Who is loving this weather?? Yes indeed we are on a roll with our late summer, but hey better late than not at all....!

I will be at the market more often which is great as I love to be hands on with what is happening with food in our region.  The producers are enjoying this flurry of growth, fruit is sweet, juicy and plump.  Vegetables have caught up after our extremely cold winter and slow start to summer.  On my menu this week I get to show off Waitaki Bacon and Ham fresh fennel and pork sausages, I will be spreading them out in a delicious pasta with some of Waikouaiti Gardens organic heritage tomatoes.  This recipe is one I do often but it is a great way to feed the family or flat using high quality ingredients yet still making it affordable.

I will also be cooking Brydone Organics award winning produce with a simple yet fine examples of how exceptional their organic vegetables really are.  I also will be cooking with Wairuna Organics sweet, tender carrots and to finish a juicy, sweet peach pie with Willowbrook Orchards divine peaches. Oh and fresh bread from Indigo Bakery.

See you at the market and of course I will be cooking and talking in the mobile kitchen.

 

BRYDONES WARM POTATO, BEETROOT AND ONION SALAD

3 humble ingredients cooked to enhance their natural organic flavour resulting in a highly nutritious, delicious salad that can accompany almost anything or simply enjoyed on its own!

Serves 4

500-600g Agria potatoes, scrubbed

¼ cup salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 sprigs fresh thyme

500g beetroot with tops, remove tops and set aside, scrub beetroot

2-4 medium red onions

50g butter

80 ml balsamic vinegar

Sea salt flakes

Dressing

50 ml tahini paste

2 Tbsp lemon juice

80ml water

1 clove of garlic, crushed

30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C

Begin by preparing the beetroot; Tear off a large pieces of tin foil and place the beetroot in the centre, add 50 ml balsamic vinegar, 4 sprigs of thyme, pinch sea salt flakes and a few grinds of cracked pepper, add 2 Tbsp water. Gather up the sides of the foil to make a parcel and place on a baking tray. Bake until tender 40 -60 minutes depending on size.

To cook the potatoes, place ¼ cup sea salt flakes on the bottom on heavy based medium sized oven dish, place the potatoes on top and nestle the potatoes in the salt. Sprinkle over a little more if needed. The potatoes do not have to be completely covered but you want them to bake in the salt.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until they are just tender. When cooked brush off excess salt.

Onions; once again we are baking these in the oven and you will require a snug sized oven dish. Carefully score the top of the onion across both ways to create a cross shape. Place a knob of butter on each onion, a sprig of thyme, season lightly and drizzle over remaining balsamic vinegar. Bake in the oven until the onions is sweet and tender 30-40 minutes depending on size.

Whilst the vegetables are cooking prepare the dressing and pick through the beetroot leaves.

To make the dressing thoroughly whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water and garlic in a bowl – you are wanting a smooth texture. Stir in the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt to taste.

To assemble – cut the potatoes into wedges and place on the bottom of your serving dish. In a bowl, add the beetroot leaves, pull apart the onion into largish chunks, cut the beetroot into bite sized pieces and add. Drizzle over any cooking juices and season lightly with sea salt. Toss gently to combine.

Place loosely over the potatoes and finish by drizzling over the tahini dressing.

Serve and enjoy the simplicity of this dish as the ingredients do all the talking!!

 

SWEET CARROTS AND THYME

Simply roasting carrots like this adds a more intensity to their flavour and softens their texture.

Serves 4 as a sides

ingredients

600g bunched carrots, scrubbed well, tops trimmed, left whole or cut in ½ in large

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

few sprigs fresh thyme

2 Tbsp clear honey

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Put the carrots in a baking dish. Toss in the olive oil and vinegar. Season and scatter over the sprigs of thyme. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Remove from the oven and toss in the honey. Uncover and roast for a further 15-20 minutes or so, until the carrots are just tender.

Toss through the parsley, sprinkle with a little sea salt flakes.

Serve

PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGE, HEIRLOOM TOMATO PASTA

 

 

For this dish to sing you need to use great tasting ingredients,

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

500g pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

450g pork and fennel sausages

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

350g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

Sea salt flakes

Freshly cracked black pepper

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated for serving

Method

Start by 2/3 filling a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a rolling boil.

Meanwhile heat a large fry pan up with a dash of oil, remove the meat from the sausages by simply squeezing the meat out so they form little meatballs. Add them to the fry pan and cook for a couple of minutes or until golden, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, add the garlic, and tomatoes and toss through with the sausage. Allow to fry for another minute so the tomato starts to colour and caramelises a little, add ¼ cup water to loosen up the tomatoes and to get all the tasty bits off the bottom, reduce until thick and glossy.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and give a brief stir to ensure it doesn’t stick. If using fresh pasta, it will only take about 3-5 minutes (always check the packet for times), if using dried it will take considerably longer.

When your pasta is cooked drain away 90% of the cooking liquid and reserve the remaining.

Add the pasta and a little of the cooking water this will loosen the sauce so that it clings comfortably to the pasta – add more liquid if needed. Season well with salt and fresh ground pepper and generously grate over plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 

 

PEACH TART

Free forming tarts are fantastic. Very little fuss and great results.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Pastry

200g flour

170 g cold butter, cut into small cubes

50g caster sugar, extra for sprinkling

2 Tbsp milk

3-4 ripe yellow peaches, sliced into wedges

2 Tbsp brown or coconut sugar

2-3 Tbsp marmalade

Method

To make the pastry – put the flour and sugar in a food processor, add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and pulse until the mixture just holds together. If too dry add a drop or two more of milk. Remove from the food processor and bring together on your work surface. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 20 -30 minutes. This can be made by hand.

Preheat the oven 190C

Slice the peaches into even sized wedges and place into suitable sized bowl, add the brown sugar and toss together. Set aside.

Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on sheet of lightly floured baking paper to form a 30-35 cm diameter round. Transfer the pastry onto a baking tray.

Spoon the marmalade in a circle allowing a 5 cm edge. Now arrange the peaches evenly over the marmalade. You can either do this rustically or arrange them in a neat overlapping circle.

Gently fold over the extra pastry around the edges of the tart and pinch them to make sure the juices from the fruit don’t escape during cooking. Scatter some sugar over the pastry.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the fruit is oozing with juices.

Cool slightly before eating.

 

HEIRLOOM TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL SALAD

This salad can only be made with the sweetest tomatoes, creamiest mozzarella and exceptional olive oil. Simplicity and quality are the key ingredients to this dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

250-300g perfectly sun ripened tomatoes, room temperature (if possible mix up the varieties)

150g fresh mozzarella

10 basil leaves

Sea salt flakes

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

6 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Slice the tomatoes into thickish rounds, and cut cherry tomatoes in half if using (it is good to have a variety).

Place onto 2 plates and scatter over a little sea salt.

Tear the mozzarella into pieces and place over the tomatoes.

Do the same with the basil leaves and scatter over the mozzarella.

In a small bowl mix together the balsamic vinegar, oil and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and pour over the salad.

Serve immediately.

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

WAIKOUAITI GARDENS – certified organic heritage tomatoes

BRYDONE ORGANICS – award winning organic potatoes, red onions and beetroot

WAITAKI BACON AND HAM – fresh fennel and pork sausages

WILLOWBROOK ORCHARDS – peaches

WAIRUNA ORGANICS – organic carrots

INDIGO BAKERY – freshly baked baguettes