I realized the rules called for an original recipe and the curry recipe I used isn’t mine. It belongs to the BBC.

But I’ll tell you about using the Gourmet Garden herbs to make it anyway. Just without pictures or the recipe. Okay?

So I used the chilli, garlic and ginger for this recipe.

Once again, it made no difference to the taste, but in this case did help in the prep, sort of.

I say sort of because I do hate slicing chillies, so that was a plus. However, the recipe calls for a 1cm piece of fresh ginger. Gourmet Gardens instructions on the pack say a teaspoon of their’s equals a teaspoon of ginger. Yeah. That doesn’t help.

In fact, all recipes I have ever seen that use fresh ginger, measure it by size of piece, not teaspoons or tablespoons.

So I’m obviously not going to win this competition, since I am hardly recommending the products…

Once again, Gourmet Garden have sent me various herbs to test. I have accepted no money to do these tests. All I get is an entry to their contest and the possibility of winning a trip to Oz. All views are mine.

Yes, that’s right, gentle reader. I’ve entered a contest. Not just a contest. A cooking contest.

I learned of this contest through the Mumsnet Bloggers Network. It is being sponsored by Gourmet Garden, who make a range of herbs and spices in tubes for ease of use, or something like that.

The truth is, I had never even heard of them until the contest was highlighted on Mumsnet. I never use such things as I prefer to use my herbs unadulterated and they mix them with…things. But I figured, hey, what the heck? Could win a trip to Oz!

So tonight I tried them for the first time.

Lasagne was already on the menu for the week, so I just substituted my regular garlic and basil for these:

My recipe is a vegetarian one, usually made with either courgette (zucchini in the US) or aubergine (eggplant in the US). Tonight’s had both, as the aubergine sent in my grocery order was very small and I couldn’t get another one today in town.

So, the recipe:

1 T Olive Oil
Black Pepper
3 T Lemon Juice (about 2 lemons)
3 Courgettes or 1 Aubergine, sliced
1/2 C Breadcrumbs
3 T Parmesan
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped (substituted 2 t Gourmet Garden Garlic)
1/2 C Tomato Purée
2 T White Wine
1 t Oregano
1 t Basil (substituted 1 t Gourmet Garden Basil)
Pinch Cayenne
4 Sheets Lasagne
6 Oz Ricotta
1 Ball Mozzarella, Sliced
2 cartons Passatta

Combine olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Brush over courgette/aubergine and cook under broiler until done, about 5 or 6 minutes a side.

Combine bread crumbs and parmesan in a bowl and reserve.

Sauté onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add Passatta, spices, wine and tomato purée. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Layer the lasagne:

1/3 sauce
2 sheets lasagne
1/2 breadcrumbs mixture
Veg
Ricotta
and repeat

Top with slices of mozzarella.

Bake in 190 C oven for 45 – 60 minutes.

So, what did I think? Eh. It made no difference in the taste to use the stuff in the tubes versus doing it myself. Maybe it saved me 2 minutes with the garlic, but since I chop my onions and garlic in my mini-chopper, it doesn’t make much difference.

During the coming week I am making my curry. I’ll see if they sent me anything for that and do another post.

Gourmet Garden have sent me various herbs to test. I have accepted no money to do these tests. All I get is an entry to their contest and the possibility of winning a trip to Oz. All views are mine.