Photo Sarah Cowhey

It may be a frosty start but i hear sunshine is on the way! Today's menu has all the elements in it to create a delicious meal at home.  I will be making a sticky sauce to coat the pork slices from Waitaki Bacon and Ham teamed up with some super crispy bok choy from my man Nigel at Brydone Organics and finally spiced up with a little chilli from Kakanui produce.

Just a sample of the incredible produce i get to cook with. Photo Sarah Cowhey

I also have carrots from Ray Goddard and if you haven't had the pleasure of eating his sweet, crunchy and natural tasting carrots, then you should give them a try.  They turn this simple soup into a pot of sunshine, sweet and smoky tasting and highly nutritious bowl of goodness for only a couple of dollars. I will also be adding my Karaka Berry jam (thanks to Butlers Berries) to some pastry, rolling them up and baking them so they are sweet, crisp and impossible to refuse. 

Just a quick update from my day at the market.  Apart from a few issues like gas problems, freezing cold weather and NO CARROTS.....Ray from Goddards was so apologetic, it is not as if he could help the fact that we have had the Artic blast from hell, add a little rain and a pinch of below zero temperatures to top it off.  How on earth is any man or machine suppose to pull up carrots.....this is why i love the market you never know what to expect!

STICKY WAITAKI PORK SLICES

Wicked picture Sarah

Serves 4

4-8 pork slices

1 medium onion, diced
Freshly black pepper

5 Tbsp dry cider or white wine
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 generous Tbsp tomato puree
1 Tbsp Kakanui Produce Chilli sauce
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp soft brown sugar

METHOD

Now pop them into the roasting tin, tucking the chopped onion in among them and sprinkling them with a few more drops of oil. Place the tin on the highest shelf in the oven and let them cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make up the barbecue sauce simply by whisking all the sauce ingredients together until blended thoroughly. When the pork has been cooking for 30 minutes, pour off any excess oil from the roasting tin, then pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and cook for a further 25 minutes, basting frequently.

Photo Sarah Cowhey

2 large or 4 small heads bok choy
1 Tbsp veg oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp KAKANUI PRODUCE CHILLI JAM
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

Rinse the bok choy and cut off the bottom stem at the base of each head. Separate the leaves, if the stalks are very large I would suggest to sliced them in half lengthwise.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frypan over medium-high to high heat, add oil and heat.

Add the bok choy plus 2-3 Tbsp of sauce. Keep the bok choy moving. If looking a little too dry add a spoon or two of water to loosen the dish. Add another 2-3 Tbsp sauce, continue to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes or until the bok choy is bright and green and tender.

Taste the sauce and adjust with more sugar, chilli sauce or a little lime juice.

This will go perfectly alongside Sticky Pork Slices.

GODDARDS CARROT AND LENTIL SOUP

When making a soup like this it is paramount that you get the freshest, sweetest market ingredients available as the end result will be far superior!

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 Tbsp olive oil
600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel)
140g split red lentils
1litre hot vegetable stock
125ml milk
plain yohurt and good quality bread to serve

Method

Heat a large saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Dry-fry the cumin seeds until they become fragrant (1 minute) add the chilli flakes and toss around briefly. Remove half of the seeds and set aside.
Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils and carrots have softened.
Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer). Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices.
Serve with some good quality crusty bread.

SAUTEED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES WITH BAY LEAVES

Jerusalem artichokes have a slight mushroom flavour, they partner extremely well with thyme, sage and bay leaves. They can be boiled and tossed through a salad, roasted, smashed or baked, great with fish and meat!

600g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
Good quality oil for frying
4 fresh bay leaves or 2 dry
2 clove garlic, finely sliced
Splash white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut the Jerusalem artichokes into chunks.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in frying pan add the artichokes and fry for 2 minutes or until lightly caramelised. Add the garlic and bay leaves cook for a few minutes more, add a splash of vinegar, some salt and pepper, place a lid on top and cook for a further 15 minutes or until they have softened. Remove the lid and bay leaves, continue cooking for a few more minutes so the artichokes can crisp up.

Serve straight away.

PALMIERS with KARAKA BERRY JAM
I have eaten these crunchy little biscuit all throughout Europe. I have adapted them with some thick and pulpy Karaka Berry Jam and now made them New Zealand style!

YUM photo Sarah Cowhey

75g caster sugar
4 Tbsp Karaka berry jam or any good quality jam


Method
Preheat oven 220C

Sprinkle your bench with a little sugar and place the pastry sheet on top. If rolling out your pastry roll it on the sugar until it is about 5mm thick, and 10-20cm wide.
Spread about 1 Tbsp of jam evenly over the pastry. Don’t be tempted to add too much jam as it will spill over.
Fold the short ends of the pastry in so that the 2 edges meet in the middle, then fold again in the same way. Cut the pastry into slices 1cm thick. Open the slices out slightly to form heart shapes. Sprinkle the baking tray with sugar and put the heart shapes flat on the tray. Bake the palmiers for 15-20 minutes, turning them over once during cooking.


ALISON WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING VENDORS FOR THEIR FANTASTIC PRODUCE.

GODDARDS
BRDONE GROWERS
WAITAKI BACON AND HAM


www.alisonmarketchef.blogspot.com or follow me on Facebook Alison Lambert Taste Of My Life