Aaron started by discussing the rice our stir-fry tastings were to be eaten with. He had pre-cooked the rice as follows:
1 C basmati rice
1 and 1/2 C water
3/4 C coconut cream
salt as preferred
Aaron brings the water to the boil and then sprinkles the rice into it. Cover the pan, turn the heat down low and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave the rice covered to sit for another 15 minutes.
Ginger could also be added to the rice water during cooking.
This pre-cooked rice was lightly stir fried in the wok over the gas burner.
Sliced peaches with fennel seeds and kumara tips.
Slice the firm fleshed peaches into irregular shapes.
Heat the wok until it is very hot - ideally on a big gas ring.
While the wok heats make a mixture of;
2 tsp-ish of cornflour
Cold water - about 1/3 C
Salt to taste
1 tsp-ish white balsamic vinegar
Taste the sauce and adjust to your palate.
This will be used to thicken any juices left in the wok at the end of the stir-frying and gives a beautiful glaze to the vegetables.
TIP: taste all of the ingredients whilst still raw to 'understand' them. If they taste good raw, they will taste good cooked - and vice versa.
The wok is ready when it starts to smoke and a drop of water dropped on it immediately sizzles into steam. It needs to be HOT.
Once the wok is hot, add a splash of oil - today Aaron used a blend of Rice bran and Canola oil - often he uses peanut oil. Next, the allotment grown fennel seeds were added whole. If there had been a mortar and pestle handy, these would have been roughly ground before they went in.
TIP: Grinding your own seeds, be they cumin, coriander or whatever, gives a more pungent and fresh flavour & is better than pre-ground spices.
Next add the kumara tips and a splash of water to steam the vegetables.
Add the roughly chopped peaches and stir to keep everything moving, so all surfaces touch the hot wok.
Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
Add more water if necessary.
Stir the cornflour mixture, which will have settled and dribble in a little to create a bubbling liquid on the bottom of the wok. Cook until everything is glossy and shiny.
Serve immediately.
Pumpkin shoots and flowers.
TIP: Pumpkin tendrils can be harvested weekly as a green crop. This also helps the fruit (pumpkins) to set.
Heat the wok until it is HOT.
Add oil and the pumpkin shoots.
Add water as it cooks and stir.
Aaron then added some of our 'gourmet garlic' - unpeeled but roughly chopped.
Add extra oil if needed. You could also add ginger at this point if liked.
Add freshly ground black pepper.
You could also add 2 - 3 freshly ground star anise at this point if liked.
Add the pumpkin flowers - these were cut in half lengthways - beautiful!
Add a splash of soy sauce.
Add a dash of the cornflour mixture to thicken the juices.
It is ready once everything has wilted - so it's fast.
Adjust to suit your palate with seasoning - salt/soy.
Chop fresh basil leaves and scatter over to serve. We served ours in the green cast iron pan below.
TIP: Young baby pumpkins can also be sliced lengthways and added to a stir-fry. Furry pumpkin stalks can also be peeled and used as an ingredient.
Lambs Quarters and allotment harvest stirfry
Heat the wok until it is HOT.Add oil and the chopped beans.
Amaranth leaves
Chopped capsicum.
Drop in the lambs quarters leaves.
Add a finely chopped chilli
Salt.
Tear in basil leaves.
Add white balsamic vinegar.
Thicken with the cornflour mixture.
Aarons advice is to try things - experiment and discover. Build up your library of tastes. For example 'Gallant soldier' weed is actually quite delicious! (See below, tucked under the pumpkin tendrils, above the secateurs).
A big thank you to Aaron for a fun, interesting and informative session.
