OTAGO FARMERS MARKET
The soup is simmering away ready and waiting - Organicland's osso bucco beef bones are the base for this hearty, soulful soup. I have added a selection of market veges and a handful of barley for good measure. This is not only perfect for the oncoming cold weather it is also perfect on the pocket.
I will also be making a wonderful one pot meal using Waitaki Bacon and Ham, pork and fennel sausages which are so delicious and versatile. Today i will be simply adding some potatoes and a few bits and pieces and before you know it you will be sitting down to yet another satisfying meal (perfect for the weekend).
Red cabbage is on the menu and i say lets bring it back! It adds such a wonderful brightness to any meal that it can only be a warm welcome on the dark, cold nights, i will be adding a drop or two of Green Mans cider and a scattering of freshly harvested hazelnuts - perfect!
Finally on our menu today are Quince! The more you cook with them the more you love them, the floral aroma fulls your kitchen with dreamy perfumes and the colour when cooked turns into a nectar, peachy colour. I have been making jelly, jams, and membrillo (paste) and today i will be poaching them and enjoying them with cream.
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| Levitio Bakery |
Can't wait to see you all at the mobile kitchen.
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| Just another wonderful day at the farmers market |
HEARTY BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP
This soup is a fantastic way to use up bits and pieces – I am using organic beef bones from Organic Land which give this soup a wonderful, comforting flavour.
2-4 beef soup bones
4 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 leeks, sliced thinly
½ swede, peeled and diced
1 cup barley
Salt and pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Generous handful fresh parsley, chopped
Method
Place the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, remove any scum that has risen to the top and reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer.
Add the herbs, onion, light part of the leek and carrots. Simmer away for 1 ½ hours. Add the swede, and barley season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the barley and swede are tender. Adjust the seasoning you may find you need to add a generous amount to salt.
Remove the bones and pick off any meat and return it to the soup, discard the bones. Add the chopped parsley and serve.
Warming flavours of autumn combined with the crunch of freshly harvested nuts is quite simple delicious!
50 ml olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
½ red cabbage (about 700g), thinly sliced
150ml cider
100ml red wine or cider vinegar
100g (1/2 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
100g hazelnuts, lightly roasted
Method
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, garlic and caraway seeds stir occasionally over medium heat until soft (7-10 minutes). Add cabbage and stir occasionally (8-10 minutes). Add cider, vinegar and sugar, stir to combine and cook until liquid has almost evaporated (20-25 minutes), season to taste. Lightly crush the toasted hazelnuts and scatter over the cabbage. Serve.
It is great with all meats, duck and game.
TURKISH RED CABBAGE SALAD
Serves 4-6
½ red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp salt
Dressing
½ lemon
Salt and pepper
Yoghurt Sauce
½ cup plain yoghurt
1-2 cloves garlic, minced with pinch of salt
Paprika Oil
Generous pinch paprika and cayenne pepper
Method
Remove the thick white core in the centre of the cabbage and discard. Slice the remaining cabbage as thin as possible. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt and massage into the cabbage, leave for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
Make the dressing and toss through the cabbage and place into a serving dish.
Mix the yoghurt with the garlic and drizzle on top.
Warm the oil in a small pan or saucepan add the paprika and cayenne pepper and warm through. Pour over the yoghurt and serve.
This is one of those one pot wonders where you only need a few ingredients but it’s paramount that the ingredients are of the highest standard and flavour.
Serves 4
800g small potatoes, scrubbed
1 teaspoon sea salt
300g pork and fennel sausages
50ml olive oil
1⁄2 cup white wine or cider
2 tablespoons capers
1⁄2 preserved lemon, flesh removed, finely sliced (optional) or a little fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or fennel tops
Place the potatoes on a board then use a rolling pin or some other heavy object to lightly crack them. Sprinkle with the salt and stand for 5 minutes. If you can’t get hold of small potatoes to do these methods then use the smallest potatoes you can find and cut them into chunks. You do not have to do the rolling pin thing. Simply cook them in the same way as mentioned below in the recipe.
Meanwhile, squeeze the sausage meat from its casings and break into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide saucepan then add the sausage pieces. Fry until browned and crisp then remove from the saucepan and set aside. Add the remaining oil and the potatoes and fry for a few minutes then return the sausages to the saucepan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, shaking the pan occasionally. Add the wine, capers and preserved lemon. Cover and remove from the heat then stand for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Sprinkle with the chives or fennel tops before serving.
Poached quince will last in the fridge for up to a week. Great for breakfast with cereal or French toast, fantastic braised with pork and can be added to any number of puddings. I like to place the poached quince in the bottom of a pan with a little syrup and then cover snugly with flaky pastry and bake. Turn over when cooked and you have almost a quince tart tartin!
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 lemon (preferably unsprayed), cut in half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Method
Mix the water, sugar, honey, lemon and vanilla bean in a large non-reactive pot and turn it on to medium-to-high heat.
While the liquid is heating, quarter, peel, and remove the cores of the quince. Make sure to removed anything tough or fibrous, being very careful with the knife.
As you peel and prepare the quince quarters, slip each one into the simmering liquid. Once they’re all done, cover the pot with a round of parchment paper with a walnut-sized hole cut in the center and place it on top as this will ensure that they stay submerged or they will discolour.
Simmer the quince (do not boil) for at least an hour, until the quince are cooked through.
Cooking time will vary, depending on the quince. They’re done when they are cooked through, which you can do by piercing one with the tip of a sharp paring knife. It’s not unusual for them to take up to 2 hours, or more.
Serve warm, or at room temperature. To store, pour the quince and their liquid into a storage container and refrigerate for up to one week.
ORGANICLAND MEAT – beef bones and meat
YOUNGS LTD – red cabbage
ROSEDALE ORCHARDS – quince
WAITAKI BACON AND HAM – pork and fennel sausages
JUDGE ROCK WINES – wine
LEVITIO BAKERY – selection of baked goods
