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.

Let them eat cake

I like to bake cakes but these days the occasions to eat cake become fewer.  With just two of us at home most of the time we are just not going to get through a cake.  It is nice to have a special occasion and an appreciative crowd to make  a cake a worthwhile undertaking.
This summer I have made three cakes I think will be worth revisiting next summer.
My favourite type of cake is the basic pound cake, lemon or blueberry, or my old favourite lemon yoghurt cake.  Sometimes they don't seem quite festive enough for occasions which call for cake.  I am not big on icing so a cake that uses fruit as decoration really appeals. In summer you can't go past strawberries.
The November Dish had a light as air sponge filled with balsamic soaked strawberries and a mascarpone cream.  I made this for both Isabel and Phoebe's birthdays. On both occasions we started the evening with this amazing strawberry cocktail.  It's relatively easy to produce a non-alcoholic version for the drivers.
To make the cake prepare two sponges around 20 cm in diameter.   Hull and roughly chop 3 punnets of strawberries then mush them a bit with a fork.  Combine with 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp. icing sugar.  Leave for half an hour then strain the liquid into a bowl.  When ready to serve put one half of the sponge on a serving dish and brush with the balsamic juices.  Top with the strawberries - if they are too many leave some aside to serve on the side. Mix 150 ml of softly whipped cream with 200g mascarpone and spread across the strawberries.  Brush the other sponge half with the rest of the balsamic juices and sit atop the cream.  Dust with icing sugar. 
In January I had a celebration at work which coincided with my discovery of this amazing spiced vegetable cake. We also had courgettes and carrots in the garden so it seemed perfect.  I recommend that you try this cake.  Substituting dates for sugar was a great idea.  The cake was neither too sweet nor too heavy.  I am not a fan of the cream cheese frosting on a traditional carrot cake.  I find it far too sweet and cloying.  This one seemed lighter.  Just think of this cake as one of your five servings of vegetables for the day.
Just when I didn't feel I could serve up the balsamic cake for a third time in three months, Dish presented me with the Summer Strawberry Pimms cake.  This is really too easy.  Into the bowl of your standing mixer add 350g very soft butter, 350g caster sugar, 350g flour, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 tsp mixed spice, grated zest of an orange, 6 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract and the all important 2 tbsp Pimms.  Beat until you have a smooth batter & divide between two 20cm sponge tins.  Bake at 170 for 25 mins or until done. 
In a saucepan boil 1 cup Pimms, 1/2 cup caster sugar, juice of an orange and a lemon, 2 sprigs mint until reduced and syrupy.  Remove the mint.  Spoon the hot syrup over the smooth sides of the cooled cakes.  Beat 1 cup of softly whipped cream with 200g mascarpone and the zest of an orange.  Don't beat the mascarpone or it WILL curdle.  Spread half the cream mixture between the two cakes and the other half on top. Decorate with orange segments, strawberries,  mint and borage flowers.  I always have borage in the garden in the summer because it brings the bees to pollinate vegetables like broad beans and courgettes.  Once you have it, it will never leave.  I served this cake twice as well  - firstly as a welcome home to Max (from London) and Peter and Mike (from their Routeburn trek).  Then I served at as a celebration of having the entire family at the table for the first time in six plus years.  A fitting celebration.

Feeding hungry hordes

We had young relatives visiting from the UK and it seemed the perfect opportunity for some summer family meals.  Unfortunately Wellington did not turn on barbeque weather but we made the best of it.  We started the weekend with an extended family dinner and I couldn't go past a leg of lamb which we had the butcher butterfly for us.  Ideally we would have cooked this on the barbeque but it does just as well on the flat grill on the stove top.  Marinade the lamb for an hour in a blend of 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt, juice of a lemon, 4 crushed cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp dried oregano.  When the grill is very hot, lift the lamb from the marinade, shake off any liquid then lay it on the grill skin-side down.  Cook for about 10 minutes until crisp on the outside.  Turn and brush with the remaining marinade, then continue to cook for around 20 minutes until crisp on the outside and slightly pink within or of you prefer, grill a shorter time and finish in the oven at 200.  Season with salt while cooking.  Rest for around 10 minutes before serving.  Peter does all this because, as you know, I don't really cook large pieces of meat. 
I served this with a classic Greek salad and tzatziki. I also decided to make skordalia for the first time and it was a hugely popular.  For 6-8 people, boil about 150g Agria potatoes or another excellent mashing variety.  It doesn't seem like a lot of potatoes for the hungry hordes but it will be sufficient.  Drain immediately.  Pound three cloves of garlic with salt in a mortar and sieve the potatoes through a very fine sieve or potato ricer.  Mix in the garlic until you have a smooth puree.  Don't use the food processor unless you are planning to hang wallpaper, in which case you will have a lovely garlic infused paste. Beat in 100ml olive oil a little at a time, as if you were making mayonnaise.  You are looking for an emulsion.  Add juice of half a lemon and a little water if you need to loosen the mix.  Serve as a sauce with the lamb.
And then for pudding we had a strawberry and rose wine granita.  So easy.  Blend 500g strawberries, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp of any berry liqueur and 1 tbsp lime juice.  Add a cup of the rose and blend again.  Either still or sparkling wine will be good.  I used sparkling. Pour into a shallow freezer-proof container and freeze.  Two or three times before serving take the tray out and mix through any big chunks of ice, pulling the frozen side edges towards the centre with a fork.  Fluff up the granules and serve in tall glasses on top of mixed berries.  You will need long spoons or long tongues to get the berries from the bottom of the glass.
On Saturday night I decided to do chicken with a quinoa salad.  I  chopped and changed for ages. Quinoa or couscous? At the very last minute I plumped for quinoa.  It was the best decision.  It is actually like a quinoa tabouleh but lighter.  For 4, cook 1 cup quinoa according to the instructions on the packet.  Make a vinaigrette with oil, red wine vinegar and garlic and 1/4 tsp each ground ginger and cinnamon and stir through the cooled quinoa.  Fold in 1 cup diced cucumber, 10 or so roughly chopped cherry tomatoes, 2 thinly sliced spring onions, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, a good handful or mint or parsley or both and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with grilled chicken.  Season boned chicken breast, skin on with Moroccan style spices  - ras el hanout or whatever you have in the cupboard.  Use as many chicken breasts as you need for your diners.  I tend to think 120g per person and chicken breasts can vary hugely in size.  Cook the chicken on the barbeque grill or if it is windy at your house in a saute pan with a little oil.  Rest then slice and serve with the salad, a dollop of cottage cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. 
For pudding, Phoebe made  chocolate mousse using our secret family recipe.  She used an additional secret ingredient so even if you thought you knew the recipe you don't now.  Only Phoebe and I hold the secret.
On Sunday I returned to an old favourite, beef with yellow split peas.  This has the delicious pumpkin seed dressing.  I also served julienne of carrot and courgette with a pesto dressing. Mix 2 tbsp pesto with 3 tbsp olive oil and one of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
For pudding, I did an old Peter Gordon recipe of marinated strawberries and pawpaw.  Marinade about 500g halved strawberries in 75 ml dessert wine in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Separately marinade 1/2 a peeled and seeded chopped pawpaw in 1 tbsp lime juice.  When ready, gently toss together with a few mint leaves and splash over the juice.
You may notice that we are a bit short of photos.  That sometime happens when we have a crowd.  You'll have to imagine the lamb.

Variety, spice, life

We're onto the fish tagines which are (on the evidence of one) light & delicious.  This week we had monkfish with preserved lemon & mint.  The fish was marinated in a classic Moroccan chermoula. Using a mortar & pestle, pound 2 garlic cloves and a finely chopped red chilli with a little salt.  Add a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves & pound to a coarse paste.  Bash in some saffron threads with 2 tsp cumin then bind well with 3 tbsp olive oil & the juice of a lemon.  Cut about 900g (for 4) of white fish fillets into largish chunks & smother with the chermoula mix.  Keeep back 2 tsp to stir through  during cooking.  Marinate 1-2 hours.
When you're ready to eat, heat a little olive oil in your tagine & soften 1 finely chopped red onion, 2 finely chopped carrots, 2 sticks of finely chopped celery.  Add 1 finely chopped preserved lemon, the reserved chermoula & a tin of tomatoes.  Cook about 10 minutes to reduce then add 150 ml water & 150ml white wine or sherry.  If you use a good fino sherry and it will give a good flavour.  Bring to the boil, cover & simmer 10 minutes.  Toss in the fish & cook gently about 8 minutes until the fish is cooked through.  Season & stir through a tsp chopped preserved lemon & shredded mint leaves.  I served this one with boiled new potatoes & a leafy salad.
On Saturday morning we were in Moore Wilson when the Freedom Farms guy was cooking a butterflied rump of pork which he had marinated in ginger ale & soy sauce.  I tasted a piece, had to buy it & that became Sunday's dinner.  We actually marinated it in Stoke's ginger beer.  I served with crushed potatoes flavoured with sage and Alan Fong's greens with gin - actually my version of Alan's vegetables, which I think is a step up from Alan's original.  Did I tell you when we went to Auckland we drove through Pukekohe and we looked out for Alan's veg patch?  We didn't see it - lots of great vegetables though.  We also saw - when all the traffic was diverted  to be breathalysed at 10.00 a.m. - an amazing free range chicken farm.  Couldn't see a name but the chickens looked wonderful.
But I digress.  Because I had some left over meringues & some cream hanging around, I made Eton mess.  I mascerated the strawberries in some cherry brandy & a little sugar.  I later discovered I had some kind of strawberry liqueur that may have been better but any kind of fruity liqueur will do.
While they are better suited to autumn, I wanted to get in some parsnips before the season ended.  We had a delicious roasted parsnip salad with lentils & watercress. For 4, toss 4-5 parsnips, cut unto even chunks, in olive oil, season & roast at 190 for 40 minutes until they are starting to caramelise.  Cook about 100g puy lentils the way you like them.  Make a vinaigrette and add a tsp of clear honey - parsnips like a bit of sweetness.  Put it all together on a plate with some watercress & top with shavings of a hard goat's cheese. 
Wednesday was a birthday tea.  There's no point in me telling you how to make it.  Just look back over the years and there it is.  The same every year.  Chicken Za'atar with fattoush.  This year we added grilled haloumi, Antoinette's falafels, broad beans, guacamole & carrot hummus.
Thursday we had a traditional Ligurian pasta.  This was unusual but delicious.  We had some homemade basil pesto so used that but the walnut-parsley version would have been interesting.
Now that it is more summery, at least some of the time, I find that we just compile a selection of salady things from what we have at hand.  Buy those Antoinette's falafel.  A delicious addition to any meal.  And cook more than you need because they are delicious in your lunch salad.

A Taste of Germany

After 4 weeks eating our way around Germany & France, I want to share some of our experiences with you. We started in Germany and our first stop was Frankfurt. We were staying near the station and as is often that way with immigrant communities we found an abundance of Turkish restaurants. I had the best Turkish food I've had outside of Melbourne (having never actually been to Turkey where I assume they do it the best). One of the things I noticed in the cafe we went to is that the majority of the diners were Turkish and there were no women. The food was superb and it's always worth considering good immigrant food when you're travelling. It is interesting to note that immigrant food takes on the elements of the host country so although the Turkish restaurants felt authentic they also felt very German.

We then travelled to Freiburg via the Romantische Strasse, the Deutsche Alpenstrasse & the Schwarzwald enjoying regional seasonal delights along the way. There was a common theme throughout:

Bread rolls topped with a variety of seeds which is the mainstay of the German breakfast, served with sliced meat & cheese, radishes & cucumber, a selection of jams including the delectable sour cherry and sometimes a boiled egg. Erdbeere (Strawberries) which were the best you've ever tasted. We bought them each day from the local market or from intriguing roadside stalls shaped like strawberries. Pfifferlinge - a delicious mushroom known as Chanterelle in France was in season and available in the markets as was white asparagus.

The yoghurt made from Alpen milk was really distinctive - how could those adorable cows not produce wonderful milk.

The amazing variety of cured meats & cheeses was impressive and delicious. We could buy a selection of breads & cheese & sliced meat for roadside lunches.

Potatoes were plentiful, and could be found in fritters, dumplings, salad with Frankfurters, baked -the list goes on. The highlight of Freiburg was dinner at the local Kartoffelhaus where we had the choice of any potato dish you could imagine.

We had two great meals of Sauerbraten which is a traditional German dish of beef marinaded in a red wine & vinegar sauce. We enjoyed a Franconian version at the Hotel Dortmunder Hof in Wurzburg, which included lebkuchen (gingerbread) & was served with potato dumplings which had a small piece of toast embedded within.

The second was a Swabian version at the Gasthof Berghof at Leutschenbach, in the Schwarzwald, and was served with spaetzle, which is a pasta specialty of Southern Germany and also of Alsace in France.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the food in Germany & I attempted to recreate a German meal at home. We were usually served a salad to start as a matter of course and the German dressings were beautifully sharp & vinegary. I then prepared a sauerbraten. It wasn't entirely successful but I think I am close. I followed this recipe which worked up to a point. I thought it was too vinegary and I would halve the vinegar and substitute a cup of red wine. Bottom round is silverside and I think that was the right meat although I would reduce the cooking time from 4 hours to 3. I made lebkuchen which were very successful and thickened the sauce beautifully giving the velvety texture I was looking for. I made a quantity of round biscuits and then some fancy shapes using cutters I bought in Germany - the gingko leaf symbolising Goethe and Neuschwanstein castle. I used about 12 biscuits in the sauerbraten. We served it with potato dumplings. If you are an expert on German cooking and have any suggestions I would be grateful. I feel there was definitely room for improvement.

To finish off the meal I made a Rhabarberkuchen (rhubarb cake) which comprised a slice base topped with lightly stewed rhubarb then a crumble mixture. It was baked in round cake tin in a medium oven about 40 minutes.