Christmas is over - back to normal

In the words of John Lennon, "another year over and a new one just begun".  What's this year going to bring, I wonder?  Is there going to be a cure for Cancer? How about an end to famine and hunger? How about no child having to live in poverty?

For my part, I'll be doing my best to support the Global economy with my lust for books.  Any books.  Mysteries, crime, chiclit, penny dreadful's, cooking (particularly cooking).  You name it, I'm there.  To me, there's nothing like the smell of a bookshop.  There is a particular bookshop in Sydney, Dymock's (http://www.dymocks.com.au/), a gorgeous century old book shop, where just walking in the door is almost enough to make me cry.  I get instant sensory overload - sight (of all those stacks), sound (of all those pages turning), smell (oh, the wonder of the smell of ink and paper), touch (running my fingers along the spines of those glorious tomes) and taste (the coffee in the coffee adjacent coffee shop - not a stretch, it's really good coffee).  No trip to Sydney is ever complete for me without a visit and a purchase and, if I can swing it, I try to stay just around the corner from Dymocks so that I can pop in at a moments notice.

My last trip to Sydney netted a wonderful new cookbook entitled "The Country Cookbook" by one of my favourite Australian cook book authors, Belinda Jeffery (http://www.belindajeffery.com/).  Belinda's books are very accessible and she manages to marry warmhearted stories about her life and family with her easy, delectable recipes.  One of Belinda's superb, no fail recipes that I've made time and time again is "Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie".  I'm not kidding, you can have it hot, cold, as a canape with drinks etc. and it's just as good the next day.  Here is Belinda's fantastic recipe:

Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie



Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie





Fine polenta, for dusting the tin
700g zucchini (courgette) coarsely grated
5 x 60g eggs
½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 cup chopped chives
½ cup chopped dill or mint or basil
220g feta
150g freshly grated parmesan
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
mint leaves or sprigs, to serve

Preheat your oven to 180C. Butter a 22cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with buttered baking paper. Dust the tin with the polenta, tap out the excess, and set it aside.
Pile the grated zucchini into a large sieve or colander, sit a plate on top to weigh it down a little and leave to drain.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the oil, chives and dill, mint or basil and whisk them in.
Press down firmly on the plate over the zucchini to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Stir the grated zucchini into the egg mixture. Crumble in most of the feta (reserving a little for the top of the pie) along with the parmesan, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix it in until it is combined.  Spread the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the reserved feta over the top. Gently press the cherry tomato halves, cut side up, into the surface.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top of the pie is springy when pressed. To make sure the pie is cooked through, insert a fine knife into the centre and, if it comes out clean, it'd ready.
When it’s ready, take the pie out of the oven and cool it in the tin for 10 -15 minutes. If you’re feeling game you can just gently grasp the baking paper and lift the pie out of the tin onto a serving plate, then slide the paper out from underneath. Or, put a wire rack on top and invert the pie onto the rack. Peel away the paper, then sit your serving platter on top of the pie and invert it again onto this. Tidy up any straggly bits and brush the tomatoes with a little extra oil. Scatter some mint leaves or sprigs on top.
I think this is best eaten at room temperature when the flavour has had a chance to develop. Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for a couple of days. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Zucchinis (Courgettes) are not a particularly flavoursome vegetable but grow fairly prolifically and are relatively inexpensive to buy.  That makes this dish economical and, served with a salad, wholesome and nutritious as well.  The first time I made this Pie, I couldn't believe how interesting the flavour was.  I used a combination of mint and basil and it was very aromatic and the flavour really mellow.  On other occasions, I have varied the herbs and used what I had on hand.  If you visit Belinda's site, she has a link back to Amazon for the purchase of the book, I believe.  I do hope you find time to try this recipe, you won't be disappointed.

I'll end this blog with the way I started - with a quote - this time from Jim Davis, creator of the Garfield comic strip - "Vegetables are a must in a diet.  I suggest Carrot Cake, Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Pie"