things have you discovered this week and which were your favourites?
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:25:26 am
My pleasure Maureen. They are divine aren't they! 23/5/2014 12:12:01 pm
That quince stuffed with lamb sounds incredible! There isn't an Ottolenghi dish that I haven't loved!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:25:56 am
It sure is, Lorraine... I can hardly wait to share my take on it! I love Ottolenghi too!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:26:12 am
Francesca, thank you!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:26:45 am
Yes, the nights have been chilly, but haven't the days been glorious of late! : )
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:27:58 am
Wow, Liz... a few years ago a cyclone wiped out much of the bananas in the north of Australia, prices went up significantly and many people, ourselves included, stopped eating them. Now when I buy them they turn brown so quickly, I have a freezer full!
Eha
23/5/2014 02:45:01 pm
Thank you so much for the link to the on line 'Plant Shop' - shall try and put some time aside tomorrow to go window shopping . . . the garlic is not cheap but with no postage it is very appealing :) !
Eha
23/5/2014 04:39:11 pm
Liz - 'The Plant Shop' is a nice link - have done my shopping [rather late in the season!], ordered their newsletter and feel I have another 'ace' up my sleeve' for spring :) ! Thanks!!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:28:26 am
Eha, my pleasure... I think it is a great store too! Happy shopping.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:28:56 am
Eha, isn't that wonderful! So glad you enjoy The Plant Shop! 23/5/2014 03:21:09 pm
G'day! Love your photo...was EGG-actly what I needed to smile pre-coffee, true!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:29:17 am
Joanne, always my pleasure : ) 23/5/2014 04:17:07 pm
Love that little feather. One of these days I really should try growing garlic. Fun stuff -- thanks.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:29:40 am
John, thank you... and, yes, you must : )
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:30:05 am
Thank you, Ela, have a wonderful week : ) 24/5/2014 07:03:53 am
That kaffir lime recipe caught my eye too! Enjoy your cooler days and nights, and all the lovely autumn-winter slow cooked foods. Just starting to warm up - in fits and starts - here in Scotland.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:30:56 am
Hi Kellie, I will post my take on it soon! Quite exquisite! Our days are still quite glorious, actually from 18-21 deg C at present! I hope you have some warmth soon! Lizzy darling, I'm so happy to hear that retirement hasn't left you bored, but rather busy and filled with foodie adventures! I've got a heap of garlic cloves to plant as well, but we only ever manage to grow little bulbs here - I don't think we get enough cold nights, and I doubt any will grow at all this winter as it's been so mild! We will plant them though - they help keep the bugs away! And a frog in the milk? I'm intrigued.. :) xxx
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:31:59 am
Celia darling, thank you.... yes, we are really really really enjoying retirement... but at times are almost too busy, which is good! I was worried about my Peter being bored, but that is not going to happen : ) Thanks for stopping by. xo 24/5/2014 11:57:38 am
Cacao Banana Bread sounds good! Congrats on the winning! I would like to try growing garlic, especially now that you reminded me how easy it is to. Thanks for sharing!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:32:21 am
Julie, my pleasure... do give it a try! 24/5/2014 02:02:53 pm
Lots going on indeed Lizzy! I got a Quince tree for my birthday, but it might be a few years before I can make that fantastic Ottolenghi recipe from my own for :) xox
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:32:52 am
Ooooh, Bec, a quince tree, how divine! I can hardly wait to see your garden xox 24/5/2014 10:21:53 pm
Thanks for mentioning my garlic post Lizzy. Nothing beats the advice of a local farmer, except of course the amazingly sweet taste of your own home grown garlic :-) It is very easy to grow. Each year I plant more and more but still never seem to have enough! Congrats on winning some bulbs. I hope they grow beautifully for you.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:33:37 am
My pleasure, Kyrstie! And yes, it is surprisingly easy... and even when last year's crop failed, we still had a few small cloves that lasted ages! 25/5/2014 06:46:07 am
I made the stuffed quince last year and they were amazing! I also love the idea of the kaffir lime ice cream - we have a kaffir lime tree and are always looking for new ideas! Happy weekend!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:34:20 am
That quince dish is quite a keeper, David, I've made my version a few times now! What else do you do with your kaffir limes? Do you use the fruit at all... do tell. 25/5/2014 12:28:30 pm
beautiful eggs can inspire you to cook wonderful meals! and it certainly sounds that way for you lizzy.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:35:06 am
Hi Elizabeth... good eggs are the best, aren't they! Happy gardening my friend!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:35:49 am
Hi Amanda... I am in awe of your hens and wished we lived closer so that you and I could barter! Do the kaffir lime leaves freeze well? 25/5/2014 10:56:30 pm
Your quince stuffed lamb sounds wonderful! I have some garlic that needs to be planted as our growing season is beginning over here in the Nordic countries. I hope I'm not too late with it as I just remembered yesterday that it needs to be taken care of!
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:36:38 am
Hello there... yes, that Ottolenghi dish is amazing, as is much of his/their cooking! Happy gardening to you! 26/5/2014 12:11:00 am
I saw that post on Facebook about how expensive Australian garlic is. I can't stand that Chinese stuff either.
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:37:09 am
Hi Eva, no, it's bad. Thanks for stopping by. : ) 26/5/2014 01:38:31 am
Kaffir Lime Gelato sounds exquisite, Liz. :-) Especially with this heat wave we're having. :-)
Lizzy
26/5/2014 09:38:18 am
Krista, it IS totally exquisite, I can hardly wait to post it! Now, I hear you are unwell.... I am thinking of you and wishing you a speedy recovery to good health love.
Lizzy
28/5/2014 11:02:20 am
Hi Anne, no I haven't yet... but thanks for the reminder! : ) So you have been inundated with the Chinese garlic down and under too? To tell you the truth it was my cousin from Hungary who complained that it was cheap but had no flavour. That is when I realized I have been adding more and more garlic to the food without making a difference. Finally I mentioned it to my husband [I was still housebound with my knee] to look for USA garlic, knowing full well he won't find any local grown at this time of the year. The first dish I made with the USA garlic was so garlicky it was pretty much ruined. So not only Chinese garlic is full of chemicals, it has no taste whatsoever. It must be the chemicals. I avoid Chinese food products whenever I can - but of course food companies manipulate. Get this Lizzy, according to Canadian law, apple juice is a Canadian product as long as Canadian water was used...
Lizzy
6/6/2014 09:03:47 pm
Oh lordy, Zsuzsa! That is so stupid! Comments are closed.
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Welcome...Üdvözölöm
Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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