Autumn has arrived and with this season I now panic to get on top of the last of the summer produce.  It is time to preserve; bottling needs done, jams, relishes, pickles need made, jarred and labelled.  It may seem a bit extra work to fit into our busy schedule but it will be a welcome addition in the colder months.

Menu today is fresh and varied. I have been taking more time lately to catch up with the many vendors at the market and I also get the honour to try out new and exciting ingredients and products.  I have fallen in love with Sandhurst mushroom butter which could be incorporated into so many dishes, go great with steak, fish and melted through pasta, which is what I will be doing today.  I also have a fantastic selection of nutritious market vegetables which I will be mixing up into quite interesting dishes.  I have Revival's wholesome oat cakes which have a great story behind how Victoria created these fabulous products. I also have refreshing Whitestone sheeps feta, Kakanui produce tomatoes and basil from Janefield Hydroponics.  And as always to finish I will have something sweet to complete my menu. Plum and chocolate torte which is not only  filled with juicy plums from Harwarden Organics it is also oozing with chunks of Ocho chocolate PNG 66% - wow its amazing.

See you all at the mobile kitchen.

 

 

BROCCOLI BREAD

I have been making this veg-based bread for some time now and I love the fact that it is totally gluten-free and it is jam packed full of nutrients especially when using organic broccoli.

Serves 4 as a sandwich

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli

1 Tbsp good quality oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper

2-3 free-range eggs

1 tsp fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, marjoram, basil), roughly chopped

Method

Preheat the oven 180C

Line a 25cmx20cm swiss roll tin or something similar with greaseproof paper, lightly oiled.

Roughly chop the broccoli into pieces and then process in batches in food processor until finely chopped.

Remove and place into suitable sized bowl, add the oil, chopped herbs and seasoning, add 2 eggs and mix to combine. If the mixture looks dry add the remaining egg. Mix until combined.

Turn out onto lined baking tray and smooth evenly over.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread feels firm to the touch.

Remove and cool before cooling on wire rack.

Cut into desired sizes and fill with your choice of filling.

NB I like to fill mine with Whitestones sheep feta, sun ripened tomatoes, basil and sprouts

 

PLUM AND CHOCOLATE TORTE

This cake has deep flavours, deep textures and takes you on a journey to a foreign café.

Serves 12

Ingredients

500g plums

180g butter, softened

180g brown sugar

3 eggs

180g flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch mixed spice

180g whole roasted almonds, finely chopped

80g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (ocho 66%)

Method

Grease and line a 25cm round removable base cake tin.

Preheat the oven 170C

Prepare the plums, by removing the stones and cutting into bite sized pieces, set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy and light in colour.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition.

Sieve the dry ingredients (except the almonds) together and add to the mixture, mix well to combine.

Add the almonds, chocolate and fold through.

Finish by adding the plums and mix through. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before carefully removing.

Enjoy.

KOHLRABI SLAW

 

Kohlrabi (also known as cabbage turnip) has a lovely radishy crunch and a turnipy mildness. Great eaten raw in slaws and salads.

Serves 4

ingredients

1 kohlrabi, coarsely grated

1 pepper, finely sliced

1 chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely sliced

½ red onion, finely sliced

3 Tbsp coconut cream

1 Tbsp soy sauce

juice of ½ lime, more to taste

50g roasted rice (or chopped peanuts)

small handful coriander leaves and basil

Method

Toss the kohlrabi, pepper, chilli, onions and half the roasted rice and coriander leaves together in a large bowl.

Mix together the coconut cream, soy and lime juice and toss with the veg to combine.

Sprinkle with the rest of the rice, coconut and coriander to serve.

 

OAT CAKES, SHEEPS FETA, SUN RIPENED TOMATOES AND SMASHED BASIL

We don’t need a recipe for this as such, its more about getting fantastic quality products and serving simply.

Serves 4-6

ingredients

1 pkt Revival Oat cakes

200g Whitestones sheep milk feta cheese

4-6 sweet sun ripened tomatoes, cut into slices or half depending on size.

Smashed basil

100g fresh basil leaves

Pinch sea salt flakes

1 tsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

To make the smashed basil, simply add the basil leaves to your mortar and pestle, add a pinch of salt and pound to form a rough paste. Add the vinegar and oil and stir to combine. Serve drizzled over tomatoes, cheese, fish and meat.

 

MUSHROOM BUTTER PASTA

The mushroom butter which is made by Stonehurst mushrooms is a simple addition to liven up and meal, it is fabulous tossed through pasta, melted over a steak, sautéed with vegetables or add to a pan of sizzling squid or prawns to finish it off.

Serves 5

Ingredients

500g pasta

150g mushroom butter

70g parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 lemon, juice of

Handful fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

When boiling add the pasta and cook as the directions on the packet. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water for later use.

Tip the pasta back into the pot, add the mushroom butter, squeeze over half a lemon, grate over a good handful of parmesan cheese, season lightly and finish with parsley. Toss to combine, if too dry add 1 tablespoon of pasta water at a time. Toss the pasta it should have a lovely gloss to the sauce and it should just cling to the pasta.

Serve with more parmesan and plenty of cracked black pepper.

 

QUICK RASPBERRY JAM

Raspberry jam is one of the fastest to make as the raspberries need little cooking and it sets quickly.

Makes 800g

Ingredients

500g raspberries

400g sugar

½ lemon, juice only

Method

Put the raspberries in a large saucepan and heat gently until they soften and the juices start to run. Press the raspberries with the edge of a wooden spoon to break them up, then stir in the sugar and lemon juice.

Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

Bring the mixture to the boil and boil for about 5-6 minutes until setting point is reached. To test, place a teaspoon of the jam on a small plate and chill for 2 minutes. The surface should wrinkle when pushed with a finger. If necessary, boil the jam a little longer. If the surface of the jam becomes foamy, skim it off with a slotted spoon.

Ladle the jam into sterilised jars, cover with lids.

Label and store for up to 12 months

 

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

REVIVAL FOOD COMPANY – oat cakes

OCHO CHOCOLATE – PNG 66% chocolate

HARWARDEN ORGANICS – plums

WHITESTONE CHEESE – sheep’s feta

BUTLERS BERRIES – raspberries

STONEHURST MUSHROOMS – mushroom butter

BRYDONE ORGANICS – broccoli

WAIRUNA ORGANICS – kohlrabi

KAKANUI PRODUCE – soil grown tomatoes and chillies

BEANOS BAKERY – fresh baked breads

JANEFIELD HYDROPONICES - basil