Monday 30 April 2012

Weekly Potato Recipe No 3 - Have a look see!

That's right! Let's have a look see....

This weeks Potato recipe is hot off the press from Donna Currie and her  Cookistry blog, which Donna says is all about creating, experimenting, and playing with food in her kitchen. 

Donna has thousands of fantastic recipes up her sleeve but I have picked this one for us today, and perhaps we will borrow some others down the track. Hop over to Donna's site to learn more about the ins and outs of potato salad.  Believe me there is more to it than meets the eye!



Red Pepper Potato Salad
6 yukon gold potatoes, cooked
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 slice from a large sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup capers
1/4 cup bread and butter pickles, diced
1 roasted red pepper, cleaned and diced
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish 
1/2 cup mayonnaise (more as needed) 

Peel the potatoes as soon as they've cooled down enough to handle. Cut them into chunks (whatever size you like) and put them into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cider vinegar over the potatoes immediately and toss them around. The potatoes will absorb the vinegar completely.

Let the potatoes cool while you prepare everything else.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl, and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if needed. If you prefer a creamier potato salad, add more mayonnaise. You can also add some of the juice from the bread and butter pickles, if you like.

Refrigerate until serving time. Personally, i think potato salad is best the next day, but you can serve it right away.


Well, thank you Donna for allowing us to share your delicious recipe. It is almost a meal in itself, with carbohydrate (potato) protein (egg) and various veggies!


I'm looking forward to sharing your potato pancakes at a later date:)


Friday 27 April 2012

Liebster Blog Award! What an honour!





Today I heard that Lorraine from LorikArt has passed on the Liebster award to me and 4 others!  It is very exciting considering only 6 months ago I didn't even know what a blog was!  See the other winners at Lori's blog 


Liebster (German) translates as "favourite". This award, which originated in Germany, recognises up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers.

In accepting the award the recipient agrees to: 

  • thank the person that gave the award and let them know by commenting on their blog
  • reveal the 5 blogs they have to chosen to award and let them know by commenting on their blog.
  • copy and paste the Liebster blog logo
  • And lastly, hope the 5 chosen bloggers will continue to pass on the Liebster Blog Award love in the same way:)




So, without further ado I would like to announce my five favourite blogs with under 200 followers.....

In no particular order....

  • Jacqueline from Zippy Zippy World makes buntings like no-one else, and a lot more besides.
  • Mel from Wildflower Designs  across the Tasman makes the most lovely jewellery,  beautiful, unique, simple, and affordable!
  • Vickie from Unusual Magic  makes jewellery and takes the most wonderful, and yes, magical, photographs. 
  • Carole from Carole's Creative Corner lives at Lake Macquarie NSW and takes her trusty camera with her so we can feel as though we are there on every outing she takes.
  • and last but definitely not least, Jane a primary school teacher from The Learning Curve, tells us that  "Life is a learning journey, and I am headed up the mountain" Who couldn't applaud that?!

So thank you Lorraine, and to everyone, keep on blogging!

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Anzac Day Poppy Potato Prints!

Hello Everyone!  Today, 25th April, is ANZAC day.

According to the Australian War Memorial website,
ANZAC Day is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.


ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. If you would like to know more take a look at the Australian War Memorial website.

So where, I hear you asking, do potatoes come in to this?  Well, I have found a wonderful post by Jane from The Learning Curve blog.  She is a primary school teacher,who is using potato printing with her young students, to depict poppies.
"Poppies", as Jane says, "have been associated with Anzac Day since the 1920's.  The red poppy reminds us of the sacrifice - the blood lost - in war.  Poppies are also significant because these flowers grow naturally in the fields on the Western Front where many soldiers fought and died."

Aren't they so effective? 
Take a look here to see how Jane does it 

Australians come together on ANZAC day and spend time remembering
the sacrifices of those who died in war protecting our country
I would like to finish this post on ANZAC day with some more thoughts from Primary School teacher Jane, who writes, " I hope that by commemorating Anzac Day, we will look back at the atrocities of war and search for better ways of solving our problems now and in the future".

Monday 23 April 2012

Weekly Potato Recipe No 2 -how do you do?!

So here we are .....le deuxieme  recipe of the week. That's right, it's French, mais non, non, that doesn't mean we have two recipes in one week. It means......what does it mean? Well it is the second of our weekly recipes. Let's take a look!

Potato gratin
Photography by Oliver Ford
A French classic, this creamy potato dish is the perfect winter starter or side.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 3 medium potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • garlic, thinly sliced
  • salt and cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup cream
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan or swiss cheese

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180ÂșC. Lightly grease four 1-cup capacity ramekins. Thinly slice potatoes and onion. Arrange some of the potato over the base of each ramekin and top with a little onion. Sprinkle with a few slices of garlic and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Continue layering with the remaining potato and onion, adding garlic every second or third layer. Combine cream with cheese. Pour into the ramekins then bake for 45 minutes or until potato is cooked through and top is golden. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.



Well , what do you think?  I thought, as we are just heading towards  winter in Australia, and those  of you in the northern hemisphere are well on their way out of it, , it might work for all of us.  
And hey, it looks pretty good whatever the season, doesn't it!

Friday 20 April 2012

Sunset Superb!






Tonight we had the most amazing sky that I just had to share it with you!  To the East was a rainbow and to the West was the setting sun.  So I decided to combine them with a potato pendant I made recently and play around with a collage in Picassa.  I am a real novice at this, but hey, I had some fun!





The top one is lighter, the one below more dramatic. 
But with a sky like that you can't go too far wrong I don't think.





I'll let you into a little secret..........my son-in-law wanted to lend a hand and painted this pendant for me and so I was pretty chuff to find I had a piece of  pure silk cord that matched perfectly!  Good teamwork:)

See this piece of jewellery, and others, in my shop by clicking on the following link.   Shop


Thursday 19 April 2012

Potato Portraits - Incredible Art!

I just had to share these fantastic Potato Portraits from Ginou Chioueiri
with you all today. Prepare to be amazed!





Do you see anyone you know?!


Incredible aren't they? And they are from Ginou Choueiri who describes herself as an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Beirut, Lebanon.
  
PS.
In fact many of her potato faces are indeed people we know, and I suggest you take a look at her website and see what I am talking about:)

Monday 16 April 2012

By popular demand ! Potato Recipe of the Week Numero Uno!!


Potato Recipe of the Week 



That's right, at Steve's suggestion I am starting to post a different potato recipe each week and here is Number One.

It is from a UK web site so the names of the vegetables, and the amounts will probably be completely double dutch to everyone else but I think it's good to challenge ourselves, mix things up a bit!  And seriously, do we really need things to be exact?  
But just to get it straight, a Courgette (in Oz at least) is a Zucchini, an Aubergine is an Egg Plant, Peppers are Capsicums.....who said we all speak the same language?! 







Ingredients

  • 800g New potatoes thickly sliced
  • 1 Sliced Courgette
  • 1 Sliced Aubergine
  • 1 of each Red and Yellow Pepper
  • 50g Chopped Pine Nuts
  • 2 tbsp Pesto (from a jar)
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation


Put the potatoes, chopped vegetables and pine nuts in a large roasting tin together
Add the oil and season.
Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees, gas mark 6 or until tender.
Add the pesto and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip

This quick and tasty meal can also be made with 400g of thinly sliced pork or chicken breast if you’re looking for a healthy food alternative

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And from the same website,The Many Faces of Potato,  an interesting fact:

Potatoes in Europe – a culinary discovery
Invading Spanish conquistadors, on the lookout for gold and jewels, discovered the Peruvian’s potatoes and took them back to Europe to impress royalty in 1536.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy your Mediterranean potatoes and let me know what you think. 
Perhaps we could give the recipes a rating from 
  • 5 stars - delicious,yum yum
  • 4 stars - pretty good 
  • 3 stars - so so, 
  • 2 stars - wont' be cooking this again
  • 1 star  - wish I hadn't bothered!


Buon Appetito!!







Sunday 15 April 2012

How many Potatoes were on the Titanic? I can tell you!

A sad day from 100 years ago, but so interesting to look back.
According to the Nautical Resource Centre here is a list of the galley supplies on board the Titanic when they set sail
Galley Supplies:

• 57,600 crockery items (pots, pans, baking sheets)
• 29,000 pieces of glassware
• 44,000 pieces of cutlery
• 75,000 lb. fresh meat
• 11,000 lb. fresh fish
• 4,000 lb. salted and dried fish
• 7,500 lb. bacon and ham
• 25,000 lb. poultry
• 40,000 fresh eggs
• 2,500 lb. sausage
• 40 tons potatoes
• 3,500 lb. onions
• 800 bundles fresh asparagus
• 3,500 lb. tomatoes
• 2,500 lb.. green peas
• 7,000 heads lettuce
• 1,000 loaves of bread
• 2,200 lb. ground coffee
• 800 lb. tea
• 10,000 lb. rice and dried beans
• 10,000 lb. sugar
• 250 barrels flour
• 10,000 lb. cereal
• 36,000 apples
• 36,000 oranges
• 16,000 lemons
• 1,000 lb. grapes
• 13,000 grapefruit
• 1,120 lb. jam and marmalade
• 1,500 gallons fresh milk
• 1,200 quarts ice cream
• 600 gallons condensed milk
• 6,000 lb. butter
• 15,000 bottles of ale (beer)
• 1,000 bottles wine
• 850 bottles liquor
• 8,000 complimentary cigars





from the veganbloggersunite site I found this menu for the meals 
for third class passengers 

                                                     
And here is a copy of the First Class Menu for the evening meal on April 14th 1912
Which do you prefer?!!



Take a look at how to cook the Parmentier Potatoes which were part of the meal
 for first class passengers, taken from the downtonabbeycooks website



Parmentier Potatoes

Parmentier potatoes named in honor of the man who elevated the potato in France
The final vegetable dish served as part of the Fifth course in 1st Class we will prepare today is Parmentier Potatoes.
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (August 12, 1737 – December 13, 1813) is best remembered for elevating the lowly potato from the hog trough to dining table in France and around Europe.  Outside of Ireland potatoes were primarily fed to animals and were actually thought to cause leprosy and other ailments.
Traditional parmentier potatoes are pan fried in a cup of butter, then finished in the oven.  My version is much healthier.  It is quick to prepare and kids love it.
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. baking potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Additional seasoning: parsley or rosemary
Method
  1. Peel the potatoes, trim the sides to make a rough rectangle, then cut in to even sized, medium dices – approx 1 inch.
  2. Drizzle with the olive oil.
  3. Season and spread out on a greased baking dish.
  4. Bake in a 400° F/200° C/Gas Mark 6 for 25-35 minutes until golden brown, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking.


Monday 9 April 2012

A Tisket a Tasket , I love my Potato Basket!


Well, hello there everyone.  Hoping you had a lovely Easter and I thought I would share with you some more Potato finds- this time all bound up in a basket.
I was trolling the net, (as you do!) and found this fantastic photo.



 Potato Field Photo, India Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day


Photograph by Johnny Haglund, Women in the village of Mawsynram in the Indian state of Meghalaya (known as the wettest place on the planet), use homemade "umbrellas" when they work in the potato field.

Just look at those basket umbrellas!  Aren't they fantastic?




Well, they  led me on a merry dance to the following.......
Made of Wicker these potato baskets allow your spuds to breathe,
 while keeping  out the light and stopping them from going green.

Vintage potato baskets at a UK village market
Click here to take a look at what the thrifty and stylish Melissa from Miss Sew & So 
does with these vintage finds, and find out where her clever son fits into the story!



Making a traditional Irish Potato Basket
Joe Bruneau -
 Appalachian melon, egg, and potato baskets made with vine, dyed rattan, yarns, and seagrass.
What fantastic colours!


Don't you just love where potatoes can take you?!!

I wonder if you have seen potato baskets like these?  
There is something very comforting about baskets I think.  They are made with care and attention and they hold the things we need and cherish.