We're expecting!

Over the past few days our pretty girl Emmy Lou has been very reluctant to leave the nesting box after laying her spotty little eggs.  Yesterday after returning from a charity shop hunt in town (and a very successful hunt it was) I found only 5 of the 6 chickens in the backyard.  Sure enough, there was Emmy Lou, sitting on her little egg and the imitations I leave in the nesting box - to make sure they all know where I expect their eggs.

I lifted her up to put her out in the yard, like I have been for the last few days, where she has carried on her day as normal, foraging and preening.  But yesterday was very different, underneath her I found a pile of fluffy feathers - where did those come from? - I turned Emmy Lou over, her belly was pink and bare -  and she was obviously very eager to get back to her nest, so I obliged.

If we are going to have a broody hen we may as well gain something from it - we're going to be short an egg a day for up to 8 weeks.  Luckily my sister-in-law lives just around the corner, and she has a roster.  So with a dozen fertilized eggs in-tow she came on around to have a look at my broody hen.  When we opened the nesting box she was as flat as a pancake and greeted us with a warning growl and raised hackles.  Keeping my fingers clear of her nippy beak I carefully lifted her and a bundle of eggs was deposited into the nesting box.  Emmy Lou emerged late in the afternoon to feed and explore the garden, but soon disappeared again to cover her eggs.

My husband and I are going to make a little cat/rat proof run for her so she has privacy and safety as she sits and hopefully raises her 'adopted' young  - and when the run is complete we'll move her and her clutch of eggs by the cover of darkness to the adjoining disused dog kennel, which will be kitted out with an old beer crate stuffed with clean straw.

Silver Laced Wyandotte - Emmy Lou

Free Range Work Out

I don't know where today went!  I had a couple of guests, helped to plan a fundraising menu for our local playgroup, then planted out marigolds, kale, broccoli and cauliflower in the garden.  Time for a sit down.

I was lazily planing out dinner from my 'A Free Range Life' cook book in the sun, watching my boys run a muck in the garden - I went inside to check for ingredients and glanced at the clock - Holy Heck!  It was 4:30pm and the kids would be begging for dinner by 5!

I didn't care if I was missing a few ingredients, dinner was decided right then and there, Tuna Puttanesca with what ever pasta I could find.  I put some water on to boil, grabbed some tuna and tinned tomatoes from the larder.  Went to grab pasta - there was none!  Okay okay... Um.... I can do this, I know how to make pasta by heart, I still had some time, so I grabbed some flour while I was there.  Frantically I measured out my flour, chucked in some fresh eggs from the garden and read over the Free Range Tuna Puttanesca as I kneaded.  I crammed 10 minutes of kneading into 5 - pushing, rolling, tearing, pulling and turning till I had the smooth ball I was after.  Pasta Dough resting, I checked the pantry, I was only missing 2 ingredients for the sauce (anchovies and capers), my 1 and 3 year old would probably pick around them anyway (I added these to my shopping list though for next time).

After a quick chop of garlic the sauce was on the heat, just as the water came to the boil.  I unwrapped the dough and whirred the pasta machine into action.  Within minutes fresh noodles were being stirred into rolling boiling water - the sauce was nearly ready, patsa cooking - and there he was.  "Mummy, I'm Hungry" says my 3 year old.  "I know buddy, it's nearly ready" I say pulling noodles from the pot. "NEEDLES!!" says my 3 year old, "I love needles mummy".

With instructions for washing his hands and to sit up to the table outside he trotted off to get ready for his 'needles'.  A stir together of noodles and sauce, a couple of minutes on the window sill to cool and dinner was ready.  My 1 year old had just started climbing up my leg (as he does when he's hungry) - I picked him up and took 2 bowls of fresh Fettuccine with Tuna Puttanesca to the garden.

Dinner was amazing.  So simple, so tasty (even with 2 things missing).  My 2 little boys devoured it, and just as the second batch of pasta was out of the pot Pappa Bear came home from work - his dinner didn't last long either.  Happy tummies all round.

I'm looking forward to trying out more recipes this week from my new cook book, A Free Range Life.  I never win anything, and this is even better, I was selected!  Selected to receive an exclusive preview copy of Annabel Langbein's new summer annual.  It's like a big special addition magazine, but no ads - Brilliant.  It's only $19.95 when it comes out on shelves so go grab one for the foodie in your life - you and your tummy won't regret it.

Work and Play

What a weekend!  It started very relaxed (and early) on Saturday morning making sourdough bread.  After my lovely husband woke up we made porridge for our 2 hungry little boys - then the real breakfast began (that the little ones were too hungry to wait for).  Home-kill smoked bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce, all served up on the last of the sourdough from the pantry.

My 3 year old presented me with chocolate and a tin of heirloom seeds - perfect for his green thumbed, choc-o-holic Mumma.  We all mooched around the house in our PJs till noon when Pappa Bear made a batch of sweetcorn fritters and I whipped around and mowed most of the back lawn.  A job I had been meaning to do since that last lot of bad weather passed.

We spent the rest of the day at my sister-in-laws, the kids in the paddling pool, Dads chewing the fat over a beer and Mummas looking over the chickens and emerging seedlings, all enjoying the spring sunshine.  A birthday feast followed - chips, home made fried chicken and coleslaw with home made choc-swirl icecream and lemon meringue pie - YUM!

BBQ Area Before: Overgrown with Ivy, a pile of bricks in the way and layers of dirt and leaves

BBQ Area After: Ivy controlled by Nana last month,
bricks (and clay discovered underneath) removed, brick floor re-laid then dirt and leaves shoveled out

The next day, it was action-stations in the garden preparing for my Free Range Foodie event next weekend.  Chopping down old diseased trees, moving clay and dozens of bricks to clear out our BBQ area, taming vines and re-enforcing edges on our raised gardens.  The kids both helped the way kids help best - stealing tools away, taking rides in the wheelbarrow and stomping in muddy puddles.  The boys even took their bath in the garden that evening - they were too muddy to take inside - so the big fish tub of warm water came out to them.

My awesome birthday present =)

 Our days efforts were rewarded by dining on fresh veges from the garden and pork chops on the BBQ - all sitting around mumma's other birthday present - a new outdoor dining suite.

After catching up on my cooking shows I fell into bed exhausted, happy and just a little bit older.

More to follow this week on my pending Free Range Foodie Mediterranean BBQ.

Mad about bread

Right now it's still dark outside and I should be tucked up in bed waiting to woken up by my husband and 2 lovely boys for my birthday breakfast in bed - but - there was sourdough waiting on the bench.  I could have left it till 7 or 8am, not 5am!  What's happening to me?

I guess it just that I have a real passion for bread now, I have even put away my bread maker that I used to do all my kneading.  I love the feel, taste and smell of the stuff.  I love coming in the from the garden to a kitchen filled with the aroma of baked bread, the tang you can only get from a loved and nurtured sourdough loaf and the chewy but soft crumb that waits beneath a glorious crust.  Beautiful.

My sourdough batter was tucked up like a baby last night.  Warm water, flour and a dollop of my wild yeast, stirred and wrapped up with layers of cloth to do its work over night.  I woke up feeling just a little like a kid on Christmas morning, how could I go back to sleep when there is a little bit of magic working in my kitchen.  I was rewarded to find my batter was full of life and waiting for some good kneading to transform it from a sloppy, bubbly batter to a smooth and elastic dough.

Sourdough Bread

Overnight Batter
650ml Warm Water
250g Wholemeal Flour
250g High Grade Flour
Soughdough Starter (about a cupful - but a bit more or less will do)

In the morning
475g High Grade Flour
125g Wholemeal Flour
20g Salt

Oats/flour for dusting

Before you go to bed combine the overnight ingredients in a large bowl and give a good stir.  Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and wrap with a couple of layers of tea-towels.

In the morning you will have a bubbly batter, add the morning ingredients to this and bring together with your finger tips.  When the dough is looking a little raggedy tip everything onto your bench, giving the bowl a scrape down as you do so.  Now, don't be afraid of the sticky mess in front of you, just start working with it.  Knead, pull, stretch and roll then every few minutes pull the doughy mess off you hands.  Soon you will see the gluten starting to work, your dough becoming smoother and pulling away from the bench cleanly - keep going.  After 10 minutes of giving your arms and the gluten a good workout you should have a smooth, strong and elastic dough.  Form this into a ball and add a slug of oil to your mixing bowl.  Roll the dough in the oil, cover the bowl and leave to start rising.

After an hour grab an edge of the dough, pull it up and over to the center of the dough and give it a push to hold in the middle, turn the bowl by an eighth and continue to pull the sides to the middle until you have worked your way around the bowl, this is giving the gluten structure.  Repeat this stage every hour for 3 to 4 hours.  As each hour passes you will feel your dough becoming more light and airy.  Give 3 hours in warmer seasons, more for cold.

Lightly oil 3 loaf tins (mine are 29 x 14.5 x 7cm).  Divide your dough into 3 pieces, weighing them out so they are the same size for even cooking.  On a floured surface flatten a piece of dough to a rough square with your knuckles, about 22cm wide.  Fold the top down by a third and the bottom up over the first fold - like a letter.  Push the seam down a little to hold.  Holding the short ends lift and gently pull the dough so it is about 50% longer.  Now fold the left and right sides in by thirds.  Using your knuckles again push the dough into a square, to the width of your loaf tin.  Starting from the edge farthest from you, begin to roll the dough into a sausage, rolling nice and tight to keep all the tension you have created from the folding process.  Roll the dough in your oats or flour to coat and place seam side down in you loaf tin.  Repeat with other dough balls, cover, and leave to rest for another 3 or so hours, till the dough is about double in size and feels soft and airy when you squeeze the sides.

Turn your oven on to 250C Fan Bake (a little higher for standard bake), put a roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and turn on the kettle.  Once the oven has reached temperature gently slice the top of the loaves a couple of times, about 2 cm deep -  use long pulls with a bread knife while gently holding the loaf - don't saw it.  As fast as you can put the loaves in the oven and a cupful of boiling water into the roasting tray.  Don't bang the loaves around or slam the oven door - this will deflate air from your bread.  The steam helps your loaves rise by letting the crust stay moist and elastic for longer.  Cook for 10 minutes at this high heat then turn down to 180C and switch over to standard bake, cook for 35 minutes longer.  If you take the bread out of the tins 10 mintues before the bread is due to finish cooking you will get a better crust.

Let the loaves cool completely before you tuck in - you'll squish all your lovely air bubbles down if you try and cut while its hot.

A day out with my boys

Yesterday was shopping day.  We only go to a supermarket once a month now - sometimes only every 5 or 6 weeks.  I quite often challenge myself to use up all the things knocking around in the back of my larder, fridge and freezer before I can go shopping - half bag of pinto beans, tin of tuna, a few dried shitaki mushrooms, frozen soup.

We save a lot of money going once a month, I do get the odd treat while I'm there, it just doesn't put a huge dent in the budget like it would if I were to go every week.  I don't plan a months worth of meals, I just get versatile base ingredients - tinned tomatoes, flour, sunflower oil, olive oil, spices, cocoa, yeast, sugar, butter, cheese, rice, oats, beans and lentils.

For our fruit and vege we make a weekly trip to a green grocer, I'd say most things are at least 25% cheaper than going to the supermarket.  My biggest bit of advise to save money on your shopping bill is to go and find a good green grocer - you'll never look back.

I plan my weekly meals around what vegetables are in season because they are cheaper and better quality.  In the cooler months root vegetables make for hearty soups, stews and roasts.  This spring I found leeks super cheap so they featured often in my easy quiche, risottos or chicken pie.  Broccoli and cauliflower are well priced at the moment so we'll be having cauliflower cheese, broccoli or cauli florrets steamed and tossed in oil, garlic and pinch of salt (this is one of my favourites).  Both are also good cut into florrets, blached and tossed through a stirfry.  And don't forget the good old iceberg lettuce.  We just happen to have a quarter pig worth of bacon in the freezer - so maybe a Caesar Salad will be on the menu this week too.

I don't set myself any other tasks on shopping day - taking 2 little boys and transporting a months worth food takes quite a bit of effort.  So with our cupboards full, the boys and I spent our afternoon playing around in the garden.  We were happy to find the first bush rose of the season and the grape vines starting to bud.  Plus Mumma Bear got some time out when both boys had a nap.

Peanut Butter

This is easy to make, cheaper than buying it off the shelf and healthier too.

Peanut Butter

1kg Peanuts
1/3 C Oil (I use sunflower or canola)
1t Salt - Optional

 Heat oven to 170C.  Roast peanuts in a tray for 20-25 minutes, shaking the tray every 5 minutes to turn the nuts and check if they are done.  You are wanting just a bit of colour - that said, you can roast to what ever taste you prefer.

Let the peanuts cool.  At this stage you can rub some skins off but I leave them all on, more taste, more fibre.  Put into a blender and wizz for a few minutes until chopped down to the size of sprinkles.  With the blender going add the oil a little at a time until you get a good peanut butter consistency.  Homemade won't be as smooth as shop brought stuff, you're after a more grainy consistency.  If you have blended the peanuts warm, keep in mind the mix will stiffen when it cools.  Add salt if you like, blend to combine then put into a jars.  If I make more than one jar I put the extras in the fridge.

Ciabatta Burgers with Kumera and Lentil Patties

After a Sunday roast of pork with pineapple and onion sauce and all the trimmings, then Monday night leftovers I felt like something seriously vege this evening.

I've been meaing to try ciabatta for ages, I figured if I've managed to get a few sourdough loaves to cooperate I could manage a bit of ciabatta.  It was actaully quite easy - just very different from my normal loaves.

The ciabatta turned out soft and chewy and the patties spicy, nutty and sweet.

Ciabatta

400ml Warm Water (38C)
12g Active Dried Yeast
375g High Grade Flour
125g Fine Semolina (plus extra for dusting)
10g Salt
1T Olive Oil

Put water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over, leave for 10 minutes letting the yeast activate.  Add in the flour, semolina, salt and olive oil.  Stick a hand into the mix, shaping your fingers like talons and stir for 5 minutes - it gets hard near the end, but stick with it, it's worth the effort.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover the bowl and set aside for an hour (I use shower caps all the time for covering bread as it rises, they fit over mixing bowls and loaf tins perfectly - and no waste).

After an hour pour a slug of oil over the mix, gently tilt the bowl so the oil sits around the side of the dough.  Very gently work your hand down one side of the mix and pull the dough up and over it's self, folding it in half.  Do the same to all 4 sides of the dough.


Repeat the process above twice more, you'll notice the dough getting silkier as each hour passes.

An hour after your last fold turn your oven to 250C and have a small bowl of semolina and a baking tray ready.
When your oven is to tempreature put a good layer of semolina on your work surface and very carefully work the dough out of your bowl.  Ease it gently from the sides so it doesn't rip - you want all those lovely air bubbles to stay put.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with semolina then using big bold cuts, devide into rolls.  This recipe makes 8 good burger sized rolls.  Carefully transfer to the baking tray and slide into the oven.  After 7-10 minutes (when the rolls are looking slightly golden) turn the oven down to 180c and cook for another 10-15 minutes, depending on what size you cut them.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top when they are hot from the oven if you like.

Kumera and Lentil Patties

1C Lentils washed (I used Puy, Beluga and Split Red - use which ever you fancy)
2 medium Kumera, peeled and quartered
1T Oil
1T Cumin Seeds
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced or finely chopped
1T Cumin Powder
1t Paprika, heaped
1 Large Egg
Salt and Pepper
Flour for dusting

Put lentils and kumera in separate pots, cover with 1.5 litres of water.  Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender.  Skim any froth from the lentils as it rises to the surface.  Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Turn oven on to 180C (fan forced if you can).  Heat a pan over a medium heat, add oil and cumin seeds.  When seeds begin to pop add the chopped onion.  When the onion starts to become transparent add the garlic, cumin powder and paprika.  Cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.  Mash lentil, kumera and onion mixture together then work in an egg to bind, add salt and pepper to taste.  Work the mixture into patties with floured hands and lay onto a lightly oiled baking tray.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bottom is slightly browned.  Turn and cook for 10 mintues longer.

Serve ciabatta and patties with all the bits you love with burgers.  A yoghurt style dressing would go really nice too.  These are so tasty you'll forget you've gone vege!