Empty that fridge

It is one week until we depart Chicago. It is beginning to sink in at last. WHERE HAS THAT TIME GONE! Now we have to do those mundane but necessary things like empty the refrigerator and work out what we eat/throw/donate... As someone that hates wasting food, I will have to use a little ingenuity.

The first item for tonight's dinner 'hit list' was a white eggplant the boys chose at a recent farmers markets. I think they loved the way it looked (as Master 5 is not a great fan of *eating* eggplant). I also had abundant coriander, basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella from last weeks market, some parsley and a pound of frozen ground lamb from Mint Creek Farm.

I decided that the eggplant would be turned into a baba ghanoush. This would also help to finish our tahini, drain a bottle of olive oil and use up a lemon. The coriander and lamb would make great meatballs and I could use the tomato, basil and mozzarella in a simple salad dressed with salt and olive oil. I thought this might look a little lonely on the plate so I opened a tin of garbanzo beans (chick peas) and dressed these with some chopped parsley, olive oil, salt and lemon juice.

BABA GHANOUSH

Ingredients:

Eggplant - medium to large (white is less bitter)

1 clove garlic

salt

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

juice of half lemon

olive oil

2 tblsp tahini

Method:

Using tongs, turn eggplant in flame on gas stovetop to char surface. If not quite cooked, zap in microwave for a minute (alternatively, rub with olive oil and roast in an oven). Peel the charred skin off then press out bitter juices in a colander. Using a stick mixer, blend with pinch of salt, chopped garlic and tahini. Add lemon juice and olive oil to taste. Stir through parsley. Alternatively just mash all ingredients with a fork if a chunkier consistency is desired.

MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB MEATBALLS

Ingredients:

1 pound (500g) ground lamb

pinch salt

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground allspice

1 cup coarsely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

olive oil

Method:

Blend onion, spices and coriander in a food processor. Add lamb and process until smooth. Shape into small balls or wrap around a wooden skewer (soaked in water for 30 mins). Fry in small amount of olive oil until brown and cooked through (or grill or broil kebabs on sticks). Drain on paper towel.

These recipes were adapted from The Cooks Companion by Stephanie Alexander. The absolutely brilliant tome and ONLY cookbook I will ever truly need.

The kids LOVE chick peas (garbanzo beans*) so I always have a tin handy. A great source of protein and fiber, these can quickly be turned into a hummus or simple salad or curry. The kids will eat a whole tin between them if I don't rescue them quickly enough.

This was a very successful meal with Master 3 and Little Miss 11 months eating everything without complaint. Master 5 brought up his aversion to eggplant, but insistence that it was really like 'Hummus' from Master 3, helped persuade him to finish his dinner.

* Master 5 once misheard and thought these were called Rapunzel beans - so we often call them by this name :-)

What to do with abundant corn and coriander?

Recent trips to the farmers markets have left us with a fridge full of corn and coriander (cilantro). I was wondering what to cook for the kids dinner and remembered that my brother's partner Amanda*, a committed vegetarian, used to make great corn cakes. I dug out the recipe and set to work...

AMANDA'S CORN CAKES

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 to 5 corn cobs)

1 small red onion, chopped

2 eggs

1/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro (including stems and leaves)

1 cup plain flour

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 tbs peanut oil

Method:

In a food processor, place 2 cups of the corn kernels, onion, eggs, coriander and flour. Process until combined.

Stir in remaining corn kernels and season to taste.

Heat peanut oil in in non-stick pan over medium-high heat. In batches, drop heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and cook for approximately 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towel once browned both sides.

Variations:

I used olive oil instead of peanut oil. I used a brown onion as I didn't have any red onions. I used more coriander than specified. I used a soupspoon to drop the batter into the oil.

Amanda served these with a chili sauce (1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 tbl fish sauce).

Little Miss 11 month was happy to eat the corn cakes, but the boys were not so enraptured (preferring the honey-glazed chicken I served them with). Interest did peak however, with the addition of tomato sauce (ketchup).

I think these corn cakes would be great as a brunch item served with some crisp bacon and perhaps a creamy but spicy tomato sauce. They would also make a fantastic appetizer if made teaspoonful size and topped with a hearty guacamole, pico de gallo or perhaps a mango/avocado/chili salsa.

I'm not too sure where this recipe came from, but I guess the absolutely brilliant Australian delicious magazine, or perhaps Good Taste.

*Our whole family fondly remembers, and misses Amanda. Amanda was a beautiful soul who succumbed to a nasty and virulent melanoma cancer... way before her time.