{What If} Stew... to brown or not to brown

June was our experimentation night. We prepared lamb stew two ways to see if browning the meat does make for a better stew. We used the lamb recipe below, browning one and just dumping all the ingredients in for the other, and baked both pots in the over for quite a few hours... Ok we admit, we were having such a good time by then we forgot to check them when we should have. So after 4 hours in the over we tested both stews and the non-browned one was the best. It didn't taste tough like I thought it might, the meat pulled apart beautifully. The browned stew was possibly a tad overdone but I still think the other would have been better anyone.

Following this we shared a delicious dinner for dip and cheese followed by braised octopus.

Finally we enjoyed  hot chocolate taste test. Kasia brought along a range of hot chocolate brands and we tried them all. Lindt chocolate flake hot chocolate and Vittoria's Chocochino were our favourite.

Lamb Stew with Red Wine and Anchovies
http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/recipe/lamb-stew-with-red-wine-anchovies-and-parmesan-20121123-29udp.html

Fresh Pea and Lime Hummus
http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/pea-recipe-hummus-homemade-pita-chips/

Braised Octopus
http://howtoshuckanoyster.com/2011/12/21/from-offal-to-octopus/

{Summer Garden Produce} Fried zucchini flowers

 

At our first meeting of 2013 we enjoyed fried zucchini flowers and a spinach quiche all from home grown vegetables. Here are the recipes we cooked together and shared.

 

Stuffed zucchini flowers

6 zucchini flowers

100 g ricotta

20 g grated Parmesan

1/2 lemon, zested

Salt

Remove stamen from flowers. Check for insects.

Combine stuffing ingredients. Gently place a heaped teaspoon of stuffing inside the zucchini flowers, trying to rip the flower as little as possible. Twist the top to close.

Heat a pan of oil and when ready, dip the flowers in the batter to coat and deep fry a few at a time until crisp.

Tempura batter

100 gr rice or corn flour

150 gr plain flour 

10gr baking powder

enough iced soda water to make batter (should coat your finger) 

 

Mix all the flours together gently add iced liquid.

Briefly stir- can stay lumpy but do not overstir. 

Dip ingredients immediately into batter and deep fry in hot oil.

 

Alison's Zucchini Cake (Floras Famous Courgette Cake)
by Nigella Lawson

 

60g raisins (optional, and I didn't use them)

250g courgettes (2-3, weighed before you grate them)

2 eggs

125ml vegetable oil (I used rice bran)

150g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

 

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 21cm round tins.

 

If using raisins, place in a bowl and cover with warm water to plump them up.

 

Rinse whole courgettes, and then grate (skin on) with the course side of a grater. If its too fine it turns to mush. I can vouch for that...

 

Place eggs, oil, and sugar in bowl of electric mixer, and beat until creamy. Fold in sifted flour, bicarb, and baking powder. Stir in courgette (and raisins if using).

Cath's Silverbeet and Ricotta Quiche
recipe from Taste.com.au
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch silverbeet, trimmed, shredded
8 eggs
1/2 cup pure cream
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Pinch ground nutmeg
100g fresh ricotta cheese, crumbled
 

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add silverbeet. Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until silverbeet has wilted. Remove from heat. Cool. Arrange mixture in pastry case.

Place eggs, cream and cheese in a large jug. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Stir in nutmeg. Pour over silverbeet mixture. Top with ricotta. Bake at 200°C/180°C fan-forced for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden and just set. Serve.

 

Shara's Zucchini Salad (Zucchini carpaccio by Pod and Three Peas)

http://podandthreepeas.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/zucchini-carpaccio.html

{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.