Linguine with Roast Capsicum and Tomatoes

Preparation Time 15 mins, Plus cooking time.
Serves 6.

Ingredients

3 roasted peppers, (see roast capsicum recipe)
1 kg ripe tomatoes, skinned (see below)
400g good quality linguine (we suggest Bellata Gold)
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped plus one whole clove
4 anchovies in salt rinsed and finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
50g salted capers, rinsed and chopped
3 tbspns red wine vinegar
2 cups breadcrumbs, made from good quality bread
3 tbspns flat leaf parsley chopped.
Grated parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

To skin tomatoes, make a small cross and the end of tomato with a knife. Immerse in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, cool a little and remove skin.
Heat 3 tbspns oil in a large saucepan, add garlic and anchovies and cook until garlic starts to brown, add chilli and tomatoes and 1 tspn salt. Simmer for 30 mins.
Add the capers and roughly chopped roast capsicum to the sauce with the vinegar.
Heat 100ml oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add whole garlic until garlic browns, remove garlic. Add breadcrumbs to oil and cook until crisp. Drain.
Bring large pot of salted water to the boil. Add spaghetti cook until al dente. Drain, reserve a little of the cooking water and add pasta and a little water to the sauce. Add parsley. season.
Plate then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

Roasted Capsicums

Preparation time 5 mins, plus cooking time.

This is a basic recipe for roast capsicums. You can also cut the capsicum into halves flatten a little and grill for a similar result. Roast capsicums can be marinated in olive oil, garlic and rosemary and eaten as antipasto. Roast capsicums marinated in olive oil, leaving out the garlic which becomes rancid, last up to a week in the refrigerator. Roast capsicum make a delicious and simple pasta dish just add goats cheese, ricotta, feta or parmesan, anchovies, and or capers and herbs. They also make a great addition to a sandwhich or pizza topping.

Ingrediants

3 red, orange or yellow capsicums or a mixture.

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C.
Wash capsicums and place in a greased baking dish.
Bake for 15 mins or as long as it takes for one side to blacken then turn over.
Bake until both sides are blistered and blackened.
Remove from oven and allow to become cool enough to handle. They are easier to peel if they are still warm.
Remove skin, centre of capsicums and the seeds.
Do not wash as the capsicums will lose flavour.

Baked Figs

Preparation time 5 mins, plus 5 mins cooking.
Serves 4.

This easy dish can be endlessly adapted. Substitute blue cheese for the creme fraiche or a mixture of the two. Use marscapone or good quality sour cream, substitute sweet wine or balsamic for the brandy, add walnuts, or another nut.

Ingredients

8 ripe figs
120 ml creme fraiche
45 ml good quality honey
1 tbspn water
2 stalks of thyme, with leaves attached
Few Tbspns good quality brandy or rum

Method

Heat oven to 200 C.
Cut figs in half horizontally.
Select a dish which holds the figs snugly, grease, place thyme in bottom of dish figs on top cut side up.
Pour water into the bottom of the dish.
Drizzle a few drops of brandy over each fig.
Spoon half a tspn honey over each fig followed by 1 tspn of creme fraiche.
Bake at the top of a hot oven for five minutes or until cream starts to brown.
Serve piping hot, by themselves for breakfast,or with toasted brioche.

Kipfler Salad with Creme Frache and Dill

Preparation time 10 mins.
Serves 4.

This salad is great warm or cold. It it perfect for entertaining as you can make it ahead of time and take out of the refrigerator in enough time to come to room temperature. Serve with grilled or roasted meats or a selection of salads. Add different herbs including parsley, chives, mint, basil or nuts and experiment with different vinegar’s. Use finely chopped red onion or shallots instead of the spring onion. Swap the creme frache for sour cream or yoghurt for a healthier option. You can also substitute the kipflers for cocktail or chat potato, then you don’t need to peel or cut the potatoes.

Ingrediants

1 kg kipfler potatoes, washed
3 tbspns creme frache (or to taste)
1 tbspn red wine vinegar
1 tspn dijon or seeded mustard
1 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspns dill chopped
2 spring onions finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender.
While the potatoes are cooling mix oil, vinegar, mustard 1/4 tspn salt and pepper with the sliced spring onions.
Drain potatoes allow to cool slightly before peeling and slicing into large slices. Don’t allow to cool too much or the potatoes won’t absorb the dressing.
Add dressing to potatoes mix then add creme frache and dill, reserving a little to garnish. Mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve garnished with a little of the dill.

Roast Asparagus

Preparation time 5 mins, plus cooking.
Serves 4.

Roast asparagus is delicious. This is a basic dish which can have endless variations. Add roasted or raw nuts to the roasted asparagus, fresh herbs, orange or lemon zest, cheese – goats, feta or parmesan. Serve with roasted or grilled meats.

Ingrediants

1 bunch of fresh asparagus
1/2 handful of chopped almonds
1/4 tspn orange finely zested
Olive oil for drizzling
Sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C.
Snap the asparagus and discard the bottom of the stem, where the stem naturally breaks is where the woodiness ends.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and toss, coating each spear well.
Roast until the asparagus are tender and the skin begins to shrivel slightly and brown, approximately 10 mins.
Add zest, plate and scatter nuts over.

Pineapple Mango Upside Down Cake

Preparation time 25 minutes, plus cooking.
Serves 6-8.

This moist Pineapple-Mango Upside Down Cake is delicious. It is made Thai-style with coconut milk and fresh mango for the ultimate summer cake.

Ingredients

Topping

1 fresh pineapple, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
1 ripe mango
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. treacle
2 Tbsp. butter

Cake

3 medium to large eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
1 tsp. real vanilla essence

Preparation

Preheat oven to 175 C.
Grease a round 9-inch cake pan and line base with baking paper. Arrange fruit in the bottom of the pan, placing the pineapple slices around the parameter and one more in the center. Fill in the gaps with pieces of the mango.
To make the caramel topping, combine brown sugar, water, and molasses in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, then add the butter (it will foam a little). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute. Pour this sauce over the arranged fruit and set pan aside.
Separate eggs whites from the yolks. Place whites in a medium-size mixing bowl and yolks in a large mixing bowl.
Beat whites with an electric mixer until stiff.
To the yolks, beat in the sugar, salt, and butter until smooth. Stir baking powder into the flour and add this plus the coconut milk and vanilla. Beat until everything is well combined.
Gently fold in egg whites/
Gently pour batter over the fruit/caramel.
Bake on the center rack of your oven 30 to 40 minutes, or until top of cake is firm to the touch and an skewer comes out clean.
Cool cake completely before turning over onto a serving plate. Serve as is, or with caramel sauce.

Extra Caramel Sauce (optional): This sauce is easy to make, and adds that finishing touch to this delicious cake. Place 1/4 cup cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, plus 1/2 Tbsp. treacle. Stir until combined and heated through. Spoon warm over the cake and enjoy!

NEW PRODUCTS- BIZARRI DOLCI

Bizarri Dolci is a small Victorian company started by Monette Bizzarri. Their products are handmade using only quality fresh produce. We have stocked their delicious and indulgent honey toasted muesli for some time but we have just introduced their range of biscuits in time for Christmas. They make the perfect gift.

The range includes, christmas fruit cake in a unique triangle shape, monte carloes, florentines (our favourite), langues de chats (with a delicious chocolate filling), colourful cookies and chocolate bark.

French Potato Salad

Preparation time 15mins, plus 20 mins cooking
Serves 4-6

This is such an easy do ahead salad, great with bbq meats. The different potatoes add colour to the dish but you can use one type only by all means. Kipfler are my recommended salad potato. Use cocktail potatoes only and omit the peeling and chopping to save time. Make this potato salad ahead of time and remove from fridge to bring to room temperature.

Ingrediants

1 kg mixture of potatoes such royal blue and another salad or all rounder potato such as dutch cream, kipfler or cocktail
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup, chopped shallots
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, minced
1 tablespoon chiffonade of basil

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the potatoes and cook partially covered for 20 minutes or until just cooked through.
Meanwhile combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour the olive oil in a continuous stream while whisking to make an emulsion.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and let rest until they are just cool enough to handle, make sure they are still warm otherwise they won’t absorb the dressing.
Cut the potatoes into approximately equal sizes either half or quarters and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the wine and as much dressing as you need and toss the potatoes gently.
Add the herbs and shallots and mix
Season to taste with extra salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pomegranate Champagne

Preparation time 5 mins
Champagne and a superfood- almost healthy!

Ingredients

Good quality champagne or sparkling wine
Pomegranate seeds
Pomegranate juice home made if possible

Method

Place a tablespoon or so of pomegranate seeds at the bottom of a champagne glass. Then pour a few tablespoons (or however much you prefer) of pomegranate juice to the glass. Then fill with champagne. Enjoy!!!

The Best BBQ Xmas Ham

This is a delicious ham that I first Bbqued when it would not fit in my oven. The bbq adds a delicious smokiness. Christmas ham lasts for up to a week, keep in a ham bag or cotton pillow slip in the refridgerator, change the bag or pillow case every couple of days.

Preparation time 10 mins, plus cooking
Serves 10 (with leftovers)

Ingredients

1 large good quality ham leg on the bone (visit Deli Planet and ask about their range of hams including free range hams)
500 g good quality apricot or plum jam (we suggest Hanks)
6 star anise broken
1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ cups dry sherry

Method

Preheat Bbq to 180C
Place jam in a saucepan with 1/2 cup sherry over medium low heat until the jam is hot and sticky.
Crush star anise in a mortar and pestle with the cinnamon.
Wipe ham with a cloth or paper towel then carefully remove the skin only, leave the fat.
Score the ham in a crosshatched pattern making sure you dont score too far into the meat of the ham.
Spread 2/3 of the glaze over the ham (keep the rest to baste the meat while cooking.)
Spread brown sugar over the ham on top of the glaze rub it into all the nooks and crannies.
Put the ham in a roasting dish on a rack on the BBQ, with 1 cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, baste with the glaze approximately every 20 mins. Be careful not to burn, cover top with foil if it is burning too quickly. Make sure a little water remains in the bottom of the dish.
Turn BBQ off allow ham to cool and enjoy.