In my kitchen…
…are fresh figs, picked from an overhanging branch that our neighbour Mark kindly leaves unpruned for us…
We grilled them in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil until soft, then added them to our lamb wraps…
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In my kitchen…
…is a batch of dark chocolate, just for us…
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In my kitchen…
…is Ali’s magnificent homegrown garlic. We’ve been given so much wonderful garlic this year – it’s been an enormous treat…
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In my kitchen…
…is arroz al horno (rice in the oven). Our Spanish friend Emma emailed us her recipe, and it worked brilliantly. That’s Ali’s garlic in the middle and the burnt looking bits are morcilla (Spanish blood sausage)…
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In my kitchen…
…there is always bread! Sourdough cheese and olive rolls for lunches, and loaves for our daily eating…
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In my kitchen…
…are magnificent dahlias! This bunch was a belated anniversary gift from my cousin Dil…
…and Big Boy and Monkey Girl went to the flower markets and brought back pink and red varieties as well. They’re sitting in an old fashioned crystal rose bowl, a wedding gift from Pete’s dad…
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In my kitchen…
…is lap ap rice, made by adding a piece of specially cured (salted and preserved) duck (known as lap ap) to raw rice and then cooking the whole lot together. The flavour and fat seeps out of the duck as it cooks and infuses the rice.
The Chinese BBQ shop in Flemington makes these salted ducks for a few months each year…
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In my kitchen…
…is a giant squash that we missed. For two days. That’s all it takes for them to end up humungous!
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In my kitchen…
…are chocolate chip cookies. I hadn’t made these for a couple of months, and the boys were asking for them…
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In my kitchen…
…is a box of homemade treasures from darling Clare in Geelong. I can’t tell you how nice it was to come in out of the rain and find a surprise parcel waiting for me…
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In my kitchen…
…is a new desk planner. It’s proven remarkably useful already! But I secretly bought it just for the stickers…
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Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen?
If you’d like to write an In My Kitchen post, please do so by the 10th February and send your link to Maureen at The Orgasmic Chef. Thanks for hosting Maureen! x
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Fell in love with the gorgeous figs and could barely take my eyes from that photo to continue reading, but of course a lot more goodies were waiting for me, including the breads!
great post, Celia!
hope all is going well for you and your family!
That time already! Great treats in your kite as always.
Fantastic figs and garlic, Celia. And, wow! What a huge courgette – could almost be called a marrow. The arroz al horno sounds delicious comfort food (ditto the bread and chocolate!). As usual, wonderful things in your kitchen.
I really like your so colorful desk planner 😊
Went and dug up a recipe for the arroz al horno. A pleasure and education for me to read your blog.
Semper Fi
I love those figs and your rolls. Thank you for sharing your kitchen and all those goodies.
Always yummy treats in your kitchen!
OMG where did you buy “morcilla” in Sidney, I always thought there is only here in Argentine and neighbours (Chile, Uruguay)….incredible!
Next Tuesday I´m coming back from holidays…. we will see if Mafalda is OK ???? (Priscilla´s daughter remember?)
Bye!!
Ooh figs – roll on summer for us! Love those dahlias – such gorgeous flowers. And I thought of you as we got back to England in Friday night and I “reanimated” Hercules, son of Priscilla and tomorrow I bake :)
Such wonderful things in your kitchen Celia! The bread, those figs, the garlic … It’s all making me hungry! X
Our figs are ripening now, too. Although we are fighting the dogs and the birds for them!
This made me want to eat!
Tania
Such a gorgeous post. I always enjoy this monthly update! I picked up a bag of figs the other day too, we had a plate full last night with goats cheese, mint, honey and black pepper (so good). Your bread looks absolutely perfect, I WILL manage to maintain a sourdough starter one day!
How cute is that planner, i’ve gone back to a paper diary after the electronic version let me down, twice. Fresh figs hanging over the fence, mmmm, and I love the sound of the ducky flavoured rice
WHEN can I move in? Everything looks SO good from the garlic to the chocolate to the bread to the well… everything.
You had me at the fig and lamb wraps Celia…yum! x
Do you shred the duck meat into the rice and then it’s a complete meal? I’m with Jane – you had me at the figs and lamb wrap :)
Everything in your kitchen -even the giant squash- looks delicious but it’s the dahlias that I can’t get past, they were a regular of my farmers markets flowers choices… maybe I have a connection with them via the name ;)
Celia! You are much loved by many… Please share your recipe for the ‘arroz al horno’… I’m curious about the Squash. Is that the type that turns yellow & you can scrape the insides out to resemble pasta? Oh it would be wonderful to get some seeds dried & ready for next season! Those figs are just squeezing out the saliva from my mouth!!! Yum yum!! Enjoy dear lady! X
This planner seduces me, and now I am thinking to make my healthy plan like yours. Such posts are great guides for a healthy living with good taste.
As usual, I have fig envy. It looks to me like that squash is going to need to go into an all purpose, excess veggie ‘zucchini slice’. Saw your lap ap rice on Instagram and the conversation that ensued. Very interesting.
I am envious of your figs too Celia. Love ’em. The dahlias are beautiful and the aroz al horno I can’t wait to try as I live in Spain and the local morcilla is scrummy. much better than the English variety. Your chocolates look very inviting too and the cookies and the bread ……. :-)
All looking wonderful, but then it always does. Have a fabulous February Celia!
How I wish I had a neighbour who let their fig tree overhang!
The figs look devine. Always love seeing all the food shops and suburbs I grew up visiting with my parents as a child linked on your blog. They bring me good memories.
Those figs do look delicious and I’m always so impressed with your bread.I will have to check out your duck & rice dish as it’s a new one to me.
I so wish I had access to fresh figs! I adore them on the grill too. What a great idea to tuck them into lamb wraps.
I’m still reading. I’m up to May 2014 so far and loving everything. How fortunate are you having so many lovely things in your kitchen. Loving your posts about your sourdough bread. I’ve tried 3 times to make a starter without success, maybe number 4 will be my magic number. I especially loved your post about paying it forward and I am going to try and put more of this into my life. Must go I’ve got more posts to read! ;)
I wish figs grew here. Lovely flowers, bread, chocolate, squash…everything. Now I want some chocolate chip cookies too!
It would be a Celia IMK post if there wasn’t a few bread loaves highlighted. (Tromboncini once had that honor.) How nice of your neighbor to make sure you got some figs every year. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by such good folks. That lap ap rice sounds like a great dish, too. I wonder if I can find smoked duck here. Chinatown perhaps? Let the quest begin! :)
I just bought a diary with stickers! I’m glad you make chocolates just for your family. How handy to have an overhanging fig branch. The flowers are gorgeous xx
I’m not fond of figs, but OH! your chocolate and sourdough tingled my tastebuds. The flowers are gorgeous, a feature that’s missing here in the midst of our Pacific NorthWest winter.
What a lovely neighbour… the figs look so fresh and wonderful, also the lovely garlic bulbs too. My boy loves his chocolate cookies too. As always beautiful baked goodies in your kitchen :)
I love your IMK posts. They make me hungry. The lap ap rice sounds amazing. I must check out where they prepare those duck legs locally. my family would go crazy for a bowl of it.
Celia, just had a visit from lovely Debra from Bagna di Lucca blog, we spoke of you…thanks for the many years of inspiration. I just could not sustain my blog what with all the other new adventures I have had since moving here. How lucky to have figs or access to them, our neighbour dropped over some bright red chard yesterday and I am going to give him some of this years abundant crop of tomatoes. Love Roz ps still using those orange suede gloves you sent me some years back.
Lamb and fig wraps, I’m so coming to visit sometime! I saw the rice in IG and loved it then, doubt I could find the duck here though. Your flowers are all gorgeous. Life is always better with fresh dough and chocolate!
looks lovely in your kitchen – I love boynton so am sure that planner is fun – I think I probably need one – love all the produce and breads and flowers – all the bounty of summer in your kitchen
Aaah figs. Never available locally here and mine are about as big as maltesers. Maybe next season! Beautiful dahlias.
rather envious of the free fig bounty. Like Maree, my figs are still hard and green, though the recent rain here might plump them up. Your post a reminder to cook some choc chip cookies for the beach.
I’ve never eaten fresh figs. They don’t grow here because it’s too cold. I need to look for them when I go into the city to a good grocery; I really want to have them in wraps. Nice of your neighbor to share. And that planner – it looks fun!
I drooled over your beautiful figs – what wonderful neighbors to leave you a branch! My parents have a neighbor with a fig tree – after years of neglect by the neighbors, the fig tree has grown over the fence and produces hundreds of figs for my parents. Yum!
Look at those juicy figs – I can only dream. Must get a move on with my imk.
Hi Celia, loving your cheese & olive bread – it makes me want to bake some now (even though I know I’ve still got a bit of practice to go before mine ever get to your perfection!) What gorgeous pressies of homemade goodies from Clare – delightful :) I’m such a fan of dahlias they’re just gorgeous. Oh and your garlic – amazing! Hope you’re well
Figs are the best. I have to control my eating when it comes to them… :)
The figs and garlic are gorgeous! I would have bought that planner for the stickers, too! Stickers are the best!
Take care!
Those figs!!! My word they are a treasure as is your neighbour!!! I did a baked rice dish the other night with chicken drumsticks that turned out pretty good. I also loaded it up with homegrown leeks, carrots and cherry tomatoes – I love an all in dinner! Jan x
We have been fighting for the figs with the fruit fly, rats and birds this year. We figure it is one third to us, the rest to nature. Oh to get enough to do anything with other than eat straight off the tree.
My envy levels are at an all time high with the chocolate, bread and garlic. No bread in our house of late. It is far too hot to bake.
Hi there Celia…so nice to get back to catching up with you and your kitchen happenings. although we’ve had a very mild winter up until now (alas, it’s come to bite us now), I’ve just been sort of down for no good reason. Looking at those beautiful flowers and luscious chocolate have put a smile on my face.
Your garden bounty reminds me that we’ll be into spring before you know it here.
how pretty are those dahlias. such lovely colours. you have so many nice things in your kitchen celia. look at those figs! and the chocolates and the cookies and the bread. oh my! it goes on and on. such goodness.
Hi Celia! The figs look delicious, and the dahlias are just gorgeous, as is your bread as always! :)
I love figs in tagines. Cutin half, grilled and sprinkled with feta and a drizzle of good dressing.
I need to get back in the kitchen!