Spiced farm garden chutney

To do this weekend

 

225g onions chopped finely

500g apples cored and chopped
400g tomatoes chopped

110g sultanas, raisins or chopped dates

15g ground coriander

15g paprika

15g mixed spice

15g salt

340g granulated sugar

425ml pints malt vinegar

 

Wholemeal Rolls for soup on the farm

John, Shona and I had these with Pea and Ham Soup this weekend on beautiful Purukanui Farm after some gardening and cleaning the stone barn.

I got all organic ingredients from the local organic shop Taste Nature in Dunedin, who support a wide range of activities related to sustainability in the local community.

Ingredients

400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
225g stone milled wholemeal flour
handful of sunflower seeds
handful of golden linseeds
1 tsp salt
7g fast-action dried yeast
1 tbsp honey
300ml warm water plus more
2 tbsp natural yoghurt

Extra flour or semolina or polenta for dusting.
a little milk, for brushing the tops
seeds for the tops

Preparation

Mix flours, yeast, honey and most of the water. Mix well and let stand for 5 minutes.

This allows the yeast to properly activate without the controlling action of the salt, and also allows the wholemeal flour to absorb the water it needs. Different wholemeal flours will soak up varying amounts of water so you can add more if it seems to dry. Next add the salt and seeds, and any extra water and knead well for about 8 minutes till the dough is smooth.
Shape the mixture into a ball and place in an oiled container covered with a plastic bag.
Leave to rise in a warm place for a good hour, or until it has almost doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Cut the dough with a spatula or nicely carved wooden bread shaper into pieces the size of the rolls you want.

Shape the dough pieces into rolls by folding the edges in the sides then turning over and twisting into a tight ball, pressing the sides around, down and under to make a nice smooth top.
Place on a baking tray dusted with flour, dusting in between the rolls so that they will pull apart easily later.

Leave to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place, until when pressed lightly with a fingertip the dough springs back 80%. If it springs back 100% it is overproved and needs to go in the oven right away otherwise it will start to deflate. If it doesn't spring back much it needs more time, perhaps a cup of hot water inside the bag as well to create a warm humid environment for better yeast action.

Brush the rolls with milk, sprinkle with seeds and then place in the oven.
Pour water into the empty hot pan at the bottom to create steam, which prevents the crust from hardening too quickly, allowing more rise to the bread.

Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray.

At this point you will want to eat it hot with loads of butter. However the bread is still cooking, and will be doughy inside. So leave it to cool, and you can warm it up in the oven when ready to eat later.

New Zealand and Purukanui Farm

I just moved to New Zealand to the town of Dunedin. I am staying at a beautiful farm looking over Purukanui Inlet and Blueskin Bay in Mihiwaka. Its about an hour bikeride from town, and the views are amazing riding around the hills, and up and down the hills.

These are some photos of the farm and the animals.

 The inlet

The farm

 The apple tree in the back garden with some cabbage and celery

The apiary site where I am taking care od three Warré beehives, skillfully built by Nick Holmes, near Mount Mopanui.

The cobbles

 the bath

Some local hills I have been riding around.

View from near swampy summit looking south towards Pineapple and Nichols MTB tracks

The view from Swampy Summit west (above) and east (below)

Curly Kale and Zucchini Salad

Mum and I made this gorgeous salad.

Kale is extremely good for you. High in iron, vitamins A, C an K, sulphur and fibre, anti-inflammatory and omega-3's. Apple cider vinegar is also anti-inflammatory, and contains the same important nutrients as apples - including pectin, beta-carotene and potassium - plus enzymes and amino acids formed during the fermentation process. The high potassium content encourages cell growth, and prevents that tired lethargic feeling you can get from lack of these nutrients. It also contains calcium and magnesium and enables the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, which aids digestion. 

ingredients

1/4 red cabbage
1 bunch of Kale
2 zucchinis
1 carrot 
apple cider vinegar
baby tomatoes
a really good olive oil
salt and pepper

method

Mix equal amounts of vinegar and olive oil together for a dressing.
Finely slice the cabbage and Kale and soak in the dressing.
Peel the zucchini and carrot thinly or use a julienne noodle maker to cut long curly lengths.
Cut baby tomatoes in half
Add salt and pepper and toss


Add things like figs, avocado, chutney and ham....mmm

Homemade Traditional Apple Pie

My Homemade Traditional Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp raw caster sugar

250g organic unsalted butter

1/4 cup milk

1kg apples

1/8 cup raw caster sugar

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

First, make the pastry. Have a bowl ready.

Chop the chilled butter into cubes and place on a bench with the flour and salt.

Use a rolling pin to roll the butter with the flour.

Do this for about a minute then return to the fridge in a bowl to re-chill the butter.

This is important as we are making nice flaky pastry and the butter has to remain cold to form layers without melting and forming globs.

Roll the mixture again, folding over a few times to keep mixture together.

Return to the bowl and add the milk. Bring together with your hands.

 Separate into two balls (1/3 and 2/3 of the mix)

Refridgerate both, separately covered in plastic wrap.

 Meanwhile, weigh out just under a kilo of mixed apples.

Peel (a ceramic peeler was excellent here), core and slice the apples.

Add cinnamon, sugars and salt. Leave in bowl to macerate for 15 minutes. 

Make a tea...peruse the garden...

Then, place the apples in a sieve or colander above the bowl to allow the juices to drain out.

While waiting for the apples to drain, roll out the pastry and line to pie dish.

Place larger refridgerated pastry on a well floured benchtop.

Allow to warm up for about 5 minutes then start rolling out.

Roll to the size of the pie dish plus an extra 10cm for the edges.

 

 Lay pastry over pie dish

 Trim edges with a sharp knife

Place in the fridge covered in plastic wrap.

Back to the apples: reduce the apple juices in a saucepan by about one third so they are syrupy.

Pour back into bowl with apples and add the cornflour and mix well.

Add this to the pie and return to the fridge.

Roll out the remaining dough into strips and make a lattice over the pie. 

Place in fridge covered for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to relax.

Preheat oven to 190 C, then bake for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Serve with creamy chardonnay!

Spicy chilli pork with knarly jerk hot sauce and salad

Ingredients (for 2 people)
salad:
200g Pork loin
2 cobs of corn
1 head of lettuce
bunch of mint
bunch of coriander
baby tomatoes

sauce:
6 ripe tomatoes
3 bay leaves
3 shallots
1 knob ginger
1 habanero chilli
3 cloves garlic


Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Put all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend for 5mins.
Cook in a saucepan till thick and keep stirring while simmering it.

Blacken the corn on a griddle pan then place in the oven.
fry the pork till medium then place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Polish Pierogi

Last week I visited Leszek and Nicoles place and we made these delicious Polish dessert dumplings called pierogi. Before that we had such a nice soup, I really want to try and make it sometime, it was a sourdough and polish sausage and potato soup, served with edible brassica flowers :)  I also got to try some amazing cinnamon-apple and grapefruit and cherry flavoured polish vodka cocktails, the honey vodka was by far my favourite with the dessert..

Ingredients

300g plain flour
2 egg yolks
1 cup water (or enough)
1 pinch salt
blueberries
butter and cream

Method

Mix using a mixer with a dough hook all the ingredients except the blueberries.

Make a nice dough that is silky but doesnt stick to your hands.

Roll out to approx 3mm thickness and cut rounds with a cup or glass.


Add a few blueberries to the middle and crimp around the edges.

Boil in a pot of water for approximately 5 minutes.

Serve buttered, with cream sweetened with sugar and Polish Vodka!