Coconut & Lemongrass Ice-cream

The Ice-cream Book p. 142  Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis

Ingredients

Serves 5 to 6

4 lemon grass stalks
400ml coconut milk
3 egg yolks
90g (½ cup) caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
150ml whipping cream (I used thickened cream, JB)
finely grated rind of 1 lime

Instructions

Cut the lemon grass stalks in half lengthways and bruise the stalks with a rolling pin. Put them in a heavy-based saucepan, add the coconut milk and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes, remove the lemon grass.

Whisk the egg yolks in bowl with the sugar and cornflour until smooth. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly.
Remove the saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens. (I use a thermometer and heat to 85°C, JB).

Remove from the heat and strain into aclean bowl. Cover with greaseproof paper and chill.

BY HAND
Lightly whip the cream, add the grated lime rind and fold into the custard. Pour into a container and freeze for 3-4 hours, beating twice as it thickens.

USING AN ICE-CREAM MAKER
Lightly whip the cream, add the grated lime rind and fold into the custard.
Churn until thick.

Lemon & Basil Ice-cream

Diana Henry   crazy water pickled lemons Page 52

Ingredients

Serves 4

300ml milk
30 large basil leaves, roughly torn
rind of 1 lemon, cut in strips, white pith removed
150g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
juice of 1 lemon
150ml whipping cream (I used thickened cream, JB)

Instructions

Heat the milk just to boiling point, then add the basil leaves and lemon rind. Let this infuse for about an hour.

Beat the sugar and yolks together until pale and fluffy. Strain the milk, pressing the basil and lemon to extract any last bits of flavour. Stir this into the egg and sugar mixture. Make a makeshift bain -marie by putting your bowl into the top of a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the liquid in the bowl constantly until it thickens slightly. If you scrape your finger through the mixture on the back of a spoon and it leaves a path, your custard is ready. (I use a thermometer and heat to 85°C, JB). Immediately pour it into another bowl and leave to cool.

Add the lemon juice to the custard and beat the cream lightly. Add the cream to the custard and freeze in an ice-cream maker, or still-freeze, beating the ice-cream three times in a food processor or with an electric beater, during the freezing process.

Tortilla – Spanish Omelette

Delia Smith recipe

Ingredients

Serves 2 - 3

5 large eggs
1 medium onion, about 110g
275g small Desiree Potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Instructions

The size of the frying pan is important: a base measurement of 20cm diameter is about right for 2 - 3 people. If using a larger pan for more people, it should not be too heavy because you need to turn the omelette out using both hands. An enormous asset here is a flat saucepan lid or large plate that fits the pan.

Peel and halve the onion stem to root. Thinly slice each half and separate the layers into half-moon shapes.
Peel the potatoes and slice into thin rounds. Dry the slices in a clean tea towel.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in the frying pan and when it is smoking hot add the potatoes and onions. Toss them in the oil to get a good coating, and then turn the heat right down to its lowest setting. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pan and let the onions and potatoes cook gently for 20 minutes, or until tender. Turn them over halfway through and shake the pan from time to time, as they are not supposed to brown very much but just gently stew in the oil.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk lightly with a fork (don't overbeat). Add some seasoning. When the onions and potatoes are cooked, transfer them to the eggs in the bowl.

Put the frying pan back on the heat, add the rest of the oil and turn the heat back up to medium.

Mix the potato and eggs thoroughly before pouring them into the frying pan and turning the heat down to its lowest setting immediately. Cook slowly, uncovered for 20 - 25 minutes.
When there is virtually no liquid egg left on the surface of the omelette, turn the omelette. Place a flat lid or plate over the pan, invert it, turning the pan over, and put it back on the heat. Use a palette knife to gently ease the omelette back into the pan. Give it about 2 minutes more, then turn the heat off and leave for 5 minutes to settle. Serve hot or cold, cut in wedges or in small cubes as tapas.

Muhammara

From SAHA p.60  Greg and Lucy Malouf

Ingredients

Serves 6 - 8 as part of a Mezze

3 large red capsicums (bell peppers)
1 red bullet chilli, seeded, scraped and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed with 1 teaspoon salt
125g shelled walnuts, roughly chopped
⅓ cup lightly toasted fresh bread crumbs
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
juice of ½ - 1 lemon
1 tbsp hot water
½ tsp sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

Instructions

Roast the peppers directly on the naked flame of your stove burners. Set the flame to low and cook the peppers for around 10 - 15 minutes, constantly turning them so that the skin chars evenly all over and they start to flatten and collapse. Remove the peppers from the flame, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When they are cool enough to handle, carefully peel away the blackened skin and remove the stalks, seeds and white membranes. Don't rinse the peppers as this will wash away the desired smoky flavour.

Roughly chop the peppers and put them in a food processor with all the other ingredients, except for the oil. Process to a rough paste, scraping down the sides to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed together well. With the motor running, pour in the oil in a slow stream and blend until thick and creamy. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until needed. Before serving, check seasoning and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Persian Herb Frittata – Kuku Sabzi

From Persiana p. 27  Sabrina Ghayour

Ingredients

Serves 8 as Part of a Mezze

200g flat leaf parsley
200g coriander
40g dill
60g chives
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
2 bunches spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp turmeric
8 medium free-range eggs
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 heaped tbsp dried barberries
100g walnut pieces, chopped

You can omit the walnuts and barberries but they add texture and a burst of berry sharpness in every mouthful. SG.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place a large cooking pot to warm over a medium heat.
Finely chop all the herbs (if you are using a food processor, you might need to do this in 2 batches). Pour the olive oil into the warm pan and fry the herbs and spring onions for a few minutes, then add the turmeric. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then place the herbs on a flat plate and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, mix the eggs, flour, yoghurt, baking powder together with sea salt flakes and black pepper to taste until everything is well combined and smooth. Once the herb mixture has cooled slightly so that it is no longer piping hot, slowly add a couple of spoonfuls at a time to the egg mixture and stir well until all the herb mixture is combined. Add in the barberries and walnuts (If using) and mix well once again.

Select a large ovenproof or Pyrex dish, and line the dish with non-stick baking paper (this will enable you to remove the finished dish with greater ease). Pour in the egg-and-herb mixture, then bake for 35 -40 minutes. To check if the frittata is cooked, insert a knife into the centre. If it comes out clear of raw egg, the dish is done. If not, return it to the oven for a few minutes.

Once cooked, allow to cool, then cut into squares to serve.

Afghani-style Smoked Aubergine Dip

From Sirocco p. 55  Sabrina Ghayour

Ingredients

Serves 6
4 large aubergines
1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely ground
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less to taste)
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½
200g thick Greek yoghurt
coriander leaves finely chopped
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Blister the aubergines, either by placing directly on the flame of a gas hob or on a barbecue. Blacken and char the skins all around the aubergines by turning them over from time to time, until the skins are burnt and you can feel the flesh within them has collapsed. Once done, place the aubergines on a heatproof surface or tray and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Cut the aubergines to open them. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the pulp, drain off all the excess liquid from it and place it in a bowl (discard the skins). Add the ground cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic and mix well with a fork to break down the pulp. Then add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, yoghurt, fresh coriander and a generous quantity of salt and pepper and mix well. Once combined, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Cumin-Coriander Roast Carrots with Pomegranates & Avocado

From Simple p. 31  Diana Henry

Ingredients

Serves 6 as a starter, or 8 as a side

FOR THE SALAD
30 young carrots, ideally slim
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp chilli flakes
salt and pepper
3 ripe avocados
25g walnut pieces, toasted
100g watercress, coarse stalks removed
leaves from a small bunch of coriander
250g Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove crushed
seeds from ½ pomegranate

FOR THE DRESSING
3 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp honey
squeeze lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Trim the carrots at the tops but leave a bit of green tuft on. If you can't find slim carrots, halve of quarter large ones. Don't peel them, just wash well. Put in a roasting tine in which they can lie in a single layer. Add the olive oil, spices and seasoning. Turn the carrots over in this to ensure they are well coated. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes; they will become tender and shrink slightly. Be careful not to overcook them.

To make the dressing, just whisk everything with a fork. Halve and pit the avocados, cut into slices, then carefully peel each slice. Put everything except the yoghurt, garlic and pomegranates into a broad shallow bowl (or on to a platter) and gently toss in three quarters of the dressing. Mix the yoghurt with the garlic and dot spoonfuls of this among the vegetables, then scatter with the pomegranate seeds. Spoon on the rest of the dressing and serve.

SLOW FOOD NOTE
Substitute rocket for watercress and broad beans for avocado.
Omit walnuts.

Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread

From Jerusalem  p. 69  Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients

Serves 6 - 8
1.2kg butternut, peeled and cut into chunks (970g once peeled)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
70g light tahini paste
120g Greek yoghurt
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black)
1½ tsp date syrup
2 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)
salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Spread the squash out in a medium roasting tin. Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix together well, cover the tray with foil and roast in the oven for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Transfer the squash to a food processor, along with the tahini, yoghurt and garlic. Roughly pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste, without the spread becoming smooth; you can also do this by hand using a fork or potato masher.

Spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, drizzle over the syrup and finish with the chopped coriander, if using.

Date syrup can be substituted with golden syrup, maple syrup or even treacle.

Bulgarian Griddled Courgettes & Aubergines with Tarator

From A change of appetite p. 106, Diana Henry

Ingredients

Serves 8 as a starter

FOR THE TARATOR
1 slice of coarse country bread
2 garlic cloves
100g walnuts, plus more to serve
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
juice of ½ lemon
salt and pepper
150g Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp chopped dill, plus more to serve

FOR THE GRIDDLED VEGETABLES
1.2kg courgettes
1.2kg aubergines
olive oil

Instructions

Tear the bread into pieces and put it into a food processor with the garlic and walnuts. Puree while adding the oil and lemon juice. Add the seasoning and the yoghurt with 50ml of water and puree again. Stir in the dill, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Trim each end from the courgettes and slice lengthwise about 3mm thick. Remove the stalks form the aubergines and cut them widthways into slices of the same thickness as the courgettes.

Brush all the sliced vegetables in both sides with olive oil.
Heat a griddle pan and cook the slices of courgettes on both sides until golden and quite soft. You will need to do this in batches. Do the same with the aubergines, making sure they get a good colour on each side, then reduce the heat until the slices are soft and cooked through. Season the vegetables as you cook them.

Put the vegetables on to a serving plate, drizzling with a little extra virgin olive oil. Spoon some of the tarator over (offer the rest in a bowl) and scatter with more walnuts and dill

Terra Madre Day Lunch

Slow Food Saddleback was well represented at the 2018 Terra Madre Day lunch hosted by Canberra Capital & Country Convivium  on Sunday 9 December.

Kaye and Paul at the lunch

Five couples made the trip down to Braidwood to enjoy the lunch at the historic Mona Farm – Celia and Des, Vicki and Murray, Gabriella and Raynor, Paul and Kaye, and Rhonni and Paul.

The lunch was preceded by a tour of the magnificent gardens and homestead which feature a collection of modern Australian and international art and sculpture. Well worth checking out the website if you are planning a trip to the Canberra region!

The rose garden at Mona

The long table lunch showcased the region’s wine and food products sourced, wherever possible, from ‘good, clean and fair’ local producers and yet again demonstrated that the Slow Food approach produces stunning results.

 

Year round gardening

It can be done! With the climate we enjoy on the South Coast and a passion for self-sufficiency, your veggie garden can provide all the vegetables you need year-round. David (the enthusiastic grower)

David giving a tour of his garden.

and Judy (the creative cook), with help from Liz and Helen and Slow Food committee members, demonstrated at the final Slow Food Saddleback event for the year that a backyard garden can provide far more than the basics – it can produce a gourmet feast.

Fingerfood and assorted dips served before the main meal used vegetables that are sourced from the Ball’s garden at various times of the year. These included a beetroot dip, radishes served with creamed butter and salt, an aubergine dip, Persian herb frittata, butternut and tahini spread, muhammara and tortilla.

Judy puts the finishing touches to her vegetable dishes.

The dips were served with Turkish bread home made at Wollongong’s popular Turkish Paradise restaurant (have you tried the mushrooms?) and dropped off in Berry by proprietor Michael’s daughter (no wasted food miles here!)

For the main course, vegetables picked fresh from the garden and cooked in the wood fired pizza oven complemented pork sourced from Foxground and cooked to perfection by Des and Helen.

Oven roasted potatoes, cumin-coriander roast carrots (these went very quickly) and wilted pak choy were served with a green salad with shaved fennel and leek, and a beetroot, silverbeet and lentil salad. Liz’s pickled rhubarb went brilliantly with the pork.

Judy’s herb infused icecreams (lemon and basil, lemongrass and coconut) served with rosewater rhubarb and Barb’s frozen home grown bananas completed the meal. A fitting finale to a great year of Slow Food events.

Check out the Gallery page for more pictures – click on each thumbnail to see the whole photo. Recipes can be viewed in the recipe section.

AGM 2018 Minutes

Minutes of Slow Food Saddleback Annual General Meeting
Wednesday 17 October, 2018
5.30pm Silica Restaurant, Manning St Kiama, NSW

Present
Celia Wade, Michael Blythe, Beverley Blythe, Judith Ball, Liz Churcher, Carolyn Evans, David Evans, Barb Khalifa, Omar Khalifa, Rhonni  Garven, Jan Watson, Laurie Watson, Des Wittingslow, Jan Gluth, Geoff Webb, Helen Attwater, Vicki Steele.

Apologies
Rainer and Gabriella Zuch, Paul and Kaye Turnbull, Mary Anderson, David Ball.

Welcome
Celia Wade (Chair) declared the meeting open at 5.35pm and welcomed those attending.  Apologies were noted.

Minutes from 2017 AGM

Celia presented the minutes of the 2017 AGM. No matters were arising from these minutes.
Moved: That the minutes of the 2017 AGM be accepted as presented.
Proposed: Liz Churcher.  Seconded: Carolyn Evans. Motion carried.

Leader’s Report
Celia Wade presented her summary of the year’s  events.
In her summary Celia:
• Welcomed and thanked committee members and other volunteers for their support and enthusiasm.
• Highlighted that the last 12 months have been very active for Slow Food Saddleback.
• Thanked retiring committee members Liz Churcher and Helen Attwater for their significant contributions to the committee.
• Thanked Rhonni Garven for her excellent work on the SFS website.
• Thanked Jan Hampshire for her great work on the Facebook page.
• Highlighted the progress made along with Slow Food Berry to Jervis Bay on the Snail of Approval (artwork circulated).
• Announced that SFS has received funding from Kiama Council to run a fermentation workshop in the coming year.
• Noted that Slow Food Shoalhaven is changing its name to Slow Food South Coast.

Financial Report
Treasurer Michael Blythe presented the financial statements, noting that the statements run from 5 July 2017 to 31 July 2018 (dates adjusted to ensure expenses and revenues for events were included within the same year).

As at the 17 October, the number of memberships is 51 (with many of these being couples).
TryBooking has made payments for events much easier to capture and Michael would like the use of TryBooking to continue.

A question was raised about the proportion of the membership payment that goes to Slow Food International in Italy. The exact amount varies by membership type (amount) but in the example of a $90 membership it seems that $60 of that goes to Slow Food International in Italy, $15 to Slow Food Australia and $15 to Slow Food Saddleback.

Moved: That the Financial Statements be accepted as presented.
Proposed: Celia Wade. Seconded: David Evans. Motion Carried.

Appointment of New Committee

Geoff Webb (Returning Officer) took the chair and declared all committee positions vacant.

The number of nominations matched the number of positions. Geoff declared all nominees duly appointed. The Office Bearers for the coming year are:
Leader: Celia Wade
Treasurer and Ticket Secretary: Michael Blythe
Secretary: Barbara Khalifa
Committee Members: Carolyn Evans, Judith Ball, Rhonni  Garven and Ros  Markezic.

General Business

As leader for the coming year, Celia Wade announced coming events:

• 24 November will be Eating from the Garden Year Round at the garden of Judith and David Ball.
• Regional Terra Madre Day: 2018 Terra Madre lunch will be hosted by the Slow Food Canberra and Country Convivium on Sunday 9 December at the Woolshed at Mona Farm. Ark of Taste products Galloway beef and Monaro purple garlic will feature on the menu. Details will be posted on our website.
• Cheese Challenge in February. Kangaroo Valley Cheesemakers  will attempt a world record cheese tasting event on 16 February 2019. Cheese will be donated by  Bodalla, Bega and South Coast Cheese. Target is 700+

Attendees were invited to put forward suggestions for future events:
• Helen Attwater suggested a workshop on Knife Skills.
• Coordination is also sought with neighbouring Slow Food groups.

Meeting closed at 6.10pm.

Terra Madre Day Lunch

The 2018 Terra Madre lunch will be hosted by the Slow Food Canberra and Country Convivium on Sunday 9 December.

The venue is the Woolshed at Mona Farm (www.monafarm.com.au) on the outskirts of Braidwood. 

Prior to the lunch at 1:00 pm there is an optional, no extra cost, tour of Mona Farm hosted by Farm Manager, Suzanne and commencing at 12 noon.

The lunch will be served in the Slow Food ‘long table’ tradition and will include shared producers’ platters, locally produced meats and vegetables, and dessert. Ark of Taste products Galloway beef and Monaro purple garlic will feature on the menu and a selection of local wines, beers, cider and fruit-based soft drinks will be included.

A vegetarian option will be available – please advise any dietary requirements at the time of booking.

Date & Time:   Sunday 9 December 2018  1:00 pm (12 noon for tour)
Cost:                    Members $70 ; Non-members $85;
                                Children under 12 no charge.
                                Indicate which membership you hold when booking.
Bookings:           by Friday 23 November to events@slowfoodcanberra.com. Account details will be provided on acceptance of booking with payments to be made by Friday 30 November.

Jazz at Pyree

Slow Food Berry to JB have teamed up with Shoalhaven Jazz to present Captain Bob’s Station House Seven at the Red Shed at Pyree on Saturday 17 November starting at 7:00pm.

Take your own BYO picnic or pre-order a New Orleans style hamper to enjoy before putting on your dancing shoes and dancing the night away.

Bookings: Jenny on 0426 615 948 or
www.trybooking.com/YTUR

 

 

Mahbrook Organics sold

We had a hint of it before the AGM and it is now confirmed that we will no longer be able to purchase Mahbrook Organics produce locally. 

Illness forced the sale of the family business and  the new owners will no longer be selling produce at the Kiama Farmers Market, but will send everything they grow direct to Flemington.

Chris and Mary have been at the Wednesday Kiama market every week since its inception and their certified organic goodies will be much missed.

Year-round fruit and veggie gardening

 

The November Slow Food event provides an opportunity to learn from two of our home grown produce garden gurus and to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labours.

The evening starts with a tour of David’s much loved and highly productive backyard garden, information on how you can keep your garden productive throughout the year and a Q & A session with David and fellow passionate gardener Michael.

We will then share a delicious meal prepared by Slow Food members featuring seasonal produce from the garden accompanied by fresh pork from Foxground. We’ll be eating outside as usual and the fabulous wood fired oven will be put to use.

Date:           Saturday 24 November
Time:           4:00 pm for an early dinner
Venue:        10 King Street, Berry
Cost:             Members $60, Non-members $70 (BYO beverages)
Bookings:  Try Booking www.trybooking.com/ZDGU

Afternoon workshop

For those eager to learn more, David and Michael will each run a small group workshop prior to the dinner event on planting and rearing seedlings, and preparing and caring for soil. The workshop will take about 3 hours.

Date, Venue and Bookings as above
Time:      12 noon
Cost:       $25 (including refreshments)