Strawberry Wine for Christmas Day

Try this easy recipe for something a bit different.

Blend a punnet of washed strawberries and push through a sieve and pour into a glass jug. Pour to the top with chilled dry white wine and add a dash of strawberry liqueur and serve.

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Mulled Claret

A real winter warmer.

In a saucepan heat 90ml (3oz) of claret or any red wine - and 300ml water. Add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters, 1 tsp of fine granulated sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon,1 tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp allspice and a little lemon juice. Warm for about 10 minutes but do not boil. Let sit for a while to steep the flavours in. Serve in wine glasses, but place a tsp in the glass, to prevent cracking if the wine is really hot.

If you make a bulk quantity it can be kept warm by serving from a crock pot which is set to a low heat. Great to make your quests feel warm and welcomed at a party.

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Lemon Frappe

8 lemons, 8 icecubes, 400ml vodka.

Sugar Syrup made with 140g castor sugar and 100 ml of water by heating both together gently until the sugar is dissolved and boiling briefly until you have a light syrup... then cool.

Squeeze the eight lemons to obtain 500ml of juice, grate the zest from 6 of them and mix.

Smash the ice cubes and mix Syrup, Juice and Vodka together and freeze in a container. Use a fork to stir as freezing to create a lemon ice frappe. Serve in large quantities on a hot sunny afternoon.

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Fabulous Frittatas

Potato and / or kumara, cubed, to fill pie dish

Chopped thyme, oregano, rosemary

Chopped onion

6 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet. When warm, add herbs, salt and pepper and cook for a few moments. Add onion, potato, kumara and panfry for 10 minutes. Spoon into deep pie dish and then mix in the cheese. Break eggs into small bowl, and lightly whisk, then pour into the rest of the mixture.

Season and bake for about 25 minutes.

Experiment with capers, sun-dried tomatoes and capsicums, other fresh herbs, added at the last step, bacon, cubed ham, spicy sausage asparagus, courgettes or anything that takes your fancy.

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Something simple with Avocado

Wholemeal bread

Ripe avocado

Sautéed onion

Fresh ground black pepper

Bacon chopped and fried

Grated cheese

First toast the bread. Then layer slices of avocado, bacon and onion. Throw on a handful of cheese, grind on fresh pepper and quickly grill. A squeeze of lemon juice boosts the flavour. Divine.

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Mini Pizzas

Pre-make the bases to a gourmet size suitable for finger food and dress with whatever your imagination allows - for example...Pesto, tomato paste, tomato slices, olives, bacon, ham, capsicum, capers and mozzarella cheese.

For the Pizza Base

50g butter

350g self raising flour

squeeze lemon juice

olive oil

Cube butter and in the blender mix with flour until bread crumbs appear, add lemon juice and milk to make a dough. Knead on floured board. An easily prepared nibble with a glass of wine could be,

Toasted wholemeal bread cut in wedges spread with pesto, smoked salmon add half a grape and garnish with a coriander leaf.

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Braciole Alla Pizzaiola

Steaks with tomato, garlic and oregano sauce.

The sauce is called Pizzaiola because the beef is cooked like pizza, with oil, garlic, oregano and tomatoes. Braciole are very thin wide slices of beef without bone. However, I used porterhouse.

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic peeled

6 thin slices of beef

500g tomatoes coarsely chopped

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Heat the oil with the garlic in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the meat and brown both sides. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat. Sprinkle the oregano over the meat and tomatoes, partially cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes more to reduce the sauce before serving. Tante deliciosa.

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Persimmon and Blue Cheese on Crackers

A good lump of blue cheese

Persimmons

Crackers of your choice

Serve a good chunk of blue cheese on a cracker and top with a slice of Persimmon, the tastes combined are just perfect.  Just as good is a dollop of honeycomb on the blue cheese.

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Double baked Cheese Soufflé

Sally is a friend of The Boys from England. This dish went down so well when she made it for them that they insisted on her writing down the recipe.

This is her prelude: "I used to work for a Lord Belstead in Suffolk, England. He loved playing croquet and often invited guests for an evening game followed by supper.  Guests received a Gin and Tonic on arrival, followed by a game of croquet on the lawn, After the first game a top of drinks and a small break was in order, at this stage I would run into the kitchen, put the soufflé I had prepared earlier in the Aga .

After another game of croquet, I would quickly set up the table for casual alfresco dining, and then arrive with a golden risen soufflé and fresh garden salad from the kitchen garden, and a bottle of white burgundy......... spectacular and delicious.

The guests who experienced this still talk about it."

Serves 6   (This will never receive the heart foundation tick of approval!)

Ingredients

50gm butter (plus extra butter to grease the ramekins)
50 gm plain flour
2 cups milk
150 gm grated cheese (Swiss cheese or cheddar)
1tsp mustard
6 eggs (separated)

Topping

300ml cream
150gm-grated cheese
Fish topping (see suggested flavours)  we used Crayfish and smoked salmon

Suggested flavours 

Crayfish, smoked salmon, feta, spinach, Parmesan. Roasted capsicum, prawns, smoked fish, goats cheese, blue cheese, sun dried tomatoes.

Method

• Generously butter 6 large individual soufflé ramekins.
• Melt butter in saucepan over heat.
• Add the flour and stir over heat to make a roux.
• Slowly add the milk, and bring to boil, stirring continually until you have a thick béchamel sauce. 
• Remove from the heat; add grated cheese, and mustard.
• Mix in the egg yolks, once the cheese has melted.
• Whip the eggs whites to soft peak, and gently fold into the béchamel.
• Spoon the mix into the prepared ramekins
• Place ramekins into a water bath, bake in a 180c oven, until golden, risen and nearly set. (approx 30 minutes)
• Take out and allow to cool - the soufflés will collapse, that's fine they will recover!

Note: single baked soufflé' keep in the fridge happily for a couple of days.

• Turn out the soufflé from the ramekin, top with crayfish, smoked salmon and prawns, feta, fresh herbs, and place on a bed of spinach.
• Top with the grated cheese.
• Pour over the cream
• Garnish if required with tomatoes or sliced capsicum.

Place in an 180C oven until hot, golden and risen again. (approx 15-20 minutes)

Serve immediately with a fresh green salad.

Chicken with Tomatoes

5 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2.5cm cinnamon stick

6 whole cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon whole pepper corns

1 onion, finely chopper

7 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2.5cm fresh ginger, chopped

1 tin tomatoes

1.3 kgs of chicken drumsticks, skinned

1.5 teaspoon salt

Cayenne to taste

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Fresh coriander to finish

Preheat oven to 180%C. Heat oil in a large casserole dish. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay and peppercorns, stir then add onion, ginger and garlic - cook for a short time. Add chicken, tomatoes, salt and cayenne. Place in oven and cook slowly for about half an hour. Remove lid to help reduce the sauce.

Add garam masala prior to serving

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Chicken & Pepper Stunner

Chicken pieces - we used boneless breast

Capsicums, use three different colours, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

2 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed

handful chopped coriander

handful chopped parsley

Olive oil

2 cups white wine

Brown chicken in olive oil in skillet, about 5 minutes. Remove to a dish and brown capsicums, garlic and onion in chicken juices. Return chicken to skillet, with parsley. Season to taste, add wine, cover and cook 15 minutes. Add coriander in final 5 minutes. Stir.

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Pine Nut and Ricotta Chicken

4 chicken breast, skin off

Spinach, at least 2 leaves per breast

Fresh basil, 2 good sized leaves per breast

Bocconcini, ½ a ball per breast or 2 tsp ricotta cheese per breast

Flour

Olive oil, enough to coat chicken

2 tbsp pitted black olives

2 tbsp capers

1/2 cup white wine

Lightly roasted pine nuts

Slice chicken breasts to make like a sandwich. Layer the fresh spinach and basil leaves on top. Spread the bocconcini or ricotta over the leaves evenly, add the pine nuts and roll up the breast and secure with a toothpick. Coat with a little flour, sprinkle with olive oil and fan grill for 20 mins. Pour sauce over then bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve with the sauce and sprinkle with the olives and capers. Serves 4

Serve with Tomato, Thyme and Parsley Sauce.

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Tania's Delicious Rosemary Chicken

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tbspn balsamic vinegar

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 tbspn chopped rosemary

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic

2 tbspn chopped shallots

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup cream

450g penne pasta

3 tbspn finely grated parmesan or similar

Combine half of the oil, rosemary, all of the vinegar, salt and pepper and marinate the chicken overnight. Discard marinade and cook chicken. Cool and cube, then season. In a pan heat remaining olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic. Add the shallots and remaining rosemary. Cook for a couple of minutes, add wine and let the mixture reduce. Pour in the chicken stock and cream and cook for 10 minutes or so until the mixture thickens slightly. Add chicken and cook through for five more minutes. Cook pasta and combine with the chicken, stir in the cheese and serve immediately.

I presented this with salad, fresh buns and a glass of chilled white wine. (Lloyd)

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Down the Line Chicken Casserole

Chicken drumsticks for each diner

Flour

Knob of butter and small amount olive oil

Dice: 4 to 5 (peeled) spuds and a handful of mushrooms

Chop: 1 carrot and 2 onions

Rashers of bacon, cut into strips

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 bay leaves any fresh herbs such as rosemary, parsley or thyme

Dust chicken with flour and season. Brown in skillet and remove to a casserole. Sauté onions, bacon and mushrooms in skillet and add, with spuds and carrots, to casserole. Pour in stock, add herbs and bake in hot oven 1 hour.

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Chicken Carbonara

A great way to use leftover cooked chicken.

2 onions

2 -3 Tbs capers

4 rashers of bacon

cooked chicken

parsley, salt and pepper

cream

parmesan cheese

Fresh fettucini

Take 2 onions and finely chop. Heat a frying pan, splash in some olive oil and sauté the onion. Chop coarsely 2 or 3 tablespoons of capers and throw in with the onions. Take 2 or 4 rashers of bacon and remove the rind, chop coarsely and fry with the rest. Cut the cold chicken onto bite size pieces and add. At this stage I chopped a handful of Italian parsley and added it along with an amount of freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile the fresh fettucine was being cooked with a little oil and salt until tender.

When the onion and chicken mix is warmed through, turn the heat to quite low and add cream until the consistency is sauce like, add some parmesan cheese and more cream so that it retains a sauce like consistency.

Drain the water from the fettucine , then add to the chicken mixture, fold in gently.

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan, grind of pepper and crsipy hot rolls.

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Harry's Tarragon Chicken

This is a truly amazing way to roast a chicken for a special occasion such as Easter Lunch.

Firstly, make the Tarragon Pesto

2 Cups of fresh French Tarragon leaves
Olive oil
1 clove Garlic
A handful of Pine Nuts
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Blend leaves with garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and slowly add olive oil until a paste forms. Season with salt and ground black pepper. (This pesto stores really well in ice-cube containers in the freezer, which means you can season with tarragon in the winter)

Use fresh corn-fed chickens as frozen chickens can be dry and corn-fed chooks have no additives - as many as you need to feed your party. Loosen the skin of the chicken, without removing it, and spread the pesto onto the flesh under the skin. Squeeze the juice of a couple of lemons over the skin. As I love bacon I put heaps of slices of streaky bacon over the breast of the chicken. Pop it into a roasting pan and into a hot oven for about 1 ½ hours. 

Serve with roasted zucchini, boiled Heather potatoes with parsley and butter, and grilled tomatoes. Oh, and Mynda suggests a fruity Riesling to complement the flavours, but I like a good cold Heineken.  YUM!

Lloyd's Salsa

Salsas are really yum and really easy to make - especially if you can con someone into doing the chopping for you. I always upset my choppers as I like things finely cut up -  and am always assertive enough to say so. Having said that, the flavours are better if ingredients are  chopped fine! 

The ingredients are always just what I have on hand.

For this one I used:

Tomatoes

Red onions

Red and orange capsicums

Cucumber (with the skin on though make sure that its not bitter)

A handful of roughly chopped sweet basil

Salt and pepper freshly ground

A generous amount of that all purpose tarragon oil

Lemon juice to taste if you require a tang

A few olives for decoration and there you have it! Serve as a salad or with corn chips.

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Tropical Cardo Dressing

1 or 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

Pinch cayenne

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 cup water

Process everything, except the water, until smooth. Slowly add water until a smooth consistency is reached.

Cover and chill until needed - will keep 2 to 3 days.

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Spicy Tomato Sauce

3 cloves garlic

1/2 jar tomato paste

1 tbspn olive oil

1 tbspn balsamic vinegar

1 red chilli or more, to taste

1/2 inch ginger root

2 large tomatoes

fresh coriander to taste

1/2 cup water

Salt pepper

Combine all these ingredients into a blender, except the coriander, and process until smooth.

Pour into a large saucepan, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the element, and add the coriander.

Season to taste.

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Grape Salsa

This is a great dish to use lots of coriander in and is really easy to make if you buy seedless grapes - however make sure that the grapes are sweet. I pipped and quartered enough grapes for the amount of salsa that I wanted. (Lloyd)

Chop and add accordingly:

Spring onions

Coriander and lashings of it

Chilli and enough to give a tang

Red capsicum chopped finely

Salt and pepper

Combine together and enjoy!

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Wicked Tarragon Pesto

Pestos are a great way of preserving herbs as they can be readily frozen and used as needed. They can be added to casseroles and soups as an extra flavour, with pasta, as the base flavour for finger food or as condiments served with a meal, ie bacon and eggs are great served with pesto. Push pesto under the skin of a chook to roast. The possibilities are endless. (Lloyd)

1 1/2 cups of tarragon leaves

1/2 cup parsley

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup pinenuts

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil to blend

Process the tarragon, pinenuts, parsley, and garlic in the blender. Blend and then add the cheese and pepper. Finally add olive oil slowly to bring all to a moist consistency.

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Coriander Pesto

2 cups of coriander or other herbs

Capers to add tang

Garlic to taste if required

1/2 cup pinenuts

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Process the coriander, pinenuts, capers and garlic in the blender, then add the cheese. Finally add olive oil slowly to bring all to a moist consistency.

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Parsley Pesto

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon of salt

25g or a handful of parsley

25g pinenuts

115ml olive oil

30ml grated parmesan cheese

black pepper

Into a blender put garlic, salt, parsley and pinenuts, blend until fairly smooth. Throw in 25g of capers and about 1 teaspoon of lemon rind. Add enough oil and remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

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Tomato Thyme and Parsley Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 cups

4 cloves of garlic chopped finely

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 anchovy fillets

2 x 400g tins whole tomatoes, slightly chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper

Sauté the garlic in oil. Add the anchovies, simmer and break up into a paste. Add the tomatoes, dried oregano parsley, thyme and wine. Simmer uncovered for approx 25 mins, which will allow it to reduce to a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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 Persimmon Conserve ala Harry

1.5kg persimmons chopped
2 Cups sultanas
1 cup crystalised ginger chopped
1/2 kg sugar

Method

Put the chopped persimmons in a pot and just cover with water and cook for approx half an hour or until soft.

Add the ginger, raisins and sugar and rapid boil for approx half an hour or until tests on a cold saucer show its ready to set

 Pete's Perfect Plum Jam

2 kg fresh plums, cut in half
1 ½ cups water
A cup of sugar for each cup of pulp
A pat of unsalted butter

• Cut up plums and place them in a pot with a little water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the plums are soft and pulpy and the liquid has been reduced. The stones will have come loose from the flesh and can be scooped out with a slotted spoon at this stage.
• Add a cup of sugar for each cup of pulp - although Pete uses one cup less sugar so that it is not so sweet.
• Boil briskly for 15 minutes until setting-point is reached. Add a knob of butter in the last five minutes. This helps to reduce the scum.

To test for setting point: put a saucer in the fridge whilst the jam is boiling and then drop some jam on the cold saucer and leave it to cool. If it is ready it will form a skin as it cools and if you tip the saucer, the skin will wrinkle but the jam won't run.

Note: If you are using frozen plums, use less water.

To Bottle

To sterilise jars: Put clean jars in a very hot oven in a baking tray of boiling water. Dry with a very clean tea towel. When pouring the jam into the bottles, put a fork into the jar to avoid the jar cracking from the heat.

To Seal - either use the old fashioned method of a wax cap and cellophane or just wrap cellophane over the mouth of the jar and secure with a rubber band.

Pete uses Golden Queens to bottle.

Peel and slice the peaches. Whilst busy with this, make the syrup by adding one cup of sugar to 2 ½ cups water. For a heavier syrup - use more sugar.

Make enough syrup to cover the peaches that are going to be cooked.

Boil the peaches in the syrup until they are just ‘al dente' - as they will keep cooking in the syrup as they cool.

Sterilise jars in the oven at 120 degrees for 30 minutes maximum. Pull out (using oven gloves!) and place them on a clean board or mat. Spoon the peaches into the jars and pour the hot syrup over them to fill the jar to the brim. Wipe the top of the jar with a clean cloth. Put the seal down and then screw on a greased (buttered) screw band. The seal has ‘taken' when it goes concave and the bands can then be taken off.

All fruit can be bottled in this manner. Feijoas and Figs are better in a heavier syrup, so use more sugar.

Medlar Jelly

To make jelly the Medlars do not have to be over-ripe.

Scrub a quantity of the berries, cover well with water and simmer until the fruit is almost mushy.

Preserve the liquid and any more which is gained when the cooked fruit has been strained through muslin or gauze.

Add one cup of sugar for every cup of liquid, slightly less sugar if you prefer a tarter jelly.

Bring to the boil, simmer gently until the mixture will form a skin when a spoonful is ladled onto a cold saucer. Add the juice of a lemon for every two cups of liquid, simmer again for one minute, pour into warmed, clean jars and seal.

The jelly is a beautiful clear red in colour and is a good accompaniment to cold meat.

Avocado and Lime Salsa

This dish can either be served as a starter for 8 or will go further if served as part of a mixed meal.

5 avocados

1/2 small red onion

8 smallish vine-ripened tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped coriander

1 hot red chilli

zest of 1 lime & 2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tbsp avocado oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Finely chop the onion and soak for 30 minutes in cold water.  Dice the tomatoes discarding the cores, put in a sieve, set over a bowl and leave to drain for 20 minutes.

Drain the onions and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Halve, de-seed and very finely chop the chilli.  Put the onion and drained tomatoes in a bowl with the coriander, chilli, lime zest and juice, salt and avocado oil.

Cut the avocados in half and extract the stones.  Use the least attractive one for dicing.  Slip off the skin of two halves and dice the flesh.  Add to the salsa.

Serve half an avocado per person and fill the cavity with the salsa (if serving as a starter) or alternatively, cut each avocado half into three pieces (leaving the skin on) and stack them on a plate, spooning the salsa over as you go.

Fig and Feijoa Jam

This jam tastes great but as I told harry it’s colour is not all that great.

1kg figs chopped
1kg Feijoas peeled and chopped
2.5 litres water
1x 200g packet crystallised ginger finely chopped
1.5 kg sugar

Add chopped fruit, ginger and water to a large pot and bring to the boil then simmer until fruit is soft.
Add sugar and rapid boil until mixture reaches setting point and pour into jars. This takes about 30 minutes. Test on a cold saucer.

Fig and Orange Jam

This jam is superb! We used a couple of the ornamental chinotto kumquats. If it ends up being too chunky just use the electric wizz stick.

1kg Figs chopped
2 oranges finely sliced
2x kumquat finely chopped
750 g sugar
1 x 200g packet of crystallised ginger finely chopped

Add chopped fruit and ginger to a large pot, just cover with water and bring to the boil then simmer until fruit is soft. Add the sugar and rapid boil until the mixture reaches setting point. Pour into jars. This takes about 30 minutes. Test on a cold saucer

 Peter Grant's Rhubarb Relish

For a really unique relish, use some rhubarb stems to make this yummy accompaniment to cheese, crackers and a glass of chilled whatever. The sharper the cheese flavour, the greater the complement!

Ingredients

1kg thick rhubarb stems cut into 5cm pieces

4 tsp salt

2 large red onions, roughly chopped

4 cups brown sugar

450mls malt vinegar or white wine vinegar

3 tsp crushed or grated ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 c up sultanas

1 red capsicum, roughly chopped

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce

• Put all the above in a large saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
• Increase heat and gently bubble for 60 minutes until pulpy and then reduce to consistency of jam.
• Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

Makes approx 5 to 6 250ml jars.

 Peter Grant's Tomato Relish

A long time friend of the Boys and a client of Tony's found this recipe tucked into his grandfathers recipe book. He reckons it would have been written in about 1870. It still tastes great!

Ingredients

12 large tomatoes

4 medium onions

1 pinch of salt

Vinegar to cover (about 3 cups)

½ tablspn curry powder

1lb. brown sugar

½ tablspn mustard

Pinch cayenne pepper

Chop up tomatoes and onions and sprinkle with salt.

Cover with vinegar and leave overnight.

In the morning strain, then put them with other ingredients and boil for ½ an hour and then thicken with flour (about 3/4cup). Allow to cool and bottle in clean jars.

Doras Apple Recipes

Pureed Apples and Red Cabbage pickle

These are Harry's mother's recipes. Like all experienced cooks, she talked about ‘some' sugar and ‘some' water. When I asked for specific quantities she had a jolly good laugh and said "Only my hand knows how much!" Anyway, she looked for the original recipes so that we could pass them on to you. Thanks, Dora!

Appelmoes (Pureed Apples)

Dora uses Braeburn. Peel and core 1kg of apples and put them in a pot with very little water, add some sugar to taste, and cook until there is almost no liquid left - about 10 - 15 minutes. When the apples are soft they will easily puree through a sieve. Bottle in sterilised jars and store in a cool place, or put the puree in containers and freeze. Serve as a side dish to a main course or as a dessert.

Rode Kool en Appel

Slice one red cabbage finely and place in a pot with a bit of water. Cook on low heat for about 40  minutes. Peel and slice two apples - add to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and add some sugar, ground cloves and white vinegar to taste. Allow to sit in the vinegar for some time before bottling. Delicious served with beef or sausages.

Harrys Tasty Apple Sauce

 Harry wanted an apple sauce ready to go with roast pork. We used Granny smith apples that reduced to puree and a whole lot of sage that made this an amazing sauce to go with pork. Keep in the fridge

2kg apples

2lbs white sugar

Sage Leaves

Pizza thyme

2 Onions finely diced

Salt & Pepper to taste

200ml water

Peel apples, remove core and chop into a large pan Add diced onions chopped sage pizza thyme and sugar and water.

Simmer slowly for 2 hours and until a good consistency,

Mash with potato masher or puree

Bottle into jars and serve with roast pork or anything you like.

  
Anthonys Home Made Relish

An apple a day keeps the Doctor away but when some ones give you some tomatoes get out the books and make relish.
A friend gave Anthony some tomatoes so out came the Edmonds cook book and this relish recipe was vaguely followed and embellished by Tony and Harry to suit what we had in the cupboards and gardens. The basic recipe and why they chose this one I'll never know as it starts with green tomatoes but we did have plenty of Zucchini. They couldn’t make relish without some herbs so in went Oregano, Pizza Thyme and lots of fresh basil. We didn’t have seedless raisins and there was plenty of left over xmas fruit mix left in the pantry, so in it all went

5lbs Tomatoes

6 large onions

3lbs apples

2 pints Vinegar

4 oz salt

1/2 oz white pepper

1/2 oz cloves few chillies

2lb brown sugar

1ilb seedless raisins

1/2lb lemon rind sliced

Cut up the tomatoes and apples, add the remainder of ingredients, Boil all togather for three hours or longer Bottle and cork when cold.

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Crab Apple Jelly

Pick the crab apples over removing bad apples and cutting any blemishes out.  You can cut in half or not and leave stalks.

Just cover with water and simmer until the apples are cooked and have gone soft leaving the pot full of juicy pulp. Spoon or tip the pulp mixture into a jelly bag ( a triangle of cloth dad uses a sewn tea towel ) and hang on a broom stick suspended between chairs over night so that the juice drips into a  bowl. Don’t squeeze the bag for more juice as the resulting jelly may not be as clear as it could be.

The next day measure the juice in cupfuls and put in a large pot for boiling.  Add approx 3/4 cup to cup of sugar for every cup of juice (taste the extracted juice to see how sweet and then decide how much sugar). Bring the juice and sugar to rapid boil watching carefully, some where between 10 to 15 mins will start to thicken.  The juice will start to not run off the wooden spoon but thicken on the end. Have tester saucers in the freeze so that you can pull them out and put some forming jelly on them and a skin should start to form. Too short a time boiling you will have runny jelly and too long you will have toffee.

When you think the time is right add a knob of butter to remove the skum that will form and pour into hot jam jars with a fork sitting in the jar. These should have been already prepared in a heated oven.Put on the screw tops and they should pop down as the jars and jelly cool.

Rogan Josh

This is one of the nicest curries I've ever tasted. It's rich and creamy and a seriously classic dish (Lloyd).

5cm fresh  finely chopped ginger

8 cloves chopped garlic

10 tablespoons olive oil

1kg stewing beef, cubed

6 tbspn plain unsweetened yoghurt

1 big onion, finely chopped

10 whole cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

6 whole cloves

2.5cm stick of cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoon paprika, mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon garam masala 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 150%C.

Heat the oil and brown the beef. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave aside.

Add to the the beef juices the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon (add more oil if there is not enough). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until spices swell. Add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes. Throw in the garlic, ginger and fry for 30 seconds.

Stir in the dry spices and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the beef and juices and mix well. Blend the yoghurt in slowly - one tablespoon at time - over a low to medium heat. Cook for five minutes, add 275mls of water and cover.

Finish in the oven for two hours of slow cooking, stirring every now and then. If it is looking too wet, remove the lid until sauce reduces. The resulting meat should be coated in a lovely rich, flavoursome sauce.

Sprinkle with garam masala and fresh ground pepper and serve with basmat rice and raita. Simply delicious!

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Unleash Rosemary in this Shank Dish

Sufficient lamb shanks

Seasoned flour for dusting

Good handful chopped rosemary

Chopped garlic to taste

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 onions sliced

Half a bottle red wine

Half a bottle balsamic vinegar

Dust the shanks and brown in a little olive oil. Throw into a casserole dish. Using the dish you browned them in, fry garlic and onions until soft. Add rosemary, season and add the liquid. Cook 5 to 10 minutes then pour over shanks.

Pop into medium oven for 2 to 3 hours.

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Pork with Panache

This looks amazing on a serving platter, with the bay leaves and peppercorns along side. A real stunner, and too easy to cook. Serve with Potato and Sorrel Gratin. (Lloyd)

1 pork roast, or you could use a roll of pork

150ml red wine vinegar

150ml red wine

1 dessertspoon fresh, black peppercorns

12 fresh bay leaves

And that's all you need - simple, eh!

Preheat oven to 240 C.

Heat some oil in a large dish. Sear pork all over in a little olive oil. Remove from dish and add the vinegar. Boil until it starts to reduce, 2 or 3 minutes. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients, and return the pork to dish. Cover with tinfoil or place a lid over the contents and bake in the oven until cooked. Ensure that the pork is well covered with the juices and baste from time to time.

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Pork with Anchovies & Olives

Roast, roll or boned piece of pork (I used a large roast of pork and slit it in half)

Parsley, garlic, anchovies

About a cup of pitted chopped black olives

Fresh sage

Bottle dry white wine

Olive oil

Take a handful of parsley and chop finely, then chop 2 or 3 garlic cloves. Then chop these two together a bit. Use this as the first layer in your roast. Then add a layer of olives and finally a layer of about 8 anchovies (bought from the supermarket, in oil) add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Tie the roast or roll back together and put in a roasting pan. Make several large slits in the roast and push in sprigs of sage. Add a splash or two of olive oil and some white wine to the pan

Throughout cooking baste in more wine (and drink the rest of the bottle of white wine in between bastings). When cooked, slice and serve. Make a gravy out of all the pan juices, watered down and thickened.

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Stunning Beef Stew with Sage

1 kg of cubed beef

25g butter

2 sliced onions

500ml stock

2 tablespoons chopped marjoram

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon thyme

6 chopped sage leaves

4 chopped anchovy fillets and the grated rind of 1 lemon

In a heavy skillet, fry the beef in the butter until nicely browned. Remove it from the pan and throw in the onions and saute until golden. Pour in the stock and when boiling, mix in the herbs, the lemon rind, anchovy fillets and the browned beef. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

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Herbed Fillet of Beef

Mushrooms

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Rosemary

Chop rosemary, mushrooms and place over beef. Drizzle over olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season. Enclose in tinfoil and cook 15 minutes for every 500gms of meat.

Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes. Mix pan juice with red wine, mushrooms and thicken with cornflour mixed with water.

Serve with the gravy poured over the top.

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Tarted up Roast Pork and Apples
Tart up that classic Pork Roast with these exquisite caramalised apples, with strong overtones of Rosemay.  Excess is excellent in this case!

Pork Roast Roll (in a string bag)

Olive Oil

Course Sea Salt

For the Apples

Apples (I use Granny Smith – they’re so divinely tart)

Rosemary, chopped – use lots, don’t be shy

Salt

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Honey

Rub the skin of the Pork with olive oil and salt and then place into an oven bag and cook for recommended time. When cooked, take the roast out of the oven bag, saving the juices to make gravy. Remove the string bag and grill the crackling until completely crispy. Set the pork aside to rest. 

Quarter the apples and remove the pips. Place them in a roasting dish and sprinkle with lots of chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a dollop of honey to sweeten.  

Roast in a medium oven until the apples go mushy (if you prefer firm apples, use another variety). Whilst they are roasting, make the gravy in a saucepan on the stove. When the apples are done, arrange them artistically around the Pork Roast on a serving platter. Serve hot with the gravy on the side. (Always good to have something on the side!) Roast spuds go well with the dish and a good red wine will complement the flavours. Cheers!  

Pears can be prepared in the same manner as the apples, allowed to cool and served with crumbled Blue Cheese. This makes a fabulous starter.

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Harrys Bacon and Egg Pie

If you are a Bacon and egg pie lover then you just have to try Harrys version. Its like a meal in a pie. As with all of Harry's recipes you will estimate quantities to suit your needs.

Flaky pastry

12 Eggs beaten and mixed with milk and seasoned salt and pepper

Bacon

Potato peeled and sliced thinly

Kumara peeled and sliced thinly

Onions diced finely so that they fall in between potatoes and kumara

Mixed veges approx a cup

Fresh herbs oregano,  pizza Thyme rosemary

Cheese  grated

Flour your bench or board and roll out the flaky pastry and line a deep pie dish.

Then layer kumara, onion, potato and more onion.

Sprinkle some mixed veges and herbs

Add the beaten eggs,

Layer the bacon

Add a final layer of thinly slice potatoes and finish pouring the beaten eggs ensuring that its full

The overhang pastry, push to the middle of the pie and finish the top with grated cheese

Will take approx an hour to hour and a half to cook at 175 degrees

Bake empty egg shells hard and crumble to return grit to chooks

Lloyd's Indian Style Rice

I only make rice this way as for me its fail-proof and delicious.

Melt 100 grams of butter in a pot that you can put a close fitting lid on. Lightly sauté a medium onion that is very finely diced.

Throw in 400 grams of rice (basmati or jasmine) and toss through the onions so that the rice becomes transparent looking - this will happen quite quickly. Add 700ml of water and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down very very low and simmer for twenty minutes by which time the water will be totally absorbed and you will be left with buttery rice.

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Lloyd's Lasagne

Harry tells me that he didn't used to eat Lasagne until Lloyd made up this recipe. Sol thinks he's the master Lasagne maker in our household so I think there may need to be a bake-off between Lloyd and Sol - Mama Mia! (Bron)

Chop the following

1 onion

1 bell pepper

6 sprigs of thyme

6 sprigs oregano

lots of parsley

500g mince

Salt and pepper

2 - 3 bay leaves

1 - 2 tbsp olive oil

1 can tomato soup

3 cups grated cheese

Fresh lasagne, optional spinach leaves

Heat oil and add bay leaves, thyme oregano and mince. Cook for a few minutes. Add onion, pepper, salt and pepper and soup. Throw in any other veggies lurking in your fridge, such as celery, mushrooms or whatever is there. Add parsley.

Layer with sheets of lasagna and cheese, finishing with a grated cheese layer.

Easy Cheese Sauce

1 dsp butter

1 dsp flour

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

1 beaten egg

Melt butter, add flour, milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add beaten egg, and keep stirring then pour this over the top of lasagna. Bake 3/4 hour in hot oven.

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Rice with a hint of Sage

Basmati rice

18 Sage leaves

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese grated

Cook the rice, and put on a platter. Sprinkle cheese on top. Fry sage, torn into chunks, in oil. Remove and drizzle the sage flavoured oil over the rice. Season and serve.

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Bottled Spaghetti

Sauté the finely chopped onions in butter, throw in the tomatoes and cook all together. Add the bacon and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Flavour with salt and pepper and the fresh herbs and cook for an additional 15 to 30 minutes so that you end up with a sauce like texture that tastes great.

Whilst the sauce is simmering away, in another pot, bring to the boil enough salted water to cook the two packets of Spaghetti and when on a rolling boil add them and cook until tender. Chop the cooked spaghetti somewhat so that it’s easier to get into jars. Drain and mix into the tomato sauce mixture.

Spoon into hot Agee jars making sure there is no air space. Fill to the top of the jar but not overfull. Use a spatula down the sides of the jar to make sure there are no large air pockets then I topped the jars up and overflowed slightly with boiling water from the kettle, wipe the rim clean and seal screwing the rings down tightly.

When cold remove rings, wash the jars and store in a dark dry cupboard.

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Grilled Fennel Salad

6 large fennel bulbs, outer leaves removed

1/2 lemon

Oil and lemon dressing

Keep the green part of the fennel. Slice the fennel as finely as possible so each piece remains attached to a stalk. Place in a bowl of ice water with lemon to prevent discoloration.

Heat up the Barbie. Drain and dry the fennel then grill until they are al dente. Place in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and lemon dressing.

Serve at room temperature.

Lemon and Oil Dressing

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt and ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and this ones ready to go!

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Spinach & Bacon Salad

Washed, drained and torn spinach

4 to 6 rashers of bacon, barbecued, cooled and diced

Feta cheese, broken into cubes

Pinenuts, dry roasted (simply heat skillet, without oil, and heat nuts, turnign often and keeping an eye on them)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Add whatever else that appeals, such as capsicum, spring onion, chopped parsley, radishes and the like

Toss together and make a simple dressing using olive oil (3 parts) and white wine or balsamic vinegar (1 part). To this can be added a dash of mustard, salt and pepper. Crushed ripe strawberries enchances the flavour.

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Caesar Salad

1 head of cos lettuce

175 mls french dressing which is salt, pepper ¾ tsp mustard 4 tbspn vinegar and 8 tbspn olive oil

Lemon juice

50g grated parmesan cheese

50g of canned anchovy fillets (drained)

1 raw egg, lightly beaten

Garlic croutons which are 3 slices of french bread cubed and fried in oil with 2 cloves of garlic until golden.

Wash lettuce and tear into a bowl and chill. Mix the french dressing and pour over the lettuce, toss and add cheese, anchovies and raw egg. Just before serving add the cold garlic croutons and serve immediately.

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Warm Potato Salad with Salad Burnet Viniagrette Dressing

1 lb potatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

1 desertspoon white wine vinegar

1 healthy-sized teaspoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon freshly chopped salad burnet

Peel and thinly slice potatoes. Just cover with cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Don't overcook or the potatoes will tend to go mushy. Drain, and place in a bowl. Put oil, freshly ground black pepper, dill, vinegar and mustard into a blender and mix well. Add salad burnet to vinegarette and pour over the potatoes while still warm and serve. This dish can be served cold with good results.

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Hot Fish Soup for Cool Evenings

1 tbsp oil

1 stalk celery, sliced thinly

1 chopped onion

1 fillet Terekihi, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 bay leaves

Handful chopped thyme

2 1/2 pints fish stock

300ml tin tomato puree

4 - 5 habanera pepper, left whole or cut in half, remove seeds for less heat

500g raw peeled prawns

Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and add celery and onion, sauté until tender.  Add the garlic, thyme and bay. Pour in the fish stock, tomato puree and peppers - bring to the boil and lower to a simmer. Add fish and cook for twenty minutes before adding the prawns and the seasoning. Cook another 2 minutes, serve immediately in bowls with crusty garlic bread.

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Lloyd's Salmon with Kaffir Lime and Salsa

The other night I was at the supermarket faced with that usual dilemma of someone coming for dinner and what to have. There in front of me was fresh salmon, something I don't usually dabble with but I though it would be quick and easy having watched a friend cook it a couple of weeks ago.

Salmon Steaks, enough to feed your crowd

Kaffir Limes & Leaves

Tarragon Oil (or any olive is fine)Capers

Dill

Salt & Pepper

I thought that I would try and remove the bones which turned out to be surprisingly easy. Grab those tweezers that are usually used for beautifying purposes and feel for the bones in the steaks pinch them hard and pull. I found that they were all in a row in my steaks.

I rubbed in liberally some Tarragon oil and seasoned with rock salt and freshly ground pepper. On each piece I lay slices of Kaffir limes and a whole bunch of coarsely cut Kaffir lime leaves, a generous amount of capers and some dill. I then covered the steaks with tinfoil and baked them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remember you have to be careful not to overcook Salmon!

I served the salmon on a bed of rice cooked in an Indian style with butter and finely chopped onions, tomato salsa and tossed salad of mesculun and rocket leaves.

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Smoked Salmon Cabonara

Smoked Salmon

2 onions

Olive Oil

Capers

Capsicum

Parsley

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Cream

Penne or Pasta

Finely chop two onions and sauté in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of capers and continue to sauté, and then add chopped capsicums and the smoked salmon. Add handfuls of chopped parsley and quite a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Add cream slowly on low heat until you get a thickened sauce.

Meanwhile have a pot with salt and water on the boil and add herbs, such as rosemary and bay leaves, and olive oil. Cook penne or pasta until tender and then rinse under hot water and drain.

Combine pasta with the salmon cream sauce. Add heaps of chopped dill and parmesan and serve with rolls and a great salad.

NOTE: You can make this with bacon, left over chicken, smoked salmon.

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Terekihi Chilli Chowder

1 tbspn olive oil

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

1 chopped onion

1 chopped capsicum

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

2 - 3 fillets terekihi, bite size

3 bay leaves

Handful chopped thyme

2 ½ pints fish stock

300ml tomato puree

4 - 5 habanero peppers or similar (left whole, or halved, remove seeds to reduce heat)

8 - 12 prawns

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan, sauté onion, capsicum, bay leaves, thyme, garlic and celery. The chillies can be added now if wished. Add fish and cook a further minute or three. Pour in fish stock, with tomato puree and chillies. Cook 10 minutes or to personal preference. Season.

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Salmon & Dill Fishcakes with Sorrel Cream Sauce

The joy of this recipe is that you can prepare both the fishcakes and the sauce a day ahead, just keep them in the fridge.

Boil enough potatoes for as many people as you want to serve. Throw in some butter, chopped dill and chopped chives, fresh grated ginger (I used about half an inch) and grated lemon rind, and season. Mash well and stir in coarsely chopped smoked salmon. Shape the mix into cakes and coat with seasoned flour. Chill for a bit, then dip in egg and then bread crumbs. Chill again. Pan fry when ready to serve.

To make a sorrel sauce

I used about 6 or 7 sorrel leaves and a small handful of parsley. Wash them and remove the stalks. Take 15g of butter and melt over a medium heat. Stir in the leaves and cook until they have collapsed into a soft mass. Throw the leaves into processor with a peeled clove of garlic, then return to the pan with 150ml cream and some butter. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve the fish cakes with the sauce drizzled over them.

Serve with a tossed salad and rolls.

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Houghton's Holiday Fish Pie

This fish pie gets more delicious the more you throw into it, so check out what veggies are  lurking at the bottom of the fridge and toss them in too!

Smoked flaked Kahawai – available whole from the supermarket – or alternatively use a large tin of tuna

3 Boiled eggs

1 Chopped onion

1 Can Kernel Corn (and whatever other veggies you have in the fridge)

Chopped Pizza Thyme and Oregano

Chopped Parsley – heaps

Salt and pepper to flavour 

Eggplant and Mixed Pepper Soup

2 or 3 eggplants, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

heaps of coloured bell peppers, sliced

1 onion sliced

3 cloves garlic (at least) chopped

about 2 cups chicken stock

2 or 3 tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper

A not too hot chilli, chopped

A handful of parsley, chopped

Grill the eggplant until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes and put to one side. Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the bell peppers, chilli, and onion until soft. Add the garlic, stock, tomatoes, eggplant and parsley and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Serve with fresh rolls.

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Lettuce Soup

This is a taste sensation and easy to whip up.

1 lettuce, shredded

2 or 3 small onions

4 or 5 cloves  garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons of butter

1 litre of chicken stock (at least)

½ cup of rice (short grained)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

parmesan cheese to taste

Chop the onion finely and sauté lightly in the butter, add shredded lettuce and cook for approximately10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and stock and bring to the boil, add rice and cook 20 minutes. Just before serving add the parmesan cheese and a handful of either chopped parsley, chives or coriander to give colour appeal and flavour. I used parsley as that was all I had but chervil could add an interesting flavour.

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Watercress, Kumara and Potato Soup with a twist of Curry

100g butter

3 Onions diced

Curry powder 1 tspn

1 tbspn green curry paste

3 Kumaras diced

6 Potatoes diced

3 large handfuls of watercress washed and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the Onions in butter, add the curry paste and curry powder, Once the onion has become translucent add the diced potatoe and kumara and continue to sauté in the butter for approx half an hour or until partially cooked

Add water to just more than cover and con tinue to cook until the potatoes and kumara are cooked through. You may need to add water to make a soup consistency.  Add the handfuls of cress and continue to cook for a further half an hour.

Once cooked then process the soup until pureed.

Serve hot

Anthony's Fail Proof Chocolate Cake

This is Anthony's fail-proof Chocolate cake. Many a time when we have been caught short for a dessert, Anthony has whipped out this recipe and rustled up this cake. He has served it just as a Chocolate cake or we have modified it to make a dessert by adding fruit, cream or whatever.

The basic recipe is as follows and I always double it for an average sized ring tin. (photo shown is recipe doubled).

(This recipe is even so fail proof that one time we managed to cook it on grill, and it was still edible)

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/4 cup Cocoa

150 g Butter chopped small

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 3/4 cup Flour

Throw everything into the bowl and add half to three quarters of a cup of boiling water. Beat it all together for three minutes with an e1ectric mixer. Pour into a ring tin and bake for approx 1 hour at 180 degrees. Check after approx 50 min with a skewer.

VARIATIONS

Cherry Chocolate Cake

Grab a can of cherries and add them to the bottom of the ring tin, then pour over the cake mixture and bake.

Marble Cake

Divide the mixture into two, add cocoa to one half of the mix. Pour the two mixes together to create a marbled effect cake. Ice with melted chocolate when cooled.

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Espresso Biscotti

1 1/2 cups almonds

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter

3 lightly beaten eggs

Cinnamon or cocoa to dust

6 tbspns espresso beans

2 tsps baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brewed espresso

Lightly toast beans and almonds (separately) in a cast iron frying pan. Finely chop all the almonds in a kitchen whiz, coarsely chop half the espresso beans with a knife (don't forget to sharpen it again afterwards!) and use a coffee grinder to turn the remainder into fine grounds.

In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and rub in the butter. Now add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Knead for about 2 minutes, and shape into four small, oval rolls. Lightly dust, and pop into oven for 25 minutes. When cool, cut into thin slices and lay sideways on a tray and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until the slices are hard and crisp.

When cool, transfer to an air-tight container.

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Pete's Feijoa & Coconut Cake

These are the morning tea's I look forward to! Lloyd's Dad Peter often bakes for the staff of Wairere, and this particularly frosty Autumn morning we were treated to this Feijoa & Coconut Cake. Fresh out of the oven and still warm in the middle and it was literally devoured - along with a good cuppa tea. I asked Pete for the recipe so I could try it myself at home - but not before sharing it with you guys! Cheers Pete! (Bron)

4 eggs

150g butter softened

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

2 cups desiccated coconut or 1 cup ground almonds

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yoghurt

1 1/2 cups sliced feijoas, plus 1/2 cup more for the top

Separate eggs and beat whites until they form soft peaks. Soften butter and beat with caster sugar until creamy. Add yolks one at a time beating between, then fold in self-raising flour, coconut (or ground almonds) and baking powder. Then gently stir in milk and plain yoghurt. Fold in beaten egg whites and the 1 ½ cups of sliced feijoas.

Place extra feijoa slices on top to decorate before baking @ 150c for 1 to 1 ¼ hours in a reasonably shallow dish. Serve warm as a dessert.

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Orange & Date Muffins

1 orange, quartered

1/2 cup orange juice

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup dates, chopped

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp soft brown sugar

3 tbsp walnuts finely chopped

Remove pips from the orange and finely chop with skin on then place in a kitchen whizz and add orange juice, egg, oil and dates. Pulse briefly. Tip into large bowl and gently fold dry ingredients in orange mixture except for the brown sugar and walnuts. Spoon into greased muffin pan and sprinkle over the top the combined brown sugar and walnuts. Bake 15 minutes @ 200c. Cool briefly in pan and tip on to wire rack to cool further. Walnuts can be substituted by mixing cinnamon and brown sugar together and sprinklinge on top before baking.

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Apple Cake

Complete in the order that the recipe is written.

Peel and slice 2 large apples, approx 2 cups.

Place apples in bowl with 1/2 cup sultanas and 1/2 cup of walnuts.

Pour over these - 1 cup of sugar.

Melt 4oz of butter.

Add 1 egg to melted butter and beat well, then pour over apples. Stir lightly.

Add to 1 1/2 cups of flour - 1 tsp of baking soda - 1/4 tsp salt - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

nutmeg - 1/2 tsp mixed spice.

Sift dry ingredients into bowl with apples and stir gently until fruit is covered.

Put into well greased 8" tin.

Bake 1 hour in med oven 180c - 190c.

Cool before removing from tin.

To serve, dust with extra icing sugar.

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Lemonade Scones

4 cups of self raising flour

1 300ml of cream

1 355ml can of lemonade

 Mix all the ingredients together. Roll mixture out on a floured surface and cut into squares or rounds and place on a baking tray. Pop the tray into a preheated oven at 215 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden on top.

Serve with whipped cream and lemon curd.

(For unsweetened scones use soda water.)

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Polenta Lemon Cake

You can't go past this recipe for a better tasting, high class cake. Serve it with whipped yoghurt and cream.

450g unsalted butter

450g caster sugar

450g almonds

2 tsps vanilla

6 eggs

rind of 4 lemons, juice of 1 lemon

225g polenta flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325F (160 C).

Butter and flour a 30cm cake tin. Beat butter and sugar. Stir in the ground almonds and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in peel and juice, polenta, baking powder and salt. Spoon into tin and bake 45 minutes or until set.

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Microwave Lemon Honey

75gm butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsps finely grated lemon rind

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 large eggs, beaten

Put all ingredients, except eggs, into a little jug and cook on high for 1 - 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Mix and gradually add the egg mixture stirring well. Return mixture to jug and cook on med, stirring every minute until mixture thickens, 3 - 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.

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Maryjane's Lemon Delicious

I was paging through a magazine filled with great winter dessert recipes and came across one for Lemon Delicious. As this is one of my favourites,  I decided I would make one for the family but I felt more like cosying up to the heater than venturing into the kitchen, so it didn't quite happen. However, it happens that Lemon Delicious is also one of our customers favourites too, so when the email came in with this recipe I decided to stop procastinating and get in the kitchen! I told Maryjane I would post the results, and here they are. I ended up using 4 separate ramekins as my family like having their own individual desserts, and I really like Maryjane's idea of adding tamarillos on the side - wild indeed! (Bron)

2 eggs,separated

1 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon plain flour,sifted

2 tablespoons self-raising flour,sifted

finely-grated rind of 2 lemons

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup milk

20g unsalted butter,melted

icing sugar and thick cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 180C, lightly grease ovenproof dish.

Using a wooden spoon, beat egg yolks and two-thirds of the sugar until pale, then stir in flours and combine well. Add lemon juice, lemon rind,milk and melted butter and combine well. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add remaining sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into lemon mixture gently, in two batches, until just combined. Pour into greased dish and place in a deep roasting pan, then pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up side of dish and bake at 180C for 45 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with thick cream.

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500g peeled and chopped feijoas

2 -3 tablespoons chopped crystallised ginger

125 g butter

3/4 cup raw sugar

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Melt the butter in a largish pot. Add feijoas and sugar and cook till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Sift together the dry ingredients and mix  the feijoas into them. Add the crystallised ginger and pour into a greased and lined ring pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in pan and turn out.

Persimmon Pudding Cake

This is a yummy way to use Persimmons. It is moist and caramelly - a bit like carrot cake.

Pete proofed the persimmon pudding recipe and Harry decorated the cake. (He always takes the cake!)

Ingredients

2 cups of Hachiya persimmon pulp

4 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

¾ cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

1 cup chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts are best

Whipping cream

METHOD

1. Preheat  oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, mix the persimmon pulp, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a third at a time.

4. Bake in a buttered glass pan at 400°F until done (about 50 minutes).

Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 8.

Harry's Yummy Jägermeister Ice-cream Topping

1 packet fruit mince
2 cans apricots
2 cans peaches
1 can mango
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Lemon juice for taste
1 bottle Jägermeister (A herbal liqueur with quite a kick)

Chop all the canned fruit. Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer slowly for about 2 hours. Add more Jägermeister to thin if necessary.

Pour over vanilla ice cream whilst hot and serve with biscotti on the side. Store extra in a jar in the fridge - it improves with age and is delicious cold as well.

 Feijoa and Ginger Pudding

2 packets gingernut biscuits
plenty of feijoas
homemade custard
ground ginger (optional) lemon zest 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Line the bottom and sides of an oven proof dish with as many gingernuts as will fit.

Scoop out the flesh of the feijoas and put on top of the gingernuts. Ground Ginger can be sprinkled over the feijoas if you like a more gingery flavour. Add some strips of lemon zest.


Pour custard over the feijoas. Crush the remaining gingernuts, and sprinkle them on top of the custard.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with ice cream, yoghurt or plain cream.

My mother makes a fabulous cheesecake and so Harry commissioned her to make this delicious dessert for us.  We'll call it:

Joy's Persimmon Cheesecake

If there are no persimmons around you can substitute a tin (410g size) of fruit, apricots or crushed pineapple is good, using the juice instead of blanching

Biscuit Base

Packet of malt biscuits

150 grams of butter

Crush the biscuits fairly fine and add the melted butter to them and combine well.

Mum uses tinfoil to line a pie dish and then presses the biscuit and butter mixture into this to make a pie shell.

Chill in the fridge to set.

To make the filling

3 persimmons

Juice of  1 lemon

1 level tablespoon of Gelatine

½ cup of raisins

1 tablespoon of rum optional

250 grams cream cheese

1 tin sweetened condensed milk

Peel and finely cube the persimmon. Blanche these in approx ½  to ¾ cup of water, only just brought to the boil and simmered briefly, so that the cubes are softened but not mushy. Then add the raisins so that they soften and swell.

Leave to cool.

In another bowl beat the cream cheese adding the condensed milk slowly until all combined.

Strain the juice off the persimmon and raisin mix into a pot.

Add the lemon juice and gelatine and heat until gelatine has dissolved, stirring constantly to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pot.

When all is cool but not yet set combine the persimmon fruit mixture and gelatine liquid and rum if desired. Mix together with the cream cheese mix and pour into the biscuit base.

Refrigerate until set and serve with whipped cream.

Feijoa and Cream Cheese Muffins

1 Cup fresh chopped feijoa

¾ cup caster sugar

75 g butter melted

2 eggs lightly beaten

½ cup sour cream

Dad subbed plain yoghurt as he didn’t have the sour cream

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

2 cups of self raising flour sifted

½ tspn cinnamon

125g cream cheese coarsely chopped

¼ cup raw sugar

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Grease a 12 hole standard muffin tin or line with paper cases. Combine the feijoas, sugar and butter in a bowl. Stir in thje eggs, sour cream and orange zest and juice. Add the flour and cinnamon stirring until just combined. Fold through the cream cheese. Spoon the mixture into prepared tins and sprinkle with a little raw sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until firm and golden brown.

Makes 12 and the team here love them.

 Fig and Orange Tart

Fresh dark figs halves and the stalk cut off weighed.
Sugar, same weight as figs
Water to just cover
Oranges x2 peeled and thinly sliced
Short pastry

Method

Cook the figs until they have reduced and become quite thickened, like a jam. Can’t be too juicy as it will make the base go soft.

Push the short pastry into a pie or tart dish and bake without the filling until just cooked, then cool

Layer the fig mix onto the baked short pastry. Arrange the sliced orange pieces, put back into the oven until warmed through and the orange has cooked, approx 15 mins. Serve with whipped cream

 Black Forest Brownie

150 g butter
1 cup Nestle' Baking Cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pkt Nestle' White CHOC BITS
1/2 cup dried cranberries/goji berries/strawberries etc
Extra cocoa or icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.  Line base of a 27cm x 18cm x 3cm tin with baking paper.

Melt butter and stir in baking cocoa, allow to cool slightly.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in sugar and vanilla.

Sift flour and baking powder together.  Add to mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Stir through white CHOC BITS and dried fruit.  Turn mixture into tin.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until just firm when pressed in the centre. Leave in tin for 20 minutes then turn out onto a rack. When cold, cut into bars.

Dust with extra cocoa or icing sugar if desired.

Slow Cooked Fennel

This is an utterly wonderful recipe and I highly recommend it - pure taste sensation. And all you need are those fennel bulbs...(Lloyd)

10 fennel bulbs

5 Tablespoons olive oil

Seasoning salt and pepper

6 garlic cloves, peeled

Heat the oil in a frying pan or large pot. Add the fennel, salt and pepper and sauté over a medium heat until the fennel begins to brown - about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to fry until it is light brown. Add sufficient boiling water to cover a third of the way up the fennel, then lower the heat. Simmer without the lid until the fennel is very soft, about 15 minutes.

The idea is to cook the fennel slowly until all the water has evaporate. Serve hot and garnish with chopped parsley. A wonderful dish.

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Broccoli with Mustard Seeds

Precook broccoli and set aside. Heat a skillet with oil and add:

2 tbsp mustard seeds

2 cloves chopped garlic

ground fresh black pepper

Heat until seeds begin to pop and then add the al dente broccoli and sauté briefly until heated through. Simple and very good.

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Potato and Sorrel Gratin

This was one of the easiest and nicest forms of scalloped potatoes I've made. (Lloyd)

Potatoes for each person, peeled and sliced thin

2 or 3 thinly sliced onions

2 tbspn butter

Large handful of sliced sorrel

Parmesan cheese

300ml cream

Salt and pepper

Throw potatos in a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook until just tender and drain. In a pan, melt the butter and add the sorrel leaves, cook until wilted (5 minutes)  Slowly add the cream, over a gentle heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Layer the potato mix with parmesan, salt and pepper.

Pour over the sorrel and cream mix over the potatos and bake in a hot oven, for about 30 minutes. Yum!

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Mash them Not

This is simple and stunning. I had planned a no-stress dinner with friends, and had decided on simply mashing the spuds. However, when the time came, I opted for this instead. Its almost as easy and damned impressive.

6 spuds chopped into wedges

3 onions, peeled and chopped lengthways leaving the root holding the onion together. Chop into long wedges to match potato.

A handful chopped thyme

Salt, fresh ground pepper

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Take half a cup of butter and melt in a roasting pan, on top of the stove. Throw in the wedged vegetables, and thyme, salt and pepper and sauté briefly. Add balsamic vinegar and bake in a reasonably hot oven until cooked - about three-quarters of an hour. Its important to turn often. Serves 6.

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Jim's Tempura Mix

Crisply refreshing, bursting with flavour and very different - try this out on dinner quests. Prepare the batter well in advance so all you have to do is deep fry the vegetables.

Batter

1 cup of flour

2 eggs

1 tblsp olive oil

180ml warm beer

Salt and pepper

Mix together to make a smooth batter

A se1ection of thinly sliced vegetables. I used:

Potato

Carrot

Onion

Kumara

Florets of fresh parsley, whole sage or sorrel leaves

Heat oil for deep frying. Dip vegetables in batter, and, using a slotted spoon, place into oil. Fry in small batches - it should take about 1 - 3 minutes for the vegetables, and mere seconds for parsley or leaves. Drain on brown paper and serve hot.

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Tapenade Chargrilled Vegetables

This is a different way to use those odds and ends that fill up the fridge. It is quite easy to do and tastes great.

Chargrilled Vegetables

Fresh vegetables - anything lurking about:

Onions

Courgettes

Peppers

Tomato

Fresh herbs

Parsley

Chives

Salt and pepper

A smear of olive oil with which to cook

Chop the vegetables roughly and set aside.

Tapenade dressing

20 stoned black olives

1/2 cup capers

Tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, and a handful of parsley.

Using that sharp knife, cut all the above ingredients to make tapenade. Spread this on bottom of a serving dish. Chargrill the vegetables quickly on the barbeque, until just cooked. Arrange on top of the tapenarde, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with herbs or parmesan cheese, or both.

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Zesty Cauliflower Spiced with Coriander and Garlic

Take a medium sized cauliflower and divide into florets

Salt and pepper

2 tbspn olive oil

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium tin of peeled tomatoes

1/2 tspn paprika

1/2 tspn of hot pepper sauce, I used Kaitaia Fire.

3 tbspn chopped coriander

Add the cauliflower to a pot of boiling water and blanch briefly, or alternatively zap in the microwave. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil, sauté the garlic and tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the hot sauce and coriander, cauli and cook further 5 minutes.

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A Classy Thing to do with Spuds

Baked potatoes and Bay Leaves

Enough potatoes for each person and the same number of bay leaves, and one and a half tablespoons of olive oil, a small amount chopped, fresh garlic.

Preheat oven to 400F, Make a deep slit in the long side of each scrubbed potato - about three quarters of the way through - and insert a bay leaf into the slit. Put oil in a baking dish in the oven and when hot, add the garlic. Roll the potatoes in the oil so that all surfaces are covered. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The potatoes will become flavoured by the bay leaves.

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Two simple yet Impressive recipes using Rosemary

Rosemary and silverbeet

Enough silverbeet for each serving, fresh ground pepper, salt, butter and a sprig or two of rosemary. Wash silverbeet in cold water. Trim stalks and discard. Melt butter in pan with rosemary and add leaves chopped with pepper and salt. Cook until tender, drain, remove rosemary and serve immediately.

Transform a traditional roast into a gastronomic delight

Prepare meat joint as normal, dust with flour, and season with salt and pepper. With a sharp knife make deep cuts in meat and insert whole sticks of rosemary in these and alternate using garlic cloves as well. Roast in oven. Use rosemary sticks for extra tasty kebabs.

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Ingredients

Olive oil
2 large onions 
4  cloves garlic
2 large aubergines
6 – 8 zucchini
1 large red capsicum
1 large green capsicum
6- 8 ripe tomatoes
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Brown Sugar

Cooking time I hour, 15 minutes (at least) 

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Pour a couple of glugs of olive oil into a wide, deep casserole dish  – Pyrex is excellent. Chop onions into strips, cut aubergines into largish cubes, add them to the dish and toss them in the olive oil to coat. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes with the lid on. Stir once or twice. 

Meanwhile, chop capsicum into squares, zucchini into fairly chunky rounds and peel the garlic and chop it fine. Add these ingredients to the dish when the aubergine and onion have been done for 25 minutes and are starting to soften. Sprinkle some herb salt and freshly ground black pepper and chuck in a bay leaf or three. Put the lid back on and pop the casserole back in the oven and allow another 30 minutes baking time. 

Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them in a bowl, leave for 5 minutes and then peel the skin away. Chop into rough chunky bits, place in a bowl and sprinkle some brown sugar over them.  

Add to the casserole, toss well (the French word ‘touiller’ means ‘to toss food’ – that’s where the name Ratatouille comes from)  and place in the oven again for another 20 minutes – with the lid off.  Turn the oven off and leave the casserole in the oven with the lid on until ready to serve.  

This makes a fantastic meal on its own, served with some crusty bread, polenta or rice, or as a side to almost any meat dish. It is also fantastic mixed through pasta and sprinkled with parmesan. Those who like things hot can sprinkle some chilli devils over the dish. Yum!