How fortunate we are to be in the country. We are enjoying simple pleasures while we work from home, keeping in touch with family and friends via the email. I have been busy storing vegetables from the garden and making a range of pesto's.
I have also been revisiting some recipes from the many recipe books in my library. It is amazing how quickly we forget about some old favourites. As I have been able to source bread flour and yeast I am also making bread. 

I thought I would add some comfort food for hungry mouths at home,

Potato, ricotta & bacon terrine
Boil 600g peeled potatoes until "al dente" then grate
crisp 250gm bacon pieces
Combine:
  grated potato, bacon pieces
  1kg ricotta
  a good pinch of thyme
  1/2 cup parmesan
  3 eggs beaten, salt, pepper
Place into 10 x 30cm cake tin or terrine (lined with baking paper)
Bake 25-30 mins at 180 degrees until quite firm.
Cool in tin & refrigerate until very firm.
Remove and cut into thick slices. Grill until golden on greased slide

Parsley pesto
2 cups parsley (trimmed and washed)
1/2 cup walnuts
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup parmesan
2 cloves garlic
pinch salt
Place all in kitchen whiz until well combined.
Store in mini zip lock bags and freeze. 



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The potage garden after a late start (frost in late Nov.) is looking good with tomatoes, beans, eggplant, capsicum, melons, zucchini, corn, edamame (what the guineas left anyway!!), plus the usual round of weeds. The birds are enjoying the sunflowers and we are daily harvesting zucchini and eggplants. 

In spite of the fires and smoke the Festival was a wonderful success with some wonderful people on hand to assist. Special thanks to our presenters, the Lachlan Valley Caravan Club and all volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the weekend such a success. $380.00 was collected for the RFS. 

Our first workshop for the year is Feb 14th with Leanne making rusty wire bulrushes. Contact by email for information.