TUNA CHOWDER

Ingredients......1 dsp of sesame oil, 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped, 2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely sliced, 1 tbs of plain flour, 750 ml of milk, 200gm can of tuna in springwater, 420gm can of corn kernals ( drained), 1 dsp of freshly chopped thyme, cracked black pepper to taste, 1 tbs of freshly chopped parsley and sweet paprika to sprinkle. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery and gently cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened. Stir in the flour to thicken. Turn the heat to low and gradually add the milk, stirring continually. Now add the tuna and its liquid, the drained corn kernals and thyme. Mix gently, and bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and season to taste with cracked black pepper. Sprinkle the chowder with sweet paprika and chopped parsley. Ladel into soup bowls and serve hot. If you like you can top the chowder with a spoonful of cream cheese in the bowls . It is your dish.

EGG AND CHEESE PIES

Ingredients.......12 slices of bread, (crusts removed),butter for spreading, 300gm of chopped ham /bacon pieces, 12 small eggs, 200gm of tasty grated cheese, sweet paprika for sprinkling, fruit chutney to top. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Spray a large 12 hole muffin pan with cooking oil. Use a rolling pin to flatten the bread slices,and spread with butter. Press the slices into the muffin pans and divide the ham evenly between the muffin pan. crack an egg into each muffin hole and top with the grated tasty cheese. Sprinkle with sweet paprika . Bake in the preheated oven until the egg is set. These can be served hot or cold topped with a dollop of your favourite chutney.

TOMATO, OLIVE AND FETA PUFFS

Ingredients.......2 frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed), 350gm tub of marinated Fetta, 12 cherry tomatoes (halved), 32 pitted black olives. Preheat your oven to 220 deg C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut each puff pastry sheet into 16 squares. Top each square with a cube of marinated Fetta cheese, a cherry tomato half and an olive. Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden. Drizzle with a little of the oil from the Feta and serve immediately. these are simple to make and deliciuos to eat and share. TIP ....Try replacing the olives with anchovies...mmmmmm.

GINGER PORK WRAPS.

Ingredients......50ml of hoisin sauce, 3 tbs of minced ginger, 3 tbs of runny honey, 1.5 kg of pork loin (rib end ) roast, 3 and 1/2 cups of pre-packaged coleslaw mix (from the vegetable section in your supermarket), 3 spring onions finely chopped, 3 tbs of white wine vinegar, 10 x 25 cm pita bread rounds. In a bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, ginger and honey. Place the roast pork in the bowl of your slow cooker and brush with the sauce mixture to coat completely. Cover and cook on high for 4.5 hours, until the meat is really tender. Transfer the pork to a bowl and using 2 forks , pull the meat into shreds. Skim the fat from the sauce and return the meat to the slow cooker. In a bowl combine the coleslaw mix with the spring onions and vinegar. Wrap the pita bread in foil and heat in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then to serve spread about 1/3 rd of a cup of the pork mixture down the centre of each pita bread. Top with the coleslaw mixture, roll each pita up tightly.

SUMMER….DECEMBER thru FEBRUARY

SUMMER FRUITS.... Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Currants, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Lychees, Mangoes, Melons, Mulberries, Nectarines, Oranges (Valencia), Passionfruit, Pineapples, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tamarillos. SUMMER vEGETABLES.... Asparagus, Beans, Capsicums, Celery, Chilies, Cucumber, Eggplants, Green Onions, Lettuces, Peas, Radishes, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini.

SPRING ….SEPTEMBER thru NOVEMBER

SPRING FRUIT..... Bananas, Blueberries, Grapefruit, Lemons, Blood Oranges, Cumquats, Lychees, Mandarins, Mangoes, Papaya, Pineapple, Rockmelon, Strawberry, Watermelon. SPRING VEGETABLES...... Artichokes, Asparagus, Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Leeks, Lettuces, Peas, Potatoes, Snow Peas, tomatoes, Zucchini.

WINTER….JUNE thru AUGUST

WINTER FRUITS....Apples, Avocados, Cumquats, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Nashi Pears, Naval Oranges, Pears, Quinces, Rhurbarb . WINTER VEGETABLES.....Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Garlic, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Silverbeet, Swedes, Sweet Potatoes( Kumara) This is my lime tree grown in a pot in my backyard garden. A little known fact about limes. Limes will turn yellow when ripe and less tart than a lemon. It is purely a commercial decision to sell limes in the early stages of their development, which coincides with the colour of their skin. You will know what I am saying is correct if you have bought limes and left them sit for awhile before using them and they turn yellow.