Artichoke from the farm

I've never eaten such a tiny, and tender artichoke before..
This one came from the farm, the first of the season.

Growing up, my Dad always said the culo(bum) was the best bit..

We would eagerly peel back the layers, scraping our teeth as we went.. til we got to the heart.. or ass of the artichoke.. depending on your point of view.

We would take turns at having a little nibble, savouring the delicious taste..

Ingredients:

1 artichoke

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Olive oil (same amount as juice)

Sea salt

Method:

1.Steam the artichoke, until the culo is tender under a fork..

2.Place in a bowl, and open leaves a little. Pour combined oil and lemon juice over the artichoke.

3.Sprinkle with sea salt.

So simple, but so delicious.

Asparagus from the farm..

Why does everything from 'the farm', taste so good!?

Is it the love with which, it was grown, and picked, and finally given?

The weather is warm enough to eat outside now..

The kind of weather, that encourages you to linger some time, after the last mouthful is gone..

Ingredients:

Bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped in half

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil (about equal to the lemon juice)

Sea salt

Method:

1.Steam asparagus, really lightly, so it's just tender under a fork, but still has a little crunch.

2.Remove, and plunge in a bowl of cold water.

3.Drain stems, and place in bowl.

4.Pour olive oil and lemon juice over stems, adding salt, and stir well to coat!

Pumkin Risotto

Mmmmn I love my risotto.

The starring role in all my dishes these days, goes to my olive oil..

A gift from my father, imported from Greece.. it still has little chunks of olives in it..

It is the most delicious oil, I've ever eaten.. and so now, I eat a lot of it!!

Everything is made all the more tasty, by it's presence.

Pumpkin Risotto

2Tbs olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 red chilli, chopped finely

1-2tsp dried sage

5 swiss brown mushrooms, roughly chopped

1/4-1/2 pumpkin, peeled & roughly chopped (I forget what kind I used)

1- 1 1/2 cups aborio rice

500ml vegetable stock (I used massel 'chicken' stock)

Good slosh of white wine

Salt & pepper to taste

1.Put onion in pan with olive oil, and cook until softened. Add garlic, chilli and sage, and cook til fragrant.

2.Add mushrooms and pumpkin, and cook until mushrooms have softened slightly.

3.Add rice, and cook, stirring, until rice have a little translucent sheath.

4.Season with pepper.

5.Add stock, one ladelful at a time. Stirring constantly. Make sure stock is fully absorbed by rice, before adding more.

6.Use wine in the same way as the stock.

7.When the rice is nearly cooked, reduce the amount of liquid you add each time.

8.Season with salt as needed- most pre-made stocks are quite salty aleady.

YUM YUM!

Spaghetti and Sunshine

What a great combination.

Spring is here it seems, and the air is pregnant with warmth and possibilities...

I've been making the most out of it, and sitting outside to eat.

Lots of spaghetti in the house of veganini lately. Not sure why that is- Maybe because for me, it's pretty fail safe.

Olive oil. Onions. Garlic. Red chillies. Red capsicum. Carrot. Swiss brown mushrooms. Zucchini. Chickpeas(can). Whole tomatoes(can). Penne.

YUM! :)

Vegan Vacation

Many big shifts have occurred in the world of veganini, and all the while many meals have been cooked & eaten. Yet I never once did, visit my blog.
Things fell apart, and reformed again, in to something different.
But I am back. And I share once more, these little meals I make.
I am a happy little veganini once more. Come sit down at my table..