Persimmon and Medjool Date Cake

It's now my fifth month here in New Zealand. One thing I've loved about being here during the autumn is trying all the beautiful, fresh fruits. Scarlett red apples straight off the tree, quinces from a friend and persimmons from, well the supermarket. I love them all. Feijoas? Not so much! I will try them again though (preferably baked into something to mask their perfumy-ness).

But back to persimmons and their role in an experimental 'cake' I made two days ago. I use the word 'cake' lightly as it didn't quite reach the height of a cake, bless it. It did taste rather luscious though which was a surprise.

I wanted to try making a vegan cake without wheat or sugar so I bundled in a few scant ingredients so I didn't waste anything. Not like the prior baking fiasco earlier in the week that involved wasting four courgettes, a cup of cocoa and too much expensive NZ honey. Just when I'd finished blending the ingredients for this persimmon cake and had said a little prayer to the vegan baking gods, I realised I still hadn't unpacked a cake tin. All I had was a glass baking bowl. What could I do but pour the mixture into the glass bowl and wish it well as it was placed into the oven and appeared to look back at me nervously, as if to ask, 'am I meant to seriously turn into a cake, luv? Look at me. I've got nowhere to go but out'.

Almost 25 minutes later out came the cake, or let's call it a torta because it definitely had a rustic, Italian thing going on. It was flat but it had turned golden and the dried fruit was peeking out here and there, quite attractively. It tasted good. It tasted even better after a day or two. Marzipan-like from the ground almonds and just the right amount of sweetness from the stewed persimmon, dates, apricots and tablespoon of agave. You only need a small amount as it is rich and dense. It's definitely worth a try if you want a sliver of a treat with your tea in the morning, afternoon or evening.

Persimmon and Medjool Date Cake
(I've doubled the ingredients below, from the version I made)

Ingredients
2 persimmons
6 medjool dates, chopped
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 cup of ground almonds
6 tablespoons gram flour (chickpea flour)
2 tablespoon agave syrup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

To make...

1. Preheat oven to about 180°. Grease baking pan with a bit of olive oil.
   
2. Chop persimmon, dates and dried apricots and place in a pot with a little water. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool.
3. Combine dry ingredients - ground almonds, gram flour and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Combine wet ingredients - agave syrup, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and six tablespoons of water.
5. Mix dry and wet ingredients together along with the cooled fruit mixture.
6. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour (when I cooked mine with half the ingredients, I needed 30 minutes so maybe keep checking on it after 45 minutes just to be safe).
7. Allow to cool on baking tray then enjoy!

Have a good weekend. I'm planning to go to the Food Show in Wellington tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get some more inspiration for some new recipes!

Moving + Retrograding

I don't know how the last few weeks of April were for you (hopefully great) but they were completely chaotic for me. I wish I could say the reason for the abrupt blog posting hiatus was because I took a spontaneous holiday in Mustique to soak up some sun over Easter but I actually had to move and find a new rental home as quickly as possible. I was unable to access the internet and struggling to live out of suitcases for a fourth month. To make things even more fun, mercury was retrograding and boy could I feel it.

Anyway, it all worked out and we found a new and very lovely place to stay. The moving guys arrived yesterday and unloaded an obscene amount of boxes so I'm in denial and now resemble the person in the photo. I got the internet connected today so I should be back to posting as usual! Thanks for sticking with me!


image: Big Apple Boxes

No Plastic Packaging for Takeaway Meals

This is how I picked up a lot of my takeaway meals when I was travelling through the States and New Zealand. I wanted to avoid using disposable plastic food containers, cutlery and carry bags for obvious environmental reasons but also because of health concerns about plastic leaching into food.

Anytime I ordered a meal, I would just hand over my stainless steel tiffin box and ask if I could have my food stored in there (BTW, that's a lovely Thai meal in the photo). I thought I'd look somewhat dorky but restaurant staff were always so accommodating.

Taking your own reusable containers and cutlery is easy and reduces so much unnecessary plastic packaging. If you can try and do small things such as this, it will make a huge difference.

Organic Container Gardening

I've started planting things and I'm almost too excited about it (as shown by the amount of hay used on the lettuce pots above). Because I am struggling to find organic fruit and vegetables where I live, I figured I better start growing them myself. Not having a garden is no longer an excuse when I can plant everything in pots (terracotta pots made in Italy, no less). We've planted some organic broccoli, kale, spinach, lettuce and basil. That's a good start and that's a lot of green leafy stuff!

It's only been one week and my gardening optimism has not waned. I continually carry the pots around to the sunniest spots outside the house and shoo away ominous looking insects with rosemary twigs!

Hopefully, I will be showing you luscious-looking vegetables in a few months time and raving about how good they taste. If I don't mention container gardening again on this blog then it will be safe to assume that it has not gone well and my plants did not end up resembling anything remotely edible! I better go. There's one of those pesky white cabbage butterflies near my broccoli!

About a Cat

Did I mention our new rental place came with a cat? I'd never looked after or been around cats before but this little one has my heart. I'm now that girl that takes copious, cute pictures of 'their' cat and then shares them with people, on their blog.

Vintage Moschino Jacket - Rokit (£85)

I have tried to put a green spin on today's post. I present to you a vintage Moschino Cheap & Chic jacket, complete with a cat in the pocket. I do think someone could pull this look off. It's probably not me though. I'll stick with my rental cat, Miss Custard Powder (nickname I have given her because that is the name on the cardboard food box she loves to sleep in).

Who hasn't had a day when they felt like this?

'Tis a funny world. The cat world. All the fickleness, preening and purring. If anyone has a cat or has 'cat whisperer' abilities and wants to share some tips with me, that would be great because I know next to nothing!

Eat Healthily When Travelling - Breakfast

Is it wrong to love your homemade granola so much that you travel with it? When I travelled from London to San Francisco, I took a glass jar filled with granola along with a petite kilner jar and my own spoon. Most mornings I would fill this little jar in the photo and chomp away happily knowing I was eating something healthy, organic and filling. I actually ate this on its own but it would be easy enough to add your own non-dairy milk, yogurt or fruit. Eating breakfast out every morning can be pricey so I think this is an affordable way to travel and stay healthy!

Tweaking Vegan Muffin Recipes

Ah, baking without eggs, butter, milk, refined sugars and baking powder. I can almost hear Nigella scoffing and saying, 'why bother?' But bother I do and bake on, I will!

I made these apple and blueberry vegan muffins last week and now they are all gone (even the ones I froze). Granted, I was the only one that ate them and my health food palate is used to the wholegrain spelt flour and apple juice that I used. Other palates may think these muffins taste too healthy.

I still need to perfect the recipe but these worked out pretty well. Considering these little things were devoid of many, many things, I am proud that they rose at all and came out resembling muffins!

As soon as I master the muffin recipe, I will be sure to share it here. Until then, the baking and tasting continues...

How To Eat Healthily When Travelling

I adore good, home-cooking and using vegan and SLO ingredients (seasonal, local and organic). Ever since I left the UK just before Christmas and have been travelling and living out of a suitcase (parted from my much-loved Le Creuset pots), I have really struggled to find the food I like. Plus, it can be so expensive eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

One recipe I used for many dinners as I was travelling was this couscous dish. It's easy, tasty and economical. Using a tiffin box I had packed with me, I simply poured some couscous into it and added boiling water from a hotel or motel kettle/jug and placed a lid over it for five minutes. Once the couscous had heated through, I seasoned it with a little natural sea salt and pepper and then I added marinated artichokes and peppers, fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach. The final flourish was a generous spritz of lemon juice. This is crucial because it gives a lovely zing to the meal. Delish!

Hopefully, you can give this idea a try when you're next travelling and remember to bring your own cutlery! This way you can eat well but still save a bit of money and excess packaging and plastic.

Meet My New 'Neigh'bour

I had to share this photo of my new neighbour. I opened my bedroom curtains the other day and was so surprised to find a horse there, perfectly framed by the flowers and greenery. I'm loving this country life! Horses outside my bedroom, passing sheep and cows when I go out walking. It's all very Little House on the Prairie and so different for me. I'm used to the constant sirens and noise of London but I think I could get used to the quiet of the country.

New Year, New Zealand

Cape Palliser - North Island

February is here and I haven't wished the readers of this blog a happy New Year yet! I hope your 2011 has been overflowing with great things so far and continues to do so.

I arrived in New Zealand on New Year's Day. I did fly here but judging by the lack of posts, you may have thought I'd sailed here! We flew via San Francisco and stayed a few nights. San Francisco was freezing but fun and all a bit of a blur as we were recovering from jet lag and the big house move. I think I saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and some cute shopping areas such as Chestnut Street.

We arrived in Auckland and then began our road trip towards Wellington. The scenery was everything you imagine New Zealand to be. Blue skies, warm weather, sheep and vast open spaces! When we hit Wellington we found it to be stunning but it still had that urban feel. We decided to rent on the outskirts for awhile until we decide where to buy / work / find the place of our dreams!

I have lots to catch you up on and to share over the coming weeks like the shop in Wellington selling great second-hand jeans for $4 (I'm talking Abercrombie and Fitch), the place to buy organic, package free food and the best dark chocolate (organic, fair trade and lecithin-free). I also have to show you how I survived travelling on the 'tiffin box diet' to avoid plastic and fast food and I also have to show you how we are setting up house from scratch, the ethical way.

It definitely feels like the start of a new life in New Zealand. I'm excited to share some of the journey here on Green Lashes and Fashion.

BTW, here's a book I found on the shelf of the place we are renting. Hope it's a sign of things to come!

Tara x