In My Kitchen is a wonderful monthly series hosted by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Head over to her blog for a full list of the participants, and find out what’s happening in kitchens across the globe.
I thought I really hadn’t done much this month, but while I haven’t bought anything exciting that I can think of, there’s still been a bit of preserving, and as always some baking, particularly when it’s Easter, so that in my kitchen this month…
I’ve been playing around with a quick brioche recipe – these were the first buns I made, with either jam on top, or chocolate in the centre….
I used the fact that the children were both away to make a quick supper that both Mr GP and I really love – Eggs Florentine (toast topped with spinach, poached eggs and béchamel)…
I finished off a bag of chillies from Mum’s garden to make a jar of lovely harissa…
Eggplants are still in season, and ridiculously cheap, so I made a batch of Charmaine Solomon’s wonderful eggplant pickle to adorn everything from curries to cheese on toast…
We had quite a few friends over for Easter so I did some baking – brioche bunnies, hot cross buns, and Debi’s chestnut macarons for a friend who can’t have gluten.
While we were home for the Easter long weekend, the children also helped me make fresh pasta which we had with pesto made with homegrown basil (though unfortunately not mine!)
Finally, this month I cooked up a beautiful big bunch of rhubarb – isn’t it a fabulous colour! – from my friend Mel’s garden (which also supplied the basil)…
We used it to make rhubarb fool, a lovely rhubarb cinnamon polenta cake, and have lots left over to eat as stewed rhubarb, some of which I’ll probably freeze…
I really love how In My Kitchen posts highlight the changing seasons – I can’t wait until I’ve done a whole year!
What’s in your kitchen this month?
Lovely things happening in your kitchen this month! I love homemade pasta – a very satisfying thing to make with or without the pasta machine. Great chestnut macaroons, as well. 😄
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It is amazing the amount of food you produce from a little ball of dough isn’t it? And I’m always surprised by how quick it really is once you’re set up…
The macaroons were very popular – I had to remove them from the table so the kids didn’t eat them all before my GF guest arrived!
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Wow!!! Great things happen in that kitchen!
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Thanks Natascha!
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👍😊😊😊😊👍
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Very productive kitchen!
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Thanks! The last few months have been much busier on the preserving side with the usual summer glut – I’m sort of hoping it will quiet down a bit now 🙂
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Now that’s a proper IMK post — lots of wonderful cooking and preserving. Love the brioche bunnies!
Kavey (fellow IMKer)
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Thanks for stopping by Kavey! I think I already commented that it always seems like I haven’t been doing much until I put it all together :). IMK actually ends up being a bit of a kitchen diary, which is great, I think…
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Oh Back, that rhubarb looks so good!
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It turned out a great colour didn’t it? I think it’s a combination of great rhubarb to start with, and cooking in the oven which I find seems to keep the colour better than using a saucepan…
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You have had a busy month, wonderful things going on in your kitchen. I’d love the recipe for the pickled eggplant, and those quick brioche buns with jam or chocolate…oh yum!
I haven’t pulled my Atlas pasta machine out of the box in years. You inspire me.
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Thanks so much Liz! I hope to post the pickle recipe later this week 🙂
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Ah, so many wonderful foods in your kitchen this month.Thank you for sharing your culinary journey thorough the year, Celia is a great hostess of IMK 🙂
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She absolutely is! And I’ve discovered so many other great blogs through her efforts…
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My goodness what a feast, Beck! Yes I know what you mean about the cumulative effect of putting all the activities together. It seems you have been overwhelmed by cooking. And yet, it’s just part of the daily stuff one does, recorded so beautifully. I love the pasta making, and the children’s involvement in this.
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They really enjoyed it! I’ll get them to make you some next time you visit 🙂
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Lots of delicious sweet and savoury goodies coming from your kitchen. You know I have never had eggplant pickle, so am very curious – not sure if I would like it, still I would love to try it. Do you have a link to the recipe, or tell me what book it is in? Thanks
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It’s based on a Charmaine Solomon recipe, but I have a draft post on it that I’m planning for this week so check back in a couple of days…
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Hi Shaheen, I just posted the recipe 🙂
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Lots of wonderful cooking. I love your Easter bunnies!
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Thanks! They were pretty popular with the children too 🙂
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Wow! Such wonderful things happening in your kitchen. Couldn’t decide which I loved most 🙂
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Thanks so much Maree!
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What a delicious, productive month in your kitchen. I can just imagine the tantalizing array of flavors and aromas – care to adopt me as an occasional auntie?!
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absolutely, any time 😉
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Rhubarb cinnamon polenta cake sounds so delicious! Love the brioche buns and bunnies, I can’t resist brioche. The homemade pasta also looks fantastic.
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thanks Gretchen!
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Lots of lovely delicious ingredients in your kitchen, brioche, rhubarb, fresh pasta and the rhubarb cinnamon polenta sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks for visiting Moya!
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Lots of delicious things in your kitchen – I do love an IMK post that’s full of food rather than the latest gadget. Our rhubarb is just starting, but I don’t think it will be the vibrant colour of yours. Love the bunnies.
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Thanks Anne, I was raised with a pretty self sufficient, frugal mindset, which I think has persisted (subject to the usual compromises of suburbia and children), and I think that extends to my blogging…plus it’s a nice way to record those activities that didn’t quite manage a post of their own 🙂
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You have inspired me to get my pasta machine out – it hasn’t been used for years! So much yumminess going on in your kitchen I think I might do something with rhubarb too – I usually make a cordial and compote.
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Thanks Vicki, and I do like the sound of rhubarb cordial….
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i like the sound of the eggplant pickle. i made some eggplant chutney recently and it was nice but i think a different recipe might do the trick. yes your post is very seasonal with lots of clever dishes. great to see.
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Thanks Sherry, yes it is a nice one if you like a bit of spice…thanks for stopping by!
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So much good food happening in your kitchen this month. I love how you’re heading into Winter and I’m heading into Spring so the produce in our kitchens are totally different.
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Thanks Nancy, I like that too – hearing all of you talk about your strawberries and asparagus and violets…it reminds me where we’ll be again in six months 🙂
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Rhubarb! I must buy, and cook rhubarb. I hadn’t realized it was that time of year.
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I’m not entirely sure it is – my friends were cutting back their huge rhubarb plants before Winter so I scored all the cuttings, but I thought it was generally supposed to be a spring/early summer crop? It’s always hard to tell when the supermarkets have it all year round…
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Your brioche look fantastic – those bunnies are super cute!! We have rhubarb all year round and that reminds me I must go and pick a heap, shame I can’t give you a big bunch as my 2 crowns produce so much. Jan x
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Thanks Jan, I wish you could give me big bunches too 😉 I actually got two little crowns from my friends that I’ve put in the ground, so next spring we shall see!
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What a joy to have helpers in the kitchen! They have skills – the pasta is looking most fine! Now you’ve made me crave harissa, Beck.. 🙂
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thanks Celia! It’s moreish stuff isn’t it 🙂
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