After six weeks of travelling, it takes a while to adjust to the rhythm of cooking your own meals, let alone all those other tedious tasks, such as bed making and house cleaning. Where are those fairies who come and clean up? Home cooking routines return more quickly; after all, we do need to eat at least twice a day. After purchasing one packet of inedible bread, the sourdough starter was revived and our breads are back on the table, using a variation of this recipe. I dehydrated my sourdough starter (Celia’s method can be found here) back in July, but then discovered that one very kind sir kept my fridge dwelling starter, Sorella, alive, replenishing her each week while visiting to feed my other animals.
Home made food tastes glorious, modest yet satisfying and comforting, filling that yearning for more olive oil and cheese that is missing in most Asian diets. And then there’s the wine- beautiful Australian and New Zealand wines at an affordable price. The Spring garden is neglected, with only leeks, celery and herbs ready for picking, while our hens keep pumping out eggs, now far too many for our own needs. It is with these modest supplies and a well stocked pantry of basics ( lentils, rice, pasta, dried beans, olive oil, cheese) that we can eat well for very little.
My budget dishes this week included a Flamiche, a leek based quiche, enabling me to make a dent in the leek and egg bounty. A leek and potato Vichyssoise for the export market (my mother), a lentil shepherd’s pie with Kumara mash, (my $1 per person comfort food), a salad of baked pumpkin with haloumi, the pumpkins left over from last Autumn’s harvest screaming to be used. Haloumi can be picked up in 1 kilo jars at Bas foods for around $10, another pantry/fridge essential for a quick salad. A purchase of 400 grs of Dory fish fillets was stretched over three meals: 200 gr went into a Vietnamese caramel claypot, (still trying to perfect this method of cooking), 100 gr accompanied some fresh mussels in a Pasta Marinara, and the last 100gr added more flavour to a Balinese nasi goreng ikan.
Haloumi and Pumpkin Salad
- a generous chunk of Kent pumpkin, cut into 5 cm cubes
- haloumi cheese
- olive oil
- salad leaves
- 1 small cucumber
- EV olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
- Toss the pumpkin cubes in a little olive oil, season, then bake for around 20 minutes, stirring or turning over once during cooking. I often bake extra to stash in the fridge for a pumpkin risotto or a pumpkin and caramelised onion pasta or topping for a foccaccia. Cool the pumpkin.
- Cut the Haloumi into strips and fry in olive oil until golden on both sides.
- Refresh chosen salad leaves and dry. Cut the cucumber into long thin edges. Toss the leaves and cucumber in a bowl with salt flakes, a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Plate the leaves, cover with baked pumpkin cubes, and haloumi strips. Add ground pepper and another drizzle of oil.
Haloumi and baked pumpkin salad
Nasi Goreng Ikan ( Fried rice with fish, Indonesian style)
I became quite fond of this simple dish and ordered it often in a little Balinese Warung by the sea. My version includes some sliced fresh turmeric, as I believe all the healthy hype surrounding this little tuber, despite my general cynicism regarding supposed ‘superfoods’. The Balinese always colour their seafood nasi with red, simply using tomato ketchup from a bottle. I used some bottled tomato passata. The choice is yours- use what’s on hand.
Nasi Goreng Ikan Recipe- serves 2-3.
Ingredients
- left over steamed white rice, cooled. (one cup of uncooked rice will make a large nasi goreng for two or three)
- a little neutral flavoured oil, not olive oil
- one fish fillet (100g or so) of boneless fish, for example Dory, chopped into small 2 cm chunks.
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 2 small purple shallots, chopped.
- a small finger of fresh turmeric, scrubbed, finely sliced or grated
- a small knob of ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 2 small kaffir lime leaves, centre vein removed, shredded
- 1/2 red capsicum, finely sliced or 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1 small birds eye chilli, finely sliced (optional)
- some greens, for example, 1 cup of finely shredded cabbage or wombok
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tbs tomato passata or tomato ketchup
- 1 Tbs ketchap manis
- lime wedges to serve
- Heat the wok on a strong, high gas flame, add two or so dessertspoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the aromatics- garlic, ginger, shallot, turmeric, chilli, and kaffir leaves. Stir and toss for 30 seconds.
- Add the fish, toss about until opaque, then add the capsicum and cabbage.
- Add the rice, breaking up large clumps with your hands, then stir fry the rice through the vegetables, tossing well as you go and colouring all the rice.
- Add the sauces, toss further, then season with pepper.
- Serve with lime wedges.
A nasi goreng has a wetter, denser consistency than its Chinese cousins.
Thanks Peter, from Tropical Bliss B & B, for the delivery of fresh turmeric from your northern paradise.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Welcome home Francesca, I think I have enjoyed your travels as much as you did. It has been freezing here in Perth and it was great to see the tropical weather, even if it was from a distance. 🙂
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I am so pleased it warmed up your days. Now lets hope we get some lovely Spring weather soon.
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Hope your slowly easing into domestic life. Wow, your photos have a really vibrant pop. The pumpkin and haloumi salad is very enticing combo, one for me to try
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Fortunately it rained for a week, so the garden could be put off for a bit. The easing back into cooking began with day 1 of our return – a birthday party for 15, before my daughter headed up to the Whitsundays. How did we become 15? And when did the grandchildren become so hungry? It was a rude shock.
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This looks like delicious, vibrant home made food Francesca. Fresh turmeric is something I very rarely see.
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I like the earthy taste it adds to dishes. If you do get hold of some Jane, shove it in the freezer.
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Such inspiration will be a Godsend when we get home… but we like to eat cheap & fresh… or vice versa… anyway. Yesterday the G.O. ate soup with leek in it… there’s no going back for him now 😜
Thnx for the tip that fresh tumeric can be frozen… I’m so happy when we have it and fresh ginger. I planted both before we left… fingers crossed for success. Love adding fresh tumeric to scrambled eggs, and to noodles, stir fry etc.
And I’ll look for the 1 kg jar haloumi… too much cheese is never enough IMHO 🧀
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yeah, welcome to the world of Leek Wayne. Such a fine addition to any soup. I hope your turmeric is thriving when you get back home.
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Home again – sometimes it takes a while for the fog of reentry to wear off. Hope you are adjusting, though it sounds like it. We just got home and one of the first things I did was get a loaf of sourdough out of the freezer. (Laundry slated for tomorrow.) I also had someone feeding my pet starter while we were away. Am looking forward to pumpkin season and your salad with haloumi looks delicous, but this Nasi Goreng sounds fabulous. Will need to source fresh turmeric and perhaps modify a few things, but will give it a go. Very mouthwatering just reading your post.
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The Indonesians do’t toss things too madly when cooking rice but tend to fold the things through on high heat. The turmeric adds a deep earthy note to the base flavourings. I added kaffir lime leaves because I have them growing but these are not added in simpler versions. Kecap Manis is a thick sweet soy sauce, used throughout Indonesia but normal soy could be substituted if you can’t get it in Greece. Any vegetables can be used along the way- grated carrot, spring onions etc. They never add egg through the rice when doing a seafood version.The tomato bit colours it nicely.
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If I can’t find fresh turmeric here in Greece, I certainly can in the UK. Will be back there for a week later in October, although it is a long time to wait to make this. Did I read right that you can freeze the fresh tuber? I do this with ginger.
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Bentornata signora. Six weeks! I haven’t had a six week holiday for, well, a very long time. Pre-children, pre-marriage come to think of it. Your bread looks amazing, I wanted to grab it out of the screen and break the crust.
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It went deliciously slowly. We have come back to a place that needs a lot of work. One must pay!
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I love both of these recipes! I’ve never mixed squash and cucumber before – an interesting combination! Welcome home!
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Thanks Mimi. Any salad items would work well as the base- perhaps not tomatoes. The haloumi is salty so provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the baked pumpkin.
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Peter adores nasi goreng, so I will be giving your recipe a try, Francesca. x
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Thanks Liz. Oh and I hear you will be hosting In My Kitchen Monthly. That is very good news.
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Wonderful recipes F! And welcome home .. 6 weeks wow! I wish .. 😃 I too have pumpkin screaming to be used so this recipe with haloumi will be perfect! And I feel a Nasi Goreng coming on .. Cheers Miss
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Delicious looking and sounding recipes to inspire my return home tomorrow. We have been in Sydney for a few days. I don’t know how you do it, I would have a nervous breakdown cooking for 15! Haven’t done that in many years. xx
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That’s my family now, Five of us, three ring ins, six grandchildren and a boyfriend. Its all pretty basic tucker. Two kilos of flathead- they all love fish, a big salad, a huge tray of roast potatoes and pumpkin- and maybe a pasta or rice dish. Or a pizza night. We keep it all pretty simple, given the ages and general chaos.
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