Winter Food: Asparagus and Eggplant Slice

One chilly fortnight into winter and so begin the hot breakfasts, brunches and late afternoon snacks. On mornings like these it's best to start slow, to begin with long, deliberate yoga stretches and to inhale deeply down into one's belly.

On one of these chilly winter mornings I whipped up this little asparagus and eggplant slice before B had even rolled out of bed. Think one tall lady, with a round belly stirring together a bizarre combination of ingredients from the fridge, pouring the whole lumpy mess into a baking dish before sliding the dish into a hot oven.

There was time to clean up and have a relaxing hot shower to soothe my aching muscles and tired eyes before the timer rang with a sweet 'ding' (lacking a bit of sleep lately due to the miniature dance sensation in my womb- Thank you, Pecan!).

The aromas of melted cheese, egg, sweet corn and bacon wafted upstairs to Byron as I stepped out of the steamy shower, my hair wrapped in a thick bath towel turban. We met at the top step before floating down to the kitchen, led by our noses.

I carefully removed the dish from the oven and lifted the freshly baked slice from the dish by the baking paper before slicing generous slabs off for breakfast.

There's something so satisfying about plunging a shiny silver fork into a hot asparagus and eggplant slice.

Asparagus and Eggplant Slice

10 asparagus spears
1/2 large or 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1cm rounds
1 small brown onion, diced
2-3 rashers of bacon, roughly chopped (optional)
1 sweet corn cob, kernels only
olive oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup gluten free self raising flour
3/4 to 1 cup grated cheese
sea salt and cracked pepper
diced chilli (optional for the chilli lovers)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350F). Snap the ends off the asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths and parboil for 2 minutes, or until the stems turn bright green and slightly soften. Drain and set aside.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry the eggplant, turning to brown on each side (alternatively, you may grill it). Chop roughly and set aside.
Sweat the diced onion until soft.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, whisk in the eggs until the batter is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and season to taste. Omit the bacon for a vegetarian slice. Pour into a baking dish lined with baking paper and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the slice is set and golden on top.

Wonderful as a chilled lunch side, but best served warm from the oven with your choice of golden hash browns, fried, buttered mushrooms with garlic and thyme or oven roasted truss tomatoes.

The soft eggplant will melt in your mouth, between juicy, firm corn kernels and buttery asparagus.

Oh! How I'd love to grow my own asparagus. Has anyone tried it?

Bella xx

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Autumn Warmers ... Creamy Gnocchi Bake with Aubergine, Pancetta and Cherry Tomatoes

This past week has really cooled down and I am truly grateful for the Autumn weather. I've written of my love for the change in seasons before and this time is no different. To witness the changes in the air, in nature and in our daily habits is remarkable.

Most mornings this March I have risen before the sun. My routine usually follows the same course during the working week: I slip into a robe and quietly float downstairs where Maxi cat watches me stir rice porridge on the stove for the next fifteen minutes.

This is our quiet time when the puppy sleeps soundly at the foot of the bed and Byron dreams deeply after having worked a long night shift.

Next I'll sit on a breakfast stool, spoon in hand as I hover over the warm cinnamon scented porridge. I usually read as Maxi purrs gently next to me, occasionally rubbing his soft head against me or reaching forward with an expectant paw for a little milk. I usually oblige by giving him a dollop of natural yoghurt or tablespoon of milk and it satisfies him enough to go and lay on cushion and watch me from under sleepy lids.

I'll shower and dress for work, twist and pin my hair, let Coco out on the grass, and kiss my husband's forehead before commencing the long drive to work through beautiful countryside.

In the evenings I walk with Coco along the beach. The autumn sea breezes are refreshing against my face and the sea water is still warm enough to splash about in, although a cardigan and scarf is necessary when the sun sets.

By the end of the working week I am exhausted and that, my dear friends is where this easy dish comes into it's own.

A warm, hearty dish to fill your tummy and relax you into the weekend. Byron and I decided this can be one of our go-to Autumn dishes for Fun Fridays, when we stir vegetables in a large pot and bake it for a quick, no-fuss delicious meal with our family.

This is our creamy gnocchi bake with eggplant and cheery tomatoes. It's more of a throw everything in and let it do it's thing kind of dish, rather than a precise recipe but the flavours are there and the more you play around with it, the better it gets. We use a large enamelled cast iron Chasseur cooking pot, which can be taken from stove top to oven in seconds and is ideal for this dish.

Creamy Gnocchi Bake
Serves 4

1/2 large or 1 medium eggplant
olive oil
5 rashers short cut bacon or 75g uncut pancetta
6-8 swiss brown mushrooms, quartered
dried oregano
1 medium brown onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1/3 cup white wine
300mL cream
1 packet gluten free gnocchi
1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes
small handful fresh sweet basil
mozzarella
sea salt and cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Slice the eggplant into 1cm to half inch rounds. Fry with olive oil and a little sea salt over medium heat, turning once to brown evenly on both sides. Remove from heat just before cooked as they will continue to soften during baking.

We then fried rashers of bacon in the same pot before removing from the heat and roughly slicing. Alternatively, cut pieces of pancetta into cubes approximately 5mm thick (I like to cut mine into 5mm x 5mm x 20mm batons) and fry, turning occasionally until cooked. Remove from heat.

Next, brown the mushrooms with olive oil and dried oregano. When brown, add the onions and garlic and sweat with the wine until the onions have softened. Pour in the cream and uncooked gnocchi. Stir over low heat until the gnocchi begins to soften (about 10-15 minutes). Season with cracked pepper.

Return the eggplant and bacon or pancetta to the pot, add the cheery tomatoes and torn sweet basil and stir to combine.
Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 15-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and begins to turn golden. Serve hot.

The perfect dish for cooler weather and only one pot to wash at the end.

Some meals should be as fun, rustic and easy as this one is to prepare. It means you have more time to focus on your family and that's what Fun Fridays mean to us.

Instead of ordering a pizza or takeout, we used organic produce from the farmers market. We support local businesses and the kids can help prepare this comfort food.

You may wish to omit the wine and meat to create a tasty vegetarian, kid-friendly version of this dish, the choice is yours.

What delicious meals grace your dinner table during the cooler seasons?

Bella xx

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Our Little Herb Garden

Late last year, as the daylight hours grew longer with each passing day and the temperature began to soar, we packed up our entire lives into cardboard boxes and moved to a beautiful seaside house.

Within our first week I had accumulated the first seeds for my future vegetable garden. I hastily planted a rosemary root, plucked from my mother's garden, planted cherry tomato seeds and pushed tiny black basil seeds into the soft earth.

Fast forward almost three gorgeous Summery months and the dried, spiky brown rosemary root has been ripped from it's tiny grave and tossed into the green waste bin for collection. How does one kill rosemary? My mother said it was one of the most durable, low-maintenance plants to have in my garden and that I couldn't kill it if I wanted to.

Well I sure showed her... I'm not proud of this.

Luckily the basil took off and we can use the first leaves very soon. I cannot wait to serve a meal with fresh produce from my garden, it will almost make up for helplessly standing by and watching as the rosemary faded from lively green to deathly brown. Almost.

Yesterday I decided that I would plant seedlings in premium potting mixture with the finest vegetable fertiliser available. I spent the afternoon heaving 15kg bags of potting mixture into a shopping trolley with a broken wheel. Unfortunately I did not realise the trolley wheel was broken until I tried to navigate my way through the checkout, then zig-zag across a massive car park. I'll call it exercise, my spectators might have called it comedy.

I watered the tiny seedlings as soon as I arrived home, placed them in a sheltered area in our garden and went to bed, dreaming of crunchy green cucumbers, firm red tomatoes and bulging purple aubergines.

When I woke up, I skipped down the stairs wearing my 'Gardening Clothes' because it was time to get serious. I was covered in the daggy threads one might consider throwing into the rubbish bin, but not me! Once outside in the bright sunshine, I began the painstaking work of lifting rocks out of the ground, digging deep into the dirt and removing the soil (Read: It was actually sand, not soil) that had sucked the life out of my rosemary.

On a day where the temperature soared to 32 degrees Celsius (that's about 90 degrees Fahrenheit), I managed to plant cherry tomatoes, eggplant and some of my herbs, including one of my favourite herbs, sage.

I took a break in the warmest part of the day and was surprised to discover how much cooler it was inside. I cooked a traditional Massaman curry for dinner, it's on the stove right now as a matter of fact (smiles smugly) and tomorrow I am looking forward to planting the following: Vibrant green stalks of Italian parsley, a small bay tree with shiny dark green leaves, oregano, fresh mint and tiny cucumber seedlings.

I'll keep you updated on the planting progress and what I eventually prepare with the vegetables and herbs freshly grown in our little green garden.

Backyard bliss!

Bella xx

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