Mixing it up a bit with a juicy Italian inspired pork sandwich, of course made with great products.  I will also have on tasty little flatbreads created with Mama Mia's pizza dough.  Winter delights such as Jerusalem artichokes and purple Brussel sprouts add variety to the salads and sides to the menu and to finish off I will be offering crisp apple and pear rings.

Come by, have a taste and of course talk all things food!!

ITALIAN INSPIRED ROAST PORK SANDWICH

Sandwiches are the in thing at the moment. Anything sandwiched between great bread and dripping with juices is a winner.

Serves 4-6

For the pork

1 kg pork loin

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 ½ Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Pinch fennel seeds, ground

1 Tbsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp oil

Dressing

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper

200g winter leaves (rocket, spinach, kale)

4 Tbsp good quality mayonnaise

Good quality fresh bread – ciabatta or sourdough, cut into 1 ½ cm slices

100g cheese – Evansdale Bay Yellow

Method

Preheat the oven 200C

Mix the garlic, rosemary, parsley, fennel and seasoning together with the 1 Tablespoon of oil. Then generously rub it all over the pork.

Place skin side up into a snug oven dish with a lid, pour over ½ cup water and seal with the lid. Bake for 20 minutes, check on the meat then continue cooking for a further 15-20 minutes or until the meat is just cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest with the lid on for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile – mix the ingredients together for the dressing. And have your sliced bread, cheese, mayonnaise and winter leaves ready.

Remove the meat from the juices and slice thinly.

Spread mayonnaise over one side of the sliced bread, and layer it generously with the pork next add a slice or two of cheese and lightly toss the winter leaves through the dressing. Pile high with the leaves. Spoon over the meat juices and finish with a slice of bread. Press down so it sort of sticks and the juices flow.

Enjoy, it’s delicious!!

 

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Have a unique flavour, particularly when they are baked until almost melting.  To achieve this, roast halved artichokes (if left whole, they may explode in the oven) at a high temperature (200C) drizzled in a little oil until the skin is golden on both sides and they are fully cooked. They are delicious roasted in butter with fresh thyme, lemon rind, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Boiled artichokes scrubbed but unpeeled, can be mashed, creamed with knobs of butter and a good dash of cream – just remember that they don’t mash quite like potatoes. Boil or steam unpeeled artichokes with extra virgin olive oil and toss through a tiny bit of finely diced garlic, some flat-leaf parsley, lemon rind, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

MAMA MIA PIZZA DOUGH - TURNED INTO FLATBREADS

Mama Mia’s pizzas are fast becoming one of my favourites. But did you know you can also purchase his dough. It makes the best flatbreads at home and great for entertaining as you can simply brush them with oil, sprinkle with garlic, rosemary and a pinch of sea salt and bake until golden. It really is that simple.

Today I will be adding Wairuna Organics steamed Jerusalem artichokes, buttery McArthurs leeks and shaving over a little Evansdale cheese and finishing with a little dressed rocker.

A few suggestions to try

• Wilted greens – kale, silverbeet, spinach or rocket, pinch dried chilli flakes, melted onions and cheddar
• Fresh asparagus or spring onions, parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper
• Beetroot, cooked or thinly sliced raw, feta or curd cheese, thyme
• Cooked potatoes, rocket, chilli and mozzarella

PURPLE BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD

Brydone Organic have vibrant crunchy Brussel sprouts at the moment and I love this salad so I am mixing it up a little and making it ‘purple’ (it’s still delicious).

Serves 4 -6

1 kg Brussels sprout, discolored leaves discarded and stems left intact

1 red onion, sliced thinly

1 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted

Freshly ground pepper

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp finely grated Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or any strong, hard type of cheese

1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Sea salt flakes

Method

Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices using a mandolin or by slicing as thin as possible with a knife, add to a suitable size bowl.  Slice the onion to the same thickness as the Brussels sprouts.  With your fingers toss Brussels sprouts and onions to separate layers.

Lightly crush the hazelnuts and add to Brussels sprouts along with cheese.

In another bowl add the vinegar and oil and mix well to combine.

Drizzle the dressing over the Brussels sprouts and toss to combine.  Allow the dressing to mingle into the salad for a few minutes before serving.

Season with a little salt and pepper, taste and adjust if necessary.

 

CRISPY PEAR AND APPLE RINGS

This batter is perfect for coating the fruit, it puffs and crisps in just the right places and makes the fruit moist to eat.

Serves 2-4

1 cup apple and pears peeled, cored and sliced width-wise into flat circles

For the batter

¼ cup buttermilk (milk with 1 tsp added lemon juice and leave at room temperature)

1 tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ cup flour

¼ cup white or raw cane sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup soda water

2 cups canola oil (for frying)

1 cup icing sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

To finish

Serve with squeeze of lemon juice and dusting of sugar and cinnamon.

Method

Toss raw apple rings in lemon juice until coated.

Mix the icing sugar and remaining 1/2 cup of flour together.

Add 2 cups of canola oil to a deep heavy based large pot and heat on medium high or until it reaches 170C.

Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir in the soda water and buttermilk until just combined.

Toss apple slices in icing sugar mixture, then dip apples one-by-one in the batter, submerging them all the way.

Carefully add the battered apple slices. The oil will be very hot

Cook until brown, about 1-2 minutes, then flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes until both sides are browned. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Lemon, sugar and pinch cinnamon to serve (or vanilla icecream)

 

Alison would like to thank the following vendors for their outstanding products.

EVANSDALE CHEESE – bay yellow

INDIGO BAKERY – freshly baked bread

WAIRUNA ORGANICS – Jerusalem artichokes

HAVOC PORK - pork loin

BRYDONE ORGANICS – purple Brussel sprout

MCARTHURS BERRY FARM – leeks

WILLOWBROOK ORCHARD – apple and pears

MAMA MIA PIZZAS – delicious pizzas and pizza dough