zucchini tea. cool as can be.

What do you do when life hands you too many zucchinis?

Why, make zucchini tea, of course. (Or zucchini-ade, if you like.)

Zucchiniade, or iced zucchini tea... light and refreshing.

If you think about it, making tea out of zucchini isn't really such a crazy idea. After all, I love winter melon tea. Zucchini and winter melon have somewhat similar taste profiles, so... why not?

Why not, indeed.

My zucchini tea was inspired by one of my favourite drinks, winter melon tea.

My instincts were correct: While not exactly identical to the Yeo's winter melon tea I grew up drinking, it was quite similar. The gentle hint of zucchini. The sweet fragrance of caramelised sugar. Two simple elements that come together to create a cool, light, and refreshing beverage... the sort of stuff you really appreciate having in the fridge on a warm, sultry day.

(P.S. It's now officially the Year of the Dragon! Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!)

cool zucchini tea / zucchini-ade

400 - 500g zucchini (approx. 1 pound)
3 tablespoons raw sugar
1500ml water (6 cups)

Cut zucchini into small pieces. If the zucchini you have is not organically grown, peel before chopping.
Heat up the sugar in a pot or saucepan over a medium flame. When it melts and turns brown, add in the zucchini pieces and all the water.
Bring to boil, then simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until the zucchini is very soft and tender - the time will vary depending on the size of the pieces. Strain through a sieve.
(If you like, extract more of that zucchini goodness by mashing the pieces against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, and press the juices out through the sieve as well. Otherwise, you can use the zucchini pieces as compost, or even freeze and use in smoothies.)
If you prefer a sweeter drink, add more sugar to taste.
Chill in the fridge for a few hours and serve cold. If you can't wait, pop in some ice cubes and serve immediately.

Get your tea on with zucchini.

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lemon-pepper soy-ginger lamb heart stir-fry

Stir-fried lamb's heart (plus capsicum and spring onions) with lemon, pepper, ginger and soy.

As an omnivore who often enjoys vegan and vegetarian meals, but still loves the taste of meat too much to give it up, I like using the parts of animal that are often neglected and could otherwise go to waste. The following story and accompanying images contains content that may be off-putting to those who are not comfortable with offal.

However, if you are interested in trying it out, I am of the opinion that heart is a good starting point. The taste is quite gentle, and the texture is conventional enough - some may even prefer it to meat. I've had chicken heart before, which I found to be quite delicious. This is my first experience with lamb heart, and I feel equally positive about it. Lamb heart, when raw, has a fairly rich, fleshy scent. When cooked, it has a pleasantly mild taste of lamb and a tender texture. Other than a stir-fry like this, I can also see myself throwing it into a pho or a curry laksa!

And for those of you who already embrace offal - enjoy!

A lamb heart story:

Girl goes to Victoria Market with parents, uncle and aunt.
Girl meets lamb hearts (only 80 cents each!), is intrigued at first sight.
Girl points out the lamb hearts to mum, who regards them with unconcealed disgust.
Girl points out the lamb hearts to dad, who is as curious as girl and encourages her to buy a couple.
Girl purchases lamb hearts.
Girl gets home and decides to stir-fry one lamb heart for dinner.
Girl's mum helps by preparing the lamb heart - trimming off the fat and tubes; cutting the glistening dark meat into thin slices.
Girl marinates lamb heart in lemon, ginger, soy sauce and black pepper, then stir-fries it in a wok with capsicum and spring onion.
Girl serves up lamb heart stir-fry for dinner, enjoys it with dad as the rest of the table keeps their distance.

Ah, lamb hearts. Certainly a far cry from the cutesy valentiney love hearts we see...

The cross section of the lamb heart. Sorry, it's not really getting more attractive is it?

Lamb heart, all sliced up and swaddled in marinade. Hey, it's not looking too bad now...

lemon-pepper soy-ginger lamb heart stir-fry

1 lamb's heart
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2cm / 1 inch ginger, cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 small capsicum (bell pepper), cut into strips
2 stalks spring onion (scallions), chopped into sections
oil, for frying

First, prepare the lamb heart. Cut off any vessels, valves, tubes and the like. Trim away excess fat (that would be the white bits on the outside). Basically, you want get it down to that meaty-looking maroon part of the lamb heart, which you then slice into strips.

Create a marinade by mixing together lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger and black pepper in a bowl. Toss the lamb heart in and mix well, then cover and keep in the fridge for an hour.

Heat up some oil (half a tablespoon should do) in a wok or pan over a medium high heat, then stir-fry the lamb heart until the pieces start to change colour. This could take less than a minute, depending on their thickness. Lamb heart gets tougher when it's overcooked, so try not to dilly-dally.

Add in the capsicum and spring onion and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Taste and add more seasonings if desired. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with steamed rice.

The result: a not-that-scary and rather scrumptious offal dish: lemon-pepper soy-ginger lamb heart stir-fry.

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st andrews community market

Last Saturday, we made a trip up to St Andrews Community Market.

Out in the countryside, surrounded by eucalyptus trees, we browse, and shop.

What did we find there?

Organically grown produce...

That's some good-looking garlic, right there.

Herb and fruit plants...

I persuaded my aunt to get this stevia plant. Yay! I hope it thrives in her beautiful garden.

Handmade Turkish bowls...

So bright, so colourful.

Savoury food...

There's a bit of a hippie vibe going on in St Andrews Market, to be sure.

Sweet treats...

Little baked goods, catering to a variety of dietary restrictions.

Happy buskers...

He's having fun with it!

Second-hand goods, vintage knick-knacks, and other trash 'n' treasures...

I had fun browsing the various trinkets at this stall.

What a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday!

And now, my haul.

A bag of 'pistachio date wonders' - a milky, crumbly, sugary shortbread-style biscuit encasing the hidden prize of a pitted date within.

Pistachio date wonders.

Stuff that could come in handy for the kitchen, and for food photography. A vintage Grosvenor silver thingamajig, tarnished yet beguiling. An Alfred Meakin plate, gracefully worn out with age. Plus, modern cupcake-style ramekins by Maxwell & Williams, with the stickers still intact.

Vintage cutlery, vintage plate, and not-so-vintage ramekins...

And, of course, I couldn't leave without some gourmet edible goodies. A big punnet of ruby-red raspberries, ripe and bursting with juice. A tub of raw messmate honey, strained at beehive temperature, sweet and sticky with the natural goodness of pollen, propolis and enzymes. A bottle of extra virgin olive oil, tingling with the infused flavours of wild lime and blood orange.

Yum, yum and yum.

Organic raspberries, raw honey, and a citrussy olive oil.

If you're interested...

St Andrews Community Market is open every Saturday (except for fire danger days) from 8am to 2pm.

Location: St Andrews town is located in the foothills of the Yarra Ranges north east of Melbourne. The market is located at the corner of Kangaroo Ground/St. Andrews and Heidelberg/Kinglake Roads.

Entry price: None - free admission.

Website: http://www.standrewsmarket.com.au/

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chilli kaffir tamarind tofu

Happy new year, everyone! I hope 2012 has been treating you kindly thus far.

I feel quite vaguely optimistic about this new year. Okay, so I've had to work mostly through the Christmas and New Year, with no signs of things easing up for another few weeks. Incessant overtime does not suit my indolent nature. And Simon has just gone off on a nearly-7-week holiday without me. Sad!

But these are first world problems, really. Particularly when, lately, I've come to realise that I'm actually quite content, most of the time. I don't have everything that I want... and yet I have so much.

So often, bliss can be found in simple things.

Like colleagues whose company you relish, even though you sometimes yearn for a career change.

Like having money in the bank, even when you don't earn much.

Like having a roof over your head.

Like being with people who feel like home.

Like a warm meal when you're hungry.

Like the sharp bouquet of kaffir lime leaves, and the biting heat of little chillies...

Like thick, sticky, sour tamarind concentrate...

Like sharing this spicy-tangy chilli kaffir tamarind tofu dish with Simon on New Year's Eve.

I like it. He likes it. I like that he likes it.

It may not have the prettiest appearance, but the flavour hits you, and it hits you good. Can you handle it?

chilli kaffir tamarind tofu.

I couldn't resist reaching for the fish sauce with this one. However, you can easily make it vegetarian and vegan-friendly by substituting with soy sauce plus an extra pinch of sugar. Either way, the flavours will be big, bold, bodacious. Enjoy.

chilli, kaffir lime leaf, & tamarind tofu

2 small spicy red chillies
4 separated/single or 2 twin/double kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar or crushed palm sugar
250g firm or semi-firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon oil, or just enough for frying

Slice chilli into thin rings.
Slice kaffir lime leaves into thin strips, discarding the tough middle stem.
Mix tamarind concentrate, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl. Throw in most of the chillies and kaffir lime leaves, setting aside a pinch of each for garnishing later, if you like. Mix well to form a marinade. If you're not into super sour flavours, taste as you add in the tamarind concentrate to reach your preferred balance.
Time for the tofu to join the party. Cut the tofu into 2.5cm/1" cubes and tumble them merrily through the marinade. Leave it for 15 minutes.
Heat up some oil in a frying pan over medium high heat to cook the tofu cubes. To really sear them, add the tofu cubes while reserving most of the marinade intact in the mixing bowl. Stand back - the tofu might sizzle and spit. Once they develop a nice dark crust on their bottoms, pour in the marinade and let everything cook over medium heat, stirring and turning occasionally, until the sauce is reduced and clings lazily to the tofu.
Garnish with any leftover fresh chilli and kaffir lime leaves, and serve immediately. Pair it with rice and salad for a full meal.

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pimm's raspberry cucumber cocktail slushy

I am not very good at drinking... alcohol, that is. A wild night, for me, is about two drinks.

Three, if I'm really living life on the edge.

Because there is such a fine and sudden line between a pleasant tipsiness and regrettable discomfort, the drunken state so sought after by many is not really something I pursue. I don't drink to get wasted. I drink for the sexy, intriguing flavours that dance on my tongue. I drink to bring that little bit of warmth to the body and soul. And then I stop drinking, and hope for the best.

This elegant little cocktail I made recently fits the bill. I brought her with me to a party last week. I think she upstaged me... she was cool, graceful, sensuous, flirtatious. A contrast to yours truly - clumsy, awkward, spaced-out, introverted...

Nevertheless. She made me look good. Because I was her Maker.

So make this for your friends, and bask in the praise they heap upon you.

Pimm's raspberry cucumber cocktail slushy with a hint of herbs. It's like Slurpee for adults... only better.

Recipe notes:

If you don't have pre-frozen cucumber and raspberries in the freezer, don't despair. This tastes just as pretty without the icy slushy factor. In fact, you can even make this drink ahead of time and just chill it in the fridge in an airtight flask until required - I did this and I swear the flavours developed further and turned out even tastier. Simply proceed with fresh cucumber and raspberries. Blend as per instructions. Just before serving, shake the mixture vigorously with a handful of ice cubes until cold, then strain out the ice cubes and serve.

If you don't have Pimm's No.1 at hand, feel free to substitute with gin, vodka or any other spirit or liqueur that goes well with fruity drinks - preferably one that is not too overpowering, to allow all the subtle flavours of the cocktail come through. Or make it a mocktail by omitting alcohol altogether.

pimm's raspberry cucumber cocktail slushy with a hint of herbs
(serves 2)

1 lebanese cucumber - approx. 100g, peeled, roughly sliced and frozen (1 cup)
60g raspberries, frozen (1/2 cup)
60ml rosemary, mint & ginger syrup (1/4 cup) - see accompanying recipe
45ml Pimm's No. 1 (1 shot)

Whiz all ingredients together in a blender until it reaches a smooth slushy consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.

rosemary syrup with a hint of mint and ginger

2 cups water
2/3 cup raw sugar
6 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs mint
2.5 cm / 1 inch ginger, thinly sliced

Bring all ingredients to boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for another 10 minutes. Strain and store in a sterilised bottle. I sterilise my bottles by washing them thoroughly and then letting them sit in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

A cocktail packed with fruits, with a hint of herbs... sinful or healthy, you decide!

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green tea mochi, raspberry compote, lime yoghurt

December... the festive month. Are you a Christmas person?

I don't really regard myself as a Christmas person... I don't go to church, I don't go on a gift-giving frenzy, and I don't tend to go out of my way to eat traditional Christmas dishes - but I do enjoy the festive spirit, and the cheer in the air, at this time of the year.

I like that my colleagues and I have Christmas stockings hanging in our cubicle pods, and we leave candies, chocolates and cookies for each other, just as a token of appreciation, and just because it's Christmas.

I like the pretty decorations and the carols. These are not things I do, but to those of you who make the effort, thank you. You make my days brighter.

And I didn't know whether I would have my parents and my boyfriend with me in Melbourne for the holiday season this year, but it turns out I will most likely be spending Christmas with all of them, together. I like that very, very much.

I'm a lucky, sappy girl, am I not? Perhaps I'm a Christmas person after all.

green tea mochi, raspberry compote, lime yoghurt.

Whether you're a Christmas person or not, though, I'm hoping you'll like this dessert I whipped up recently.

For my just-in-time-for-Christmas recipe post, I wanted to create something natural (no artificial colours!) and delicious with those classic Christmas hues - a little green, a little red, a little white. I succeeded with this little dessert, and I am happy to be able to share it with you here.

I'll tell you a few things about this dessert.

1. It's probably one of the easiest things you can make consisting of green, red and white, while still adhering to the must-be-natural-and-delicious rule.

2. The combination of sweet-and-tart raspberry compote and luscious lime-infused Greek yoghurt is so, so lick-off-the-plate-worthy.

3. Cute little gluten-free green mochi dumplings are full of win. My round ones are fashioned with a nod to the upcoming Chinese winter solstice / Dongzhi festival (冬至) celebrations - this is when my family traditionally eats glutinous rice balls / tangyuan (汤圆).

4. Feel free to multiply the recipe so you can share it with loved ones. It's what I hope to do, now that I've ascertained that this dessert concept can be transferred successfully to reality...

just before cooking: green tea mochi balls, or tang yuan - glutinous rice dumplings made with matcha.

raspberry compote, green tea mochi, lime yoghurt
(serves 1 - 2)

You can make all these separate components hours ahead and keep in the fridge, then put them all together when ready to serve.

for the raspberry compote:

1 cup raspberries (125g), fresh or frozen
1/2 tablespoon raw sugar

Bring raspberries and sugar to boil in a saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 - 10 minutes until sweet and syrupy.

for the green tea mochi / tang yuan / glutinous rice balls:

1/4 cup glutinous rice flour + more for flouring/dusting
1 tablespoon fine sugar (I used raw sugar here, too)
3/4 teaspoon matcha (powdered green tea)

Combine glutinous rice flour, raw sugar and matcha in a bowl.
Boil some water and add the hot water very, very gradually to the dry ingredients, stopping once it reaches a kneadable consistency. You'll probably end up using less than 2 tablespoons of water. If you overdo it, you'll just have to make up for it by adding more of the dry ingredients again to the mix.
Prepare your hands and your working surface with a dusting of glutinous rice flour.
The final green tea dough should be soft and smooth. When you work with the dough, it shouldn't be so dry that it's cracking apart, and it shouldn't be so moist that it's leaving sticky bits in your hands.
Pull off small pieces of the dough and roll into little marble-sized balls.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil, then throw in the green tea mochi balls one by one in rapid succession.
Scoop them up with a strainer when they start floating up to the top.
Carefully plonk them down onto a surface coated with more glutinous rice flour (with a bit of icing sugar if you like it sweet), and roll them around until they are lightly covered and no longer sticky. Gently brush off excess flour.

for the lime yoghurt:

1 teaspoon lime juice, and a pinch of zest if you have an organic lime
1 teaspoon honey - or a light, casual drizzle
1 cup Greek yoghurt

Whisk lime and honey into Greek yoghurt till well-combined.

to assemble:

Spoon Greek yoghurt onto a plate or into a bowl. Top with raspberry compote and green tea mochi balls. Voila, you have your very own red, green and white Christmas treat!

lime yoghurt, raspberry compote, green tea mochi.

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summer treasure hunting... a suburban harvest

Hello, everyone. How's your December been so far?

Mine's been busy, in a mixed-up sort of way. Work's been hectic. My parents are visiting.

The former is not so great. The latter is pretty freakin' awesome.

My parents have been staying at my uncle and aunt's place out in the southeastern suburbs, and on the weekend, I hopped on a tram so I could join them for a couple of days.

It's like a different world out there.

I'm used to my little apartment, and the hustle and bustle of inner city life. Whenever I visit my uncle and aunt, however, I'm transported to a quiet neighbourhood. Laid-back. Spacious. Peaceful.

And there's a garden. Oh yes. I do so miss having a garden, and my aunt has got a rather fabulous one. Forget about flowers... this garden is full of food. Just the way I like it.

Friday morning, I languidly wander off to the patio deck, walk down the stairs, and lo and behold, there's lettuce, so bright and verdant. We enjoyed those gorgeous lettuce leaves in a salad that very night.

Lettuce, you're looking good.

And just next to the leafy lettuce, the green beans sway, looking nice and crunchy.

Green beans, you're not too shabby, either.

I get distracted and wander off to another corner. Here we have tomato plants, and they're coming along nicely. Most of them are still green, but I spied this reddish beauty. I hope to sample one soon!

Oh tomato, you'll be mine one day.

There's also a tiny capsicum plant with tiny green capsicums. Very cute.

Baby capsicums, I look forward to you flourishing into handsome young men.

Mum and Dad have been raving about the zucchinis from the garden. I soon found the zucchini fruits, complete with zucchini flowers, growing out from the base of the plants!

Ah, zucchini, you're such a tease.

At this point Dad enthusiastically comes over and leads me off to the potato plants. "Let's see if we can dig up some potatoes!"

And so we did.

One of them had already sprouted, so we re-planted it.

Diddly dee, potatoes!

Then, together, we discovered these green-and-purple chillies.

I'd like to get to know you better, pretty chillies.

And not too far away, the strawberry plants, sitting pretty in a rectangular box of soil, where I found this young strawberry, blushing a pale pink.

You're destined for great things, my little strawberry. Yes you are.

Saturday afternoon, my aunt picks a few of the ripened strawberries. They look small and awkward; the colours are fairly subdued. But the taste... oh my. I can't remember the last time I had such perfectly sweet strawberries. They are beautiful, and I am so in love.

A strawberry in the hand is worth two in the bush...

And that's not all... but I think I'll leave the rest for another day! I'm sorry if the writing in this post seems a little choppy and unhinged - I put it together in a hurry. Hopefully the pictorial tour of the lovely produce makes up for it - and if you like what you see, I'll be back with more!

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balsamic thyme mushroom & potato fry-up

I like to make myself a good brunch on Fridays.

You see, I don't work on Fridays. I'm all relaxed... I potter around the kitchen, and I really get in touch with my ingredients.

I'll take the time to breathe in the scent of thyme.

I'll lick a bit of balsamic reduction off my fingers.

There are certainly plenty of things for which I can be thankful on Fridays.

balsamic thyme mushroom & potato fry-up.

This pan-fried mushroom and potato dish with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar... it's one of those things. It's vegan, but the mushrooms provide a meaty component to the dish, and it's gluten-free, but the potato satisfies those carb cravings. The shallots are deliciously charred, the thyme fragrant, the balsamic vinegar sweetly acidic.

Hearty, yet not too heavy. Robust, yet still quite gentle. My kind of brunch.

some of the ingredients...

pan-fried mushrooms and potatoes with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar

2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 French shallot (60g), thinly sliced
1 medium potato (150g), thinly sliced
10 small-to-medium button mushrooms (150g), sliced in half
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat up a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and fry the garlic, shallot and potatoes.
When the potatoes start to char a little around the edges, put in mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and thyme leaves. Slosh in an extra tablespoon of olive oil, too, and even a little bit of water, if the pan looks too dry.
Stir-fry until mushrooms soften, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add an extra dash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
Try this with toast... perhaps with a gently cooked egg encasing a perfectly runny yolk. And it doesn't just have to be for brunch or breakfast, of course. It would also make a great side with your other main meals!

pan-fried mushrooms and potatoes with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar.

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