Stuffed Aubergines with White Wine, Cheese & Tomatoes

2 large Aubergines, cut lengthwise into 16 pieces

2 tbsp Olive Oil (for brushing)

1 loaf White Bread

2 balls of Mozzarella about 4oz each (125 grams)

7ozs (200 grams) Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, roughly grated

large bunch Flat Leaf Parsley

2 Garlic cloves, 1 chopped

1lb (500grams) Cherry Tomatoes

3 tbsp Olive Oil

6ozs White wine

Basil leaves

1 tbsp chopped Thyme

Salt & Pepper

Brush all the aubergine slices with the olive oil and grill until golden but not burned. Tear the center out of the loaf of bread, (the crust can be frozen for later use as breadcrumbs) and tear into pieces. 

Put the bread into a food processor with most of the mozzarella and Parmesan, all the parsley and one whole clove of Garlic. Season the mixture, then blitz to a sticky crumbly  mix.

Make 16 balls about the size of a large marble, now roll the aubergine slices around the balls, and pack the rolls into a baking dish.  Try to use a dish that the rolls fit snugly into in a single layer.

Now make the sauce. Squash all the tomatoes or cut them in half.  Simmer them in 3 tbsp of Olive Oil in a heave based pan for 15 minutes with the chopped garlic.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F Gas Mark 6.  Add the white wine, basil leaves and thyme to the sauce and reduce for 5 minutes more then pour the over the aubergines. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with a green salad, and a good Sauvignon Blanc preferably from New Zealand

Enjoy :)

Root Mash with Wine-Braised Shallots

This absolutely devine dish from Yotam Ottolenghi is just too delicious for words, you simply have to try it. It’s not a complicated dish and if you love your root vegetables this will deliver.  (I use my ricer for mashing the vegetables, I find it gives the mash a decadent, smooth texture). For more fabulous recipes from this amazing chef look for his books: “Plenty”,  “Plenty More” & ” Jerusalem”. 

Root Mash with Wine-Braised Shallots

1/2 cup/80g Puy lentils

1/2large Celery Root (Celaric) peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups, 300g)

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups, 300g)

1/2 Kabocha Squash, (or Butternut Squash, or pumpkin) peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups, 300g)

2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (about 4 cups, 600g)

5 tbsp/70g unsalted butter, diced 

Braised Shallots:

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 lbs/600g Shallots, peeled and left whole

1 2/3 cups/400ml Red Wine

1 cup/200ml Vegetable stock

2 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Black peppercorns,

4 Thyme Sprigs

1 tbsp Superfine sugar

2 tbsp/30g unsalted butter

Start with the shallots. Place the oil in a saucepan and place over high heat.  Add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until colored all over.  Add the wine, stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, sugar and 3/4 tsp salt.  Cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer gently for 1 hour.  Remove the lid, increase the heat, and boil for about 8 minutes, until the remaining liquid is reduced by half.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the shallots from the pan and keep them somewhere warm.  Stir the butter into the sauce and set aside until ready to use.

Bring a saucepan of water to a  boil over high heat, add the lentils, turn down the heat to medium, and simmer for about 25 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

For the mash, half fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.  Add the celery root and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the squash and sweet potatoes and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are cooked.

Drain the vegetables, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and mash well with a potato masher.  Add the butter, maple syrup, cumin,cooked lentils, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of black pepper.  Mix well and then divide the warm mash among the serving plates.  Top with the shallots, spoon the sauce over the top and serve at once.

Daisy's Falafal

1 cup Dried Chickpeas  (or 1, 14 oz can chickpeas)

1 small red Onion

3 garlic Cloves

1 small Red Chili, seeds removed

2 tbsp Ground Coriander

2 tbsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Black sesame Seeds

2 tsp White sesame Seeds

large bunch Fresh Cilantro

large bunch fresh flat leaf parsley

2 slices Rustic White Bread, crusts removed

1/4 cup Cashews

4 tbsp Olive Oil

light Olive Oil, for frying

Himalayan salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For dried chickpeas, rinse well and leave to soak in plenty of water, overnight. To omit this step you can cheat and use canned chickpeas, but I always find the dried have better texture and flavor.

Drain the chickpeas well, and put into a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients except the light olive oil, and pulse to a rough paste.  Do not overblend or you will end up with a sticky, gooey mess.

The falafel should have a  rough texture. Put the mix into a bowl, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes, this makes it easier to roll into balls.

Heat the light olive oil to 180 degrees (350F), in a deep fat fryer.  

Using a tablespoon, scoop some falafel mix and roll into a ball in your hands. Repeat until all mix is used. you should have about 20 - 30 balls.

Fry in small batches, for about 3 - 5 minutes, until deep golden brown, be careful not to burn them, but cook long enough for the falafel to be cooked throughly.

note: The uncooked mix will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Serve immediately with Mango Chutney, Tzatziki  or a mild curry sauce, garnish with micro leaves 

Enjoy :)

How To Eat Meat! (if you must)

It is constantly being said that our health is affected, detrimentally by eating too much meat.  On the other hand, there is ever more sophisticated and intense rearing that’s designed to encourage us to eat more. Unfortunately, the result of this type of farming is an obvious decline in the welfare and quality of our meat.  

I believe that if people were truly aware of how animals are raised in intensive farms, with all the hormones, medications and chemicals they’re injected with and fed on to increase growth, there would be a steep decline in meat consumption.  After all, what goes into the animal eventually passes into the person who eats that meat.

The only way to guarantee better quality meat and a better quality of life for these creatures would be to cut down on the ammount of meat we consume.  This would eventually end intensive farming, a cruel process that does not allow the animal to grow or mature correctly.  Meat would of course, become more expensive, though that too would help manage the levels of consumption.  But just think of the compensation of eating a juicy steak, or rack of lamb with its remarkable quality and flavour.  Meat should be a treat, not something on our everyday menu.

The flavour of Organic Free range meat from animals with freedom to roam in fields or orchards is impossible to beat.

And frankly, meat should be expensive - you can’t put a cheap price on the life of an animal, especially if its welfare is at stake.  So next time you go to reach for a packet of cheap plastic wrapped meat from the supermarket, it might be worth thinking of the consequences of what you’re doing.  Buy your meat from your local butcher, speak to him and find out where your meat comes from and how it’s been treated, both in it’s life and after it. 

After all if we’re going to eat meat we should be getting the best out of it and doing it with a clean conscience. 

Vegetarian or What? In a Nutshell:

I tell everyone that I’m a vegetarian, because I get ridiculously excited about fresh, organic vegetables, (this may stem from my living on a boat in the Islands, where so many of my favorite vegetables and fruits are unavailable or limited), so I go a little crazy when I find a colorful, well stocked farmers market.  Local farmers markets are just about my favorite hang out.  

The bulk of my diet is vegetarian, although I still eat meat and fish, but only occasionally, and only from humanly Organicaly reared animals.  Animals that have been allowed to roam freely in fields untreated with pesticides and chemicals therefor living in a natural environment, rather than mass produced livestock reared in cramped inhumane cages.  On balance, a stressed, improperly reared animal is not likely to be good for us, or taste good.  The type of feed, use of medications and the space an animal has been allowed to roam on all have an impact on their health and must surely negatively impact ours.  Convincing evidence from years and years of research prove that you can lower your risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.

While anecdotal evidence is easy to find, the argument for less meat is now heavily backed up by medical research.  Everybody generally knows that vegetables, especially greens, which are abundant in vitamins and minerals, are good for us, but the story goes a lot deeper.

Phytochemical's found in plants, are another explanation for the incredible health benefits of fruits and vegetables.  These chemical’s are what give plants their pigment, smell and more importantly flavor.

A number of research papers look at the effects of Phytochemical's on bone health, inflammation and even cancer.  We’ve only just scratched the surface when it comes to investigating just how influential these thousands of bioactive compounds are to human health.  Looking at the associations between food and disease, the positive impact of diets largely based on plants and whole foods is indisputable.  This is why they make up the bulk of my diet, and why they should feature heavily on yours, too.  A Simple carrot or apple is  brimming with phytochemical’s such as quercetin and carotene.  These simple, affordable and accessible foods are key to good health.  Eating a plate of colorful plants is the easiest way to guarantee a complete range of essential phytochemical’s.

Animal products are an easy and delicious source of complete protein, key micronutrients such as zinc and vitamin B12 are nutritional qualities that are very hard to obtain in a purely plant-based diet.    You don’t have to give up meat to adopt a healthier lifestyle, simply eat it less, be choosey with what you buy, and appreciate it more.  I treat meat and animal products as a luxury item, and enjoy them much more as an occassional treat rather than something eaten on a daily basis.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible, and read the ingredients label. My son’s girlfriend Paige, takes ages to shop as she reads the label on everything.  You want to look for more protein (10g or more per serving) and fibre, less sugar and calories. The ingredients list usually lists in order of highest amounts first.  If a food lists sugar or glucose as the first ingredient, it’s best avoided. Paige say’s if she doesn’t recognize the ingredient or can’t pronounce it, the product goes back on the shelf,  not a bad rule to live by.

Additives to avoid:

Epidemiological studies have found that higher intakes of nitrates - which are converted to nitrosamines in the body will increase your risk of cancer.  Think ham, salami, bacon, mince and sausages, where the numbers of the nitrate group  249-252 are used as a preservative to improve shelf life and enhance color.

MSG (no surprise’s here) this switches off the brain’s ability to say “I’m full” causing you to eat more than you need.  It’s associated health concerns are obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are always best avoided, diet drinks and foods are full of them.

Food Coloring

Those to avoid include blue (E133)  red (E124)  yellow (E110) and yellow tartrazine (E102)

Tip’s: 

Always try to buy organic, it’s a little more expensive but the price’s are lowering as their popularity grows.

Phytonutrients are most concentrated in the skins of vegetables, so leave the skins on wherever possible.

Most of our salt consumption comes not from added salt at the dinner table, but from hidden salt within products we buy.  So check the sodium levels, no more than 2.5g of salt or 1000mg of sodium per day.

High fibre foods make you feel full for longer, so for snacks aim for 3g or more per serving, and for main meals 6g or more.

Spicy Polenta Loaf


2 tbsp Organic Salted Butter
4 Large Organic Kale Leaves, stems removed & leaves torn
1 tbsp Organic Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black pepper
1/2 tsp Himalyan Pink Salt
8 Trump Mushrooms, sliced lengthways
3 "Field Roast" Mexican Chipotle, Vegetarian Sausages, Diced
1 Packet Polenta
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan, add the kale and shake the pan a little to cover the kale in the melted butter, sprinkle the coconut sugar, salt and pepper over the kale and cook, stirring gently for about 2 - 3 minutes until the kale has just started to wilt, but not burn.  Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook lightly turning once until just starting to brown on both sides, remove from the heat and set aside in another dish.

Add the diced sausage meat to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes, (do not let it burn) remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 

Bring the vegetable broth to a rolling boil add the rest of the butter and pour in the polenta and Cayenne pepper, stirring constantly with a balloon whisk to prevent any lumps from forming.

Once all the broth has been absorbed remove from the heat.  Spoon half of the polenta into a *cling wrap lined loaf dish, pat down firmly to make a base, then add the kale, spread it evenly over the polenta and pat down lightly, distribute the diced sausage evenly in a layer over the kale, place the sliced mushrooms over the sausage and sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mushrooms.

Cover this with the remaining polenta mix, press down lightly to make a flat surface, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and set aside to cool for about one hour.  Once cooled, refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the polenta loaf from the tin and slice into serving portions; place the slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or Silpat, if you have one) and bake in the oven for approx 10-12 minutes. 

*line a loaf pan with cling wrap overlapping all around to fold and seal in the polenta loaf before refrigeration.

About Time!

WOW, how time flies!  It's been two years since I last posted in Daisy's Galley, and I have an absolutely delicious new recipe to add today, "Spicy Polenta Loaf".  I'm sorry for the delay… In my defense, life on a sailboat makes consistency quite impossible; and speaking of consistency, what was that fabulous quote from Oscar Wilde? "Consistency is the refuge of the unimaginative".
Anyway enough of my rambling excuses…

The past two years have been a crazy roller coaster ride for me with "change" being the operative word used to describe my crazy lifestyle.  I have absolutely no consistency in my life, I honestly don't know from one moment to the next where I will be next.  This is something I've  actually finally come to terms with; happily I'm never bored, but in the same vein I never have a chance to catch my breath either.

Over the past two years I've totally stopped including meat into my diet, limited my dairy intake and moved much closer towards a totally plant based diet. I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and give my reasons for this change, they're personal and I don't want to lecture, however, since adopting this lifestyle I've been thinner, fitter, healthier and happier.  I've also discovered that a Vegetarian/Vegan diet is truly delicious, I honestly haven't missed meat at all.
The other major change in my life is that I've moved back onto Daisy (my sailboat) full-time, well when I say full time, Daisy is now my permanent home, but I'm still constantly traveling the world to visit family and friends.  At this moment I'm back in Atlanta helping my youngest daughter pack up house.  Once this is done Bob and I are heading off into the Pacific for a couple of years.
Recipes from Pacific Islands in my future, for now:
Spicy Polenta Loaf coming up next...

Cottage Pie

As I was driving home from the woods earlier this week, having had a lovely hour long walk, with my dogs Hedley and Moglie. I noticed that the mornings previously beautiful blue sky, was fast disappearing behind dark storm clouds. As the day darkened and the wind picked up the day changed  from a lovely, sun-filled, fresh winters day to something dark, depressing and formidable. 

This rapid change in the weather made me crave comfort food.  I decided to go home light a fire and make myself something delicious for dinner. 

I rarely eat red meat these days, as anyone who reads my blog will know, however, occasionally I crave it, and that usually initiates a trip to my local Whole Foods store, where I can find grass-fed organic meat. 

I hate buying ready prepared minced meat, I never trust what has actually gone into the mince. And as my Kitchen Aid stand mixer has an attachment that grinds meat, I'm easily able to mince it myself. 

I was really craving "cottage pie" like my Grandmother used to make. There's nothing better on a bitterly cold winters day. I remember coming home from school on a cold day and smelling this baking in the oven, the whole house smelt so delicious. Although I should add here that I have made a few additions of my own to Nan's original recipe.

For the meat I usually prefer to use Flank steak, it's an inexpensive, rather fatty joint of beef, that does really well in this dish. You could also use ground lamb if you prefer, or even a mix of both.

COTTAGE PIE.

INGREDIENTS
8 Potatoes, large, peeled and large diced.
3 Medium Yellow Onions, medium diced.
4 ounces unsalted butter.
4 Medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" slices.
4 Celery stalks, chopped into 1/2" slices.
4 Parsnips, peeled and medium diced.
1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and halved.
4 ounces frozen peas.
1 tablespoon Olive Oil.
1 1/2 pounds minced meat (either beef or lamb).   * You can subsistutue with Quorn for the meat to make it a vegetarian meal*
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, finely chopped.
1 tablespoon Rosemary finely chopped.
1 teaspoon chili flakes.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce.
1/2 litre Organic Beef stock.
2 tablespoon corn starch.
1 cup good red wine.
2 tablespoons heavy cream.
1 cup (8 ounces) Cheddar cheese, grated.
Sea Salt & freshly Ground Black Pepper

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

 In a large saucepan bring water to the boil, add salt and potatoes and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. 

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan cook the onions in one ounce of the butter until soft; add the carrots, celery and parsnips, stir to mix and sauté for about 5 - 6 minutes, or until vegetables are just starting to soften. 

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes until lightly browned. 

Add the peas and stir in (no need to cook the peas at this point) 

Remove the vegetables to a large heatproof bowl and set aside in a warm place. 

Using the same sauté pan, add the olive oil, when hot add the meat and cook until lightly brown. 

Add thyme, Rosemary, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. 

Add all but 2 tablespoons of the beef stock to the meat and stir. 

Mix the 2 tablespoons of beef stock with the corn starch and stir into the meat. 

Stir in the red wine and let simmer over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile drain and mash the potatoes in a large bowl with the rest of the butter and cream. Mix well until all lumps are gone and the potatoes are smooth and creamy, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. 

TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH

In a large (14" x 10") casserole dish add all the vegetables and meat, stir well to mix, (taste a little for seasoning) if necessary add a little more salt & pepper. Cover the entire dish with the mashed potato, creating an even layer over the vegetables, generously sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes and place in the middle of the oven for 40 - 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. 

 This serves 6 - 8 people. 

Cooks Note: All meat and vegetables are Organic, The dish may be frozen (once completely cooled) and kept in the freezer for 1 - 3 months. if frozen, defrost throughly before baking, defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating. This is not a quick dish to prepare, but its well worth the effort and reheats well, so it's a dish easily made ahead of time.

Like Your Meat! This is worth reading.

For years I've been trying to persuade people to eat less red meat, and when they do, to eat "grass fed". Yes its more expensive, but how much is your good health worth? Because of the enormous demand for meat today, the production of beef, pork and lamb has evolved from the traditional farming methods to horribly cruel husbandry, with the animals being raised in cramped cages in dark warehouses, often stacked one on top of the other, especially in the case of poultry. Most of these animals never see the light of day, and are unable even to move in their cramped conditions, they exist under totally inhumane conditions. I wonder how people can believe that raising them this way, injecting them with hormones and other chemicals to increase their growth can possibly produce something that is healthy to eat? The spread of cancer over the years has coincided with the increased meat consumption. Not only does raising animals for meat production this way compromise the flavor of the product, we are at risk from eating inferior food, but also putting (real) farmers out of business. Any animal that is farm raised, by that I mean grazing in fields under the sun, exercising and eating its natural food 'grass' is a healthy animal, the meat from those animals is untouched by chemicals and hormones, and has so much more flavor. So many people I speak to about this say "Oh I don't want to know", not only is that remark ignorant, but the cold hearted willingness to turn a blind eye to whats going on just so you can eat meat without a care or a worry about how it's raised, well you deserve to suffer the consequences. Those of you who do care about humane farming, correct husbandry and animal welfare, not to mention your own good health, will take notice of this snippet I have pasted here from an article by Joel Salatin about the dangers of eating meat raised using (what should be) unacceptable methods. Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin. The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

Warming Winter Pasta Bake

I had my winter firewood delivered and lit my first fire this week, and it put me in the mood for some comforting winter food. For whatever reason I always lean towards pasta when I think of comfort food. I hadn't shopped in a while, so I was going to have to prepare something from my pantry and garden. I'm teetering dangerously close to becoming a food hoarder, so my pantry is usually pretty well stocked. Although I must add that living alone has (fortunately some might say) forced me to control my urge to have my pantry compete with the innovatory in my local supermarket's. I love to garden, so I usually have a lovely selection of fresh herbs growing in my garden, something I rarely have to buy. I also had every ingredient needed in my pantry and fridge for this spectacular pasta dish. It really was delicious, I made an Arugula salad, and toasted some ciabatta bread, and enjoyed it with a delicious glass of red wine…

Beautiful Beech Mushrooms, so delicate and so delicious. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Pasta Baked with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil & Beech Mushrooms… 2 cups Rigatoni Pasta/ 1 tsp Sea Salt/ 2 ounces unsalted butter/ 2 level tablespoons plain flour/ ½ tsp Malden salt (any sea salt will do)/ 1-cup full fat milk/ 3/4-cup good white wine/ Freshly ground black pepper (to your taste)/ 1 cup grated cheese (of your choice) recommended Gruyere/ 2 bay leaves/ 6 sprigs fresh Thyme/ 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped/ ¼ tsp grated nutmeg/ 3 ounces salted butter/ 1 cup Beech Mushrooms/ 1 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped./ ½ cup fresh Basil leaves, torn./ 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano./ Pre heat the oven to 375 Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, remove the cooked pasta, drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat and whisk in the flour, slowly add the milk whisking constantly, place back on the heat, add the wine and keep whisking, add the black pepper. Add the salt, and gradually stir in the cheese. Once all the cheese has melted, add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic and nutmeg. Stir well to combine, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until sizzling, Cut the base off the mushrooms separating them, add the mushrooms to the pan, baste the mushrooms well with the sizzling butter for about one minute, remove and drain on kitchen paper, set aside. In a medium-mixing bowl add the pasta, tomatoes, basil and mushrooms and mix together very gently so as not to damage the delicate mushrooms. Pour the mix into a Casserole baking dish. Using a conical sieve, strain the white sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano over the pasta and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with a lovely green Arugula salad, and toasted garlic ciabatta (for texture) Enjoy :o)

September Salad

I love using fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, and this salad was so spectacular I just had to share it with you. To make the salad I used a delicious fresh pomegranate, a beautiful ripe avocado, a sweet fragrant mango and some beautiful freshly baked beets. The juice from one lime and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. The beets were baked, wrapped in foil in a 300 degree oven for about 90 minutes, then allowed to cool overnight. Once cooled, I peeled them under running water, then removed the top and bottom and sliced them about 1/4" thick. I then marinated them in a watered down white vinegar, for about 20 minutes. (I used about 25% vinegar and 75% water.) I peeled the mango and avocado discarding the seeds, and medium diced them. I cut the pomegranate in half and removed all the delicate delicious seeds. I removed the beets from the marinade and diced them, then I tossed all the ingredients together in a large bowl and squeezed the juice of one lime over the salad. I seasoned with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and served with my caramelized onion, pear and brie flatbread… It was truly, really delicious. Yes, its that simple... The salad was super sweet from the mango, earthy from the beets, creamy from the avocado and crunchy from pomegranate seeds, the combination of the sweet and savory was heavenly, and the lime juice provided a delicious fresh and tart contrast to all the sweetness… I will be making this salad again and again.

September Salad

A Home At Last!

It's been so long since I've written anything on Daisy's Galley! Sorry. The last three months have been pretty hectic for me. Moving myself and my horses to Atlanta has been a test of patience, strength and endurance. But I'm now finally settled in my new home, at least for the next two years. My horses are happily situated their new home. Although I think they may be missing Danni, and the heat here really takes some getting used to, but we're all adapting slowly. I have an amazing new kitchen which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

I have a small herb, vegetable garden. My fingers are turning quite green and despite the regular thieving attempts from a little chipmunk that seems to have taken up residence under my deck, all is wonderful in the garden. There's a daily race to see who can get to the ripe tomatoes first. Fortunately he doesn't seem interested in my peppers, chilies or baby aubergines, and has totally ignored (thankfully) my herbs, Basil, Tarragon, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley and Cilantro. But the battle continues.

Just look at my harvest :o)

Daisy's demented life!

It's unlikely that I'll be posting anything on either of my blogs over the next 2 months while I'm busily searching for a house in Atlanta, and simultaneously packing up all my clutter and precious possessions in Columbus.  I'm hoping that once I'm settled into a new home I can (hopefully) locate all the dislocated pieces of my life, and put them all back in order once again.  

As Danni is now established in her new home, and the horses are close in a lovely (professional) barn, I can concentrate on my next move.

I'm so excited about establishing a routine, writing on a regular basis, starting a new catering business, planting a herb garden, rescuing a dog (or 2)  from the local pound, and pursuing my love of painting.

Having my feet firmly planted on solid ground once again is something I've dreamed about for the last 5 years.  As Bob puts everything in order for his 2013 circumnavigation I'll be planting tomatoes, and herbs, walking my dog/'s catering, writing and painting…

Hopefully I'll find some fun/slightly wicked stuff to write about…

Watch this space I'll be back :o)