Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Treat the taste buds – get in some chilli, smoked paprika, garlic ...

Roasting root vegetables before turning them into soup intensifies their flavour. Burnt Orange Soup packs in plenty of flavour for chilly, OR hot nights!


Today on Waiheke there is a thick mist outside. Fog! It's like floating in a blanket of cloud (I'm up high) and it's somewhat magical, as if I am here in this space all alone (Humphrey is tucked up alongside, of course). 
 It's been a fractured week – a few days across the sea in Auckland (well, the usual 35-minute ferry ride!) getting my boys off to London and Italy, a few days in Wellington judging the 100% New Zealand Pork, Bacon & Ham Competitions and visiting Le Cordon Bleu school, then here it is Wednesday again. Whaaaa? Where did the days go? Still, I’ve managed to weed the garden (blah!), plant broad beans, train Humphrey not to come inside with muddy paws and work out where to put the fig and plum trees. Some accomplishment I suppose.

 Ilaria sent me her recipe for Burnt Orange Soup. She roasted carrot and kumara to intensify flavour and has made a nice and chunky soup that works for chilly nights, but also in London’s temperamental changing weather. Hopefully, it will be perfect for you, wherever you are, too.

 I’ve added a hearty chicken casserole loaded with chorizo and smoked paprika – I love those smoky spicy flavours with chicken. This is great with rice, couscous, barley, bughul or last week’s jacket-baked potatoes.  Just get cooking!

 At this time of year I am eating cavolo nero at least a couple of times a week, mainly because it helps me use up my chillies, and by adding garlic and extra virgin olive oil, I’m getting a real health kick. It seems to work with anything (I haven’t found a mismatch yet).Cooking classes are in full swing – there is one place left on this Saturday’s Winter Warm-up class, and a few spots left on Slow Cooking and Winter Pasta, but Soups & Accompaniments is closed off. I also do private classes for groups, so if an advertised date doesn’t work for you, and you want to chose your own topic for a class, please email me julie@sharedkitchen.co.nz  and we’ll work something out.
Have a great week

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