There wan’t much left over from last night’s dinner of crispy veal schnitzel, zesty Greek style salad and my plentiful potato salad with colour, texture and so much flavour!

The most satisfying part of being able to cook, is the ability to create a meal that one truly looks forward to eating. There are days when I absolutely crave a colourful salad nicoise, a steaming bowl of chicken soup, cheesy feta spinach pie, a simple buttery cheese toastie or classic sweet and sticky jam slice. Of course I can seek out a local cafe or restaurant that offers such dishes on their menu, but by the time I’ve wrangled the kids in and out of the car and actually ordered, I may as well have rustled up the dish myself. I do enjoy eating out, but there are days when I would rather cook up a feast in my own kitchen, sit down and enjoy it with my family. As was the case yesterday. 

Having spent the morning ferrying kids about to multiple sporting matches followed by several hours spent in the garden, my husband and I had only communicated via text message – such was the busy nature of our day. So it was comforting to finally gather together around the table with our children and enjoy a home-cooked family dinner. The usual excitable chatter was punctuated by the youngest of our six, 23 month old Maksim, entertaining us with yet another Playschool song. So much for background, mood-inducing dinnertime music! 

My Plentiful Potato Salad 
To serve 8 – 10 people as a side dish or 5 people as a main meal. 

1.5kg potatoes (I used the pink skinned Desiree variety, but Dutch Creams and Kipfler also work well)
500 g French green beans (topped and tailed)
1 large Spanish Onion
4 eggs preferably organic
1 baby fennel including the soft green fronds
1 cup mixed olives – I used Kalamata and Sicilian


Dressing – place the following ingredients into a jar, screw on the lid and give it a good shake. 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 very full cup of fresh herb leaves (I used a combination of flat leaf parsley, mint and coriander)
4 tablespoons verjuice
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Start off by peeling the potatoes and then slicing into quarters, lengthwise. Place into a pot of salted water. Bring to the boil briefly and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are ready. A fork should pierce the potato easily but take care not to over boil, as you still want the potatoes to retain their shape and not become mushy. 

While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice the Spanish onion and fry over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, for 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. When ready set aside. 

Use the time to also prepare the beans and boil the eggs. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then drop in the beans and cook for 3 minutes. Remove with tongs, drain further in a colander and refresh under cold running water. Set aside. Use the boiling water to cook the eggs. Lower the whole eggs into the water. Bring back to the boil briefly, then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Remove from the water and place in a bowl covered with cold water form the tap. This will help cool the eggs slightly making them easier to peal. When they are comfortable to handle, remove the shells and slice into quarters. 

Finely chop the fresh herb leaves and slice the fennel into thin strands.  

When the potatoes are ready, also drain in a colander and then place in a serving bowl or platter. 

Scatter the beans, onion, fennel, olives and fresh herbs around and on top of the potatoes. Arrange the eggs evenly and then drizzle over the dressing.  

This can be served warm, or refrigerated and served cool later on. A fantastic picnic or barbecue dish too!

Jammy Jam Slice…

Back to another kitchen craving…I couldn’t resist making this jam slice. Topped with shredded coconut, it is rich with summer-berry jam and will be shared for afternoon tea later today. The recipe is on Cabinet of Cookery – just type it into the “search” option on the top right corner of the page.

I’ve popped it into an enamel dish that my late grandmother Baba Joka used to own. As a child I never saw this dish empty. It was always filled with the most beautifully prepared home cooked food – schnitzels, butter-cake and most often “Kolacice” little fried donut like cakes, covered in sugar. My grandfather Djeda Milan insisted that I select some pieces dear to me as a visual reminder of my grandmother. Since she was pivotal in teaching me how to cook by using my senses, I naturally gravitated to the kitchen and chose this dish and two pastel coloured platters purchased by my grandmother soon after arriving in Australia in the 1950’s.