Water melon 山椒鳥

This is the first water melon that I notice its appearance on end July, already a 5 inches long fruit. Now its tendril turned brown and dry, together with the length of time it has set as fruit, indicated that it is ready to consume. 

A disappointment that it is not red enough, but the sweetness is there, being crunchy and not sandy like a fully ripe water melon. Still very pleasant to eat with the eyes shut. 

For the remaining water melons, I will let them have at least 8 to 10 weeks of growth together with the tendril turning brown, before I taste them. 

Silken tofu dips

Created another way to enjoy silken tofu, blend to puree and use as dips, high protein low fat version.  I used pomegranate molasses and chilli oil in one and pumpkin seed miso in the other, perfect texture.

Fermented turmeric, ginger and lemon

After a month of fermenting turmeric, ginger and lemon in raw honey, bubble subsided and ready to enjoy. 

The liquid is filtered out to be used as a not very sweet but full of all sorts of nutrients cordial. Slices of turmeric, ginger are separated from lemon rind, which is cut into fine pieces. Both dried at 60˚C for around 4 hrs, excellent snack and palette cleanser. 

Vegan pizza

Easy to make vegan pizza, grated cheese added on half of the pizza when used.

1. pizza with garlic paste, sesame and spring onion

2. pizza with tomato sauce and after cooking add semi dried tomato with basil

3. pizza with pine nut miso pate, fresh pea and salted lemon peel

High protein seaweed crisp

Created this crispy high protein snack for a vegan friend. Super fast to make and tasty. 
Make a paste with mashed up chickpea, mix with peanut butter and season with salt/spices. 
Cut seaweed into 1 by 2 inches rectangles, put a small tsp of stuffing in the middle, fold over seaweed at both ends and flatten stuffing, brush with oil and bake at 170˚C for 7 minutes. 

Honey fermented lemon peel

After a month, the jar of honey fermented elderflower, ginger and lemon slices have stopped bubbling, meaning it is ready to be bottled and keep in the fridge to enjoy. 
The lemon peels looks great and is too wasteful to be thrown away. I cut them up into pieces and dry in the oven at 65˚C, around 3 hours. 

A nice chewy snack, lemony, mildly sweet and a floral note. I will use more of these thick skinned not bitter organic lemon in future honey fermentation projects. 

Air fryer buttered sourdough bread

 

To revive sourdough bread, the best way is to spread butter on both sides and grill. Air fryer did the job in 10 minutes, turn over half way, perfect golden, crispy on the outside soft inside toast.

Pizza gathering

Nice to have friend over for a meal together, created some pizza based on what I have in the garden. 

1. Pizza with confit garlic sauce, scallion and sesame

2. Pizza with tomato sauce, when ready, top with semi-dried tomatoes, fresh basil in olive oil 

3. Pizza with miso cream sauce, fresh pea and Spanish Iberia ham mince, cheese and sprinkle with chive flower before serving

4. Pizza with mustard cream sauce, honey fermented garlic slices for the crunch and sweetness, lamb mince seasoned with 5 spices powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, lastly coriander. 

Butter croissant and pain au chocolate

What a pleasure to find perfectly made croissant and pain au chocolate, good balance of crispiness and bread dough texture. They are from Sunflower bakery in Limerick, they sell it at the Sunday market in our nearby town. They also make very good sourdough bread with different types of flours. Sure with such skill the owner is not Irish, but French, not a surprise. 

Chickpea nut butter cookies

Saw on internet the trend to use chickpea and nut butter to make cookies, for a lower carb higher protein snack. Try it out, yes works well and tasty, easy enough too. 

200gm cooked chickpea (tin)
100gm any nut butter 
20gm olive oil
20gm sugar
pinch of salt
spices/herbs etc optional

Mix all ingredients and use spoon to form flat dough on baking paper, bake at 170˚C until dry, around 30 minutes. 

Spring pizza

While sun is out, quick decision to have pizza lunch, just to be able to sit outside. 

Pizza with confit garlic, sesame and coriander

Pizza with homemade tomato sauce, parsley and grated cheese

Pizza with homemade tomato sauce, dried Savory herb from Bulgaria and salami. This herb is totally new to me, still need to learn its flavour, sort of thyme/mint/spicy combination. 

 

Rice paper spring rolls

I have seen it so many times on IG and finally come round to try it out. 

It is hard to find rice paper made with pure rice flour, not mixed with tapioca flour, which will make it chewy. 

For the best crispy result and beautiful form, use precooked ingredients, quite dry ones, and not putting too too much inside each wrapping. I used cooked carrot, khol rabi, and herbs, mixed with smoked kippers. 

Then is straight forward, soak rice paper is a plate of water for 10 seconds, place on a wooden board and put fillings inside, fold into spring rolls. If not really to cook, cover with moist tower. Sear in pan with some oil until golden on all sides. 

Fried glutinous rice flour pancake

I thought of another way to enjoy the black sesame paste. Using glutinous dumpling dough, but make a thin flat pancake, the size of your frying pan. Sear at medium heat with a little  oil, until cook through (thicken) and golden crispy on both sides. Spread black sesame paste on top and serve. 

Tree of lights

Just before our neighbour removes the tree, we are invited for a belated gathering with a last round of bee wax candles lighted tree. To go with traditional German Xmas snacks, selection of cheeses /crackers and small shots of his whisky collection. For nearly 30 years, this is always a memorable evening.

 

Grilled cheese dish

Really happy with my little glass air fryer, using scrap pastry, topped with some tomato sauce and goat cheese, just 15 minutes and it is beautifully golden. Super fast and good result. 

Fish cracker version 2

 

Given a big Wrasse from online fishmonger, very big, I eaten a quarter steamed with soysauce and olive oil. The rest turned into fish cracker, I improved on the recipe of the last one. Adding more water to form a softer dough, and more baking powder for better fluffing up effect. The tricks worked, very crispy crackers. 

These fish crackers are actually high protein snack, the best way to eat more fish.

60% fish ~250gm

40% tapioca flour ~200gm

Baking powder 2tsps

Water ~200gm

Seasoning

Just a bit of work to blend with water to a soft dough, steam in long sausage form, cut into very thin slices, and dry, that’s all.

Make a big batch and keep for a long time.

Deep fry in olive oil, wonderful snack.

Pear frangipane

Need to bring some snacks for a gathering, while there are a lot of pears, I have to think of how to use them up, hence this frangipane.

2eggs
100gm butter
120gm almond flour
60gm flour
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
small pieces of pear

Mix the ingredients and place in muffin tins, bake at 180˚C until golden, around 30 minutes. 

FIsh cracker

 

With a blender and a fruit drier, it is easy to make prawn or fish cracker, just a bit of work but can make a big batch to enjoy for a long time. Definitely high protein and healthier than eating commercial potato crisps. 

raw fish/prawn meat 500gm
tapioca flour 400gm
baking powder 1 tsp
water
seasoning, salt, white pepper, chilli powder

Blend fish/prawn with flour and water to make a dough. Form into fat sausages and steam for an hour. 
Rest for a day in the fridge, easier to cut the next day into thin slices dry in a fruit drier (or under the sun). 

Deep fry in 180˚C oil.

Afternoon tea

Easy to make cheese biscuits and mini wild bilberry muffins to have with friend for an afternoon tea. 

Cheese biscuits:
100gm grated hard cheese
100gm flour 
80gm soft butter
enough water to form a dough

Bilberry muffin
180gm soft flour
1/2 spoon baking powder
2 eggs
90gm butter
90gm milk
3 tbsp sugar

big handful bilberry

Summer pizza

Finally a bit less windy day and make a quick decision to enjoy pizza, only 3 types with leftover for breakfast the next day. 

 

Pizza with pesto and sesame - good colour, crispy and tasty

 

  

Pizza with tahini, smoked eggplant and carrot - topping a but too thick and hard to cook through

Pizza with tomato paste, chorizo, salted lemon, fresh pea and cheese - the most tasty and satisfying one.