Goodness is….

I found gold today at the very back of the garden, right next to the chicken coop under a very neglected grapefruit tree.  Gardener’s gold in the form of well-rotted chicken and geese poo, mixed around with lots and lots of hay, garden scraps, the odd bit of newspaper and grass clippings.  Sitting there for months and months after the chicken house was cleaned, and decomposting with an abundance of nutrients and goodness.  Not totally composted, but perfect for using as mulch for the vegetable garden.  I managed four heaped wheelbarrows, and spread this gold over at least three triangles of my garden.  This will keep the weeds at bay, and then be dug back into the soil for the next lot of vegetables.  I could feel the vibrations of all the recently planted little summer seedlings saying, “Thank you, thank you.”  Tiny and green and full of hope, adventure and abundance – a promise of good things to come.

This is another recipe inspired by my friend, Anna.  Anna uses onions and red wine in her tomato sauce and I know these are vital secret ingredients to a delicious sauce.  This is my version of her perfected lasagna.

In this recipe, I am giving you my tomato sauce that I also use for pizza bases, pasta sauce and of course, it is perfect for this lasagna.  In Summer, I use fresh tomatoes from the garden and fresh basil leaves when they are obscenely abundant.  I ensure this sauce has a long, slow cooking to give it a depth of flavour and a richness in texture.  With a fresh, green, baby leaf salad from the garden, it is so delicious.

This is quite a decadent lasagna, or at least for me it is, but it is so delicious.  It is something which we spoil ourselves once a month with.   You could try to replace the cream with something else low- fat, but why not spoil yourself?  To give a more meaty taste, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top!

Note:  Donna has a recipe (which she is yet to post) of a cherry tomato sauce.  I have hinted for her to post it by giving her a few photos to help her along the way, but still no post.  Anyway, why I am telling you this is because lately I have been doubling that recipe and using it for this lasagna. And it is far superior and delicious!!

Donna’s Note:  My next post will be the ‘Cherry Tomato Sauce’ that Stacey mentions above.  I have taken the hint!

Lasagna

Serves six

lasagna sheets (I usually do four/five layers in a 30 x 24 cm baking dish)

1 cup of mild, tasting grated parmesan cheese

Tomato Sauce

3  x 200g cans crushed tomatoes/4 cups of very ripe, fresh tomatoes

1 tub tomato paste

1 medium carrot, grated

2 teaspoons dried oregano, or 3 sprigs of fresh

1 sprig of fresh thyme

eight leaves of marjoram

1/4 tspn cayenne pepper

one bay leaf

1 tspn salt

1 tspn sugar

White Sauce

500ml  of 15% cooking cream

1  cup of mild-tasting grated parmesan cheese

freshly ground pepper

Pesto

2 big bunches of basil (110g basil leaves, stems removed)

1/4 cup of pine nuts

4 tablespoons of olive oil (or just enough to create a paste)

pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

For the Tomato Sauce:  In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the canned tomatoes, tomato paste (I usually rinse out the can with half a cup of water, then add water to each remaining can, then toss that last half a can of water).  Add the dried oregano, thyme, grated carrot, marjoram and bay leaf.  Cover and simmer very gently for an hour, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and add the sugar, salt and pepper.

While waiting for the red sauce, make the pesto.  Add the basil, pine nuts and olive oil into a blender, and blend until broken down. Using a spatula, place this into a bowl or jug.  Add the cream, one cup of grated parmesan and stir until well combined.

Now to pull it all together.  Ladle a cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.  Then, 1/4 cup of the pesto cream sauce and then a layer of the lasagna sheets.  Now a layer of tomato sauce, pesto cream sauce and then lasagna sheets.  Go for another layer of sauce, the pesto cream and lasagna sheets.  You want to finish with a layer of the lasagna sheets, and to top it with the last of the pesto cream.  Now sprinkle the grated parmesan so that you have a wonderful, cheesy top.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the top browns up slightly.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes, so that the juices settle and the filling firms up.  Serve with your favourite green salad.

Goodness shared from Stacey