In my kitchen this June, a rich buttery short crust pastry to line one of my favorite tart tins with. The rectangular shape makes a nice change from the usual round tart tins and as you can see, used many times. And of course, one of my baking essentials… a wooden rolling-pin.
On a recent trip abroad brought some goodies back with me, a hard cheese called Belper Knolle made with raw milk, matured with garlic and covered with black pepper. Thought I would buy the handy wooden cheese shaver as well.
Also, bought some beetroot powder to add to a few recipes and some dried blue cornflowers and marigold blossoms to decorate with. In a pervious post, sprinkled marigold blossoms on top of the Banana and Coconut Three Milk Cake to add a little color. Haven’t used the raw liquorice yet but intend to make some ice cream with it. Apparently you can add liquorice to stews? It’s not an ingredient I have used in my cooking before. Any suggestions?
My first honey harvest… well not really a harvest! I had to remove some fresh comb that collapsed inside a beehive. Poor bees, I felt so sorry for them. None the less it was pretty exciting to taste its mild sweet flavor. Nice color too. I expect I would have much more honey to harvest if it were not for a split and a swarm… but that’s another story.
In my kitchen… cute little fish-shaped dishes. Can you ever have enough small dishes?
Never a dull moment with this diamond finger knife sharpener. Easy to use and one of my favorite.
Keeping it local… bought Peninsula farms delicious goat cheese, a new dairy product recently introduced into the market. With a home delivery service, got my lettuces and cherry tomatoes delivered too. Thought I would throw in a bar of natural goat milk soap to keep by the kitchen sink.
My kitchen buddies, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, chives, mint and bay leaf. Cooking without you would not be the same.
The In My Kitchen monthly theme is hosted by Maureen from Orgasmic Chef. What treasure or goodies do you have in your kitchen this June?
Food and Tools 
Beauitiful little fish plates- no, you can never have too many.And that buttery pastry ready to go- inspiring- I wonder what tart you will be making. Where do you get the beetroot powder? Interesting ingredient- is it just for colour or does it also have flavour?
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Made a savoury tart filled with leeks and oven dried tomatoes, one of our favorites. Bought this little pot of beetroot powder from Spice Mountain, a shop in Borough market, London. It has a lovely sweet flavor and aroma, so great for flavoring too. One teaspoon provides the nutrients of one beetroot. Great for smoothies.
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Thanks Moya, must see where I can obtain some here.
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Health food store may stock it too, so try one near you 🙂
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Francesca, it is dead easy to make you own. Slice a beetroot, dry it and then pulse it.
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Seeing as I have a dehydrator, should be doing this too 🙂
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I love the fishy dishes! So cute. I love rectangular tarts too. Yum.
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I have a square one too, they make a nice visual change from the round tart tins 🙂
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Glad to see you making pastry People have such a fear of making pastry. Its nice to see some of your local products. There is no doubt it would be difficult to live with out those beautiful herbs
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There is something very rewarding about making your own pastry and definitely tastes better than some of the frozen pastry found in the freezer section of supermarkets. If I do buy pastry, especially puff pastry, I look for the ones made with butter 🙂
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Moya, your kitchen buddies bouquet is gorgeous. (All of your photos are!) I agree with you on cooking not being the same without fresh herbs. I also like the look of your well-used tart tin & rolling pin, too… not to mention the prospect of buttery pastry. 🙂
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Thank you Kim, some of these fresh herbs will die out as the summer temperatures are very high in Bahrain. So will need to buy from the supermarket to tidy me over 🙂
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I’m super impressed with your honey comb from your own bees – how exciting! You have all the makings of a great platter there with a savoury tart, salad, cheese and honey.
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Me too Nancy, it’s only a small honey harvest but so wonderful to have in my kitchen. Hopefully the bees will survive our very hot summers… already they are drinking so much water and it’s only June 🙂
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Moya the honey looks great..what an achievement to actually produce your own honey. Well done.
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The honey bees are incredible little workers and amazing insects, love having them around. The honey is the icing on the cake 🙂
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Love the little fish dishes…I have a similar one and wish I had more. I was wondering what you were planning for the beetroot powder other than the smoothies you mentioned.
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Karen I plan to incorporate some beetroot powder when making chocolate cupcakes, add some to hummus and experiment making beetroot laban cheese balls. Not everyone loves beetroot in my family but maybe I can sneak it in another way 🙂
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Oh you are a clever and sneaky one. 😀
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Moya, congratulations on getting your first honey. That is fantastic.
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Thank you Glenda, I feel chuffed to have real and local honey in my kitchen. The bees are pretty amazing too 🙂
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I’m loving your photos Moya, they’re very colourful. I can’t wait to give your banana & coconut cake a go – I’m looking for a good banana cake. I’m with you on small dishes, you can definitely never have enough and your fish dishes are stunning! Congratulations on your honey harvest, looks beautiful. Wonderful goodies in your kitchen for IMK, see you soon xx
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Thank you Nicole 🙂 Hope you do try the banana and coconut cake and it will be interesting to see what you think of the recipe. Do love banana cake though. Delighted with my first harvest of honey.
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Love banana cake/bread but haven’t yet found the right recipe – some are too dry or way too moist. Will let you know how I go 🙂
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Amazing to have homegrown honey Moya, that’s something to be proud of. I love my rectangular tart tins too, does it date us?
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What wonderful things in your kitchen, and your own honey! I am reading the most amazing book at the moment that you might enjoy…”The Bees: A Novel” by Laline Paull. it is written from the point of view of a worker bee.
Great photos and I love the look of that square tart tin. The scent of those fresh herbs must be marvelous.
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Thank you Liz for the recommendation, I must lookout for the book, sounds like it would be a very busy read 🙂
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yep i love the fishy dishes and the rectangular baking tin. how wonderful to have fresh honey. i have some from a friend of a friend who lives up the road. marvellous! and yes fresh herbs are great. you can buy beetroot powder at the chemist here, strangely enough.
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Sherry it is wonderful to have my own honey and great that you can gets some from friends too 😀 well stocked chemist… isn’t beetroot good for lowering blood pressure?
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