I haven’t been making anything too profound the past few weeks. I’ve made curry, risotto, pasta, pizza… I’ve been eating a lot of fish and fresh veggies (delivered by Home Grown Organic Foods). Nothing really of interest to blog about.

Last night I made a pizza topped with tuna, artichoke hearts and fresh mozzarella. I topped it off with a handful of arugula that came in my weekly vegetable box. It was absolutely perfect, and exactly what I needed.

Stay tuned for later this week, when I attempt to cook octopus…

Last night, I wanted something lemony and sweet for dessert. After playing around with Clotilde’s recipe, I came up with the following. I really love the addition of the whole wheat flour, and the fact that you don’t need more than a wooden spoon to whip it up.

2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
zest and juice of one lemon
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar and oil until smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then add the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into a greased 9×9 cake pan.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

I’m trying to get more vegetables into my life. I’ve joined Home Grown Organic Foods, so for the next month, I’ll be getting boxes of fresh, organic veggies delivered to my house every two weeks. I’m starting to wish I’d done this sooner, but at least I’ll get to enjoy it for a little while before I leave Halifax.

To use up the end of a cucumber, I decided to make some quick pickles. I’ve written about this before, but classed it as a salad. Tossing the cukes in a jar works wonderfully, as you can save the vinegar and re-use it for another batch. Great stuff, and definitely healthier than bought pickles.

cucumber slices
vinegar
salt & pepper

Toss all of the ingredients into a glass jar.
Close up the jar, give it a shake, and put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Notes:
You can include fresh dill - I just didn’t have any on hand.
These should be eaten in the first day or two, otherwise they tend to get too sour and mushy.

I’ve been seeing this bread pop up on various food blogs over the past few weeks, and wanted to give it a try. To make it my own, I’ve subbed in a bit of whole wheat flour, which gives the bread a deeper, nuttier flavour.

2 3/4 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
Starting with just 1 1/2 cups, mix in the buttermilk. Add more as needed, without letting the dough get too sticky.
Knead the bread lightly until it forms a smooth(ish) ball.
Lightly grease a baking sheet, toss on the dough, flatten it out to about 2 inches high and cut a deep cross in the top with a sharp knife.
Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F, then turn the oven down to 400°F and bake the bread for another 20-30 minutes. It’s done when you tap the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow.

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