Happy New Year! It’s been a while since I have had much going on in my kitchen. With my course consuming the latter part of the year, followed by a very quiet Christmas, there has not been a lot to get excited about. Thankfully I have begun to sense a change in this situation.
Late last year I met the delightful Glenda of Passion Fruit Garden. She was looking for vinegar mothers and I had some languishing in the back of my cupboard I was willing to share. Glenda arrived bearing this lovely bottle of her homemade olive oil, as well as a jar of her homemade capers. I had read about these delights on her blog so was overjoyed to be a lucky recipient. Capers are well loved in our house, and some will be finding their way into our faithful pasta recipe. Thank you again Glenda.
My wonderful friend Jenny also visited us just before Christmas, bringing with her these Herbie’s Spices. I am a huge fan of Herbie’s, and apparently the storefront is located just around the corner from Jen. I see a visit to Sydney in my near future. The pepper is not yet available in WA, so I am looking forward to putting it in my spice mill.
We have just returned from a week in Bali and I made sure I got in at least one visit to a supermarket. I could not resist this organic coconut sugar, which costs a small fortune in Australia but was extremely cheap in Bali. I use quite a lot in baking, so unfortunately it won’t go far.
Mr Grumpy and The Princess went on a cycling tour whilst in Bali, visiting local spice, tea, cocoa and coffee plantations along the route. They came back with this small packet of cocoa powder for me. Mr Grumpy was quite taken by the hibiscus tea at the plantation, so we picked up some flowers during our supermarket shop to try at home.
I couldn’t leave Bali without tracking down some vanilla pods. After some excellent bargaining by my friend Matt, I came home with a large bundle. Some will go to friends, some into homemade vanilla extract and the rest will be used through the year in all sorts of wonderful things.
We returned home to a bumper tomato harvest. This is the pile that remains after tomato salad, tomato pasta and tomato sandwiches. Not to mention the ones still ripening on the vines. Tomato tart will also be featuring at some point on this week’s menu.
Thank you to the lovely Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this monthly series. Don’t forget to visit Celia’s blog to see what is going on in other kitchens around the world.
The produce from Bali is exciting. I see this stuff annually when I go there. Tell me, did you have any problems getting it through customs in Australia?
Absolutely no problems at all. Actually the customs officers were quite dismissive when I told them it was vanilla. They didn’t even check it. I now bring loads of stuff back. I just never buy anything I am not prepared to loose. Check out my other IMK posts to see lots of other stuff I have managed to bring back in, then buy up big when next there 🙂
Wow those vanilla pods and tomatoes look just gorgeous!
Thanks. We’ve had quite a good tomato crop this year and have managed to keep them away from the rats 🙂
That is the motherload of vanilla pods! It never occurred to me to look for them there but coincidentally, I too bought up big on the coconut and palm sugar. Great minds think alike : )
There were actually bigger bundles but this one will do me 🙂 Bali actually produces quite a lot of vanilla but you need to look in the local markets for bundles this size. I bought mine in Ubud. I have had trouble finding larger amounts elsewhere.
Hi Tania, I never thought of getting vanilla in Bali either. Though, I am not in need of any, I bought over 100 in Sydney the last time I was there. I have vacuum sealed them and put them in my freezer.
My friend Matt discovered the vanilla source in Bali a few years ago, but I noticed this time they are starting to appear in the shops in small packets as tourist items, along with other spices. I do the same thing with my pods 🙂 I have a few left from Matt’s last trip but will add this lot to them. Best way to keep them soft I think.
Tania, look at all those vanilla pods! How cool is that! I adore Herbie’s Spices – their shop isn’t far away from us, so let me know if you ever make it to Sydney and I’ll try to meet you there to spend some money! I’ve been going there since it opened, it’s absolutely wonderful (there’s a post on the shop on my Sydney page if you’re interested). Glenda is absolutely gorgeous, isn’t she? How lucky you are to have some of her home-pressed oil! By the same token though, I know she was completely stoked to have some of your vinegar mother! 🙂
Oooh Celia. Double the reason to come to Sydney 🙂 Will go check out your post. Glenda is wonderful. I could chat to her for hours. I consider myself extremely privileged to have some of her oil. It is glorious stuff. I was happy to pass on the mothers. Glad to see something happening with them.
I now want to go to Bali… Purely to bring back a stash of vanilla pods!!
Oh, everyone is peagreen about that bunch of vanilla pods! How wonderful to have!! Now, I live 100 km south of Sydney and don’t get to town too often. Have also loved Herbies forever and get their regular newsletter sent here to take to bed with a pencil to tick, tick and tick 🙂 !!! There is absolutely no problem with their phone deliveries ~ have used that many a time with wonderful sales help from the other side. Also their online service works just fine ~ it’s just that you get immediate answers to your Qs on the phone!!
Tania, your Lemon Tuna Pasta recipe sounds wonderful! (Thanks for the link.) It was fun seeing what was in your kitchen — especially that stash of vanilla pods! — and a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes sounded like the perfect “welcome home” after your travels. Happy New Year!
Tania- yes, I agree- the pile of vanilla beans is a total triumph and the queen of your post- although those tomatoes look magnificent!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Heidiannie. The tomatoes are appearing faster than we can eat them at the moment. But they are beautiful. Nothing quite like homegrown.
Lovely things and super impressed with the vanilla – can’t believe you got it through customs ;D Best wishes for a very happy new year!
Also impressed with the vanilla. I’ve brought loads of food home from overseas jaunts too, but didn’t think of looking for vanilla. Great idea. We had a bumper tomato crop too – need to plant some more as they have all been eaten 🙁
G’day Tania! Love your vanilla pods and can almost smell your tomatoes too!
Thanks also for this month’s kitchen view!
Cheers! Joanne
Every kitchen needs a big bundle of vanilla beans, don’t you think?! Lovely haul of goodies you have here… happy new year and happy cooking : )