In My Kitchen, November 2024

 What an action packed month October was! It was Mr. HRK's birthday so we dined out twice in one day, and why not? During October we included some essential kitchen maintenance and reorganising, some cooking (of course) and food blogging, gardening, talking to our son and grandchildren each week in Montpellier, France, and catching up with our daughter and lovely friends. We also played some pickleball a few times a week and I wrote up a few articles about our Mackay Indoor Pickleball Club for the local free weekly newspaper. How did we ever find time to go out to work?

 Firstly, I am sending this post to Sherry of Sherry's Pickings for the In My Kitchen event. If you would like to join in, send your post to Sherry by the 13th of the month. Or just head over to her blog to visit more kitchens. Thanks for hosting this event once again Sherry, it's a lovely initiative.

I rediscovered my Sourdough baking mojo this month with gusto, and baked this delicious Sourdough loaf, artisan style, and a couple of sandwich loaves as well.  I'm really enjoying reading all of the comments received on my blog post from like minded bread bakers. There is always something new to learn in the world of sourdough bread. As Tandy from Lavender and Lime commented to me, there are no failures with sourdough, only toast. Sourdough makes great toast.

Ottolenghi's Shawarma Meatloaf with delicious Caramelised Onions took meatloaf to the next level. I'll double the onions next time. 

From our Garden to You:

We had a beautiful visitor to our garden, a Blue Ulysses Butterfly. Only minutes before I took this photo I had picked him up off the ground, and carefully shown him to Mr. HRK in the palm of my hand. I don't think Ulysses was very well. However I took him outside and he did fly away after a long rest. I always feel blessed when one of these beauties flies through our courtyard. Our neighbours have the host tree for the butterfly growing in their back yard, it's called a Euodia or Melicope elleryana. Even though the leaves from the tree blow into our yard, the butterflies are very appreciative.

 

My Golden Dancing Lady Orchids (Oncidiums) make a beautiful display at this time of year. They are called Dancing Ladies because their flowers resemble a small ballerina's skirt, and the flower stems sway in the breeze resembling dancing ladies. That seems to be how the story goes. I have had one positioned on our patio so that I can view her from my kitchen.

Some edibles are growing well for us at the moment. Fresh herbs are essential to flavour in cooking, and it's time saving and saves money to be able to pick them from our garden.

I can't imagine my garden without a flourish of sweet basil growing.

Mr. HRK cooked pizzas one night and our sweet basil brought so much flavour to the plate. Home made pizza made from scratch is delicious, and is kind to the wallet. Any form of take away food has become very expensive here these days. He used Jamie Oliver's recipe for the pizza dough.

Added more toppings.

And voila. A delicious dinner.

Fresh oregano grows so well in a pot, and is kept under control. A Pink Pentus is growing as a centrepiece, the butterflies also love these flowers.

The leaves of this fresh spinach are ready to be harvested for a second time.

I cut the leaves and used them when I made my Cheesy Spinach Frittata during October, and already the leaves have grown back. I'm thrilled to bits about that. Sometimes I almost feel like a vegetable farmer. 

Cheesy Spinach Frittata

Our baby Squash plants are coming on. I have high hopes for these.

Remember the words of the beautiful song, Scarborough Fair? That was my era anyway:)

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine

I just realised as I was wandering around my garden I have all of these growing. 

I love using them all in my cooking, the heady fragrance of the thyme in particular is so nostalgic for me.

PARSLEY.   Parsley will be happy until the wet season arrives.

SAGE. My potted sage bush is growing well.

ROSEMARY. A newly planted rosemary bush.

THYME. My potted thyme bush just survived a dry spell, but it's bouncing back. One of my favourite herbs.

Our curry bush grew into a tree which requires constant pruning. Couldn't be without it.

Our Galangal is flowering.

The fresh edible ginger is starting to look like a good crop for harvesting for next year.

We bought a couple of Bullnose Capsicum seedlings from the local market, and I'm so excited they have some small capsicums forming. I hope they can cope with the ensuing heat.

Enjoying some fun on the Pickleball court after a game. I'm on the right wearing the glasses.

That's all from my kitchen and garden this month, hoping you all have an enjoyable weekend.

Warm wishes,

Pauline