June In My Kitchen

A fortnight ago, we went to Bristol city centre and took a pleasurable wander through St Nicholas Market.  I ended up treating myself to some Psycho Chocolate Chilli Salted Caramel with Naga Jolokia from the Hot Sauce Emporium.    Psycho Chocolate Chilli  is serious chocolate for serious chilliheads, it really is.  Fro those of you who read my blog, will know that I am well known for my love of savoury snacks rather than chocolate things, but this appealed to me because I enjoy most things chilli and spice.  

I had sampled a bit of the Psycho Chocolate Chilli Salted Caramel with Naga Jolokia while I was there, and within moments wanted a whole bar.  In fact I picked up 3 Psycho Chocolate Bars, (one got nicked by my nephew).  Wen I got home, I hid them as these were my treat, not D's.  Well at the weekend, I snipped open a bar, and took out a piece, put it on my tongue and allowed it to melt slowly in my mouth.  Vanilla fudge pieces, Sweet caramel milk chocolate, sea salt flakes and then Oh my Goodness the naga jolokia chilli  (ghost chilli) hits you - Boom.   Yes Hallowed be thy pain, but  it was beautifully balanced and supremely hot.  I am resisting eating the whole bar in one sitting, and I know I can finish it off, but as I only have two bars - I am enjoying it slowly - another visit to Bristol is surely due and so soon. 

I've been enjoying some Ethiopian and Eritrean style dishes at home, so have made my own Berbere Hot Spice Blend at home which has been used in a pasta dish and a Vegetable Broth.   

I found this packet of fair-trade Zamora Plantain Chips, in one of my kitchen cupboards.  It had fallen to the back.  I had bought it a while ago when I visited a Fairtrade shop somewhere or other, I can't remember where. 

Over the past week, we have had British baby Roma cherry tomatoes, seasonal asparagus spears and balls of fresh mozzarella, so an easy puff pastry tart has been on the menu three times (honest three times)  in one week. The tomatoes were truly bursting with proper sweetness. 

I have been pottering in the garden, trying to get some plants in the ground.  In relation to harvesting, there is very little.  I did pick a couple of ripe strawberries but they disappeared into someones gob before I got to take a picture.  The one thing that we have been using rather a lot in the kitchen are home-grown herbs: mint, rosemary, thyme and chives with their beautiful purple sparkle flower heads adoring salads and various other dishes.  

And finally, my lovely husband presented me with this rather unusual lapis blue coloured Italian hand-made ceramic dish described as a Sea Horse.  I like it as the amazing colour caught my eyes, but I am not too sure what purpose it serves.  I mean is it a salt dish; a soap dish or for jewellery or keys, but it has been placed in the kitchen for now - so any ideas as to its purpose would be most appreciated.   I am sharing this post with the lovely Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial who hosts In My Kitchen (IMK) series.

Eat Your Greens Round Up #12

Welcome to the Round Up for 'Eat Your Greens' #12.    

This is a monthly vegetarian and vegan cooking challenge for food bloggers to make something with a green vegetable (or fruit) each month.  

First up we have  Janet from the Taste Space with Avo-Kraut Toast. I've treated the fresh avocado as natures green butter a number of times, spread on crusty bread or a toasted bagel, but Janet introduces us here to where it is further topped up with sauerkraut and even refried beans.  

The Veg Hog shares with us Soya Fillets on a vegetable bed.  the awesome greens in this Oriental style dish are purple sprouting broccoli and pak choi. 

Next we have the lovely Elizabeth from Elizabeth's Kitchen who shares with us a pan of Spicy Chinese Greens being cooked over a Nordic Fire.  Wow, that looks dramatic, and I have no doubt the finished dish was delicious that included chickpeas too.  

We end on a sweet note with some Kale Cheesecake Surprise Chocolate Mint Cupcakes which come to us from Johanna who blogs over at Green Gourmet Giraffe.  Yes I said Kale!  Don't knock it, until you tried it.

Thank you so much to Johanna, Janet, Veg Hog and Elizabeth who shared their green recipes. If you would like to share your #Eat Your Greens recipes for June, then please follow this link for details on how to participate, the more the merrier.

Vegetable Palette: Favourite Vegetables #11

Welcome to May edition of The Vegetable Palette Round Up: natures colours - natures goodness''. 

The theme for May was Your Favourite Vegetables... and you fabulous bloggers did not disappoint, we had a bumper submission of vegetarian and vegan recipes.  (Please scroll to the bottom of the page for the new theme if you would like to take part this month).

The fist entry comes from Katie who blogs over at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter.  Katie shares with us a Zesty Courgette and Leek Soup which she describes as a light and uplifting soup when you're in a Spring - like mood but still need something warming.

We have another soup, this one comes from Camilla from FabFood4All.  Camilla shares with us a bowl of Simple Fat Free Spinach Soup.  She writes that whilst at school at a Home Economics class she was taught to eat iron rich leafy vegetables with something rich in vitamin C like a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to allow the body to absorb more iron.  Interesting.  

Next we have a Creamy Veggie Pasta from C who blogs at Eating Enhanced  She writes that she likes both courgettes and broccoli, which made me smile as not many people I know like their greens - so its pleasing to note that C certainly does, a good example for some us for sure.