CallMeIshbel | Cooking, travelling and the art of being

Panforte

1 day ago by ishbel

This traditional Italian sweet treat is a combination of flavours synonymous with Christmas, If carefully wrapped and stored, panforte has a long shelf life so you could start getting ready now. My plant-based version uses a spiced buckwheat m...

Sorrel Crêpes with Asparagus

2 weeks ago by ishbel

With such a short growing season Asparagus deserves to be treated well. If you are unfamiliar with "Compleat" eating or "root to shoot", the idea is to eat all edible parts of produce. What better way to appreciate Asparagus than using the (often discard...

Preserving Lemons

1 month ago by ishbel

Lemon juice is probably the most common form of acid I use in recipes. While I may have to buy bottled juice when they are out of season, I also regularly use the zest, it imparts a lemony flavour without the sourness. Throughout the winter our tree supplied u...

Plant-Based Crêpes Suzette

2 months ago by ishbel

It's citrus season in the Southern Hemisphere; and although I have to admit(embarrassingly) until I cared for my own lemon tree I had never really thought of citrus as a winter and spring fruit. We now have a lemon tree which my husband and I...

Plant-Based Kuku

2 months ago by ishbel

This plant-based kuku is a combination of a savoury eggless mixture that binds together layers of seasoned potato, caramelised red onions and roasted smoky paprika chickpeas to make a tasty baked dish. It's my plant-based version of Persian kuku sabzamini,...

Cashew and Carrot Greens Pesto

2 months ago by ishbel

This is the first year we're successfully growing our own carrots. We built a trough out of pallets and fitted a mini polytunnel over the top of it. I planted 2 whole packets of seeds...all of them! Because we hadn't had any significant success in the past, I ...

Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Salsa Verde

3 months ago by ishbel

I vividly remember when I first found a mixed coloured bunch of carrots, it made my day! The flavour difference between the colours is subtle. Having the tops still attached means you can see how fresh they really are. Roasted carrots with carrot top...

Kawakawa Tea Cakes

4 months ago by ishbel

The definition of teacakes varies between countries, a yeasted sweet bun in the UK or a small cake eaten with tea is the US, my little cakes are glazed with a kawakawa tea syrup, hence the name. Kawakawa (Piper excelsum) is a New Zealand native plant t...

Wild Green Pie

5 months ago by ishbel

I have a vivid childhood memory of watching an episode of a food programme where women with headscarves and aprons plucked wild greens from hillsides and carried them back to their homes in woven baskets. They were making hortopita or wild green pie. At the ti...

Kumara Steaks with Harissa Cauliflower & Turtle Bean Hummus

7 months ago by ishbel

Kumara Steaks with Harissa Cauliflower & Turtle Bean Hummus Serves 4 – 6 people Most people are aware of the saying “you eat with your eyes”, these ingredients could be chopped up and stewed together in a one-pot for a meal, or with very little ...