The wheel turns

Tumble me, turn me,

The world seems brighter,
Shake me, show me –

Now change feels lighter!

Changing weather and changing times all mean one in the same thing – change. Like it or lump it change means moving, be it forward, backwards, left or right whatever direction you take, when it feels right it usually is. Fight against change and we soon know about it, stubbornly pressing our heels into the ground will cause a glitch, a stumble or even a fall - this is natures way of saying take note! Something needs to change.

Last night the sky looked like this.

This morning grey shadows whip the clouds into watery rain and people are passing by with umbrellas or failing that an old newspaper. Yesterday’s news becomes today’s umbrella. When our appetites change we are offered an opportunity to tune into our deeper needs. The seasons are a good barometer for our changing zeal and are worth tuning into.

This simple dish offers a fresh tide of delight and deliciousness. 

Rotelline, a wheel shaped pasta makes a beautiful alternative from the more popular penne or fussilli. The wheels trap and roll in the flavours of any sauce, the shape is particularly appealing to children – so would make a perfect choice for fussy little eaters.  Available in a range of flours, I’d recommend the whole wheat version, or even quinoa, see what you can find, and what you like best.

I love a dish that brings colour and flavour to the fore, and this dish is perhaps a symbolic stepping-stone into our changing seasons - much like the wheel of fortune and the wheel of life. The leaves are falling and dare I say, autumn is drawing ever closer.

Warmth has many sources, and in colder climates the kitchen is literally the hub of our homes. 

Sizzling garlic with a red chilli thrown in for glory will lift any appetite to new heights. The addition of anchovies, that melt into the pan, lit by the slices of pink radishes, and swirled together with Rotelline and yellow peas, green if you can’t find them – makes this a dish of significance.

PINK for a reason, radishes are a food of love and related to the Mustard family. They’re low GI, full of goodness, anti-cancerous, boost liver function, offer a rich source of folate and potassium, bringing a fresh fiery flavour to many a dish and salad.

Happy memory – my son, aged three picking organic radishes straight from the ground and enjoying their natural goodness, Bugs Bunny style!

Good food ignites our imaginations, and this dish does just that. For the less spicy inclined be sure to remove the seeds from the chilli, though I like to keep them in. Take comfort friends -

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” Anatole France

Be brave always, especially in the kitchen! A change in your weekly shop can really change the way we see the world! Try this lovely supper, simple and ready in minutes it will leave you with plenty of time for talking and putting the world to rights of course. I hope that wherever you are in the world, cosiness and calm abound.

Love FFX

Radish and Chilli Rotelline

SERVES 4

Rotelline, 350g

Olive oil, 5 tbsp

Garlic cloves, 4

Red chilli, 1 chopped (deseed for less fire)

Anchovy fillets, 7

Radishes, 10 trimmed and sliced

Yellow/ green beans, 100g trimmed and sliced

Flat leaf parsley, 50g/ small bunch, roughly chopped

ADD pasta to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes.

ADD trimmed yellow/ green beans and cook for a further 4 minutes before draining.

MEANWHILE heat a large frying pan.

POUR in oil and gently fry garlic and chilli for a minute.

ADD anchovy fillets and watch as they melt into the symphony of flavours.

PINKIFY the pan with gorgeous radishes and fry for a further minute.

TOSS cooked pasta into the pan and scatter over the parsley.

SEASON generously and stir again.

SERVE with some Parmesan or other desired cheese, watch as the wheels work their magic!