Nettle, sorrel and mushroom soup

As a milestone birthday looms I’ve been reflecting on my life. Quite distinct from nostalgia, it’s more akin to curating a body of work, acknowledging the themes and reappraising lessons.

This process of review is even invading my cooking. There’s been no new discoveries, just old recipes revisited and reworked. Why toss out a recipe for being old school when it can be upcycled with a twist of ingredients?

For example I’ve crossed muffins with carnival cookies to make a vegan chocolate and cherry mini-muffin scented with mixed spice. This weekend saw a hybrid version of rice balls and soy bombs, flecked with seaweed. (I’ll blog the recipes later if you want them).

The nettle soup has evolved over the last few winters. A smaller crop this yet sent me searching for something in the garden to pad it out and sorrel fit the bill so perfectly, I don’t know why I never tried it before. If you’ve got neither, substitute another green like broccoli for a more than passable soup and add a squeeze of lemon before serving to recreate the citrus zing.

Nettle, sorrel and mushroom soup

1-2 tablespoons olive oil


1 medium onion, diced


2 cloves garlic, crushed


1 large potato, peeled and diced


1 (gloved) handful, nettles

1 handful, sorrel

150 grams mushrooms, sliced


1 litre good quality vegetable stock


Sea salt


Black pepper

Prep the vegetables. If using greens from the garden wash well and inspect for snails (they seem to love my sorrel). In a large, heavy based saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent. Toss in the garlic and stir for a minute or two, then add the potatoes. Next add the mushrooms and let them sweat a little. Lastly throw in the nettles and sorrel, allowing the greens to wilt before covering with vegetable stock. Top up with water if necessary.

Turn the heat down so the soup can gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Remember to stir every now and then and check there is enough water. When the potatoes are soft, blend with a stick blender. I like a little texture in the soup, rather than homogeneously smooth. Return to the pot to reheat and season as desired with salt and pepper.

New York - Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg

After two days of torrential rain in New York (hello tropical storm Andrea), we farewelled the octogenarian traveller. Miraculously the clouds parted as he headed for Newark airport and we jumped a taxi downtown to our new digs in West Village. It was a relief to leave the tourist tat of Times Square behind.

Dropping our bags at our Airbnb apartment and slipping into walking shoes, it was time to activate the virgin subway card and hit Brooklyn.

It wasn’t so much a shopping trip but a street food pilgrimage.

After a quick look at the Fort Greene greenmarket we hoofed it to the Saturday Flea. Though a better than average vintage and craft market, the best thing about it was the grazing.

First off, some vegan ‘noodles’. In need of something raw and nutritious this amply hit the spot.

Once the nutritional halo had been polished it was time for sugary refreshments. Couldn’t go past the rhubarb and Thai basil soda. The savoury hit after the initial fruitiness on the palate was inspiring.

Scouting for vegan goodies was derailed by the discovery of mahi-mahi taco (sans crème), fresh soft tortilla, grilled tuna and an inspiring green apple salsa. The green apple salsa got me googling for recipes.

With the afternoon getting on we jumped the subway to Bedford Ave and lucked upon the coolest place in New York, closed to traffic for the day. Hipsters chilling out on astroturf, a swathe of great shops and even a vegan ice cream truck – who could ask for more?

After a wander and partaking of the food truck’s delights, the day was getting on. Smorgasurg awaited and the biggest surprise wasn’t just the awesome array of vegan foods on offer, amongst the usual piggy parts, but the amazing view of Manhattan just across the East River.

It almost broke my foodie heart to not be hungry but somehow forced down a tart cherry cola (not as exciting as the rhubarb) and sampled the blackberry chocolate vegan ice cream. We thought the Van Leeuewen was good but the Alchemy Creamery nudged them out of first place.

The Saturday Smorgasburg has a laid back vibe, wonderful views and food worth fasting a day for, to work up a worthy appetite.

After a gazillion photos of the Manhattan skyline, we had a quick rummage at the artist and flea market on 7^th Street. (Tip: probably the closest toilet to Smorgasburg), then back to the wonders of Williamsburg Walks and delights on Bedford Ave. With its stylish boutiques, browse-worthy bookshops, cafes and yet another vegan restaurant, Williamsburg on a sunny Saturday put the glitz of 42^nd Street to shame.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco

An unexpected bonus of a travelling north in winter is catching a second taste of summer. Just as the fruit and veg at home starts getting dreary, along comes another hit of sun blushed abundance.

Late spring in San Francisco dished up all-you-can-eat cherries, asparagus and artichokes. We also gorged on fresh dates and beautiful beetroots. The Rainier cherries in particular were a burst of sunshine in each mouthful. At $7 a pound for organic, they were also way cheaper than at home during our short cherry season.

I only made it to the smaller midweek market at the FerryPlaza, the Saturday one is much larger but was suitably wowed by the variety and quality of the produce. 

Blue Bottle Coffee (they also have a permanent stall inside) sufficiently caffeinated me to Melbourne levels. Toby had given me a heads up to look out for them in the US and their cafes are liberally sprinkled throughout San Francisco and New York.

There were liberal opportunities to taste the market goodies; I just wished I’d left room for the hot tamales. Once we’d had our fill outside, there were the wonders of the ferry building itself to explore. You can read omni blogs about the infamous Cowgirl Creamery and the shop specialising in ‘tasty salted pig parts’ but it was Far West Fungi that had me drooling. Their array of wild and cultivated mushrooms had me crying out for a kitchen but I almost howled at having to forgo experimenting with fiddlehead ferns.

I got over my woe with cleansing ale at MarketBar, one of a number on upmarket restaurants in the building, then jumped on the Sausalito ferry (it is a commuter terminal after all) to escape the madness of downtown San Francisco. Like all great cities, a little distance never hurts to help you enjoy it, just a little bit more.

Greens: simplicity in San Francisco

Five days in San Francisco without an agenda is an interesting prospect. Well that’s not true. We had one. My sister’s only request was a meal at the stalwart vegetarian restaurant Greens. 

We embarked on the journey to lunch on a beautiful spring day. From the heart of Union Square, awash with panhandlers and  the cheerful ding of the cable cars, we instead took ‘streetcar’  to Fisherman’s Wharf. Sure the cable cars are fun but not if you have to wait an hour to hop aboard. The old trams from around the world (including Melbourne) run down Market Street from the wharf to the Castro. Each car is different and equally as character filled. Each trip an adventure in itself.

Once we headed beyond the Embarcadero, directions to Fort Mason were sketchy. While the map, on paper at least, showed a clear route down Bay Street, on the ground it was illusive. Instead the footpath lured us over the hill to the marina, through the small National Park. The ascent was bolstered by spectacular views of the bay and the Marina on the other side welcomed us. The sprawling Green Meadows Park felt a million miles away from the homeless in the city centre. But it still took us a considerable amount of time to find the restaurant once we’d made it to the suburb on the other side.

With literally five minutes to spare before the end of lunch service we finally arrived at Greens, relieved to be welcomed to a table at 2.30pm. The stress evaporated as we sat in the light-filled converted warehouse, watching yachts bob outside in front of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The view is complemented by a spacious interior fit out in mostly reclaimed timber, high ceilings and large artworks.

My only hesitation about Greens had been the menu belying its 70s vego roots. To be honest, perusing the website, none of the few dairy-free offerings seemed that inspiring but I shouldn’t have been concerned. By mid-afternoon and the hike, anything would have tasted good! The food at Greens though simple was the freshest I tasted on my holiday.

My sister’s Spring Sampler sounded a little dull but the plate was ample, the just picked veggies popping with taste.  

So too my Mesquite Grilled Brochettes – vegetable and tofu skewers smothered in a tasty green chimichurri sauce, served with a spicy slaw and red/brown rice. The organic baby potatoes and chunks of pale corn were most flavoursome that I’ve ever eaten. 

Even the octogenarian omnivore enjoyed his cheesy pizza.

The ambience at Greens enhanced the experienced. While only a couple of diners remained so late in the service (an elderly pair celebrating an anniversary and a middle aged guy the spitting image of all the ‘barefoot millionaires’ I’d met in Oregon on my previous visit) the staff didn’t hurry any of us, as if understanding the importance of atmosphere on digestion.

I’ve mentioned before that Australia doesn’t do high-endveg*n dining well. Without fuss, Greens is beautiful yet relaxed, with a million dollar view, laid back but efficient staff and every sense catered for. It ticks all the boxes with style and good taste.

Much to our surprise, the octogenarian who’d struggled over the hill on the inbound journey wanted to amble back through the sculptures of Green Meadow Park and take in the views of Alcatraz, Fisherman’s wharf and the bridge once more. Without the pressure of time and unknown geography and relaxed from a satisfying lunch washed down with an organic beer, we could relax into the beauty of the small National Park.

Greens is worth an excursion, so close to the hackneyed San Francisco tourist sights but a million miles away from the urban tension. Choose it for the sheer simple flavours of the produce, inspiring natural design of the restaurant and the iconic views. But most of all Greens is a spa for the senses, proving simplicity of flavour wins over culinary trickery every time.

New York highlights

Unexpected

Dogs – in Macy’s, on the street, in boutiques…

Pregnant women – especially at the Brooklyn markets, it’s a fecund borough

Frozen yoghurt – where our current epidemic started, let’s hope we find a cure…fast

Children playing in fountains on hot days

80s Brit pop – playing in stores and cafes, including quite a few indie bands from my youth, nostalgia city

Bipolar weather – either a chilly all day downpour or sunburn

Subway buskers – the best ever, amazing voices, strings and brass

Ten dollar psychics – on every street corner

Art

Subway art – lovely surprises, including the subversive Tom Otterness Life Underground  bronzes in the nooks and crannies of ‘our’ 14^th St station.

Museum Mile – annual 5^th Avenue street festival where 10 blocks are closed and museums open free for three hours. Visited the Guggenheim, The Met (including the Punk exhibition), listened to DJs, watched buskers and gasped at the glory of Central Park at sunset.

Murals in the lobby of the Chrysler building (and you thought all the deco loveliness was on the outside?)

Dia:Beacon – perfect rainy day trip up the Hudson to Connecticut. For lovers of modern art only, this place is like entering the Tardis (“it’s a lot bigger on the inside”) Richard Sera, Warhol, Sol Le Witt all standouts as well as the most comfortable sofas ever experienced in an art gallery. Check out the Metro North Getaway Package for a reduced price train trip/museum entry.

MoMA PS1 worth a trip to Long Island, more modern art than you can poke a stick at, the eco themed Expo1 studded with gems from Meg Webster’s Pool to classic Ansel Adams prints.

Food

Like the weather food is equally polarized. Equal number of vegan and porcine themed eateries, food stalls and products.

Markets – visited the Fort Greene and Union Square farmers markets, gobbled our way through the Brooklyn flea food stalls barely leaving room for a late afternoon trip to Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. 

Food trucks – Van Leeuwen’s vegan ice cream was our fave.

So little time, so much amazing food to choose from - will share more soon.

Architecture

The Empire State and Chrysler buildings around almost every corner. Viewed from Williamsburg, the Hudson, the Highline and all places in between.

Grand Central Terminus – best view from the mezanine Apple Store (tip: free wifi) at rush hour, watching all those busy little ants below and the star map above.

Frank Gehry’s IAC building – from the High Line, the Hudson, during the day, the magic twighlight zone when it’s see-through and at night.

Ceilings to remember – Rose Main Reading Room and the NY Public library, Bethesda Terrace in Central Park and off course Grand Central.

…and speaking of the High Line, it deserves it’s own post (here it is!). We stayed two blocks from the start and walked 5 lengths of it during our stay. We were wowed during the day, loved it as a pedestrian express route uptown, a spot to drink an excellent morning coffee from Kava but it was on a summer’s night that it totally blew my mind and senses.

Parks and gardens

While the High Line is a 21^st century Central Park, it’s the pocket gardens the breath clean air into most neighbourhoods.

Jefferson Market Garden - a standout Greenwich Village green spot, lovingly tended by volunteers.

Washington Square – for buskers, the fountain and food trucks.

And also

Happy Hour – what a wonderful institution. Cheap drinks, cheeky bartenders, chatting with the locals. Margaritas at Mole worth a detour. 

West Village – woke up to birdsong every morning, great neighbourhood bars and restaurants, espresso and a potential ‘Little Melbourne’ (can we start the trend and call it ‘LiMe’?) with Crumpler and Aesop around the corner. Plus the usual $10 psychics, healthfood stores and dogs.

Summer fruits, flowers and Tropical Storm Andrea.

totes cool

I'm back!

San Francisco and New York was totes cool. Will share the deliciousness when my brain no longer feels like jelly.

expectations

Life is too short to cry over undercooked congee...

Or blog about it.

But firstly, a little moan.

You're a great neighbourhood cafe and an excellent bakery.

So it's admirable that you make an effort to have a seasonal vegan and gluten-free option on your breakfast menu. The brown rice congee with tofu and mushrooms sounded great.

And could have been really enjoyable if...you hadn't called it congee.

Chewy, barely cooked medium grain rice just aint rice porridge.

Tasty. But not congee.

eating, not writing

 Or shopping, cooking, eating, drinking and dining…and not blogging, to be exact.

There have been some amazing nights. A lovely sojourn with a kiwi friend (from primary school no less, who’d have thought all those years ago in suburban Wellington we’d be sharing a balmy May night out together in Melbourne?) Unplanned the itinerary evolved – cocktails at Cookie, a cider at rooftop bar with a Manhattan-like skyline, secret after-hours access to the Manchester Unity building to take in the magnificent architectural flourishes, detours for laneway art, a drink at the GoGo Bar and finally a perfect, fiery meal at Chin Chins. A quintessential Melbourne experience, in the space of a few city blocks.

My recent weekend in Sydney on retelling sounds ludicrously expansive. Breakfast at The Grounds (unexpected green loveliness in the heart of industrial Alexandria, with excellent coffee for espresso drinkers but a lot of cut and pasting for the vegan to eat well), dinner at Two Peas (delightfully locavore and organic, the small menu makes it a necessity to warn of dietary restrictions in advance if you veer from the omni norm but excellent wine from Mudgee), drinks at the brand spanking new Newtown Social Club (farewell to the Sando, hello a bit of Northcote cool in Inner West Sydney), cocktails at Bloodwood (and a nibble on their addictive cripy rice balls), dinner at the cheap and quirky vego Vietnamese Vina (a more enjoyable experience than Nourishing Quarter), breakfast at Gather on the Green (love the neighbourhood cat that comes in for a smooch before the staff can evict him) and lunch at Mamak (good old Mamak, no queue at lunchtime). There was housewarming drinks with the neighbours, a movie and coffee with friends, a few refreshing alcohol-free drinks and lots of walking as well.

At home there’s been some great ad hoc meals. An attempt to make a healthier version of Ottolenghi’s oil laden medjara, a quick piscatarian variation on my favourite tofu in a gingery tomato sauce (spices and onion blended in the whizzer, a couple of tomatoes, kecap manis and soy sauce and simmered in the wok with the last of the of the Japanese eggplants from the garden and a few other veg plus chunks of fresh trumpeter) and some stellar sorrel omelettes.

I’ve been soaking beans overnight and pressure cooking them before going to work the next morning. Making chilli beans without the chilli, served with olives and tuna.

In the brief dip between warm fronts I managed to consume a pot of my favourite nutty pumpkin soup.

I’ve continued to worship at the organic stalls at Vic Market, discovered a great cookware and food store in Camperdown Sydney, reconnected with old friends and visually gobbled up Nobu's Vegetarian Cookbook.

Then there has been some totally un-amazeball kind of days. Alone nights. Average meals cooked or eaten on the run. Dinner in front of telly kinds of nights.

But on the upside, feijoas are back in season, however briefly. 

I'm hoping my upcoming odyssey in San Francisco and New York with find me back to the kitchen on my return, tapping away on the keyboard with dirty fingers between chopping and stirring.

Enough about me! What have you been eating, cooking and reading?

collard greens

Rarely do I suffer from buyers remorse. But two weeks ago I was struck with the regret that comes from forgoing a purchase.

I looked at the collard greens in all their splendour and hesitated. With a head of savoy cabbage begging to be eaten in the fridge at home, as well as the small acreage of silverbeet in the garden, I really didn’t need more greens.

At home, collard greens-less I suffered remorse. What would those fleshy leaves taste like? How would I cook them? Were there any recipes for collard greens that didn’t feature pig in some form?

But all was not lost. Seven days later, a fresh bunch stood ready and waiting at my favourite organic stall and this time I didn’t hesitate.

How do they taste?

Cabbage-y, a definite brassica.

The leaves were more tender than they looked and didn’t need to cook as long as expected.

The perfect dish for collard greens?

The winner, hands down, has to be colcannon. The slow cooked greens work well against the softness of mashed potatoes spiked with onions, garlic and anchovies.

Have you cooked with collard greens? What do you make with them?

Is there an American peasant food revolution going on here in Australia that I don't know about? What next, Poke salad Annie?