Get to know what ingredients go together

Food is something that allows you to bring your family together. Whether you have a kitchen garden, you go to the markets on the weekend or you get your ingredients from the local supermarket, there’s no doubt that some days you look at the contents of your fridge and are left with little or no inspiration.

Creating a meal out of “nothing” can sometimes be a matter of knowing which ingredients go together.

So let’s take a tour around the kitchen garden and see which ingredients complement some common foods you might have in your fridge right now.

Beetroot goes with:

• apples
• butter
• carrots
• celery
• cheese
• cream
• duck
• feta
• garlic
• kangaroo
• potatoes
• pasta
• red-wine vinegar
• walnuts
• watercress

Did you know… the early Romans only ate the leaves of the beetroot?

TIP: try our Beetroot and Feta Pasta Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe by Shelley Judge

Tomato goes with:

• avocado
• basil
• bread
• cheese
• chillies
• garlic
• oregano
• parsley
• parmesan
• pesto
• pasta
• prawns
• zucchini

Tomatoes are a staple in Italian gardens. And boy, do Italians know how to grow delicious tomatoes!

Tip: Try our Tomato Linguini with Chilli Garlic Prawns recipe.

Asparagus goes with:

• artichokes
• bacon
• butter
• chives
• cream
• egg
• cheese
• lemon
• ham
• mushrooms
• parmesan
• pasta
• parsley
• smoked salmon
• walnuts

TIP: when preparing asparagus snap the woody end off by breaking it with your hands, rather than chopping it off.

Try serving perfectly steamed asparagus as a side to our Potato Gnocchi with Pan Fried Salmon and Creamy Saffron and Lemon Sauce recipe.

Zucchini goes with:

• anchovies
• basil
• capers
• dill
• eggplants
• fetta cheese
• fish
• garlic
• lemons
• parmesan cheese
• pasta
• pine nuts
• parsley
• tomato

Try our Duck Egg Contadina Pasta w Fresh Tomatoes, Zucchini, Bacon and Artichokes recipe By Miss Foodie.

TIP: finely grate zucchini into your pasta sauce to add some much needed veggies into your kids diet. They won’t even know it’s there.

Turnips and Swedes go with:

• bacon
• beef
• broth
• carrots
• beetroot
• chicken
• garlic
• parsley
• pasta
• lamb
• leeks
• pork
• pepper
• rosemary
• sausages
• spring onions
• pasta

TIP: Add turnips and swedes (and the leaves) into your winter soups to add flavour and nutrients.

Try adding some turnips to our Tagliatelle Pasta with Rich Meat Ragu Recipe.

Chives go with:

• beetroot
• butter
• celery
• chicken
• cucumber
• eggs
• fish
• potato
• yogurt
• bacon
• pasta

TIP: once you’ve chopped off the green part for eating, you can plant the remaining stem with the roots still attached and new chives will grow.

Try sprinkling finely chopped chives or spring onion over your favourite pasta recipe, such as this classic Eliche (Curly) Pasta with Napolitana Tomato Sauce recipe.

Pasta goes with:

• EVERYTHING. Even chocolate.

It’s true, try these chocolate pasta recipes:

• Angelo’s Chocolate Linguini with Chobani Chestnut Cream and Candied Orange
• Donna’s Chocolate Linguini with Smoked Salmon & Mushroom Cream Sauce