Dinner from the Garden

I've just had a wonderful weekend down south in Margaret River, talking at the Readers & Writers Festival - the event was organized and hosted by Pauline McLeod from the Margaret River Bookshop. The equally wonderful food writer Jane Cornes kept it all (and me) under control, Hamish Mc Leay from Bunkers Beach Cafe, provided some gorgeous food to illustrate the theme and Cullens provided their glorious bio - dynamic wines. It was a perfect evening and I met many wonderful people.

But, life goes on, and when I got home the next day the eternal question remained - what to have for dinner? As you can imagine the cupboards were pretty bare, so it was into the garden to see what was on offer. As it seems that winter will never arrive and summer is here to stay, the capsicums are doing brilliantly, and there was one ripe. I decided to stuff and bake it, and let me tell you, it was mighty good. I'm not a big fan of raw capsicum, but roasted, well that's a different thing. It's flavour concentrates and sweetens, and this particular one was extremely sweet and full - this is typical of organic vegetables eaten close to picking. It's hard to give an exact recipe, and the brilliant thing is you don't really need one. Really, it was put together with what I had in the fridge, what was in the garden and some truly wonderful vegetables I'd bought back with me from the Margaret River Farmers Market. The only salt I had was one my daughter Nessie had made during summer - grinding up sea salt with fresh rosemary, then drying it out, but as I had little in the way of fresh herb, it was perfect. My garlic was not a strong one, hence the 4 cloves,  so you could reduce that if you wanted to. If I had any onion I would have caramelized that to begin the dish, and leek or spring onion would also be good options, but alas I had none. Best of all it didn't take very long at all - I only wish I'd done more for left overs!

1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 small zucchini, cut into small pieces

salt and pepper

3 - 5 small silver beet (Chard)  leaves with a little stem - well washed

sourdough bread crumbs (about 2 small slices worth, crusts removed and cut into small dice)

fresh basil - I only had a few leaves, but you can never have too much

feta

pine nuts

Pre heat oven to 180c.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a frying pan and warm over a medium heat. Add the zucchini and salt, and cook for 2 minutes or so - a light golden colour is nice. Add the garlic and a good handful of finely chopped silverbeet stems, reduce the heat (so you don't burn the garlic) and cook for 2 minutes or until it's all lovely and soft. Add the remaining oil and bread crumbs, increase the heat a little, and see if you can lightly brown the bread - about 2 minutes or so, stirring often.  I couldn't brown them too much, as the garlic would have burnt, but they soaked up the oil and flavours, and were fine. Turn this mix into a small bowl and add the finely sliced silver beet leaves to the frying pan. Cook over a gentle heat until wilted and well cooked, roughly chop them and add these to the bowl. Add the finely chopped fresh basil,  a good chunk (finely chopped) of quality feta cheese - I would have used about 1/2 cup, season to taste with salt and pepper and gently mix together. 

Cut the capsicum in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Rub the outside of the capsicum with olive oil.  Gently press the stuffing into the hollow - you may not be able to fit it all in, that's fine, you can add it later when the capsicum flesh has softened a little. Place on an ovenproof baking tray or dish, and lightly cover the capsicums with some foil (this is just to stop the top browning and drying out). Bake for 20 mins or so - really, you want to see the capsicum flesh soften and relax. Add the remaining stuffing, sprinkle with the pine nuts, leave the foil off and return to the oven. Bake until the capsicum flesh is very soft - mine was slightly brown in places, and the tops are golden and crispy. I served mine with roast pumpkin from the garden and the most gorgeous baby beans from the Margaret River Farmers Market.

 

I'm Back From Planet Book

Dear Friends,

If you've been wondering where I've been, I've been on Planet Book. I've just finished writing and it did consume me day and night for about 3 months. I would write and cook during the day, then ponder and meditate on the problems encountered, at night and many a time dream about it also. But it was worth it, I love writing, and this project was especially exciting. It won't be out until next year, and I'll update you as it develops.

I've no recipe to give you today, as I'm still catching up with organizing my life - nothing much got done whilst I was Planet Book. I've cleaned out the pantry, and next week my new kitchen cupboards are going in !!!! Very exciting. I just wanted to let you know I hadn't totally forgotten you all, and will be posting regularly - lots of lovely foods for Autumn. Most of my pumpkins are now ready, so there's bound to be a recipe or two for them.

I hope this Autumn weather finds you happy to be in the kitchen again, and for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere enjoying all that spring offers.

x Jude

Come Celebrate the Harvest

I'm so sorry there has been nothing happening on my blog for a few weeks - I've been away for a couple of weeks, and then head down at my desk.

As we come into the late summer, we come to the end of the growing season - this is traditionally the time to celebrate the harvest. It has been a great growing season and we have a lot to celebrate. My favourites ? Mangoes. They were sweet and cheap, and we've had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner and in smoothies. Mango chutney has also been made. Unfortunately they have come to an end (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Gin Gin Mangoes that come as a gift from heaven, after all the others have gone), but thankfully my most favourite fruit of all are coming in to fill the void. Figs. I've been especially lucky with figs this year, having had 2 fig seasons to indulge - San Francisco in September, and Perth now. My favourite way to have them - on great sourdough with a soft goat cheese with the smashed fig on top. Second to that is tossed in honey and vanilla, and roasted in the oven. 

But, I'm getting carried away. I wanted to invite you to come and join the Spice family and myself at the Matilda Bay foreshore next Sunday 8th March. I've included the invitation at the top. We are going to stop for once, and take time to celebrate all that we love about food, and in our own way, to celebrate the harvest. Bring along  food to enjoy or food to share - I'd love to meet and see you, as we also celebrate the place we live - we are exceptionally lucky.

I've no recipe for you today, but promise to have one up during the week. I also wanted to share a photo of the Greens, from the Lismore Organic Farmers Market - they were stunning. Greens of every description - herbs, bok choys and tatsois, kale of every variety, collard greens and greens I'd never come across before. What you see here in this phot, disguised as a green leaves, is calcium, and about one hundred other minerals. I bought some of the Cavalo Nero (Tuscan Black Kale) and together with some sweet corn, made a chowder, adding the greens for a little cooking during the last 10 minutes. They tend to require a little cooking to soften and make them more digestible. I served the soup with a touch of youghurt, but cream fraiche would be great also - fat, is going to help ensure you get all those minerals, and can use them.

I'll do hope you can make it and I'll look forward to seeing you next Sunday 

The Best Summer Dessert

This would have to be one of my favourite summer desserts - the Trifle. It's in competition with the Crumble, but when it's really hot, well, it's a winner. The traditional trifle is a sponge or genoise, jelly, custard, cream and fruit. When it's really hot, and the fruit is gorgeous, I find the custard and cream a little too rich. I prefer my Almond Custard Cream which has the added bonus of being dairy free. For the cake? As noted, a sponge (from Wholefood)  or genoise will be fine, but any simple plain cake (Spring Cake - Wholefood) will work. When I'm feeling particularly energetic, I will make a killer strawberry jelly from scratch - that is cooking up strawberries and getting all their juices. I sweeten the juice to taste with organic raw sugar (why sugar and not some other whole sweetener ? - because I can use a very small amount and get a clear taste of fruit) add agar and dissolve it, then add a little Cassis. Other times, it's simply some sponge, a drizzle with alcohol, some fruit, and custard cream. When I was little, Mum did it in beautiful individual glasses and called it a Parfait... Do give this a try - it's so delicious, not too sweet and a wonderful way to celebrate all that is summer. I'll give you the quick run down, and the recipe for the Almond Custard Cream to get you started.

1 cup blanched almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons agar powder

70 ml maple syrup

1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract, or vanilla paste)

1 1/2 tablespoons (note this is for a 20ml tablespoon) kudzu or cornstarch

1/4 cup coconut milk

Put the blanched almonds and 3 1/2 cups water in a blender. Blend well. Peg 4 layers of muslin onto a jug or bowl and pour the almond mix through. Squeeze out the remaining milk from the muslin. This should give you 3 cups almond milk.

Measure out 2 1/2 cups almond milk into a saucepan and add the maple syrup. Whisk in the agar to stop it clumping. Lay the vanilla bean flat on a chopping board and, using a small sharp knife, cut down the length of the bean. Open the bean up and flatten to collect the seeds - add these to the milk. (Or, just add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste - much quicker, but !!! not as nice).

Stir together and bring very gently to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir frequently as agar loves to sink to the bottom and stick as it dissolves.

Add the kudzu to a small bowl and mix to a slurry with 1/4 cup almond milk. When the agar is dissolved, remove the milk mix from the stove and whisk in the almond milk and kudzu. Return to the stove and stir constantly as it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl. Place some parchment paper on the surface and refrigerate until cool.

When set, put what will be a fairly solid mix back in the blender. To this, add the remaining almond milk and coconut milk. Blend for a few minutes until silky smooth. 

Making the Trifle:

Arrange pieces of sponge at the base and side of the bowl. Drizzle with alcohol of choice - sherry, cassis, kahlua are all good - you don't need too much. Top with fruit - currently, I'm using strawberries and peaches. You can either just layer it in, or arrange it so it can be seen through the glass. If using jelly, add pieces of that also and drizzle with a little almond custard cream. Do that all again and finish with a good thick layer of almond custard cream. Top with a sprinkle of lightly toasted, blanched almonds. Enjoy!

Summertime and We're Jamming

Right now in Australia, it's hot as hell and the fruit is fabulous. It's time for preserving the harvest, and it's one of the things I most love to do. Yes, it's time consuming, but when it's all done and the pantry is filled with strawberry and apricot jams, bottled peaches and nectarines, it's a glorious sight. Seeing a pantry filled with preserved food makes me feel as if I can handle anything life may throw at me - I must have had a past life where I starved to death ! I feel prepared and able. It's also a great way to help reduce your food costs by buying organic seconds direct from the farmer and stay in control of the amount of sweetener used. So, whilst there's still a bit of summer to go, I thought we would do Low Sugar Jam - it is easy to do at home and you need little equipment. Just a word of warning - once you've bought the fruit and are committed, it will be the hottest day of the year. Please forgive me if I'm giving you a lengthy blog, but I wanted to do the whole jam thing with you.

Many people ask me if something other than sugar can be used to make jam - my answer is yes, but it is complex. Many of the sugar free jams you see are made with white grape juice concentrate, use pectin and have been processed in a boiling water bath. Because there is not enough sucrose to saturate the fruit and thus preserve it (and this is true of many other non sucrose based sweeteners - stevia, agave, rice syrup, etc) the boiling water bath is the preserving method. Once open and the seal is broken, the jam begins to deteriorate and must be kept in the fridge. So, yes you can do it, but I'm not a big fan. I prefer to use organic raw sugar (not a Rapadura or such, which is too low in sucrose) in the smallest possible amount. Most jam recipes call for equal quantities of sugar and fruit. I prefer to use 30 - 40% sugar to fruit (thus if I have 1 kg of fruit, I need 300 - 400 gm sugar). Because you need about 60 - 70% of sugar to fruit for good jelling to occur naturally (sugar, pectin, acidity), low sugar jams have a softer set - which I happen to prefer.

The Pot and Amount of Fruit Used:

A good pot is critical to making low - sugar jam. Mine is a traditional French copper preserving pan - shallow and wide. It's about 12cm high, 36cm across the base and 39cm across the top, with a 10 litre capacity. The wide surface area encourages evaporation and reduction, thus cooking the jam quickly. It is extremely difficult to make jam in a deep pot with a small surface area. If you want to use a large stockpot, choose the one with the most shallow depth, and only place a small amount of fruit in the pot to cook - about 1/4 full. The recipe below is for 4 kg fruit, which fits my copper preserving pan. You may need to adjust the amount of fruit you use to fit your pot - remember, it's a good guide to fill a stockpot just under half  full - it will reduce to about 1/4 full. 

Sterilise the Jars, Lids, Funnel and Ladle:

Jars must be tempered glass, and the lids must be intact - dents, rust and  scratches will hinder a vacuum seal forming -  new is best. Wash them, shake out the water and place on a oven tray lined with a clean tea towel. Do the same with the lids, funnel and ladle.  Place in 120c oven for 20 - 25 mins.

Making the Jam:

4 kg fruit (if using stone fruit, weighed with the stones still in)

1.2kg organic raw sugar - plus a bit extra if needed

1 medium size lemon, skin on, cut into approx 8 pieces

Wash the fruit (no need to dry it) and cut into smaller portions. Discard any seed (as in apricots etc). As a general guide, leave blueberries and small strawberries whole, but chop larger strawberries, cut apricots and plums into halves or quarters, cut figs into quarters or smaller segments.

Put the fruit in your jam pot, together with the sugar and lemon. Gently stir the sugar through. 

Stage 1:

Place the pot over a very low heat, allowing the sugar to dissolve - this takes about 15 min, or a bit longer depending on the size of your pot.

Stage 2: 

Once the sugar is visibly starting to dissolve, increase the heat slightly until you see a gentle bubbling. Stir frequently. Continue to cook for 15 min or longer if the pot is deeper - the juices should have weeped out from the fruit, thus increasing the amount of liquid in the pot. 

Stage 3:

Increase the heat to a high boil and allow the sweetener to fully saturate the fruit. Before I turn the heat up to a crazy boil, I am looking to see that the cellular structure of the fruit has broken down (that is, it's not looking raw). When I see this, I increase the  heat so a very high boil is achieved. Stir frequently to check the feel of the jam and to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom. Check taste at this point - it may need a little more sugar. Our measurement was for 30%, so you have some lee way. As the jam reduces it will thicken. You may need to reduce the heat to a slower boil at times, but keep stirring. This stage should take about 30 mins, but the deeper the pot, the longer it will take. 

Stage 4 - ready:

Set is generally considered to occur when the jam reaches 105*c, but this doesn't hold for l0w - sugar jams, where the relationship between sugar, acid and pectin has been disrupted. You need to rely on other techniques to judge when your jam is ready. I go by appearance and feel, and cook the jam until it is fairly thick. The bubbles also, become more volcanic and flat. Placing a small amount of jam on a saucer or dish is another good method for checking the consistency - run your finger through the middle. You want to see a clear line of plate underneath. Any liquid should have body, and hold. 

The jam must be ladled into the warm jars immediately - this is very important, as this is what creates a vacuum seal and helps to preserve the jam. Make sure the jars are not on a cold surface - keeping them on the warm tray is a good idea. Fill the jars to within just over 1/2cm of the top rim - a smaller air space will create a faster and better vacuum - and remove (with a clean, damp cloth) any jam around the edge or lip of the jar. Those bits may interfere with a good seal. Place on the lid and tighten, remove to a cooling rack and leave until absolutely cool. You should hear the little "pop" of the lid sucking down and forming a vacuum as they seal. When cool, check for a concave dent in the lid - if there isn't, store the jam in the fridge and use. 

Summer Holiday Reading

I don't know about you, but this week between Christmas and New Year, is one of my favorite times for reading. I'm not a big novel reader, it's usually all things food that attract my interest. I'm particularly interested in food politics and it's great brain food - especially at this time of the year.  I'm keeping this post short and sweet - the following are fabulous books - some serious reading, but what we really should be hearing about. If you want something a little lighter - start with #4. If you want to go straight to the heart - go for #3.

Wishing you happy reading and a deeply joyful new year, with many blessings - x jude

1. Anything by Michael Pollan - obviously, The Omnivore's Dilemma, but have you read his earlier book - The Botany of Desire?  (2002)
   
2. Stuffed and Starved - Raj Patel. Black Inc., 2007
   
3. The End of Food - Paul Roberts Houghton Mifflin 2008 
   
4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver.
   
5. Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis - Rowan Jacobson. (2008)

Getting Ready for Christmas - Puff Pastry

You must be wondering where I've gone - my blog is up, and no posts. Well - you know that desk I showed you? It's not been looking so clear these past weeks since I posted that first blog, and the work was covering it. Now that's all gone, new flowers are set, the space is clear - in more ways than one. So, with a clear desk and work put behind me for a bit, my thoughts have turned to stocking up the kitchen. My daughter is returning home after traveling, my niece is arriving, my cousin and her children arriving (all next week) and one of the best things to have on hand is puff pastry. A good puff can take you anywhere and do anything. Now, I know. I hear you before you even say it - truly Jude, when do I have time to make puff? But truly, this recipe is so easy - the pastry spends most of it's time in the fridge, resting. It demands very little from you. AND - once made, wow, do you save time. It will give you a variety of meals for very little work. So, here we go...

2 cups white/unbleached spelt flour
3/4 cup iced water
250gm unsalted butter - well chilled
1/2 cup white unbleached spelt flour, extra

Before we start: The most important thing about making this pastry, is to take care that the butter does not melt into the flour dough - it needs to be firm at all times. You are layering dough, butter and air, many times over. If, when rolling, the butter starts to soften and smear through, immediately put your pastry on a tray lined with baking paper, cover this with baking paper and put in the fridge until chilled (but not solid) again. It's a great pastry to use in summer, but an easier one to make in winter. What do I do when it's warmer? Make it early in the morning, chill my rolling pin and flour for rolling, and chill the pastry well between rolls.


1: Place the flour in a bowl. Using a butter knife, gradually 'cut' the water into the flour. The dough should hold together, but not be at all wet - you will be surprised how the spelt 'gives' as it sits for a couple of minutes. (You might need to use 1 - 2 tablespoons more water, as different batches of spelt flour absorb different amounts of water. Form the dough into a ball - do not knead or play with it, and wrap in a tea towel, then flatten a little and chill in the fridge.

2: Place the butter between two sheets of baking paper and beat (gently) with a rolling pin until it forms a rough 20cm square - about 1cm thick. You may need to lift the paper from both sides from time to time, to release and allow the butter to spread. it doesn't matter if the butter ends up more of a rectangle.


3: Return the butter, between the paper sheets to the fridge to chill for a bit. Put the extra in a bowl near where you will be rolling, to use for dusting. Place the dough on a floured work surface. Sprinkle a little four over the pastry and rolling pin. Roll the dough into a square, about 26cm - again, it doesn't matter if it's slightly rectangular. To prevent sticking, keep the pastry and rolling surface lightly dusted with flour, even turning the pastry from time to time. Starting from the centre of your square, roll out each corner to make an 'ear', creating a king of 'cross' shape.


4: Remove one piece of baking paper from the butter and invert it onto the centre of the pastry. Remove the remaining paper, and fold over the pastry ears, so they completely cover the butter - you should need to stretch the pastry. They will overlap and that is fine. You should end up with a completely sealed parcel of butter. Pat the edges a little to make a nice, neat rectangle - the pastry should be right up against the butter. If the pastry and butter at this stage still feel cold and chilled, you can start to roll. if not, cover and place in the fridge to chill.


5: You are now commencing to make turns. (You’ll be rolling the dough lengthways, so make sure you have plenty of space.) Making sure your rolling surface and pin are dusted with flour, begin to roll out the dough lengthways. When the butter is very chilled, this might take a couple of times where you simply press along the pastry to gently flatten it evenly. As the pastry begins to ‘give’, continue to roll out until you have a rectangle about 67cm long and 24 – 26 cm wide. You are only ever rolling lengthways.

As you roll, you need to continually move the pastry and dust with the flour underneath and on top of the pastry. As you are moving the pastry, take care not to hold it for too long, as your body warmth will soften the butter. Work swiftly to prevent the butter softening. Try to avoid ending up with pointy, uneven bit at the two outside edges on the ends of the pastry, using the rolling pin to push (not press or roll) them back into a more even line. Otherwise you can incorporate the pointy ends into the fold (next step). You are now ready to commence the first turn.

FOLD THE PASTRY INTO THREE – the pastry up from the bottom, and down from the top. Repeat the rolling to make a rectangle about 67cm long, following the guidelines above. Fold the pastry as described, rotate so the closed fold is to your left, and mark it with two dents. This lets you know you have completed two turns.

Folded into three

Rotated so the closed fold is to the left, ready for rolling again.

6: Place the pastry on a tray lined with baking paper, top with the baking paper (to avoid drying out) and cover well, so it doesn’t dry out. Place in the fridge to rest and chill for 2 hours. Repeat the above rolling and folding twice – you have now completed four turns. Mark the pastry with four little dents. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, top with baking paper and cover, sealing well. Chill in the fridge for another 2 hours.

Repeat the rolling and folding twice more – you have now completed six turns and the pastry is ready. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, top with baking paper and cover, sealing well so it doesn’t dry out. Place in the fridge to rest and chill.

You can now freeze the pastry, but I prefer to cut it into quarters and roll the pastry into four sheets ready for use, each about 24cm square. To roll keep the table, rolling pin and the top of the pastry lightly dusted with flour. Try to keep the shape fairly even as you roll, but don’t worry too much as you can trim it to shape later. The pastry should end up about 2 – 3mm thick. As each sheet is rolled, place it on a tray ( I use a cake cardboard) covered with a sheet of baking paper, with a piece of baking paper between each pastry sheet. Top with a sheet of baking paper, cover and seal well with plastic wrap and freeze, or use immediately.