Asparagus and leek quiche, greens with everything..photos

Before baking, whole wheat crust, yogurt and eggs custard with asparagus , leeks, Cheddar cheese, smoked paprika and fresh parsley from the garden.

 

Cauliflower & mustard greens with garlic and paprika

Green beans with onions, herbes  de Provence and own cured black olives

Mustard greens with onion, sherry and black eyed peas

Tomato, basil, feta cheese gratin..to be baked at client's home

The baked quiche..remove from oven when the center is still "jiggly" to avoid over baking

"pesto" potato-artichoke bake..vegan gratin topped with cashew nuts, olive oil and chopped basil

To prevent a soggy crust, place cheese on the base of the quiche before adding the  cooked vegetables and the custard

Rosemary-onion whole wheat breads, fig and molasses polenta cake, Mushroom Bolognise and other delights..photos and tips

Freesia's taking a battering from the strong sun in my Garden

We are having really good weather here at the moment it is already 12.30pm and my back garden is shimmering under 77F sunshine...all my seedlings are doing well as are my flowers.
I have been busy for the past few hours preparing for my delivery tomorrow and any minute now my onion-poppy seed, own grown bean sprout, whole wheat sour dough breads are coming out of the oven, I added own grown rosemary to the mix so it is almost a meal in itself.
I also made some fantastic own dried fig and molasses polenta cakes and added own candied grapefruit peel, along with ground cloves, allspice and cinnamon this is a really tasty cake, good with a cup of tea or strong coffee and as it is also brushed with molasses as it came out of the oven, it is sticky moist.

The soups tomorrow are both vegan
A "cream" of tomato and parsnip..finished with coconut milk
A fantastic thyme, mushroom and potato soup with brown rice


The entrees are:
Polenta triangles with a mushroom "Bolognaise" finished with wild basil. The sauce has green olives and nutritional yeast to add more depth of flavor.

I am making a 9inch whole wheat crusted Leek and asparagus "quiche" substituting yogurt for cream

A fresh tomato, own cured black olives and potatoes Gratin..will be topped with crumbled feta cheese

A mild Thai curry with eggplant and yams, finished with basil and mint leaves and coconut milk..will be served with steamed quinoa

A Provencal stew with green beans, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, bay laurel and yams also served with quinoa

Scalloped potatoes with artichoke hearts, yams and basil this will be served with a tomato-parsley salsa


The sides are:
Sauteed green beans.. with own cured black olives

Greens with garlic and smoked paprika

A South Western style black bean, butternut squash and sweetcorn chili

Black Eyed peas with greens

The gratin base with potatoes, olives, zucchini and onions

Side view of the Provencal Vegetables

The artichokes and potato dish

The tomato and mushroom soups

The Thai Curry topped with fresh mint

own, sun dried  black mission figs

The onion, bean sprout, poppy seed sour  dough breads

The fig and molasses polenta cake

5 hour prove at room temp..sour dough loaves

Spring arrives in the Sta Monica Mountains, Malibu, California

Here are some photos from a hike I did today along the Sta Monica Mountains..this canyon is close to where Sunset Blvd., ( yes the same one as in Hollywood) meets the ocean at Pacific Coast Highway, and just 10 minutes from shops, stores and Civilization...you wouldn't think so as it is the home to Mountain Lion, Brown Bears, Deer and Rattlesnakes, in fact 5 years ago I saw a 6ft Rattlesnake..actually crossed the path just in front of me I slowly walked backwards away from it!
A good thing to remember as much as it might be the "Entertainment Capital of the World", it is still surrounded by  wild uninhabited land.

An old oak grove

Artists love California because of the light

New growth of California Oak..the leaves resemble Holly and are somewhat prickly

the one path in and out

wild mallow flower

Wild deer trail

This park is not maintained, there are no Ranger stations, no bathrooms, and no parking lot.
The land is allowed to "grow wild", there is only one track in and the same track out.
All other trails are made by wild animals, and it is better to stay on the trail.
Also wear long pants because of snakes and deer ticks, and always carry a good walking stick.
Although we are 3 inches below our seasonal rain water table the park is alive with new growth and there are plants flowering that i have never seen in flower before. The green grasses will be gone in a few moths once the weather heats up.

There are lots of California Oak trees that were a staple in the diet of Chumash and lots of other Native American tribes as in the Fall they collected the acorns and made a flour that sustained them through the winter months.

The large dark green trees to the right of the photo are California Oaks

There is a stream that flows all year..a major fresh water source for the animals in the area

Wild Mimosa