Potato, Rosemary & Garlic Pizza. Perfection.

The truth be told, there is not a lot in our urban vegie patch at the moment that’s ready to harvest so its times to get creative ;) All our summer produce has grown and been lovingly consumed. Mr K has started to plant our autumn/winter harvest so we have some beetroots, cabbage, fennel, broccoli, chicory, beans, and dill happily in their infancy growing bigger by the week.  Still plentiful from summer is spinach, rhubarb, rosemary, basil and mint. Not a lot to choose from, but that’s what eating seasonally is all about right? This recipe is all about keeping it very simple, and keeping it down to a few quality ingredients. The Italian’s are onto something here.  This recipe makes 3 large pizza’s (I use a baking tin to cook it on). The crust is thin and crunchy; the garlic is a must and combined with potatoes and rosemary, makes a beautiful simple dinner or lunch for a bunch of friends. Serves at least 4 hungry folk. Enjoy ♥

Prep time: approx. 45 min. Resting time for dough: approx. 1hr, 15min. cooking time: about 40 min

Kitchen stuff needed: Sharp knife, chopping board, 2 x baking trays (1 will do if that’s all you have), baking paper, rolling pin.

Our Rosemary, starting to flower

Ingredients from the garden:

4 x sprigs of rosemary

Dough Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour

1 level tablespoon fine sea salt

1 x 7g sachets of dried yeast

1/2 tablespoon golden caster sugar

Around 320ml lukewarm water

Topping:

6 x garlic gloves, minced.

2 - 3 x potatoes finely chopped

50gm x soft feta, crumbled.

Olive oil

Sea salt

Let’s do it:

1. Turn on over to 180 C/375 F

2. Pile the flour and salt on to a clean surface and make an 18cm well in the centre.

3. Add your yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water mix up with a fork and leave for a few minutes, and then pour into the well.

4. Using a fork and a circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix into the water. It will look like thick porridge. Continue to mix, bringing in all the flour. When the dough comes together and becomes too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat it into a ball.

5. Knead the dough by rolling it backward and forward, using your left hand to stretch the dough toward you and your right hand to push the dough away from you at the same time. Repeat this for 10 minutes, until you have smooth, springy, soft dough.

6. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let double in size for about 45 minutes.

7. Divide pizza dough into 3 balls and roll out each ball until it is approx. the size of your baking tray.

8. Pop grease proof paper down on baking try and carefully lay your pizza base down.

9. Spread evening about a third of minced garlic and olive oil on base, covered with slices of potato, some rosemary sprigs and about a third of the crumbled feta.

10.         Place the tray on the middle rack and bake for about 20 minutes.

11.         We had two baking trays going at once, or go with just one if you want to take it slowly.

Once out of over, top with some sea salt and enjoy this simplicity of these flavoursome pizzas. Enjoy with a Margaret River Shiraz.

Soundtrack for Pizza with friends: Moo, you bloody Choir by Augie March 

 My gorgeous Vegie Patch Gardeners tending to our plot ♥♥♥

 

Pork Chops & Roasted Rhubarb.

When Chopper met Rhuby it was love at first bite. At least for this dish anyway ♥ The beautiful marriage of roasted rhubarb and a simple pork chop, with roasted rosemary & garlic potatoes and our good friend zucchini is just perfect. As the summer months are sadly behind us, we look forward to the cooler autumn climate, and our vegie patch too is starting to reflect the change in season. Our rhubarb that was planted months ago is now plentiful, along with eggplant/aubergine and zucchinis/courgettes (there seems to be a never ending supply!). The basil is still going strong too (any more basil recipes – send on over). The pork was sourced locally from our butcher who gets his pork from Otway’s (regional Victoria), and the potatoes from the farmers market.  A truly regional low-mileage meat + 2 veg + 1 fruit dinner…Enjoy.

Prep time: approx. 20 min. cooking time: about 45 min

Kitchen stuff needed: a grill, Sharp knife, 2 x large baking dish, chopping board, blender, cling wrap, foil.

Ingredients from the garden:

6 x stalks of fresh rhubarb

2 x large Zucchini

4 x springs of rosemary
6 x large potatoes (courtesy of local farmers market)

Other Ingredients

4 x large pork chops (go and see your local butcher instead of supermarket if you can)

1 x teaspoon cinnamon

2 x tblespn white sugar

50gm x butter
6 x cloves garlic
Olive oil

S & P to taste

Let’s do it:

1. Turn on oven to 180 degrees

2. Peel your potatoes, chop each potato (if bigger) into about 6 pieces each. Throw in pot of boiling water and boil for about 6 min.

3. In a bowl, add your pork chops, a clove of chopped garlic, the cinnamon, s&P and a good swig of olive oil. Get your hands in there and massage the flavours into each side of the meat, cover bowl in cling film and pop in fridge.

4. Chop all rhubarb into 8cm (or so) chunks. Place in baking tray, sprinkle evenly with sugar and butter. Pop in oven and roast for 20 min.

5. Drain water out of pot that potatoes are in. Then holding on tightly give the pot a good shake and rough up the tatoes a bit around the edges. Lay out onto a clean dry tea towel for a few min to dry and then pop into a baking dish.

6. Tear off your rosemary from the stalks and add to potatoes, along with 4 whole garlic cloves (skin on), a good sprinkle of sea salt and pepper, and ¼ cup of olive oil. Again, get your hands dirty here and give them all a good toss together. Pop in the oven to join Rhuby, err.. the rhubarb. These need at least 30 min.

7. Wait 10 min take out the rhubarb, put your feet up, have a glass of wine J you have a 10 min break.

8. Feeling refreshed, chop zucchini into rounds and then halve than. Fry off with last clove of chopped garlic gently. Turn off heat once slightly soft and cooked through but leave in pan.

9. Turn on grill/griddle pan and when hot, place your pork chops onto the pan. Cook each side for 5 min. (or to your liking. Once cooked on both side, rest pork on plate with some foil over the top.

10.         Lastly take approx. ¼ of baked rhubarb, pop in blender with a small swig of olive oil and pulse for a few sec until smooth

11.         Now to plate up! Divide the roasted rhubarb evening between 4 plates, and make a nice little bed for the pork to rest. Add a small tower of zucchini circles to the plate, with some lovely roasted potatoes and add a dollop of the sauce. Lastly add your pork and a clove of delicious caramelised roasted onion on top.

Enjoy with a large glass Trentham Estate Pinot Chardonnay Sparkling > keeping it local of course :)

Soundtrack for Country Victoria Autumn dinner: Fish Out of Water by Ash Grunwald