Welcome to another little tour of my kitchen. Thank you once again to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this fun kitchen tour.
Firstly, a test batch of Christmas baking and some festive bits and pieces as we start to make and bake some goodies for Christmas.
A tasty little selection of smallgoods purchased from the Adelaide Central Market while attending Eat Drink Blog. The jamon, chorizo and butter have all been on my ‘must try’ list for a long time and each mouthful was savoured. The sheep milk cheese was purchased just because I was unable to stop myself with so much cheese on offer.
Bread straight from our wood oven. We all joined in sprinkling these loaves with fresh garlic and rosemary from the garden and I think this will be one of my favourite family food moments for the year.
Mulberries and a lonely strawberry picked from the garden.
A batch of swirly, purple mulberry muffins. I followed a basic blueberry muffin recipe (substituting with mulberries) to make these and they were moist, light and just sweet enough.
Immature Tromboncino zucchinis and a handful of snow peas from the garden. This year I have vowed to pick my zucchinis every day as last summer both the vines and the vegetables grew so enormous they threatened to take over my life.
Around this time every year I order a case of wine from Logan Wines. I am certainly not a wine expert but I am easily influenced by a gorgeous newsletter, attractive packaging and impeccable customer service. Some of these bottles will be gifts and some will be shared on Christmas day with family.
Recently we saved some excess roosters from the inevitable. They had a short but happy life with our chooks and now I have 14 feet. Any suggestions on how I might cook them?
What is happening in your kitchen this month?
Are you doing any Christmas baking?
Would you eat chicken feet?
katiecrackernuts
I have and do eat chicken feet. I don't think I'd have much luck trying to cook them though. Logan Wines. Ordering. It makes so much sense. Off to do that right now.
Kylie
I've eaten pigs trotters before (my nan used to pickle them) but never chooks feet. I don't like eating chicken, I will if pushed, but give me a bloody (rare) steak any day!
Your Paneforte looks delicious Jane (my best friend from high school was Italian and her Mum made the best Paneforte – I'm sure your is just as good)
I am eating Chorizo and sipping on wine as I type, cheers to you x
p.s. cheese is a big weakness of mine too.
humble habit
I am salivating looking at all the yumminess coming out of your kitchen. The jamon and cheese and bread look just so good. At the moment I am enjoying simple lunches of bits and pieces, some bruscettta and some grilled zucchini with fetta and mint. Other than that there has been a whole lot of popsicle making as well for our new business venture. I will need to get cracking on the Christmas baking as I love to give away homemade treats also.
Anne@GtSlamseysFarm
What a wonderful kitchen you have Jane. Everything looks so good, especially those delicious looking mulberries and mulberry muffins and I love the photo of the chicken feet. I've never eaten chicken feet so I hope you'll tell us what you do with them. Thank you for sharing.
ChopinandMysaucepan
Dear Jane,
I love chicken feet when they are slow-cooked until they are very tender and falling off the bone in a soup. Just gently boil the chicken feet in 2 litres of water for about 20 minutes then add cracked white peppercorn, salt, chopped carrots, onions, tomatoes and it's a fabulous comfort soup.
ChopinandMysaucepan
Forgot to say you need to further gently simmer the soup for about 1 – 2 hours after adding the vegetables.
Mama Smith
Your kitchen always looks amazing. I can't imagine having Christmas in the summertime, all the flavors I am so used to around the holidays revolve around winter squash and cranberries. Are there traditional Australian holiday foods that incorporate summer ingredients?
Those berry muffins are my favorite, gorgeous!
xox Lilly
Zirkie
I adore the mulberries! Try this recipe for the feet: http://www.mzansistylecuisine.co.za/?p=837
celia
Jane, I'm so excited by your tromboncinos! We've planted them for the first time this year after Linda sent us some seed, and they're climbing and climbing, but no fruit yet. It's good to see how large they get and when to pick them, thank you! Your bread looks amazing as always, and I can see how family baking could be a highlight of the year for you! 🙂
Love how Christmas has started at your place, and so happy that you finally got your hands on some of the PS butter! xx
e / dig in
i don't think i've had mulberries since i was a kid – we actually had a mulberry tree in our infants school yard, can you believe it? thanks for bringing back the memories! the muffins look lovely (i bet they didn't last long).
good resolution about the zucchinis. i like them about young and only about 10cm long – certainly no longer than a handspan – but my dad (who grows them!) likes them nearer to a foot in length. i think they're sweeter the younger they are.
Kate @ Kate Writes
I adore the Adelaide Central Markets and always want to bring home far more goodies than practical when home is so far away! I love the look of that Christmas baking Jane. Have fun testing…
Sarah Jane
All those things look so yummy!
The only poultry we eat is what we have raised ourselves, but I've never been able to come at eating the feet. I think some people somehow use them for gelatin though?
Have fun doing your xmas baking!
xx
Michelle
So much deliciousness Jane! And beautiful photos too! I would make a soup out of those chicken feet, they look so clean and lovely!
x
heidiannie
I'm on the soup wagon for those feet.
And your mulberries are beautiful- the muffins look delicious.
Thanks for sharing a little bit of your summer- I'm missing the growing season, already!
Missy Piggy
I have no idea of how to cook chook feet – I've eaten them at Yum Cha though…maybe they'd make good stock? I'll ask on twitter. I didn't know you had a Mulberry Tree, VERY jealous!
Paula
Oh Jane another delicious blog for us to devour thankyou. I love the little twig wreaths you have made and all of your food is beautiful- especially the muffins!!!
Chooks feet…I have eaten them when we were in Asia but have never attempted to cook them…when we had them they were gelatinous with a sticky sauce, nice but I wouldn`t rush back for them, I could see them making a wonderful stock though, look forward to seeing what you do with them. Can`t wait to start my Christmas cooking either 🙂
Catherine Bedson
Hi Jane,
Lots going on in your kitchen. I egged my husband once to try the chicken feet at Yum Cha, he said they were all bones. Can you use them for stock? Great to see your garden producing such beautiful fruit/vegetables, the muffins look delicious.
muppy
wood fired bread – WOW!
i do love all the christmas stuff, lots of fun.
cityhippyfarmgirl
gorgeous looking mulberry muffins, they are such a magnificent colour.
Lizzy (Good Things)
Jane, such an assortment of good things, as always. Snap! Panforte is happening at my place this weekend! Those are the cleanest chicken feet I've ever seen! I have no idea what to do with them… mum used them in soups… but made brawn from pig trotters. That jamon was the best, wasn't it! And I'm delighted you got some Pepe Saya butter. Season's eatings my friend.
Naturally Carol
Hi Jane..there must be a few good asian recipes for chook's feet around the internet, I know they are highly prized in Taiwan where we visited early in the year. I think they'd make excellent chicken stock too. Your bread and muffins look delicious!
celia
Jane, can I ask a question about the tromboncinos please – did you pick them unpollinated? Mine are growing, but the flowers are taking forever to open! Thanks.. x
Georgia
Ah the famous lovely mulberry muffins – looking good! I'm impressed by the siena type cake up top, some wonderful treats there Jane!
REread
OMG, yum! I love the look of those berries. Chicken feet, yeah – not so much.
JJ - 84thand3rd
Great selection of things happening. I do adore that copper tree cutter 🙂 We had zucchini one year and a few forgotten ones ended up as big as my arm! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Christina @ The Hungry Australian
Wow = loving those muffins made out of your very own mulberries. Great post Jane – your kitchen is making me hungry 🙂
MommaNoodles
Whenever you're making chicken soup or stock use those chicken feet! Or freeze them for later. The gelatin from the feet make your stocks or soup rich and gives it a silky thickness. For a better visual trim the nails off. I always put the feet to the flame and burn the scaly skin the dunk them in cold water to remove the char. Yes it does smell a bit unpleasant but the rewards out way the inconvenience. When your chicken stock is ready remove those succulent chicken feet pop them in your mouth and slurp all that goodness off of those bones. Heaven! I was born and raised in Mexico and one never wasted anything if it could be used. Enjoy!