Tag Archives: local produce

hippy salad- Frugal Friday

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We’re having pizza!!! sang The Monkey’s to Mr Chocolate as he closed the front door behind him.

Two grinning boys launched themselves at their father…pizza! 

Mr Chocolate looked happy too as he scanned the table tops with their proving doughs. Although, you’re not having pizza Dada, I think you’re having salad, said a sombre looking Monkey Boy. His face fell, as he looked to me to for confirmation.

Yep, mung bean salad lucky man.

(oh relax, I’m feeling generous… you can have pizza as well.)

Hippy Salad

sprouted mung beans

one can of chickpeas

one finely sliced capsicum (pepper)

one finely sliced small chilli

couple of finely sliced shallots

Dressing

a couple of slugs of great local olive oil

good pinch of cumin

and dried coriander

salt/pepper to taste

pop half a clove of crushed garlic (new season- which is a bit damn exciting)

juice of half a back yard lemon,

 shake it up a bit and

add to your salad

eat with gusto… or pizza

there is only one problem with eating organically

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There is only one problem with eating organically…

This guy.

This headless, antennae waving slippery slime bag.

There I was channelling my inner kitchen goddess, dinner pretty much sorted. The Monkeys behaving themselves, and ready to eat. A lovely enticing dinner aroma tickling the nostrils of those that happened to be passing by my back kitchen door. All that was needed was a chopped up bunch of spinach, wilt it through the dish a little and voila… dinner was ready.

I washed the bunch with intimate attention. I know where I bought that bunch of spinach from, and I know critters sometimes like to play hide and seek within amongst the green foliage. I was no fool, and hadn’t suspected there was still a hide and seek player amongst us. Happily washed, and chopped, I reached in to dump it all in the slowly bubbling aromatic pot of goodness only to find… him.

The slime bag.

Headless.

Dinner plans were slightly reorganised. Hopes were pinned on the now eight times washed spinach. Hopes that the little slime bag didn’t have any close friends still playing the now, not very funny game. I decided there was no need to share the good news with anyone else at this stage and instead keep it as an entertaining dessert time conversation treat.

Dinner’s ready!

chevre, it’s a little bit goaty

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I’m having a bit of a goaty moment. Not the whiskers on my chin kind, but goat cheese. Otherwise known as Chevre. I had tasted a few really great goat cheeses while I was in Tasmania and I wanted to continue the love when I got home. However, I didn’t want just any old goat cheese. I wanted to see if I could find a great local one. A quick search, and hey presto…I found Willowbrae.

Willowbrae is a family run goat farm, based at the foothills of the Hawkesbury Valley. They produce a number of products; from an unsalted 8 hour cream, the very popular fresh curd, marinated fetta, and mould ripened cheeses.  Talking with David (at Fox Studio Farmers’ Market) who runs the front and back end of the business, (as he described) he milks the goats twice a day, while his wife and daughter do the cheesemaking.

The more I try of goat cheeses, the more I like. The very popular fresh curd is subtle, creamy, and really soft on the palate. I find this kind of cheese is really versatile to play around with. Whether it’s teamed up with a savoury style dish or something sweeter.

So what does Chevre mean? It translates as goat in French, and is a generic term used for any goat cheeses. Musing on this I wondered if Italians called Chevre…well Chevre. Apparently not. Caprino is their term for goat cheese. Again derived from the word capra, meaning goat. I kind of liked the sounds of caprino. (But then as many people before me have said…everything sounds better in Italian.)

Back to the Chevre. Where to buy some of Willowbrae’s delicious cheese? See here for market days and times.

And what to do with it once you have the tasty little goat milk goodness in hand?

First up, I quickly made up some sourdough flat breads. Some of my dad’s garden cherry tomatoes, (the sweetest I’ve tasted in years.) Some of the creamy chevre, and a drizzle of The Little General’s olive oil.

Simple, I know where it all came from and damn tasty.