OTAGO FARMERS MARKET
Good morning! I have to admit it was a struggle to get out of bed as it was feeling and sounding unwelcoming outside, and as corny as this sounds i thought of all the amazing ingredients i get to cook and eat with at the market and it gave me the little shove i needed to start the day.
And indeed i do have amazing produce today; Peaches from Willowbrook which will be grilled and served with yoghurt or baked on pastry with hazelnuts. Marrow is back on the menu, its funny as i was joking the other day that i would teach you 100 ways with marrow! Tomatoes are still around in abundance and the sheer variety is astounding, today i will be using McArthurs from Outram. I will also be doing a spiced up rub and sticky sauce to encase the baby-back ribs from Havoc. Insipred yet? Don't forget to come and try these delicious products, ask questions have a merry drink thanks to Judge Rock Wines (many thanks Paul) and you never know i may even get you back in the kitchen!!!
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| LIEVITO BAKERY (behind the scenes) |
BABY BACK RIBS
My children love when we cook ribs for dinner as it is one of the few times they are allowed to get stuck in with their hands and get as messy as they like.
Baby back ribs are not from a baby pig they are actually shorter than the more common ribs because they are connected to the backbone which is nestle underneath the loin muscle where the meat is juicy and tender.
2kg baby back ribs
For the rub:
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
1Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne
For Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup vinegar
2Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne
Method
Preheat oven 160C
Mix together all the ingredients for the rub first you then want to massage it into the ribs so it penetrates into the flesh. Place the ribs onto a baking tray, you may need two as you don’t want to over crowd the bones. Place into hot oven and cook gently for 1 hour ensuring that you rotate them.
Meanwhile prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients into a medium size pot and cook gently for 15 minutes to allow all the flavours to mingle.
When your ribs are looking golden and tender generously brush over some of the sauce and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the ribs look gooey, sticky and messy (don’t forget to turn them throughout cooking). Serve them with any extra sauce and plenty of napkins!
CORIANDER AND TOMATO SALSA
This fresh-tasting salsa is great with fish, meats or perhaps used as a topping for flatbreads. It is best made with sun-ripened tomatoes and freshly grown coriander to get maximum flavour.
½ red onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 fresh hot chillies, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, halved widthways, gently squeezed to remove seeds and finely diced
30g (about ½ bunch) coriander leaves and stems
Method
Put onions into a small bowl, cover with vinegar and leave for 30 minutes (this removes the pungent flavour). Drain onion, pressing hard to extract as much vinegar as possible. Discard vinegar. Wash and dry bowl and tip back in. Stir in chilli, garlic, tomato and coriander (if tomatoes are a little tart a pinch of sugar will lift them up). Serve.
MARROW WITH TOMATOES
I have been using marrow a lot lately as it is such a great value and versatile vegetable. This recipe is to help with some inspiration – feel free to mix it up and add ingredients that you have at home like chilli, spinach, silverbeet or even bulk it out with cooked chickpeas, beans or potatoes!
Serves 4-6
25 g butter
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
1 medium marrow, peeled, seeded and cubed
6 large tomatoes, chopped roughly
handful fresh basil, parsley or a few sprigs thyme or rosemary
salt and plenty freshly ground pepper
Method
Melt the butter and a little olive oil in a large wide pot or fry pan and gently fry the onions for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and marrow and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and herbs, season with salt and pepper toss to combine, simmer until tender 5-10 minutes. Serve
PEACH TART WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND CREAM
Peaches are fantastic at the moment and this simple tart highlights their fantastic aroma and flavour.
Serves 8-10
500g puff pastry, rolled into rectangle about 3mm thick
9 peaches, cut into chunks
50g softened butter
¼ cup demerara or brown sugar
300ml cream, lightly whipped
100g toasted hazelnuts, skins removed and lightly crushed
Method
Place the pastry onto a baking tray and prick all over with a fork and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C
Bake the pastry for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
Arrange the peaches snuggly onto of the pastry, dot with butter and sprinkle over the sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven setting on to grill.
Grill the peaches until they caramelise and the pastry almost burns as this will provide the tart with a wonderful contrast in flavour with the fruit.
Serve warm with a generous spoonful of cream and a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts.
GRILLED PEACHES
1 peach per person – ask the growers for free-stoning peaches (easier)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp amaretto or rum (optional)
Greek yoghurt to serve
Method
Preheat a griddle pan or bbq to medium-hot.
Cut the peaches in half and remove the stone. Place the peaches flesh side down on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the peaches start to soften and carmelise. Remove from grill and place flesh side up in a serving dish, sprinkle with sugar and drizzle over amaretto (if using). Cover tightly with gladwrap/plastic wrap and allow the fruit to cool and sweat as this will allow the natural juices to seep.
Serve peaches with Greek yoghurt and a spoonful of the natural juices which have seeped out whilst cooling.
Alison would like to thank the following vendors for their fantastic produce.
WILLOWBROOK ORCHARDS – peaches
HAVOC PORK – baby back ribs
McARTHURS BERRIES – marrow and tomatoes
JANE FIELD PAEONIES AND HYDROPONICS – herbs
JUDGE ROCK WINES - wine
BRYDONE ORGANICS - vegetables