Great produce, succulent award winning ham, first of the seasons gooseberries and strawberries. Also only the best in new season Jersey Benne potatoes and hopefully if we can get some warm weather we will be crunching on Palmerston Asparagus.

Have a great day and do come by the market kitchen to say hi, talk food and of course have a taster of the finest local, spring products from the market.

HOW TO GLAZE A HAM

Award winning hams like I am using today really need very little attention, so keep it that way. A simple glaze which sticks to the delicious fat and makes for an even more delicious finish. You can glaze it with spices, honey, sugars and so on.

Today I am simply smothering it in marmalade and mustard.

Serves 6 – for small and 15- 20 for large

Ingredients

3-6kg pre-cooked ham

1 jar marmalade

2 Tbsp grain mustard

¼ cup water

Method

Remove the ham from the refrigerator (still wrapped) a couple of hours before you intend to cook it so that it can get closer to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 160C.

You need to remove the skin before coating in the glaze. To do this, using a sharp knife and your hands peel back the skin, trying to keep as much fat on the ham as possible as this not only keeps in the moisture it also adds flavour. You may find the skin peels off easily if not, use the tip of the knife to help separate the skin from the fat.

Once you have done this, lightly score the surface of the fat.

Add the marmalade, mustard and about ¼ cup water to a small pot, warm through stirring so that the marmalade loosens.

Place the ham, fat side up in a foil-lined roasting pan.

Spoon over enough glaze to coat the ham and place into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, spoon over more glaze and any that is on the bottom of the roasting pan. Continue to bake until the skin is golden, sticky and crisp (20-30 minutes)

Remember as the ham is cooked you only want to warm through and to get the skin crisp and delicious.

Serve either warm or at room temperature.

 

ASPARGUS SOUP

This soup can be served either hot or chilled and goes beautifully with a toasted cheese sandwich.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 bunches asparagus, woody bases trimmed and discarded

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

750 ml good quality chicken or vegetable stock

200g spinach, young chard or rocket leaves

10 mint leaves

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly grated pepper

4 eggs (optional) for poaching

Method

Begin by cutting the asparagus. Cut off just below the tips of the asparagus and reserve for later. Now remove the woody base and discard and cut the remainder up into bite sized pieces.

In a medium sized pot add one tablespoon oil, the shallots and asparagus (not the tips). Saute over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes.

Add the stock and a pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.

Add the greens, mint leaves and extra virgin olive oil.

Blend until smooth and creamy looking.

Return to the heat and bring back to the boil, adjust seasoning and finish by adding the asparagus tip.

Bring a medium sized pot onto the boil with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. When boiling break the eggs in one at a time. Reduce the heat so that it is gently simmering. When the eggs are soft poached (3 minutes) remove with a slotted spoon.

Remove from heat immediately and serve with the soft poached egg on top.

Eat immediately.

JERSEY BENNE WITH BUTTER AND MINT

No mucking around today, it’s all about the potatoes! They are creamy, nutty and irresistible at the moment.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 kg Jersey Benne potatoes

2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves

40 g salted butter

sea salt and black pepper

Method

Gently wash potatoes, scrapping the papery skin off is the best way to enjoy them, but when this fresh a good scrub will give you great results.

Bring water to a rolling boil in suitable sized saucepan

Reduce heat. Add potatoes, 1 Tbsp of salt and two sprigs of mint. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes

Drain potatoes and remove mint sprigs

Add fresh chopped mint, butter, salt and pepper to the saucepan.

Combine gently and serve.

 

 

GOOSEBERRY AND ELDERFLOWER MUFFINS

First of the gooseberries are in, so let’s get cooking!

Makes 12 medium

Ingredients

150g plain flour

1 level dessertspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

40g cane sugar

2 Tbsp milk

75ml elderflower cordial

50g butter, melted and cooled slightly

225g gooseberries, topped and tailed

For the topping:

18 extra (approx. 100g) gooseberries, topped and tailed

2 Tbsp cane sugar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C

Line medium muffin trays with cake papers or lightly grease with melted butter and dusting of flour.

Begin by sifting the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

In another bowl whisk together the egg, sugar, milk, elderflower cordial and melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, add the gooseberries and gently fold through to combine. Do not overmix as this will make them tough and peaks will form on the surface.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, place 2-3 gooseberries per muffin and sprinkle over a little cane sugar on each.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the surface bounces back when lightly touched.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin.

 

STRAWBERRIES ON ‘POSH’ TOAST

Yes we have first of the sun-ripened strawberries here. When the first arrive I love nothing better than to pop them straight into my mouth. But this delicious recipe is great for brunch or a dessert treat!

Serves 4

4 slices brioche

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 tsp caster sugar

2 Tbsp Ocho roasted cocoa flakes

300 g strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

3 tsp icing sugar

4 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

4 tsp cream

1 lemon zest, finely grated

1/8 tsp vanilla bean extract

Method

Preheat grill to medium.

Brush both sides of each slice brioche with butter and arrange on a baking sheet. Grill on both sides until toasted and golden. Remove from grill and sprinkle both sides with caster sugar and ocho cocoa flakes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with 4 teaspoon icing sugar.

In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining 1 teaspoon icing sugar, mascarpone, cream, lemon zest and vanilla.

To assemble, spread the tops of the brioche slices with the mascarpone mixture. Spoon over the strawberries out of their juice with a slotted spoon (reserve juice). Scatter fruit evenly over the brioche slices. Drizzle with some of the remaining juices just before serving.

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

OCHO CHOCOLATE – roasted cocoa flakes

MCARTHURS BERRY FARM – gooseberries

PALMERSTON ASPARAGUS – fresh asparagus

BRYDONE ORGANICS – jersey benne potatoes

WAITAKI BACON AND HAM – award winning ham

GILBERTS FINE FOODS – freshly baked brioche

ETTRICK GARDENS – strawberries

JANEFIELD HYDROPONICS - chard