Welcome 2017

Happy New Year.  2016 was a fairly hectic year and although we did eat many delicious and healthy meals, I didn't find the time to write about any of them.  But I'm back and ready to share what goes on our table in 2017.
Having welcomed in the year with some home-baked shortbread and a fine single malt, courtesy of our house guests, we celebrated New Year with a festive dinner of beef fillet with a pomegranate salsa, accompanied by freshly dug potatoes and a tomato and pomegranate salad.  This meal was low on effort and high on impact.
For six people you will need a 1kg fillet of beef - or you might want a bit more because they will definitely want seconds. Tie up the fillet so that it is an even thickness ensuring it will cook evenly or ask your butcher to do this for you. Heat the oven to 250. Combine 1 tbsp mustard with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp each cumin and smoked paprika. Put the beef on a lined baking tray and spread all over with the mustard mix and season with sea salt flakes and a good grind of pepper.  Put in the oven and roast about 25 mins for medium rare. These days we use a meat thermometer to guide the cooking time.  I bought one back when I made the Beef Wellington because you can't judge a Wellington by looking or touching. Turn the fillet over half way through cooking. Rest for 15 mins and slice thickly.
While the beef is cooking prepare the accompaniments. For the salsa whisk 3 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp sherry vinegar and 2 cloves garlic.  Add 1/2 cup toasted pinenuts and the seeds of half a pomegranate and season to taste.  If you don't make the tomato salad use the whole pomegranate but I reserved half for the salad.  Add 1/4 cup each finely chopped mint and parsley while the meat is resting. To serve put the sliced beef on a serving plate and top with sliced roasted red pepper  - I use the jars because it is easier and they taste great. Spoon over the pomegranate salsa and some microgreens.
For the salad cut up a variety of tomatoes (roughly a handful per person), so they are about the same size.  Mix 2 tsp za'atar with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and set aside.  Add the other half of your pomegranate (if you are not making the salsa use the whole fruit), 1/2 a thinly sliced yellow capsicum, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion, 1/3 cup torn basil, 1/3 cup torn mint, 1-2 tsp lemon juice and some sea salt.  Gently mix through and drizzle over the za'atar mix.
For the festive pudding I made a strawberry granita.  You'll need to do this in the morning or the day before.  I made a quantity for 12 because it seemed easier but you could just as easily halve it.
Combine 1/4 cup caster sugar with 1/2 cup water and bring it to the boil stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Take it off the heat and add a dozen roughly chopped strawberries, 1 tbsp each rosewater and lime juice.  Leave for 10 mins to cool and process in the blender until you have a smooth puree. Add 2 cups Prosecco and pour into a shallow metal dish and freeze until it is firm around the edges.  My dish was about 20cm x 30cm. Use a fork to scrape through the ice crystals a couple of times during the freezing process. To serve, put a layer of fresh berries in the base of a serving glass then a layer of whipped cream.  Scrape the granita again with a fork and spoon on top of the cream.
While we're talking pomegranates, I have discovered a wonderfully simple fish dish with pomegranate. We use fillets of a firm flaky fish such as purse seine caught trevally or kingfish. Use the Forest and Bird Best Fish Guide 2017 to ascertain a sustainable fish.
Mix the seeds of a pomegranate with 1 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  Just before serving add 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (or coriander if you must). Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice with 2 tbsp finely chopped dill, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, and marinade the fish around 30 mins. Pan fry the fish or cook an a large grill plate on the stove top or barbecue.  Transfer the fish to a platter and garnish with thinly sliced red onion and spring onions, and some think slices of tomato.  Spoon over the pomegranate mix and then sprinkle over some sea salt and sumac powder.
These meals are really quick and easy to prepare and will get your New Year off to an excellent start.

Winning ways with chard

We eat seasonally and often from the garden.  It's not large but there are only two of us and it can feed us well.  You know how you look forward to the first crop and sometimes enthusiasm wanes at the end.  We've been enjoying chard over winter picking a few leaves to make a delicious chard meal each week, sometimes twice a week. And then it turns on you.  Suddenly you have the Karori chard monster growing so fast and tall and threatening to go to seed.  Meanwhile you are trying to consume the kale and cavalo nero before that too bolts and you know you really have to eat the last of the broccoli this week. I knew things were serious when I mentioned to Peter that a friend who kindly took some chard off my hands this week said how much she had enjoyed her three chard meals.  Peter's response - "well that's three chard meals we don't have to eat".  If you have your own chard dilemma I have a few suggestions.
Chard works really well with grains such as barley, farro or freekeh.  For a great pilaf, saute a finely diced red onion in olive oil.  Add 2 tbsp coarsely chopped pistachios, grated zest of a lemon and a cup hot chicken stock - you may need different quantities of liquid depending on which grain you use so top it up with hot water if it is drying out. Mix and cover with a lid.  Simmer gently for around 20-30 minutes until the water has evaporated and the grains are cooked.  Season and stir through about 250g roughly chopped chard.  When the chard has wilted, add about 150g crumbled feta and stir through a little olive oil and the juice from the lemon.  You can serve on its own for a light weeknight supper or with lamb.  Use fillets, backstraps or rump.  Rub the lamb with a mix of ground cumin, cardamom and coriander and then briefly sear the lamb in a hot pan and finish in a hot oven.  Slice the lamb and serve on the pilaf topped with mint leaves and a sprinkling of sumac.
I made a great a great Iranian style stew with yellow split peas.  Saute an onion until soft then add 2 cloves crushed garlic with a cinnamon stick, a tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp fenugreek and a pinch of saffron strands.  Add 100g yellow split peas and 500g chicken or vegetable stock and cook until the peas are nearly done.  Add more hot stock or water if they are sticking.  Add 100g brown basmati rice and cook a further 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.  Add more liquid if necessary.  Stir through 250g roughly chopped chard and let wilt a little.  Finish with 2 sliced spring onions, 1tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses.  Scatter with chopped mint leaves and pomegranate seeds to serve.
Try a chard gratin served with a crisp green salad. Heat a crushed garlic clove gently in a frying pan then stir in a tsp each of chopped rosemary and thyme and 250g roughly chopped chard. Season and stir over a medium heat for a couple of minutes.  In a large bowl beat together two eggs, 1/4 cup milk and salt and pepper. Stir in chard mixture and about 50g Gruyère. Stir in a cup of sweetcorn and mix well. I usually use frozen corn out of season but you could just as easily use canned if you prefer.  Pour into a greased baking dish, sprinkle parmesan on top and drizzle over a little olive oil.  Bake at 180 for 35-40 mins until nicely browned.  Rest 10 minutes before serving.
We had chard with chickpeas and tamarind. Saute a sliced onion with 1 tsp each of ground coriander and 2 tsp caraway seeds.  Add a tsp tomato paste, a can of chopped tomatoes, 300mls chicken stock, a can of chickpeas, 4 tbsp tamarind paste and 400g roughly chopped chard with stalks. Season and bring to the boil then cover and simmer 30 minutes.  When done it will be a thick soupy consistency.  Finish with a little lemon juice and serve with rice and a dollop of yoghurt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Don't forget our old favourite, Floriditas' chard risotto, which has had a few outings.
Our final chard meal of this crop was the pilaf with lamb.  Now we move on to the broccoli, starting with a broccoli and blue cheese salad.