It was encouraging to see two new signed up followers and a suggestion for radishes - thank you, readers. We are still in summer eating mode even though there is a dearth of summer weather.
We have been working hard on both the beetroot and radishes. We had end of season asparagus with a lamb fillet and a couscous salad. For the couscous I mixed a little olive oil and lemon juice through the couscous while it was still warm and then tossed through a selection of salad veg - spring onions, capsicum, parsley, feta and, of course, radishes. I served it with beetroot relish and yoghurt with mint. I didn't really need both but the relish needed eating and I love lamb with minty yoghurt so I splurged and it was worth it. Put lots of mint in the yoghurt.
We have taken a fancy to spring rolls. They are so easy. Buy a pack of spring roll wrappers and some vermicelli. Finely slice a selection of fresh vegetables and herbs, including radishes. Toast and crush some skinned peanuts and/or cashews - maybe add a pinch of cumin. Make a selection of
dipping sauces. Put a dish of warm water on the table and construct and eat spring rolls until you are replete. On this occasion I thought we had more wraps in the cupboard than we did, however a squid tube from the freezer came to the rescue.
Salt and pepper squid rings were delicious dipped in the sauces.
We were visiting in Auckland and I thought I would contribute pudding. Make a jelly by dissolving 2 tbsp sugar in 1/2 cup wine (white or rose, still or sparkling) on the stove. Don't let it boil. Remove from the heat and add 4 leaves of softened gelatin, a further 1 3/4 cups of wine and 1 tsp lemon juice. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate around 6 hours. To serve put a mixture of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries into glasses with diced papaya and top with cubes of jelly.
Back home it was radishes and beetroot. For a change from lamb we tried rump steak with caper, anchovy and rosemary sauce served with shaved veg with a lemony dressing.
For the meat dressing, pound 4-6 anchovies with a clove of garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tsp very finely chopped rosemary and pound again. Add 2 tsp capers, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well with salt and pepper. Cook the rump steak to your liking and brush both sides with a little of the dressing. Rest then slice and pour over the remaining dressing.
For the vegetables make a dressing with 1 tsp English mustard, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil and salt & pepper. Using a mandoline with care not to slice fingers (we have had mandoline incidents here), very finely slice a selection of raw summer vegetables - radishes, beetroot, kohlrabi, courgette. Trickle over the dressing.
On the side I served a mix of salad leaves including beetroot leaves with a regular vinaigrette, and some freshly baked thyme-flavoured Turkish-style bread (pide) to mop up the juices. To make the bread, combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp honey, 3 tbsp olive oil and add to 1 1/2 cups bread flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp chopped thyme. Combine and knead for a few minutes until soft and smooth. Leave to rise for an hour then divide into eight pieces, shape into rounds about 1 cm thick and cover with a teatowel to rise again for 20 minutes. I only needed half the dough so have frozen the rest for another time. Cook the breads on a grill 3-4 mins each side until golden and puffy.
Still trying to use up the last of the cranberry sauce, we had venison sausages with roasted beetroot and wilted spinach and beetroot leaves. I cooked the beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks then put in a roasting dish with some olive oil and salt and pepper and thyme. When done I splashed over a little
vincotto. I wash and slice spinach then just add in batches to a pan over a medium heat. As the spinach wilts, push it to the back and add another handful. When it is done stir in a small knob of butter and seasoning. I often add nutmeg or cumin but on this occasion used only pepper. Adding beetroot leaves with the spinach is delicious. Try it.
Thank you to Jean-Marie for
roasted radishes with dukkah. We tried them this evening with our aperitif of saffron gin. The gin was a Christmas gift and I recommend you try it. It has a unique pizazz. The radishes were very interesting and I really liked them. I have never eaten a cooked radish and I enjoyed the change in texture and depth of flavour. The dukkah was brilliant and will become our staple recipe I suspect.
We have been working hard on both the beetroot and radishes. We had end of season asparagus with a lamb fillet and a couscous salad. For the couscous I mixed a little olive oil and lemon juice through the couscous while it was still warm and then tossed through a selection of salad veg - spring onions, capsicum, parsley, feta and, of course, radishes. I served it with beetroot relish and yoghurt with mint. I didn't really need both but the relish needed eating and I love lamb with minty yoghurt so I splurged and it was worth it. Put lots of mint in the yoghurt.
We have taken a fancy to spring rolls. They are so easy. Buy a pack of spring roll wrappers and some vermicelli. Finely slice a selection of fresh vegetables and herbs, including radishes. Toast and crush some skinned peanuts and/or cashews - maybe add a pinch of cumin. Make a selection of dipping sauces. Put a dish of warm water on the table and construct and eat spring rolls until you are replete. On this occasion I thought we had more wraps in the cupboard than we did, however a squid tube from the freezer came to the rescue. Salt and pepper squid rings were delicious dipped in the sauces. 
We were visiting in Auckland and I thought I would contribute pudding. Make a jelly by dissolving 2 tbsp sugar in 1/2 cup wine (white or rose, still or sparkling) on the stove. Don't let it boil. Remove from the heat and add 4 leaves of softened gelatin, a further 1 3/4 cups of wine and 1 tsp lemon juice. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate around 6 hours. To serve put a mixture of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries into glasses with diced papaya and top with cubes of jelly.
Back home it was radishes and beetroot. For a change from lamb we tried rump steak with caper, anchovy and rosemary sauce served with shaved veg with a lemony dressing.
For the meat dressing, pound 4-6 anchovies with a clove of garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tsp very finely chopped rosemary and pound again. Add 2 tsp capers, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well with salt and pepper. Cook the rump steak to your liking and brush both sides with a little of the dressing. Rest then slice and pour over the remaining dressing.
For the vegetables make a dressing with 1 tsp English mustard, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil and salt & pepper. Using a mandoline with care not to slice fingers (we have had mandoline incidents here), very finely slice a selection of raw summer vegetables - radishes, beetroot, kohlrabi, courgette. Trickle over the dressing.
On the side I served a mix of salad leaves including beetroot leaves with a regular vinaigrette, and some freshly baked thyme-flavoured Turkish-style bread (pide) to mop up the juices. To make the bread, combine 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp honey, 3 tbsp olive oil and add to 1 1/2 cups bread flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp chopped thyme. Combine and knead for a few minutes until soft and smooth. Leave to rise for an hour then divide into eight pieces, shape into rounds about 1 cm thick and cover with a teatowel to rise again for 20 minutes. I only needed half the dough so have frozen the rest for another time. Cook the breads on a grill 3-4 mins each side until golden and puffy.
Still trying to use up the last of the cranberry sauce, we had venison sausages with roasted beetroot and wilted spinach and beetroot leaves. I cooked the beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks then put in a roasting dish with some olive oil and salt and pepper and thyme. When done I splashed over a little vincotto. I wash and slice spinach then just add in batches to a pan over a medium heat. As the spinach wilts, push it to the back and add another handful. When it is done stir in a small knob of butter and seasoning. I often add nutmeg or cumin but on this occasion used only pepper. Adding beetroot leaves with the spinach is delicious. Try it.
Thank you to Jean-Marie for roasted radishes with dukkah. We tried them this evening with our aperitif of saffron gin. The gin was a Christmas gift and I recommend you try it. It has a unique pizazz. The radishes were very interesting and I really liked them. I have never eaten a cooked radish and I enjoyed the change in texture and depth of flavour. The dukkah was brilliant and will become our staple recipe I suspect.
