Spaghetti with chives pesto

This is as easy as it is delicious!

For the sauce you just need chives, salted cashew nuts, olive oil and cooking water from the pasta. Blend the lot and stir into the spaghetti (or any pasta). Decorate with chive flowers, if you wish.

Everyone is always amazed at the taste, and no one guesses that it is chives until I tell them. The colour is beautiful too!

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Pumpkin Coconut Curry (and pumpkin soup for the day after)

 

Bake the whole pumpkin in the oven and then slice and remove the outer peel and centre, slice and set aside. Chop two shallots and one green pepper and sauté with a little vegetable oil,  then add red curry paste (as much as your taste buds suggest) and a can of coconut cream, plus the water from rinsing out the can. Bring to a simmer, then add the sliced pumpkin and some Vietnamese mint leaves and flowers, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Top with fresh Vietnamese mint flowers, and also chopped coriander and Thai or lemon basil. Serve with rice, it is delicious!

If you have made a lot you can also blend it into a soup, easy as!

  Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Zucchini with marigold vinegar and marigold fresh petals

 

This is a delicious starter or side dish. Cut the zucchini in thin long strips and pan fry with olive oil on both sides for just a minute (don't let them brown, they just need to soften). Chop plenty of Italian parsley and garlic with a pinch of salt and add to the zucchini, with a tbsp or two of marigold vinegar (recipe here). If you don't have marigold vinegar just use some white balsamic or white wine vinegar (but consider making marigold vinegar too!). Let the zucchini marinate for at least two hours, more if possible, then lay on a serving platter and sprinkle with fresh marigold petals. Serve at room temperature of chilled.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Covid-19 lockdown recipe 4: lentil salads, i.e. making the most of 'poor' ingredients

Dried lentils are another 'staple' in my pantry, and I also noticed that while aisles of cans of beans were getting low at the supermarket, packets of dried lentils were still available. Good, because they are cheap and they go a long way, plus they are full of protein and very versatile: you can make soups, stews, curries, lasagne, side dishes or basically add them anywhere to 'increase' the size of your dishes and fill your belly. Because the weather is still nice I'll propose some salads, throwing in some fresh greens, edible flowers and a bit of NZ foraging too :-). All of these salads will serve heaps of people and last a few days in the fridge, in fact they taste better on the second day, giving the lentils time to absorb flavour from the dressing. So I usually make heaps and then before serving I take out what I need and I add the fresh greens and the flowers on the spot.

Lentils with flowers and leaves

500 g brown lentils

1 leaf bay

water and salt for boiling

extra virgin olive oil

white balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

mixed salad leaves

sliced radishes

tomatoes (cherry or cubed)

fresh herbs (like basil, parsley)

edible flowers

Soak the lentil overnight, then rinse well, add plenty of water, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook until 'al dente', or as soft as you like (but not mushy). Drain and briefly rinse under cold water. Place in a mixing bowl with the radishes and tomatoes, add extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar (to taste, but make sure that the ratio oil to vinegar is 2 to1), and some salt to taste. Line a serving plate or large shallow bowl with mixed salad leaves (leave a few small ones for the top), spoon the lentils on top, then sprinkle with the remaining salad leaves, herbs and petals (I used verbena, dianthus, and cornflowers).

Same recipe again but with broad beans and different flowers

 This time I added more tomatoes and also broad beans (just the frozen broad beans, to prepare them just cover them with boiling water and then remove the hard skin and they are ready to eat!) . Mix the lentils, broad beans and tomato with the dressing ingredients and place on a bed of mixes salad leaves. To decorate I used calendula, borage and dianthus petals.

With kahikatea berries

Here is another version with a bit of foraging from the New Zealand Bush! The kahikatea berries are ripening, it takes a long time to collect them but they are a welcome addition to a salad. You will need to remove the black blue seed and wash the berries delicately though. 

500 g brown lentils

1 leaf bay

water and salt for boiling

extra virgin olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

frozen broad beans

kahikatea berries

calendula petals

Soak the lentil overnight, then rinse well, add plenty of water, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook until 'al dente', or as soft as you like (but not mushy). Drain and briefly rinse under cold water. Place in a mixing bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and the broad beans (just use the frozen broad beans, cover them with boiling water and then remove the hard skin so that they are ready to eat and bright green). Mix well and then top with the kahikatea berries and calendula petals.

Last one for the day

And here yet another salad (same basic recipe again, use either lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar) and more flowers: nasturtium, borage, verbena, poppy, marigold, dianthus, and cornflowers.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Onigiri with Poppies, cornflowers and nasturtiums, and a Poppy Tea

Many of the flowers I plant are edible, and this year I also have poppies! They are beautiful and delicate to look at, and perfect for the kitchen. You can also make tea (it is supposed to help you sleep) but just use a few petals, from one or two flowers... only if you know enough about herbalism and/or botany you can adjust the dose to your body type. The taste is a bit like rose tea, I just add a little hot water and then let it stand until cool (it is a hot summer here). 

The petals leave a beautiful pattern inside the cup :-). 

For the onigiri: Wash the sushi rice (or Japanese rice) several times in cold water, until the water runs clear, and then cook it by absorption. The doses are about 1 and 3/4 (three quarters) cups of sushi rice for 2 cups of water, but that depends on the type of pot. You need a pot with a good lid, or you will loose too much steam. I kind of regulate myself by ear now, since I know my pots and pans. Bring the pot to boiling point, lower the heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed. While the rice is cooking pick the flowers and clean the petals well, you can rinse the cornflowers and nasturtiums, but not the poppy petals, if you need to just spray with water and pat dry. Cut the petals in small strips with scissor and set aside. Once the rice is ready pour it into a bowl, add some unrefined salt and toasted black sesame seeds and stir it with a wooden spatula. Taste to see if it is 'salty' enough for you, then let it cool down a little. Then add half of the petals and stir. Fill a bowl with cold water and wet your hands, then pick up a handful of rice and shape into a ball. Repeat. Roll the rice balls in the rest of the petals. Serve cold, with Japanese pickled and soy sauce.

And now some compositions from the garden. 

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

(Alessandra's) Terrine of vegetables ‘in scapece’ - and sharing recipes for free on the internet

A friend told me that I should put my recipes on Instagram, in same ways she is right, I spend a lot of time on Insta (more than with blogger) but I don't want to give up my (numerous) blogs the Blogger blog, they are a great archive, a diary, and collected thousands of free recipes, which have been made and shared many times, and also a source of inspiration to a number of people in the food business. Of course many of these have also been 'copied' (without credits of permission) even by some 'sort of famous' food writers and chefs... but I don't mind, I blog to spread the gospel of good, fresh, simple vegetarian food, and it is working. If the the same recipes ideas reach people through AB instead of me just because AB is well know, I am happy for it! Plus in my job I give a lot of recipes away, or consult or write for others. Easy. 
But I admit that sometimes I raise my eyebrows if I see one of my recipes in a magazine (and without permission).  It may be lightly adapted in wording and newly photographed, but I still know, immediately that it was taken from one of my social media because I am well aware of which recipes are mine, down to what percentage, if part traditional of inspired by others. But mostly it tells me more about the people/companies who re-use these resources for their own gain, and to the fact that if you put something online then you should let it go! 

So I am not sure if I will find the time or energy to publish recipes on Instagram as well, I'll start with one of my most loved creations and see what's happens. After all if one of my recipes ends up in a magazine or someone else blog I usually find out because one of my readers tells me, which means that others notice it too, so best to share the best!

Like this one for example, which I first published on this blog 10 years ago with the name of Torta di Verdure in Scapece. Scapece is an Italian way of 'marinating' food, (like escabece in Spanish) but I know that this torta/terrine is my own. I shared it with an Italian food forum and went down very well (as well as it goes down at the table) and I made it many more times since so it is truly tasted. Then a few days ago a took a photo and decided that since it is such an amazing vegan recipe I should share on Insta and with an English name, terrine of vegetables ‘in scapece’. 

I truly do hope that chefs, and everyone else, start making it, it tastes soo good that it has to be shared! Someone may even re-publish it, I don't mind, and perhaps they will choose to add Alessandra's on the recipe? Or maybe a credit in the book? Or send me a box of chocolates and a thank you note :-). Who knows... 


Anyway, I copy and paste the recipe from Insta, try it!!

The best dish of the Holidays is this terrine of vegetables ‘in scapece’. It takes an afternoon to make and at least two days in the fridge after that, but it is AMAZING ❤️🧡💜💚 

Fry many (many many) eggplants, zucchini and coloured capsicums slices in olive oil. Place on kitchen paper and add salt as you work. Peel the capsicums after frying. Layer the slices in a terrine adding chopped Italian parsley and garlic, plus breadcrumbs, after each layer and spraying with some white balsamic vinegar. Press down as you assemble. Use lots if parsley and garlic! Don’t skip layers! Press down well before covering - add a weight on top if necessary. Refrigerate for at least two days before tipping out. Slice and serve 😋 #sharingmyrecipes#vegetarianvibes

Spaghetti 'alla Norma' con fiori di timo - Spaghetti with eggplants and thyme flowers

Spaghetti with eggplants are one of my favourite dishes, and the addition of thyme is amazing, especially thyme flowers, they are so pretty and more delicate than the leaves. Plus I have the garden full of thyme, I had to use it!

First slice the eggplants, add salt and sweat for an hour or so. Then rinse and pat dry with a tea towel. 

Then fry in plenty of olive oil, with a clove of garlic if you like (I do). Place on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil and add salt and thyme sprigs.

In the meantime prepare a tomato sauce, you can find a very easy recipe here,  or you can use an Italian passata, like Mutti. (but has to be Italian, and very simple (not full or strange ingredients...).

In another pot boil the water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Remember than when you assemble everything the pasta, the tomato sauce and the eggplants have to be hot!

Drain the pasta, toss into the sauce pan, dish on a plate and cover with the hot eggplants. Sprinkle with thyme flowers (they can be eaten, not just decorations!).

 

 And now some old photos of flowers from my garden, from this winter, when I had lots of orchids!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Fresh As freeze dried herbs and spices for some Thai inspired Vegan curries

These were soooooo delicious!!! I made the side dish just with onion, tomato, green beans, Fresh As Chili Powder (plus a little oil for frying the onion and salt to taste. The 'main' green curry had all the others Fresh As powders (plus some chili): lemon grass, coriander, ginger, sweet basil and kaffir lime.  The kaffir lime was my favourite! I also added some Vietnamese mint from the garden.  It had tofu, potatoes, carrots, beans, onions and coconut milk, plus organic vegetable stock for seasoning. Served with rice. Amazing!

Thank you Fresh As! 

And now for the 'single flowers' from the garden to the home.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Oakune Carrot and Beetroot Salad with Feta, Thyme and Edible Flowers

Ohakune is a small town in the North Island of New Zealand, situated 215 kilometres north of Wellington and 292 kilometres south of Auckland. It is located in the Tongariro National Park, at the food of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu. It is also New Zealand’s ‘carrot capital' so after a ski trip there we always get carrots, and other produce (potatoes, beetroots, swedes). 

Recipe: Wash the carrots and beetroots and boil in water (together) until soft but not too much (not mushy!!!). Then rinse under cold water and remove the skins with your fingers (from the carrots too). Cut into bite size pieces. Dress with olive oil, salt and lemon juice, add cubed feta and stir. Place on a plate and add fresh thyme, onion weed flowers and broccolini or friarielli flowers (they are edible and have a lovely peppery taste). Add plenty! These are not decorations, these are to be eaten! And now a few photo of life in the garden!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Potato salad with Fresh As Tarragon, capers and Friarielli flowers, plus focaccia with Fresh As herbs

I have been trying a few freeze dried herbs from Fresh As and this potato salad is definitely a winner.

Boil the potatoes and peel, then cut and mix with mayo and capers. Sprinkle with Fresh As French Tarragon. I also added some edible flowers from my friarielli (cime di rapa) plants.

The friarielli seeds come for Italian Seeds Pronto, such a great winter crop! Eat the leaves, tips and flowers!

I also tried other Fresh As powders: chili, garlic, oregano, basil and rosemary (plus the French Tarragon) on focaccia. I used letter stencils before adding the powders, just to record what went where. FYI, the garlic becomes orange after baking.

Delicious, and also pretty in a bread basket!

And on some fried eggplants (added after frying, with salt).

 Flowers from my garden

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©