Things are slowly starting to move in my kitchen. The inertia I have been living with the past few months seems to be lifting and I have become excited by cooking, baking and experimenting once again. This may also have something to do with the fact that interesting things are finding their way back into the kitchen.
My kitchen this month is full of Christmas presents. I didn’t see my family over Christmas, and it was the middle of January before we finally managed to exchange gifts. My sister gave me these Weck jars which I have been coveting for ages. I even contemplated loading up the suitcase with them when we were in Germany. I am going to fill these with tomato salsa just as soon as I can find some decent tomatoes.
My sister also gave me this Thermomix book. Is it ridiculous that I am very excited about making my own malt powder? I have been quizzing Mr Grumpy about his malt stocks so I can whizz up my own. Nobody gave me the Jamie book, which I had avoided buying until all the presents were in as it was high on my Christmas list. So I treated myself to a belated gift. I am really enjoying it. Love his work.
My mum gave me this pizza cutter, which she assures me is brilliant. I have yet to try it on pizza but I have used it quite successfully on something else I am experimenting with. Keep your eyes peeled for that one.
My sister-in-law gave me these platters which have been living on the bench the past few weeks. They have proved handy for main meal salads, the only thing we feel like eating in this heat, so have yet to find a home in the cupboards.
I am absolutely loving my $3 IKEA jug. To be honest I bought it as a food prop. Turns out it is just the right height to fit under my juicer nozzle and just the right volume for The Princess and I, so it is getting daily use in the kitchen at the moment. Best $3 ever spent.
Our tomatoes all ripened at once a few weeks ago. There are only so many tomatoes you can eat, and after tomato sandwiches, tomato pasta and tomato salad the pile still did not appear to have diminished in any way. So I made a small batch of tomato relish using the secret family recipe. I have tried many different recipes but this remains the best.
I also snuck in a small batch of Apricot & Vanilla jam before the apricots finally disappeared for the season. I love the twist that vanilla gives to the standard jam. I decrease the sugar in all my jams, so this one has only 50% sugar per weight of fruit. I have made jams with less sugar again, but decreasing the sugar diminishes the keeping time, and I do like having this jam through the year.
That is about it for my kitchen this month. It is a start. Thanks to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this great series. Visit her blog for a little glimpse into other kitchens around the world.
Tania, such a beautiful post… I love your home made produce… the apricot jam sounds exquisite with vanilla! And I’m envious of all your tomatoes! Mine cooked on the vine when we hit 40 degrees +. Welcome back to the kitchen, and happy cooking xo
Thanks Liz. The vanilla is so good with the apricots. We lost a lot of tomatoes in the heat as well. Exactly the same thing, they all cooked. But we had a few bushes in partial shade so still got great crops off them.
I have never heard of Weck jars. You must explain what makes them special (I may need some:) You preserving looks great and I can see why you like that jug. It is very retro.
Glenda, Weck jars are the German preserving system. The same as the Fowlers system here and the Mason jars in the USA. What I love about them is that they are all glass (including the lid so you don’t have to keep replacing them) and they have small sizes which are ideal for things like salsa etc where you only want to open a small jar at a time. They are just starting to become more widely available, which is good.
You really did have a good January didn’t you. I love all your things especially your platters
I did do very well I must admit. Here’s hoping I can keep up the momentum 🙂
Love all your jars lined up. There’s nothing like a preserving session to make life feel good and even better when you reach for them later in the year.
I agree Anne. I get such a sense of satisfaction when I use something in the depths of winter.
Hi Tania! I’m still following your posts. You’re such a good writer, and I’m interested to see what you have been doing since the course completed.
Thanks Steph 🙂
I love the labels on your tomato relish and jam. My tomatoes are rather late this year.
Thanks Francesca. I have a label making programme that I have set up so I can quickly print off labels. Otherwise I never get around to labelling things and have no idea what they are 🙂
I love homemade jams and relish. I must learn how to make them one day.
They are actually relatively easy Gustoso. I would recommend that you start with relish rather than jam.
G’day Tania and thanks for making me chuckle re the excitement of making your own malt powder, true!
Don’t get me started on anything Thermomix too! lol
YUM re your homemade relish! Wish I could come through the screen and try!
Cheers! Thanks for this month’s In My Kitchen view! Joanne
You would not be alone Joanne in laughing at me 🙂 most people think I am mad making things that you can easily buy in a shop. I just love the satisfaction that accompanies the homemade.
There are some wonderful bargains at Ikea, aren’t there? That gorgeous jug for $3 is an absolute steal. And your mum is right about that Zyliss pizza cutter, we’ve had one for well over a decade, and it gets used all the time. Jamie’s book is grand, and LOVE all those glass jars! Do they seal well enough for preserving?
Ikea is a dangerous place indeed Celia. I always come out with more than I intended. Good to hear about the cutter. We will put it to the test properly when it’s cool enough to light the wood fired oven again. I am really enjoying Jamie’s book. I think each new one is better than the last. The Weck jars seal the same way as the Fowlers system. They have a rubber gasket that fits onto the lid, and then the lids are held in place with clips until they seal. I just didn’t put the gaskets and seals in the picture.
What a pretty collection of items from your kitchen! The pizza cutter looks awesome and I love those platters too.