Beet Tom Kha
When the impossibly hunky lad from the garden centre (desperate housewife, moi?) gave me a bunch of freshly grown beetroot with my batch of potting soil last week, I almost fainted – you know already how I feel about beetroot…
Anyway, I quickly ran through the options… Beetroot risotto? Been there, done that. Another moist chocolate cake (http://www.thekitchennomads.com/posts/68)? What about the diet… Borscht? Bit boring. No, nothing was doing it for me. Then it occurred to me that perhaps I could incorporate my favourite vegetable into my current Thai food fetish. Genius!
And so I threw my new best friends (lemongrass, bird’s eye chilies and kaffir lime leaves) into a pan of water, and with the stock made a bright purple version of yummy tom kha soup.
Now, if you are not already a fully fledged member of the beetroot fan club, this might seem like a bit of a mismatch. But give it a chance – it’s surprising, challenging, and an absolute success once your tastebuds have stopped resisting it. And not only is it scrumptious, it’s super pretty too. Swoon…
Comments: 0, Author: Jessica, Category: Appetizers, Published: 08 March 2013
Stone fruit clafoutis
Yes, the picture I have used is of a half-eaten dessert. But how on earth am I supposed to photograph something that gets eaten so quickly?!
To attempt to get one good shot, I have made a total of five of this classic French recipe in the last two weeks, each time using different fruits. Stone fruits that is – traditionally cherries are used, and according to my aunt Dominique (the family authority on these matters), the stones should not be removed.
Apparently, leaving the cherries’ stones in releases some magical flavour during cooking that removing them dampens. However, my experience of clafoutis has always been dampened by the risk of breaking a tooth by the end of the meal. Not to mention all of the in-mouth fiddling you need to do to get rid of them in an elegant manner. In fact, clafoutis, like risotto, is as impossible to eat gracefully as it is to present gracefully on the plate.
Anyway, besides the fact that I do remove the stones of my cherries (sorry Ninique), I also have experimented with several different fruit. The hands-down favourite in my household is pear (yes I know, no stone), but my own personal winner is the red plum. It’s just tart enough to balance out the sweetness of the batter, which is kind of a thick sweet pancake that envelops the fruit in a comforting cushion.
However you make it, and whether you are willing to risk needing to call a dentist when you’re done, it’s divine. And it could not be simpler to make.
Comments: 0, Author: Jessica, Category: Desserts, Published: 26 February 2013
