A Mediterranean Ebli Salad

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Shivaay Delights has definitely turned a leaf this year by going more healthy. That’s not to say I don’t crave my sweet baked treats! Some brownies have just been taken out of the oven! 😉

This salad attempts to capture strong tangy Mediterranean flavours that really make you appreciate good food!

Enjoy! A gnocchi recipe coming up soon. Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 cup ebli durham wheat pre cooked
1 small bag of baby spinach
1 tin chickpeas drained 400g
1 red bell pepper diced
Big handful of plum/cherry tomatoes
1 roasted aubergine cut into chunks
Crumbled feta cheese to taste

Dressing

5 tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice of 1 small lemon
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
Salt to taste

METHOD

Assemble all the salad ingredients. Toss well to mix and pour over the salad dressing

*I roasted the aubergine on the stove. You can roast it in the oven with the skin on until crinkly and tender

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Fruit, Grow, Cook And Preserve Your Own

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I was very happy to receive the new book FRUIT by Rosemary Sassoon.  A very kind gesture and a pleasure to read. Thank you!
The book is such a practical guide on how to grow, cook and preserve your own fruit.  This topic particularly interested me as we have planted an apple tree very recently alongside a beautiful lush raspberry bush, which actually yielded some berries late last year.
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Our apple tree, blossoming for the very first time.

It is such a wonderful moment when you are able to pick fruit from your very own garden.  Simply eat it or use it in numerous cooking dishes.  As Rosemary so nicely puts it, “We cannot grow everything we eat, our climate amongst other things are against us….We cannot claim to be totally self-sufficient, but we can do our best.”

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Raspberries getting ready!….

The book goes through all the fruits that can be grown in an English garden in order as it comes into season.   Small compact advice easy to read and lots of thorough ideas on how to grow and preserve the fruit that we have so carefully nurtured.  Some gardening books are very much written in a very instructive style but this one is up to you on how to follow and it’s really from the heart.  You can see how Rosemary has devoted all her life to her garden and fruit.

If you are of the older generation, you may be used to your parents or grandparents growing their own veg and fruit in allotments or their own gardens.  Now everything has become so convenient and we can purchase anything we desire from the local supermarket or shops. However,  I think it’s time to go back to our roots and literally plant some fruit! There is nothing quite like fresh fruit that blossoms, grows and ripens in front of your very own eyes.  The taste in comparison to what is sold is incomparable.

Thank you Rosemary Sassoon for igniting my passion for growing fruit all over again!  What shall I plant next?….

My First Homemade Chutney!

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I didn’t know that home made chutneys are so easy to make!  And so damn tasty!  I made this delectable tomato chutney with green tomatoes that were picked fresh out of my mother in law’s garden.  She is extremely gifted when it comes to gardening and my husband definitely inherits his green fingers from her. 

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This chutney will go superbly with Indian flatbread due to the heat or with a strong mature cheddar or brie and crackers as it is also sour and slightly sweet! An all rounded chutney.  Shame that 1kg of toms gave me 1 small jar of chutney. However I know where I can find more tomatoes! Mother in law I’m on my way!

With tomatoes being harvested, do give this simple recipe a go! You’ll make it again and again

INGREDIENTS

1kg green tomatoes cored and chopped
1 large white onion diced
1 cup cider vinegar
1¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp crystallized ginger
1 tsp red dried chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp mixed spice

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan, mix well, bring the contents to a boil and then cover, simmer for 50 minutes on a low to medium heat

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Make sure most of the liquid has evaporated, this will give the chutney an intense flavour

Wordless Wednesday

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Have a blissful and wonderful Wednesday friends…
Much love, D x

(Picture taken by H.Makani)

An interesting article discussing the health benefits of the echinacea flower!