Duck Giblet, Vegetable, and Pearl Barley Soup

Another hearty soup which is easy on the pocket book and busting with taste and nutrition.











Ingredients:

Giblets and necks from two ducks
2 quarters/litres water
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 to 5 celery stalks, cut into bite size pieces
4 to 5 carrots, cut into bit size pieces
100g Pearl Barley

Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste

Put all the above ingredients into a large soup pot and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.  Remove giblets and necks.  Chop giblets and remove neck meat from the bone.  Replace meat into the soup pot.  Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander.

Duck Salad for Wraps

This is a nice easy meal for an informal get together.  It was a hit at my husband's birthday lunch last Saturday.  We also mixed it upon returning home on Christmas Day after serving guests lunch at Wesley's Chapel.  Both times we've made the bowl with duck meat pictured as well as a second bowl without duck and an extra handful of cashews for our vegans.

Roast the duck ahead of time according to package instructions.  Let it cool and then remove the skin; discard.  Tear the meat from the carcass and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the salad.

 The giblets of the duck can be made into a great soup another time.


Serves about 4

Ingredients:

meat, shredded into thin strips, from one roasted, cooled duck
1 large handful of cashew nuts
1 handful of dried cranberries
2 teaspoons ground Chinese five-spice
bunch of fresh mint leaves
bunch of fresh coriander leaves
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves
handful of fresh rocket leaves
handful of watercress
2 tablespoons runny honey
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded, and finely chopped

About 8 tortillas, heated through

Dressing:

juice of 2 fresh limes
juice and seeds of one pomegranate
1/2 red onion, coarsely grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
one thumb size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Good shake or two of extra virgin olive oil

In a large wok on medium heat, put in the duck meat, cashews, cranberries, five spice, and honey.  Stir and heat thoroughly.

In separate bowls, mix the salad leaves with chilli, and in another the dressing ingredients.  Combine into one and add the hot flavoured duck.  Toss.

Place salad on the table along with heated tortillas.  Pass around for each person to place a handful of salad on the flat bread and wrap.

Fresh Asparagus with Tuna and Tarragon Sauce

In these warmer Spring days we can enjoy lovely new asparagus.  An easy, no cooking required, dish like this one is great for a light lunch or supper.  Good value too.   Here I have garnished it with baby plum tomatoes and served it with a large grilled flat mushroom and toasted Ciabata.  Yuuuummm!







Serves 4

1.5 kg/3 pounds asparagus, simmered just until tender and then drain; divide onto 4 dinner plates

2 eggs, hard boiled and cooled

 Put all of the ingredients below in the food processor, but only 2  ounces of the oil;  mix.  The rest of the oil is poured in a small steady stream during mixing of the of all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 small can tuna, drained
2 to 3 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons white wine
2 cooked egg yolks, removed from hard boiled eggs mentioned above
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 tablespoons snipped fresh tarragon

200 ml/7 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Pour mixed sauce into a medium size bowl or pitcher.  Roughly chop the cooked egg whites and add them to the sauce.  Coarsely grated Parmesan is nice to pass around at the table.