An experiment: raw sunflower seed pate

Meh, is all i can say. It tatses like savoury peanut butter.

Ingredients:
sunflower seeds, soaked overnight in water
garlic, chopped
lemon juice
salt
tahini

Soak the seeds overnight, drain and then blitz everything together, adding hot water if it needs thinning. I have to say, it's nothing like pate. Or cheese. It was an experiment that wasn't worth repeating - why bother with substitutes? Just find something new...

Christine's tomato chicken

Thank you to wonderful Christine, whose amazing blog provides me with all of the Chinese recipes I could ever wish for. Screw Ken Hom and his hot wok!

This dish is what Christine calls chicken in tomato sauce and it's my dinner for tonight.

First, the chicken is marinated in the standard seasonings - soy, rice wine, sesame oil, cornflour. Then you chop/slice/dice some fresh tomatoes (I used 2 big tomatoes and about 6 cherry tomatoes) and mince some garlic.

Fry the chicken, set aside. Fry the garlic, add the tomatoes, stir fry until soft. Then add the chicken back in, add a tablespoon of tomato sauce or tomato paste mixed with a half cup of water and a bit of sugar and stir it all about.

Add some thickening (1tsp cornflour with water/soy) and stir a bit more.

It was pretty amazing - thanks, Christine!

Silverbeet

So, who knew that silver beet/rainbow chard could be so hardy? Everybody except me, I suspect.

After forcing my poor mother to create a gigantic organic veggie garden purely for my own gluttonous desires, I am now enjoying a "glut" (haha) of rainbow chard/silver beet.

Which is, contrary to my memories, quite delicious. I seem to remember it being tough and grainy, but instead, the leaves are silky smooth and the stalks are delicious, nutty and crisp.

I've been using it up in various ways over the last 3 weeks, but the most popular way has been to steam the leaves with a touch of nutmeg, and make a gratin of the stems.

It's a Stephanie Alexander recipe from her Cook's Companion book. Basically, you separate the leaves from the stems. You slice the stems up, blanch for 10 mins in boiling water, then drain and place in a gratin dish. You boil a cup of cream in a small saucepan, then turn the heat off and stir in 50-100g of cheese (I've tried it with blue cheese - the original recipe and with parmesan. I think I preferred the parmesan).

Top it with breadcrumbs and a spray of oil and bake for about 30 mins in a hot oven. It is delicious and nobody knows what it is until you tell them!