Pepperdew treats

Cream cheese and basil at front & roasted garlic hummus at back

These little treats are so good and so easy! They look so impressive and I must say they have sort of changed my life, because they are such morsels of peppery, spicy, sweet goodness! My sister introduced me to them in Melbourne and I have been a lover of them ever since. You can stuff them with pretty much anything and they are good even on their own. So find a jar, or look at the deli because you have to try them!
INGREDIENTS:

• Peppadew mild whole piquanté peppers (as many as you like)
• 100gm cream cheese (will fill about 25)
• 2 Tblsp basil pesto

METHOD:
Mix the cream cheese and basil pesto ina bowl. Spoon mixture into a piping bag (or small plastic one with the corner cut off it) and 'pipe' the mixture into each pepper until it is full. The best way is to put the piping bag all the way to the bottom and let the mixture push the bag out the top, that way it is nice and full.

TIPS:

• Other flavours to stuff pepperdews are:
• 50gm blue cheese & 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and then bake them for 10mins
• Roasted garlic hummus
• seasoned natural yoghurt and cucumber
• any dip mixture
• shredded chicken & mayo
• smoked salmon blended with cream cheese
• guacamole

Fresh, Homemade Hummus- 4 flavours

Great for a dip with fresh carrot sticks

Hummus is a great healthy snack option and is really easy to make. I like to make it for dipping carrot sticks. Making your own gives you the choice of what you put in and how seasoned you like it, none of the recipes below have salt but I find that they all need a bit added at the end or sometimes a bit more lemon juice- taste as you go and see what suits you. Also making your own is heaps cheaper than the store bought stuff and if you are like me and only shop every few weeks (I know it's a crazy rural thing, my city dwelling sister can't believe it either!) then making your own means it is fresh for Friday night guests or as a healthy snack to take to work instead of all that unhealthy crap (that is my little rant about lunch box fillings done for the day also) .

INGREDIENTS: plain hummus

• 300g can Chickpeas, well drained
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp oil
• juice 1 lemon (3 Tblsp)

Roasted garlic hummus

INGREDIENTS: Roasted garlic hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, well drained
• 2-4 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

INGREDIENTS: Spinach and feta hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 150gm crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tblsp lemon juice
• 2 Tblsp tahini (optional)
• 1/4 cups red pepper flakes (optional- it's HOT!)
• 1 tsp garlic

INGREDIENTS: Sun-dried tomato hummus

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 3 Tblsp sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice

 METHOD:
Chickpeas and all other ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth.

TIPS:

• Tinned chickpeas are great because they are fast, however it is about 1/6 of the price if you buy them out of the bulk bin and soak/cook the chickpeas from dry.
  This is how:
  Before cooking dried chickpeas, the first thing you will have to do is soak them. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Allow to soak overnight, about 12 hours.
  Once chickpeas have soaked, drain and transfer to a large cooking pot. Cover with water twice the amount of chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for approximately one hour. Do a taste test at this point to make sure they are tender enough for your liking (I smush one with a fork and you should have to push a little to break them). Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Once chickpeas are cooled they are ready to be used. Cooked chickpeas can keep covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for about a month.

Balmoral Estate Merino French rack

It is with great pleasure that I cook Balmoral estate Merino in my kitchen. Sam has been a friend for many years and I know the farmer thinks of him as a brother, so when he teamed up with Kelvin and started Balmoral Merino, I was pretty darn excited about what they had set out to produce. Their product is of the highest quality and flavour and they are so proud of the standard as well as the story. Balmoral is one of the most beautiful places in the world and many happy memories of mine are there.My only piece of advice with this dish is DO NOT overcook it!The middle should be pink and juicy, this is how you get the best flavour.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tblsp minced garlic
• 2 Tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (optional) 
• 2 tsp salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 1 Balmoral Estate French rack
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Move oven rack to the centre of your oven.
In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss in the olive oil to moisten mixture. Mix together and set aside.
Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat some more olive oil in a large heavy, oven proof pan (cast iron is the best) over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. You can cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring, but to be honest I always forget and I’m not that worried about it.
Arrange the rack bone side down in the pan that you seared them in, or a shallow roasting dish. Roast the lamb in your preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the degree you want your lamb cooked to. 15mins will give you rare, 20 will be med and 25 will be cooked all the way through. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.

Serve with vegetables and share with friends.

TIPS:

• It would also be rude not to open a good bottle of Central Otago Pinot Noir with this one, a nice 2009 Maude would be my choice. 

Chicken and Broccoli casserole

This recipe is from the book "A spoonful of country" and has been replicated umpteen times by anyone that knows me. It can be thrown together in a matter of minutes if you use precooked chicken and is a favourite of all those that try it.
I was telling a dinner guest one night about how much they should be looking forward to dinner because I was making this 'famous chicken casserole' and I must admit they were looking pretty sceptical. However, with timing that you couldn't pay for, my friend George came through the door with his nose into the scents from the kitchen and proclaimed "oh yum, are you making that awesome chicken casserole?!" Perfect. Thanks for the backup mate, dinner guest came to their own opinion of greatness about this recipe, but it was appreciated none the less!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium sized chicken
• 1 440g tin of cream of chicken soup, diluted with 1/2 tin of water
• 1/4 c mayonaise
• 1 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 250g broccoli, cut into small florets
• 125g grated cheese
• 1/4 c chopped parsley
• 1 c breadcrumbs
• butter

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Remove chicken flesh from from the bones. Combine the soup, water, mayonaise, lemon juice and curry powder in a small bowl. Put the broccoli on the bottom of a shallow casserole dish and layer the chicken pieces on top. Pour sauce over top.
Mix the cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley together and spread over the top. Dot with small pieces of butter and bake for about 30minutes.

TIPS:

• you can add extras to this recipe- I often put in onions and mushrooms
• you can make the recipe with raw chicken breast or thighs, just cook it a bit longer.

Enjoy xx
A

Rustic homemade garlic bread

As I write this post, I am actually eating garlic bread. That is how fresh the bread and the post are. Garlic bread isn't really a recipe, it's more of a putting together of a few things to make garlicky goodness.
Today I went to the Geraldine Orchard farm shop and bought some of Derek's (that's the local baker) baguettes and thought that I would make some fancy bruschetta for tea, bit then I decided that garlic bread, homemade chips and steak would be pretty darn good for dinner instead.
So far, I have just made garlic bread and written this blog. The farmer usually has a beer on Friday night after work so I have a bit of time spare to cook the rest.
Anyway back to the point. Garlic bread. The amount of garlic you use is totally up to you, the size of the bread you have and how much you love garlic will determine the amount you use. I use HEAPS. Also the type of bread you choose depends on whether you like crunchy bread or a good ratio of white 'flesh' that can absorb all of that lovely garlicky butter. I have chosen baguette , ciabatta is also good or French stick- whatever you have on hand- or go and see Derek at the Tin Kitchen!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 loaf artisan French bread or wide baguette
• 1 - 2 heads of garlic
• 50g of  butter (again depends how big your bread is)
• 1 bunch of chives (optional)
• zest of one lemon (optional)

METHOD:

Using a serrated knife slice that loaf of bread right up the middle so you have two halves . Set them on their backs, cut side up. Mince the garlic or chop it really finely and add it to the butter you should be melting in a small saucepan.
Using a basting or pastry brush, slather the butter and garlic across the bread. Lets be honest I usually pour it over and then spread it around! Make sure your garlic chunks are evenly distributed.
Bake the bread for 10 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius. Turn your oven to grill and crank it up to 250 and grill it until the bread goes golden and crunchy around the outsides.
Let your bread cool for a bit and then sprinkle the chives and lemon over the top. The lemon is definitely optional but I think you will be sorry for missing the chives.
Slice and serve.

The short version of this recipe:
Cut, slather, bake, brown, slice.

Enjoy xx
A

The Farmers favourite omelette

Eggs- nature's super-food, thanks to my chooks!

This omelette should strictly speaking be called a frittata, however in our house it is referred to as omelette and more often than not, "mean omelette". This is a weekend brunch and not because it is cooked late in the morning, but because there is no way you can eat one of these and then lunch. I must admit this recipe is sometimes also used as a quick dinner when one of two things happens- I haven't been to the grocery store in way too long or we have both worked late and I just can't be bothered making a 'proper' tea. Now I have offered three variations on ingredients but the cooking method for all is the same, you can reduce the amount of egg to 2 and then 1 if you choose.

INGREDIENTS 1:

• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 5 eggs
• 1 small chopped onion
• 2 rashers of bacon chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley and chives chopped finely

INGREDIENTS 2:

• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 5 eggs
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 sliced tomato
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1/4 sliced red capsicum
• 5 sliced mushroom

INGREDIENTS 3:

• 1 Tblsp olive oil
• 5 eggs
• 3 slices of ham, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tsp grainy mustard
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 sliced tomato

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius on fan bake. Take 3 eggs and beat them with a small amount of cold water (about 2 Tblsp) until fluffy. Heat a non stick pan that is oven proof (most are) and add the oil. Then pour in the 3 beaten eggs and scrape from the sides into the middle with a spatula, allowing the runny egg to fill the space you have made and become cooked. Keep this up right around the outside of the pan until there is no runny egg left. Take off the heat and add all of the remaining ingredients except the other two eggs. Beat the two remaining eggs with a little cold water (about 2 Tblsp) until fluffy. Pour these over the fillings in the pan and put into the oven for 10-15minutes until the omelette is cooked through. Take out of the oven and flip out of the pan onto your plate. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

The farmer would like you to know that tomato sauce is permitted as a topping xx

TIPS:

• The water is what makes the eggs fluffy and light- milk is commonly used but water is best
• Be creative and put whatever fillings you like into these, they are a great for leftovers

Bacon breakky buns

The herbs make a much better impact on the dish when chopped and eaten, I just love this 80's food styling!

These buns are a great Sunday brunch, particularly if red wine featured on Saturday. The farmer will munch through about 6 of these, so it's lucky they are so easy to make on mass. You can change the toppings to suit the contents of your fridge too. So next Sunday, see if you can't convince your farmer to whip some of these up while you pull the duvet up around your chin and wish you hadn't had that last glass of red......

INGREDIENTS: (makes 8 buns)

• 4 Bread buns (turkish or ciabatta is particularly good)
• 1 clove of chopped garlic
• 2 Tblsp melted butter
• 8 rashers of bacon
• 8 Tblsp tomato sauce (homestyle is best)
• 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1 Tblsp fresh chives or parsley

METHOD:

Cut your buns in half horizontally so that you have 8 halves. Place these on a baking tray (I recommend baking paper). In a small bowl combine your garlic and butter . Spread a thin layer of this garlic butter onto the buns (if you intend on taking these back to bed where there is a possibility of kissing- skip the garlic!). Put these into the oven on grill, at 180 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes or until they are starting to go golden.

In a pan or under the grill, however you prefer- cook your bacon until crisp. Place one rasher of the cooked bacon on each bun. Then 1 Tblsp of tomato sauce on each.

Top this with the grated cheese.

Place under the grill for 3-5 minutes so that the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped herbs over the top. Season with some salt and pepper.

So good- enjoy xx
A

Beef olives

Being on a farm means that we have the great privilege of having home-kill meat. However it does mean that you have to get a bit creative with mince and schnitzel because you have so damn much of it! Crumbed schnitzel is great and the farmer likes it, however a whole cattle beast in the freezer equals about 60 meals that involve schnitzel so this recipe is an alternative. This was also a favourite in my uni days, as schnitzel is really affordable and this makes it go a long way.
   
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 pieces wiener schnitzel
• 4 slices shoulder bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD:
Combine breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, basil, eggs and salt and pepper in a bowl.

 Take each piece of schnitzel and place onto a sheet of tinfoil, place a sheet of bacon on top, then spoon 3 tablespoonfuls of the bread mixture onto each schnitzel and pat flat to cover most of the surface, leave one end without any stuffing so you can roll it closed (I put way too much on the ones in these pictures!). Roll up the schnitzel and wrap the tinfoil tight so it s a secure parcel (you can secure them with toothpicks but I find tinfoil easier.
 Place the parcels into the oven in a dish, because a little bit of juice always finds its way out. Cook on 180 degree Celsius for 15minutes.
Remove the parcels form the oven and take off the tinfoil. Warning: Bloody hot!
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook beef olives, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
Serve with seasonal vegetables.

TIPS:

• I sometimes add 2 Tblsp of toasted pine nuts to the stuffing
• A lot of recipes for beef olives cook them in beef stock on the stove for 10-15minutes, this is just as good, however I find that wrapping them with tin foil makes them just as moist. I only use the stock method if I want to serve them with gravy. 

Too much stuffing in this one, but still tastes good!

Hedgehog potatoes

I used to love these as a kid. To be honest it's a bit of a stretch to say that they look like hedgehogs, I suppose you could construct little heads and faces on them but that is just ridiculous. Anyway, these are a good way of making potatoes a bit more exciting. These are also called hassle-back potatoes- depends where you went to school.

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil
• Whole roasting potatoes, allow two small or one large one per person
• grated cheese (optional)

METHOD:

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Take each potato and cut slices (not all the way through) across it, so that you have lots of 'spikes', you can also cut them cross ways to get even more realistic spikes but here I just did slices. Cover in olive oil so that each potato is covered (not swimming in it!). Bake for about 40minutes until cooked through and golden. Put grated cheese on the top of each potato and bake for a further 2 minutes, until the cheese melts.

TIPS:

• Place a wooden spoon beside the potato you are cutting, this way you can't cut right through
• Can put some rosemary and/or thyme in the pan for a bit of flavour too

Basil Rizoni pasta salad

I LOVE this salad and the farmer eats it even though it has paraphernalia in it, so it must be good! I use this recipe a lot for summer BBQs and especially when I am taking a salad somewhere. There are so many variations on this salad, and I promise to share my friend Pip's version- which is fabulous as well! You can make a big brew of this one because the best thing is that it keeps so what doesn't get eaten makes for a great lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g dried risoni pasta
• 3 rashers of bacon chopped finely
• 1 red onion chopped
• 100g feta, crumbled or cubed
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 60g (1/4 cup) bought basil pesto 

METHOD:
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Refresh under cold running water. Drain. Set aside to cool completely. In a pan cook bacon and onion, the onion will need less time as you want it to maintain its purple colour. Let this cool completely as well.
Combine the risoni pasta and the basil pesto- you will be able to stir it in to cover all of the pasta, if it is particularly thick, you can add a tblsp of water or lemon juice to make it stir through a bit easier.

In a salad bowl combine the bacon, onion, feta, tomatoes and pasta mixture. Toss to combine.

TIPS:

• Make it ahead: Make up to 4 days ahead. Divide among airtight containers & store in the fridge. 
• This recipe is perfect for catering for big numbers because you can multiply it really easily
• Get creative, there are heaps of variations of this recipe

Enjoy xx
A

No bake lolly cake

Who doesn't love lolly cake? When I saw the pack of ingredients at The Cottage Pantry in Geraldine (if you haven't visited then you must!) I had my sister with me who promptly decided that we (when she says 'we' she actually means me- while she watches) were making some that afternoon. This delightful and easy to make sweet bought back memories of childhood birthday parties and also reminded me a of a friend that loves to eat condensed milk when hungover (you know who you are Ross Dowling). I suggest this as a nice surprise to workmates, it's really easy to make and everyone loves lolly cake!

Cover in coconut and then shake of the excess once it's set

INGREDIENTS:

• 120g butter
• 250g malt biscuit crumbs
• 180g fruit puff lollies
• 200g condensed milk
• coconut for decoration

METHOD:

Melt the butter and condensed milk together over a low heat (either in the microwave or in a saucepan). Cut your fruit puffs in half and put into a large bowl. Add the biscuit crumbs and the butter and condensed mixture to the lollies in your bowl. Mix together and then shape into logs or balls. Coat with the coconut and then put into the fridge to set. Refrigerate until firm.

TIPS:

•  Make lolly cake balls for a sweet party plate

Fresh Smoked Salmon

I hope you enjoy this step by step guide to smoked salmon which is an easy treat to add some variety to your summer BBQ's. The Farmer and I try to catch the fish ourselves, however I am not above stopping at the salmon farms in the Mackenzie to pick up a few fillets either!!
The farmer has requested that I tell you that he usually smokes the salmon and he would like some credit please.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Salmon (I like using boned out fillets, but a whole fish is just as good)
• 3 Tblsp brown sugar
• 3 Tblsp lemon juice
• seasoning (I usually use smoked salt and cracked pepper)
• Smoker 
• Smoking wood chips (easy to buy at your local hardware/outdoors store)
• Tin foil

METHOD:

First take your salmon fillet and pull out the bones with kitchen tweezers (clean pliers also work really well). Then mix the sugar, lemon and seasoning in a small bowl. Brush on with a basting brush to cover the entire fillet. Rub all over, just like you would do to a pork roast skin. If you are patient it is great if you do this bit the night before and let it marinade overnight, but we have had good results doing this right before smoking it.
Place the fillet onto some tin foil, I usually make the tin foil a couple of layers thick so that it doesn't break.

Place the wood-chips in the bottom of the smoker and put it (with the lid on), over the heat. We just put ours on the BBQ  with a couple of burners on the lowest setting, but you can do it over a fire (it is much harder to get consistent low heat over a fire tho). When the wood-chips start to smoke place the fish into the smoker. The trick is to try and keep the heat as low as possible while still making the chips smoke, you are trying to smoke it, not cook it.
Check the fish occasionally for the next hour or so, the time it takes will depend on the size of the fish. It will go a light pink colour and fall apart easily.
Take the salmon off the smoker and allow to cool. After 10 minutes or so you can use the salmon for whatever recipe you are making or just enjoy straight off the foil!! 

TIPS:

• Serve with crackers and cream cheese on a platter- this makes a great starter for a dinner party
• Smoked salmon is very versatile, I use it in quiche, salad, pasta, eggs Benedict, omelettes, canapés or straight off the tin foil.
• Salmon is a great way of getting omega 3 into your family, it is really really good for you and the best thing is, you don't need to eat a huge amount because it is very filling, so it makes a really affordable meal option
• Smoked salmon keeps for about a week in the fridge but it freezes well, so I usually cut up a large fillet into meal size portions and freeze them. Just make sure you defrost them slowly in the fridge otherwise it can dry out