the last of the fresh herbs

I'll tell you now I don't have much luck in gardening. I like to buy plants and attempt to plant them, some might even reach a well worn pot, but then I forget to water them or forget about them all together, like a poor chili plant I had in the backyard. I had high hopes for that one and even visions of fresh chili infused dishes. I might have gotten one edible flowering out of it. I'm bad like that. What floors me though is that I have two tropical plants in the house, one upstairs and one down. One of them I've had for five years or more and the other, maybe three. They show no signs of giving up, especially the older one and I even forget to water that one sometimes too.

So this is starting to sound more like a spring post, no? Well, my main reason is my little kitchen pot of herbs... yes, sadly they are dying but I'm going to use up all the fresh herbs by golly even if I have to make more dishes, but I know that won't be too hard.

Pushing the sweetness aside I've made a couple of savory dishes that are perhaps a little elegant and super easy.

salt and pepper crusted pork with fresh oregano

dry pork chops with paper towel, heat a skillet with a little oil, rub the chops with salt and pepper and pan fry until cooked and golden.

caramelized onion and goat cheese tarts

1 pkg ready made puff pastry

1 onion

75g goat cheese

fresh basil

balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Preheat oven to 425 d, heat a skillet with a little oil, cut onions thick and place in heated pan for 3-5min a side. Cut 10mm rounds out of the pastry, stick on a baking try, spread on the goat cheese to each one and top with an onion. Baking for 15-19min or until puffed and golden.

Onion tarts recipe adapted from Donna Hay magazine, issue 46.

Oh, and one more month till New Moon!! *jumps up and down*