Ginger and walnut carrot cake.

This is very different from the richly sweet, loftily layered and aerated American original with its ginger-spiked cream cheese icing .

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fine sea salt
175g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
200ml vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
200g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
100g walnut pieces, roughly chopped or crumbled
75g crystallised ginger, finely chopped (Before you chop the amber dice of crystallised ginger, rub the cubes between your fingers to remove excess sugar.
Then chop them finely, though not obsessively.)

For the icing
100g soft unsalted butter
100g icing sugar, sieved if lumpy
1 tsp corn flour
100g full-fat cream cheese, fridge-cold
1 tbsp coarsely grated fresh ginger

To decorate
25g walnut pieces, roughly chopped or crumbled
25g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 170c/335F/gas mark 3.
Grease the sides and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, ground ginger and salt into a large bowl and mix with a fork.

Beat the sugar, eggs and oil in another large bowl until completely mixed together, then gradually add the flour mixture, scraping the bowl to rescue and incorporate any flour clinging to the edges.
At this stage, the mixture may seem alarmingly stiff, but the carrots will loosen it up.
So, beat in the carrots, then fold in 100g prepared walnuts and 75g crystallised ginger, until everything is evenly combined.

Spoon and scrape into the prepared cake tin.
Don’t worry if it looks as if you haven’t got nearly enough batter, because the cake will rise well as it bakes.
Smooth the top and pop in the oven (this is when to make the icing: see the next step) for 45–55 minutes.
When it’s ready, the cake will be set and golden brown on top, beginning to shrink away from the edges of the tin, and a cake tester will come out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool in its tin.

As soon as the cake’s in the oven, get on with the icing.
Beat together the butter and icing sugar and, when creamily combined, beat in the corn flour, followed by half the cream cheese.
Once that’s incorporated, beat in the remaining half.
Be careful at all times not to over-beat or the icing will get too runny.
Starting with the grated ginger on a plate, get out a piece of kitchen roll and, moving quickly, spoon the grated ginger into the centre, bring up the edges of the paper, holding them together to form a little swag bag, and press on it over the bowl to squeeze out the intense ginger juice.
Beat this into the frosting bowl.
Cover with cling-film and refrigerate.

When the cake is completely cold, take the icing out of the fridge for about 20 minutes, by which time it will have softened to a still thick but spreadable consistency.
Beat briefly to help this along and make sure it’s smooth.
Unclip and release the cake from its tin, unmoulding it, and sit it on a cake stand or plate.
Spread the frosting on top, swirling it a little, then sprinkle the chopped walnuts and ginger on top.

From Nigella Lawson.

- Ginger and walnut carrot cake recipe - BBC Food

Pasta Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomato and Mascarpone.

Serves 2
Ingredients
175g gemelli pasta
salt, for pasta water
1 tbsp regular olive oil
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g cherry tomatoes, halved across the equator
4 tbsp (60ml) dry white vermouth (chicken stock or possibly vegetable stock)
2 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated, plus more to serve
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more to serve
Method
Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. (Although you don’t need to start cooking your sauce till the pasta’s in, I’d get everything ready for it while you wait.)
Once it’s come to the boil, salt generously and add the pasta.
Check the pasta packet for advised cooking times, but do start tasting a good 2 minutes before you’re told it should be ready.

Once the pasta is in, put the oil and finely chopped anchovies into a heavy-based wok, or other capacious pan, and cook, stirring over a medium heat for about a minute, or until the anchovies have almost dissolved into the oil.
Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes, then turn the heat up a little and tumble in the tomatoes, stirring them gently for about 2 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften.

Pour in the vermouth, let it bubble up, then stir and push the tomatoes about in the pan for around another 2 minutes until they have broken down a little in the thickened, reduced, now orange-tinted liquid.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the mascarpone and, when it’s all melted into the sauce, duly stir in the Parmesan and parsley.

Before you drain the pasta, lower in a cup to remove some of the cooking water.
Or use a mesh ladle or pasta claw to transfer the gemelli directly.
Add a tablespoon or so of the cooking water to the pasta sauce; this will help the sauce coat the pasta.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss well to mix, adding more of the pasta cooking water if needed.
Sprinkle with a little parsley and take the Parmesan to the table to serve.

- Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomato and Mascarpone - Penguin Books Australia

- Nigella Lawson: exclusive recipes from her new book, At My Table | Food | The Guardian

Yogurt Cake.

135 grams yogurt
200 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs
200 grams plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
125 ml sunflower oil
Fresh strawberries and icing sugar, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Grease and line a 22cm/9 inch round cake tin.
Combine yogurt, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until well combined.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well.
Fold in the sunflower oil until incorporated, taking care not to over mix.
Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a light dusting of icing sugar.

- French-Style Strawberry Yogurt Cake – Onken
- Yogurt Cake Recipe | Chocolate & Zucchini
- Quick and Easy Recipe: Yogurt Cake | Kitchn

How To Cook The Perfect Sausage.

- How To Cook The Perfect Sausage - Our Guide | Farmison™ - All about Sausage!

- Remove the sausage from the chiller 20 minutes before cooking, this will enable the sausage to cook evenly & stop the skin from splitting on contact with the heat
- Use a heavy based non stick frying pan, place on a low to medium heat
- Add a tsp. of duck or goose fat to the pan, then swirl around until the base is fully coated then tip away any excess fat.
- Place the sausages in the pan, making sure there not touching each other & keep on a constant heat, turn regularly so the sausages get a light golden colour, 10 to 12 minutes for a traditional thick sausage.
- At this point turn the heat up a little to create a rich dark caramel colour, this will only take a few more minutes turning the sausages regularly.
- Once cooked the sausage will be firm to touch, with a internal temperature of 70°C, the secret now is to let the sausages rest for a few minutes, just like you would a steak allowing the expanded protein cells to relax, giving you a tender, juicy sausage.

How to cook pigs cheeks to perfection.

- How to cook pigs cheeks to perfection
Remember to remove your pigs cheeks from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature

Pre heat your oven to 135C

Next choose a suitable sized oven proof casserole with a tight fitting lid

Season the meat just prior to coloring with good quality sea salt

Make a mirepoix* by neatly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac - the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a head of garlic split in half

Take a large, heavy based frying pan, and add a few drops pomace/olive or vegetable oil

Fry the cheeks on all sides then transfer to the casserole dish
Next fry the mirepoix until lightly coloured

Then add half a bottle of red wine, cider or a favorite local ale and reduce by two thirds then add 500 ml of essential cuisine veal stock and reduce a little, thicken with a tablespoon corn flour mixed with a little cold water and stirred into the boiling broth

Pour the sauce over the cheeks and cover

Place in the centre of the oven and cook for approximately 3 hours, the meat should be tender when pierced with a meat fork

Remove from oven, carefully take out the cheeks and keep warm

Pass off the juices through a fine sieve into a clean sauce pan and reduce to a glossy finish then pour back over the cheeks ready to serve

- *mirepoix - a mixture of sautéed chopped vegetables used in various sauces.

Pig's cheeks.

- Nigel Slater's pig's cheeks recipe | Food | The Guardian
Braised* pig's cheeks.
The main ingredient is something that has recently started to appear on the shelves of our local Morrisons - £1.40x3 pieces (£5.40 1kg).
Remember to remove your pigs cheeks from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature.

The accompanying potatoes produce a creamy, almost "wet" mash of a very soft and velvety texture.
Serves 4.
olive oil a little
pig's cheeks 8
carrots 3
onions 2
red onion 1
celery 2
garlic 4
flour 2 tbsp
thyme a generous bunch
orange peel a short piece
bay leaves 3
red wine 1 bottle, rich and bold (OR - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar+2 cups hard apple cider+chicken stock; OR perhaps cider/calvados or stout)
sugar or fruit jelly 2 tbsp or so
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (optional)

...in one word:
- equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac - the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a head of garlic split in half.

- Warm a thin film of oil in a heavy roasting tin over a moderate heat, then season the cheeks with salt and pepper and brown them lightly in the oil.
Remove and set aside.

Cut the carrots into thick slices, peel and roughly chop the onions, cut the celery into short lengths and peel and slice the garlic.
Add the carrots, onions, celery, orange peel and garlic to the pan in which you browned the cheeks, letting them soften and colour very lightly.
...in one word:
- Using the same frying pan, add the **mirepoix of vegetable and colour.

- Set the oven at 140C/gas mark 3.

Return the cheeks to the pan, tucking them among the vegetables, scatter over the flour, season with salt and black pepper, cook for a minute or two then add the thyme, the bay leaves and the wine.
Bring to the boil, cover loosely with foil or baking parchment, then bake for 2.5 to 3 hours until tender.
Check occasionally to make sure the liquid isn't reducing too far.
After an hour or so, it might be prudent to taste and add up to two tbsp of sugar, or some apple or other fruit jelly/runny honey to the gravy.

Taste and correct the seasoning and serve with the potatoes.

Quince.

- Quince | SimplyRecipes.com

Veal escalopes with prosciutto and chicken livers.

Scaloppine alla Perugina - Veal escalopes with prosciutto and chicken livers.

Ingredients
Serves 4
450g of thinly sliced veal fillet/scaloppine
55 g of prosciutto, diced finely
3 salted anchovies, bones removed
1 chicken liver, chopped as finely as possible
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers
the juice and zest of half a lemon
half glass dry white wine
plain flour, for dredging
a few sprigs of parsley leaves picked and chopped finely
a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop the prosciutto, anchovies, chicken liver and sage leaves as finely as possible.
In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and cook the anchovies, prosciutto, chicken liver and sage leaves for 3 minutes.
Add the capers, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Stir constantly until all the ingredients are combined and soft.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the white wine and leave to reduce for a minute or two.
Add a tablespoon of butter and mix well.
Set aside and keep warm.

Dust the veal fillets with the flour.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter on a high heat.
Cook the veal for a minute on each side.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
Serve the veal and pour the sauce on top.
Scatter parsley leaves on top.
Serve with rosemary potatoes.

MORE:
- Scaloppine di Pollo alla Perugina - Italian Market
Chicken Fillet with Prosciutto, Chicken Liver and Lemon

Farro Bean Soup from Mimi Thorisson.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 ounces finely sliced Prosciutto
1 onion finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 small carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14 Ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini, diced
100 g/ 3/4 cup green lentils
150 g/ 1 cup farro

A good handful of freshly chopped fresh Basil
Red hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & Pepper
To Serve:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or
Grated Parmesan, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the prosciutto for a few minutes.
Add the carrot, celery and onion and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and zucchini, continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the can of diced tomatoes.
Season with salt & pepper, and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional).
Add the equivalent of 3 to 4 cans of water.
Bring to a simmer.
Add the farro and green lentils.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables, farro and lentils are tender.
If the soup is too thick, add more water and season accordingly.
Serve with leaves of basil, grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Baked cheesy aubergines by Rachel Roddy.

- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for baked cheesy aubergines | Food | The Guardian

Richard Olney’s aubergine, tomato and ricotta gratin.

- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for aubergine, tomato and ricotta bake | A kitchen in Rome | Food | The Guardian
Serves 4
800g aubergine (ideally, the small elongated variety)
Olive oil, for frying
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
500g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and black pepper
Sugar (optional)
250g ricotta
1 large egg, beaten
150ml double cream or mascarpone
60g parmesan, grated, plus more for topping
A splash of milk (optional)
A small handful of basil leaves

- Cut the aubergine into 3mm thick slices lengthways, or if you are using large aubergines, across.
If you wish, salt the slices.
Pour oil into a frying pan until it reaches 25mm up the sides, then set over a medium heat.
Once hot, fry the slices in batches until golden on both sides, then lift from the pan and blot on plenty of kitchen towel.
You may need more oil; don’t let it get too hot.

- Dispose of the oil, wipe the pan, return it to the heat and add 3 tbsp of fresh oil.
Fry the onion until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, tomatoes and a pinch of salt, then cook until most of the water has evaporated away and the tomatoes are thick and saucy – which usually takes about 15 minutes.

- Mash the ricotta.
Add the egg, cream, a pinch of salt and half the parmesan.
Beat into a thick cream – it should pour slowly, so if it is too thick, add a little milk.
Taste and add salt, as needed.

- Set the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Line the bottom of a small, deep gratin or baking dish with the aubergine slices, season with pepper, rip over some tiny pieces of basil, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and then spoon over half the tomato sauce.
Repeat: another aubergine layer, more basil, more parmesan and the rest of the sauce.
Finish with a layer of aubergine slices, then spoon over the cream and dust with parmesan.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190C/375F/gas 5 for another 15 minutes, or until the surface is set and a rich golden brown.
Rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Roast sausages with fennel & red wine gravy from Mimi Thorisson.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
12 good quality pork sausages (or any good quality meat sausages of your choice)
1 large fennel bulb, coarsely sliced
1 large onion, coarsely sliced
240 ml/ 1 cup red wine
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Coarse salt & black pepper, for seasoning

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
In a small bowl, mix olive oil and mustard.
Place sausages in a baking dish, drizzle olive oil and mustard – mix well.
Let the sausages cook in the oven for 20 minutes, add fennel, onions, thyme, salt and pepper (salt very lightly as the sausages and mustard are already salty).
Cook for a further 25 minutes, stirring the pan halfway.
Add the red wine and butter, and cook for a further 10-12 minutes, until the wine has reduced and the sauce has become slightly thicker.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Spinach & gorgonzola balls from Mimi Thorisson

(for 8 balls)

750 g/ 1 & 2/3 pounds frozen spinach (about 1 pack)
2 small slices of stale bread
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 teaspoons gorgonzola cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated/to serve
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the butter sage sauce
A large handful of sage leaves
80 g unsalted butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Steam the spinach until soft and drain.
Squeeze out the excess water (very important otherwise the balls will be watery), and chop as finely as possible.
Place 2 small slices of stale bread in the food processor and pulse until you get fine breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl (or you can mix everything in the food processor, just pulse lightly) combine spinach, breadcrumbs, milk, nutmeg, flour, salt & pepper and mix until well blended.
Roll out approximately 8 walnut-sized balls. While shaping the balls, insert a small teaspoon of gorgonzola inside and reshape.

Heat a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.
Cook the spinach balls for 8 minutes and drain.

While the spinach balls are cooking, prepare the sage butter sauce.

In a large pan, melt the butter on a medium heat.
When the butter starts to sizzle, wat until it turns light golden brown, then lower the heat and add the sage leaves.
Season with salt & pepper, and shake the pan for about 30 seconds.

Drizzle the sage butter sauce on top of the spinach ball. Grate parmesan on top before serving.

Plantia’s Tarte Tatin by Mimi Thorisson.

- Plantia’s Tarte Tatin by Mimi Thorisson Recipe | AGFG
Sweet Tart Dough:
1 1/2 cups / 180 g plain (allpurpose) flour, sifted, plus more for rolling
1/3 cup / 65 g caster (superfine) sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk
7 Tbs / 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan

Apples:
1/2 cup / 100 g caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways, seeds scraped and reserved
6 1/2 Tbs / 90 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 pounds / 900 g apples, peeled, cored and quartered
Crème fraîche, for serving

Method
Sweet Tart Dough:
Make the dough.
Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Add the sugar, salt and egg yolk and mix slowly with your hands.
Add the butter and mix well until you have a smooth and homogenous dough.
Form it into a ball, cover with cling film (plastic wrap), and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Butter a 9-inch/23-cm ovenproof frying pan (skillet).

Start the apples.
Mix the sugar with the vanilla seeds.
Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the bottom of the frying pan, scatter the butter over the sugar, and then tightly pack the apples in the pan in a circular fashion with one flat side down.

Put the pan on the stove over a medium-high heat and cook until the liquid starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the juices turn a golden caramel colour, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch/3mm thickness.
Using a sharp knife, cut a round of dough just slightly larger than the top of the frying pan.
Drape the dough over the apples to cover and carefully use your fingers to tuck the dough between the pan and the apples on all sides.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes.
Wearing oven mitts or using tea towels (kitchen towels), carefully (the caramel is hot) remove from the pan by placing a large serving plate on top and inverting the cake onto the plate.

Serve with crème fraîche.

Blueberry and Apple Jam.

- Blueberry and Apple Jam - easy and delicious recipe

German Apple Pancake.

- German Apple Pancake Recipe | Serious Eats
- Preheating the oven to a high temperature allows the pancake batter to puff.
- Precooking the apples adds caramelized flavor.
- Letting the pancake cool slightly in the pan before inverting onto a serving plate allows it to set.
- Once the pan is removed from the oven, it's normal for the pancake to deflate.

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 to 5 medium tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1 cm wedges
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
- Adjust rack to upper middle position and preheat oven to 260C.
Whisk flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in medium bowl to combine.
Whisk in milk, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until just combined; set batter aside.

- Stir remaining 4 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon in a small bowl.
Heat butter in 25 cm non-stick oven-safe skillet over medium heat until melted.
Increase heat to medium high and add apples and cinnamon-sugar to pan.
Cook, stirring frequently, until apples have softened and are beginning to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes.

- Remove from heat, pour batter over apples and immediately place pan in oven.
Reduce heat to 220C and bake until pancake is puffed, just set in center, and golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

- Cool pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes, then carefully invert pancake onto serving plate.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

- Don't Throw Out Your Sourdough Starter - Dutch Baby Pancakes | Gold Country Cowgirl
Peach Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancakes
modifying the recipe according to...
Recipe per egg:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
1/3 cup sourdough starter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cream, 1/2 & 1/2 or milk (optional)

Pan sizes (allow 2 eggs per serving)
1 egg – 10 cm pan
2 eggs – 15 cm pan
4-6 eggs – 25 cm pan
6-8 eggs – 30 cm pan
10-12 eggs – 40 cm pan

If You use two glass pie plates:
I usually make a recipe with 3-4 eggs.
I place each pie plate in the oven without butter while the oven is preheating, and once heated, I pull them out and add 2Tbsp of butter to each plate, making sure to coat the bottom and some of the sides.
I then pour the batter into each plate evenly in the middle of the butter.
This has made my pancakes foolproof!
Hope that helps…

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies).

- Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Veggies) Recipe | Cookooree
1 small head cauliflower
1 carrot
1 celery rib
12 pearl onions
12 olives
2 red bell pepper
2 yellow bell pepper
1 small head serrano or jalapena chile
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup EVOO
water to cover the vegetables
1/4 cup sea salt to stir into the water for the brine

Remove the seeds and ribs from the red, yellow and serrano peppers. Cut into 2 inch strips and then 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the celery and carrot in quarters and cut in 1/2 inch slices.
Cut the pearl onion in half.
Cut the cauliflower in quarters and cut out the core and large stem. Break the florets into pieces about the same size of the other vegetables.
Place the green, red and serrano peppers, celery, carrots, onion, and cauliflower in a bowl. Stir the salt into the water and pour into the bowl to cover the vegetables completely.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day drain salty water and rinse vegetables well.
Cut the olives in half.
Mix the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper and olives in a bowl. Pour in vinegar and EVOO and mix well. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix well.
Spoon the giardiniera into a liter or quart jar and seal tightly.
Refrigerate for 2 days before eating.
Gardiniera will keep in the refrigerator of at least 2 weeks.

- Giardiniera – the Chicago Way | from the Bartolini kitchens
Chicago Giardiniera Recipe
Ingredients

8 jalapeños, chopped (for more heat, serranos may be substituted)
1/2 large cauliflower, cut into florets
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 sweet banana peppers, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp celery seeds
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil

Directions
Combine vegetables and salt.
Add enough water to cover, stir, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Strain vegetables from brine, rinse well, and set aside.
In a large glass bowl, add garlic and remaining seasonings.
To that bowl, add the vinegars and stir until well-mixed.
Whisk the solution while adding the oils.
Add the reserved, brined vegetables into the bowl and gently mix until well-coated.
At this point, the giardiniera may be left, covered, in the bowl or transferred to clean jars.
Either way, it must be refrigerated for 48 hours before serving.
Because this giardiniera isn’t canned, it must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a few weeks.

Fermented! Italian la giardiniera.

- The Probiotic Jar - The Probiotic Jar

- Melanzane a scapece (Marinated Eggplant) | Memorie di Angelina

- Homemade Giardiniera | Memorie di Angelina
Giardiniera is an Italian relish of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil.
The Italian version includes bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower and gherkins.


- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pickled garden vegetables | Food | The Guardian
Italian la giardiniera, which simply means a preserved mix of seasonal garden vegetables.
This March batch included carrot, turnip, red cabbage, beetroot (leaving no doubt about colour – soft pink or absolute purple depending on proportions) fennel and red onion.
This method makes a pleasing, entry-level pickle, with both crunch and jolt, its flavour sour and assertive enough to fill your mouth in a single bite but just sweet enough not to be abrasive.
The pickle equivalent of easy-listening maybe (serious fermenters and pickle aficionados may like to stop reading now).

As a guide, 1kg of vegetables, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, needs 750ml pickling liquid made by mixing 550ml white wine vinegar with 200ml water in a pan, then adding a heaped tablespoon each of fine salt and sugar, and whatever you fancy of the following: a crushed red chilli, peeled or crushed garlic, bay, dill, peppercorns, juniper berries or coriander seeds.
Then heat it slowly.
Once at boiling point, add all the vegetables, stir, cover the pan and leave on the heat for one minute.

And that is pretty much it.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of each of two large, sterilised jars (wash them in boiling water and dry in a low oven).
Now use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables into the jars, cover with pickling liquid, share out the spices and screw on the lids.
If you can, wait a week, although they’re good to eat the next day.
I keep my pickles in the fridge for up to two months.
They taste better when cold anyway: brighter somehow, the sweet and sour and taste even more pronounced – especially next to a cheese sandwich, a slice of savoury pie or boiled meat, or simply savoured straight from the jar against a kitchen counter.

- Melanzane a scapece (Marinated Eggplant) | Memorie di Angelina

Rachel Roddy’s Ciambotta Calabrese (Calabrian-style tomato, potato and aubergine stew).

- Rachel Roddy’s recipe for tomato, potato and aubergine stew | Food | The Guardian

Serves 4

600g ripe tomatoes
1 large onion
1 large potato
2 red peppers
2 medium aubergines
Olive oil
Salt

Peel the tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for two minutes, then under cold water, at which point the skins should slip away. Chop the tomatoes roughly (scooping out the seeds, if you wish). Peel and slice the onion into half moons and chop the peeled potato, red pepper and aubergines into chunks the size of a nutmeg.

In a large, wide frying pan or casserole, fry the onion in plenty of olive oil and a pinch of salt over a low-medium heat, until soft and translucent. Add the potato, stir and add a small glass of warm water so the potatoes bubble. After five minutes, add the tomato and allow to simmer gently for 30–40 minutes or until soft, rich and saucy (add a little water if it starts to look dry).

Now you have two options: you can simply add the aubergine and peppers to the pan about 10 minutes after the potatoes and cook everything together. Alternatively, in a separate pan in a couple of inches of olive oil, fry the chunks of aubergine and pepper in batches until soft and golden, draining on kitchen towel and then stir into the tomato in the last few minutes of cooking. Either way, once cooked, taste and add salt as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Blueberry Tart Recipe by Chocolate & Zucchini.

- Blueberry Tart Recipe | Chocolate & Zucchini:

'via Blog this'