Spring Garden Food

The third week of Spring and the garden is already giving generously to the table. Stretching its wintry arms and puffing out its chest as the seedlings begin to emerge from the still chilly soil.

Months ago I brutally ripped out the massive rhubarb from the back yard, sliced it into small dishevelled portions and optimistically threw them into pots full of mediocre potting mix. All of them have grown and now I ponder how many to hold onto. They are already presenting long red glossy stems – perfect for a sweet and tart crumble.

Ready for harvest in the kitchen garden are two spinach varieties, spring onions, mizuna and broccoli that allows me to nip off the tender bunches when needed in the kitchen. The mizuna is a wonderful surprise and a welcome, dare I say better, replacement for lettuce. Tossed with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, this green is delicious. Add some home baked croutons, Parmesan, finely sliced apple and a handful of walnuts, it becomes worthy of a centre table spread.

The herbs are steadfast. Already there is an abundance of thyme, oregano, Italian and English parsley, garlic and onion chives, sage, coriander, Thai basil and camomile. As a young girl I learnt the benefits of using herbs both as medicinal and culinary wonders. Chewing coriander root or seeds helps with indigestion, parsley tampers down garlic, oregano sweetens tomato and thyme marries beautifully with mushrooms, lemon and garlic. A fantastic risotto recipe to follow another time.

A handful of roughly chopped parsley with minced garlic, olive oil, salt, cracked pepper, a teaspoon of my ultra hot chilli sauce, a dash of lemon juice and a few drops of maple syrup make for a fresh and delicious vegetarian pasta that I often turn to when I am hungry from a day of pulling weeds, pruning or digging. 

I am learning about coriander; it’s idiosyncratic behaviour and weather preferences. For years I assumed, because it is so often included in Asian dishes, that it would prefer the heat. Years of watching it bolt within weeks of planting had put it in the ‘too hard basket’ but I feel I am beginning to understand it a little more. I planted seeds and seedlings in winter, with some in raised garden beds and others in pots. The pots are doing the best. Growing up and out with healthy green aromatic leaves. I will throw more seeds out in the coming days to ensure an ongoing supply.

Another quick and dirty dish, when the tummy is grumbling and it’s a little chilly outside is 10 minute noodle soup. Bowl up some quick cooking noodles in one pan with a tablespoon of stock powder, while throwing oil, garlic, ginger, garlic chives, spring onions and spinach stems into a small wok. Cook it on a relatively high heat and keep tossing the greens around until the noodles are cooked. Spoon the wok mixture into the noodles, add a good glug of fish sauce to taste and then a teaspoon or more of your favourite chilli sauce. Roughly chopped coriander can be thrown into the pot now and more on serving, along with some finely chopped spring onions.  A drizzle of sesame oil adds another level of depth to this soup and if you are feeling nostalgic for the steamy pungent streets of Bangkok, you can top it with a fried egg. This is simple and worth the additional effort. 

Choose your smallest pot, add about ¼ to ½ cup of sunflower or other such oil, not olive, and when it is really hot, gently plop in a freshly cracked egg. It will pop and sizzle, but it’s worth it as it puffs up within seconds. It’s an absolute delight. Treat it gently and only let it cook for 1 minute to leave a running yolk. Pop the egg on top of the noodle soup, surrounded by the coriander, spring onions and salty noodle soup. Poke your chopsticks through the egg to allow the yolks sauce to combine with the soup.

Bloody delicious and a much repeated recipe. Add any other veggies you like and remember to taste along the way to get the salty, spicy, sweet balance. Experiment with what is in season and make it your own.

See you soon in the garden x