cook | vine leaves/grapes

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Grape, cinnamon & almond crostata

50g butter, at room temperature
¾ cup caster sugar
¼ cup ground almonds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup flaked almonds
250g grapes, picked, washed
apricot jam, for glazing
thick cream, to serve
Pastry
1½ cups flour
125g butter, cut into cubes

1. To make Pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor. Pulse, until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. With motor running, add ¼ cup iced water and process until dough comes together to form a ball. Place on a lightly floured board and, using hands, bring dough together. Flatten to form a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 50 mins.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Line a large baking tray or pizza tray with baking paper. Roll pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a 30cm round. Place on prepared tray. Combine butter, ½ cup of sugar, ground almonds and cinnamon and sprinkle over pastry, leaving a 5 cm border. Top with flaked almonds.
3. Arrange grapes over almonds and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Fold pastry edges over grapes, pinching edges as you go. Bake for 30 mins, remove from oven and brush grapes and pastry edges with a little warmed jam. Bake for another 5-10 mins, until pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of cream.

Serves 10

Tip…
Due to the high fat content of this pastry it will roll and handle much better if well chilled.

Try This…
Chicken with grapes & tarragon.
Mix together 50g softened butter and 2 tbsp chopped tarragon. Push under the skin of 4 chicken breast fillets. Season chicken well. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan on high. Cook chicken, skin side down for 2-3 mins, until skin is golden. Turn and cook for 1 min. Transfer pan to a moderate oven and cook for 8-10 mins, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and rest for 5 mins. Reheat pan juices on medium, add 100g picked and peeled grapes and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Cook, swirling pan, for 1-2 mins, until grapes soften slightly. Serve chicken topped with grapes and pan juices.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | nectarines

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Nectarine & almond crumble slice

150g butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup icing sugar
1¾ cup plain flour, sifted
½ cup ground almonds
300g nectarines, halved, stones removed, cut into thin wedges
10 butternut biscuits, crumbled
Thick cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Grease and line base and sides of 20cm square pan, overhanging sides with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and icing sugar together until creamy. Add flour and almonds and stir until mixture forms a crumble.
3. Reserve 1 cup of crumble. Press remaining over base of prepared pan. Top with nectarine wedges. Add biscuits to reserved crumble and gently mix to combine. Scatter crumble over nectarine and bake for 35 mins, until golden. Cool in pan.
4. Cut into squares and serve with thick cream.

Tip…
use peaches in place of nectarines or a mixture of both.

Try This…
Maple glazed nectarines
Quarter 6 nectarines and remove stones. Melt 20g butter in a large frying pan on medium. Add nectarine wedges and cook for 3-5 mins, turning, until softened slightly. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, for 1-2 mins, until golden and well coated. Serve nectarines drizzled with syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | tamarillo

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:

Once picked whole watermelon should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If cut, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

What to do with glut

Poached tamarillo in rosewater syrup

1 cup dessert wine (sauterne)
1/3 cup caster sugar
½ tsp rosewater essence
6 tamarillos, halved
Thick natural yoghurt, to serve

1. Place wine,1/2 cup of water, sugar and rosewater into a small saucepan. Stir on low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and simmer for 10 mins, until, syrupy. Remove from heat. Add tamarillo halves and set aside for 10 mins, until tamarillo has softened slightly.
2. Serve tamarillo halves with syrup and a dollop of yoghurt.

• To Freeze
  

Tamarillos can be frozen successfully in a few different ways. Simply peel, pack in clip lock bags and freeze for up to 2 months. Alternatively poach, puree and freeze in ice cube trays or an airtight container. Once thawed, the texture will be different to fresh, however this is ideal for jam, chutney or purees to swirl through cheesecakes or ice cream.

• To Preserve

Tamarillo Chutney
Blanch 500g tamarillos in a pan of boiling water for 1 min. Drain and refresh under cold water. Peel skin and chop flesh. Place in a large saucepan with 2 chopped red onions, 1 chopped long red chilli, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds. Heat on low, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Simmer for about 30 mins, until chutney is thick. Fill sterilized jars and seal. Store in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | tamarillo

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Tamarillo & mascarpone tart

2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
1 tbsp demerara sugar
6 poached tamarillos (see recipe above)
½ cup mascarpone
½ cup thick cream
1 tbsp icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Cut 8 x 9cm rounds from pastry. Place on prepared trays and sprinkle over demerara sugar. Bake for 15 mins, until golden. Cool on trays.
3. Remove tamarillos from syrup, cut into quarters, lengthways and set aside. Simmer syrup for 5 mins, until thick. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Mix together mascarpone, thick cream and icing sugar. Place one pastry disc onto each serving plate. Top with a dollop of mascarpone mixture and a couple of tamarillo pieces. Repeat layers finishing with tamarillo. Drizzle over syrup. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Tip
Take care when cutting and handling tamarillo’s as the juice will stain fabric.

Try This…
Deep fried brie with tamarillo cutney
Cut 150g wheel of brie into 4 wedges. Dip each into wedges in a little beaten egg then roll in panko breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat this process 3 times. Refrigerate for 1 hr. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan or deep fryer until a cube of bread sizzles on contact. Deep fry brie for 1-2 mins, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with tamarillo chutney. (See recipe)

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | watermelon

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Watermelon bombe Alaska

23 sponge finger biscuits
1.5 litres vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup watermelon puree, strained
Meringue
3 egg whites
¾ cup caster sugar

1. Line a 11cm x 23cm loaf pan with baking paper, allowing long edges to overhang pan. Lay half of sponge biscuits over base of prepared pan, breaking biscuits to fit if needed.
2. Mix together ice cream and watermelon puree. Pour half over sponge biscuits. Lay remaining biscuits over ice cream. Finish with remaining watermelon ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until firm peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1tbsp at a time, beating constantly, until thick and glossy.
4. Remove ice cream from pan and place on a platter. Working quickly, use a spatula to spread meringue over top and sides of loaf. Using a blow torch, brown meringue lightly. Alternatively, place under a preheated grill for 1 min, until meringue is golden.

Serves 10

Tip
Add a couple of drops of red food colouring to watermelon ice cream if you prefer a richer colour.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

harvest | banana

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:

Bananas are best picked whilst still green as the ripening process continues once harvested. Store at room temperature in the fruit bowl. They are best eaten when the skin is yellow and lightly flecked with black spots. If left to over-ripen the skin will become black and texture soft and at this stage is ideal used in baking. Alternatively peel and mash flesh before storing in an airtight container and frozen. Use in smoothies, cakes or puddings.

What to do with glut

Banana & coconut fritters

1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbsp brown sugar
400ml can coconut milk
½ cup cold water
2 eggs
4 bananas, thickly sliced diagonally
1 cup shredded coconut
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
maple syrup, ice cream, to serve

1. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix together coconut milk, cold water and eggs. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
2. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or saucepan until a cube of bread sizzles on contact.
3. Dip banana into batter, allowing excess to drip off. Roll in coconut to coat. Deep fry in batches, for 2-3 mins, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
4. Serve drizzled with maple syrup and ice cream.

Serves 4

• To Dry
  Banana chips
  Peel and slice bananas. Place on a baking tray in a single layer and bake at 250C or 230C fan for 15-20 mins, until dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | tea

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Earl grey pannacotta

3 cups cream
1 cup milk
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
5 leaves gelatine
2 tbsp earl grey tea leaves
1 orange, cut into segments

1. Place cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat on low until just simmering.
2. Meanwhile, soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 mins, until soft. Squeeze out water and add to hot cream mixture. Stir until dissolved. Add tea, remove from heat and set aside for  5 mins, to allow flavours to infuse.
3. Strain cream mixture, discarding solids. Fill 8 x ½ cup dariole moulds and refrigerate overnight to set.
4. Invert onto serving plates and top with orange segments.

Makes 8

Tip

Remove pannacotta from refrigerator for 15 mins before serving. You may need to wrap a warm cloth around moulds to help with removing pannacotta from moulds.

try this …….
Iced tea
Measure out 1 tsp of tea per serve plus 1 extra and place in a large jug. Pour over the number of serves you would like to make (eg 4 cups for 4 people), of tap water. Set aside to infuse for 4-6 hrs, until brewed to your liking. Strain and add ice cubes, sliced orange and lemon when ready to serve.
Using cold water will give a clear iced tea as opposed to cloudy, however it will take longer for flavours to reach the desired strength. If time is short use boiling water and refrigerate until cold. The tea will be cloudy but still deliciously refreshing.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS