Blue Kale, Cheddar Cheese and Red Onion Savoury Muffins

So it's nearly the weekend and my first week back to work after some annual leave has been exhaustive.  I really thought it would be relatively quiet, but no - this, that and the other has kept me distracted rather than focusing on some priorities and deadlines.

I think this exhaustion is also due to the made weather.  I am not even a sweaty person, and even i have found myself feeling sweat run down my back without much motion. I was so glad of the storm, thunder and the rain last night, but it is still quiet muggy.

I am sharing these savoury Kale and Cheddar Cheese muffins made with Dazzling Blue Kale from the garden.  The kale in the garden has finally been discovered by the white cabbage butterfly, so I am looking for recipes to use it up before the pests demolish my lovely plants.

Honestly, these  Blue Kale and Cheddar Cheese savoury muffins were so good to eat.  

Of course we could not eat them all, so consumed them over a few day, giving them a 30 second burst in the microwave.

Blue Kale, Cheddar Cheese and Red Onion Savoury Muffins 

Makes 12

Ingredients
360g plain flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
240g cheddar cheese, grated
250ml milk (or more depending on flour)
1 egg
100- 120g kale, stalks removed and shredded
1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180oc
Sift the flour, baking powder and cayenne pepper into a large bowl, then stir in the cheese. 
In measuring jug,  to the milk whisk in the egg. Then pour slowly into the four mixture until well combined.
Then stir in the kale and onion until well distributed.
Spoon the mixture as evenly as you can into paper cases and bake in preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden. 
Test with a skewer before removing from the oven to make sure it comes out clean. 
Allow to cool for 15 minutes for serving. 

Harvest Monday: Glorious Greens from the Garden

Monday Harvest 

Glorious purple stemmed kale and raspberries. 

Couple of courgettes.  I think I said it last week, i have been disappointed in our courgettes, not the seed but the damp weather has been rotting so many of them. 

Harvested tray of peas and runner beans.

Climbing Champion Peas fattening up

Peek inside the greenhouse - we haven't harvested any as of yet, but our neighbour was gleefully telling us over the fence that he harvested his first orange tomato this week - his cheerfulness was so uplifting.

Tree tomatoes! No actually, these are plums. 

Progress on the pear tree

Progress of the cooking apples. 

Last of the Purple Top Milan Turnip.  I will sowing some more seeds at the weekend in the space where the broad beans were.  Oh  I didn't say, I have pulled out all the broad beans, they were not doing well, plus there were smothered with black fly.

Ending with these wide open roses that have been attracting the bees

I  am sharing my harvest with Dave over at Happy Acres who hosts Harvest Monday every week.

Peanut Butter Pancakes and Groundnut Curry with Kale

I am already whimpering at the thought that tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off, I have to return to work (albeit I am still working from home).

The weeks annual leave does not feel enough, that I am contemplating taking another week off in not too long.

I feel like I have hardly done anything worthwhile.  

Then D gently reminded me that I did a lot of learning.  And this is true, I did a lot of reading, I even attended a on-line Cyber School.  We went for a walk and discovered for ourselves the most magnificent tree. I've done some gardening.  I have overslept without feeling guilty.  I have stayed up late and watched some films and documentaries and mostly and more importantly.  I switched off from thinking about work and got to rest and I guess that is what matters. 

Gumbo Z'Herbes aka Green Gumbo

A week or so late, because this bowl of Green Gumbo would have been perfect to showcase during the Easter holidays. Green Gumbo is a Creole dish often made on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.     

My reason for making it was very different though.  I have lots of greens in my overgrown garden: chard, curly kale and leafy purple sprouting broccoli, so these greens had to go into the pot along with spinach, celery, spring onions, green peppers and the most essential green vegetable: okra which came to me from my mothers (after her visit to the South Asian grocers).  Okra, a vegetable not to every ones taste and I have to admit I never liked it up until a few years ago, I guess with age your tastes change.     

I actually  have two vegan Green Gumbo recipes bookmarked to make, but I chose the one from Celia Brooks World Vegetarian Classics, simply because I have had the cookbook longest. Celia Brooks suggests serving it with some grated cheddar cheese, but we had it simply with some plain white rice.  The gumbo was interesting, it had thickened up by the okra, but it was not gloopy or stringy.  It was actually quite palatable, to enjoy it more though I did have to douse it heavily with hot sauce, but I am a sucker for hot sauce and spice.