Welcome to another Kitchen Snap Shot as part of lovely Celia's monthly In My Kitchen roundups!
Check out the full list of participating Blogs here over at Celia's- the wonderful Fig Jam and Lime Cordial- that is chock-a-block with her recipes, garden, chickens, bread making and cheery outlook on life
This April...
In My Kitchen...
Is a This-is-all Celia's-fault Picky Platter
Celia recently posted about her beautiful antipasto-platter, and it got me all inspired to create my own. Unfortunately I got rather carried away.... On my platter is Lemon Myrtle Roast Pork, Truffle Salami, Smoked Wagu Beef Slices, Dolmades, Feta stuffed Olives, Grilled Eggplant, Pickled Artichokes, Bread and Butter Cucumbers, Dolmades, Soft Goat Cheese, Hard lactose free Cheese, Goat Brie, Horseradish and Beetroot Paste, Hommus, Chicken Cognac Pate, Truffled Anchovies, Flaxseed Crackers and gluten free Grisini- PHEW! I'm not saying how much of this was left for anyone else to eat by lunch time, but I will say that it was delicious :)
In My Kitchen...
Are a heap of Ready-to-go Freezer Meals
It's going to be a bit of a busy, mixed up month, so I've been preparing and filling the freezer with meals that just need to be popped into the oven. I label them clearly so there's no confusion, and also jot down any extra instructions required so there's no excuse for anyone to muck it up
In My Kitchen...
Is the Master List of Frozen Meals, handily stuck on the door of the fridge. I have added a few more meals to the list since that photo was taken so we have plenty of variety.If I hadn't run out of room in the freezer I'd still be cooking though, as cooking calms me, centres me, and makes me happy. I'm definitely a Feeder and love looking after my family like this
In My Kitchen...
Are the last of the garden-glut of tomatoes
I'm slow roasting them on low heat to really condense the flavours, then they'll be cooked down with red wine, herbs, and lots of garlic into a gorgeous rich sauce that can be used all year long to add a little sunshine to our meals
In My Kitchen...
Is, at last, a Canele Pan! I have wanted to make these for so long, but stubbornly refused until I had the right equipment. It really does make a difference! I couldn't afford a traditional bronze or copper pan, and I'm just not the biggest fan of silicon molds, so when I came across this heavy steel pan I no longer had an excuse.
In My Kitchen...
Are some yummy infused salts that were a gift from my lovely friend Flora, They add so much flavour sprinkled over meals, or rubbed into chicken or meat just before cooking
In My Kitchen...
Are ripe limes from my garden. It's the first real harvest I've had and I'm very excited!
Kaffir limes in the background- not a lot of juice, but the wonderfully aromatic rind is lovely grated into curries. Australian Finger Limes at the front- see how the juice is encapsulated in tiny little caviar type spheres? These burst with a delightful POP in your mouth, slightly sour and bitter- everything a lime should be. I love the little cuties to garnish sushi together with fish roe; they're absolutely, fantastically perfect for sprinkling on fresh oysters; great mixed through a Thai style salad for a bit of a surprise ingredient; and, of course in a nice cold GnT!
In My Kitchen...
Is this lovely condiment I found recently, Rose Harissa
You all know that I'm a sucker for floral flavours, and this one promises to be something a bit different indeed. Wow, it's hot! but not so much that you sear off your taste buds. The rose is a subtle sneakiness at the back of the burn that is sweet and very tasty. I will use this rubbed over BBQ chicken, and mixed with LF yoghurt and drizzled over lamb or potato wedges- yummo!
So Dear Readers, how do you cope with Busy Times, and what do you do that makes you happy?
Posts
What a wonderful range of goodies! I love the antipasto platter but then I kept reading and scrolling and everything looks SO good! :D
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, what an enormous amount in your kitchen. I couldn't go past the cannelé pan. I wanted some copper moulds and priced them last year at over $20 each and I had to get them from France. I'm envious of your pan. :) Okay, I'll admit I'm envious of most everything in this post and I'm so glad you have all this to play with.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of wonderful and fabulous goodies, Rebecca. You are super-organised! I love all the prepared meals and the blackboard advertising what's going on - I need to be more like you! I love your limes also - congrats on a great harvest xx
ReplyDeleteSuper organised! What's a cannele pan used for?
ReplyDeleteHi Bec, you sure have some good stuff going on in your kitchen! That antipasto platter is quite amazing... loving your load of tomatoes, wow! Mine mostly fried in those high temperatures and are only coming good now, in dribs and drabs. The rose harissa sounds interesting, as do the finger limes! Divine!
ReplyDeleteThe finger limes have me intrigued. I wonder if they will grow in Melbourne? I am now on a research mission. The blackboard idea is very clever.
ReplyDeleteOhhh, amazing collection of goodies Bec, big fan of the chalk board too. So organised. :) I haven't seen a finger lime in for ever and yummmm, any leftovers with the antipasto platter?
ReplyDeleteIn recent months to combat the overwhelmed feelings during busy times, I have increased my visits to Bikram Yoga, its 90 minutes a day I can dedicate to me, somehow it increases my energy and I feel like I actually have more time.
Your tomatoes look wonderful, you are lucky to have had so many to deal with this Autumn. That platter is delightful, where did you find Truffle Salami? Infused salts, the way to a good woman's heart and I love your Rose Harissa too. Are Finger Limes really that wonderful? What a great post. When I am super busy we eat out, a tiny bit of refuge in an otherwise busy day and the clutter starts building around the house :D
ReplyDeleteI live in Bonython, what date and time for the next platter?
ReplyDeleteMichelle
It all looks so organised with the freezer meals and the tomatoes - wish I could say I was so organised - and then you go and make that gorgeous antipasto platter - you deserve some rest after your busy period
ReplyDeleteWoman, you can NOT blame me for that platter - it blows anything I ever make out of the water by comparison! I just wish I could have been there to eat it with you! :) I'll be really interested to see how the canele pan goes - I always use silicon ones, and it's the only thing they seem to be ok for, but I'd love to know if a metal one produces a crisper result. I think it will stick like crazy though, so you'll need to seriously grease it first. And you give me hope - our finger lime grows a tiny bit each year, but it's never produced fruit - maybe one day! xx
ReplyDeleteAgain another good read, what's not to love about being organised and using a balckboard! I've read quietly for a while from the sidelines but I'm now inspired me to do my own 'In My Kitchen' post - thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteG'day Becca! Love your pans and salts, true!
ReplyDeleteRelaxing over a glass of red wine and antipasto makes me a very happy lady too!
Thanks for your kitchen view this month too!
Cheers! Joanne
I tasted finger limes for the first time last month. They are amazing especially as I'm a citrus fanatic. Such a productive, well organised kitchen. Totally relate to the cooking as calming - it's like therapy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great IMK post! I cannot believe how organized you are, freezing and labeling all of those meals. That is so not me! Love your antipasti tray. Like you, once I start making mine, I never know when to stop. No one has ever complained, though.. :)
ReplyDeleteWow! I wish I could swap kitchens with you!!! Everything on your kitchen is so organized and delicious! You are totally spoiling your family... You don't want a border do you xx GourmetGetaways
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your organisational skills. I sometimes make a double meal when I cook so I can have extra in the freezer but I never can get that many all at once. Try the finger limes in ice cream. You get little pops of lime when you bite into them.
ReplyDeleteI'll have a gourmet platter and a serve of spiced pork belly to go thanks. Love the idea of putting the list on the blackboard. I travel a lot for work and always have a supply of frozen meals for Mr Tiffin but this would make it so much easier. Thanks for the tour.
ReplyDeleteThat is one fabulous antipasto platter there - I just wish I hadn't seen it before I'd eaten. Now I'm starving!
ReplyDeleteWhat a spread! GF Crisini! How cool is that?
ReplyDelete