From Spade to Plate: 19th June Meditaranean heat 32 degrees

HOT, HOT, HOT 32 degrees

A little before 11, June arrived and went to her favourite corner chair. Fan on and glass of elderflower cordial. What bliss!

Then on the dot Sangjo, Sun, Ga, Kuyung, Hyungi joined us.
After a cooling glass of water, we started the harvest.
We mostly worked in the shade, however, we needed to spend a little time harvesting before we could eat.

First we harvested the onions and the garlic to make Caponata, a Sicilian dish to go with this hot weather.

The garlic we harvested  has to dry before we can use it to store, I harvested some last week which are now ready to braid. With a rolling pin we flattened the stalks as they are then easier to handle. We cut off the roots and rub off the skins  to reveal a lovely white and pink clean bulb. Ready for braiding.

With the skins, roots and 2 garlic cloves we will make a pesticide against black and green aphids as the runner beans are badly effected this year.

After harvesting the garlic and onions,  we sowed french beans, Faraday, in the empty area which should be ready later this summer.

Whilst the girls were braiding, June started with the tomato sauce, the cooking went like a well oiled machine. Once the braid was done, the group come inside to make the caponata.
The baguette was cut, table set and together we enjoyed this tasty summer dish.

Before we left, we picked some lavender to make some lavender sugar
so that in a few weeks' time we can make some.lavender shortbread in the weeks to come, we harvest some lavender and make some
For lunch with a baguette we ate

Augergine Caponata

½ cup of olive oil

1 large onion chopped

3 table spoons of pine nuts

3 tbsp raisins
2 celery stalks

1 tbsp chili flakes

1 aubergine

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp thyme

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

chopped mint

Tomato sauce

¼ olive oil

1 onion diced

4 garlic cloves

1 carrot finely grated

3 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tblsp dried

1 can chopped tomatoes

Directions

In a larch sauté pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, pine nuts, raisins, and chili flakes and sauté for 4 minutes.

Add the aubergine,  sugar, cinnamon, cocoa cook for 5 minutes.

Add thyme, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Bring mixture to the boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

For the Tomato sauce

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil then add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown. (about 8 minutes)AA

Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 more minutes until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and bring to boil, stir often. Simmer for 30 minutes until thick.  Season with salt and serve.


The thyme and mint stalks we put in water in the hope that they would root, so that we can plant them in the garden in a few weeks' time.