My Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Blog has returned!

You may have noticed that I posted nothing on my Blog last term! The Program has, of course, still been running – and just as well as ever – but I was beginning to feel that the Blog had served its purpose and that perhaps I should devote my time to other activities associated with the Program.

I have, however, been pleasantly surprised to receive lots of comments about how much people are missing the blog so here goes for another term!!

But the style of the Blog is going to change! I am going to attempt to write it through the recipes. And I am going to post every two weeks instead of every week.

Our menu for Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 4:

Thai Carrot Salad

Curried Eggs

Pasta with a Herb and Tomato Sauce

Pizza of the Imagination

Seasonal Vegetables

‘Pizza of the Imagination’, as regular readers of this Blog will know, is a pizza with any topping that students care to use.

‘Seasonal Vegetables’ is new this term. The students assigned to this recipe have to choose what they want to do with the vegetables that they have available. 

They can choose:

Stir-fried Vegetables

Vegetable Curry

Cheesy Vegetables

Mashed Vegetables

Roast Vegetables

Before moving on to the recipes here are some photos showing the 'eating' part of our program:

The recipes follow:

Thai Carrot Salad

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons fish sauce

4 limes or lemons

2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

4 shallots, spring onions or a bunch of chives

2 red chillies

8 large carrots

1 bunch of mint

1 packet rice vermicelli noodles

1 ½ cups  peanuts (optional)

Method:

·        Squeeze lemons

·        Chop onions, chillies and mint

·        Grate carrots

·        Put the fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar, onions (or chives) and chillies into a jug  and leave for 5 minutes

·        Follow instructions on noodles packet (they usually need to be soaked in hot water)

·        Mix everything except the peanuts together

·        Garnish with  peanuts

Curried Eggs

Ingredients:

24 eggs hard boiled

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons curry powder

Small bunch chives

Method:

·        Remove shells from eggs

·        Cut each egg in half

·        Put egg yolks into mixing bowl

·        Put egg whites onto two serving platters

·        Chop chives

·        Add curry powder, mayonnaise and chives to egg yolks and mash with a fork

·        Add more mayonnaise if mixture is too hard

·        Put yolk mixture back into egg white cases

Pasta with Herb and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Pasta dough (see separate recipe)

1kg tomatoes or 2 cans (2 x 400g)

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

½ cup fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano

Oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Method

·        See separate recipe for pasta

·        Peel and crush garlic

·        Chop tomatoes

·        Peel and chop onions

·        Chop herbs

·        Fry onions

·        Add garlic, tomatoes and herbs

·        Simmer gently for 30 minutes

·        Taste and add salt and pepper to taste

·        Add to cooked pasta

·        Grate cheese and serve separately

Basic Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups pasta flour

2 teaspoons salt

4 eggs

Flour for dusting

Method:

·        Place everything into food processor

·        Blend until a soft dough is produced

·        Cover in plastic wrap and leave for at least one hour

·        Break into 6 pieces

·        For each piece:

o   Flatten

o   Make into rectangle

o   Run through machine on widest setting 6 times – folding it back to original size each time

o   Change to next setting and roll once

o   Repeat to second thinnest setting (cut in half if it gets too long)

o   Dust with flour if pasta gets sticky

·        Repeat with other 5 pieces

·        Use machine attachment to cut pasta of your choice

·        Rest pasta for as long as possible

·        Boil in salted water 5 minutes

Pizza

(makes 2 pizzas)

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (see separate recipe)

2 cups vegetables

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Olive oil

Fresh basil or other seasonal herbs

Flour

2 cups tomato paste

Method:

·        Turn oven on to 200 degrees

·        Roll out dough into 2 rectangles

·        Place on lined trays

·        Spread with tomato paste

·        Choose vegetables

·        Chop, slice or tear vegetables

·        Crush garlic

·        Grate cheese

·        Cover with vegetables, garlic and cheese

·        Bake 25 minutes

·        Chop fresh herbs

·        Sprinkle fresh herbs on top of cooked pizza

Pizza Dough

 (makes 2 pizzas)

Ingredients:

3 cups (400g) bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

4 teaspoons yeast

4 teaspoons oil

1 ¼ cup water

Method:

·        Place ingredients into bread maker in the order listed above

·        Press MENU to setting PIZZA

·        Press START

·        Dough will be ready in about 45 minutes

Note:

If you do not have a bread machine:

·        Mix ingredients as above & knead for 10 minutes

·        Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour (until double in size)

Stir-fried Vegetables

Ingredients:

Oil

2kg seasonal vegetables

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2/3 cup oyster sauce

Method:

·        Peel and chop vegetables

·        Fry vegetables

·        Add oyster sauce and soy sauce

·        Cook for 5 minutes

Cheesy Vegetables

Ingredients:

2kg seasonal vegetables

80g butter

3 cups milk

4 tablespoons plain flour

Pinch nutmeg (finely grated)

300g grated cheese

1 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping: 1 cup grated cheese

Method:

·        Choose vegetables

·        Chop vegetables

·        Boil vegetables for about 15 minutes, until tender

·        Drain

·        Put vegetables into two baking dishes

·        Make sauce in microwave

o   Melt butter in microwave

o   Add flour and stir

o   Add 2 cups milk and stir

o   Add nutmeg and grated cheese

o   Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir

o   Repeat microwaving for 1 minute and stirring until sauce is thick, smooth and cooked

o   Add more milk if necessary – sauce should just pour

o   Add salt and pepper to taste

·        Pour over vegetables

·        Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese and 1 cup breadcrumbs over vegetables

·        Bake in oven 200 degrees for 15 minutes

·        Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp and brown

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

2kg vegetables

1 tin coconut milk

1 packet curry paste

Method:

·        Peel and chop vegetables

·        Fry vegetables

·        Add coconut milk and curry paste

·        Simmer for 30 minutes, adding water if necessary

No photos as no-one chose to cook curry!!!

Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 kg vegetables

¼  cup dried herbs

2 cloves garlic

oil

Method:

·        Add oil to roasting tin and place in oven to heat (200 degrees)

·        Peel and chop vegetables

·        Crush garlic

·        Add everything to roasting tin

·        Mix gently

·        Bake for about 30 minutes

Mashed Vegetables

Ingredients:

2kg vegetables

100g butter

1 cup milk

Method:

·        Peel and chop vegetables

·        Boil vegetables  for about 30 minutes

·        Drain the vegetables

·        Mash vegetables with butter and milk

Great use of a remote wireless switch here - Daniel operated the stick blender that Kelera was using!

And here Matthew operated the stick blender that Kelera used.