hold the sprouts

I have a thing with sprouts. It’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just some unknown health guru put it into my head years ago that over three days old, sprouts encourage the wrong kind of oestrogen production in the body. Now this could be total hogwash. Yes it probably is. But the idea that they go from “good”, wonderfully beneficial food, to “bad” still lurks in the recesses of my brain.

But then I saw Ottolenghi’s sprout salad and it was a case of either sprout my own (um, maybe, I last sprouted radish seeds in the ‘80’s) or adapt.

Instead I simplified the salad into something else. But just like my “thing” with sprouts, I’m equally obsessed with the evolution of recipes.



Just picked


Carrot and daikon salad

1 daikon, peeled and finely sliced in rounds
2 large carrots, peeled or scrubbed and finely sliced in rounds
A large handful leafy greens (watercress works well if you can find it)

Dressing

3 tabs walnut or olive oil
1 tab sherry vinegar
1 tsp grain mustard
Pinch of sea salt
(It doesn’t need pepper because daikon is spicy enough)

Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss through salad. Serve immediately.

Toasted pumpkin seeds or crispy tempeh would go nicely in this, and if you must, add a handful or two of your favourite sprouts.

spring

Keeping a low profile.

The cool season veggies are bolting. Leafy greens eaten, seeds collected, plants composted.



To make way for the bevy of nightshades - tomatoes, eggplant and chilli.

Today the sun finally came out. Not flirtatiously this time but with a real sense of promise.



Am hoping the fruits of the season spin their magic, banishing the melancholy that has settled into my bones.

solstice experiment update

Thanks everyone who visited Fishpond and helped me raise money for my favourite Australian charities.

Now a little over a year since I started this experiment the final amount raised through affiliate sales is $293.67. (Though it’d have been more if Fishpond didn’t halve their affiliation payment percentage halfway through!)

I’ve thrown in some of my own money to round the numbers up with a total of $400 donated as following:

$200 to the Smith Family’s Learning for Life program. I’ve long been a fan of what the Smith Family does in my own neighbourhood to break the poverty cycle.

$200 to Ian Thorpe ‘s Fountain of Youth. The Thorpedo is more than a pretty face; take a look at what he’s doing to empower learning in indigenous communities.

It’s probably no surprise that the most popular cookbook that you’ve clicked through and bought is Feel Good Food by Tony Chiodo.



But in the last couple of months there's been a surge in popularity of The Edmonds (Sure To Rise) Cookbook.



Can anyone explain this?

Being able to shop, cook and blog about good food is such a privilege. I hope I never loose sight of that fact. Thanks again for your contribution.


Previous update.