'The Peach Blossom Spring' and One-Pot-Cooking in Our Country Kitchen

 

Considered one of the greatest poets between the Han and Tang Dynasties, Tao Yuanming (365-427) is regarded as one of the most reclusive. In his poems the theme of a peaceful and awakening countryside solitude resonate with many who's hearts long for faraway places.

In his well known poem-Drinking Wine, he wrote:

I made my home amidst this human bustle,
Yet I hear no clamour from the carts and horses.
My friend, you ask me how this can be so?
A distant heart will tend towards like places.
From the eastern hedge, I pluck chrysanthemum flowers,
And idly look towards the southern hills.
The mountain air is beautiful day and night,
The birds fly back to roost with one another.
I know that this must have some deeper meaning,
I try to explain, but cannot find the words.

 

'A distant heart' that is away from the heavy daily routines, must have awakened the urge to move to country, to enjoy the most simple life, to take up a cultivated and relaxing life of songs, paintings and wine as vividly described in Tao's remarkable poem-'The Peach Blossom Spring', a Chinese standard term for Utopia.

Returning home to the country,the promised land has been a life pursuing dream for many. However, over time it seems that ancient dreams of escaping to the country for solitude and seeking refuge from society has changed. In my parents generation, this Chinese utopian country picture had its first encounter with more colourful and romantic rural vignettes from the Eastern Bloc.  Inspired by bucolllic scenes portrayed in popular Russian literature of that time, young Chinese people visits to the country into a search for more romantic settings for socialising and rejuvinating.

Since I was a very young child, nothing has given me greater pleasure than to share our table with friends and family. Yet, the triumph of all joy was to have a 'floating feast' with my parents' friends in the country side. We'd get up early, prepare our picnic boxes and ride our bicycles to a meeting place. Then, came the fun bit, we'd ride towards the countryside! Little kids about my age would be carried by their dads, sitting on the top tube of the bicycle, so proud and excited, waving hands to one another. Going to the countryside, having food, entertaining and conversation, in a fantastic place off the beaten path, the path less travelled, with unspoiled wilderness and beauty, at that time was like experiencing 'the Peach Spring beyond this world', descrided in Tao Yuanming's poetry.

 

A memory that has stuck in me is watching my parents and their friends making fires from scratch by using dried leaves and little wood chips. And then, emerging from the mystic smoke and warmth from the camp fire, came many simple but absolutely divine dishes.

 

Many years have since passed,but we finally found another 'Peach Blossom Spring beyond the World'--a lovely little holding in the down under, a pearl in the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. We travel to the country every weekend, and each week we set ourselves some little projects around the house to finish.

Simple yet colourful, humble but filled with love, our little country house thrives in the splendid coastal sunshine.

At this moment, we have: a little round table (that we use as a dining table and wondering in the future might be perfect for our library), three chairs (two of them are a pair, we bought from local carpenter:Gino, he simply knows everything related to wood, furniture, and much beyond. He says he has a 'chair fetish'),some enamel cups and plates that can survive the driving and moving towards the country, and finally one cast iron pot. Yes, our country life has been evolving from all these basics and yet, so much fun and laughter!

Now, I'd like to share with you our simple-country-one-pot-cooking dishes. For those we are dreaming towards a less travelled and enchanted country life, yet avoiding the hassle of carrying too much to the country kitchen. Here are some tips to turn the one pot into a magic pot.

Dish 1: Stir Fry Hokkien Noddle with Vegetables and Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Hokkien Noddle
• 1 bunch of Pak Choy
• 5-6 Cherry tomatoes
• 5-6 mushroom
• a handful of cooked Tofu (preferably soy honey flavour)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 hunch of green onion
• 3-4 red chilli
• 2 table spoons of canola oil
• 2 table spoon of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 table spoon of Teriyaki sauce

Method:

1. Soak noodles in boiled water for 3 min. Then, drain and leave aside;
2. Heat the cast iron pot, a little cooking oil and then, put chopped garlic, green onion and chilli flakes in, stir until fragrance arise;
3. Add coarsely chopped cherry tomotos in, fry until tender then add sliced mushroom, stir for a minute then add Tofu;stir to combine the flavour, then add soy sauce and teriyaki sauce;
4. Stir to combine, then add the noodle, add extra soy sauce on top of the noodle for my liking;
5. Turn stove to high, allow sauce to be reduce a bit, then, ready to serve.
6. Extra chilli flakes on top for decoration!

Dish 2:Angel Hair Pasta with Pancetta, kalamata olive and Prawns

Ingredients:

• angel hair pasta
• cooked and peeled tiger prawn (300g)
• kalamata olive (unpitted, a handful)
• pancetta (can be replaced with bacon, 200g)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
   

Method:

1. Cook pasta, drain and set aside
2. Add olive oil in heated cast iron pot, sautee onion, until golden and tender, add pancetta, then garlic, stir to combine;
3. Add prawn and season with salt and pepper, add cooked pasta in, drizzle extra olive oil to top. Ready~!

 

 

Country Brekkie: from Paddock to Table

 

The best way to enjoy a breakfast of freshly picked figs from our gorgeous fig tree in the garden is to add some savoury flavours.

Crisply toast some slices of bread, spread on top some smokey pickled onion cheese, then, simply add some fig on top~~~a beautiful dance on the pallet of your tongue!

We are new comers to the country, so much to explore, so much to learn. We've learnt one thing: be creative and have fun with what you find lying around!