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A customer came in last week for split green peas. With Sydney having the coldest weather for 37 years, she said it was the perfect time to make her grandmother Val's pea and ham soup, beloved and treasured by her family as much as Val herself is. I asked her for the recipe, and said I would love to share it in our newsletter. She said Val would be utterly delighted to see her recipe being shared and enjoyed by others. So here it is. I've included directions for both stove top and slow cooker.  Ingredients:
500g dried split green peas 1-1.5kg ham hock 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leaves 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 1 potato, peeled and small diced 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 8 cups (2 litres) water 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Method: Slow cooker: Place peas in a slow cooker, then ham hock, veg, bay, salt, pepper and water. Cook 8 hours on low or 6 hours on high. Remove ham bone and bay leaves. Discard bone, fat and skin. Shred ham meat and return it to slow cooker or pot stir. Taste and add more salt if needed. Stove: Place all ingredients in a large heavy-bottomed pot on the stove. 2-3 hours on low on the stove, stirring occasionally Remove ham bone and bay leaves. Discard bone, fat and skin. Shred ham meat and return it to slow cooker or pot stir. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with crusty bread. PIMP MY RECIPE
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I recently had a hankering for polenta chips, and was disappointed to find I was out of polenta. I did, however, have a lot of dried legumes, so I consulted Google to see what recipes I could find to scratch my itch. I quickly stumbled upon countless recipes for fries made from all kinds of ground, dried beans. The ones that caught my eye were the recipes for chickpea fries, because they were repeatedly described as having the delicious, creamy inside texture of a polenta chip, whilst the outside was crunchy perfection. Inspired by my recipe hunt, I made a batch, using dried chickpeas that I milled into flour. I think I have tinnitus as a result, so I created a simplified, quieter version, using besan flour. The end result was chip perfection. Crunchy, hot, salty snack heaven!  Serves 4 as a snack
(Note: The mixture needs some time to set in the fridge before you cut it into batons. An hour is fine, or even up to 3 days.) Ingredients: 4 cups water 2 cups chickpea (besan) flour 2 tsp vegetable or chicken stock powder 1 tsp each salt and pepper 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra to cook 1-2 tsps za'atar Dip of choice (optional) Method: PART 1 - PREPARE THE MIXTURE Grease a baking pan and put it aside. Bring the water to the boil in a pot or large saucepan, then reduce the heat to a simmer and gradually add the flour and whisk it into the water. Then whisk in stock, salt and pepper. Continue whisking for approx 8 minutes, until the mixture is thick and velvety. Stir in the olive oil. (Don't worry if there are a couple of lumps, it won't affect the final result at all.) Pour the chickpea mixture into the greased baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Once it has cooled slightly, cover it well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. PART 2: MAKE THE FRIES Pre-heat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper or silicon baking sheet. Slice the now firm mixture into batons, about the size of a thick potato chip. Line them up on the baking sheet, and brush generously with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes*, then turn to the other side, brush again, and replace in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. They should be golden and crunchy. Remove from the oven, salt generously and sprinkle za'atar over them. Serve with greek yoghurt, tahini, hummus or the dip of your choice. *For an even crunchier chickpea fry experience, try shallow frying instead of baking. They take about 5-7 minutes over a medium heat - remember to turn them halfway through. PIMP MY RECIPE Add some spices or herbs to the mixture, at the same step that you add the stock and seasoning to the mixture while it's simmering. For instance, a tablespoon of fresh herbs like finely chopped rosemary, oregano or parsley. Or a teaspoon of dried herbs. A teaspoon of dried spice blends like baharat or za'atar works beautifully. Ask Italians the correct way to cook bolognese, ragu, gnocchi or polenta and you'll get a different answer from all of them. And they're all correct! Ingredients and methods vary between regions, creating unique geographical and cultural signatures on the food. Pesto is no exception. Recently, a charming Sicilian customer was delighted with our vibrant and fresh Australian grown Pistachios, and told me about his family's pesto recipe. In the south, he said, it's common to have Pesto made from pistachios, basil, olive oil, mint and parmesan. He was insistent on 3 things: 1. Unlike the classic pine nut pesto that most of us are familiar with, which uses just a handful of nuts to a whole bunch of basil. The pistachio version should be all about the pistachios, with the rest of the ingredients playing second fiddle. The mixture should be ⅔ pistachios. 2. Don't grind it finely. You should be able to see some pistachio pieces at the end. 3. "No garlic!" Here is my attempt at his beloved Pistachio Pesto. It was absolutely delicious. Hope you all enjoy it!  Pasta alla Trapanese, aka Pistachio Pesto
Serves 4 Ingredients 400 g pasta of choice 200g raw pistachios 50 ml extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 40 g Parmesan or Pecorino grated salt for pasta and to season pepper to season ½ bunch basil, leaves only Handful mint leaves Method Put a large pot of water onto a boil for the pasta. Salt generously. "Pasta water should taste like the sea". Put the pistachios in a blender or food processor, add the grated cheese, lemon juice, herbs and half of the olive oil. As you start to blend/pulse add the rest of the olive oil until you get a dense pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pasta al dente. Save a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add some of the pasta cooking water to the pesto to make it a little more liquidy and creamier. This step is crucial. It really elevates the pesto to something special. Then add the pistachio pesto to the pasta and mix together well. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese as required. PIMP MY RECIPE *Fried breadcrumbs are a fabulous addition. Tear 2-3 slices of stale bread into pieces and blitz briefly in the food processor until you have coarse crumbs. Then pan fry them gently in a low to medium pan with a splash of olive oil until just crunchy. Use as garnish before serving. *If pesto without garlic just feels wrong to you, please add a clove. I recommend sautéing it low and slow first to mellow the flavour. *Mr Sicilian says that almonds are often used in addition to or in place of pistachios. Roasted gives a better texture *I love hazelnut pesto. It brings a really unique, modern flavour to the classic simplicity of pesto. Use raw or roasted hazelnuts. No need to remove skin, as it's a rustic dish. It was the humble lima bean that cemented my love of legumes. Other beans all have their place in my cooking arsenal, but lima beans, with their creamy and comforting texture, are my absolute favourite. When I discovered that they also go by the names Butter Beans and Gigante, a plethora of recipes became available to me! This one is my favourite. Enjoy as a hearty breakfast with a slice of buttery toast, a relaxed and cosy supper, or as a side dish for a bigger feast.  Ingredients:
250g dried lima/ butter beans 100ml olive oil 2 onions, finely diced 2 carrots, finely diced 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes OR 800g ripe tomatoes,roughly chopped Juice of ½ a lemon 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp vegetable stock Salt and pepper ½ tsp lemon myrtle (optional) Handful flat-leaf parsley or oregano, finely chopped 100g feta or goats cheese (optional) Method: The night before, pop your lima beans in a large cooking pot. Cover with cold tap water - the beans absorb a lot, so really fill that pot to the brim! Cover and leave overnight. 8-12 hours is ideal soaking time. The next day, drain the water and replace with fresh tap water then set it on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to get a nice gentle simmer for 20-30 mins. They should be almost soft, ¾ cooked. Drain, but keep a cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the oil in a large flameproof lidded casserole pot, and cook the onions, carrots and celery on low-medium heat until tender and the onions are soft and transparent, but not browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients - garlic, tomatoes, lemon, paprika, oregano, sugar, vegetable stock, lemon myrtle (if using) Add in half of the chopped herbs and feta (if using). Heat oven to 180C/160C fan. Cook over a gentle heat for a further 5 mins, then pour over the reserved bean cooking liquid. Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins. Check occasionally that the beans are not drying out – add a little more water if needed. Remove the lid and bake for 5 mins more. Stir through the reserved chopped herbs, season to taste, then crumble over the remaining feta, along with a generous glug of olive oil just before serving. Can be made 2 days ahead and reheated. It also freezes well for up to 6 months. Falafel mix is such a versatile ingredient and can even be used as a delicious, crunchy pizza base.  Ingredients:
1 cup falafel mix 3/4 cup water 1 tbsp hulled or unhulled tahini Veg of choice, precooked. I used diced pumpkin and beetroot, roasted. 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved Feta, cubed or crumbled 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp salt Garnish 1 tbsp Parsley or mint, roughly chopped 2 tbsp greek yoghurt Method: Preheat the oven to 200°c (180°c fan forced). Combine falafel mix and water in a bowl, leave to sit for 30 mins. Turn it out onto a lined pizza or oven tray, flattening into a 1cm thick circle with your fingers. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 mins, remove and set aside. Spread tahini over the par-cooked pizza base, then scatter your veg, feta and tomatoes over it. Sprinkle the spices over, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 15 mins or until outside of base is a bit crunchy and the toppings look golden. Garnish with fresh herbs and yoghurt |
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