Don't you just love the flavours, colours and ease of summer cooking! This weeks menu is all about Mediterranean flavours and inspiration mixed together with local ingredients from the many wonderful stalls at the market!  The eggplant reminded me of Italy, lightly crumbed and fried till soft and golden and served with fresh, sweet tomatoes.  The basil pesto is full of flavour with heady aromas of basil and cheese. Smoked garlic is a easy and flavoursome addition to so many dishes and it is available up on the platform from Kutash Organics (the garlic man).  Waitaki's pork and fennel sausages partnered with zucchinis and sun-ripened tomatoes makes for a wonderful one pot meal and one that can easily be adapted to suit different vegetables and flavoured sausages. And to finish is a fabulous pudding using buttery brioche from Lievito and sweet, juicy apricots from Rosedale orchards combining two wickedly delicious ingredients equals a wickedly delicious and hugely satisfying dessert!

Great menu, fantastic ingredients and plenty of sunshine, certainly puts a smile on my face and i can't wait to get cooking and of course eating.  This week i have everything packed so i won't let you down for those of you who were waiting for the pud!

See you at the mobile kitchen and don't forget i am available to assist, just come by and say hi!

 

BAKED BRIOCHE WITH APRICOTS

serves 6

3 x 3cm-thick slices from a loaf of brioche

3 Tbsp butter, at room temperature

2 Tbsp caster sugar

12 fresh ripe apricots, sliced in half and stones removed

1 Tbsp green ginger wine or amaretto if desired (optional)

1 Tbsp caster sugar Method Preheat the oven to 200C.

Place the halved apricots in a bowl and sprinkle over 2 Tbsp caster sugar and a dash of green ginger wine, amaretto if desired and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle and the natural juices to seep.

Cut each slice of brioche in half to make 6 pieces and butter generously on both sides. Lay the slices in an ovenproof dish just large enough to hold them.

Spoon over the macerated apricots and press down a little into the bread, spoon over any juices, sprinkle with the remainder sugar and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes so that the bread toasts and the apricots roast and go a little soft.

Serve with pouring cream, vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped mascapone! STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH CURDS

This is my take on a classic Italian dish but utilising local ingredients which make this dish sing with seasonality and flavour!

serves 2 20g butter or 1 Tbsp oil Fresh tomato sauce4 large fresh tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

4 basil leaves and stalk (if possible)

pinch sugar

1 tsp red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper EGGPLANT1 large eggplant/aubergine

12 basil leaves

150g fresh curds (evansdale) or mozeralla

salt and freshly ground pepper

2x eggs, lightly beaten

100g panko or bread crumbs

200 ml oil for frying (approximately) Method Begin by making the fresh tomato sauce. Remove the eye (the green core) with a small sharp knife and cut a small cross lightly through the skin on the other end, repeat with all the tomatoes. Place them in a heat proof bowl and pour over boiling water (from the kettle) and let the tomatoes sit for a couple of minutes or until you see the skin crack. Remove immediatley from the water and peel off the tomato skin, cut the tomatoes into rough chunks and set aside.

In a medium size saucepan add the butter or oil and warm up, add the tomatoes and garlic, cook over a moderate heat until the tomatoes soften. Add the sugar, vinegar and the four basil leaves and stalk. Lower the temperature so that the mixture gently bubbles and the liquid reduces.

Preheat the oven 190C

Meanwhile prepare the eggplant by using either a sharp long knife or a serrated knife. Slice the eggplant lenghtways by starting at one side and cut the slice 5mm thick, but only cut this slice two thirds the way through and then cut another slice 5mm thick but cut this all the way through so that you have a two slices of eggplant but they are still connected. This will make sense when you go to fill them as you want the cheese to fit in the pocket which you have made! Repeat this technique of slicing the epplant so that you get four individual eggplant sandwiches.

Season the eggplant inside and out with a little salt and pepper, place one basil leaf in the cavity and sprinkle over a little curd or cheese. Don't put to much in as it will melt and ooze out when cooking! Set aside.

Add the eggs to a dish which will fit in the eggplant slices, get another dish of a similar size with breadcrumbs.

Place a heavy based large fry pan on a moderate heat, add the oil and warm up. Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture and coat all over, drain off excess and place into the bread crumbs and coat well, press down a little to ensure that the eggplant is well coated. Repeat with remaining eggplants.

Cook the eggplant sandwiches in the oil, try not to over crowd the pan as it is better to do this in batches. You don't want the oil to get too hot or the crumbs cook before the eggplant and you don't want it too cool or it will soak up the oil like a sponge. Once you have a nice golden colour on one side turn carefully and cook this side until golden. Remove carefully and place on greaseproof paper lined baking tray. Cook the eggplant until the flesh is feeling soft and the cheese is gooey.

Finish off the tomato sauce by tasting and adjusting if necessary.

Serve the eggplant hot with a generous spoonful of fresh tomato sauce and a few fresh basil leaves torn over. BASIL PESTO

I do realise this is nothing new but when made with fresh summer basil and pounded in a mortar and pestle this sauce is brought back to life!

makes 1 cup (approx) large bunch fresh basil, about 50 leaves

10g sea salt

40g fresh pine nuts

4 cloves garlic, peeles

100ml olive oil

80g freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese Method For the pesto, put the basil leaves in a large mortar with the salt, pine nuts and garlic. Grind down with the pestle until it becomes a fine pulp. Start to add the oil and continue grinding until the mixture is smooth. Add the parmesan and mix well. PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGES WITH ZUCCHINI (COURGETTES)

serves 4 2 Tbsp oil for cooking

4 pork and fennel sausages

1 onion, sliced thinly

6 fresh tomatoes

4-6 zucchinis

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

salt and freshly ground pepper

drizzle of fresh basil pesto or 4 fresh basil leaves, torn

extra virgin olive oil Method

To begin you need to peel the tomatoes and i do this by removing the eye (the green core) with a small sharp knife and cut a small cross lightly through the skin on the other end, repeat with all the tomatoes. Place them in a heat proof bowl and pour over boiling water (from the kettle) and let the tomatoes sit for a couple of minutes or until you see the skin crack. Remove immediatley from the water and peel off the tomato skin, cut the tomatoes into rough chunks and set aside.

Place large heavy based fry pan onto a moderate heat and add the oil. Add the pork and fennel sausage meat by holding the sausage and squeezing out the flesh so that it looks like little meat balls, add directly to the pan and cook until it begins to colour, add the onions and cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until the onions are soft and sweet. Add the garlic and allow this to cook for a few minutes more so that it removes a little of the punchy flavour. Add the zucchinis and toss in the oil so that it coats and soaks up the flavours. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes or until the zucchini starts to soften and the tomatoes go mushy and juicy, add basil leaves if using and stir lightly. Serve with good quality grilled bread and drizzle with fresh basil pesto and good quality extra virgin olive oil (Dumford Grove).

KUTASH ORGANICS SMOKED GARLIC 

If you haven't yet tried this garlic then it is worth breaking out of your comfort zone and trying it! It can be squeezed out of the cloves and directly into your mouth or if thats not your idea of delicious try it mashed into your homemade mayonnaise, smothered onto toasted bread, whisked into your salad dressings, added to your sauces, and pasta meals. It is so versatile and addictive that you will find that you start to add it to pretty much anything and everything! PICKLED RED ONIONS serves 4

3/4 cup (180ml) white vinegar 3 Tbsp sugar pinch of salt 1 bay leaf 5 allspice berries, or 1 cinnamon stick and 1 star anise 5 whole cloves a small, dried chilli 2 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings Method In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, seasonings and chilli and bring to the boil.

Add the onion slices and lower heat, then simmer gently for 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Transfer the onions and the liquid into a jar then refrigerate until ready to use.

Storage: The onions will keep for several months, but I find they’re best the week they’re made.

 

ALISON WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING VENDORS FOR THEIR FANTASTIC PRODUCE. KAKANUI PRODUCE - eggplant and soil grown tomatoes KUTASH ORGANICS - smoked garlic and garlic products DUNFORD GROVE - extra virgin olive oil TE MAHANGA - zucchinis AQUARIUS GARDENS - fresh basil and salad leaves WAITAKI BACON AND HAM - pork and fennel sausages and premium pork products GILBERTS FINE FOOD- fresh brioche and baked goods ROSEDALE ORCHARDS - fresh apricots and stone fruit ETTRICK GARDENS - red onions