It's mid-year winter cold and damp in Auckland.  At the moment, Sally is making lots of chicken stock for warming soups and casseroles and making sure she has several containers full in various sizes waiting in the freezer. 
Perfect for cooler days, Sally has also been whipping up rich green chive pesto and stirring it through all sorts of pastas, sometimes with a touch of cream or extra rice bran oil for a lovely consistency. The pesto is also great for a pizza base or as a treat on top of hot toast or as a dip for crackers and chips.

Here are a few recipes for you to try: -

 Potato and Leek Soup
1 large leek
3 large old season potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
3 to 4 cups chicken stock (recipe below in December 2014 blog entry)
2 tablespoon rice bran or canola oil
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 cup cream
finely choppped chives to sprinkle on top

Chop white part of leek and garlic, and peel and dice potatoes.  Heat oil in large pot and panfry prepared vegetables and garlic a few minutues, tossing all the time, till slightly golden. Cover with chicken stock and simmer for about 30 minutes till soft.  Add frozen peas and salt (if necessary, taste to see).  Cook further 6 to 8 minutes.  Add cream, stir all together, heat gently then remove from heat and blend till smooth with electric whisk or in a blender. Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of chives on the top. 
(You could leave peas out and reduce chicken stock to 2 - 3 cups to make this low salicylate.)

 Chicken Stock
12 cups water
4 Brussels sprouts
2 sticks celery
1/2 leek
1/2 carrot (moderate/optional)
1/2 parsnip (moderate/optional)
1 or 2 Bok or Pak choy (moderate/optional)
1 old season potato, peeled
2 cloves garlic
Bones of one chicken and 1/2 cup of chiken meat (these can be cooked or uncooked)
1 teaspoon rock salt

Roughly chop Brussels sprouts, celery, leek, potato, Bok or Pak choy, carrot, parsnip and garlic.  Place in large pot with water, chicken and rock salt.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 1/2 hours.  Let cool a little then strain.  Use right away or put in containers and freeze. 

Having this on hand at all times, makes life so much easier and adds delicious flavour in a flash.