Saturday, March 23, 2013

Honey Mar-ret's Yogurt Wraps Recipe


Seventeen years ago, my parents moved from a bustling capital city to this mountaintop with their two daughters, a dog & dreams of a simple suburban life.

My father worked as a truck driver & courier, driving throughout Queensland for a week or more at a time, leaving my mother to raise her two baby girls in a new city, far from her family & friends. Fortunately for my mother, not long after settling in she was befriended by a kind-hearted woman, who had just moved-in next door. They hit it off instantly.

Margaret is a widow, living with & caring for her deaf brother. She loves frogs, makes her own yogurt & knits in her spare time.
She also makes for a great listening ear & shoulder to lean upon...& the best adoptive grandmother for little girls, living far from their extended family.

Honey Mar-ret*, as I named her as a child, would walk us home from school, she taught us to play mahjong & knitted blankets for our beds in Winter. We would chat about our day, drink fresh green juices, draw pictures & play with her 100+ frog statues.

Most of all I remember her cooking.

Biscuits, slices & breads, cassaroles, roasts & soups (her pumpkin soup is incredible!), frozen yogurt, jam & my fathers favourite chutney-pickle. Anyone & everyone was welcome in her home, anytime of the day or night, & you were guaranteed to leave with a full belly & an armful of homemade treats. 


On Tuesday, I sat down in Margaret's sunny living room, at the very same table we shared afternoon tea at all those years ago...instead this time we chatted about politics & her sore hips.
I brought her a freshly baked Greek Yogurt, Apple & Cinnamon Loaf & a few sprigs of fragrant eucalyptus from the flower market.

She gifted to me a yogurt-maker (yay!), as well as her most loved & treasured recipes from family, friends, plus her own creations. Recipes for simple slices, cakes & afternoon treats; some filled with fruit & spices, others with yogurt & notes of citrus - all in scrawly handwriting on yellowed, dog-eared paper. The kind of recipes one makes year after year.
After many hours of sipping iced-tea & reminiscing, as the sun began to fall, I was bid farewell laden with my treats.

I walked home feeling as if I had been given an incredible gift - something to be treasured, to be passed onto my own young & grandchildren in the future. I have been trusted with treasures that cannot be replaced - a part of her family history.

You see, just a few years ago, my spoilt & inconsiderate self would have politely thanked & smiled, whilst subtly throwing this pile of pages in the trash.
Somewhere along the way I have also adopted the same appreciation for a simple & meaningful life as those before me.
Gone are the days of take-out meals & a highly consumerist lifestyle, instead we have wholeheartedly embraced this beautifully simplistic, homemade & on-our-way-to-self-reliant existence.

These recipes are safely tucked away with my most beloved cookbooks in our kitchen, ready for a weekend of baking or a special afternoon tea. There's fresh, organic, homemade yogurt in our fridge & our bellies are full of the most delicious, herb-laced wraps I have ever tasted.
I'm probably a little too excited to share these wraps with you, but they're the kind of recipe that's too good to keep to myself!

Super simple - seriously it takes me 10 minutes max to make them - & incredibly soft, I can't imagine buying wraps from the bakery again!


Greek Yogurt Wraps

 3 cups unbleached all-purpose or spelt wholegrain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon of your choice of herbs (I love rosemary or tarragon in this recipe!)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups greek yogurt (or plain natural yogurt with a teaspoon of lemon juice would be fine too!)
1 tablespoon of oil

1. combine the flour, herb, baking powder, salt & baking soda in a large bowl, mix to combine
2. stir yogurt into flour mix until it for a 'shaggy' dough
3. tip dough onto floured board or counter, knead gently until smooth & no longer sticky - add extra flour if needed until dough is slightly tacky
4. divide dough into 8 equal pieces, roll out to 2-3mm thick, & layer on a plate, dusting with flour & a drizzle of oil in between each wrap
5. heat a griddle or fry pan over a medium heat, bake each wrap until golden & slightly puffed, turn over & cook for another minute or two.
6. serve with your choice of toppings, fillers & condiments - we love smashed avocado salsa, chives, poached eggs & balsamic-oil for breakfast, or grated carrots & beetroot, plenty of watercress, asparagus, & grilled zucchini & pumpkin for dinner.

obligatory awkward eating shots... Images by Sam

Oh, & ENJOY!!!

xx


* aka Auntie Margaret - did you call close family friends auntie or uncle when you were a child, as a sign of respect...or was that just my family? 
ps. please find my toddler-talk endearing... ;)
 

6 comments:

  1. I need a Honey Margaret in my life. Actually I think most people do. I think she gave you the recipes now as she knew you were ready for them.

    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. I think you're right, Julie! I will treasure them.

      Sar xx
      ps. I hope an Honey Margaret enters your life too :)

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  2. I had an Auntie Florence and Uncle Hughie aswell as an Aunt Gwynne and Uncle Ron that were not related but close family friends.
    How lovely that you were able to catch up with your Auntie.
    x

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    Replies
    1. Yay! I'm not the only one! Thanks for stopping by, Zara - it's always lovely to 'see' you.

      Sar xx

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  3. What a great story. We are far away from our folks back in Shetland and would love to find an auntie Margaret - you are so lucky! It is amazing how these connections to our past become so much more meaningful the further we trudge and skip along life's highway! And those wraps - mmmm, will definitely be trying very soon xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's hard being far from family - I do hope you find an 'Auntie Margaret' too!

      Let me know if you do try them - I'd love to know what you think! :)

      Sar xx

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