Saturday LIVERS

We came in from shopping and found our toes again, they had gone bitingly numb from the frozen ground and had chicken, lentil and vegetable soup with dark crusty bread; prepared from last nights leftovers.

Our shopping, included one whole rabbit, a few handfuls of tight chicken livers, already cleaned! Like I said, “Love the butchers here”. Livers were for dinner, I usually like a touch of sherry vinegar for livers, but I used a touch of honey instead, which did wonders with the fresh thyme. Finishing them with lemon was a masterstroke, the acid lifted the richness. The lemon accent is actually reminiscent of the first and best liver dish I ever had, sauté chicken livers with lemon, rosemary and polenta, in an institutional Italian Restaurant when I was about 15... It changed my life! My waiter way back then, became one of Adelaide’s most famous successful Restaurateurs.

At the organic market that day we filled a broken basket with a mixture of veg. I had told the girls to pick out two veggies each that they liked. Hoping to inspire more variety in the diet and create more of a chef challenge atmosphere for myself. As if cooking on a budget with no oven was not enough of a challenge!

I noticed that everything is available all year here, same as at home really. You really have to know how and when certain things grow and ripen to know what is in season. The price will also give you some indication. Anything disturbingly expensive is more than likely out of season locally or imported, or grown in manipulated circumstances, i.e., in environs with chemicals.

The climate is another of my challenges, winters are harsh here, sparing defined choices. I am wondering where all the lettuce comes from, glass houses? I like to stick with radicchio and the entire endive family, being winter hardy, actually having flavour, tinged with bitterness, it lets you know you are alive, "Bitterness". A sure cure for a sugar palate, providing contrasting edginess.