Recipes

I have just spent a very productive wet Saturday afternoon in the kitchen and now have the satisfaction of beautiful home made red currant jelly, boysenberry and raspberry jam.

Jars of basil pesto and sun dried tomato plus hummus and a bowl of fresh chicken liver pate.

There were quite a few pots all boiling away and a bench full of small jars I had been saving.

I boiled up the frozen turkey frame for stock and ended up inviting friends around for dinner for ---Pate and fresh bread, Pea, Courgette and Bacon Risotto and Individual Fresh fruit flans with Vanilla creme patisserie - that I hadn’t made for years and forgotten how good it was.

Again it was the great Dunedin market that inspired me. It is full of cherries, apricots, berries of all kinds, fabulous vegetables and irresistible basil.

It’s actually not so hard and very easy if you have filled your bags at the morning market and stocked up on some sugar on the way home.

Homemade jam is outstanding - Nothing can replace it and what’s more it’s a myth that it takes a long time.

By boiling up small quantities of fruit i.e. 500g – 1kg – add an equal quantity of sugar and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until --- when you put a small amount on a saucer, cool it and then - push it with a spoon and it will wrinkle when the jam is ready.

Pour the jam into clean jars that you have heated in the oven and seal with a clean lid.

Make the most of the abundant sun ripened fruit and vegetables – this is the season for flavour.

Cream Patisserie

2 punnets strawberries or a mixture of berry fruit – raspberries and boysenberries

To assemble

Alternatives

Fresh Corn, Chorizo, and Capsicum Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

.....................................................................................................................................

During my tours of Italy which are guided by Isabella and Luigi Dusi – We visit the markets of hillside villages and larger cities like Padua. This market is a vital necessity to the life in this very old university city – It is opened 6 days a week and it means fresh fruit and vegetables can be purchased daily when they are in perfect quality. Meat, fish, cheese, bread are all here and some businesses have been operating here for over 100 years.

Markets provide a lovely spontaneity to your weekly cooking. To be able to fill your basket with fresh produce then decide what to do with it is satisfying and rewarding and above all economical. Buying fruit and vegetables in season is always cheaper.

La Ribolitta is the soup I am making the most of this winter – It is robust enough to be a meal and yet perfect for lunch with a batch of fresh home-made scones.

I think we have forgotten how quick and easy cheese scones are to make and how delicious they are hot out of the oven with melted butter.

I have also included a recipe for Baked Apples – I demonstrated these in my winter class this year and everyone loved them especially the Zabaglione poured over the top.

½ c good extra virgin olive oil

2 onions finely diced

6 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sticks celery, diced finely

2 carrots, peeled and diced finely

1 leek finely sliced

400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

250g cavolo nero or savoy cabbage

400g cooked cannellini beans

200ml red wine

2 litres chicken stock

100 g stale ciabatta bread

3-4 thyme stems

parsley

In a large saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in a little of the olive oil until soft and fragrant.
Add the celery, cabbage, leeks and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Stir in the beans, tomatoes and cabbage leaves. Cook until the cabbage starts to wilt.
Add the wine, chicken stock and thyme. Simmer gently for about 40 minutes.
Add the bread to the pan. If it is very fresh dry it out in the oven to prevent it breaking up.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes.
Serve hot but not boiling drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley.

6 apples – eating apples - Pacific Rose, Gala etc

100 grams Amaretti biscuits

100 grams toasted walnuts

150 grams muscovado sugar

125 grams melted butter

100 grams currants – soaked in ¼ cup brandy for 10 minutes

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 cup white wine

HOME	‘NOW IS THE TIME’ *I have just spent a very productive wet Saturday afternoon in the kitchen and now have the satisfaction of beautiful home made red currant jelly, boysenberry and raspberry jam.* *Jars of basil pesto and sun dried tomato plus hummus and a bowl of fresh chicken liver pate.* *There were quite a few pots all boiling away and a bench full of small jars I had been saving.* I boiled up the frozen turkey frame for stock and ended up inviting friends around for dinner for ---Pate and fresh bread, Pea, Courgette and Bacon Risotto and Individual Fresh fruit flans with Vanilla creme patisserie - that I hadn’t made for years and forgotten how good it was. *Again it was the great Dunedin market that inspired me. It is full of cherries, apricots, berries of all kinds, fabulous vegetables and irresistible basil.* *It’s actually not so hard and very easy if you have filled your bags at the morning market and stocked up on some sugar on the way home.* *Homemade jam is outstanding - Nothing can replace it and what’s more it’s a myth that it takes a long time.* By boiling up small quantities of fruit i.e. 500g – 1kg – add an equal quantity of sugar and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until --- when you put a small amount on a saucer, cool it and then - push it with a spoon and it will wrinkle when the jam is ready. *Pour the jam into clean jars that you have heated in the oven and seal with a clean lid.* *Make the most of the abundant sun ripened fruit and vegetables – this is the season for flavour.* Strawberry Flan with Cream Patisserie Short Crust Pastry *2c flour* *125g butter* *¼ c icing sugar* *1 egg yolk* *1-2T water* Put flour and icing sugar into food processor, add butter. Add egg and water until firm dough is formed. Roll out to fit 28-39cm flan dish. Chill for 10-15 minutes. Bake blind in a hot oven until golden brown. Cream Patisserie ½ c caster sugar 3 eggs 6T flour 2T cornflour 2c milk Liqueur, vanilla or orange juice Bring milk to the boil. Combine eggs, flours and sugar, whisk until combined. Slowly add to the milk, stirring all the time. Stir until boiling. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and leave to cool. 2 punnets strawberries or a mixture of berry fruit – raspberries and boysenberries Hull and half strawberries. To assemble Pile crème patisserie into pastry case. Top with strawberries and glaze with warmed red currant jelly. Alternatives Make individual flans in patty tins. Use an oblong flan tin or cake tin. Fresh Corn, Chorizo, and Capsicum Salad with Basil Vinaigrette 4 cobs corn, husks removed 2 chorizo sausages 2 red capsicums, grilled and peeled and diced 2 spring onions, sliced thinly 1 fresh mild chilli diced handful of Italian parsley, chopped 1 avocado ½ cup good extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon basil pesto 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Blanch the cobs of corn in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes. Refresh under cold water. Remove the kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife. Transfer to a serving bowl Slice the chorizo sausage and pan fry gently until starting to crisp. Cool. Add the diced capsicum, spring onions, parsley, chilli and a chorizo to the corn. Combine the dressing ingredients – Toss through the Corn salad Remove the skin and stone from the avocado and cut into a medium sized dice. Fold the avocado through the salad gently. Serve as a salad with any type of grilled meat or fish. *.....................................................................................................................................* TOURS OF ITALY & ITALIAN MARKETS During my tours of Italy which are guided by Isabella and Luigi Dusi – We visit the markets of hillside villages and larger cities like Padua. This market is a vital necessity to the life in this very old university city – It is opened 6 days a week and it means fresh fruit and vegetables can be purchased daily when they are in perfect quality. Meat, fish, cheese, bread are all here and some businesses have been operating here for over 100 years. Markets provide a lovely spontaneity to your weekly cooking. To be able to fill your basket with fresh produce then decide what to do with it is satisfying and rewarding and above all economical. Buying fruit and vegetables in season is always cheaper. *La Ribolitta is the soup I am making the most of this winter – It is robust enough to be a meal and yet perfect for lunch with a batch of fresh home-made scones.* *I think we have forgotten how quick and easy cheese scones are to make and how delicious they are hot out of the oven with melted butter.* *I have also included a recipe for Baked Apples – I demonstrated these in my winter class this year and everyone loved them especially the Zabaglione poured over the top.* LA RIBOLLITA (Thick Tuscan Bean and Lentil Soup) ½ c good extra virgin olive oil 2 onions finely diced 6 cloves garlic, crushed 3 sticks celery, diced finely 2 carrots, peeled and diced finely 1 leek finely sliced 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes 250g cavolo nero or savoy cabbage 400g cooked cannellini beans 200ml red wine 2 litres chicken stock 100 g stale ciabatta bread 3-4 thyme stems parsley In a large saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in a little of the olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the celery, cabbage, leeks and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and cabbage leaves. Cook until the cabbage starts to wilt. Add the wine, chicken stock and thyme. Simmer gently for about 40 minutes. Add the bread to the pan. If it is very fresh dry it out in the oven to prevent it breaking up. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot but not boiling drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley. Stuffed Baked Apples 6 apples – eating apples - Pacific Rose, Gala etc 100 grams Amaretti biscuits 100 grams toasted walnuts 150 grams muscovado sugar 125 grams melted butter 100 grams currants – soaked in ¼ cup brandy for 10 minutes 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1 cup white wine Cut a small slice off the tops and bottoms of the apples. Core using an apple corer. Cut in half around the middle and scoop out a little of the apple flesh to widen the cavity. Reserve the flesh. Process the reserved apple flesh, amaretti biscuits, toasted walnuts, and brown sugar until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the melted butter and soaked currants. Fill each apple half with the biscuit mixture – making a mound on the top. Place the filled apple halves into a baking dish. Sprinkle with the caster sugar and pour the wine into the base. Bake for 40 minutes at 180 C – or until tender. Serve with Zabaglione Zabaglione 3 egg yolks 100 grams caster sugar ½ cup Marsala Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Whip the eggs with the sugar in a wide stainless steel bowl until slightly thickened. Beat in the Marsala. Place the bowl over the boiling water – continue whisking until the mixture is thick, voluminous and fluffy. Remove and serve at once. *Judith Cullen* *18 Cliffs Road, St Clair, Dunedin NEW ZEALAND* Phone 64-03-4558381; Fax 64-03-4552165; Mobile 64-021735617 OR e-mail:
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