KIWI FRUIT, LYCHEE AND LIME SALAD.

It is time to enjoy the summer produce.... This dessert salad is delicious and is so easily prepared. Best served in a serving dish alongside small dishes and dessert forks, it won't last long. Ingredients.......8 kiwi fruits, cut into wedges, approx 16 lychees, 400 gm can, drained, 1/3 rd of a cup of fresh mint leaves, 80 ml of lime juice. So, now you have the ingredients, all you need to do is combine them all in a serving bowl and let everyone help themselves. Enjoy!

CHERRY TOMATO AND RISOTTO CAKES.

Ingredients....2 and 1/2 cups of vegetable / chicken stock, 1 cup of white wine, 2 tbs of butter/ marg, 1 cup of chopped onions, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 2 cups of arborio rice, 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese, 12 cherry tomatoes, canola oil for frying, slad leaves, for serving. Place the stock and wine in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. In a large saucepan, heat the butter/ marg and add the chopped onions and saute until softened, stir through the minced garlic. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add 1/2 a cup of the stock and wine mixture and stir over a medium heat until absorbed. Repeat this process until all the stock has been added and absorbed. Stir through the grated cheese, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Now take a cherry tomato and shape a handful of the rice mixture around it to form a cake. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Heat the oil in a frying pan, when heated add the risotto cakes and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve the risotto cakes on a leafy green salad or as you desire.

NUT CRUSTED WHITE FISH FILLETS.

Ingredients.....1/3 rd of a cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of granulated nuts, 2 tbs of butter / marg, 1/4 cup of dried dill, juice of 1 lime, 4 white fish fillets ( I used barrumundi fillets), sweet chilli sauce for serving. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the breadcrumbs, nuts, butter/ marg, dill and lime juice in a bowl and use a hand processor or wooden spoon to combine/ process. Press the mixture on top of each fillet and spray with cooking oil. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes oir until the fish is cooked through. Serve the fish fillets with the sweet chilli sauce along with a salad and or vegetables.

MAX AND JACK CAKE DECORATING.

During the school holidays, I welcomed a suprise visit from my grandsons, Max and Jack along with their parents to The Manor. On the bench I had a freshly baked and cooled cake. I invited the boys to decorate the cake and they eagerly agreed. All I did was hand them a jar of coloured candy coated chocolates and another of sugar coated mint leaves. I told the boys they would find a bowl of prepared instant vanilla pudding in the fridge. All four of my guests looked perplexed at the bowl of instant pudding. After explaining that the pudding was to be spread over the top of the cake in place of cream, I ushered the parents to sit at the table and let the boys decorate the cake. The boys took turns to coat the cake and then talked over a design they could both do to finish off the decoration. Max and Jack were so proud of their first hand attempt at cake decoration. They happily sliced the cake and served it up for dessert after lunch. Well done Max and Jack.

STRAWBERRY CREAM SPONGE .

Not everyone likes fruit cake, but everyone loves a cream sponge and this sponge can be enjoyed and shared all year round. Ingredients.....4 eggs, separated, 1/2 of a cup of castor sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of cornflour, 1/2 cup of plain flour. Strawberry cream ingredients......1 and 1/2 cups of thickened cream, 175 gm of fresh strawberries, chopped. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease and line a 20 cm springform pan. Set aside 1 tbs of the sugar. Place the egg yolks, vanilla extract and remaining sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat for 10 minutes until light and creamy. Place the egg whites in a medium non metallic bowl and beat with an electric beater until soft peaks form. Add reserved sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form. Fold the flour and cornflour into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold in the egg whites. Place in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched in the centre. Remove and cool on a wire rack. While the cake is cooling make the strawberry cream, beat the cream until stiff then fold through half of the chopped strawberries. Now carefully slice the sponge cake in half, spreading one half with half of the strawberry cream. top with the other sponge layer and top with remaining strawberry cream. Top with remaining chopped strawberries. Enjoy the sponge and the compliments that will come your way.

QUINCE BLOSSOMS.

I love the quince blossoms, they are my favourite. They quince tree was given a liberal prune at the end of summer and I am looking forward to a 'bumper' crop in the months to come.

BOILED CHOCOLATE FRUIT CAKE .

It is nearly Christmas, let's get organised. Ingredients.....2 cups of mixed fruit, 1 cup of brown sugar, 110 gm of butter / marg, 1 tsp of bi carb of soda, 3/4 of a cup of water, 1/4 of a cup of Apera. Place these ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute only, then remove from heat and allow to cool in a large non metallic bowl Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Line a 22.5 cm x 22.5 cm square pan with baking paper. Ingredients for the cake batter....1/2 of a cup of plain flour, 2 tbs of cocoa, 1 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour, 2 eggs, lightly beaten. Now that the fruit mixture has cooled, mix together the flours and cocoa. Using a wooden spoon fold through the flour and cocoa mixture alternatively with the beaten eggs. Place the mixture in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, then place a loose sheet over the cake and continue to cook for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. This cake keeps well in an airtight container wrapped in foil and is also freezer friendly. Decorate as you desire.