Wednesday 2 November 2016

In My Kitchen - November 2016

I don't want to scare you but it's only 50-odd days to Christmas.  I think I'm scared enough for all of us :=)  October raced by in a whirl of activity, and November will surely do the same.  But before we hit warp speed on the Xmas rocket, here are some of the things that came along in my October kitchen:





apple caramel white chocolate tart


We had friends to dinner and this is what I made for dessert.  A layer of pastry, then caramel, then apple then a white chocolate cream topping.  Yep tasty.  You can find the recipe in the archives.





pesto made with fresh herbs


Our friends brought some herbs from their garden so I made pesto the next day, and popped it into the freezer.  I just use whatever herbs and nuts I have around the place; this one has hazelnuts and walnuts, and mint, parsley and basil.  Oh, and I think it has sage too, or maybe that was lemon verbena.  But I forgot the garlic! That will go in when we eat it.






thyme leaves ready for drying in the microwave  


They also gave us fresh thyme which I placed on kitchen paper and zapped in the microwave for a couple of minutes to dry.  It lasts for ages in a glass jar.





interesting chocolate 




Mr P. and I took a little trip up to Toowoomba last week where he was giving a talk.  The next day we had a nice brunch, checked out the Gallery and new Library, and dropped by a deli that sells all sorts of goodies including Ritter chocolate from Germany.  I have never seen cornflake chocolate before, and next time I must buy some of that white choc whole hazelnut stuff. 





got this in Toowoomba too



While we were driving around the next morning, we came upon an Antiques store.  I had to have a look of course.  I found this gorgeous Marigold pattern serving bowl.  It was a fantastic old shop full of interesting bits and bobs.  I may have to go back soon. There was a plate in the same pattern...





this is Delilah



Yes she is sitting on my kitchen dresser, so technically in my kitchen.  She is officially known as Daydreams, by the artist Denise Murray, but I call her Delilah.  Such a beauteous creature, full of lovely curves and serenity.  She is overseeing the shenanigans in my kitchen, with her powers for good.





 
paprika relish



Well, look at this.  Ajvar is a roasted red capsicum relish, originating in Serbia.  We haven't cracked it open yet so I am hoping it is delicious.  It certainly sounds wonderful. Perhaps I had better make some myself if we really like it.



That's it till next month.  Do join in with Liz from Good Things and bloggers from all over the place in this fascinating monthly look into other people's kitchens.  What could be more fun than that?   



44 comments:

  1. Gah, the c word! Noooooooooooo, it can't be, not yet!I LOVE Delilah, she is rather beautiful. And that apple tart. I could go a slice right NOW!. Thank you for the lovely shout out. xxx

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    1. thanks liz. i give delilah a rub every day as she is so touchable and just so serene. i hope it rubs off on me:)

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  2. I have herbs in my freezer and never remember to use them! I am not even thinking about Christmas yet :)

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    1. very wise tandy re xmas i mean. i have to think about it as we are going away and i have to get pressies for them too. eek. :)

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  3. Lots of goodies there but the piece de resistance is surely the tart at the top.

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    1. thanks fiona. yes indeed it is quite a tasty tart - as the bishop said to the actress...

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  4. That old plate is beautiful Sherry. Good to know that Antiques stores are still about. Most of them have disappeared from the countryside around Melbourne. That relish is a tasty one.

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    1. we still have the stores but the owners know how much things are worth and they charge like a wounded bull for them.

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  5. Adding fresh garlic when thawing and using pesto is to me a better way -- the fresh garlic tastes much better than if it's been frozen. I hope you enjoy it. I'm so glad to see what's in your kitchen and all the other IMK posts. Mine is here:
    http://maefood.blogspot.com/2016/11/my-kitchen-november-2016.html

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. thanks Mae for visiting. i was just throwing things into the processor when i made the pesto and i completely forgot the most important item - the garlic.

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  6. I'm going to try that with the thyme! Does it work with other herbs Sherry?

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    1. it works with woody herbs lorraine like rosemary too.

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  7. Delilah is beautiful!! I've actually been feeling very Christmassy already this year - unusual for me, as I normally just descend into panic in mid-December. I can't wait for our basil to start growing - I've missed it terribly over winter! xx

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    1. ooh yes fresh basil is the best but - turkeys and basil don't go! oh and possums and bugs and and ...

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  8. I absolutely love Paprika so I can imagine that relish would be delicious!
    I would love some pesto right now - yum!

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    1. Paprika is a fab thing isn't it? Esp.the smoky kind. And pesto is great cos you can use up any herbs and nuts you have around the house.

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  9. All looks very interesting - I love your new bowl - luckily I didn't get to that shop before you or I would have snapped it up (ha ha - lucky I am too far away) I love your cheesecake and your speed of putting your herbs into pesto (mine too often languish too long). Enjoy your chocolate and your relish - they look delish

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    1. thanks johanna. I am trying my best not to be wasteful these days so i make sure i freeze or dry or zap herbs etc before they die. it gives you a warm glow inside:) yep the chocolate was delish.

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  10. Hi Sherry, it is amazing that you are drying herbs so early in the season. My seeds are yet to sprout it has been so cold here. Glenda. PS I am trying anonymous, it will not let my post a comment with Wordpress ID

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    1. Good to see you here Glenda:). I have heaps of trouble adding comments on Wordpress blogs too. Herbs grow like topsy here !

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  11. Love Delilah, she has such a serene look about her.

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    1. thanks karen. I just fell in love with her at the gallery and had to buy her.

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  12. Mmm, love the German chocolate with cornflakes - I'll have to keep my eye out for that one. And love the bowl. I think you need to race back and get the plate before someone else does!

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    1. i think you are right amanda. i def. need that plate....

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  13. My, my, my Delilah, so graceful. That Ajvar sounds interesting and I would have snapped up the little scotty dog on the shelf behind your plate in the antique shop!

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    1. Oh yes I love my scotty dogs. My sister gave me a pair of them. So cute.

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  14. You have definitely scared me regarding Christmas!

    Your tart looks incredible and I love the Ritter chocolate range. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen :-)

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  15. Thanks for the xmas wake up all Sherry. Every year gets gets faster. Good to see you have pesto on hand at any given time :)

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    1. I'm here to oblige Jem:). Yep pesto in the freezer is a good thing.

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  16. Sherry, Christmas entered into my consciousness two weeks ago because of music (my busiest season, lots of practicing ahead and rehearsals) but I've tried not to think about the rest of it yet. Maybe I need a Delilah? What a beautiful, calming presence. Thanks for your pesto freezing and herb drying tips!

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    1. thanks for visiting Kim. lovely to see you here. i love knowing i am not wasting the herbs. and it is so easy to make pesto or dry them. delilah is just so serene; i'm sure she is keeping me sane in the run-up to xmas. have fun with the music.

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  17. What a gorgeous serving bowl! I love it! Thanks for the peek!

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  18. Sherry I just love Delilah, I'm sure she's sending lots of love to cook beautiful meals. I love the sound of the Serbian capsicum relish, however will you enjoy it? Thyme is one of my favourite herbs. I also freeze it fresh in a takeaway container which is great for stews & sauces x

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    1. The ajvar is quite odd tho tasty. It is like a fluffy creamy red mayo more than a relish. Hubby has it on his sangers! Yes thyme is fab isn't it? I freeze other herbs like parsley and bay leaves. So handy.

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  19. Hi Sherry you have scared me I just can't believe how quickly time passes. The apple caramel white chocolate tart sounds delicious and so does the capsicum relish too.

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    1. hi Moya
      thanks for stopping by. i have started xmas listing etc but it's still freaking me out:) the relish is very interesting - kind of creamy and airy, a bit odd in fact...

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  20. I know, I have been constantly reminded since the Christmas things have been in the stores since Halloween, horrible! I am just trying to ignore them until after Thanksgiving. You have some lovely things in your kitchen, the Daydreams lady would put me in the mood for a cup of tea and a sit down. Beautiful. Just the right reminder to slow down.

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    1. hi liz
      we are going away for xmas in about 5 weeks and i have to catch up with everything and everyone before we go. Big EEK!

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  21. What a fantastic month it's been in your kitchen. The pesto sounds brilliant. I recently made several large batches and froze them as well. The weather is now cold and my precious fresh basil is gone until spring. Ritter Sport chocolate is simply wonderful, I love the season flavors to put out but they are hard to find outside of Europe.

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    1. Hi Gretchen
      Talking of seasonal flavours, I am dying to go to Japan and check out the kit Kat stores that sell every flavour under the sun. Thanks for dropping by.

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  22. Thanks for the thyme drying tip, my herbs have gone crazy, they're just loving the humidity. We had to go out to Toowoomba early this morning. I took note of the antique shops along the way, we were way to early for them. Next time...

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    1. Hi Sandra
      Toowooomba is a great town. Still a wee bit country even tho it's getting bigger so fast. The antique store near the old railway station is fab!

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