RADISH AND HONEY PRESERVE ( JAM )

Boil 1 bunch of radishes , that have been grated   ( you can use a food processor or blender ) in 2 cups of water for  30 minutes .
Drain thoroughly , set aside .
In another pot slowly bring to the boil 1 cup of honey , 1/4 cup of sugar  with 2 tbs of water .
Now add the radishes , 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger and  1/4 of a cup of finely chopped almonds.
Place the mix over a low heat for 15 minutes and it turns dark brown in colour.
Scoop into a jar and allow to cool completely..
Serve this with a pot of freshly brewed tea and buttered rye bread or crackers , while your guests try and guess what the ingredients are in this magnificent jam .

Enjoy.
 Recipe taken from
 RUSSIAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK...Lyn Visson
 

LEMON AND CARROT JAM

This is the perfect partner for beef .
Cut 500gm  carrots into  cubes and place in boiling water  until tender .
Drain the cooked carrots and sprinkle with 500gm of sugar . Retain the water .
Bring the water back to the boil add the peel of 1 lemon and boil for 2 minutes .
Drain the lemon peel and add to the carrot mixture .
Now add 2/3rds of a cup of water to the carrot mixture and stir over a low heat , add water to stop it from burning .
Taste for seasoning and add the juice of the lemon along with a tsp of curry and 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
Simmer slowly until the syrup is thick and the carrots are almost transparent.
Perfect with beef .

Recipe taken from
RUSSIAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK.....Lyn Visson

PEAR MUSTARD

Peel , core and coarsely chop 5 beurre bosc pears and cover with water and simmer till the pears are soft , be careful not to burn them .
Drain and cool slightly.
Then add 2 tbs sugar , 1 tsp of salt , 1/3 cup of white vinegar , 1/2 cup of Dijon style mustard along with the pears in a blender and puree until smooth.
Perfect with pork and fish .

Recipe taken from
RUSSIAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK......Lyn Visson

It`s pretty good with salmon ..
Noelene.

CHERRY SOUP

1 x 670gm Jar of  morello pitted cherries with juice..
3 cups of water
1/4 tsp of cardamom
1 dsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of grated lemon rind
1/4 cup dry red wine
Put all of the above in a saucepan slowly bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly and puree in a blender .
Then strain.
Add 2 tbs sugar and another tbs of lemon juice.
Soup should be tart.
Pour into small cups and garnish with sour cream .

RUSSIAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK   Lyn Visson

MILK SOUP WITH NOODLES

Place 1 cup of flour with a pinch of salt on a bench or table and form a well in the centre .
Add 1 beaten egg  with 2tbs of water  and mix into a dough . Work the dough till it is soft and silky to touch .
Refrigerate for 20 minutes .
Bring a pot with salted  water to the boil , then turn down to a simmer
Roll out the dough till it is quite thin and then cut it into noodle  lengths.
Place the noodles in the simmering water , increase the heat and boil the pasta for 6 minutes , till el dente .
In another pot bring 4 cups of water to the boil , add a pinch of salt , 1 tbs of sugar , 1 tbs of butter and a tsp of cinnamon.
Remove the pasta from the boiling water , drain and add to the milk mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle each serve lightly with cinnamon or drizzle with  a little honey .
 

A SPRING LUNCH........

A SPRING LUNCH.........

Stuffed Celery.........
Stuff wide stalks of celery with cream cheese and sprinkle with sweet paprika . Top with a thin layer of red caviar . Sprinkle lightly with salt and  pepper

Stuffed Cucumbers
Peel and halve 2 cucumbers ( remove seeds ) . Combine 2 peeled and chopped hard boiled eggs , 8 radishes  finely chopped , 1 tbs of chopped parsley , 1 tbs chopped dill ,and 2/3 rds of sour cream ...fill cucumber halves .

Cold Vegetable Okroshka
Sprinkle 3 spring onions lightly with salt and combine 2 hard boiled egg yolks with 1/2 tsp of wholegrain mustard , 1 tsp of sugar and 3 tbs of sour cream.
Chop the 3 egg whites and mix with 2 medium potatoes sized potatoes  and 1 large carrot that have been boiled and diced , 6 radishes diced , a large cucumber peeled and minced .
Mix the spring onion mix and the potato mi together with 3 cups of red wine  and chill for 4 hours until very cold ....
15 minutes before serving add 2 cups of chilled soda water .
Sprinkle each serving with fresh  chopped dill and parsley.

Salat  Olivier ( this is my favourite  )
Combine 2 cups of cooked chicken thighs  ( my preference for the thigh ) , 3 hard boiled eggs , 2 diced dill pickles ,1 cup of cooked peas  , 1/2 cup of bacon pieces ....take care not to mash the potatoes ..go gently with the mixing.
Now add 2 tbs of mayonnaise
2 tbs  sour cream
1 dsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of wholegrain mustard
Now add another 2 eggs.... but the yolks only..... cooked and mashed .
Toss lightly before serving..

String Bean Omelette
In a drizzle of oil
Saute 1 large onion cut into rings until transparent .
Beat 4 eggs
Add onion rings and 500 gm of beans,
Cook in pan until set  , turning the omelette once .
Garnish with slices of tomato

Raspberry Dessert
Mix 2 cups of cottage cheese with 4 tbs of icing sugar , then rub through  flat sieve .mix in 2 tbs of milk and 1 cup of roughly chopped raspberries .
spoon in between 4 serving bowls and chill for 1 hour .
Dress with 3 raspberries per bowl.

Lemon cookies....
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Cream 250 gm of butter with a 1/3 of a cup of sugar .
Add the beaten egg with 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract .1 cup of flour with  a pinch of salt .
Add the grated rind of 1 lemon.
Now that you have a dough place 1 tsp sized balls onto a lined tray .
Press coarsely chopped walnuts into the cookies .
Bake for 12 minutes
Transfer to a cooling rack .

This is a great spring lunch and so appropriate served in the garden overlooking the  water with  spring blossoms in full bloom.

Recipes courtesy.... The Russian Heritage Cookbook...Lynn Visson

WELCOME TO MY GARDEN ....CASTLE GARDEN

Welcome to my home,  I live in the best place in the world .Churchill, Latrobe Valley...part of the greater Gippsland..Victoria.Australia .

CUMQUAT AND CORRIANDER MARMALADE

Following  the same procedure as for my first batch ...re Blog 366..Cumquat Marmalade , except this time I left a diffuser full of cracked coriander in the syrupy mix for 8 hours ...Preceding the cooking .

LUNCH WITH LINDA

I had the phone in my hand to message Linda with an invite to catch up , but I received a message from the very same Linda requesting the same !
I found that a bit eerie , but there you have it , it happened .
Work wise , we have moved on from where we both met at the Optometrist outlet  and now we occasionally  fill in at Traralgon Secondary college , well I give  the odd cooking lesson , Linda makes sure the students  get to class or sure as hell , she`ll find you.!
Lunch was at Linda`s , I met her beautiful lady schnauzer dog and  we discussed our snooty independent  grey  cats .
Well , there`s another story .!
Over lunch , Linda told me about her OS trip she shared with her partner Barry and dad Don  and I got to see the printed album Linda had ordered  with all the memorable moments and that had  just arrived today.
Linda`s brewed coffee was perfect as were the orange and sesame muffins , that she had made earlier. Plain and simple with flavour and texture being the standout .....it was so welcoming to eat a flavoursome  muffin instead of getting a mouthful of moulded icing sugar before your teeth reach the cake .
Then I was off to collect the cumquats from a lady who has a tree laden  full of fruit .
Thanks for lunch Linda ,
See you soon
Noelene x

P.S
Beware of those hot flan rings, always use a baking tray .

CUMQUAT MARMALADE

What is a cumquat ( Kumquat ) ?
It is a variety of citrus.
It is an oval shaped fruit , it looks like a miniature lemon .
The cumquat ( Kumquat ) has an edible skin and an unusual bittersweet flavour .
Culinary uses in both savoury and sweet dishes . Eg ...  fruit chutneys , marmalade  and jams ,

Marmalade....

Slice cumquats.( do not peel )
Add 5 cups of sugar
The juice of 1 lemon.
1 litre of water ..
Leave the mix sit in a large pot over night   (8 hours )

Heat on a low heat ( do not boil ) , stir continually on a low heat until sugar dissolves .
Now continue to cook , uncovered and without stirring until a skin forms on the surface .
When  ready , remove from heat and allow to settle for 10 minutes .
The aroma is amazing .
Scoop out the pips .
Pour into sterilised jars , seal and date.

MAZUREK

Today in class I talked about pastry .
I don`t understand how pastries are thought to be complicated  when using simple ingredients , and always acknowledge good pastry cooks and find nothing worse than undercooked soggy pastry .

So it`s only fitting to end today with a recipe for Mazurek
There are some in my family who say this is a Polish recipe , but I argue only if the cake is finished with dry fruits and nuts .
But for those of you who don`t know what mazurek  is.....It is a cake made from a flat pastry base and spread with jam or vanilla cream and can be served sprinkled  with dried fruits and nuts over the top.

You will need 10 hard boiled egg yolks rubbed through a sieve and then creamed with 1/3 of a cup of margarine  until smooth.
Then add 1/2 cup of castor sugar
1/2 lemon peel grated
2 raw eggs
Using an electric mixer blend well.
While continuing to mix  add 3/4 cup of flour .
Pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 10" spring form pan .
Spread blackberry or strawberry jam on top of the batter .
Bake at 180 deg C for 25- 30 minutes until the cake  shrinks from the side of the pan .

 

TUESDAY COOKING CLASS @ THE CHURCHILL HUB ..LEMON PIE

SWEET PASTRY
250 gm of plain flour
100gm of chilled margarine
100gm of icing sugar
1 egg
 1 egg beaten

Preheat oven to 180 deg C
Place butter , flour and icing sugar in a bowl
mix by hand till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Add the egg and mix till a smooth dough forms .
Wrap in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured board and line a spring form pastry flan that has been lightly greased .
Prick with a fork  and line with baking paper . ( baking paper should over hang )
Fill the pastry cavity with rice or pastry weights.
Bake for 10 minutes .
Remove from oven and lift off the weights .
Brush the pie lining with the beaten egg
Place the pie case in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool to fill.

LEMON FILLING
Place 4 eggs and 2 yolks in a bowl and whisk to combine .
Add 2 cups of castor sugar
50gm of plain flour
2 tbs of grated lemon rind
250 ml of lemon juice
Whisk all together till smooth
Pour over base and cook for 30 minutes till smooth
Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm
Dust slices with icing sugar to serve .

 

EASY MADE BREAD

The protein content of the flour is important when making bread .Protein is found in grains like barley , rye , wheat .
Gluten is a protein and gives elasticity to our bread dough and helps it to rise.
For this easy made bread recipe you can use an all purpose flour  ( plain flour ) .11.9 gm  protein content per 125gm serve .
Get into the habit of checking the nutritional value of ingredients , as there are a lot of people with special dietary requirements , whether it is an informed decision they have made or for on going  health reasons.

OK..... I did say it was easy to make ..

It is really simple and so good .
Into a large bowl place 1 kg of plain ..(all purpose flour ) ... 00 flour is acceptable.
1 level tbs of salt
1. level tbs of dried yeast
950ml of lukewarm water

Mix with a wooden spoon or use your hands .
It is a real sticky dough .
Cover the dough with cling film.
The dough will start to rise and double in size. It`s normal for bubbles to appear in the dough.
Set aside for 6 - 8 hours .
If you put it in the fridge remember to remove  the dough an hour before cooking to come back to room temp.
When you are ready to cook your bread ....
Preheat your oven to 220deg C
Prepare your bread pan ......I use 2 loaf pans sprayed lightly with cooking oil and sprinkled with a little flour.
Wet your hands , the dough will cling like a glove to your skin.
Divide  your dough into two and place in the prepared pans , you may want to make 1 loaf and use the other half of the dough to make bread rolls , in which case place the dough balls on an oven tray .
Cook in the well heated oven around 50 minutes for the loaf and 40  minutes  for the rolls .

If the bread starts to darken place a piece of baking paper over the top and continue cooking .
Tap the bread on top , it will sound hollow and the top will be firm  to touch when it is cooked.
Remove from the oven and pan , place the bread on a cooling tray .
Do not cover as you will ruin the crust.
Enjoy !!
P.S
Sprinkle some sesame seeds or poppy seeds over the batter prior to cooking .

 

DALE MURPHY HAS LANDED IN BOSTON ....USA.

The youngest son and brother Dale has arrived in Boston to present his final year  thesis to an international engineering conference .
It`s about the calculations needed to prevent cracking in concrete bridges and  structures .
Nicole ,(super sister ) made sure Dale was at  Tullarmarine airport for a very early Sunday morning departure .
Back home here in the Valley, Paul, Shaun , Dee  , Max and Jack arrived home Saturday .
I got to babysit , play , feed , bath and put  my two beautiful grandsons to bed .
Paul , Shaun and Dee went to farewell Brandon and Renae Mahoney and  their two sons  , who are about to depart on their around Australia caravan adventure ......Good Luck !
We shared a traditional Sunday breakfast, washed down with copious cups of tea and coffee.
My daughter in law`s mother .....Nina Rubenstein ... is travelling through Georgia with the Boite choir group  from Victoria , Australia.
Dee also tried the baked cheesecake I made with cream cheese through the week , we both liked it.
I spent time with Marc , Ella and Dale last weekend  when all the family met and  shared a family picnic in the Alma Rd Reserve , St Kilda East for Paul`s 35th birthday.
Ella is getting so tall , and will be in  grade 6 next year...!
Well that was my weekend .... with the family .

MIXED SOLIANKA

At the end of the second world war my father escaped from Russia through Ukraine and all that is left is a small travel bag with letters I `m unable to read and black and white photos of  an unnamed family I never knew .
I know nothing of Russia  , my father only ever spoke of the hunger  and hardships endured , he escaped in hope of a free life but he was never to be free of  mental torment ... a result of the war.

In Australia Solianka is a soup made with fish fillet covered in a thick tomato puree with an onion and cucumber sauce then poached in a fish stock and served with chopped olives and capers.

At Castle Garden I serve a mixed solianka .

Boil a kilo marrow bones  with a smoked pork hock for 20 minutes in 9 cups of water  .
Refresh stock with an extra cup of water.
Add 2 red onions quartered
3 sliced carrots
2 stalks of celery chopped .
Simmer for 90 minutes.
Remove the marrow bones and  ham hock skin.
 Shred the ham hock meat.. set aside
Strain the broth and skim off fat.
To the broth add
2 sliced carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
Simmer for 10 minutes
In a separate pan saute 2 quartered  red onions before adding to the broth.
Now add 3 tbs of tomato paste.
Shredded ham hock
3 sliced Viennese franfurters
250gm of chopped  salami
250gm of chopped calf liver
250gm of chopped lamb kidney
Simmer gently for 10 minutes
Add a tsp of capers
4 chopped dill pickles
1 bay leaf
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Do not boil but gently simmer for 20 minutes
Add 5 black olives  ..pitted
1 tps of parsley
1 tbs of dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve in warmed bowls with wedges of lemon and a side of sour cream.






 

TRADITIONAL TWO CRUST APPLE PIE ...Jessie Mersey`s recipe

Firstly cube 230 gm of butter and place in freezer .
Preheat your oven 220 deg C .  
Place cubes of butter , 2 cups of plain flour and 1 tsp of salt in a food processor using the on and off spurts till mixture resembles course crumbs .
Then add 1/4 cup of iced water mixed with 2 tsp of cider vinegar and process till the mixture forms a dough and pulls away from the sides .
Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Now for the apple filling......
Peel , core and slice very thinly
Combine with 1/2 cup of castor sugar , pinch of salt ,1 tbs of cornflour , the juice of 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
Stir lightly and set aside.
Use 2/3rds of the pastry and roll out to 4 mm thick.
Line the bottom of a 23 cm pie dish , leave about 5mm overhang to allow for shrinkage .
Prick the pastry with a fork and fill with apple mixture .
Dot the top of the apple mix with pieces  of butter.
Roll out the remaining dough for the top.
Lightly moisten the edges where the two pastries meet , press together and crimp with your finger tips.
Prick the top with a fork to allow steam to escape .
Sprinkle with sugar .
Bake in the set oven for 15 minutes .
Lower heat to 190 deg C for 40 minutes or until lightly golden .
Serve warm or cold with thinly sliced vintage cheddar cheese

                         

CREAM ...... for all occasions

There are a variety of tastes and textures on offer when selecting cream .

Single cream
Thickened cream
Double cream
Crème fraiche
Sour cream
Fromage blanc
Fromage  frais
Quark
Ricotta
Marscapone.

All of the above can be used in place of cream , and as promised here is a simple guideline to using them .

Double cream contains 40% butterfat , it can whipped and used with  sweet desserts and cakes or added to savoury dishes for extra body and a smooth velvety texture .
It does not curdle when boiled  ( except when added to an acid base , but that is common sense ) and combines beautifully with wine .

Thickened cream contains less fat than thickened cream but is less flavoursome . it can be whipped and will thicken without the assistance of sugar or egg whites.
Thickened cream doesn`t curdle when boiled , it is often used in place of milk giving an added richness .

Single cream will curdle when boiled and only thickens with the assistance of egg whites .

Sour cream is made with a bacterial culture that forms an acid which thickens and enriches the cream .
Sour cream can be used in savoury and sweet dishes.

Crème fraiche is related to sour cream but is much richer. it is a boutique style sour cream and more expensive.

Marscapone is used as an alternative to  crème fraiche , it has a beautiful smooth texture and lightness.

Fromage frais and quark are very fresh cheeses made with rennet , they both provide a gainy texture to dishes .

Ricotta is very popular with those watching their weight  ( some have more to look at than others !)
Ricottas vary in flavour from very sharp to mild and  can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes .

Yoghurt has the sharpest flavour . It will curdle when boiled , but when folded into equal quantity of whipped cream delivers a thicker ,creamier texture.

Having such a great range of dairy products that can be used in place of cream is amazing as in some recipes just using cream would`nt work ..
Take the time to check out the varieties on offer in the refrigerated section of your supermarket .


 

UKHA ........Russian fish broth

You will need to purchase 500gms of fish trimmings  and 500 gm of  fresh fish meat .....Traditionally only white fleshed fish are used ...When I was growing up on my parents farm in Jeeralang Junction ..Gippsland..Victoria...we used carp !!!!...What`s the big deal ? No difference in the earthy taste of carp and that of expensive truffle.
So boil your trimmings in 8 cups of water along with 1 onion peeled and  finely sliced , season with salt and pepper .
Simmer for 40 minutes
Strain .
Into strained stock add another  sliced onion , 2 bay leaves ,2 large potatoes peeled and cut into bite sized pieces along with a handful of freshly chopped flat leafed parsley .
Simmer for 20 minutes .
Gently lower the fish meat  cut into serving pieces and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add 1 tbs of butter
2 tbs of chopped dill.
Spoon into warm soup bowls and garnish with thin slices of lemon.
P.S
I use salmon heads for the stock and salmon meat for the broth ....

ZAPEKANKA IZ TVOROGA Baked Cheesecake

I love a baked cheesecake .
A cheesecake that is a cake and flavoured with preserved peel , raisins and lemon .
Try sliced baked cheesecake served with strong black tea ( I`m talking really strong ) sweetened with cherry jam , gooseberry jam or whole strawberry jam , an ancient Russian tradition .

Preheat your oven to 180deg C
Grease an 8" spring form round pan and dust the inside with 3 tbs of fine white breadcrumbs .
Separate 4 egg yolks from the whites into separate bowls .

Add 100gm of candied peel to the egg yolks along with
500gm of ricotta cheese
90 gm of castor sugar
50gm of raisins
The grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tbs of semolina powder.
Mix well.

Whisk the egg whites till stiff and they hold their shape .
Spoon into cheese mix and combine well.

Place the mixture into the pan and cook for 40 minutes ...
If cake top starts to darken place a sheet of baking paper over the pan and continue cooking.

Let the cake cool in the tin .
Take care when removing .
Place on a serving plate and dust with sifted icing sugar.
Serve with sour cream and fresh berries .  (fresh whipped cream  optional  )

For a smooth , denser texture use cream cheese in place of ricotta .

 CREAM CHEESE

RICOTTA CHEESE