In my kitchen…
…is a batch of sourdough spelt epi. They’ll be served with extra virgin olive oil and homemade dukkah. Epi are easy to make (there are step by step instructions here), and they never fail to impress…
In my kitchen…
…are our very first new potatoes! The plants aren’t ready to be harvested yet, but we’ve been bandicooting (pinching new potatoes from just under the soil at the top of the mound). They’ve grown surprisingly quickly – we only planted our first batch of potatoes in late August. Below are a large red norland, a few King Edwards and our first baby bintje…
In my kitchen…
…is today’s harvest of beans. We’re picking this amount every other day at the moment, and often eating them raw…
In my kitchen…
…is a homemade bug catcher. A wineglass half-filled with cider vinegar or white wine vinegar is irresistible to annoying little fruit flies, and by adding a drop or two of dishwashing detergent to the mix, the bugs aren’t able to fly out again once they’ve dropped in for a drink…
In my kitchen…
…are bread making treasures! Lovely Wendy went hunting for proving baskets for me in Hong Kong, ever generous Christine sent me one of her homemade bread bags, and my dear friend Joanna organised a Danish dough whisk to be sent to me from the UK (I’ve been brandishing it like a magic wand!)…
In my kitchen…
…are the salt holder and egg beater of Mrs M, our beloved neighbour who passed away in July. I think of her every time I use them…
In my kitchen…
…is a tray of supernatural brownies – my default recipe whenever I need a large quantity of baked treats in a hurry…
In my kitchen…
…are the first fruits from our supposedly non-fruiting prunus! I took these photos for Heidi in August. At the time our tree was covered in blossoms…
In the eighteen years it’s been growing, our prunus has never fruited properly – we’ve had the occasional tiny orb which fell off, but never anything worth picking.
This year we were surprised to see quite a few medium sized plums – they were dropping off the tree before they were ripe, so we collected all we could reach – about 450g (1lb) in total.
Not surprisingly, the plums weren’t great eating, but loathe to waste them, we submerged them in vodka and brandy with sugar. Hopefully we’ll end up with a drinkable plum brandy in a few months’ time!
So tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen this month?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
So much to read, look and comment on. What do you use a dough whisk for as a start? Or is the clue in the name and I’m being very stupid?
I’ve got a sour dough starter on the go so may try some epi – what a strange name!
Lovely, lovely blossom.
C,
I love your little epi! So cute, but so practical – don’t know why, but I’ve never tried them – but you’ve encouraged me.
I can’t get over the reverse of seasons between here and there! Our autumn is now officially over – or nearly so – and our garden production is falling off – but my Asian greens are still going strong, and the late cabbages are almost ready – but my beloved Brussels sprouts are just now beginning to form on the hefty stalks of their mother plant – they will be perfect for picking in the depth of our winter (Dec/Jan).
I discovered another good fruit fly catcher this summer – take any small container, put any kind of over-ripe fruit in it, then cover with plastic wrap – once tightly covered, take a sharp pointed knife and poke sev holes through the top of the wrap – put near your “attractors” in your kitchen. Seems the fruit flies find their way in easily, but are not smart enough to get back out! It works well, but I found that they actually breed well inside the closed container, so it’s a good idea to weekly take the container outside and release the trapped flies! Then start anew.
What a delightful kitchen you have made.
Can I come to your kitchen Celia!!?? Always many inspirations. Thanks..B
Those potatoes grew quickly! That’s impressive. Love the look of the epi too.
My kitchen happenings…lots of new dishes which is a bit exciting. My new organic box is meaning I have to branch out a bit more with my veges. Apricot and sunflower sourdoughs are this months fav breakfast, and probably a little too many sweeties…things are starting to feel squishier.
Sally, yes, the dough whisk is used for mixing bread doughs, but Jo said it’s also really good for quick mix cakes like muffins. I just think it looks seriously cool.. :)
Doc, thank you, but I’m Chinese, I don’t think I could cope with the idea of rotting fruit with breeding fruit flies under plastic on my kitchen bench.. ;-) And it’s nice to know there are some veg that will go that long into the cold weather!
Peter, Beth, thank you! :)
I love this theme ‘in my kitchen’. You always reveal treasures.
In my kitchen are lots of art n’ craft stuff. My desperate attempt to make chocolatey hampers.
Proving baskets … look like the base of some great hampers to me ;-)
Brydie, your organic box is very exciting!
Gill, chocolate hampers! These little baskets would be a great size – they’re made of polyethelene, and they’re food safe too. They look like the little baskets bread might come to the table in at a cafe, or maybe even fish and chips.. ;-)
Wow., I’ve never seen a dough whisk before (but then I’m not a baker really…, so never delved too far into the sport…. preferring to eat, I mean stand on the side lines & ooohhh, ahhhh at others work :)
Cool bug catcher huh.
Wonderful stuff Celia – it all looks so good. And congratulations on your potatoes, how very exciting as is your plum fruiting – 18 years seems like quite a long time to wait for plum brandy, but it does look like a splendid tree.
What a lovely range of things. I am most impressed with your potatoes. We tried growing some last year and had heaps of healthy looking plants…but no potatoes at all in the end!
How strange to finally get some plums from your tree. Perhaps you were just missing some visits from friendly bees?
In my kitchen…I wish I had a tray of your brownies…
I have some hoummous that I have just made for the kids lunches to have with carrot and celery sticks. A perfectly ripe papaya which I am just about to cut for my breakfast. And about 40 little bananas (part of a big stalk of them cut from one of our trees) that have all decided to ripen at the same time. And to top that off our fruit and veg box included bananas…just what you need when you already have abotu 100! Banana cake and muffins coming up….
Made your cheese biscuit recipe last night… crave-able!
I hid a couple to share with my mom and eat for a snack later. So good!
I’ve got a box of oranges from the garden. When I get the energy I’ll squeeze them for juice. mmmm juice.
Maz
Anna, six bugs in it this morning! :)
Choc, thank you – it is a splendid tree – I suspect SG is right and maybe there just haven’t been enough bees until now. Having said that, the fruit isn’t particularly nice, and the soaking liquor has now become a fluoro red, which is a little worrying.. ;-)
Very excited about the spuds, and yesterday we picked our first cucumbers! Also, cherry toms are going red, and we’ve got baby capsicums and eggplants!
SG, there are brownies here if you get desperate. But please don’t bring any bananas – I’m banana averse..
Maz, how time flies – I remember you posting about oranges in your garden – has it been a year already?
Maybe a year, these are a bit green. Most of them will be ripe in about a month and last for quite a while after that. The best though is mandarin juice for Christmas.
I am in awe of your amazing harvests and items in your kitchen. I’m going to give the bug catcher a go. The little tiny flies are driving me insane.
Your bread looks so good I would buy it in a bakery.
I am seriously impressed (and very jealous!).
Claire, thank you for your kind comment, but please don’t be jealous, I never want to make people feel like that! :)
The tiny flies drive me nuts too – the vinegar and dishwashing detergent works well, although it has to be cider or white wine, for some reason they’re not particularly attracted to straight white vinegar!
I love your “In my kitchen…” posts!
My father was a part time plumber during the depression and was once paid for a job with 2 gallons of moonshine.
My mother filled a crock with apricots and dried cherries that she had sun dried and poured the moonshine over them and then forgot them for 6 or 7 months. She said she had never made such good fruitcake as she did with that fruit.
My father never mentioned how good the whiskey turned out- but I have a feeling it was also greatly improved. :)
I also love your epi loaves! They are one of my favorite shapes for breads- I love it when the tips are sharp enough to hurt!
Heidi, moonshine! That’s what I’m calling our homemade liqueurs from now on! I can believe your mother’s fruitcake must have been amaaazing…
I love getting a peek in others kitchens, Celia, thanks!
In my kitchen is a mess. We went out for a bbq yesterday leaving the teens to themselves and promised to be home by 3-4ish. Well, one thing led to another, we got home at 8ish (!) and now I really don’t feel like doing much today. ;-)
Thanks, too, for the link to the sourdough ebook – I’ll be downloading that!
Amanda, isn’t it nice when they get to the age where you can leave them? Ours haven’t learnt to clean up after themselves either though..
Hehe I’m like you. I hate to waste anything so great idea making plum wine! :D Hmm what’s happening in my kitchen now? I’m making grits for hubby’s brunch! :D
Lorraine, I’ve never tried grits – did you buy them here? Or are you just using cornmeal?
Oh Celia, I always thoroughly enjoy walking through your kitchen with you- fun, fun, fun!
:-) Mandy
Wow! SO much happening in your kitchen this month, Celia! Fab pictures. I like your homemade bug catcher, although I’d be worried someone would turn around and take a gulp out of it, ha! Epis….such a favourite!! Love ‘snipping’ them and pulling them apart.
Coincedently, our kitchen produced brownies today.. along with some oat cookies from a Betty Crocker book borrowed from the library. Yes you read right. Betty Crocker.
I think it’s lovely that you’re using Mrs M’s utensils – there is something so special about keeping someone elses tools in use after they’re gone. :)
PS Nice to see your bread paraphernalia, (thanks for the linky :) ).The dough whisk looks very intriguing.
This sounds like a lot of wonderful and amazing things had happened in your kithen! I can’t wait to see more and learn more :)
LOVE the bug catcher. Thanks for the idea.
I’ve been playing with Chipotle Mole Chili. As much fun to say as it is to eat.
Thanks Tes! :)
Carol, it works well! Love chipotles, but they’re tricky to find here!
I always love your kitchen posts…I feel like a neighbor in for a visit! Your pics have me longing for our summer that is now past…I will make the most of my winter here by visiting your summery posts! :-)
I wish I was in your kitchen!! In my kitchen is an random selection of future meals as I try to empty out the pantry and freezer before I move overseas at the end of the year…what to do with three packets of umeboshi?!
Cindy, thanks! It does feel like my blogfriends are my neighbours! :)
Strawberries..I’ve never tried umeboshi (Japanese plums, right?). What are you going to do with them? :)
My kitchen is Shiraz and cheese and Cabernet Merlot and cheese and Pinot Noir and cheese and Chardonnay and cheese and Cab Sav and cheese and Pinot Grigio and cheese and a water cracker.
Aaah, Mr Newbery, you’re preaching to the converted here – to that I might only add a vintage oporto and some St Agur blue cheese..the water cracker is superfluous… ;-)
I felt the need for a little fibre…
The epi are so ridiculously gorgeous. And with dukkah!! You are a woman after my own heart. (Bruce makes a crazy dukkah cheesecake. Yum.) Love how much crunch there is in every bite of an epi. It almost makes me forgive you for having trees in spring flower right now. Almost.
Dukkah cheesecake? That IS real fusion cooking! :)
I won’t mention the gorgeous purple jacaranda in bloom in our backyard at the moment, or you might really get jealous… ;-)
Oh! The added drop of soap to the wine vinegar for the bugs – GENIUS! We didn’t have enough summer this year in Seattle to have fruit flies but I will try that in the future.
In my kitchen this week is an attempt at using all the figs on my tree that didn’t ripen – that would be ALL of them! I found a Greek recipe that preserves un-ripe figs and hopefully I will end up with a condiment to go with a cheese plate. I also have a large vat of raspberries in white wine vinegar that needs to be decanted and bottled. I made a pot of applesauce this morning and am looking forward to eating some for breakfast tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing all the wonderful things in your kitchen so far away!
Lynn, thank you! For some reason it needs to be wine vinegar or cider vinegar – plain vinegar just doesn’t attract them – and apparently the detergent breaks the surface tension so they can’t fly back out again. Wish it was my idea, but it actually came from my friend Jenise. :)
Good luck with your fig preserve – that sounds very exciting. I made a fig and walnut bar a little while ago to go with cheese, but it needed dried figs – if it’s of any use, the recipe is here. And applesauce, yum!! :)
Smiling – I have three of the dough whisks – 1 large one for me and 2 smaller ones for my girls, and I have a lovely egg ‘ancient’ beater I got at a flea sale a couple of months ago. Glad to see your ‘Bintjes doing so well.
Oz, love the dough whisk and loving the bintjes too! We’ll have more to eat soon, hopefully!