OTAGO FARMERS MARKET - MOBILE KITCHEN

This is an usual time at the moment as the weather is sitting below the average, rain is continuously pouring and winds are wild and full of damage, resulting with fewer or slower growth with our vegetables and fruits.  Still we are in the far south and it can change with a blink of the eye so fingers crossed that the sun and warmth reappear soon so we can start to sink our teeth into some sweet juicy Central Otago fruit.

However the strawberry cake recipe will put a smile on your face as it full of summer, it is perfect for those larger festive parties as it is made in a roasting tin.  Jersey Benne potatoes from Kakanui will be turned into a creamy potato salad, pork and bok choy team up for a quick stir fry and Cos lettuce is simply shredded tossed with a little dressing and enjoyed with memories of Greece (and sunshine).

Have a great day and remember there are only a few more market days until Christmas!

See you soon...

SUMMER IS HERE....(strawberries)

STRAWBERRY CAKE

This cake is to get us excited about the oncoming burst of berries; it is the perfect cake for parties, picnics and birthdays!

Maked 15 squares

175g unsalted butter

70g (3 Tbsp) sour cream or crème fraiche

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

225g plain flour

100g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

200g caster sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

400g strawberries (1 ½ punnets), ½ roughly chopped, ½ finely sliced

50g raw cane sugar, to sprinkle over the cake

icing sugar , to serve

Method

Grease a deep, 20 x 30cm baking tray or roasting tin, line with greaseproof. Heat your oven to 160C/140C fan.

Melt the butter, take off the heat and stir in the sour cream or crème fraiche and the vanilla, set aside.

Put the caster sugar and eggs into a large bowl, and whisk with electric beaters until very thick and foamy, about 5 minutes.

Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon fine salt together and set aside.

Pour in the butter mix, whisk briefly, then add the flour mix and whisk briefly again until even. Stir in the chopped strawberries, then pour the batter into the tin and level the top.

Scatter the sliced strawberries and the raw cane sugar over the cake, then bake for 45minutes -1 hour until risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the tin, then transfer the cake to a rack.

Just before serving, dust with a little icing sugar.

GREEK COS SALAD - Maroulosalata

this may not be the salad but this picture (thanks to kalofagas) reminds me of life in Greece.....

Cos lettuce (also known as Romaine) is the only kind used for this favorite salad.

2 heads of Cos (Romaine) lettuce

4 spring onions, cleaned and finely chopped (bulb and stalk)

1 tsp chopped dill or fennel leaves

3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp crushed dried Greek oregano (rigani) (available from Kanuka organics)

freshly ground pepper

sea salt

Method

Clean the lettuce, removing the stem and discarding damaged leaves. Separate and rinse leaves and dry well. Shred the lettuce by hand (cutting as thinly as possible).

Whisk together the oil and vinegar, add oregano, salt, and pepper (if using dried dill, add it now to the dressing).

In a salad bowl, combine lettuce, fresh dill, and spring onions. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

PORK AND BOK CHOY

Serves 2

250g pork, loin orschnitzel, cut into thin strips

Bunch of Bok Choy

2 Tbsp fresh basil or coriander, chopped

2 Tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sweet sherry (optional)

2 tsp sesame oil

Method

Wash bok choy, drain.

Cut leaves into wide strips and cut the stems into thin strips

Heat oil in wok to medium heat add garlic, stir fry 30 seconds

Raise heat to high, add a little more oil add steak and brown in small batches. Remove from wok.

Add bok choy, stir fry 30 seconds add meat, soy sauce and sherry and stir fry 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

POTATO SALAD

This is one of those over the top creamy potato salads which I love.  I usually use up the left-over cooked Jersey Benne potatoes for this salad!

Serves 4-6

1 kg jersey benne potatoes, washed and scrubbed to remove most of the skin

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp of your favourite mustard

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 gherkins, diced

6 slices of bacon, cooked* and finely chopped (optional)

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

*To cook the bacon, heat a frying pan on medium low. Cut the bacon into thin pieces and fry until golden and crispy.

Method

In a large pot half fill with water and bring to the boil, add salt (1 tsp) and potatoes and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. (If you want, add some gherkin juice to the drained, still slightly warm potatoes. The potatoes will absorb some of the juices, making them even tastier!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard. Add a little salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and use a rubber spatula to gently combine. Add the rest of the ingredients, again gently combining. (Include a couple tablespoons of the gherkin juice for good measure.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Tart Tin (nice)

ALISON WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING VENDORS FOR THEIR FANTASTIC PRODUCE

ETTRICK GARDENS – strawberries KAKANUI PRODUCE – Jersey benne potatoes WAITAKI BACON AND HAM – pork goods LIEVITIO BAKERY – fresh baked goods JANE FIELD HYDROPONICS – bok choy and coriander ROSEDALE ORCHARDS – fresh fruit and juice AQUARIUS GARDENS – cos lettuce

Kevin - Lievito bakery