Introducing Zoe from Rub a Dub Dub

Zoe is a food blogger, nutritional medicine student and self-taught food photographer and stylist based in Canberra, Australia. Her photos are always bathed in the most beautiful light, which is how her blog first caught my eye. Zoe’s recipes inspire a more healthful approach to cooking, and her nutritional studies combined with focus on kids (baby number 2 arrived on Boxing Day!) is an interesting spin on food blogging. She holds the belief that eating the right food in the right way and sourced from the right places can change your life. I encourage you to check out her blog and be inspired by her beautiful photos and recipes like I have been.

I love Amelia’s philosophy around food; it’s one that I not only relate to but wholeheartedly agree with – so I was really stoked when Amelia thought to ask me when she needed a few guests to help her out!

In particular, I agree that food doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to be nourishing, satisfying and flavourful. Plus, taste buds are pretty darn indiscriminate – a meal doesn’t have to have Michelin stars attached to it for them to think it’s tasty. I believe there is an often overlooked nuance between diversity and complexity in food. One is about ensuring that you give yourself the best shot at providing your body with all the different nutrients and energy it needs – and in my opinion is vital for good health and wellbeing. The other is about how we like to eat food and how it has evolved with access to more ingredients, cooking aids and techniques. It speaks to our cultural, historical and often socio-economic upbringing. I believe that eating a diverse diet is essential whereas eating complex meals is optional (but can be lots of fun!).

I think part of our love of food is that experimentation and delving into new ideas can often lead to complexity, but on occasion we can overcomplicate food – sometimes the simplest meals are the best tasting as well as the most nourishing. Surely there’s something to be learnt from that.

At our home, simplicity comes in different ways – sometimes experimentally and sometimes through tried and true recipes. On some days we love to throw ingredients together in the hope that something amazing will come out of it (it doesn’t always) but we also find ourselves going back to those basic formulas that are reliable, quick and nutritious. Interestingly I think it’s the simplest ones that my daughter seems to like.

The recipe I’ve chosen for Simple Provisions was one of the experimental ones that just happened randomly one night when we were cooking with friends. I thought I’d share it because it ticks all boxes: simple, nutritious and flavourful. I hope you agree

Ps. If you can’t source pea shoots they are super easy to grow in a seedling tray either indoors or out. I recommend giving it a try!

Pear and Fennel Salad (from Rub a Dub Dub)

Ingredients

• 3 baby fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
• 2 pears (I used Corella pears), thinly sliced
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ½ cup pistachios, shelled
• ½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 handful pea shoots
• Shaved parmesan cheese

Dressing

• 1 tsp verjus
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ¼ tsp maple syrup
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well and set aside. Prepare the salad ingredients (keeping in mind the pear and fennel will brown quickly so do them last) and gently toss through the dressing. Serve immediately.