AUTUMN, Otago Famers MarketAlison LambertApril 05, 2013Comment

Otago Farmers Market - Mobile Kitchen Menu

AUTUMN, Otago Famers MarketAlison LambertApril 05, 2013Comment

Good Morning, well Autumn has arrived finally and now with the cooler temperatures we start to want food to suit. Fortunately for us we have a comforting yet fresh soup on the menu today, with the assistance of Brydone Organics fresh, crunchy broccoli. Colin from Evansdale has promised me he is making Caerphilly cheese for this week, which means I can get cooking with it! Waikouiati gardens is still producing vast colours of heirloom tomatoes which are a joy to eat and cook with.

With the cooler morning and evenings produce will start to change quite dramatically. When thinking of what to cook, keep it flexible and go with how you are feeling. I like comforting hot food when it gets cooler, soups are perfect for this time of year as you still have lighter, fresher ingredients to incorporate into your soups. Keep on top of your preserving if you have the time as stone fruit is pretty much on its last days. Chutneys, relishes and sauces are great to stash away for those dark wintery days.

As usual I will be cooking away in the kitchen, so do come by, have something to eat, collect a recipe and watch my cooking demonstrations.

BROCCOLI SOUP

This is a classic soup and one that I love especially when scattered with a little cheese.

Serves 4

2 cups broccoli, cut into even sized florets, peel and cut the stalk into smallish pieces

1 tsp fresh dill (optional)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly

1 cup milk, yoghurt or cream

Salt and cracked pepper

80g good quality blue cheese or freshly grated parmesan (optional) for serving

Method

Start by pouring the stock into a suitable size pot and bring to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook gently until the broccoli it is just tender. Add the garlic and fresh dill and cook for a further 10 minutes so that the broccoli is very tender but not so that it goes very a pale green.

Remove from the heat and blend until smooth, add the milk, yoghurt or cream and adjust the seasoning to suit. Bring to the boil again and reduce immediately. Serve in warm bowls with plenty of cheese and fresh bread.

CORN ON THE COB WITH LIME SALT

This combination has changed my life – corn with lime salt, where have I been hiding? Again this is one of those simple combinations that works so well.

Serves 4

4 cobs of fresh corn, shucked – peeled

4 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces at room temperature

¼ cup salt flakes

Grated zest of 1 lime (use a microplane)

2 Tbsp fresh chives

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted to the boil.

Cut the corn in half or desired size and add to boiling water, cook for 5-7 minutes or until the corn is tender.

To make lime salt -If you have a mortar and pestle add the salt to the bowl and grate in the lime zest and mash until the salt turns a wonderful, fragrant green. If you don’t have mortar and pestle add the lime juice and zest to a bowl and blend carefully with the end of a rolling pin something similar so that the salt blends and turns green and fragrant like above. Set aside.

Meanwhile, take 2 tablespoons of the cooking water out of the pot and add to a heatproof bowl. Add the butter and swirl the bowl over the heat to emulsify. Add lime salt to taste, swirling the bowl to maintain the emulsification (thickening effect). Set aside in a warm place until corn is cooked.

Drain the corn well and add to the butter. Sprinkle in the chives. Swirl the bowl to coat the corn evenly and sprinkle with a little more lime salt, and serve the remaining salt on the side.

KOFTE – Turkish style

These are little minced meat patties flavoured with spices of the region. The flavours below are just to tickle your imagination so don’t be shy these are delicious.

Makes 12

500g beef, lamb or half and half

2 slices stale white bread, crusts removed, soaked in water (use gluten free bread if needed)

1 medium onion, grated

1 egg, beaten

½ cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper

½ - 1 tsp powdered cumin

½ cup plain or gluten-free flour

Sunflower oil for frying

Method

Put the slices of bread in a shallow bowl filled with cold water to soak. Remove and squeeze dry before crumbling.

Place along with all the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead well for a couple of minutes.

Wet your hands (to avoid the mixture sticking) and take a piece the size of a walnut. Roll between your palms into a long finger-like shape. Continue till all the mince mixture has been used.

Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and roll the koftes in it. Fry in a little sunflower oil or cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge. They freeze beautifully too.

Serve with warmed pita bread, minted or tahini infused yoghurt, grilled capsicums and fresh tomatoes.

GRILLED TOMATOES WITH CAERPHILLY CHEESE

Waikaouiti Gardens huge array of heirloom tomatoes is so inspirational and of course unbelievably tasty. And when simply combined with Evansdale versatile Caerphilly cheese you have a simple warm salad.

Serves 4

4 – 8 fresh tomatoes, if possible use different varieties, cut in half

Few sprigs fresh thyme

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil

100g Caerphilly cheese

Sea salt flakes and freshly cracked pepper

Method

Warm the grill up to hot.

Place the tomatoes cut side up on a baking tray and season each tomato lightly with salt and pepper and scatter over the thyme leaves. Crumble the cheese over each tomato and finish with a little oil. Place under the grill and grill until the cheese bubbles and melts and the tomato starts to burst and collapse. Remove from the oven drizzle over the balsamic and a touch more oil and serve with plenty of good quality bread.

BERRY AND RICOTTA PUDDING

This is my take on bread and butter pudding only this is lighter and fresher with the added beauty of berries.

Serves 4

30g butter

3 Tbsp honey

4 large eggs

125ml ricotta

3 Tbsp sugar

250ml milk

½ orange, zested

4 slices of bread, cut or torn into 2cm pieces (approx)

300g fresh or frozen mixed berries, if using frozen defrost and drain

Method

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Using a fork, mix to combine and beat the eggs. Add the milk, orange zest, butter, honey mixture, and bread. Stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries.

Place the ingredients in a 25-cm baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. This stage is vital to a light and airy pudding as the milk and egg mixture soaks gently into the bread and the bread swells.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Bake the pudding until golden on top and baked through, about 40 minutes.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.