Autumn is in the air and yes the weather is saying warming, comforting dishes. But we still have to enjoy the seasonal harvest, beans are crunchy, coloured and delicious at the moment so I recommend adding these to salads, serving as a veg, adding a crunch to salads and simply munching away for a Moorish snack.

Corn has finally arrived at the market and Rosedales corn is always worth the wait. This week  I am making a fantastic relish which can accompany so much.  Thai basil and purple basil are available in abundance this Saturday at the market and I will be using both of these pungent herbs in different manors.

I will also be making a wonderful one pot dish using Award winning Waitiaki Bacon and Ham.  I will be combing their pork and fennel sausages with some fresh tomatoes. This a wonderful dish and one that can be varied to suit.

Look forward to catching up tomorrow and cooking and eating some of Otago's best products.

Have a great weekend.

FRENCH BEANS WITH GARLIC

This classic dish was given to me by a lady at the market and one that I thought I should share with you all.

500g beans, top and tails removed

4 cloves garlic, slice thinly

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt flakes

Method

Bring a medium size pot of lightly salted water to the boil and plunge in the beans and cook for 1 minute. Drain immediately and refresh.

In another pot or deep fry pan add the oil, garlic and salt and warm through.  Add the drain cooked beans and warm through.

Serve the beans in the oil and garlic mixture.

This is great with fresh bread.

 

FRESH CORN RELISH

This relish is fresh, spicy and crunchy and good with almost everything!

Makes 1.5 kg

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped

3 onions, diced

1 red capsicum, seeds removed and roughly chopped

1 green capsicum, seeds removed and roughly chopped

4 cups corn kernels (cut from 4-6 ears, depending on how big the ears are)

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 red chilli, seeded and finely diced

1 ¼  cups sugar

2 Tbsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ cups apple cider or white wine vinegar

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin

Method

To save time you can easily cut the ingredients for this quick relish in the food processor.  I suggest doing it in batches so it doesn’t go mushy.

Pulse the cucumbers, onions and capsicum so that they are all a similar size, I go on the size of a kernel of corn.

Place mixture in a medium-sized, thick-bottomed pot.  Add the corn, tomatoes, chillies, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, turmeric and ground cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.

Spoon the corn relish into clean jars and seal. Will last for 4-6 weeks refrigerate.

 

GOATS CHEESE SALAD

This delicious salad reminds me of France, with the addition of our local, market products we can do our own version. Get creative!

serves 4 For the dressing: 4 tsp of Dijon mustard (preferably with seeds) 4 tsp of light honey pinch of sea salt 2 tsp of white wine vinegar (can be substituted for lemon juice) 3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Goats cheese 12 slices of baguette or something similar so you get a nice sized round (just below 1 cm thick) 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 4 Tbsp plum jelly 200 g of goat's cheese brie (sliced 6-7 mm thick)

300g rocket leaves,

100g cherry tomatoes,

2 peaches, firm but ripe, cut into small wedges

30g freshly toasted walnuts

Method

Combine all ingredients of the dressing in a little bowl and whisk till you get a smooth emulsion. Set aside. Layer the bread slices on a baking tray. Slightly brush each slice with olive oil. Spread some plum jelly over the slices (it should be around 2 mm thick). Cover the jam with cheese slices.

Just before plating up, add the salad leaves, tomatoes, peaches and walnuts, drizzle with the dressing and toss gently. Either place all the salad together on a large platter or you can plate it individually.

Bake the toasts in the oven preheated to 180C for 5 minutes (the cheese should start melting a little). Take out of the oven and place on top of the salad.

Serve immediately.

CARROT AND THAI BASIL FRITTERS

This Thai inspired fritters are fragrant and refreshing, you could add prawns or fish if desired.

Makes 18

4 spring onions, chopped

4-5 carrots, finely grated

2 zucchini, finely grated

small knob ginger root, finely grated

2 sprigs fresh mint

Handful Thai basil, finely chopped

1-2 chillies, finely chopped

2 Tbsp rice flour

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

handful coriander, finely chopped

Method

In a food processor, blend together the spring onions, carrots, zucchini, ginger, mint, basil and chilli to a coarse texture. Scoop walnut-sized balls out of the mixture with a spoon and coat each ball in the rice flour.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan or wok, until a breadcrumb sizzles and browns when dropped in it. Always be extremely careful when around hot oil.

Add each fritter to the pan, one-by-one, until the mixture is used up (you may have to cook the fritters in batches if necessary).

When the fritters are golden-brown, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Continue until all the mixture is done, serve with freshly lemon or lime and a sprinkle of salt.

 

Alison would like to thank the following vendors for their outstanding produce

Wairuna organics – rocket

Harwarden organics – peaches

Jane field hydroponics – thai basil and microgreens

Bouche – red plum jelly

Te Mangha – beans

Whitestone Cheese – goats Brie

Waikouati Gardens – organic purple basil and cherry tomatoes

Rosedale Orchard – fresh corn

Waitaki Bacon and Ham –pork and fennel sausages

Brydone Organics – organic garlic

Judge Rock Wines – central Otago wines