Tuesday 27 March 2012

The Sun has Got His Hat On, Hip, Hip, Hip Hurray!



Today, and for the last few days, have been absolutely glorious here in South Wales.

 And, I hear that even across the border in England, it has been jolly fine there too...


 
In celebration I would like to play you a song, and thanks to some help from Elaine and Charles I have managed-for the first time to add a video clip to a post-thank you both!
This is the absolutely, spiffing  Cafe Society-just turn the volume up a notch or two to truly appreciate it...


Out in the garden, I have been planting seeds-oh so many seeds, and have been weeding and sorting and tidying out all the flower beds from the Winter...but occasionally there is that little beauty of a flower to keep you going...

 
Back inside for supper. This evening was a simple green salad from the garden, just a few spring greens, chard, chives, dandelions and primroses served with my freshly home baked walnut loaf and topped, rather generously I have to admit, in homemade Hummus.

Now I’m not going to insult everybody by posting a recipe for the usual Hummus as I’m sure you all know this by heart and use your own version anyway...

Just to say this particular version of mine uses black garlic if you happen to come across it... 

Black Garlic And Lemon Hummus.


 
I do so enjoy Hummus when it is generously slathered on some bread. For me it is that combination of that sublime creamy texture and the heady smell and taste of tahini, chickpeas and garlic. However, it can be that very smell of garlic which to others can then verge on the offensive and anti social. 

Instead of ordinary garlic, I used a whole head of black garlic. Black garlic is fermented and has a milder, sweet and tangy garlic taste and supposedly none of the powerful after effects from eating ordinary garlic...and it is said by some to taste like balsamic vinegar which will always get my vote! On a health front it is said to have more antioxidants and doesn’t send your friends away!



 
Ingredients

2 x 400g can of chickpeas
4 TBSP of tahini
1 lemon-zest and juice
1 head of black garlic-peeled and chopped
A generous handful of pine nuts-lightly dry roasted
A little British Extra Virgin Rapeseed oil 

Method

It is ridiculously easy to prepare...

Simply place all the ingredients except the pine nuts and rapeseed oil into a blender and gently pulse depending on how rough or smooth you like your hummus. I drain the chickpeas but retain the water and add that back in to get the desired consistency.

Scoop out into a bowl and top with the lightly browned pine nuts and drizzle with the rapeseed oil. 

Then simply generously slather on top of a slice of your favourite bread. Sink your teeth in to this scrumptious goodness and enjoy...



 
Let the sunny days continue...


Now all together now,

The sun has got his hat on...
Hip, hip, hip hurray,
The sun has got his hat on,
And is coming out to play...

29 comments:

  1. I love hummus and many variations, in fact I made some today with coriander. Delicious. I am curious about the black garlic, I saw it on blogosphere lots last year, but still have not seen the real thing anywhere. Would be curious to try some.

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    1. Wow that was a quick response!!

      I’m with you with hummus-absolutely delicious and so easy to make and do so like to ring the changes every now and again...the black garlic is very mild-hence using the whole head. I get mine from Waitrose Pontprennau, Cardiff.

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    2. Thanks Green Dragonette.

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  2. I had never heard of black garlic. I looks really interesting. I'll keep my eyes open for them next time I am in the super market.

    I see the sun has got you all excited. Good luck getting those seeds sprout. Unfortunately and unusually it is the middle of a really hot summer here and I have had to take a break from gardening. My plants cant seem to take the heat. They are wilting.

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    1. Hi Sri,

      Thanks for stopping by. So sorry to hear about your poor wilting plants. Today has been hot here reaching 19C but probably nothing like the heat you get... All the best for your garden and fingers crossed for you that it starts to cool down.

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  3. Beautiful photographs. This weather is wonderful and what a lovely meal to celebrate it - that is truly my idea of heaven on a plate. I have never heard of black garlic before so I will watch out for it - but, black garlic or not I shall have to make hummus today...and walnut bread.

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    1. Hi Elaine-glad you liked the photos-it’s my fellow blogger like you that inspire me to head outside-even in my jim jams to take ‘that’ photo-are we mad-I don’t know...but it is great fun!! Hope you enjoyed your hummus...

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  4. "Jolly fine"? "Spiffing"? Have you been at the Enid Blyton again?

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    1. Now whatever do you mean Mark...

      Says she just off to plan her midnight feast with her famous five friends...

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  5. What a sunny post - love the daffodils, I miss them as an expat. I've not had black garlic - must try and find some this summer.

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    1. Hi Sally,

      The daffodils have been fantastic this year and as an added bonus the squirrels haven’t destroyed them by eating the flower heads as they have done in previous years...

      The black garlic is now more widespread to buy-it is in Waitrose and Tesco’s over here...

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  6. I've never heard of black garlic either and certainly haven't seen it for sale in Australia - which begs the question how is it fermented? and can I try and do it? Do you know or should I google?

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    1. You can do it yourself but you need to cook it for 40 days!! I don’t think I would care to try it-but if you want to try do let me know how you get on...I found this www.ehow.com/how_5902625_make-black-garlic.html

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  7. Lovely spring photos - a great time of year for gardeners. I can let you know how to insert a You Tube video but it will take up too much space to tell you here email me at erickett124@btinternet.com and I will give you the info.

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    1. Thanks Elaine-it is glorious now though the forecast is for it to get cooler at the weekend...

      I’ll email you for the advice-many thanks!

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  8. For the video, just click share under the video, and click "Embed" to get the Embed code and you can just paste that into the HTML for your blog post :)

    I just love hummus, in all shapes and forms - "black garlic" is a new one for me though... nice to hear of it!

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    1. Hi Charles,

      Thanks for the info about the video...sounds a bit teckie for me but will give it a try...

      Wonder what the French think of Black garlic-has anyone dared tell them yet???

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  9. Even though I know I will never find black garlic where in live in New England, I will still make this with regular garlic. I especially like that you added pine nuts. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely photos of your garden...we are way behind but I can dream.

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    1. Hi Karen,

      I did Google and apparently black garlic is available now in the USA so you never know you may come across it one day! Thank you again for stopping by-much appreciate it!!

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  10. I love Hummus very much too... and black garlic sounds interesting... might give it a try...

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    1. Hi Lrong,

      Hummus is wonderful isn't it...I believe Black Garlic is originally from Korea so it is gradually making its way around the world...

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  11. That's a recipe to make a gorilla's tummy rumble!

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  12. i've heard so much about black garlic! really wish I can get my hands on some! haha i love garlic and eat lots of it, my sister commented once I smelt funny. black garlic sounds like a dream come true. love hummus too, glad to see you put yourblack garlic to good use (:

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    1. Hi Shu Han,

      Many thanks indeed for stopping by.
      You should be able to get some in London now. Waitrose and Tesco stock it so give it a go!!

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  13. First time hearing about black garlic, will be on the look out for it. Love the video.

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    1. Hi Norma,

      Thanks for stopping by. I believe Black Garlic is slowly becoming more well known in the USA so you might be able to get hold of some yourself someday and test it out! Thanks also for your kind comment about the video-I’ll try and see if I can do another one on my next post-fingers crossed...

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  14. I'd just brought home some black garlic from the natural foods store, and have been nibbling on the cloves whole... not a very economical use of them, but they do taste exactly as you describe. Looking forward to trying them out in a batch of hummus soon!

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    1. Oh I’m so glad you found some! The black garlic does tend to dry out quite quickly so I would advice using it sooner rather than later...

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