Gathering

I do enjoy gathering. Today I left husband and children at home and took a drive up to Swan Valley. Without children ("when are we going to get there?", "I'm huuuungry") and Mario Andretti at the wheel it means I can stop at road side stands and pick up interesting bits and pieces like:

• heavenly sweet strawberries (1.5kg of them!)
• unprocessed wildflower honey
• mandarins
• oranges

And then stop off at the Farmer's Market and grab the rest of the week's veg, then at the bakery and bring home treats for everyone!

The purpose of the trip was to check out tass1trees which I have heard do much about on gardening blogs. Sadly, he had no blueberries left, or a pomegranate which for some reason I have decided I must have. There is a silver lining - he expects to have more in an a few weeks, so I get to go again! This time I will go armed with a plan of what other trees I want for the backyard and buy the lot.

Made some friands this afternoon with the leftover egg whites from Friday's carbonara, and topped them with slices of fresh strawberries. This recipe is from Donna Hay. It's so easy and delicious, and makes a change from making pav with leftover egg whites.

Mmmmmm....friands....

125g butter
1 cup almond meal
1 2/3 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2t baking powder
5 eggg whites
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook until melted and a very light golden colour. Set aside.

Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour and baking powders in a bowl and stir to combine. Add egg whites and stir. Add butter and to stir to combine.

Grease 10 x 1/2 cup muffin tins (I have friand tins - they're oval). Spoon 2T of the mixture into each tin and sprinkle the berries over the top. Bake 15-20 mins until golden and springy to touch but moist in the centre.