Monday 2 June 2014

In My Kitchen- June 2014


Well, another month has passed and time once again to join in with Celia from Fig Jam & Lime Cordial to share whats going on in my kitchen!

On the weekend down at our local farmers markets I found these Black Krimm Heirloom Tomatoes. I hadn't come across them before so I bought a few to take home. They are quite juicy and an incredibly sweet tomato. Ive been eating them fresh in salads but they are ultra juicy so Im thinking they might be good as a base on a pizza instead of using bottled passata.


Mandarins, in particular, Clemintines are huge in our house at the moment. The kids love them and Im happy knowing they are getting lots of fresh daily doses of Vitamin C. Our oranges on the tree outside our kitchen are almost ripe….hopefully to be shown on next months post!


Some lovely mail arrived today in the post from a fellow blogger, Janelle. How cute are these gorgeous hand knitted bunny egg warmers?  Janelle writes a blog called A White Farm- you must check it out!!! She is one crafty lady who is a whizz in the kitchen and has a beautiful family home.
One cute little bunny for each of my gorgeous children! Thank you so much Janelle!!!! Very clever xxx



I had read about the Careme Pastry but living in the country never thought I would beable to buy it locally. But….whilst shopping at our local green grocer (who just happens to have the best deli section!!) I spotted some in the freezer. How happy was I!!! There are four varieties so I played it safe and chose the all butter puff pastry and the sour cream shortcrust pastry. Ive made a chicken and leek pie with the puff pastry and have to say the pastry was absolutely delicious. I will still buy my Borg brand as its cheaper and fine for every day use, but this pastry will come in handy for those times when I would normally make my own pastry. Have you tried it before???


My sister bought me back a stash of goodies from her recent trip to Cambodia. One of which was this black pepper. Im actually not a pepper person but am still looking forward to experimenting with the flavours.


I have just discovered miso paste….yes, slow, I know!!! I love miso soup but always save it for a city treat. A recipe I have started cooking a lot lately requires this white miso paste and so this packet has now become a staple in our pantry. I also love knowing that during the day if Im feeling a bit peckish, it takes me all of a minute to make up a hearty and delicious tasting soup. Did you know that miso is a probiotic??? Just another good reason to have more of it your diet!!!


In my kitchen this month, I've been cooking a few recipes from this cookbook- a recipe book we had published for my Mother in laws birthday last month. It is a collection of all her much loved recipes she has cooked for her entire family over the years. A lovely keepsake for us all…plus filled with lots of photos of our family (all around the table or eating, of course!) and special pieces around their home. My favourite recipes are my Mother in law's delicious tomato relish, snow soup, madeira sauce  and pineapple upside down cake!!!


A belated birthday present from a friend…..What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies. This book makes me ache with hunger with each page I turn. I love it and have already earmarked several recipes (actually more than that!!) to try. Also love following her blog too!


Something that was in my kitchen/living area but now is having some 'time out' outside is my very sick looking fiddle leaf fig. I accidentally overwatered it and half of it died. I have one surviving branch which is hanging in there. Some new shoots showing (yay) but I have noticed some brown tinges on the edge of the keaves showing again…oh no! Any tips on how to look after them would be greatly appreciated. I love the look of this plant- such gorgeous green foliage and really adds colour and some freshness to the room.


Finally, in my kitchen is a birthday cake for my son who celebrated turning three today.
Just a simple chocolate fudge cake, totally slathered in chocolate butter cream icing, topped with a tip truck and lots of chocolate rocks, dirt, etc…..thank you pinterest!!!! A very happy little (oops, big) boy!



So that wraps up what's in my kitchen for this month, but if you feel like you would like to party on and gatecrash some other kitchens around the world, please visit Celia's blog and follow the links.

What's happening in your kitchen this month?

36 comments:

  1. What a lovely instalment of IMK. I love your knitted bunny egg warmers and what a wonderful birthday cake you made your son!
    Have a happy day.
    :-) Mandy xo

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    1. Thanks Mandy…. I love the bunny egg warmers too….I just wish I could knit! I think we will be having lots of boiled eggs this winter! Thanks for dropping by x

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  2. What a fun birthday cake! And those egg warmers are adorable...

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    1. Thanks Lorraine- the cake was a big hit….and the egg warmers are my favourite items in the kitchen at the moment. I told Janelle (their creator) she will have to start up her etsy shop to sell them!

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  3. Love seeing the bunnies in their new home...they all seem very happy and settled!!?!! I also love LOVE the idea of your 'homemade' recipe book..what a gorgeous gift!! And I'll have a piece of that party cake too please?!! Happy Tuesday lovely xx

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    1. Bunnies gorgeous Janelle…love them!!!!! Thank you again xxx

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  4. Those egg warmers are fantastic Kylie, so gorgeous. I've used Careme pastry before and it's fantastic, as you said perfect for those times when you can't make your own pastry.

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    1. As much as I love making my own pastry, it is nice to have some 'good stuff' in the freezer for unexpected guests and when time is limited…..wuld love to hear what you cooked it for? xx

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  5. Don't you just love Heirloom Tomatoes, I have a few varieties in my garden at the moment and I can't wait for them to ripen! I make my own pastry,(but honestly I can't be bothered to make Puff Pastry when I'm in a hurry) so I only by the Careme' Puff Pastry and it is so delicious! I recently made mini beef wellingtons with it and they were delicious!. Everything else in your kitchen looks equally delicious and I look forward to seeing more in the future

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    1. Hi Elizabeth- Im so jealous of your home grown heirloom tomatoes. I think they look gorgeous in the garden growing- almost too pretty to pick. I bet they taste amazing too! Thanks so much for dropping by xx

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  6. Hi Kylie
    Great pics again, I love those black tomatoes. Your fiddle leaf fig looks ok to me. Mine has boughts where it looks like its going to die and then springs back, hang in there and move it about the house. I love the cake too, wish I could have a slice. Thx for sharing all your lovely shots. Yvette x

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    1. Thanks Yvette…Ive been reading your posts and IG updates on how you care for your Fiddle Leaf. Im really hoping it 'bounces' back! Funnily enough it is currently outside (in the cold) and actually seems happier there then inside. Hmmm, watch this space…and fingers and toes all crossed xx

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  7. Firstly, birthday blessings for your son! And I love those tomatoes. I would plant some seeds and see if they grow :) Enjoy using your pastry - hopefully it is as good as the box looks.

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    1. Thanks so much Tandy x Appreciate you dropping by….I look forward to checking out if you have any luck with your tomatoes xx

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  8. I love the birthday cake, I've tucked the idea away for one of my boy's upcoming birthdays. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Pleasure Danielle….Im sure the cake will be a hit with your little boy. What little boy doesnt like a digger and chocolate on a cake xx

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  9. Such a lovely gift to give to your mother in law. Any difficulties with Customs bringing in the peppercorns from Cambodia? I am yet to try the Careme Puff pastry.

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    1. Hi Francesca…oddily enough, my sister didnt have problems bringing the pepper back into Oz. I had thought the same. She did however, have a bracelet taken away which was also a gift for me- apparently the timber and seeds it was made of were poisonous. A suprise to us all. xx

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  10. Love the egg hats! Must keep an eye out for that pastry, we can only get the Pampas stuff and I try to steer clear of that. That birthday cake makes me wish the kids haven't grown up and left (then I remember the hard work it took). My black krim this year weren't all that black. Maybe in a few years my kids will want to put a book together, ours will be Around the Mulberry Tree though, same as my blog name!

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    1. If your mulberry tree is anything like our family tree than Im sure your cookbook would be awesome and filled with delicious recipes and memories. Its such a special keepsake for all the family. xx

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  11. Lots of goodies indeed! I actually wasn't terribly impressed with the gluten free Careme Pastry, I hope the regular one tastes good. Thanks for the tour :)

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    1. Oh thanks for the heads up on the gluten free Careme pastry- I actually didnt know they did one! Im really happy with what Ive used so far though and its so handy to have it stashed away for quick meals or unexpected guests. xx Thanks for popping by!

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  12. Happy birthday to your son! What a perfect cake! Love heirloom tomatoes - so much flavour in them - and those egg warmers are the cutest thing ever. Serendipitously, my sister in law brought back kampot pepper from Cambodia for me too! :)

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    1. Thank you Celia xxx The truck and chocolate were obviously a huge highlight for the bday boy! How did you use your Kampot pepper- I havent opened it yet so unsure of flavour? I dont cook much curries as husband not a major fan. Might need to do some googling …thks for hosting and for calling by xxx

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  13. Hi Kylie, thought I'd come past after seeing you on Fig Jam & Lime Cordial's In my Kitchen. Those tomatoes look amazing! Love the pepper your sister brought you back from Cambodia - I'm a bit of a pepper fan. And thank you so much for the dump truck birthday cake idea - my nephew turns 3 in a couple of weeks, this will be perfect for him! It's great to meet you, hope to see you soon

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    1. Thanks Nicole…and welcome to IMK….your post looks great too! How much fun is it checking out what everyone has in their kitchen? Hope your nephew enjoys his cake!!! xx Thanks for visiting x

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  14. Great cake. Those tomatoes look amazing and fun to slice up for a salad. What a fantastic idea to make Under the Mulberry Tree; it will be a great thing to pass down.

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    1. Hi Anne x Thank you…yes tomatoes look great and taste incredible. Im off to find your brioche recipe after reading about it on The Shady Bakers blog xxx yum!

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  15. That cake is absolutely fantastic Kylie and I feel like I can almost smell those clementines!

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    1. Thanks Taryn- it was a big hit! Phew! We cant keep the clementine supply up in our house…very popular with the kids. And i love no seeds!!!x

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  16. Well those little egg cosies are just too cute. Hopefully the kids will hold on to and treasure them as they grow up. Seems like the month for celebration cakes - great job!

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    1. Yes, cosies will be under my watch until they get older, leave home and old enough to look after and hopefully pass onto their kids. They are so sweet! I need to start knitting again! xx

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  17. I'm a persistant bugger aren't I?! Finally got it to work :)
    Ok what I've been trying to say for the last 2 days is that the cake is fantastic and perfect for a little boy. And that I love your MIL book. Phew.....

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    1. Hooray- you made it…Yay Nancy!!!! xxxx thank you for persisting xxx

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  18. The bunnies are absolutely adorable, the cookbook idea is a treasure and the cake is just over the top cute!

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    1. Thanks Maureen….lovely compliments xx thanks so much for dropping in xxx

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