Birds of a feather

Birds of a feather

The Age newspaper reviewed the flavour of Victorian chickens today and I was disappointed to discover the one I buy was rated the least tasty of them all. Hmmmph! I'm hoping they just got a bad Free Range Lillydale - usually tastes pretty good to me.  Interestingly there was not much difference in flavour between them, although free range birds fared better on the whole. The winner was:

FIRST

Bannockburn Free Range 67/100 $7.30/kg

FROM the people who brought you La Ionica comes this well-formed chook that ticks the free-range and chemical-free processing boxes, described by one of the panel as having ''juicy, sweet, flavoursome flesh''.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/birds-of-a-feather-20110822-1j66p.html#ixzz1VrSzK3dK

They also discussed issues of chicken breed and methods of processing chickens which may sway how you eat.

Making cumquat marmalade

I was in the garden and my daughter came out and said "why do we have a bag full of tiny mandarins inside"?

"Oh they're cumquats, for making marmalade" I replied.  These were gathered from a tree dripping with fruit going to waste, found after a great day of vegie grouping on Friday (read about it here).

 I suggested she could make it, not really expecting a positive response, but she nodded with excitement.

I explained what to do and came inside later to this vision, what a self sufficient little 10 year old she is.

All the hard work done, taking the pips out is the bad bit about making cumquat marmalade. 

I gave the cumquats some extra snipping with the scissors (my favourite lazy kitchen tool), they were a lovely juicy thin skinned variety. We weighed almost a kilo of cumquats and added the same in sugar and 1 litre of water - then the big one stirred and stirred and simmered and stirred and it took a long time to set.  I showed her the cold saucer test but the marmalade kept merging back to together - I would add less water next time. I actually added a jar of some homemade pectin to speed things along, I made this with Christine last year and was pleased to use some as we have heaps in our cupboard.

I was so proud of her persistence!  Scooping out any missed pips.

Watching the jam didn't burn for over an hour.

 I did the jar sterilising and ladling but almost all the rest of the work was done for me! Wonder if she will volunteer so readily again?

The end result, wonderfully set delicious cumquat marmalade - my favourite! We all enjoyed some on some home made fruity sour dough.

While all the production happened, the rest of the family played games.

sour dough 2nd attempt

Not to be put off by my slightly stodgy first attempt, and somewhat rude comments by my partner, I tried baking sour dough again this weekend.  I have kept feeding that mother since my last attempt and she was getting big. This time I tried  Slow Living Essential's Mixed Grain Sour Dough and a revisit to the date and pecan loaf only with a few raisins thrown in for variety - 4 loaves in total.

As I am not a morning person the slow making of sour dough doesn't entirely suit my day and I have attempted a two day technique again.  This time I made the mix, left it to rest for 3 hours, then added salt, then put it in the fridge.  The following day my partner pulled it out of the fridge to warm up while I lay in bed with pancakes and the newspaper, my slovenly though wonderfully indulgent Sunday routine.

Then I removed the dough, folded it and let it sit on the bench under a vintage tea towel blanket.  I am a lazy cook and couldn't be bothered with cleaning and oiling my bowls straight away.  I returned every half hour and refolded the dough (maybe 4 times in total)

I then placed the dough on trays under glad wrap and waited for them to rise. After inspecting my oven I realised they weren't all going to fit, 2 at a time was ideal, 3 at a push, certainly not four. So much for saving electricity with a bulk bake.

We were going out and I was getting impatient so I baked one loaf, it seems a bit flat and I'm guessing a little moist to put it politely. I'll cut it tomorrow for the true test.

After getting back from our lovely big family pizza get together with the wise and ancient Nan, I baked the remaining loaves.  I think they were happier for the longer rise and have risen much more successfully.  I also set the oven lower (as our oven bakes extra hot) so they are a prettier golden sheen on this attempt.  The proof will be in tomorrows tasting but the kids are very excited about breakfast!

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush

One very sad looking twig.
How it came to be here

• I purchased mulberry cuttings on eBay last year, yep some very entrepreneurial person is selling their cuttings.
• Grew cutting - dipped end in honey and planted in potting mix - waited
• Roots grew quite quickly - planted in bigger pot.
• The mulberry was finally ready to go in the ground, I can see new growth about to burst into life
• I dug a hole with the mattock in our heavy clay soil - no mean feat
• Partner came and dug bigger hole - I thought I'd done well!
• Dug compost out of bin
• Emptied wheel barrow of compost in hole
• Planted mulberry.
• shook soil from surrounding grass to discourage it smothering our new plant
• watered in
• debated with my partner whether we planted it too low and if it will get waterlogged
• Still need to give it a liquid feed
• It was a beautiful day here today and the little one and I danced and sang around the twig
• "Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush....."
• took a little imagination
• may have to try it on a cold and frosty morning
• Actually grew more than one mulberry, have donated one to school, and one to our neighbour.  When its bigger we can have silk worms!
• We rent but I love to grow food and just hope we will get to stay to watch this grow onto a tree.

Lemon Butter, rain and winter sun. Lazy Monday.

Stayed up too late reading Harry Potter last night (yes I know I'm a bit old for it) started the day slow and hazy.

 Proudly sent the kids to school with leftover sushi which looks like a very fancy, healthy, lunch - nice to pull one of those off now and then.

Sorted washing, did the dishes, organised the DVD collection. Cold and drizzly most of the day.

 The sun finally made a show and lit up this Gods Eye dream catcher thingy.

Sparkled on stars and wet leaves

 A gentle breeze drifted the smoke from our neighbours chimney. The camelias (or Chameleons as my 2 year old likes to call them) begun to open their buds and drew birds to their nectar.

 I looked at my bargain 50 cent seedlings that needed planting but shivered and left them on the BBQ.  I did weed the carrots while the littlest picked flowers and scented leaves.  Went back inside, fingers frozen, needing cup of tea to defrost them.

Breastfed the little one to sleep, left her on the couch where she wakes happiest, in the hub of family life.

 Gazed out the window at the native Hibiscus, first of its winter flowers unfurling.

Looked at the lemon bowl filled with lovely free lemons, donated by colleague at partner's work. It whispered lemon butter, which made me think of mum and nanna and childhood treats. remembered that mum had said you can make it in the microwave so went hunting for a recipe.

Grated 3 lemons rapidly with my microplane thingy that I am seriously besotted with, I have been a slow adopter of this wonderful kitchen tool.

Also baked the left over frozen rolls of Mexican wedding Cakes (in tin in background) already nearly gone.

the end result - two jars of delicious lemon butter.

follow link for recipe http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Microwaved-Lemon-Butter-L6487.html

I actually used the quantities below

4 eggs

3 smallish yet very juicy lemons

3/4 cup sugar

125g butter

Think I'll try the old fashioned way again as I felt like I didn't have much control when the bowl was in the microwave, so easy though - think I had a bad batch a decade ago (little eggy) and hadn't made it since - forgotten how much I love it.

 Kids took to licking the bowl with relish, "too sour" said the littlest, the bowl hardly needed washing when they were done.  Lemon butter sandwiches  for lunch tomorrow!

Fatigue made me absent-minded so the oldest one didn't have dinner (the unusual mix of pita bread falafel and fish) ready in time to go to Cubs.  Neither her nor I were too fazed, she did get her overdue homework done and enjoyed the slower start to the week.