WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

Here are the answers to last months challenge. 1. Oolong, 2. Melt, 3. Jerky, 4. Gnache, 5. Infuse. Here is my challenge for you this month .... 1. A large cylidrical green fruit, known as summer squash? 2.A most important food item both for its nutrition and texture and are enclosed in a shell of calcium carbonate?. 3.A large thick portion of animal flesh often includind some bone?. 4.If you get this, you can give yourself double points...Interspersed with long visible flecks of fat, usually a sign of high quality in lean beef? 5.Wheat made from any type of soft flour, between 9-10% protein and no raising agents?

FEIJOA CHUTNEY

Ingredients......500gm of feijoas ( trimmed), 500gm of chopped onions, 500gm of sultanas, 7 gm salt, 250gm of soft brown sugar, 1/2 tsp of ground cloves, 1 dsp of curry powder, 15gm of ground ginger, 1 tsp of sweet paprika, 550ml of white vinegar. Mince or process the onions, feijoas and raisins. Place in a medium saucepan. Add the salt, sugar and spices and finally the vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 hour or until thickened. Pour into sterilised jars and seal while hot. Store in a cool dark place. Keep for 3 weeks before opening to allow flavours to develop. The chutney will keep for 12-18 months in a cool dark place. Once opened keep in your refrigerator. N.B. Feijoas are in season March to June, my friend Maureen shared some of her frozen feijoas with me, which is the reason I was able to make the chutney , thank you Maureen and Roel.

APRICOT SHORTBREAD SLICE

Ingredients.....( shortbread), 110gm butter/ marg, 230gm of self raising flour, 2 egg yolks. Ingredients.....( topping ), 170 gm of apricot jam, 2 egg whites, 1 tbs of castor sugar. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm slice pan. Shortbread..Mix the flour and sugar together and use your fingers to rub in the butter and add the beaten egg yolks until you have a dough consistency.....if the dough is very dry , add a tiny bit of water. Now press the dough into the prepared slice pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool . Leave the oven on. While the shortbread base is cooling, prepare your topping. Beat the egg whites with your electric mixer and add the tbs of sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spread the apricot jam over the cooled shortbread. Spread the thickened egg whites over the jam and return the slice the oven and bake until golden. Cool, then slice into fingers or squares to serve.

ORANGE AND COCONUT MACAROONS

Ingredients....2 egg whites, 2 tbs of sugar, 1 tbs of finely grated orange zest, pinch of salt, 105gm of desiccated coconut, 1 tsp of arrowroot ( potato starch / rice flour). Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Place the egg whites, sugar, salt and orange zest in the bowl of your electric mixer and mix until light and airy. Stir the arrowroot flour through the coconut and fold this into the egg white mixture. Until well combined. Using a dessertspoon, place 12 rounds of the macaroon mixture on a baking paper lined oven tray. Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the macaroon tops are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

GNOCCHI WITH SAGE AND PINE NUTS

Ingredients ....2 redonions , roughly chopped, 600gm of 'all rounder' potatoes, 1 tbs of minced garlic, oil for drizzling, 90 gm of quinoa flour, 1 egg, 100gm of finely grated cheese, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, 6 tbs of butter/ marg, 1/3 cup of sage leaves, handful of pine nuts,1 dsp of fennel seeds. This dish was a staple at Castle Garden and is often requested when we all get together. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease and line a baking tray. Wash and peel the potatoes, then boil in lightly salted water. Drain and leave to cool, then mash and set aside. Drizzle a frypan with the oil, sprinkle with cracked black pepper, add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Cook over a medium heat until the onions are softened and starting to colour. Combine the mashed potato with the onion mixture in a large bowl and add the quinoa flour, lightly beaten egg, Parmesan and nutmeg. Mix with your hands until well combined. Now form the dough into tbs balls. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Drop 4 pieces of gnocchi at a time into the water, lower the temperature and simmer until the gnocchi rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoonand keep warm on the prepared oven tray in the preheated oven to keep warm whuile you cook the rest of the gnocchi in batches. When the gnoccci are cooked , prepare the sage butter/ marg. Melt the butter/ marg (in the pan you cooked the onions) over a medium heat, add the sage leaves and a dsp of fennel seeds. Cook for 3 minutes until the sage leaves start to wilt. To serve ... place the gnocchi on serving plates, pour the sage butter/ marg over the top and sprinkle with pine nuts.. Delicious....

IT’S JUST THE BEST PASTA EVER…( AND GLUTEN FREE).

Ingredients......250gm of gluten free cornflour, 140gm of potato flour, 300gm of fine polenta, 3 eggs beaten, 11 egg yolks beaten ( keeping the egg whites aside for another dish ) , 185ml of soda water,(not an ingredient) an old fashioned clothes horse. The trick to making this pasta is ...you have to knead it firmly and have patience , it does work. Mix the flours and polenta into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten eggs , using your hands to work them into the flour. Now make another well and add the egg yolks and work them into the mixture, adding a little soda water ( 2 tbs at a time ), until the mixture comes together to form a firm elastic mixture. Place the dough on a long sheet of baking paper, lightly dusted with a little extra fine polenta. Knead the dough with the heel of your hand firmly for 3 minutes. Shape the dough into a log and divide into 5 portions. Cover the portions loosely with cling wrap. Place one portion of the dough on the floured baking paper , lightly sprinkle your rolling pin and gently roll out the pasta dough to 3mm thick. Set aside and repeat this process with the remaining dough portions. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough lengthwise into 1 cm wide strips , or your desired width. Drape the the prepared dough lengths over the 'clothes horse'. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted simmering water with a few drops of olive oil, until el dente, in batches ( do not overcrowd your pot). Drain and serve with your favourite pasta sauce. This is how I would teach you to make pasta, just as I was taught. This is my gift to you. But the world has changed and I know your kitchens are full of all the electric mixers, yes you can use my recipe to prepare this amazing pasta with your wizz bang machines. A morning or afternoon preparing pasta with your hands is envigorating and heart felt..remembering how pasta has been hand made for centuries. Enjoy.

AVOCADO DIP

Ingredients.....250gm tub of cream cheese, 1 avocado (peeled, stoned and mushed), 1 tbs of lemon juice, 1 dsp of minced garlic. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve with chicken wings, corn chips or crisp raw vegetables. Always on the table at a start to an occasion.