Nippy, chilly, freezeball … however you define cold …
It’s cold around these parts! Hurrah for food ’cause it warms us up. An excuse to eat more? Nah, just an excuse to eat warming nutritious foods (oh, go on then, have seconds!).
Last week’s lamb shanks recipe was a super-hit, I reckon because we were all dragging our slow-cookers out from the back of the cupboards and stoking the fires, so I’ve given it another run this week. Rocky Bay Lamb Shanks
This week I am also featuring one of my all-time fave mushroom recipes, Mushrooms au Gratin. I have to eat this at least half a dozen times a year for no other reason than I love it. Look for loosely packed mushroom flats (the cheapest way to buy mushrooms without packaging). So, inexpensive, and also quick to put together. That makes it the perfect starter for this long weekend. Mushrooms au Gratin
And I’ve posted a recipe for spaghetti frittata. A bit of an oddity, perhaps, but pretty tasty eating, and a good way to use up leftover spaghetti BUT (there is often a but), this will not work with soggy wet pasta. Heaven forbid that you even make such a thing. Spaghetti Frittata
I’ve also covered off silverbeet. It is plentiful at this time of year, and there is much you can do with it apart from boiling it and serving it naked. Does it sometimes taste chalky to you? Metallic? Learn how to avoid those nasties. Silverbeet
And, more about the special days I am holding on Waiheke at the most gorgeous gardens in New Zealand. Sacred Blessing Sanctuary Gardens are the best. True! Lynda Hallinan said so and she knows a thing or two about gardening. These days are different to the classes I have held in the past at my Waiheke home in Rocky Bay. They are for intimate groups, couples or friends, (2-4 people), and the day is dedicated to you. Along with cooking, we have a tour of the gardens, and collect organically grown vegetables and herbs for our lunch. We enjoy lunch in a house on the property overlooking the gardens. You are collected from the ferry and returned there to catch your ferry back to Auckland after a day of gorgeousness! We are running a special through winter while tourist numbers are down (yay!), so check out all the details here Garden to Plate Food Experience.
If you are enjoying warmer climes – my lovely US, UK and European followers – don’t forget to scoot down to the Spring and Summer categories on the Home page of Shared Kitchen and find dishes appropriate to your season. And, no, we’re not envious of your warmer weather (sniff).
Finally, for us here in New Zealand, there is one way to keep warm, and that is to move around … in the kitchen. Yes, cooking keeps you warm. Have a good week.
Julie
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