A few suggested recipes for you to try at home. If you would like to submit one for our website, feel free!

Winter Vegetables

Beetroot
In olden times was cultivated around the Mediterranean for the leaves only, whereas now it is almost exclusively used for its bulbs. Bortsch is a Russian soup based on beetroot, it is also roast & boiled.

Carrots
Originally from Afghanistan, the Dutch turned them orange in the 17th century. Source of Vitamin A, beta carotene, potassium. Young, tender carrots steamed, tossed with butter and cumin seeds. Carrots and coriander soup. Grated in a salad with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and mint.

Jerusalem Artichokes
Also called sunchokes. Originally from North America. Same family as sunflowers. Works well baked, in soups, & as a puree.

Parsnip
Traditional winter vegetable. Was staple of Europe until the potato arrived in the 16th century. Mashed parsnip with roast leeks and nutmeg.

Swede
Known as Rutabaga in America. Developed in Bohemia in the 17th Century. Popular in Scotland, served with Haggis.

Sweet Potato
South America. People from Chile and Peru use the same word as New Zealand Maori – Kumara. Also popular in SE Asian cuisine.

Turnip
Have been eaten for 10,000 years and cultivated for 5,000. Turnip, potato, parsnip gratin.
High, dry heat develops flavours. Called maillard reaction, caramelizing the sugars. Same chemical reaction as roast meat, toast, roast nuts.

Tips for vegetables
Cut faster cooking vegetables bigger and slower roasting ones smaller so they can be roasted together.
Very economical
Low in calories
Stores very well which means local product can be sold over a longer time avoiding imports.
Store in the dark

Sweet Potato &
ginger soup

Ingredients
4 tablespoons Grape seed oil
1 onion, chopped
750 g chopped sweet potato
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm piece of ginger
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
50 mls coconut cream freshly chopped coriander, to taste

Method
Toss chopped sweet potato in 2 tablespoons of the grape seed oil & roast in 180C oven for 10 mins
Heat the last 2 tablespoons of the grape seed oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion, & cook for 3-4 mins, then add garlic and ginger and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Stir in stock, add sweet potato and cook until sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
Put through food mill or blend in food processor.
Return soup to the boil, then add cream & serve.

Braised Lamb Shanks w/
tomato & olives

Serves 4
8 250 gram lamb shanks, trimmed

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tbsp sweet paprika

4 tbsp oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 medium onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1          large leek, white and light-green parts only,
            washed well, and sliced into
            1/4-inch half moons

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups chicken or lamb stock

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

½ cup pitted olives

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2 dried bay leaves

Method

Winter Warmers

· Preheat oven to 200oC.

· Season lamb all over with salt and pepper.

· Place flour and paprika in a shallow bowl. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat evenly; shake off excess.

· Heat oil and butter in a pan, then add shanks and cook until they are well browned (about five minutes per side).

· Transfer shanks to a large plate.

· Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

· Place pan over medium heat; add onions and leek, and sauté until they are lightly browned (about six minutes).

· Add garlic and cook four minutes more.

· Add red wine and deglaze pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.

· Return shanks to the pan and add chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in oven. Braise for two hours and 30 minutes. Approx

· Using a slotted spoon, transfer shanks and vegetables to a large bowl. Cover and set aside.

· Using a ladle, skim fat and remove from surface of cooking liquid. Cook liquid over medium heat until it is thickened (five to seven minutes).

· Return shanks and vegetables to pan and cook until heated through.

· Remove from heat and add pitted whole olives and tomatoes.

· Season with salt and pepper.

· Serve with Polenta or mash potato, & green beans.

Cooler months give a opportunity to indulge in some comfort food, long, slow cooking times, strong rustic flavours combined with fresh herbs to produce great tasting food.

Risotto’s, duck confit, osso bucco, & braised lamb shanks are but a few winter warmers sure to please the family or dinner party guests. One point on cooking this style of food is its longer cooking times. To achieve the best results, cooking cannot be rushed. When braising lamb shanks, you need to allow 2-3 hrs cooking to ensure that the meat is tender to the point of falling from the bone.
Braising is one of the best ways to use cuts of meat & poultry with the bone in.

Braising items such as lamb shanks also have the advantage of being able to be prepared in one pot, reducing the need to dirty 2-3 pots to cook a meal. Flavours such as garlic, shallot, red wine, thyme, rosemary, sage & many others can be used to impart a richness of flavour to compliment the stronger flavour of the meat. Vegetables such as carrot, swede, turnip, & sweet potato, can all be included to not only help develop a stronger flavour in the sauce, but to add the vegetable componet of the meal. Lightly dusting the meat in seasoned flour will help thicken the sauce & you can season the flour with flavours such as praprika, cumin, sumac, to name a few. These spices can change the dish, & the garnish that is served with it.

Spinach fettuccini with smoked salmon, capers and basil cream

Ingredients
250 grams spinach fettuccini
200 grams smoked salmon
(broken into bite size pieces)
50 grams capers
1 bunch basil
200 ml cream salt and pepper

Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boilding salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.
2. Place the cream in a pan and bring to the boil.
3. Add capers and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add smoked salmon, basil and then toss through the warm pasta.
Season with salt and pepper.

Gwydir Grove Olive Oil infused with Australian Flavours of Lemon Myrtle, Bush Herbs & Mountain Pepper

Cobram Estate Citron Olive Oil, Gwydir Grove Blood Orange Olive Oil & The Colonial Vinegar Company Macadamia Nut Oil

Spaghetti with Italian sausage, smashed olives and lemon
infused olive oil

Spiral pasta with fresh tomato, chilli, thyme and Persian fetta

Penne with chargrilled vegetables, rosemary, rocket and extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients
250 grams spaghetti
4 good quality Italian sausages
100 grams Kalamata olives, pitted and crushed
½ bunch fresh sage
50 ml lemon infused olive oil salt and pepper

Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and cook the sausages.
Remove from the heat, and when cool enough to handle, slice on an angle.
3. Toss the warm pasta, sausages, olives, finely chopped sage and olive oil together.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Ingredients
250 grams Penne
50 ml vegetable oil
2 sprigs rosemary
1 handful rocket
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 capsicum
1 sweet potato
2 tomatoes
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.
2. Heat BBQ or chargrill.
3. Slice vegetables 1cm thick and place in a large bowl with vegetable oil, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper.
4. Chargrill the vegetables until soft and well coloured.
If you don’t have a BBQ, dice the vegetables and coat in vegetable oil, rosemary and salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 200oC for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Ingredients
250 grams spiral pasta
8 ripe tomatoes
½ bunch fresh thyme (leaves picked)
100 grams Meredith Dairy marinated goats cheese
salt and pepper
1 red chilli (finely chopped)
1 orange chilli (both finely chopped)

Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.
2. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds and dice them.
3. Toss the tomatoes, chilli and thyme with the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve garnisheed with the crumbled fetta.

Light and Easy Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Skyes Delight

Mandarin Bakewell Slice

There is no butter or egg in the muffin; it is made with bertolli extra light olive oil,
which makes a light and lovely muffin with moist texture and great rasberry flavour.

Ingredients
1 ½      cups     flour
1          cup       castor sugar
            pinch    salt
½         tsp       baking powder
½         tsp       bicarbonate of soda
4                      egg whites
1/3       cup       frozen rasberries
½         cup       light olive oil
¼                     low fat yogurt
¼         cup       roughly chopped white chocolate bits

Method
Butter the sides and base of muffin tin (cooking spray can be used)
Preheat the oven to moderately hot (190C)
Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl
Whisk the egg whites with a fork until broken and slightly frothy and add
Stir rasberries, olive oil, yogurt and white chocolate bits and mix lightly until just combined
Spoon the mixture into the tins
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and firm to touch on top
Transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can dust with icing sugar when serving
They freeze really well and can be reheated in the microwave

Ingredients:
300 grams whole raw almonds
300 grams seeded dates
300 grams dark chocolate (ie Club)
250 grams castor
6 egg whites

Method
In a food processor blend separately the nuts, dates and chocolate until course in consistency.
Mix together well. Whip egg whites and add sugar slowly to a stiff meringue. Fold a small amount of the meringue into the nut date and chocolate mix to loosen. Fold in the rest and combine well.
Place into a 25cm spring form pan that has been greased, and spread until level.
Cook on 170oC for approx. 1-1 ½ Hours or until firm and golden brown. Allow to cool and serve with mascarpone or cream and berry sauce/coulis.

Berry Coulis

Ingredients
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Castor Sugar
Vanilla Paste

Method
Combine the berries, sugar and vanilla, bring to the boil and simmer until the berries are cooked through and reduce the liquid by half and serve cool.

Ingredients
220 grms Unsalted Butter
220 grms Castor Sugar
2 ea Mandarines
1 ea Lemons
5 ea Whole Eggs
100 grms Bread Crumbs
80 grms Almond Meal
Vanilla
Sweet Crust Pasty
Apricot Jam

Methods:
Beat butter and sugar until white and creamy.
Beat in eggs one at a time until combined.
Add lemon juice and zest and vanilla.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Roll out sweet crust pastry and line lamington tray.
Refrigerate pastry, when cool brush with apricot jam.
Put Bakewell mix on top of the pastry up to level with the side of the tray.
Cook in a moderate oven on 175oC or 350oF until golden brown on top.
Allow to cool, then cut from the tray.

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