Makes 24.

These are a delicious appetiser which babies and kids love. The uncooked mixture can also be frozen.

Ingrediants

4 tbspn rice bran oil

1kg zucchini finely diced

Grated zest of one lemon

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbspns grated parmesan

1 ball fresh mozzarella

100g breadcrumbs

1 tbsp parsley chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Pepper and salt to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Oil a baking tray.

Heat oil in large frypan over medium heat. Fry zucchini for approximately 10 mins until tender and lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Combine with the other ingrediants, taste and season if necessary.

Take 50 cent coin sized blobs of mixture roll into balls and place in baking tray. Bake for approximately 15 mins until golden.

Serve hot or cold. By themselves or with bread and salad.

This is such a healthy and affordable meal which is kind of like a soup. Substitute the vegetables for anything you have in your cupboard.

Ingrediants

1 brown onion roughly chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 tbspn ginger finely grated

1 tbspn brown mustard seeds

2 tspns cumin

1 tspn garam marsala

1 tbspn tumeric

1 cardamon pods crushed

1 regular purple eggplant chopped into approx 5cm pieces

1 desiree potato chopped into large chunks

1 carrot roughly chopped

500g washed red lentils

1L good quality chicken stock

400ml water

1 400g tin of whole peeled tomatoes

Rice bran oil

Method

Heat a decent couple of slugs of oil in heavy based saucepan over medium heat, add onion and fry for approximately 5 mins, add garlic, carrot and ginger and fry for a few minutes, add spices fry until fragrant and mustard seeds are popping.

Add egpplant and potato and fry for a few minutes until spices have absorbed into the eggplant.

Add stock, water lentil and tomatoes bring to boil and then reduce to low boil and cook until vegetables are soft and lentils are mushy.

Remove from heat serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some chopped mint or coriander leaves. This is a meal in itself but can be served with roti, naan rice and as part of a selection of curries.

Serves 4.

A delicious salad for anytime of the day. Experiment with different tropical fruits.

Ingrediants

2 mangoes cut into chunks we suggest Honey Gold or KP’s

1 pineapple cut into chunks

5 achacha, pulp and juice squeezed into a small seperate bowl

4 passionfruit

2 ripe bananas

2 tbspns mint, finely shredded

2 lime

1 tspn caster sugar

Method

Squeeze lime juice into the small bowl with the achacha’s pulp and juice add caster sugar and mix well then add mint leaves.

Add mango, pineapple and banana (cut into chunks at the last minute), to a bowl or platter, mix the lime and achacha into the fruit then scoop the passionfruit over the top. Leave for 15 mins for the flavours to develop. If making longer in advance add the banana just before serving.

Serves 4 as an entree or more as part of a selection of dishes.

A light dish which tastes of summer.

Ingrediants

1kg cooked prawns, peeled.

1 whole rockmelon seeds removed and cut into chunks

Handful of mint finely shredded

Handful of coriander finely shredded

1 small red chilli seeds removed and finely chopped

1 lime

Pepper

Method

Mix all ingrediants together, squeeze over lime juice to taste and season with pepper.

A healthy and delicious soup which freezes well.

Ingredients

1 brown onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 large red chilli halved
750ml chicken stock (we suggest Maggie Beer Chicken stock)
2 cans 400g whole tomatoes
375g red lentils (rinsed and drained)
Oil for cooking
Natural unsweetened yoghurt to taste, we suggest Country Valley yoghurt
Handful of coriander leaves chopped
Bread or flatbread, toasted to serve

Method

Heat rice bran oil or other lightly flavoured oil in a heavy based saucepan Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft, add garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Add spices add cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Add lentils, chicken stock, chilli and tomatoes.
Bring to boil reduce to low boil and cook until lentils are soft stirring occasionally. Add extra water if necessary if soup becomes too thick.
Remove from heat, cool slightly and puree using a bamix or food processor, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return to heat until hot, plate in a bowl add a good dollop of yoghurt, add a sprinkle of coriander and serve with bread.

Makes 2 litres.
Preparation time 30 mins, plus cooking.

Ingrediants

1.5kg plums
5 whole cloves
1 tspn whole allspice
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 tspn black peppercorns
500g brown sugar
2 tspns salt
2 tspns finely grated ginger
3 cups good quality white wine vinegar
Muslin, sterilised by boiling in water for 5 mins

Method

Halve plums, and remove stones reserving half the stones.
using a kitchen hammer or the flat end of a knife crack the reserved stones and place in a piece of the sterilsed muslin, tie securely.
Place spices in another piece of muslin and tie securely.
Place plums, ginger, salt, sugar and vinegar into a large saucepan with the muslin bags.
Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved,. Increase heat and boil for approximately 15-20mins until plums have collapsed.
Remove muslin bags squeezing juices out of the bags into the pan, discard bags.
Puree sauce in a food processor, or bamix and return to a cleaned pan.
Boil pureed sauce until thick enough to be still pourable, it will thicken further once cooled.
Pour sauce into sterlised jars and seal.
Leave for at least 7 days before using, sauce will keep for 9 months.

Autumn fruit is starting with new season apples and pears.

Mangoes Last week for KP’s! Arguably the best eating KP’s of the season.

Apples New Season Ginger Golds, Fujis, Royal Gala’s and Red Delicious. Royal Gala our pick juicy and not too sweet.

Bananas Very affordable lots of supply around.

Pears New Season Beurre Bosc, Corella and William’s Pears. Williams the pick.

Grapes Thompson and Muscats the pick.

Stone Fruit Plums still very good. Radiance plums our pick.

Berries Organic Blueberries.

Melons Large and sweet local rockmelons. Good value watermelon.

Figs Large fruit around. Packs the pick.

Citrus Limes great value. Only imported naval oranges and mandarins.

VEGETABLES

Potatoes 12 varieties of potatoes in store. New season Russet Burbanks, Pink Eyes and Dutch Cream’s. Sebagoes very good quality and affordability.

Tomatoes All good value especially cherry truss tomato packs.

Asparagus Baby Vic Aussie asparagus.

Local Zucchini and Green Capsicum.

Red Capsicum Excellant quality and value.

Kale and Tuscan Cabbage Really popular at the moment.

FLOWERS

Tulips have started. New season Protea’s. Tuber Rose  still very good.

This will please everyone in the family, experiment with different flavours, including herbs and cheeses.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic lightly crushed in their skins
2 skinless chicken breasts
30 g Butter plus 30g for chicken
300 g dried Penne (we suggest Patificio Mennilli)
1 small red chilli deseeded and chopped
1 tbspn thyme leaves finely chopped
1tspn finely zested lemon
250 g round beans topped, tailed and sliced in half on the diagonal
150 g Goat’s Cheese (we suggest Gentle Goat’s Cheese)
20 g Pine Nuts toasted in a frypan until browned
Sea Salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 tbspns parsley leaves picked and chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to drizzle

Method

Dry chicken breast with paper towel and then season with salt and pepper
Heat 2 tbspn oil with garlic in large frypan over medium heat for two minutes until oil smoking. Add chicken and fry for approximately 5 minutes on each side, make sure pan is large enough so chicken is browning not stewing, keep pan for cooking beans.
Add a 30g butter and keep cooking chicken for approximately 2 minutes spooning butter/oil over chicken, check chicken is just cooked through and remove, it will keep cooking once removed.
Bring large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add penne. Cook until al dente, remove and drain reserving a little of the cooking water.
While penne is cooking heat 75g butter in the pan that was used for the chicken add the chilli and thyme and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes. Turn up the heat, add round beans and cook for approximately 4 minutes, until beans are tender.
Add penne and the reserved cooking water to pan. Remove from heat add sliced chicken, crumbled cheese, and pine nuts.
Season to taste, plate, drizzle with olive oil and top with parsley serve by itself or with a green salad.

A versatile salad with a delicious combination of citrus, nuts and beans.

Ingredients

400g round beans, topped and tailed
400g snow peas, topped, tailed and destringed
70 hazelnuts, unskinned
1 orange zested into long thin strips
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
3 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspn macadamia oil (or other nut oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Place hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then rub in a tea towel until most of skin removed. Chop roughly.
Bring large pot of unsalted water to the boil. Boil round beans for 3 minutes then add snow peas and boil another minute until just tender.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Serve with grilled or roasted meats.