In my kitchen…
…is an olive dish, complete with pip and toothpick holder…
In my kitchen…
…are bay leaves from Mark’s garden, hanging up to dry…
In my kitchen…
…are the shells from our backyard eggs. We dry them out a bit in the oven and then blitz them in the food processor. The powder is then sprinkled into the worm farm, where it adds minerals, provides the worms with the grit they need, and helps with the acidity levels. Eventually it ends up back on the beds, where the chooks pick it out, thereby getting the calcium they need for their shells. Isn’t permaculture fabulous?
In my kitchen…
…are treasures from Essential Ingredient. This hamper was PeteV and Nic’s birthday present to Pete…
At the bottom of the photo above you can see a vanilla flower, made from twisted and shaped pods. We now have two of these, so I popped them into a jar of vodka to brew into extract…
In my kitchen…
…is a litre of Portuguese olive oil, bought solely because I couldn’t resist the hatted man with his jacket slung so jauntily over his shoulder…
In my kitchen…
…are passionfruit and lime cupcakes. I meant for them to look rustic. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.)
In my kitchen…
…is a delicious version of Jacques Pépin’s potato ragout, made with pepperoni and bacon from Black Forest Smokehouse…
In my kitchen…
…are two containers of lard. If you’re in Sydney’s Inner West, it’s worth knowing that the Talho Portuguese Butchery in Petersham (4/88-97 New Canterbury Road) sells lard at a very reasonable price – just $4.50 per large container. It’s a byproduct of the crackling they make for feijoada every week. This lard isn’t unscented and neutral like the one we make ourselves – instead, it’s garlicky and savoury. (Edit: Sadly Jose is closing his butchery on 26/7/14)
I gave one box to our neighbour June…
…and used some of the remainder to make flaky pastry for the freezer. Given my recent debacle with packaged frozen pastry, I’ve resolved not to buy it any more, but I do like having a stash on standby…
I’ve figured out that if I make the pastry by hand rather than in the food processor, it has a better chance of ending up flaky. I think that’s because making it by hand leaves lumps of butter in the finished dough (as you can just see in the photo below)..
Here’s the recipe I used:
- 400g plain (AP) flour
- good pinch of fine sea salt
- 75g lard
- 75g cold unsalted butter
- 125ml cold water (from the tap is fine)
Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Rub in the lard and butter until mostly combined, then add in the cold water and knead briefly to bring the dough together. This quantity makes enough to top two large pies. I also use this pastry for empanadas and curry puffs.
I ended up with the best pastry I’ve ever made – the garlicky lard adding flavour and crispness, and the cold butter producing flakiness. It was also quite sturdy – making it easy to roll out and shape…
In my kitchen…
…are the most wonderful lemons in the world, picked from our backyard tree…
My friend Sally from My Custard Pie said to make preserved lemons – so naturally, I did. I used the Stephanie Alexander recipe, tucking pieces of cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves into the mix…
. . . . .
Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen this month?
If you’d like to do an In My Kitchen post on your own blog, please feel free to do so. We’d love to see what’s happening in your kitchen this month! Please link back to this blog, and let us know when your post is up, and we’ll add it to our monthly listing. Please upload your post by the 10th of each month.
. . . . .
Here are this month’s posts…
Emma @ SurreyKitchen (first IMK post! Surrey, UK)
Tina @ The Rogue Sparrow (Australia)
Moya @ Food & Tools (Bahrain)
Laila @ Table of Colors (Finland)
Selma @ Selma’s Table (London, UK)
Bernice @ Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen (Calgary, Canada)
JJ @ 84th & 3rd (Sydney, NSW)
Danielle @ The nOATbook (Melbourne, VIC)
Becca @ The InTolerant Chef (Canberra, ACT)
Lisa @ I’ll Be There With A Fork (Brisbane, QLD)
Ngan @ Ngan Made It (first IMK post! San Francisco, USA)
Shaheen @ Allotment2Kitchen (Wales)
Joanne @ What’s On The List? (Adelaide, South Australia)
Christine @ Invisible Spice (Sydney, NSW)
Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home (first IMK post! Boston, USA)
Emily @ Cooking for Kishore (New Jersey, USA)
Fran @ The Food Marshall (Canberra, ACT)
Siobhan @ Garden Correspondent (Ulupinar, Turkey)
Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
Nicole @ Miss Food Fairy (Melbourne, VIC)
Liz @ Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things (Canberra, ACT)
Sandy @ Vegans Eat Yummy Food Too! (Sydney, NSW)
Maree @ Around The Mulberry Tree (first IMK post! Gippsland, VIC)
Ella @ Mulberry and Pomegranate (Sydney, NSW)
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella (Sydney, NSW)
Claire @ Claire K Creations (Brisbane, QLD)
Fiona @ TIFFIN – Bite Sized Food Adventures (Brisbane, QLD)
Tandy @ Lavender and Lime (Gordons Bay, South Africa)
Veganopoulos (first IMK post! Melbourne, VIC)
Debi @ My Kitchen Witch (Sheffield, UK)
Jennifer @ Milk and Honey (Gippsland, VIC)
Sandra @ Please Pass the Recipe (Melbourne, VIC)
Marian @ Apricot Tart (Adelaide, South Australia)
Anne @ Anne Lawson (Melbourne VIC)
Stephanie @ The Dessert Spoon (first IMK post! Brisbane, QLD)
Tania @ The Cook’s Pyjamas (Perth, Western Australia)
Sherry @ Sherry’s Pickings (Brisbane, QLD)
Mel @ The Cook’s Notebook (Brisbane, QLD)
Diane @ Photographs and Recipes (Massachusetts, USA)
Kim @ A Little Lunch (Oklahoma, USA)
Clare @ The Life of Clare (Geelong, VIC)
Liz @ Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (Gold Coast, QLD)
Ale @ Ligera de Equipaje (Argentina)
Lauren @ Living the Savory Life (Perth, Western Australia)
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe (Melbourne, VIC)
Charlie Louie @ Hotly Spiced (Sydney, NSW)
Nancy @ Jamjnr (Shanghai, China)
Kari @ Bite-Sized Thoughts (now in London, UK!)
Jane @ The Shady Baker (Broken Hill, NSW)
Kylie @ Town Mouse Country Mouse (Northern Victoria)
Francesca @ Almost Italian (Melbourne, VIC)
Emma @ Gustoso (Brisbane, QLD)
Anne @ Life in Mud Spattered Boots (Essex, UK)
Mandy @ The Complete Cookbook (Sundays River, South Africa)
Misky @ The Chalk Hills Kitchen (West Sussex, UK)
Glenda @ Passion Fruit Garden (Perth, Western Australia)
Tania @ My Kitchen Stories (Sydney, NSW)
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Happy July to you! Love your lemons and bay leaves. I’m using the last of the ones off my sister’s tree from their house in Johannesburg. I’ve got some lard in my kitchen as well :)
Happy July to you too Tandy!! There’s nothing quite like homegrown lemons, is there? :)
Beautiful lemons. It must be a joy having your own tree. Love the homemade pickled lemons – easy to do and so delicious with couscous and other Middle Eastern dishes. Your flaky pastry is a must try. We get lovely lard here, but I wonder if goose fat would work as well. Have tons of it in the freezer. I actually like the “rustic” look (and I’m sticking to that as all of my cooking is “rustic”).
Debi, I’m not sure about the goose and duck fat, only because the lard is a bit more solid at room temperature than the poultry fats? I use duck fat in my breads though, and it’s gorgeous.. :)
So many wonderfully tasty goodies in your kitchen Celia. I just hacked our bay tree which seems to keep growing in chunks and am also drying a some leaves. I could easily stock all your foodie bloggers pantries. I love your vanilla flower and could go one of your lovely passionfruit and lime cupcakes.
Have a lovely month ahead, I will be posting my IMK post tomorrow morning.
:-) Mandy xo
Mandy, when I was at the butchers recently, they were giving away branches of bay – I think when the trees grow, they get huge! :)
Nothing wrong with rustic looking! Any fool can buy something perfect. How wonderful to have lemons growing in your backyard; I’m sure they taste much, much better than the ones we buy here. Do they store for long or do you have to use them quickly or preserve them?
I’ve stolen your line Anne, and I’ve already started delivering it in my haughtiest voice.. “Of course, any fool can buy perfection…” :D
Everything looks lovely, Celia! Your pastry has me drooling! Must look out for an olive dish such as you have–great idea,
Thanks Debby! The olive dish is very cute, but a bit tricky to store!
Happy July, Celia! I love olives, so my favourite just has to be that wonderful olive set. So clever to have everything so handy.
Misky, I like it so much better than the little olive boats. Not sure I’d use the toothpick holder though.. :)
How time has flown! Another month! Love your rustic cupcakes. Rustic adds authenticity, flavor, and beauty to everything. At least I think so. Beautiful lemons. You are so lucky to have your own tree! Lovely things in your kitchen this month!
I have some beans waiting to be canned. 18 jars of pickles from Saturday’s canning spree; and my son’s birthday present.
Manuela, thanks! 18 jars of pickles is a grand effort! :)
Awesome currently re making a sourdough starter as my last one died t am trying to think of a name for mined have a blessed week
Good luck with your new starter, Linda!
Hi Celia
I love the fact that you use the egg shells. It is so good not to waste things. I also like pastry made out of lard. It is so much more flaky than pastry made with butter. I wonder why. Your olive bowl is very cute. Here is the link to my post. Have a great month.
http://passionfruitgarden.com/2014/06/30/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Glenda, it’s nice that the shells get recycled, I love that too! :)
That olive bowl is a thing of beauty.
Not much going on in the kitchen here. Everybody is running around on vacations and such. We did go to a lovely fondue restaurant last night for my niece’s graduation dinner. Fried artichoke hearts are one the best foods ever. Hugs, Maz
Maz, a fondue restaurant!! I haven’t had a fondue for decades! Bet it was fabulous! :)
Amazing round up of stuff this year! I have the exact same type of dish for olives, except that it’s a different pattern painted on it, and the color is mostly yellow…. Love it!
I see plenty of pies in your future, which indirectly means in your reader’s future too ;-)
I won’t be able to join the party this month, not enough goodies to share, but I have my hopes for August… yeah, baby!
Handsome Stud says hi…. (sigh)
Sally, hope you have a fabulous July with lots of sunshine! Are you on holidays from uni at the moment? And I’m blowing the Handsome Stud a kiss.. :)
[…] What’s in your kitchen this month? Join the fun by posting to Celia’s Fig Jam and Lime Cordial blog […]
Here’s mine. http://miskcooks.com/2014/06/30/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Oh I made lemons after reading Sally’s blog too. Great In My Kitchen, such interesting things. That lard sounds amazing, I’d love to be making pastry with that. GG
GG, I’m struggling to STOP making pastry with it, it’s working so well! Which is why the freezer is full of little packets.. :)
Oh my your kitchen is stacked with goodies, especially wowed by the home grown lemons. What a taste sensation those must be!
Claire, I feel the same way when you folks in the UK have homegrown apples and pears! How I wish we were able to share in some way!
Lots of wonderful things! In Spain (at least, in the south) in many bars for breakfast they have tubs of lard (sometimes with meat scrapings from the cooking) and often lard mixed with pimenton so it’s red and it’s served with grilled bread….absoulutely delicious with a strong coffee!
Tanya, I love it! Not just lard, let’s make it RED, then let’s spread it over our toast for breakfast! :)
They know how to live ;)
Happy birthday Pete! What a lovely gift basket indeed :) Great way to use the shells, I always put mine in the compost. Your pastry looks fantastic Celia, and how yummy to have the garlicky goodness through it as well. My Lemon tree stubbornly refuses to fruit, what’s your secret? Xox
Becca, I think it could be the weather? I think citrus needs to be a bit warmer? Plus, we do keep water and fertiliser up to it…
Wow, Celia, you have so much going on. I love the hamper; what a thoughtful gift. And I didn’t know that about the egg shells! That pastry and looks and sounds amazing; lard certainly gives excellent results xx
Charlie, the lard pastry has been an eye opener, and this batch has been the best yet. Not sure why! But I think they’ll be perfect for empanadas…
A bountiful kitchen this month Celia! It’s been a great season for lemons in the south too. I have a similar olive dish I bought myself in Spain and Pete’s foodie gift, the best sort of gift IMO.
Sandra, there you go, I was just telling Becca that I thought citrus needed to be warmer, but you’ve got them happily growing in Victoria! The olive dish is Portuguese, nice to know they use something similar in Spain as well!
Hi Celia, July already!!? I love your cupcakes… rustic and home made is much better than those fancy sickly over iced versions! : ) Lotsa good stuff in your kitchen, as always.
Liz, there’s just too much icing on most commercial cupcakes! So we’ll stick with rustic.. :)
I’m a big fan of permaculture. Love the bay leaves.
Here’s my post;http://www.gustoso.com.au/blog/challenge/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
I love them too, Emma! :)
So many fabulous things in your kitchen this month Celia. I must catch up with that debate re bought pastry. I love the bay leaves and the egg shell idea. I didn’t know that worms needed thes elittle extras – so will save them up for my daughter’s worm farm. Also love the sound of that vanilla.
Francesca, I had a bad run with frozen shop bought pastry that made me swear off it now forever. At least the thicker stuff, I’ll probably make an exception for phyllo, as I can’t see myself ever making that! :)
Hi Celia, for a special treat I bought the Careme hand made pastry from South Australia; its in much thicker sheets than normal ready rolled and so much buttery loveliness. I should try your lime cupcakes with the lime glut.
I feel like I am channelling you this month Celia :) I was looking at my lemon tree the other day and thinking I should make preserved lemons. And just last night I was thinking I needed to find a good recipe for flaky pastry and voila, there it was :) I have hot hands so do make all my pastry in the food processor, but I find if you just pulse briefly rather than run the motor you will still end up with large lumps of butter in the mix. I am careful and keep checking by lifting the flour so I don’t over process (which I have a tendency to do).
Tania, that’s great advice, thank you! I find I can make pastry in the stand mixer if I take the mix out while the butter is still pea-sized. I do like rubbing fat into flour by hand though.. :)
[…] happening in your kitchen? Why not join in or at least pop over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial to see who’s sharing their kitchen this […]
So much happening in your kitchen this month Celia! Those lemon looks fabulous-are they really juicy? I find that the lemons at the markets can be hit and miss and the best lemons I’ve ever had were ones that my mum gave to me from her friend’s tree.
Lorraine, really juicy! And they’re enormous!
What a lovely ‘foodie’ beginning to cold July! Two things definitely learned!! Must use Stephanie Alexander’s recipe for my preserved lemons next year – have bay leaves and cloves in mine, but no cinnamon. Secondly, love your egg shell recycling . . . usually just crumble mine under some of the shrubs :) !!
Eha, the eggs were a tip from the wonderful Jerry on Gardening Australia! :)
This is such a wonderful post Celia! So nice to see that you’re preserving lemons… I have a whole boxful of citrus (lemons and limes) from a friend in my kitchen at the moment, I’m wondering whether to do lemon curd or preserved lemons… now I’m edging towards the latter! Love that flaky pastry too. I’ve always been a little hesitant to use lard in my pastry but seeing the results is rather persuasive :) Beautiful post xx
Laura, thank you! If it’s of use, here’s our recipe for lemon curd – only takes a few minutes in the microwave!
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/04/16/archive-post-lemon-curd/
Hello again Celia. It looks like you are busy in your kitchen as always. Fresh bay leaves are like gold aren’t they? I love that gourmet hamper…what a thoughtful gift. The vanilla flower is fascinating.
How does the Portuguese olive oil taste? I like the tin too! Your lard pastry sounds and looks like perfect winter food to me.
Thanks once again for hosting our kitchen’s so graciously! My post is linked.
Jane, I wish I could tell you the olive oil was special, and it’s nice, but not extraordinary. The tin though, makes me smile every time I look at it! :)
I can attest to “most wonderful lemons in the world”. They are juicy and flavoursome; a good balance of sweet, tart and lemony :)
I love that you are drying your own bay leaves. The G.O. whinges every time I put “those leaves” in something but I have a tree at Taylors Arm, so he’ll never escape it.
Hahaha…poor Gorgeous One, you’re always sneaking green in on him! :) Is your tree huge? We don’t have one, and given some of the stories I’ve heard, I’m not quite glad..
The bay tree is only small, and I will keep the its size in hand, as unchecked in time they apparently attain great size.
I love the olive dish and the stash from the Essential Ingredient is so cool. I could NOT have resisted the man in the hat either. You win the day. :)
Maureen, isn’t he cute? I love that even for the artwork, he had to have his jacket slung on just one shoulder.. :)
Your pastry does look amazing and so do your preserved lemons. Our lemon tree is also loaded with the most juice lemons so might need to preserve some! Im interested to see how the vanilla star vodka goes and what you do with it. Thks for sharing- I have just posted mine too! xx
Kylie, the vanilla extract is something we make all the time – I use it in all my cakes and baking. It was just nice to have a pretty flower to brew it with! :)
Thank you for the so fresh-looking sausage… can’t wait to get it into some cannellini Creek x
Most welcome love x
WOW! Amazing kitchen for me :) Thank you dear Celia, have a nice new montht, love, nia
Nia, you too! Hope July is fabulous! x
I think rustic cupcakes are the best sort ;) The preserved lemons sound fantastic too, and I love that you are drying your own bay leaves and making your own vanilla extract.
My IMK post is up at http://www.bitesizedthoughts.com/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014.html :)
Kari, it was so exciting to peek into your new kitchen on the other side of the world! Hope it’s all going well!
I think I’d walk a lot of miles for that flaky pastry on a pie. My grand dad used to have lard & salt sandwiches – and it would be on white bread too. Can you imagine? Tasty though. My post is up http://www.jamjnr.com/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Nancy, it’s an easy pastry to make! Not sure about the lard and salt sandwiches though – they were tougher than we were a generation ago! Or maybe just less neurotic.. :)
Another entertaining look at what’s in your kitchen Celia. The lemons are looking good and the present Pete received for his birthday are the best type of gifts to receive. I like the idea of practical, edible and hand made things being given as gifts. They have so much more meaning ;)
Jody, you’re so right. We’re always trying to give consumables – our houses are so full that it’s nice not to add more to them. We’re so happy when friends reciprocate in kind! :)
I have just been looking at some of the other posts and notice that someone said you placed 21st in food blogs. Congratulations Celia but l think your site is number 1:)
Wow Celia!! Beautiful olive dish and some really amazing ingredients in your kitchen this month. Can’t wait to see what you have in mind for those preserved lemons!
My post is up! http://www.livingthesavorylife.com/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Lauren, I think the lemons will end up in a chermoula tagine! :) Thanks for playing!
I love how you recycle those eggshells – though not sure I am comfortable about the chickens pecking at them – but then again chickens probably often get chicken in the food scraps. Love the hamper and the vanilla flower. Interested to hear why you use lard – I know you can buy vegetarian lard in the UK but I have never seen it here to try. Love your cupcakes and that you buy olive oil based on the labels – so many labels are so seductive these days.
I have posted my IMK post for this month – http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014.html
Johanna, most conventional chook keeping wisdom says to crush the egg shells and feed them straight back to the chooks! We pass them through the digestive system of the worms first.. :D
Pork lard makes pastry sturdy, crisp and flaky – so it’s easy to work with and bakes up well. Not sure how vegetarian lard will work in its place?
We’ve had a fabulous lemon harvest, too. Fruit the size of a man’s hand! And what handsome bay leaf branches … bit envious there, love! A bay leaf tree is on my wish list … when we get on to sorting out the back garden. Lovely post.
Rach, we had a bay tree in a tub, but it died – thankfully. I resisted the urge to plant it in the ground, because apparently they grow to an ENORMOUS size. So glad to hear you’ve had good lemons too! xx
I ditched the food processor for making pastry this weekend too – I was being lazy and had already had it out and didn’t want to wash it again. Anyhoot, flakiest pastry I’ve made for some time. Yummo.
Hooray! Glad to know it wasn’t just a fluke on my part! :)
Now that is the kind of birthday present I’d like to receive. Great tip about the egg shells, I had no clue! As always, you’ve shared such interesting and inspiring things.
Danielle, thank you! It was a great birthday gift – we’ve made a dent into it already..
Love this post! There’s nothing wrong with rustic cupcakes!!!
Thanks Mimi! That’s what I keep telling myself as well. :)
Just letting you know that I posted an IMK post in my blog… your pastry looks yummy, next thing to try !!!
Ale, thanks for playing! I used the pastry for empanadas! :)
What a wonderful Kitchen you have this month :) I so miss my trips to The Essential Ingredient and their cooking class since moving to the Gold Coast! I have always baulked at making my own flaky pastry, but this looks easy, so I’m going to give it a go as my Dad is always at me to make a mushroom pie! :)
My In My Kitchen is up too!
http://www.themotherhubbardscupboard.com/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Thanks so much for sharing!
Liz x
Liz, I was surprised how easy it was. I’m sure the lard made a difference! :)
Some nice kitchen treasures you got! The olive dish is just pretty :)
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Thanks Jules. I hope the weather is glorious up there, it’s freezing here at the moment! :)
The bay leaves look beautiful! I love the olive bowl. We do something similar to our eggs shells, collect them, dry them in the oven and crush them with a motar and pestle.
Clare, that’s what Jerry on Gardening Australia does as well! We blitz them because I’m too lazy to get the mortar and pestle out! :D
Happy abundance here, Celia. That’s such a great tip about eggshells. We occasionally babysit a friend’s worm farm and I love having them ( to babysit that is). I have plans to build our own worm farm. I must have another go at preserved lemons. Mine went dark and ‘odd’ and I do so love good ones. Have you made pastry with dripping? I’m sure that’s what my grandmother used and her pastry was wonderful.
Jan, I think dripping is lard, really, just an old fashioned name for it. The stuff we’re buying from Petersham is probably more dripping than lard, as it’s the byproduct of the cooking process, rather than just rendered fat. Either way, it works a treat! :)
I love the olive dish Celia, hope you don’t mind me asking where it is from? Thanks for the stickybeak into your kitchen :)
Stefanie, I bought it from Charlie’s Deli in Petersham. It was only $8! They have a blue version as well. :)
Thank you Celia. We pass there almost every week on our visits to my parents but I’ve never actually gone in. Will make a visit :)
Stef, can you please tell your hubby that it’s NOT MY FAULT if you now end up with a new collection of Portuguese ceramics.. ;-) But we do seem to have similar tastes, so I hope you love them as much as I do. If you get a chance (and it’s not Sunday), you might want to wander down the road to the Talho butchery as well (on the same side, other side of Livingstone), they have really nice ceramic plates as well, but different design and manufacturer. :)
Hi Celia, I told hubby this morning that we need to stop at the deli on the way to mum and dads and when I told him what for his reply was “what about all those little Turkish bowls you bought!” I use to love all white dishes which we have for our dinner setting but ever since discovering such beautiful dishes I want more colour. I love your collection from the pics you have posted, I only have a little collection in comparison but I’m sneakily trying to add little dishes here and there :) Don’t worry hubby doesn’t blame you :) Thanks for the recommendation about Talho also, will pop in also x
[…] My Kitchen is a monthly event is cordially hostessed by Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Please see the links in her sidebar and do pop in to say hello — kitchens from around the […]
[…] Thanks for stopping by my kitchen this month and thanks again to Celia for hosting this monthly get-together. Please stop by to say hi to her and see the others who are kind enough to allow us a peek in their kitchens – https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/07/01/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/ […]
Oh, I do love that olive bowl. Isn’t it so cool to be able to recycle the egg shells? Not having chickens though, I go through phases where I cut an oval out of the front, bleach the inside, and make Christmas ornaments from them. How I would love to walk out to my yard and pick lemons, plus to have so much bay is awesome. Celia – of course those cupcakes are very cleverly rustic! It’s exactly what I was thinking when I saw them.
And, I’m back in gear & have an IMK finally set right here: https://dianeskitchentable.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2634&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2
Thanks for being such a gracious hostess.
Diane, you have much more patience than I do, making ornaments from your egg shells. I’d just end up with crushed egg shells, I reckon! :)
Celia I love rustic…one of my favourite words :-)
Brydie, we’re good at rustic, aren’t we? :)
hi celia
here is the link to my IMK post this month http://sherryspickings.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014.html
love your post. The lard is a great idea. Reminds me of the dumplings my mum used to make – she swore by using suet in them rather than just butter so I always do the same, it gives such a melt in your mouth texture.
OK. So just had an ‘aha’ moment re: the eggshells. I crush up a few in the compost that we feed the worms but it had never actually occurred to me to break them down completely in a food processor (or more likley for our few, a mortar and pestle). Thanks for the inspiration and for hosting Celia. xx
I do love the olive dish!
I love your blog and the In My Kitchen series. I wanted to join in this time. I couldn’t find your email address so here is the link:
http://thedessertspoon.com/2014/07/03/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Thank you!
your passionfruit and lime cupcakes may be ‘rustic’ but rustic is in! Totally, just like ‘shabby chic’ ;)
Here’s my IMK post Celia, thanks a million http://wp.me/p2frs2-1Ba
Celia, that flavored lard sounds wonderful! My grandma always made her pie crusts with lard (the plain kind) — can’t imagine how yummy your empanadas are with that boost of savory flavor! I think making crusts by hand yields a flakier crust, too, and I like how you used part butter/part lard. Lots of good things in your kitchen! And OH that olive dish… :)
Hi Celia! Congratulations on recently being named 21st in the top Australian food blogs! Well deserved recognition!
Here is the link to my IMK post for this month – http://apricottart.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-in-july.html
Your piece on lard bought back memories of my childhood! My Mum and Gran used it a lot! Try it spread on bread, sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste – it is yum!!!
Cheers!
Marian
[…] to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting the In my Kitchen series each month. It is always so much fun to take a peek into other people’s kitchens. So […]
Ahhhh! there are so many ways to make pastry! But photos don’t lie and it looks incredibly flaky. I wish I had some of that lard!!!
I adore your olive dish Celia. What a pretty way to serve nibbles.
Here’s the link to my IMK post.for July.
http://milk-and.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014.html
PS My mum always made her pastry with half lard and half butter.
I have enjoyed your blog so much. I laughed so hard at the box of Zatarains crawfish boil. That is all I use…I am originally from Louisiana. I can’t wait to try several of your recipes TODAY! I think I might pass out if I don’t. Thank you for sharing and being an inspiration to me.
Hello, I’ve posted my first IMK entry over at http://veganopoulous.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
I’m looking forward to reading IMK posts from your readers :)
Hi Celia! I would’ve bought that olive oil tin too- how cute?! I am a total sucker for packaging and anything in a tin like that I could not pass up, for sure. I definitely agree with you on the handmade pastry as well. I like to make it in the food processor for convenience, but the other way is so much more flaky. I’m feeling motivated to make a batch now ;) Now, do tell me how you made that vanilla bean flower! Gorgeous!! xx
Em, I didn’t make the vanilla bean flower – it came like that! :) And I do find the feel of pastry under my fingers a bit addictive – hence all the batches in the freezer! :)
Definitely rustic. If the olive oil can is anything to go by it will taste bolshie and laid back with a hint of the exotic, anything potato is AOK by me and throw in some garlic and it’s a match made in heaven although I would probably slug in that olive oil rather than the lard as I can’t afford to be drummed out of the vegan confraternity again…I am still recovering from the last time ;). I also read that you can make calcium water to help with your jam setting from crushed up powdered egg shells. News to me, but another way to use them :)
Fran, thanks for the tip! We make pectin from apples to set our jam – must do it again, thanks for the reminder! :)
I found some awesome tutorials on Punk Domestics about making pectin. If you don’t already know about that site check it out, full to the brim with preserving hints and tips and many of them on the fringes of apothecary ;) Never know, they may even teach us how to be alchemists yet! ;)
So many beautiful things in your kitchen Celia. Those bay leaves and divine lemons are such a standout! Spectacular!!
Ella, thank you! The lemons have really been something else this year, haven’t they! :)
[…] July already but I’m so glad to be back with you all – I missed you. Thank you to Celia from Fig Jam & Lime Cordial for another wonderful party – it’s so good to have a peak in your kitchen for some new […]
It’s great to be back again Celia – thank you for such a wonderful party. I have so much fun looking into everyone’s kitchen & finding new inspiration. I just love meeting new friends too. Such a great idea with the eggshells – I’ll have to keep remembering to keep them and not throw them away. Here’s what’s In my Kitchen this month – http://missfoodfairy.com/2014/07/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/ Thank you again for a wonderful party.
Yay! Thanks for playing Nicole! :)
I’m going to have to be more vigilant in keeping my eggshells to do just that, Celia. I only crush them up and add them to the girls feed every now and again, and keep forgetting about the compost completely. I’ve looked with envy at all your lemons and wistfully look at the single mini lemon on my tree and hope that it’ll one day be as prolific as yours.
Here’s my IMK for July. Loving this monthly catch up 😊
http://thefoodmarshall.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Fran, if you read back on our gardening posts, you’ll notice that we had just one single lemon for nearly a whole year! Then bang, the tree went crazy! :) I’m sure yours will too, in time!
Here’s hoping! Although, I figure on transplanting it out of the pot into a nice sunny spot near the chicken coop in spring to see if it comes alive. Literally.
I love lard crust! When I was a kid we used to render fat for lard and I loved the crunchy bits that got left behind. Nothing beats the flakiness of a good lard crust. And now I’m dreaming of preserving lemons too. Lots of inspiration in your kitchen this month!
Siobhan, thank you! The lard is like treasure, but when we render it, I try to resist the crunchy bits! Too old for it now! :)
Hi Celia! What lovely terra-cotta pieces! That lard pastry dough looks great, it reminds me of ‘Pan de Manteca’ flaky and soft, yum! Thanks for the peek. :)
Here’s my IMK for July!
http://cookingforkishore.blogspot.com/2014/07/in-my-kitchen-july-2014.html
Ooh Emily, thank you, I’ll google the pan de manteca! I’ve never heard of it before!
Celia, you’ll love it! It’s like French bread in shape but with a soft and flaky crust. I have a recipe I can send you! :)
[…] a part of it for a while now. Many of my blogger friends are part of the series started by Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, and when they talk about what’s in their kitchen, it makes me feel as if I am a part of […]
Hi Celia, I just posted an In My Kitchen post…..simply adore this idea and have been enjoying it so much. Thanks a ton for starting this series :)
http://www.thelady8home.com/2014/07/08/in-my-kitchen/
How lovely of you to join in, Minnie! Thanks for playing! :)
G’day and Happy July Celia! I love your olive bowl and what a bargain with the lard! Happy Birthday Pete and love Essential Ingredient products…blog post coming today from me!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Jo! Look forward to peeking into your kitchen! :)
July already! Where is the year going? I love that olive dish, I’m lucky the husband doesn’t eat olives so any that come through our door are mine all mine! I love the look of that homemade vanilla essence… I might have to give that a go. I think I might be able to use some of my lemons to preserve the way you have too. Yum!
My blog post is up too :-)
Lisa, it’s been the best season for lemons ever, hasn’t it? :)
Hi Celia, here is th elink to my entry for this month. http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/some-new-ingredients-in-my-kitchen.html
Also so amazing to see vanilla flower. You have so much goign on in your kitchen.
Shaheen, it’s manmade from vanilla pods twisted into shape, not actually the flower off the vanilla plant itself. They’re really pretty though! Thanks for playing! :)
[…] Selma’s Table last month to join with many wonderful bloggers in this monthly forum hosted by Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Thank you to Selma for the invite and to Celia for hosting. Here is a glimpse at the new […]
Hi Celia, I love what you did with the egg shells. I had no idea it could be used as such. I enjoy preserved lemons and will have to try this particular recipe as I was not so smitten with the last recipe I tried. Thanks for that link! Here is my IMK post:
http://ngansequitur.com/2014/07/08/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Cheers!
Ngan
Ngan, thanks for playing! :)
[…] Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for your monthly In My Kitchen series that unites many wonderful bloggers worldwide and I always […]
I just scraped in by the deadline Celia! Please add me in to the fun too :) xox
I LOVE what you do with your eggshells – going to do that too. Currently I feed them back to our chooks, but the worms would definitely benefit. Love the flaky pastry too – going to try that. Thanks Celia :)
Mel, Jerry on Gardening Australia says you’ve got to crush them up a lot before they go into the worm farm, and we’ve found this was the case – we used to throw whole shells in, and they’d just ignore them. Hope you get your hands on some great lard! :)
What great info about the eggshells! I knew they were good for soil but so interesting about the worms and chickens! You always have the loveliest things to share!
Thanks love! I’ve just read your post – goodness, you made me laugh! :)
[…] It’s once again time for In My Kitchen and as per usual this is a collection of things from the past month — as seen over on Instagram — in loosely interpreted categories and no particular order. As always I’m linking up with Celia for IMK. […]
[…] Cannoli Ice Cream!!!A huge thanks to Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this fun monthly peek into kitchens around the world. If you would like to join or just drool over her amazing bread and chocolate posts head on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. […]
whooop! finally…a day early :) thank Celia! http://dishnthekitchen.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/
Great stuff Bernice, thank you! Can I please have one of those cocktails? :)
sure…I’m actually having one right now. Pop on by :)
[…] My Kitchen series is is hosted by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial where she is joined by bloggers from all over the world affording us a glimpse of what they’ve […]
Celia – I love the lard and the savoury pastry – how fabulous. I used to dry out egg shells in the oven when it was preheating, then crush them up to sprinkle on flower beds and pots in an effort to keep slugs and snails at bay. I want to try the salted lemons – just wish I had the same access to lemons that you all seem to enjoy! I have finally got my post ready – almost didn’t do it this month as I seem to have the blogging blahs but I don’t like wallowing in misery so pushed myself to get this done – I gather photos all month long so it’s not a big ask! Here is the link http://selmastable.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/in-my-kitchen-july-2014/ Thanks Celia – I know from co-hosting Fiesta Friday for Angie, how time consuming this can be!
Selma, it was lovely to see sunny London in your photos, thank you! And those cherries…sigh…few more months for us! :)
[…] a welcoming distraction. You also might want to peek into other kitchens where the host Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial has a long list of links of other bloggers showcasing their kitchen […]
Hopefully I have managed to meet the dead line with my post! Love how you do not waste egg shells and recycle them. I must say I am a sucker for packaging and the man with the hat might have made me buy the olive oil too. Fresh Bay leaves, lemons and home made flaky pastry… wonderful treasures in your kitchen Celia. Thank you for Celia I look forward to participating in the In My Kitchen. :)
Moya, the deadline is the 10th wherever you are! :) I was so sorry to read about Spud.. x
Good to know Celia. We so miss your lovely dog. :(
What a gorgeous July it has been after our cold June! I think I would not have been able to resist the liter of olive oil either with the lovely picture on the side! What a great way to use the egg shells…perhaps I might try that sometime as well. And I just posted my IMK July edition…just barely made the deadline! :)
…or actually I just realized that in Australia it is already July 11 and here in Finland it is July 10th still :)
Hehe…deadline is 10th wherever you are, Laila! :)
Hi Celia! I’m Indira over at I’ll Cook, You Wash and just came across your blog. I love your idea of a monthly post about the goings-on in your kitchen…I’m hoping there’s room for me to join in August :)
Of course! Please join in! Just make sure you post by the 10th of the month, link back to my original post for August, and leave me a comment so I can add you to the list! :)
Great! Thanks, I look forward to it :)
Hi Ceilia, I am sorry for the late entry, but it wasn’t until I saw Mandy’s post at The Complete Book that I knew about your blog. Anyway I have added my ‘in my kitchen post – July 2014’ to my food blog and linked back to you if you would like to read it. Happy to have found your blog at last. Emma.
Thanks for joining in, Emma! The usual cut-off is the 10th of the month wherever you are, but I’ve added you to the list this time! :)
Thanks Celia. I’ll remember for next time. Emma xx
Hi there Celia, I was only just thinking of Petersham (where I use to work seven years ago) and how I wished I bought some Portuguese cookware before I left! All these inner west delights are in my genes, it is where I grew up. I love your posts. I just picked lemons from our small potted tree and it was the best. I look forward to one day have our very own soil to plant this lemon tree.
I did it! Just squeaked by….it’s really difficult when the 10th ends up on a busy summer weekend ;)
thank you so much Celia!!
http://dishnthekitchen.wordpress.com/2014/08/10/in-my-kitchen-august-2014/
[…] A huge thanks to Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this fun monthly peek into kitchens around the world. If you would like to join or just drool over her amazing bread and chocolate posts head on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. […]
[…] My Kitchen is hosted by Celia over at Fig Lime and Cordial every month. There are up to 50 kitchens around the world to snoop in if you’re that way […]