Spelt Hotcakes

Lovely and chewy with a good crisp on the outside and a flavour. Served with sauerkraut, fried eggs, a dollop of crème fraîche and tomato salad. 180g activated sourdough starter (60g starter +60g rye flour + 60ml water)250g wholemeal spelt105ml water150g yoghurt1 tsp salt Left to autolyse for a bit. Added 2 egg yolks and… Continue reading Spelt Hotcakes

Best Hummus ever

Yes, I may be more than a little biased. This is the best hummus, though. Tastes much nicer than the supermarket ones and feels so much more unctuous in the mouth. If you have a pressure cooker, use it to cook the chickpeas for the absolute best results. If you don’t have a pressure cooker,… Continue reading Best Hummus ever

Cheeky Pesto*

*why cheeky? Because it uses whatever bits and pieces you have available to give you a pesto that you didn’t think you could make today This is an unorthodox pesto because it works even if you don’t have the ingredients for a classic Pesto Genovese (basil, parmesan, pine nuts) you can still enjoy something delicious.… Continue reading Cheeky Pesto*

Sourdough Starter

Making a sourdough starter is a commitment. It can be fun, provide plenty of scope for experimentation, and can lead to spectacular results. Sometimes. At other times it can be frustrating, annoying and feel like a drain on your time. Just like any other commitment. Once you make a sourdough starter, it is alive. Or,… Continue reading Sourdough Starter

Black teas

Masala Chai Tea Inspired by the wonderful Prana Chai of Melbourne. Ingredients 150 grammes black tea – a fine Assam is a good choice (organic if you can) 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon cardamom pods 1 tablespoon cloves (less if you normally find cloves overpowering0 2 tablespoons star anise, crushed into big bits 4… Continue reading Black teas

Mushroom & Feta Grains

Inspired by and adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi’s Bulgar with Mushrooms, Feta & Dill (that was, in turn, inspired by Limor Laniado Tiroche). Before you start, and if time permits, clean your mushrooms and give them time to sunbathe. Doing so will increase the amount of vitamin D in the mushrooms, vital for us who struggle… Continue reading Mushroom & Feta Grains

Simple Supper Soup

This is the kind of recipe that we all need to have to hand when we need one more meal for the week or we just can’t find the time to prepare a bundle of fresh vegetables. Given the relative simplicity, this is a satisfyingly delicious soup that can be played with, adapted and scaled… Continue reading Simple Supper Soup

Herbal teas

Tisanes, fruit teas and similar concoctions Blackcurrant leaf, hibiscus, elderberry, currant and cardamom Use a ratio of roughly: 3 parts dried blackcurrant leaves2 parts dried hibiscus flowers 1 part dried elderberries1 part currants1 part while cardamom pods Combine all the ingredients in a preserving jar or plastic storage container. Use 4 teaspoons for an average… Continue reading Herbal teas

Dukka

or sukkah, duqqa, du-ah, do’a This recipe is adapted from River Cottage Veg Everyday, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Use this as a topping for soup to add texture and a deeply satisfying savoury flavour as a contrast to the virtuous vegetables. This quantity should be enough to top 12 bowls of soup with a tablespoon on… Continue reading Dukka