Contrasts.

I love contrasts.

Today's weather is a perfect example. There was some sort of dry, parching heat overwhelming the city and all of a sudden, while I am outside exercising, the barometre falls and there is a thunderstorm. I like how everything is now thin and palatable and reflects the vegetables in between seasons. (And, also getting a dozen texts saying, "It's raining, honey.")

It's not confused, it's Melbourne. Before, I was drinking beer, and now I'm grabbing a bottle of red.

It makes sense, it allows us to overindulge and try everything once.

It's also why I was walking around in something thinner than a sheet this morning at work, and now I am wrapped in leather.

Also, I get to actually cook something and allow the smells to permeate the house, so it feels less like a share house and more like a home.
And in case you were wondering, yes, this morning I was in slut-bag mode and now I am a nonna.

Deal with it.



Beans and such play nice in pot
Serves 4

4 slices of prosciutto
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
3 dutch carrots, diced
4 ribs of celery, finely diced
parsley stalks from a bunch, finely diced
200ml passata
1 glass of red wine
2 cups of dry borlotti beans, soaked overnight in cold water
200g broad beans, shelled but still in their clothes
1 bunch of silverbeet, ribs removed and diced and leaves sliced
parsley leaves, roughly chopped
parmesan
lemon juice

Render the prosciutto over a low heat and then add the onion and garlic and allow to sweat. When the onion and garlic are translucent, add the carrots, celery and parsley stalks and sweat for about 5 minutes.
Add the red wine and passata and turn the heat up on high. Add the beans after you have rinsed them and cover with water. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 2 hours, or until the beans are cooked.
An hour into the cooking, add the broad beans.
When the beans are cooked, season with salt and pepper. Do not salt before this stage because it won't allow the beans to soften.
Saute off the silverbeet and season. Stir into the beans.
Serve with parsley, grated parmesan and lemon juice. Eat with oiled toast.

Oh yeah, and I also bought asparagus.

So, I handed in my last 12,000 words yesterday and celebrated by not exercising, drinking beer and making dinner for the boys and I. I bought three bunches of asparagus at the market and used one of them last night.

Here is how I used the other:


First, broad beans. In their full, unstripped glory.


Then, I took a bunch of asparagus, removed the woody parts, blanched them in boiling water for 60 seconds and refreshed them in iced water.


I did the same to the pods of the broad beans and they sexed it up with the asparagus.


After they chilled, I took of the outer layer from the broad beans. The clothes are in the front and the kids are in the back.


That got set aside and I made a hollandaise with three egg yolks, melted butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Oh, who needs a double boiler when you have a giant-ass bowl?
Note to self; tea towels, need to buy more...need to wash some.


And then I put it all together after poaching a few eggs, toasting a few slices of Irrawarra bread and getting my shit together.



And that, kids, is how you do a lazy brunch. Best eaten out the front, in the sun using crates as tables and on the olive couches.

Indecision

Not just a good book by Benjamin Kunkle but a great way to cook. That coupled with procrastination makes for a great meal. Assuming that you have read the lead up to this, what I have just cooked really makes me happy that Spring is here.

Yes, that is right, vegetables have personalities, and I am not the only one who thinks that.

I would have taken a photo, but my camera privileges have been revoked.

Broad bean, leek and lemon risotto
Serves at least 4

1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large leek, sliced, whites only
20g butter, unsalted
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of carnaroli rice
white wine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3-4 cups of hot vegetable stock
1 heaped teaspoon of seeded mustard (that's right)
200g double podded broad beans
30g grated parmesan
1/3 barrel of Holy Goat La Luna cheese, diced

Sweat off the onion, garlic and leek in butter and and oil. When it has become translucent, turn the heat up to medium and add the rice. Coat in oil and wait till it also becomes translucent and add around half a cup of white wine. Add the zest. Allow the alcohol to cook off for a minute and add the hot stock, half a cup at a time and stir the rice each time till you need to add more. When the rice is almost al dente, add the juice of the lemon as well as the mustard and mix through. Add the broad beans when it is a minute from being done, just to warm through as they are already cooked. When it is al dente, add the cheeses and stir through. Check for seasoning (I just needed to add pepper because the cheese is quite salty).
Eat very slowly so you don't have to start on that essay of yours.

Well

it seems that options have opened up once more. I found the barrel of La Luna Holy Goat cheese which would go so well with the broad beans.



So, I am tossing up between making a lemon risotto with some stock I have in the freezer and then stirring in the cheese and broad beans at the end.

Sigh, I guess I could always do the same with pasta, but it all depends on time. And time, I don't have.

Ok, essay, ho!

Carlton Farmer's Market

I woke up at some ridiculous hour, hoping to beat the heat and exercised for an hour and a half. The boys were all still asleep and when they woke up and did their 'after-grog-bog' we all decided we needed copious amounts of caffeine. I suggested we go to the farmer's market because it was

a) on
and
b) around the corner.

But, we didn't know that we had to wade through hundreds and hundreds of cyclists and people who shouldn't be wearing Lycra. It's ok though, because Nek managed to see a lot of little puppy-doggies, which made him smile.

So, after loading up on coffee, being the only espresso drinker in a clan of lattes, I did a circle of the market and came out with something I long for all year:
IN SEASON BROAD BEANS!
I bought a kilo for five dollars, and it made me happy. (In your face, Vic Market!)

Yes, then, we proceeded to have breakfast and talk about shelving. Nek is still "wow-ing" at the idea (and for once, in reference to Nek, "wow" does not stand for World of Warcraft).

Oh yeah, we're also prepping for John Candy's birthday, which falls on the same day as Halloween. Do you smell fried chicken?

But really, folks, it is all about the broad beans.

*Postscript*
And I would just like to add that I got to wear my first playsuit of the season. [insert evil laugh]
And, we're done.