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.

Ottolenghi inspirations

I am a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi.  Twice recently I have watched him on the television and been inspired to rush off and make one of his dishes.  The first was a traditional Cretan dish which I served for Harriet's birthday.  It doesn't sound so exciting on paper but it was inspirational to watch and sensational to eat. 
This recipe uses a traditional Cretan dried bread, dakos, which I couldn't find.  Yotam suggest substituting Swedish krisprolls or Italian friselle.  I broke 400g of staleish sourdough into chunks and baked on a tray at 100 until they were dried out completely but not coloured. About 20 minutes.
To serve 6-8, grate half a kilo of ripe tomatoes into a bowl.  This sounds tricky but basically grate on a box grate until you are left with a piece of skin in your hand.  It is a bit messy.  Chop another kilo of tomatoes into 1 cm dice.  Mix with 1 diced red onion, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper.  In another bowl mix together 200ml olive oil, 100ml red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.  This may seem like a lot of oil but you will want this much.  In a pan lightly saute 2 cans of chickpeas with a little olive oil, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin & a little salt.  Spread your dried bread in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them snugly in a single layer.  Pour over the oil and vinegar mix, then spoon over the tomato mix. Next cover with the chickpeas.  Dot with chunks of feta (300g).  Scatter over basil & drizzle with a little olive oil.  Bake at 200 for 25 minutes until the feta starts to colour. Delicious!
The second was inspired by a meal made in Jerusalem on a Plate - split wheat and chard with pomegranate molasses.  I am not sure what exactly split wheat is but I have some freekeh in the cupboard and this was good or you could even use pearl barley but cook it longer.  For four, start by softening 2 thinly sliced leeks in olive oil.  Add the finely chopped stalks from about 600g chard.  After a couple of minutes add the sliced chard leaves.  Cook for a couple of minutes then add 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 200g of whatever wheat or grain you are using, 500g chicken stock and season.  Bring to a simmer, cover & cook about an hour. At the end of cooking remove the lid and cook down until all the liquid has evaporated and the molasses & sugar are beginning to caramelise.  You could add more molasses at the end.
You could have this as a light meal on it own but it was delicious with pork and courgette patties.  The recipe was for turkey but we had pork mince in the freezer.  I reaslised aftrewards it may not have been quite the thing because this was either a Jewish or Palestinian muslim dish.  Neither of those cultures eat pork but we do and it worked very well.  Use whatever mince you like.  First make a sour cream sauce by mixing 100g sour cream, 150g thick greek yoghurt, 1tsp lemoin juice, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oiul, 1tsp sumac, salt & pepper.  Set aside.
For the patties, in a large bowl mix 500g turkey, chicken or pork mince, 1 coarsely grated courgette, 3 finely sliced spring onions, 1 egg, 2 tbsp each chopped mint and parsley, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, salt & pepper. Shape into patties and rest.  If the mix is too wet, add some breadcrumbs or  something to help it hold together.  I used bulgar wheat, but you need to soak it in cold water for 10 minutes first, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture.  To cook the patties sear on both sides in a frying pan then finish in a hot oven (220) for 6-8 minutes.  Serve with the wheat and yoghurt sauce.  This is a meal you will want to make again. 

Strange Fruit

Summer fruit, like summer, lasted well into autumn this year but when we had farewelled the last of the plums it was time to welcome the autumn comers.  This year we added dragon fruit to the list.  I had never seen this before, but like many new things, as soon as I discovered it I encountered it everywhere.  The first time I saw it at Moore Wilson I had to buy one and remembering my earlier error with persimmon, where I didn't realise that they should be eaten firm, I looked up what to do.
Luckily I found a helpful video on You Tube.  I was slightly bemused that I was watching an instructional video on how to eat an item of fruit!  Later that week I unintentionally turned the television to one of those cooking competitions where a group of contestants had to make a dessert using a specific set of items & one of those items was dragon fruit.  And then later in the same week I tuned in to Come Dine with Me to see a contestant there serve a fruit salad containing dragon fruit.  This must be the fruit of 2013.  Try one when you get the opportunity.  I really like it.
If you like puff pastry, try this delicious tart which we had first with tomatoes & then used up the rest of the pastry & ricotta with a broccoli version. You could make your own but I would buy a really good puff pastry - we like Paneton.  As an aside try their spinach & feta Danish.  One pack of pastry will make two tarts.  Roll out half the pack about 4mm thick & cut out a 30cm circle.  Put the pastry on a prepared baking tray & refrigerate while you make the filling.  Put 275g ricotta & an egg into a bowl & mix well to combine.  Spread this mixture over the pastry base leaving a 2cm border.  Fold in the border to form a rim.  Bake at 200 for 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven & arrange 200g halved cherry tomatoes cut side up over the tart.  In the summer, look out for Curious Croppers.  They should be available in Moore Wilson later this year. If you are using broccoli, blanch for 3 mins before arranging small florets on the tart.  Drizzle with a little oil & bake a further 10 minutes.  Nestle some torn mozzarella in among the tomatoes & cook a further 2 mins.  Spoon over some basil pesto, scatter with fresh oregano, season with salt & pepper and enjoy.
We have been enjoying little treats.  Phoebe gave Peter some amazing coloured pasta for his birthday.  She prepared it for us with a simple carbonara sauce (sans pancetta) and I do think this was the best way to enjoy the subtle flavours of the pasta.  In a mixing bowl large enough to accommodate the pasta, lightly beat 2 eggs with 3tbsp grated Parmesan & 1 tbsp grated pecorino, finely chopped parsley, salt & pepper.  When the pasta is cooked according to the instructions on the pack, drain it & add to the bowl & toss until mixed through.  Serve immediately because the sauce isn't hot to start & it will cool quickly.  If you want to add pancetta cook it while the pasta water is boiling, in a little butter & olive oil to which you add a splash or white wine & reduce.  Add the pancetta to the pasta at the end.
We had an outstanding crop of broccoli this year.  Those green caterpillars enjoyed it too & we had a struggle keeping them down but a visitor recommended a garlic spray which helped. We celebrated the first of the crop with roast chicken served with broccoli & carrots from the garden.  The first picking of any new crop always seems the best one.  I had wanted to serve this with my cranberry/crabapple sauce - remember cranbapple.  However the crabapples which appeared to be a bumper crop were all rotten in the core.  So disappointing.  I had already bought the cranberries so I made a cranberry sauce that was outstandingly simple.
Tip a packet of fresh cranberries in a pot with the juice of two oranges.  Bring to the boil & simmer until the cranberries start to pop. Just get it to a consistency you like then add 1/2 the amount of sugar to the cranberries & stir till the sugar has dissolved.  Pour into clean jars.  This will keep in the fridge a couple of weeks.  I was so astounded by its simplicity & wonder that I bought another pack of cranberries & tossed it in the freezer for Christmas. We ate the sauce with the chicken, the left over chicken pilaf, potatoes & in fact everything I could think of where sauce might be appropriate.
The broccoli recipe of the season has however been Hugh's variation on pasta with greens - pasta with broccoli.  This takes no time to throw together on a week night & there is something amazing about how all the little broccoli bits cling to the pasta.  The chilli gives just the right degree of heat and it is a most satisfying meal.  I also highly recommend the original version and we do this with whatever greens we have to hand.  Frequently rainbow chard, because it just grows & grows & we need to eat at least one chard recipe most weeks.
Another find to showcase chard is a simple dish with butter beans.  If I can, I buy Navarrrico beans but they are expensive & hard to come by so tinned will do.  My only comment is I use the liquid from the jar & drain the tinned beans & add a little vegetable stock.  Tip a jar or tin of beans into a pan with the liquid from the jar or stock.  Add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes then add a 1/2 dozen or more quartered cherry tomatoes to the pan with a knob of butter, a splash of white wine vinegar, a squeeze of tomato paste & a generous splash of Tabasco or other hot sauce.  Mash a few of the beans with a potato masher & stir it all through.  This will make the dish creamier.  Bring back to the boil & simmer 10 mins or so until creamy & delicious.  Then stir through some shredded greens.  Spinach only needs a minute, chard two or three minutes & cabbage or kale around five.  You could stop here and serve just like this as a side dish but if you want this to be dinner, sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and some grated cheese and bake at 180 until the cheese is golden.
Lastly one of my followers gifted us a subscription to the New York Times (thank you)  and I happened upon a recipe for the best ever mushrooms on toast.  This may seem extravagant but I urge you to try it.  These may be the best mushrooms you ever eat.  As I am writing this I am recalling this meal and I can feel mushrooms on toast coming on for lunch tomorrow.  The New York Times food section has some of the best recipes of any newspaper. (I think this recipe is available outside the subscription but if you have trouble with the link give me a yell & I will send you the recipe.)

Sunday Curry

We recently had an old favourite curry with some new additions.  I may have mentioned it before but I am going to tell you again.  This has been a family favourite since 2001.  It is known as Malcolm's Curry and is named after the person who first  made it in our kitchen. 
You first need to make a garam masala mix. Take 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 6 cloves, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds.  Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium flame.  Put the peppercorns in first.  After a couple of minutes add the cloves.  After another 2 minutes add the coriander seeds.  Shake the pan gently as the spices roast.  After a couple more minutes a fragrant smell will waft into the kitchen.  Add the cumin & fenugreek seeds.  When the mustard seeds start to pop remove from the heat & pour into a bowl to cool.  Grind with a pestle & mortar.  You can store in an airtight jar for several weeks.  I always keep a quantity on hand.
Now you are ready to make the curry.  Do a good quantity.  You can always freeze or reheat later in the week. For 1 kg meat, in a food processor blend 2 roughly chopped onions, 4 cloves garlic,1 inch piece of ginger until you have a smooth paste.  Add 2 tbsp of the garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric & 1 tsp paprika & mix well.
In a heavy based pan add a little vegetable oil and add the spice paste.  It will sizzle & smell quite strong.  Malcolm recommends changing into your gardening clothes and his wife suggests you remove all laundry, coats & bags from the kitchen at this stage, unless you want to smell like a curry house.  I also recommend opening windows because the smell is lovely while cooking but not so much 3 days later. After a couple of minutes add the meat.  You can use any meat you like including chicken, on the bone or off.  On this occasion I used lamb shoulder cut into largish chunks.  This cooks beautifully.  Brown the meat on a high heat and add just enough water to cover.  When the water is simmering, cover and cook until tender.  We cooked the lamb for about two hours. It might take longer if your meat is on the bone.  Less for chicken.  Add water during cooking if it looks dry.  Serve with rice and dhal plus vegetables.
Malcolm also provided a dhal recipe but I prefer mine. Melt ghee or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 finely chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic.  Sautee until onion is soft then add 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, pinch of salt & a few grinds of black pepper. and sautee 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 cup red lentils. juice of half a lemon & 3 cups water.  Bring to the boil & simmer uncovered until lentils are cooked - about 15-20 minutes.
I served this Nigella Tomato Curry sans coconut rice, because it looks so pretty in the picture.  It tastes as good as it looks.  Nigella is a fan of English mustard powder and it really is a good addition to many things.  I always put a pinch in the cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese.  Do you?
 I wanted an Indian type pudding and I had eaten a yoghurty thing at Moore Wilson's producer day a few weeks ago but couldn't buy it.  Jack Santa Maria came to the rescue.  It's called Shrikand.  Take 600ml thick yoghurt - you could strain it overnight, but it's fine without.  Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 dsp rosewater, then whisk into the yoghurt. Mix in about 1 tsp ground cardamom and chill.  Jack noted that in Nepal, cloves, cinnamon & pepper are added with the cardamom so I did that.  He didn't say how much so I did similar quantities.  Adjust to your taste.  Jack mixes though chopped almonds & pistachios before chilling but I added them just before serving with a tsp rose petals.

The last of summer?

I am not going to get into the study to write this blog every week now that school is back. I am going to try a new approach & do a monthly round up of the things I think you will like the best. It hasn't been the best of weather but we have had a reasonable return from the garden considering. And even a few more outdoor meals. We did all Phoebe's favourites one night. Vegetable skewers - red onion, green & yellow courgette, button mushrooms, capsicum yellow, red, green & orange. Phoebe's all time barbecue favourite is watermelon, red onion, olives, feta & parsley. And she doesn't even like onion, olives or parsley. This really works as a refreshing salad on a hot day. Marinade the red onion in lime juice first to reduce some of the sharpness & bring out the pinkness. Dress with the lime & olive oil to taste. Grind on lots of black pepper.
When you have an abundance of tomatoes don't forget Jamie's Mothership Tomato Salad. This is the best tomato salad in the world. Use as many different colours & shapes as you can. I add a little sugar with the salt to bring out the flavour in the tomatoes. I use my rosemary sugar.


For lamb & kumara lovers we discovered the best lamb salad in an old Cuisine: Lamb salad with spinach kumara & capsicum. We did it for visitors from the UK. I used different types of kumara to give it some variety. If you don't have vincotto maybe try some kind of fruity balsamic.
Another salad which is now firmly in the repertoire is a beef salad with yellow split peas. Cook about 1 1/2 cups yellow split peas in chicken stock until just tender, drain & spread out to cool. Don't overcook or they will turn mushy - I did this the first time & I just froze them to use later as a dip or dahl and started again. It was worth it. Make a dressing in the food processor with 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, zest & juice of 1 lemon, small bunch of flat-leaf parsley. Pan grill a piece of sirloin to your liking and after resting cut into cubes. Mix the split peas with diced capsicum, celery & red onion & mix with half the dressing. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the steak & serve side by side on a platter scattered with watercress.
I recently bought some quinces and poached them in an amazing liquor. There are lots of recipes. Give it a go. We used muscat and spices. The colour is incredible. They are very rich and you only need small servings - but delicious.

Warmer days

I'm going to run quickly through some spring dinners we have had over the last few weeks. A firm favourite in our house is a very simple dish with chicken thighs, new potatoes & cherry tomatoes. Preheat the oven to about 200. Boil some smallish washed new potatoes about 12-15 mins. Meanwhile skin tomatoes using last week's method. Because they're cherries, the skins will pinch off easily. Cut each thigh into about 3 pieces & rub with olive oil & salt & pepper. Fry in batches until almost cooked & transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish. When the potatoes are almost cooled squadge them with your thumb until they are slightly crushed. I do this a lot so when I say crush the potatoes that is just what I mean. I find this really burns my thumbs after a while & if I have a lot of potatoes to do, I use the back of a teaspoon. Crush a bunch of fresh oregano leaves in a pestle & mortar with some sea salt. The abrasiveness of the salt helps with the crushing process - salt is also good for crushing garlic on a board with the back of a knife. Add about 4 tbsp of your best olive oil, a splash of good red wine vinegar & a few good grinds of the pepper mill. Mix it up and add to the chicken, potatoes & tomatoes with a few more oregano leaves. Toss carefully and spread in your ovenproof dish. Bake for 40 minutes or so until everything is golden & slightly sticky. Perfect with a green salad.

Scallops are in season & we like to make the most of seasonal luxuries. Try a rather decadent scallopy pasta for 2. Put the pasta water on to boil. Fry 100g pancetta until crispy & set aside. Lightly brown the scallops in the oil from the pancetta & set aside. Pour about 1/3 cup of bubbly (I used prosecco because it's not too sweet) into the pan & bring to the boil. Take off the heat & leave to stand a minute then pour in a little cream. Add the scallops & simmer 3-4 minutes, which is about the time you will need to cook your pasta if you use thin egg ribbons. Try fettucine. Mix the scallops with the pasta, add chopped chives & the crumbled pancetta. You'd better finish the bottle of bubbly because it won't keep.

A couple of Sundays ago it was almost like summer. Truly it was. Although I had been planning a completely different meal, I made a spontaneous decision to have ham & salad. I did crushed rosemary potatoes - that's boiling & crushing as above, tossing in olive oil, sprinkling about some salt & pepper with rosemary & roasting for 40 minutes or so in a hot oven. We had sliced free range ham, hard boiled eggs, grilled haloumi, salad, served with a selection of home made relishes. I also did my first asparagus of the season using a method I saw at the Clevedon Farmer's market once. I think I remembered it right. I put the asparagus in a large piece of tinfoil, seasoned with salt & pepper, squeezed on some lime juice & drizzled over some olive oil. I then loosely wrapped up as a parcel & steamed in a hot oven for about 12 minutes. It was perfect. By the way the Manurewa Hungarian sausage guy who has a stall at Clevedon also has his sausages at Moore Wilson now. I haven't tried them yet but always mean to. Has anyone had them?

Still on the tinfoil theme, we had to get dinner over quickly one night last week so I fished out a spicy bean stew, (July 5th), from the freezer & topped it with a fillet of terakihi steamed in a foil packet. I remembered my mother doing something similar with fish. In addition to olive oil & salt I added a bay leaf & a slice of lemon. It cooked in about 12-15 mins at 180.

For morning teas I have made a great loaf twice now. To your favourite Madeira loaf, add about 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary & leave out the lemon. On top sprinkle about 2 tbsp rosemary sugar before baking. I keep a jar of caster sugar with a stick of rosemary, similar to vanilla sugar. I usually use it when savoury sauces call for sugar. The loaf was delicious as some of you can testify. The other cake in the picture is a treacly gingerbread loaf with a lemon icing.