I found these in Woolies of all places. Right in the middle of the fresh produce aisle. I’ve sliced them and will gently cook them until al dente. 

I thought they would look nice with some fresh green peas and some BBQ’d lamb chops, mint sauce and a pat or four of Lurpac butter, which should dress them nicely. I like colourful food. Nothing looks more inviting on a plate that some colour.

I remember some of the woeful school dinners I was subjected to as a child. Grey balls that deflated when you stuck your fork into them (Brussel sprouts). Limp white cauliflower that disintegrated when you attempted to pick it up, so much so, that even a cheese sauce could not save it, and worst of all, the beige disks that had had the life boiled out of them. These were once proud carrots, but now tasted of nothing in particular (it was even worse if they were covered in gravey and you couldn’t tell them apart from the parsnip because they were all the same colour). Ugh.

I did, however, like the pudding we named dead mans arm at one particularly nasty British private school I was unfortunate enough to attend. It was a suet roll filled with raspberry jam and covered in lashings of pale, insipid looking custard. Oddly, it was surprisingly good. I hated the lemon tapioca they did, it was slimey and cold and thoroughly disagreeable. I would swap my serve for an extra chop. (Some children have no discerning palate, luckily for me.)

I love Brussel sprouts now. Cooked quickly and minimally, they retain a slight crunch and that beautiful colour, and, if you dress them generously with butter, salt and pepper, and a whiff of lemon juice, they are divine. Veggies should be lightly cooked so they still retain their vibrancy. It makes them much more interesting, and indeed, tasty. We do, after all, eat with our eyes.

Kind regards,

J

Over the last couple of weekends we have entertained good friends and shared some beer and wine and pleasant conversation. It seems that the more you share what you have, the happier you are. Well, that is what happens in my little world. Last weekend we did the BBQ thing with a roast chook, tapas style chilli garlic prawns, marinated lamb skewers and some interesting south-east asian salads and greek accompaniments. Don’t you just love a multicultural society?

Tonight there is a sage studded roll of pork belly roasting on the BBQ over a pan of potatoes, home-grown carrots and cider soaked beetroot. The crackling will be crisp, and the meat tender and juicy. A serving of juliened apple and fennel bulb salad dressed with a fruity white balsamic vinegar will go well. So will the aged cider to wash it all down.

The sun is setting over the Indian Ocean. My fig tree is heavy with fruit waiting for some warmer weather to encourage the ripening… then we will enjoy the deliciousness of summer. Prosciutto wrapped, fresh figs stuffed with blue cheese . Just gorgeous. Even better with a chaser of chilli garlic prawns and lashings of fresh crusty bread.

Kind regards,

J.