Not really a blog entry, but a recipe

I just made pickled mushrooms, with a whole lot of other stuff thrown in with it, and it looks like it is going to be really yummy. So I'll put it all down here A) so if anyone wants to try it they can and B) So that when I want to make it again I'll know what I did.

Take 500 gms of small mushrooms, I used chestnut mushrooms, clean them just with paper towel so none of the manure stuff remains.
Finely dice half an onion
Peel a whole head of garlic into cloves.
chop a red capsicum into smallish chunks,
finely slice a red or green chilli.

Throw the lot into a big frypan - I used a wok, over medium-low heat, and add:

150 ml good olive oil
let it saute for a bit, and add about a teaspoon of black pepper (whole or cracked)
a teaspoon of dried italian herbs, and ideally some fresh thyme and oregano
2 Tablespoons of pinenuts

saute for abuot another five minutes, then add

250 ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
juice of a lemon

1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar.

If there is not enough liquid to cover the mushrooms, add some water till they are barely covered.
Bring it all to the boil for a minute or two, then spoon into jars which have been sterilised (boil the jars and lids for a couple of minutes in a big pot and then put them in a hot oven for ten minutes to dry) there should be enough liquid in each jar to cover the lot. This batch made about 3 medium to large jars worth.

Let cool, then refrigerate. Can be used straight away or should keep for quite a while in the fridge! The garlic is great used in just about anything - its so good I can just eat it whole though.

There might be a bit of left over liquid - I use this stuff as a salad dressing.

Yummy.

Other than making pickled mushrooms, we have been pretty busy, and I suppose I should get around to writing those blogs. Later.