Colourful capsicums and eggplants bought from Queen’s Street Market in Brisbane, chillies from our local co-op in Maleny.

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Girl with chook

Blueberry Bush

Scarlet Honeyeater

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Pumpkin soup made extra special with the use of crab stock,

served with a dollop of coconut cream & garnished with vietnamese mint.

Grilled Prawns & Chorizo,

Crispy Pork Belly with Cauliflower Puree & Ginger Caramelised Walnuts

Roasted Tomatoes with Soft Goat Curd

Poached Pear in a special spiced syrup

served with Macadamia Ice Cream and Fresh Figs

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3. Green Papaya Salad

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Max has been hankering for gizzards for sometime but I haven’t had much luck finding them until a couple of weeks ago.   Gizzards are tough muscle meat and need to be cooked slowly at low temperature until tender.  Here is the recipe I used to make him a salade de gésiers.

Step 1 – Cooking the gizzards in duck fat (Gizzards Confit)

Method:

Put the gizzards into a casserole and cover with duck fat.  Cook on the lowest possible heat for about 2 hours, until tender.

If not using immediately, you can store in a sterilised jar covered with duck fat and refrigerate.

Step 2 – Preparing the salad

Method:

1. Remove the gizzards from the duck fat.  Slice the gizzards thinly.
2. Heat a little duck fat in a frying pan over a medium heat and toss in the hot fat until brown at the edges.  Season with salt & pepper.
3. Add to your salad and drizzle with a dressing.

(recipe source:  Forgotten skills of cooking by Darina Allen)

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Pan-fried Duck Breast with Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• Himalayan Salt (I used home-made lavender salt)
• 1 tbs vincotto
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup gelatinous broth
• 125 gm organic blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

Method
For the duck

1. Preheat the oven 200 deg C.
2. Score the skin and rub the salt into skin.
3. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat, add the duck breast, skin-side down and fry for about 2-3 minutes.  Turn them over and seal.  Place into the oven and cook for about 12 minutes (medium rare).
4. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate to rest.

For the sauce

1. Pour off excess fats from the pan and reserve the juices.
2. Return the pan to the stove.  Add the onion slices and fry until soften.  Add the vincotto and stir.
3. Add the vinegar, broth and bring to a boil and reduce.  Add the blueberries to the sauce and cook until reduced and thick.  Season with salt & pepper.
4. To serve, slice the duck and pour the sauce around the plate.  I served the duck with some sauteed spinach with crispy lardons.

Note:  Vincotto (literally translated as ‘cooked wine’), is derived from cooking the ‘musts’ (or pulped grapes) of Negroamaro and Malavasia grapes, which have been left to wither on the vines for 30 days.  After cooking, the grape must is reduced to one-fifth of its original volume and left to age in oak barrels for up to four years. The flavour is uniquely sweet and sour. Vincotto is high in polyphenols, the components in red wine which are beneficial to our health. It is alcohol free and has no colourings or preservatives. (source: cuisine.com.nz)

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Chicken in Mushroom, Mustard & Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (cut into 10 pieces)
• 2 tbs tarragon finely chopped + 1 tsp for sauce
• 4 tbs mustard (I used my homemade LF Mustard)
• 250 gm mushrooms (swiss brown), sliced
• 1 tbs kuzu or arrow root (dissolve in a little cold water)
• 1/4 cup organic verjuice or white wine
• 1 cup stock (preferably homemade)
• 2 – 3 tbs creme fraiche
• salt & pepper
• butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 C.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
3. Put chicken in a roasting pan. Season with salt & pepper.  Rub 3 tbs mustard all over the chicken.  Add the chopped tarragon. Add a knob of butter and roast for approx. 45 minutes (meat thermometer should register 140C.)
4. In the meantime, saute the mushroom in some butter and put aside.
5. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and keep warm.
6. Over the stove top, deglaze the pan with verjuice.  Add kuzu and cook over medium heat, whisking for 1 minute. Add stock, stirring constantly.
7. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, then whisk in creme fraiche, remaining mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the mushrooms and stir in reserved chopped tarragon.
8. Serve chicken with sauce.

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Bacon & Eggs

Chillies from Ev’s Garden

Slow Food Sunshine Coast Hinterland

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Gomasio or sesame salt is a japanese condiment which is traditionally made in a suribachi (ceramic mortar,) using a surikogi (wooden pestle) to grind the seeds.  I find the ritual of grinding the seeds and salt quite enjoyable  and  relaxing.   This nutrient rich condiment is wonderful sprinkled on salads, soups, fish & meat, eggs, stir fried vegetables  ……

Ingredients
1 cup sesame seed (black, white, or mixed together)
4-5 tsp sea salt or himalayan salt

Method

1. Roast the salt in a pan.
2. Let the salt cool and then pour it into the suribachi.  Grind into a fine powder.
3. Next roast the sesame seeds in the same pan, on low heat and stir constantly to avoid burning. The seeds must be roasted until they are crisp.
4. Pour the seeds on top of the salt and grind gently, exerting enough pressure to crack the seeds. The oil from seeds will coat the salt.
5. Store the gomasio in a jar and keep in a cool, dry place.

Try different variations by adding garlic flakes, flax seeds, dulse, mustard seeds or herbs such as nettle.

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