In recent days, the weather in Sydney has taken a turn for the sour and sobering, with great, soppy and soggy clouds releasing their pent up energy in great bursts of rain and thunder. Traffic has become more congested, shopping centres have become havens for huddling and windowshopping in mass proportions (moreso than usual, of course) and many are choosing to retreat to their homes and preferring the icy mantle of cold floorboards and kitchen tiles to the nippy winds, sodden socks and rugged-up approach to arriving at work. There is also increasingly grim news about the “global financial crisis” that has many holding onto their wallets and piling into their bank accounts, as opposed to our usual methods of indulging in all the culinary world has to offer. But even in uncertain times, we can rest assured that the most solid asset that will always guarantee ‘healthy’ returns is the investment in our health, and in the health of ourselves we must be nourished with the recipes of food that are simple but balanced, prepared with a degree of finesse but consumed with a voracious hunger for proper nourishment.
Strangely, amid even these horrid but fluctuating patterns of wind and rain, a few punctuated moments of intense sunshine are enough to inspire many suburban to awaken the fiery pits of their barbeque – which, to this point, had probably been the home to all matter of wildlife – and load up the chiller with Coopers and Chardonnay, pull down the backyard awning, set up the hardwood deck and purchase a few kilos of snags for sangas and a subtle bribe to family and friends of the promise of good cheer and good company. My family took to the deck and decided to revel in what fleeting sunshine remains and here we document the results of a warm get-together and the passing of divine secrets and techniques between the generations.
It amazes me to no end to watch as my grandmother is able to slice and core vegetables, peel and slice garlic cloves and prepare herbs with a small pairing knife and the calloused orb of her thumb, all the while hovering over a sink and discussing the price of produce. Of course, we are not in competition with each other, but even with basic training under a chef in a short course, I couldn’t match the speed and dexterity that she invests in preparing. Still, it was amazing to see what we pulled together as a unit, not as a disparate function.
To that end, I am no exception to this rule – as perhaps substantiated by my long period of absence on WTSP – as I attempting to find some solace in the abrupt Getting all the family together for a simple but fantastic lunch is often as rare an occassion as finding hen’s teeth. A classic return to this wonderfully effective and delicious recipe quickly turned the tables and filled them at the same time. The word must have spread quickly and evenly throughout the extended family, many of whom also made a debut entrance after many months or even years, of absolute reticence.
It can be safely said that my family has a mantra about meat that has been a guiding philosophy for as long as I can remember: if it’s not in a marinade or covered by one, it’s simply not wholesome. I took the initiative to discover just what this meant not too long ago, and I was very surprised to see how versatile a few fruits and seasonings could be in creating a myriad of different flavours and suiting bases for dishes; while too numerous to cover here, in this simple post, I thought to draw your attention to the most popular and effective one with a lemon base.
INGREDIENTS
700g chicken breast fillet, finely sliced
70mL pure olive oil
6 cloves garlic, diced
splash vinegar (preferably grape or Balsamic)
3 large partially ripened Roma tomatoes, finely diced
bunch parsley, chopped
several large basil leaves, ripped
oregano, black pepper and salt
cumin, paprika sprinkled
(Optional) lemon juice and mint yoghurt for garnish
Dear Jordan,
Thanks for your recent visit! When the mercury rises in your part of town and you feel inclined to give this recipe a try, please drop by again and let me know how it turned out… I’d love to know :)
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that looks glorious, being in the midwest right now, bbq’ing isn’t really on the list, but i’ll file this one away until it warms up outside, thanks for the recipe.