Harvest Monday In My Kitchen

We finally have some homegrown tomatoes

Here we have yellow Galina Cherry tomatoes and chocolate cherry tomatoes - no red ones yet though, they are coming though.

I made this Tomato Orzo Pasta Salad - scroll down for the recipe. 

The yellow Burpees golden courgettes have been disappointing - i think the erratic weather may have caused poor growth, so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and grow them again next year.

Same with the courgettes, but i take responsibility for them this time.  As they were a trailing variety unlike those i've grown in the past.

Also I kept forgetting to harvest those were growing until they had become a monster marrow.

Some of this marrow was used in a tempura recipe.  Scroll down for the recipe. 

Fluffy Fresh Pea Pancakes made with the last of the peas.  These were delightful to eat - straight hot off the pan. I slathered some of them with cream cheese. Scroll down for the recipe

As I've said before, the runner beans, purple and neckargold French Beans, that have been quite prolific.

I've made lots of recipes with them, mostly side dishes but this was a South Asian style curry adapted from this Courgette and Runner Bean Curry that is quite popular at the moment (see my side bar). 

The plums are ready, so ready they are falling off the tree, rolling down the path and being crushed for the wasps to enjoy. 

I also picked a load off the plum tree - enough to make plum and apple cinnamon jam and cinnamon plum jam. 

I am sharing this blog post with Harvest Monday where vegetable growers from around the world share homegrown fruit and vegetables with Dave from Happy Acres.  

I am sharing this Cherry Tomato Orzo Pasta Salad with Soup, Salad and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen. 

Orzo Cherry Tomato Salad

Serves 4

For the dressing

1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

200 orzo pasta, cooked

500g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 red onion, finally sliced

1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Method

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bow, then stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.  

Allow to sit for a few hours before serving. 

The recipe for the Vegetable Tempura (onion, courgettes, green beans, marrow slices) comes from Sarah Beattie's cookbook Meat Free Any Day. Please do check out Sarah Beatties Facebook Page for the recipe. 

Fresh Pea Pancake recipe was adapted from this Three Berries Pancake recipe. I removed the sugar and replaced the berries with uncooked peas. 

I  am also sharing this post with Sherry's Pickings who host the In My Kitchen series as much of what is in my kitchen has been coming from the garden (or kitchen cupboards) since the Pandemic. 

Homegrown Veg and Our Neighbours Tomatoes

So its harvest Monday.  

Our tomatoes are still green, though we do have some ripening and be ready for sharing this time next week, but today i some heritage tomatoes from my next door neighbour, as well as these below.  

As you can guess

We enjoyed them, very much - mostly fresh.

From my own vegetable plot, we have runner beans, peas, purple and neckargold French Beans, that have been quite prolific.

I made a vegetarian Chilli with some, instead of using black beans, pinto beans or borlotti beans - it actually worked out quite well.

Some of the peas are going over, I think they are nearing the end now.  

A courgette.  

Or two, along  with some purple French Beans and Blue Kale that the white cabbage butterfly have noticed, so i will be rescuing what i can.

One of the courgettes was used for Courgette Bread.

Another for topping this Banana Cake.  

Some apples that have fallen from the crazy storm weather we had a few days back.  The skies were amazing though and its much cooler.   

Some lovely pears.  

I am sharing this blog post with Harvest Monday where vegetable growers from around the world share homegrown fruit and vegetables with Dave from Happy Acres.  

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.