{Christmas Food to share}

For our November meeting we shared delicious Christmas food.

Shara's Cranberry and Walnut Brie Wheel
serves many, you can half the recipe and use a smaller brie wheel
1 cup                    port
1 cup (220g)        caster sugar
2 cups (240g)      frozen cranberries (dried cranberries will work if frozen are not available)
2 tsp                     cornflour
300g                     soft goat's cheese
150g                      gorgonzola dolce
1 large (3kg)       wheel of ripe brie
2 cups (200g)      walnuts, toasted and chopped
Watercress and toasted baguette, to serve

Place port, sugar and 1 cup water in a pan over low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Add berries and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring, until they start to burst. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbs cold water to make a smooth paste. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until thickened. Cool. (This cranberry sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead and kept refrigerated.)

Whiz goat's cheese and gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth.

Split the brie through the centre into 2 rounds. Place the bottom half on a platter. Spread with half the cheese mixture, sprinkle with half the walnuts and pour over half the cranberry sauce. Top with the remaining brie, cheese mixture, nuts and sauce, then garnish with watercress and serve with toasted baguette. Alternatively, cut small wedges and serve on plates with a green salad

Shara's Chocolate Caramel Crackers
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/04/chocolate-caramel-crackers/

Alison’s Corn Cakes

makes about 15 cake. Recipe from Gourmet Traveller December 2000
1 cob corn, husks and silks removed
¼ tsp sweet paprika
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
2 eggs, lightly whipped
50g plain flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
 
Topping
½ cup light sour cream
2 tbsp purchased chilli jam
100g crisp fried proscuitto, coarsley broken
2 tbsp chopped chives  

Remove kernels from corn and combine with paprika, green onion, coriander and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add flour and stir until just combined, then season to taste. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and cook scant tablespoons of corn cake batter over medium heat until cakes are golden brown on both sides.

Top corn cakes with light sour cream, chilli jam and proscuitto. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

Goat’s cheese and onion marmalade on croutons

Recipe from Gourmet Traveller October 1999
5 cm square bread croutons
¼ cup olive oil
3 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
250 g goats cheese         

Brush bread croutons with melted butter and toast in the oven until crisp.
Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes until very soft.  Stir in brown sugar and vinegar and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then season to taste.  Spread goat’s feta over croutons and top with onion marmalade.

Skye's Fig and Walnut Paste

Skye's Watermelon and Feta Salad

Pizza

It's hard to believe, but orangeFEAST has been going for over 3 months already!  Friday night saw our 4th gathering.  It was a casual affair of pizza, pizza, and more pizza.  We all had a go at making different types of pizzas, and we ate lots.  And lots.  And lots!  
Looking forward to next month where we will try our hand at something a little more complicated.  More details to follow...

Lemon Almonds

I made these almonds to nibble on before we cooked dinner. They were really delicious and appealed equally to grown ups and my 2 year old. I took the advice of the reviewers and turned the oven down, used more lemon juice than stated and a bit less salt also. They keep well in a sealed container. Vogue Lemon Almond Recipe

Lemonade

We didn't get to sample it at our last FEAST, but here is the recipe for lemonade.  It is really easy, and is great in summer especially.  Add cold water, or to make it extra yum, add sparkling mineral water.


Lemonade


6 lemons
1.5 cups white sugar


Place the sugar and 1.5 cups of water in a small saucepan.  Finely grate the zest of two of the lemons and add this to the saucepan.  Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly.  Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.


Squeeze the juice of all 6 of the lemons and add to the saucepan.  Allow to cool.


Strain the mixture into a bottle.  Seal and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.


Dilute as required.


Makes 3 cups concentrated syrup.


[From 'The Perfect Cookbook' by David Herbert]


Marianne

STOP PRESS

Our next meeting will be on Friday the 17th of August at Marianne's.  We will be making (and eating!) pizza.  

{Lemons} Sticky Lemon Shortcake

A delicious recipe from Christina for lemon shortcake. This can be served like slice or baked in a round tin it makes a great dessert, a simple lemon tart! We enjoyed cream with ours.

Sticky Lemon Shortcake
serves 8
275 g butter, softened
90g icing sugar
350 plain flour
Topping
300g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 lemons, rind and juice
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 22cm round springform or a 20 cm square pan with baking paper.

Cream the butter and icing sugar in a food processor. Sprinkle the flour over and process until the mixture starts to form a ball. Press into the pan. If the mixture is too sticky, keep your fingers dusted with flour.

Bake for 10-15 minutes then remove from the oven. While the base is cooling make the topping.

Place the sugar in a food processor and pour in the eggs. Process for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over and add the lemon rind and juice. Mix quickly in the processor.

Pour over the base. Return to the oven and bake for a further 30 - 35 minutes or until golden in colour and firm to the touch.

Cool in the pan. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Cooking with Lemons

Our third meeting was about all things lemon. With a record turnout, after much chatting, nibbling and sipping, we split into two groups and cooked up a zesty two course feast! Many hands made light work and we sat down to a delicious lemony pasta, a favourite recipe supplied by Katy, followed by Lemon Delicious, a self saucing pudding which is an old favourite of mine.

We had a fun mix of women who had no trouble chatting well into the night about things food related and otherwise. Hopefully some of them will drop by and share their favourite lemon recipes with us here. It was great to have Emily from Fuss Free Cooking join us for the first time, check out her blog and her yummy recipe for Lemon, leek and feta quiches which she made for us.

Orriechetta with Lemon Zest, Basil and Chilli Garlic Masala

from David Bitton - A French-inspired cafe cookbook

serves 4

This is a classic Italian pasta dish that combines the summery tastes of lemon and basil. The addition of chilli garlic masala is perfect with the tomatoes and basil. This is an easy to prepare dish for those times you don't really feel like cooking.

750g orriechetta dried pasta

125 g butter

1 tbsp chilli and garlic, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped

200g cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)

8 basil leaves, finely sliced

Sea salt and white pepper, to season

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Add the pasta and stir to prevent them from sticking together. Boil according to packet instructions. Drain well, if not ready to use immediately stir through a dash of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together and set aside.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. When it is foaming, tip in the cooked pasta and stir to coat with the butter. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve in pasta bowls.

Lemon Delicious
serves 6, but keeps well overnight and heats up nicely the next day if you only have 2.

When the pudding is cooked you will have a delicate cake on top and tangy lemon sauce underneath. Serve hot, with cream or custard.

45 g butter

¾ C caster sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
3-4 eggs, separated
3 tbsp plain flour
1 C milk
¼ C lemon juice
pinch salt

Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon rind and egg yolks and beat well. Sprinkle sifted flour on top and stir in with milk and lemon juice. Beat eggwhites in with salt and a bit of the sugar until stiff peaks form and fold lightly into pudding mixture.

Spoon into a greased 6-cup ovenproof dish and place in a roasting tin containing enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake in a pre-heated moderately hot oven 160C for 1 hour until cake topping is cooked when tested with a fine skewer. (A fine skewer, because if you test it with a knife, it will probably deflate like a souffle.)