Lady Lunchalot

I’ve have been meaning to make marmalade for ages and finally, I have a few jars of marmalade cooling on the kitchen bench.

Marmalade is pretty easy to make. I used a recipe from Nigella’s How to be a Domestic Goddess as a guide. Use seville oranges - they’re in season now so they’re pretty cheap, and they ensure that the marmalade remains clear rather than becoming murky while it’s cooking.

Boil the oranges whole until they become quite squishy and then chop them very finely, removing the pips. Boil the pips in some of the water you boiled the oranges in.

While the pips are boiling, add sugar and the juice from a few lemons. You can add other flavourings too, like ginger or alcohol. Pour the pip water in and boil the lot for about 15 minutes, then pour into sterilised jars.

I’ve still got enough oranges left over for another batch, so tomorrow night I might do a fancy version. We have a bottle of brandy tucked away, maybe brandy and orange? How would quince and orange go together? Or maybe I could pick up some cranberries from somewhere. Are they in season?

I’ve been a bit experiemental tonight. I made a casserole of some chicken breast I had in the fridge, mixed with some fresh blood oranges and chunks of fennel.

It was very quick. I just greased a casserole dish, juiced and zested a few blood oranges, chopped up a fennel bulb and mixed it all together.

I love blood oranges. They’re so dramatic. Did you know they originated from a mutation in an orange grove in Malta? My mother also originated in Malta, though presumably not from a mutation…

I chose a beautiful female fennel from the Vic Markets the other day. You can tell the difference between male and female fennel bulbs, because male ones are more oblong-shaped and female ones are nice and round. Female fennel has a softer flavour and is more versatile - you can eat them raw or cooked, whereas the male ones taste so sharp they are too harsh for eating raw.

Blood oranges are the perfect pairing for fennel. They have a deep flavour and sweetness that cuts right through the liquoriceness of the fennel.

I’m making a pot of chicken stock to use up the veggies from the weekend’s cooking frenzy.

I love making chicken stock. If I am feeling sick I always make chicken soup, and it always makes me feel better. Though I am not sure whether it’s eating the soup or making the soup that makes me feel so good.

Home-made stocks are excellent to keep on hand. They freeze really easily and are a great low-fat way to add flavour to anything from stir-fries, to soups, to pasta sauces. They also ensure that no food goes to waste when you are cooking. In fact, if I am having a major cookup, I often keep the veg scraps aside to use in a stock later.

When I was at the Vic markets the other day I picked up a bag of chicken frames for $1. This is the basis of the soup. You just throw in some raw chicken bones into a big pot, and add any vegetables like carrots, onion, or whatever you have on hand. Today I used two carrots, a leek, a big onion, some leftover parsley (just chuck that in whole), some garlic and celery. remember you don’t have to use the “good bits’ of the veg. Just pop the whole lot in there - leaves, stalks and all.

Steer clear of using potatoes, or anything that might make your stock cloudy.

Cover the lot with water and bring it to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer and let it go for a few hours. You can top it up with more water along the way if you like. Give it a skim with a slotted spoon every now and then to remove the scum that gathers around the top.

When it’s done, strain it through a colander (or a sheet of muslin if you’re feeling really fancy) into another pot or bowl to remove the bones and vegetables.

Then let the pot cool and put it in the fridge overnight. The fat will float to the surface and congeal. Skim this off, and then put the stock in freezer containers or ice cube trays and freeze it until you need it.

Hello Blogathon supporters,

I’ve finally woken up after a solid 12 hours sleep.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support over the weekend was fantastic! Altogether we raised $1158.40 for World Vision. Woo hoo!

In total the 285 people who took part in Blogathon 2006 raised almost $100,000 for charities worldwide. It has been a really fun event, where bloggers get to indulge in their favourite hobbies for 24 hours while raising money for a good cause.

So here’s a list of some ways World Vision might use the money we have raised:

Well done!

Soon you’ll be receiving a Blogathon email directing you to the World Vision site where you can make your donation.

Thank you again. I look forward to seeing you around at ladylunchalot.com in the future.

In the meantime, happy eating!

Lady Lunchalot