Tag Archives: lunch

A Long Weekend at Woodlands

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We spent the Australia Day long weekend at Woodlands, the 115 acre rural property near Braidwood in New South Wales which we bought about 4 years ago.

The tussock and thistle hadn’t been sprayed for some years and gave the place a somewhat neglected look, but we could see the potential. Since then Matthew has been fighting an on-going battle with the weeds, but is gradually making progress. He has planted over 200 deciduous trees to contrast with the existing native eucalyptus which cover about 20% of the land. The rest is grazing land and in due course we plan to buy some cattle, though I can see them all becoming pets with names, which will make selling them something of a challenge. Matthew’s ambition to turn Woodlands into a park-like setting which lives up to its name certainly keeps him busy.

We were joined for the weekend by our son David, his wife Amy and her parents Ian and Bev. The purpose of the weekend was to build a pizza oven. Ian is a potter and has built kilns and pizza ovens, so he was in charge of proceedings. I took on my usual role as chief cook and bottle washer.

Each day the heavens opened at about six in the evening, with very heavy rain accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightening. Standing on the covered verandah as the water came down in sheets felt a bit like being on the set of the Titanic. Fortunately there was plenty of time each day to work on the oven and cover it with tarpaulin before it got wet. It’s now finished and looking great, as you can see from the photos.

Spectacular views across the valley towards the Great Dividing Range which forms part of the Tallaganda National Park and a very pretty fast-flowing creek on the western boundary makes Woodlands a very special place. It’s a 40 minute drive to Braidwood, the nearest town, which is a long way to go if you run out of milk. We recently had the excavators in to make a large pond with a small island in the middle. This is so the ducks and swans – which I’m hoping will turn up once the habitat is right – have somewhere to escape with their babies when Mr Fox comes looking for a quick lunch. I read somewhere that foxes can swim but don’t really like to. The pond is quickly becoming home to ducks and other birds, but so far no swans.

Two years ago we completed a stone house with all mod cons. It’s a privilege to to be able to soak up the peace and tranquility of such a remote spot, while enjoying the advantages of comfy beds with electric blankets (you really need them in winter when it can get down to minus 12), hot showers, an open fire and a dishwasher. Not to mention good food and a bottle or two of vino.

Our golden retriever Danske had the company of Hershey (chocolate lab) and Frankie (Staffordshire Terrior) for the weekend. They swam in the pond, chased kangaroos (without a hope of even getting close), rolled in mud and played rough games together. By the end of the weekend they were exhausted. Danske’s full name is Holger Danske, after a legendary medieval Danish warrior. He was acquired when we were living in Copenhagen, so he really is a Dane. Danske is petrified of thunderstorms and tries to hide behind people’s legs when he hears the scary rumbling. You would think being eight years old and having lived through quite a few storms he would be over it, but he’s not.

Peek gatherings are all about the food and I usually plan a combination old recipes and new ones I’ve been wanting to try. Lunch on the first day consisted of Gazpacho followed by some simple Bruscetta (see below). That evening we had rack of lamb with Mint Pesto accompanied by potatoes roasted in duck fat and Peas with Broad Beans and Artichokes (see below). This was followed by Italian Mince Pies with Panna Cotta and Berry Compote.

For breakfast next morning we had Ricotta Pancakes with Honeycomb Butter and lunch was Gravlax with Sweet Mustard Sauce, followed by a selection of cheeses and salads.  That night I made Kylie Kwong’s Caramelized Pork Belly with Scallops and potatoes, dug up that afternoon from the veggie patch, followed by Rich Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Brittle Ice Cream (see below). Brunch next day before everyone headed home was fresh mango mixed with passionfruit served with a dollop thick Greek yoghurt and followed by Bill Granger’s Corn Fritters with Avocado Salsa. I will have to dig out some of my Dukan diet recipes this week!!

The cement on the pizza oven has to “cure” for a few weeks, but we are all looking forward to trying it out.

Bruscettas with White Beans, Feta and Tomato

Bruscettas with White Beans, Feta and Tomato1 French loaf, sliced at an angle (plain, wholegrain, sourdough, whatever you prefer)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Half to 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 large tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves

Mix one clove garlic with some olive oil. Brush both sides of bread slices then bake on a metal tray in a moderate oven for 10 mins or until golden. Meanwhile mash beans with a fork, adding feta, olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. You can also add any leftover oil from brushing the bread. Season to taste.

Spread bean paste thickly on the bread slices and arrange on serving platter. Top with slices of tomato, onion and basil leaves. Drizzle with more oil.

Serves 6

Peas with Broad Beans and Artichokes

1 500g packet frozen peas
1 500g packed frozen broad beans
1 cup artichokes marinated in oil
25g butter or 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or 1 tsp dried

Cook peas in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and place in large frying pan. Cook broad beans in boiling salted water. Drain and when cool enough to handle slip off the outer skins. Add to frying pan with peas. Roughly chop artichokes and add to pan with remaining ingredients. Can be made ahead to this point. To serve heat the vegetables over moderate heat for a  few minutes, stirring. When hot and butter has melted serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Rich Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Brittle Ice Cream

Rich Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Brittle Ice CreamMousse:
150g chocolate chip cookies, crushed
30g unsalted butter, melted
400ml thickened cream
400ml milk
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
400g dark/bitter chocolate, broken into squares
Ice Cream:
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 litre bought vanilla ice cream
2/3 cup salted roasted peanuts or cashew nuts

Mousse: Mix cookie crumbs with butter and tip into a square or oblong cake tin lined with baking paper. Size of tin is flexible – could be a small slice tin or loaf tin. If made of silicone there’s no need for the paper. Flatten the mixture evenly over the bottom with your hand. Alternatively divide crumbs between about 10 individual serving dishes or glasses – Martini glasses would look nice. Or use one large glass dish. Press crumbs down then chill while you make the mousse.

Heat cream and milk in a saucepan. In a bowl mix egg yolks with sugar, mix in some of the hot milk and cream, then tip mixture back into the saucepan. Continue to cook, stirring with a flat bottomed wooded spatula until almost boiling and mixture coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Leave for a few minutes then stir briskly until thoroughly combined and chocolate has completely melted. Pour mousse into cake pan or individual dishes and chill overnight.

Ice Cream: Melt sugar in a pan over moderate heat. Cook to a golden caramel, swirling from time to time so it colours evenly. Add nuts and tip onto a sheet of foil. When cold peel off the foil and chop coarsely by hand. Remove ice cream from freezer to allow to soften a bit. Keep some praline to garnish then fold the rest into ice cream and return to freezer.

To serve, tip mousse out of tin and cut into slices or serve in the individual glasses. Top each serving with a ball of ice cream and sprinkle with reserved praline. Mousse in the photo wasn’t refrigerated overnight so it wasn’t firm enough to slice and had to be scooped. Still tasted good!

Serves 10

Elin’s Gazpacho

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In hot weather Gazpacho, a chilled soup which originated in Andalucia in southern Spain, makes a perfect lunch or starter. I’ve tried quite a few recipes, but one of the best versions was served for lunch by my Danish friend Elin, while we were living in Copenhagen. I remember thinking how delicious it was (better than my recipe!) and how snazzy the croutons looked cut into soldiers. Elin has given permission for me to share her recipe with my readers.

Gazpacho should be made when you have tomatoes in the garden or can buy local ones in the market. Supermarket tomatoes which have been refrigerated won’t taste the same.

This recipe has quite a few ingredients so it’s not a five minute job. But the effort is well worth it. If preferred leave out the chilli altogether.

Elin's Gazpacho

4 large red capsicums (peppers)
2 chillies (preferably peperoncino)
1½ kg good quality vine-ripened tomatoes
10 semi-dried tomatoes
200ml extra virgin olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on size, crushed
4 Tbs vinegar (preferably sherry)
1 bunch fresh basil
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 small cucumbers
1 loaf day-old Italian bread
2-3 Tbs sugar (depends on sweetness of the tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
1 red capsicum (pepper)
1 small cucumber
Extra virgin olive oil
The rest of the bread made into croutons

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place a piece of foil on a baking tray and place capsicum and chillies on top (saves washing up). Bake until blackened, then cool, peel and remove seeds. If they are difficult to peel you haven’t cooked them long enough. The chillies being smaller will need to come out much earlier – they are a bit fiddly to peel so just removed stalk and seeds.

Meanwhile pour boiling water over the tomatoes in two bowls, leave for 2 minutes then tip away water, peel and remove hard cores.

In a blender puree the capsicum, tomatoes, dried tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, chilli, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, basil leaves, 3-4 slices of bread with crusts removed and oil. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches. Taste and add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Chill several hours or preferably overnight.

To serve: If soup is a bit too thick add a little iced water then pour into a soup tureen or ladle into individual bowls. Add some ice cubes (optional) and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with the following side dishes so people can help themselves – peeled and diced cucumber, with some skin left on (to add some dark green colour) and diced capsicum. Make croutons from the rest of the loaf of bread – cut bread into “soldiers”, spray or brush with olive oil and bake until golden. For those who like spicier food you can serve some extra chopped chillies, but it was hot enough for my liking – probably because I used birds eye chillies rather than peperoncino which are much milder!

Serves 12

Note: sun-dried tomatoes as opposed to semi-dried tomatoes tend to be rather dark in colour which will result in a brownish gazpacho. So best to use semi-dried or leave them out altogether.

Crab and Leek Quiche

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A slice of quiche and a large salad makes a perfect evening meal in summer. People with bigger appetites can add some boiled new potatoes, with butter and chopped parsley or chives, sprinkled with sea salt and lots of black pepper.  If you have teenage kids a loaf of good old garlic bread won’t go amiss. Leftover quiche is nice for lunch next day.

One round or rectangular quiche shell made from shortcrust pastry
1 leek, chopped
1 Tbs butter
1 cloves garlic, crushed
100g pancetta, diced
2 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbs chopped fresh herbs (I used Marjoram, but could be dill, parsley)
250g crab meat
200g brie or camembert, thinly sliced

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.  Bake the quiche shell blind (with foil and beans to weigh down) for 5-10 mins, then remove foil and cook for a few more mins until fully cooked but pale golden in colour. This is the secret to a good quiche which doesn’t have a soggy bottom! Meanwhile in a medium sized frying pan cook leek and garlic in butter over moderate heat until soft, but not coloured.  Add pancetta and continue to cook, stirring for 3-4 mins.  Add wine and cook till evaporated, stirring.  Add flour and mix well.  Add herbs and spread into quiche shell.  Top with crab, then cheese.  Beat eggs with cream and season to taste.  Pour carefully into quiche so it’s evenly spread.  Bake for 25-30 mins or until well risen and golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature with salad.

Serves 6-8

Variations: use grated hard cheese instead of soft cheese on top.  Use a splash of sherry instead of white wine.  Use a can of drained salmon or tuna, or some whole peeled prawns instead of crab.  Use bacon or ham instead of the pancetta.

Reader’s requests for Tomato recipes

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I’ve recently received two reader’s requests.  One from my Chilean friend Sonia who remembers a Roasted Tomato Salad I made when she came to our house in Santiago, Chile.  It was given to me by my friend Ferne.  The other is from my American cousin Anne who remembers a cheese and tomato flan I made when she was in England in the 70s.  Fortunately I have a similar memory when it comes to food and knew immediately which recipe she meant.

The tomato salad needs to be made with Roma tomatoes because round varieties contain more water and don’t hold their shape.  Once prepared the salad will keep for several days in the fridge.  It’s a fantastic addition to a buffet or barbecue, perfect to have in the fridge over the holiday season and fairly quick to make when you’re asked to “bring a plate”.  Being asked to bring a plate to a pot luck lunch or dinner is quite common in Australia.  My Greek teacher, Michael Kazan, told us that when he first arrived in Canberra over 40 years ago and was asked to bring a plate he was somewhat perplexed.  If your host hasn’t got enough plates, they’re probably short of everything.  So he and his wife turned up with plates, glasses and cutlery.

Use your favourite shortcrust pastry recipe for the Lancashire flan, or buy it. Preparing the right amount of pastry and filling to suit your tin/dish is always hit and miss.  Quiche tins and dishes vary in their capacity, even ones with the same diameter.  I made up 250g of pastry (250g flour and 150g butter, plus a dash of water) and used the rectangular tin shown in the photo.  There was enough pastry left to make another small quiche shell which I partly cooked then froze empty, to use on another occasion.

Ferne’s Roasted Tomato Salad

1 kg Roma tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs Thai sweet Chilli sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
Dressing:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar, preferably white
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 200°C.  Halve tomatoes lengthwise and place cut side up on a cake cooling rack over a baking tray or dish.  Line the baking tray with baking paper to save on the washing up.  Mix garlic, chilli sauce and olive oil and brush generously onto tomatoes using it all up.  Bake 30-40 mins or until starting to brown.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.  Arrange in a serving dish.  Place oil and vinegar in a jar with a lid and shake well.  At serving time spoon over some dressing and sprinkle with basil.  Serve at room temperature.

Serves 8-10

Lancashire Cheese, Tomato & Bacon Flan

1 uncooked quiche shell made from shortcrust pastry and chilled
100g lardons or bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (discard the seeds)
125g grated Lancashire cheese (or substitute cheddar)
2 large eggs
1 cup cream (or use half cream, half milk)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tomatoes thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line pastry case with foil and fill with corn or something similar to give weight.  Bake for 5-10 mins until pastry has set.  Remove foil and cook for a few more minutes until light golden, remove from oven.  Meanwhile fry lardons or chopped bacon in a non-stick pan until lightly browned. Drain and scatter over the base of the pastry case, then sprinkle onion, chopped tomatoes and grated cheese evenly over the bacon.  Beat eggs, cream and milk, season to taste and pour over.  Arrange sliced tomatoes over the top.  Bake for 30-40 mins until puffed and golden.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 8

Note: lardons are chunky bits cut from thickly sliced bacon or speck.

Beef and Polenta Pies

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Last weekend we had lunch at The Old Cheese Factory at Reidsdale.  There was a cool wind, but we sat outside because we had two dogs with us.  Matthew had a nice time talking to the owners Robert and his son Gary about growing apples, asparagus and other gardening stuff. They make their own cider, ginger beer, apple juice, elderberry wine, elderflower sparkling wine and other beverages.  We tasted most of the above and found them all delicious.  The cider is dry, just the way I like it. The Old Cheese Factory serves simple lunches at weekends (best to book) and they also run bread-making, cheese-making and sausage-making classes taught by local artisans from Braidwood.

Matthew and I had the Ploughman’s lunch with a glass of apple cider.  Catherine more sensibly chose a hot dish, described as a beef and eggplant pie with red wine and polenta and a glass of apple juice.  She said the pie was delicious – a variation on a shepherd’s pie.  I decided to make something similar using mushrooms instead of eggplants and the result made a tasty family meal.

Beef and Polenta Pies

Beef filling:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g mushrooms
500g lean minced beef
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup sherry or red wine
1 beef stock cube
2 tsp dried mixed herbs or oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup water
Extra half cup of water mixed with 3 tsp cornflour
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Polenta topping:
2 cups milk
1 cup water
3/4 tsp salt or garlic salt
1 cup instant polenta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, extra

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Cook onion and garlic over a moderate heat until softened but not browned.  Wipe mushrooms and cut in halves or chunky slices – you don’t want them to get lost in the filling.  Add to the pan with the mince and keep stirring for about 5 minutes or until the meat has browned a bit.  Add remaining ingredients except cornflour mixture and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender.  Add cornflour mixture and stir till thickened.  Adjust seasoning – you may not need any salt if stock cube is salty.  Spray six 1 cup souffle or ramekin dishes with oil and divide filling among them.

Bring milk, water and salt to the boil in a medium saucepan.  Add polenta and stir constantly for 3-5 mins until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan.  Add parmesan, butter and egg and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place 2-3 Tbs of polenta on top of meat filling – whatever fits – and spread with a knife to cover completely.  You will probably have some polenta left over.  Sprinkle with extra cheese.  Place pies on a baking tray and bake for about 25 mins or until golden brown. Serve immediately with a salad or green vegetable.

Note: Unbaked pies can be stored in the fridge, loosely covered, for a day or so. For larger appetites make in four larger dishes, or if preferred use one large dish.

Serves 4-6

Mediterranean Tartlets

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These delicious tartlets make a perfect lunch in summer – combining all the flavours of the Mediterranean in one easy and adaptable dish.  The layers can be prepared the day before and assembled just before serving.  Vegetarians who don’t eat fish can omit the prawns.  If you can’t find yellow capsicum use all red ones.

Three sheets ready-rolled puff pastry squares (25x25cm)
100g feta cheese, crumbled
400g peeled cooked prawns, tails left on (optional)
½ cup black olives, pitted and halved
½ cup semi-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
Onion Marmalade:
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs white balsamic or white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Grilled Vegetables:
4 small eggplants (the long thin ones)
4-6 zucchini (courgettes)
2 red capsicum (peppers)
2 yellow capsicum (peppers)
olive oil spray
Pesto:
2 Tbs pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbs grated Parmesan
1 cup basil leaves
4-5 Tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C.  Cut each pastry square into four smaller squares, approx 12.5 x 12.5cm.  Place on baking sheets lined with baking paper, prick with a fork then bake for about 15 mins or until golden brown.  Cool and store in a container with a lid.  If you can’t find ready-rolled pastry use block puff pastry and roll it out yourself.

In a large frying pan cook onions with butter and oil over a medium to low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.  Don’t let them brown.  Towards the end of the cooking time add vinegar and sugar.  Store covered in the fridge.

Wash and dry eggplants and zucchini and slice lengthwise about half a centimetre thick.  Spray both sides with oil then pan fry, grill or cook on a griddle until lightly browned and tender.  Place peppers on an oven tray and cook under a hot grill, turning once, until somewhat blackened and blistered.  Remove, cover loosely with foil and when cool enough to handle remove skins, seeds and membranes and cut into 4 – 5 lengthwise strips.  Store vegetables, covered, in fridge.

Place all ingredients for pesto in food processor.  Process to a puree, stopping to scrape down halfway through and store in a container in the fridge.

To serve, place pastry squares on individual serving plates.  Spread with onion marmalade, then top with some grilled eggplant, zucchini and peppers.  Arrange a few prawns on top, then crumbled feta, olives and semi-dried tomatoes.  Thin down pesto with some extra olive oil, then drizzle over the tarts.  Serve with a rocket salad.

Serves 12

Quick Raspberry Ice Cream with Raspberry Compote

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Everyone is short of time.  So while I love to cook, I’m always looking for ways to produce delicious food in record time.  This ice cream recipe, which can be adapted and varied with different berries, is a real winner.  Whip it up a couple of hours before dinner and by the time you reach dessert time it will have firmed up enough to scoop.  You can use fresh raspberries instead of frozen, but the advantage of frozen berries is that it turns the rest of the ingredients into instant ice cream.  I have put 500-600g of raspberries so you know that if your supermarket sells them in half kilo bags you don’t need to buy two!

Quick Raspberry Ice Cream with Raspberry Compote

Ice Cream:
500-600g frozen raspberries
600ml thick Greek-style yoghurt
300ml cream
1 cup icing sugar, or to taste
Raspberry Compote: 
2-3 cups frozen raspberries
¼ cup sugar, or to taste

Place all ingredients for ice cream in food processor and process until mixed. Leave it a bit chunky with some bits of raspberries still visible. Place in freezer for an hour or two or until firm enough to scoop into balls with an ice cream scoop dipped into hot water.  If left in the freezer for longer you will need to remove it about 10 mins before serving so it’s not rock hard.  For the compote, mix raspberries with sugar and leave to thaw, stirring from time to time.  Serve chunky or if preferred, push through a sieve and serve as coulis.

Makes about 1.5 litres of ice cream

Finnish Salmon Pie with Cucumber Salad

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I learned how to make this Finnish Salmon Pie at a cooking demonstration given by a Finnish diplomat’s wife over 30 years ago.  Back then fresh salmon was not so readily available and everyone used tins.  In fact I don’t think I tasted fresh salmon until I was in my twenties!

The original recipe used two large tins of salmon.  I now make it using a combination of fresh and tinned.  If preferred use just salmon. The butter and dill sauce is an optional addition.  Not on the agenda if you’re watching cholesterol levels, but quite delicious.  The cucumber salad is a perfect accompaniment.

If you’re not sure what a Swiss roll tin looks like have a look at these images on Google.  Mine is about 25x30cm.  If your tin is bigger just roll out the pastry to about this size.

Finnish Salmon Pie

Ricotta Cheese Pastry:

150g self-raising flour
125g butter
125g soft ricotta cheese
1-2 Tbs cold water
Filling:
500g fresh salmon
1 x 415g can pink salmon, drained
2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
50g long grain rice, almost cooked
3 Tbs cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten

Sauce:
100g butter, melted
2-3 Tbs chopped dill

Pastry: Place flour and butter in food processor and process until it forms crumbs.  Add cottage cheese and process.  As soon as the pastry starts to stick together add just enough water so that it forms into a ball – you may not even need any water, depending how wet your ricotta is. Stop motor immediately, tip out, wrap in plastic wrap and chill while you prepare the filling.

Filling: Cook rice and eggs together in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes. Tip into a sieve and allow the rice to drain.  Put the eggs back in the pan, cover with cold water and leave until cool enough to handle, then peel.  Remove skin and any bones from fresh salmon, then cut into 1-2cm dice.  Place in a bowl with the canned salmon (discard skin and bones), the rice, dill and hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped.  Mix well and season to taste.

Place a piece of baking paper on a Swiss roll tin – not essential but makes washing up easier.  On a floured surface roll out pastry to the size of the Swiss roll tin, then place on the baking paper, folding it to make it easier to move.  It doesn’t matter if the edges are ragged, you won’t see them once the pie is finished. Place salmon filling down centre in the shape of a log or loaf and covering about a third of the pastry surface.  Cut diagonal slits in pastry every 2cm down each side, from the edge of the pastry as far as the filling. Fold in the two ends, then bring up strips from alternate sides, overlapping them slightly, to form a pseudo-plait. Use your hands to push everything firmly into place.  Can be refrigerated at this stage if you like.   Paint with beaten egg and bake for 30-40 minutes at 200°C. Serve warm, cut into slices and drizzled with the sauce.

Sauce: Melt butter and mix with chopped dill.

Variations: use white fish and canned tuna instead of the salmon.

Cucumber Salad with Dill

4-5 Lebanese cucumbers (about 15cm long) or 2 longer telegraph cucumbers
1 medium brown onion
1/3 cup vinegar (cider or white wine)P1060250 - Copy
¼ cup water
1-2 tsp salt, to taste
¼ cup sugar
½ cup thick sour cream
½ tsp hot English-style mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, firmly packed

Peel onion, cut in half and slice thinly. Slice unpeeled cucumbers thinly and mix with onions. The quickest way to do this is with the slicing blade of a food processor.

Mix vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Pour over onions and cucumbers, mix well and leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature, mixing from time to time. Drain cucumbers and onion in a colander or large sieve. Discard the juices. Put the colander in a bowl, so it continues to drain, then put it in the fridge, covered and leave it there draining till serving time. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mustard, fresh dill and pepper to taste and refrigerate till serving time.

To serve, mix well-drained cucumbers and onions with the sour cream dressing. Garnish with sprigs of dill.

This salad goes well with most fish dishes, especially salmon. It’s also a good addition to a buffet or BBQ.

Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Soufflés

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Last year the American supermarket chain Costco opened stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. It costs $60 for an annual membership, but it’s well worth it.  A good addition to the Canberra shopping scene. Some people are put off joining, because they think they’re going to have to buy huge quantities of everything, which is not the case.  You do however have to buy a kilo of most fresh things, such as meat and cheese.  You can buy almost anything in Costco, from diamond rings to car tyres.  However, someone told me there are two things they aren’t allowed to sell in Australia which they sell in the USA – coffins and guns.  I’m not sure if this is true, but it makes a good story!

About a month ago I wanted to make a pear, walnut and blue cheese quiche and remembered having seen a kilo of Italian Gorgonzola for under $16 at Costco, which is much cheaper than anywhere else.  Now a kilo of blue cheese is rather a lot for two people, but I reckoned at that price it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I ended up throwing some out.  However, to be honest my War Mentality, inherited from my mother, means I don’t throw food away unless I really have to.  We have a compost heap and I often wish I kept chickens, then I wouldn’t have to throw anything away.

Located near Canberra airport, it’s also a long way to go to buy a kilo of Gorgonzola, but of course I ended up buying a few more things.  My brother David who lives in Vancouver, and first introduced me to Costco over there, calls it the $100 shop, because it’s impossible to get out without spending at least $100.

The quiche was delicious and over the past month we’ve continued to eat our way through the Gorgonzola – with crackers, in a broccoli and blue cheese soup, in a dip mixed with cream cheese and chopped walnuts, but there was still about half a kilo left!

Last week my friend Marilyn took me for a delicious lunch at Flint in the Vines in Murrumbateman, just outside Canberra.  Inspired by their twice-baked goat’s cheese soufflé I came up with this dish.  It’s something you could make at the weekend (up to the first baking stage) and keep in the fridge to whip out and serve during the week as a light supper.

Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Soufflés

80g butter
1/2 cup plain flour
450ml (just under 2 cups) milk
shake of ground nutmeg
100g blue cheese (Gorgonzola, Stilton or whatever you have)
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs
About 250ml cream
To serve:
Mixed leaf or rocket salad or some micro-herbs

Set oven to 180°C and oil 8 half cup or 4 one cup souffle dishes.  Place them in a baking tray or dish you can use as a bain marie.  In a non-stick pan heat butter and when melted add flour.  Stir for 2-3 minutes until the flour is cooked but not coloured, then gradually add the milk, mixing to incorporate before you add more.  When sauce is thick and smooth add nutmeg, cheese and season to taste.

Remove pan from heat and add the egg yolks one by one, placing the whites in a large mixing bowl.  Beat the whites until soft peaks form, using electric beaters.  Add some of the cheese sauce to the whites and mix well, then add the rest and mix thoroughly using a plastic spatula.  Divide mixture between the soufflé dishes and pour boiling water into the baking dish to come halfway up them.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until risen and light golden brown. The larger sized dishes will take about 20-25 mins. If liked serve the souffles immediately and skip stage two. But if you’re going to do the twice-baked method, remove souffles from the oven and leave to cool then refrigerate, covered till serving time – up to 2-3 days.

To serve set oven to 200°C. Line a biscuit/cookie tray with baking paper. Run a knife round each souffle to loosen, then tip them out and arrange them all, or as many as you want to serve, on the paper with a space between each.  Pour a little cream over each soufflé, then bake for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.  Big ones will taker longer than small ones. Remove with a fish slice to serving plates and garnish with the salad.

Serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a light lunch or dinner

Variations:

  • use goat’s cheese instead of blue cheese and in addition to the cream, sprinkle each soufflé with a little grated Parmesan cheese before final baking
  • use a can of drained salmon or tuna instead of blue cheese
  • add some finely chopped fresh herbs
  • A few pecan nuts, quickly caramelised in a frying pan with a drop of honey or maple syrup, are a nice addition to the rocket salad.

Lamb on the BBQ

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With a growing family, we had two Christmas lunches this year.  With visitors from overseas, it was simply impossible to do everyone on one day.

For the second family gathering I decided to barbecue a boned leg of lamb, using a recipe from the December edition of Delicious magazine.  It’s one of the best food magazines on the market and I have a subscription.  Always full of inspiring ideas.  Here is my slightly adapted version which was delicious.  Boning a leg of lamb is not as hard as it looks – just keep cutting the meat away from the bone at one end, then start on the other end and eventually you will meet up and be able to pull it out!  The magazine suggested serving the lamb with a cucumber, tomato and spinach salad, with a lemony dressing, topped with toasted sesame seeds, which went very well.  The recipe called for Harissa, which I didn’t have, but Sambal Oelek was a perfect substitute.

Chermoula Lamb with Yoghurt Dressing

1 large leg of lamb, boned
Marinade:
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
A handful of fresh coriander
A handful of fresh mint
2 Tbs Harissa or Sambal Oelek (both are chilli pastes)
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs olive oil
Dressing:
250g thick Greek-style yoghurt
A handful of chopped fresh mint
2 preserved lemon quarters
Garnish:
A few fresh coriander sprigs
A few slivers of preserved lemon, extra

After removing the bone from the lamb, cut through the part where it’s still joined, so you can open the meat out flat.  Place in a ceramic dish.  Place dressing ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.  Pour over lamb, turn to coat thoroughly.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Next day remove meat from marinade and cook on a medium to hot BBQ until done to liking.  If you leave the meat spread out some parts will be quite thin, so they will be rather well done by the time the thicker bits are cooked.  So if you prefer your meat medium-rare, use some kitchen string to form it back into a round shape with the skin on the outside.  As the meat is cooking, baste regularly with remaining marinade.  If the meat has been left spread out it will take 15-20 minutes each side.  If reformed into a round shape with string, it will take about an hour.  A meat thermometer is a good investment for getting it right.

Let the meat rest, covered loosely with foil, for about 10 minutes then slice thinly and arrange on a serving platter.  Garnish with the coriander and a few slivers of preserved lemon.  Serve yoghurt dressing separately.

Dressing:  Rinse the lemon quarters, discarding the pulpy part.  Finely chop the skin, then mix into the yoghurt with the mint.

Serves 8-10