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 ©

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 ©