Loving the abundance of citrus at this time of year, with so many options for recipes - both sweet & savoury. Last weekend’s brunch is one of my favourites recipe for combining a few different citrus flavours together. You don’t have to stick with orange, grapefruit, and mandarin, but mix it up with what ever is available. I’ve also used blood oranges, limes, tangelos and cumquats in this recipe. But just make sure the syrup balances out the tartness of the citrus.
There’s only ever clean plates after serving this dish to the hungry hordes, so you can’t go wrong!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThe racket in the garden at present is getting ridiculous, with birdie visitors squabbling over the last of the figs on a daily basis. Anyone would think they were eating their last meal for awhile, as the Waxeyes, Thrush, Starlings and the occasional Fantail duke it out in my fig tree!
I managed to rescue a few figs that didn’t have any beak holes, and baked in this Fig Frangipane dessert. Great flavours in this autumn dessert and really quick to make.
No figs available, no probs. Just swop the figs with thinly sliced apples, pears or quince.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
This has become a favourite breakfast at my place after Jen introduced me to hemp hearts. It’s an easy recipe and great for busy mornings as there’s minimal prep. You can change the fruit topping, depending on what is around at different times of the year.
Jen tells me Hemp hearts are nutritious hulled heart of the hemp seed, that look a bit like sesame seeds. They taste nutty and are a high quality protein containing omega 3 and 6, plus an excellent source of good fats. They’re great sprinkled on breakfast dishes, salads and you can even add them to smoothies. Available at organic grocers, health shops and online direct from the grower. Just remember to keep them in the fridge so they don’t go rancid.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThe weather has definitely changed over the last few weeks, and the temperature dropped considerably with Autumn setting in. My pear trees are coming to the end of this years crop, so as per usual we have ended up with a pear overload. This means pears in everything, from desserts, baking, chutneys, to even tossing a few in salads and roasting with meat dishes. Pretty versatile fruit when you think about it.
So here’s one of my favourite pear based cakes with lots of nuts, and a topping of Mascarpone cream. Great with a cup of tea or even as a dessert.
Enjoy!
Read MoreIn past years I’ve struggled to get any ripe figs off my established fig tree (Fig Brown Turkey) in the garden. Living in the south island of New Zealand and having to put up with the vagaries of our summer weather, most years I end up with plenty of figs that never ripen before the end of autumn.
So this year I thought I would try an experiment and plant a new fig tree (Fig Mrs Williams) in my garden. I’ve positioned it against a north east facing fence (southern hemisphere sun is best in this direction). When it gets a little bigger the plan is to espalier the fig tree along the fence to maximise the amount of sun the new fig tree gets. Fig Mrs Williams is an earlier fruiting variety than Fig Brown Turkey, so fingers crossed it comes up with the goods.
Well surprise surprise - we’re only half way through January and already I’ve had ONE ripe fig off my small fig tree. So I can’t wait till early autumn see what this little tree comes up with next.
With a single perfectly ripe fig to play with, what dish to make? It has to be something simple and tasty, so I’m thinking a Fig, Apple & Walnut Salad will be perfect! And yes it was Ç’est Magnifique or Awesome for the non francophiles out there!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). This is Jen’s version of Bostock or Brioche Aux Amandes, and she’s used fresh cherries as they are fantastic at this time of year. Also included are another couple of favourites a marmalade version and a Christmas mince version. Best eaten warm straight from the oven, and it’s a lovely brunch option or great with coffee.
Prepare the frangipane and orange syrup the night before, and assemble the brioche in the morning and bake.
Enjoy!
Read MoreYayyy - we’ve finally made it to Day 1 of my Christmas Countdown! And for the pièce de résistance I’ve made a Raspberry Pavlova Wreath. Living in the southern hemisphere, a summery Chrismas isn’t the same without the very popular pavlova and berries for dessert, everyone swears by their family recipes being the best ever. This year I’ve tried a slightly different version from Donna Hay Magazine (thanks Donna) in the shape a wreath, and piled it up with lots of raspberries and extra garnishes. Any fruit will do, and you could exchange the raspberries for mango, pomegranate or cherries. Let your imagination run wild.
Well this is my last day posting for awhile, so I just wanted to say thanks for following along on my Christmas Countdown - it’s been a blast. My waistline has taken a bit of a hit with all those calories, but thats what New Years resolutions are for aren’t they. I also wanted to say a big thank you to all my clients who made 2018 an epic year for my business. Looking forward to doing some more fantastic work in 2019.
Enjoy your Christmas break - and from me it’s over and out for 2018!
Read MoreDay 2 of my christmas countdown - and we only have two days till the big day. Hope you’ve done all your Christmas shopping, and are sprinting through your “To Do” list. Todays recipe for Christmas Star Bread is perfect for that Christmas morning snack, while your opening presents and wrangling the turkey into submission. And it can even be prepared the night before and popped in the oven first thing Christmas morning.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWe’re taking in Italy on Day 4 of my christmas countdown. I can never say “no” to a slice of Italian Panforte. Especially when it’s dusted with icing sugar and served with a sneaky port or two or three. Christmas prep is stressful don’t ya know!
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 5 of my christmas countdown is really getting into the Christmas spirit with these tiny Christmas Mince Pies. I love these pies with lots of dried fruit and a touch of nutmeg. They have to be my favourite at Christmas time, and of course I’ve been doing a fair bit of quality testing this week just to make sure they taste as good as they look.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 8 of my christmas countdown inspiration is a bit special with these delectable Woodland Meringues. Looking fabulous with their different coatings, you can never stop at just one!
I’ve used pistachios, dried raspberries, and gold pearl sugar for my chocolate toppings. But you can choose different toppings such as toasted & chopped hazelnuts or almonds, dried mandarins, dried cherries, edible gold leaf, chocolate hail, sprinkles, or want ever takes your fancy.
They make great gifts, bagged up in cellophane bags with christmas ribbon and hung on a Christmas tree or stuffed in Christmas stockings.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWell here we are for Day 9 of my Christmas Countdown. Today’s recipe is a Chocolate, Orange & Almond Biscotti, just the treat to have with a coffee or anytime snack.
Might pay to do a bit of dunking first as these biscotti are super crunchy, and I don’t want to be responsible for broken teeth at this time of year.
Enjoy!
Read MoreFor all those people out there in blog land who are keen on doing some Christmas baking, I’m here to help. I’ve decide to put together a countdown of a few of my favourite recipes in the run up to Christmas. So starting today at Day 10 we have a Cranberry, Almond & Pistachio Nougat. Great for gifts or just having on hand for those unexpected visitors.
This recipe brings back lots of memories of Christmas as a child, when Mum & Dad would give us Callard & Bowser Nougat for Christmas. It became a bit of a tradition in our family and we only received it at Christmas time, as it was meant to be a very special treat. Even now after all these years I can still remember the smell and taste of the Nougat with it’s hint of rose water, crunchy nuts, and luscious cherries.
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). This is a simple but beautiful recipe for a Roast Carrot Salad with Labne & Sumac. It’s just the dish for those summer BBQ’s, or a light lunch. The labne could be replaced with soft goats cheese, just give the dish a sprinkle with sumac at the end. You can serve the salad warm or at room temperature, so perfect for Christmas day as you can prep ahead.
Enjoy!
Read MoreOK everyone don’t fall off your seats - another post from me only a week after the last one. I’m trying to be a bit more diligent with my social media posts (early New Years resolution), fingers crossed I can keep going for more than a few months.
This week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). Savoury Granola makes a great pantry staple, and a perfect topping for salads, soups, on top of eggs, and on roast or steamed vegetables. In fact anything that needs a bit of crunch! It also makes a great homemade gift, particularly at this time of year.
The dry ingredients are interchangeable with what you have in your pantry, just keep it to around six cups of dry ingredients. Don’t go too heavy on the buckwheat, they go nice and crunchy, but you don’t want too many of them.
Enjoy!
Read MoreSearching for a light winter dessert to have at a weekend dinner with friends? You've got to try these roast spiced pears with hazelnuts and labne. Roasting the pears gives them a richer flavour, and the generous slug of port with the spices makes for a heavenly combination. Of course a little tipple during cooking doesn't go amiss either.
Read MoreNeed a speedy lunch or dinner for 4 - you gotta check out this Mexican Chicken recipe. Packed with flavour - it's spicy with plenty of zing from the limes plus the salty feta.
It's really easy to prepare ahead, and you can just throw it in the oven when your guests are banging on your front door. After you've had the odd compulsory margarita (or two), the chicken will be ready to serve with a simple green salad.
Que aproveche!
Read MoreYup it's that time of year again when florists work around the clock and love is in the air. Thought I would share this recipe & images with you all out there in blog land of a shoot I did recently for a client. I think it fits the Valentines brief perfectly and super easy to make. And yes the client and I did eat this dessert and the spare afterwards. Result - both decided it was super delicious and were looking for more!
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