Weather is fine and decide to walk down to the lake to enjoy dinner there. Bbq chicken wings, cooking and eating slowly, simple happy experience. On the way back up, saw lots of pom-pom seed heads of dandelion, so cute.
Lake side bbq
Lemon Sole
No turbot, the next best on the fish monger’s site is nearly 1kg lemon sole. Since weather is great, decided to have alfresco dinner and cook on bbq.
Season with salt for a short while, brush with oil before cooking. Used bay tree sticks on the stove to avoid skin sticking to the grill, worked well. Fine while juicy flesh, no comparison with the firm texture of turbot.
Cockle
After 5 years in Ireland, finally the fish monger offers cockle that are big enough to worth eating. In the past they are small with thick shell, not much meat inside. Probably with warmer season/water, cockle started to grow faster!
In a big pan, bring to boil a cm of water, oil, ginger, parsley and red pepper, when boiling, add in cockles in one layer. Cover with lid and serve when most opened up, less than a minute.
Air fried eggplant
A popular western way to cook eggplant, is by grilling, donw much faster by using air-frier than oven.
Cut eggplant into halves, make criss-cross pattern deep into flesh, sprinkle a little salt all over, leave to soften for at least 2 hours. Mop away excessive water, generously brush oil on top, air-fry for 10 minutes. Spread mince meat and then tomato paste on top, air-fry for another 10 minutes until cooked.
2026年4月25日 腸臟健康
近年追看Dr Tim Spector 的書，他專注飲食和健康的研究，資料十分實用。上一本書 Food for Life，分享身體需要好多不同種類的營養，有些只是要微量，但欠缺的話長遠就會影響身體，所以鼓勵，不計肉類，每星期起碼吃三十種不同食物材料，而且，不要每星期都是那同樣的三十個材料，當中包括香草、香料、煮食油等等。
自己也就努力試吓，不是每星期，而是每天吃三十種不同食材，反正種類越多越好。
最近看完他的 Ferment - Life changing power of microbs ，解釋清楚腸道益生菌多，不單影響身體健康，亦和精神狀態有關係。腸和腦原來有條神經線 Vagus nerve直接聯繫，研究發現，有抑鬱、暴躁、自閉等情緒問題的人，腸臟內益菌數量和種類特別少，為何有影響仍然未知，只是見到互惠的關係。
他的結論是要多吃發酵食物，最少每天吃三種，令腸臟保持有大量各式益菌。常吃的包括味噌、豉油、yogurt 、芝士、sauerkraut 類漬菜丶酸種包等等，自然要看清楚是以天然發酵方法製造，不是科技加工產品。亦指出發酵食物加熱後，營養仍在，不一定要生吃才有效。
書中包括他自己試做的各式發酵食物，令我有興趣動手試做的是Kefir 水和酸奶，分別有消化糖份和消化lactose 的兩個菌種，只要在室溫廿度左右做就成，好方便。
Kefir 是一個菌種Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast，到了現在，這菌種仍然未能以科技方法合成，仍然是由千多年前，在東歐Georgia /Modova 那區流傳下來，生生不息地擴散世界各地。
另一個原因，是每年果子收成多，吃不完的做果醬放冰箱，甜食也，年紀大了也不敢多吃，半個冰箱擠滿果醬。所以想到把果醬開水稀釋，放入kefir 菌吃光糖份，放出益菌和營養。就一舉兩得，每日做一杯份量，作為一份酵素食物，又有多一個方法「吃」果醬。
現在用黑加倫子果醬，那原來是無色透明的kefir ，一天發酵後就轉為悅目藍紫色，黑加倫子果醬kefir 味道頗佳，不太酸，帶氣泡，似是不甜的利賓納汽水。
因為家中常吃yogurt，做kefir 酸奶，可用混合了的牛奶和椰奶，一天下來，就有酸味會凝固，似yoghurt ，但在室溫內進行，每天做一份，不用冷藏，就不用吃冷凍食物，牛、椰奶kefir，亦較往常多吃了一個材料。
Crispy rice paper roll
Finally I followed the trend and made spring rolls using rice paper. Indeed easy enough, just wet the paper to soften, put the ingredients on top, here I have a layer of seaweed, then venison loin. Roll up and sear until golden on all sides. The crispiness will last longer with drier and precooked ingredients.
Portumna Castle
Visited this Castle with a beautiful formal garden in the front and a veg plot at the back. A well restored historic building from the 15C, blending early Norman square towers protective structure with new Manor House style, a rare hybrid.
Japanese ginger 茗荷
A second round harvest of ginger leave shoots, a bit of work to remove the outer fibrous layers, but any home grown fresh green is a treat, especially in this early growing season. Simply stir-fry with garlic is tasty enough.
Baby Wagtails
Don’t want to disturb mother wagtail while she is sitting on the eggs, once saw that she fly away, we open the cover and see babies are hatched, hurray!
Cherry blossom and veg
外遊回來，第二輪櫻花盛放，種下第四年，和三月份開花的品種不同, Kanzan 樹形不美，是葉片長了出來才開花，花朶多瓣重疊似球，花柄特別長，似一束吊鐘花。
過去數天陽光一定很好，菜芯竟然抽苔，也就切下菜遠部份，希望能長出新苗，有多一輪收成。
芥蘭、唐生菜、白蘿蔔和京水菜都長得理想，廿天前在raised bed 外圍種下百多粒青豆，現在長出豆苤可以收成，京水菜亦可收成外圍大葉，各有滋味，四月中就有炒青葉菜吃好開心。
Tour of southern Spain 7/7 Cordoba
An easy day trip from Seville is by 40 minutes train to Cordoba, for the famous Mezquita. An 11C mosque that has been converted partly into a gothic cathedral, the 2 parts are connected. The mosque part is huge and supported by a few hundred pillars, only one level with a flat roof, no other decorations or sculptures. This allowed them to built the first structure in just a year.
On the other hand, the cathedral part is impressive, with high ceiling, domes and many dazzling decorations, such big contrast.
The cathedral has a bell tower that is worth going up for the view. This is where I can see the immense flat roof of the mosque part.
Also visited Palacio de Viana, an old estate with many patios on surrounding the buildings. Beautiful plants and interesting layout.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)