Food, Finds & Forays
Hey there....
How are you? Hasn’t it been a big week with world events. The death of the queen has been quite an extraordinary occasion, the outpouring of love and gratitude breathtaking. Whether you’re a fan or not, or wish to retain the monarchy in the structure of our country or not it’s impossible to ignore the astonishing contribution she’s made to the world and the commitment she had to her duty. As a lover of history I’ve been drawn to all the coverage and enraptured by the ceremony and ancient traditions around it all.
I have however had my focus elsewhere at the same time doing some more study for my other life in photography. It’s a short but intensive two weeks that needs me to be organised and well fed to concentrate, I'm sharing one of my lunches below.
It was cookbook club time again last weekend and I’ve dropped you a link to one of the lovely white wines we enjoyed for you to nab and put away for summer entertaining. I've also shared a whole bunch of recipes in a link from last weekend’s featured author.
I’ve also popped in a link to my favourite podcast returning this week from hiatus and some gorgeous rural reads.
Finally, I got around to updating my own blog this week so if there’s a recipe you’ve enjoyed recently and want to revisit they’re all there.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and find time to eat something delicious.
Best
S x
Food
Chermoula Chickpea and Carrot Salad
I could just see over the edge of the counter, small hands curled over the smooth well worn wooden edge. There weren’t lollies or treats shelved next to the checkout but rather a boxed Kodak display showcasing the ‘new brownie camera.’ I tugged on my mother’s dress asking if I could have one. After a few ‘no not todays’ and the normal motherly no’s’ I used myself in later years with my own children, she offered a negotiation of matching half the cost if I could save my share. Asking how much that was, I plotted how many and what odd jobs I could do around home to reach my savings goal of $7.50. Perhaps Mum offered that suggestion to stop the nagging and quite possibly she thought I would shrug my shoulders and move on, but I didn’t. Determined to buy that camera I did whatever tasks I could think of and a few weeks later proudly lined up to make my treasured purchase.
My grandparents had been long-time lovers of photography always owning a camera of some quality and taking beautiful photos. I was always fascinated with their images and like many facets of my Nana, which I’ve written about here and here, I wanted to be able to do that too. That little black plastic ‘instamatic’ camera was my entrée into photography. Asked recently how long I’d been a photographer that memory came to mind as it always does when asked that question, “since I was a child,” I answered.
It's something that’s come and gone and ranged in various levels of importance to me but has never been far from mind and heart and now a career. It’s like people who draw and paint, that pull to create with the medium you love and feel always being there.
Photography is ever stimulating. There’s always something to capture and always something to learn. This week I began another course in an area of the art I’ve not delved into too much as yet, in fact an area I’ve ran from and hidden. It’s intense! My brain both loving and fatiguing from the challenge. Waking early each morning to attend to all the tasks of the day that don’t sadly suspend themselves in time for this week and next while I’m ensconced in the daily drop of lessons and practice. That done, coffee inhaled, I log on and absorb the learning, my mind opening to all the ways I can use new skills in my work until my stomach rumbles mid way during the day. I knew this is what it would be like during a two week intensive online from home. I knew I’d need to be prepared. The distraction and passion would take over if not.
Off to the fridge to fuel up on the salad I made to keep dipping into, gobble that down and back to my desk.
I love having a tub of something delicious to grab for lunch ready in the fridge for busy times. Soups in winter, salads in warmer months. Chermoula Chickpea and Carrot Salad is zingy, with a pop of sweet and crunch and super satisfying… the ‘must stop at seconds salad or no can’t have thirds and fourths’ type of satisfying. Whilst a delicious vegetarian and vegan meal on its own it will marry well with chargrilled chicken or lamb and be a wonderful edition to a selection of salads at a BBQ or gathering.
Ingredients:
1 large carrot peeled and grated equalling roughtly 250gm. A little more or less is fine.
1tsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp ginger grated
1 tsp of chermoula spice mix ***
1 400 gm can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 small cucumber deseeded, quartered lengthwise and sliced.
½ spanish onion finely sliced ( ¼ of a large onion)
½ C parsley chopped
½ C mint chopped
1 C cavolo nero/italian kale finely shredded (any dark leafy greens can be substituted)
¼ C currants
¼ C chopped pistachios
1 tb pomegranate mollasses
2 tb tb extra virgin olive oil
Method:
In a medium pan over med-low heat warm the Olive oil, once hot add carrot and ginger and gently saute for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add chermoula spice mix and cook off for a further minute. Remove from heat and cool on plate or bowl until completely cooled.
Prepare and combine all the remaining ingredients. Once completely cooled add the carrot mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.
Mix dressing ingredients and season with salt and pepper and pour over the salad, gently folding through.
Serve with a dollop of yoghurt on top and an extra drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Or you might like to try with a sprinkle of feta on top or a flourish of nigella seeds.
***I used this chermoula spice mix but also use the one from Gewurzhaus. If you can't find it where you live this is a quick recipe to make your own.
Finds & Forays
Fab news in my Instagram feed this week. After a hiatus my favourite podcast is back. I could listen to Lindsay’s beautiful lyrical voice all day. Her rendering of her food world and that of others in words and the narrative she draws from her guests is always captivating and such a unique and fascinating perspective.
You’ve probably read me banging on about rural independently published magazines before. They’re like a grand fancy rural newspaper only gussied up for the modern day and endlessly inviting. A vessel for creators and stories from rural Australia they feed my ambition to be part of a country community one day and transport my country heart to the bush where it feels drawn. This gorgeous collection of stories and images arrived this week. I’m always excited to see it in the letter box and was lucky enough to win an instgram competition from them earlier this month...Yes! People really do win insta comps. I nabbed this and these, I can’t wait to frame and hang the image and gad about in my boots. At least I might look a little country and make the body match the heart.
This other beauty popped up in my feed this week launching a fab campaign. Galah shares some of the most unique and interesting stories from the heartland that might otherwise go missed. They also publish a free weekly newsletter that is equal parts entertaining and informative. Rather than spending money on marketing for their weekly drop they’re trying the old ‘bush telegraph’ or word of mouth method and making donations to rural charities with each subscriber number milestone. So if you would like to support rural development and publishing maybe you could drop them you email address here too.
Finally, because it wouldn’t be Thursday without a little recipe or two, here’s a whole list. This is a collection of some of Julia’s best, two of which we enjoyed variations of last Sunday at cookbook club, Spinach and Feta Flatbreads and a Leek Galette. Enjoy!!
