Who
Lucy Bell
“I’m an editor at Pantera Press, a social-purpose publishing house that uses a percentage of its revenue to fund not-for-profits and charities to help close the literacy gap. I’m also a children’s book author. My first book, You Can Change the World, came out in September 2019 and it’s a practical guide to show children how to make small changes in their lives to help the planet. It has sections on simple ways to live more consciously and ethically, reduce plastics and waste, how to save energy and water, protect animals, and growing your own herbs, vegies, flowers and trees, whether outside, on a balcony or indoors.”
The second edition of this must have book You Can Change the World won’t be available at the shops until the 2nd July, but you can pre-order it here. My kid loves going through the beautiful illustrations inside and we choose different topics to read for bedtime stories.
On the day, Lucy made her Dad’s famous Sunday crepes and her sister’s pear vanilla jam to go with it. It was such a delight watching Lucy plating up the delicious crepes and the final touch of lemon thyme from her kitchen herb pot is truly a flavour that rounds them all up perfectly!
“My older sister has a pear tree on her property that started growing so many pears she had to find a way to use them, so she created this jam. Her three-year-old son, Sammy, fell in love with it and gets very upset when his supply runs out. I think it’s the perfect addition to Sunday crepes.”
Lucy’s food waste tip
"When you're cooking from a recipe and you find that you don't have one of the ingredients listed, instead of going out and buying it see if you've already got something at home that you can use instead. You never know what exciting new dishes you might come up with when you start experimenting!"
Crepes
Prep time: | Cook time: | Serves 2-3
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup flour
- ¾–1 cup water
- Butter or olive oil for cooking
- In a low oven, place an upside-down bowl on a plate to place your crepes on as you cook them.
- In an electric mixer, or by hand using a bowl and whisk, mix together the eggs and milk. Then add the sugar and salt.
- Add the flour, one spoonful at a time, until you have a smooth batter. If the batter starts to become too thick, add some of the water.
- Stop the mixer and slowly add the remaining water in small batches. Use a whisk and stir until you have quite a thin, watery batter. Transfer to a pouring jug.
- Preheat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add a small knob of butter.
- Pour in the crepe batter to create an even circle. Make sure you don’t make your crepe too thick.
- Cook the crepe until the top is an even yellow – about 40 seconds to 1 minute – then use a spatula to flip your crepe and cook on the other side for about 10–30 seconds. Cooking times vary depending on whether or not you like your crepes to have crispy spots.After each crepe is cooked, place it over the bowl in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
- In between cooking each crepe, add another knob of butter to the pan. If your crepes get ragged edges, your pan might be too hot. Just take it off the heat for 20 seconds before cooking your next crepe.
- Serve with the following topping options: Lemon and honey/sugar, maple syrup, ice cream and stewed or canned fruits, strawberry jam with a squeeze of lemon, Maddy’s pear and vanilla jam, ice cream, chopped walnuts and fresh pear slices.
Maddy’s Pear and Vanilla Jam
Prep time: | Cook time: | Serves 2-3 medium jars
- 1 kg ripe Williams pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 500g Organic raw sugar
- 1 Vanilla bean (or 1 large teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
- 2 or 3 medium jars, boiled then dried in the oven to sterilise
- Mix together pears and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the vanilla.
- Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then use a stick blender to achieve your desired consistency, leaving some fruity chunks.
- Pour into jars and store in fridge until eaten.
