Autumn Snack for One

Tags

avocado, Basil, Cape Town, chilli, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, garlic, goats cheese Agave nectar, health, olvie oil, peaches, quick meal, red onion, season foods, snack healthy food, whole wheat seed bread

It’s a quiet day; the stormy weather of yesterday gone. Today we have soft autumn sunshine, the air is crisp and chilly. I love the different seasons and the changes it brings. This evening will be perfect for cosy fireside natter while sipping some delicious port.

But back to lunch which is roasted vegetables and avocado on toasted whole wheat seed bread, followed by grilled peach served with goats cheese, a drizzle of Agave nectar and a sprig of mint. This is a very healthy snack, wonderful the skin, cholesterol, blood pressure and general circulation.

For the roasted vegetables and avocado on toasted whole wheat seed bread you will need

½ red pepper cut into bite size chunks

1 small red onion cut into chunks

11/2 tablespoon olive oil

½ an avocado

1 garlic clove

1 small green chilli

2-3 basil leaves

A spritz or two of fresh lime juice

A slice of whole wheat seed bread or bread of your choice, toasted

Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C

Put the chopped pepper and onion in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil, season and toss the vegetables together. Place in the preheated oven for about 15minutes then turn the grill on high and continue to cook for about another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables take on some charred colour.

Place the avocado, garlic, chilli, basil, lime juice and ½ a tablespoon olive oil in a blender and blend to a rough or smooth consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Spread the avocado mixture over the toast and top with the roasted vegetables. Serve.

Oven grilled peach served with goat’s chees, agave nectar and mint

Ingredients

1 peach cut in half, stone removed

A little olive oil

A few slices of goat’s cheese

A few sprigs of mint

A drizzle of agave nectar

Method

Place the peach halves face up in an oven proof dish. Rub the cut side of each half with a little olive oil and place under a hot grill for about 5-8 minutes or until they start to take on colour.

Place each half on a plate or in a little bowl, top with some goat’s cheese, a sprig of mint and drizzle with a splash of agave nectar.

Note:

if you don’t have agave nectar, use a good quality honey instead

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What’s In Season For August

Tags

Apple, apples, Asian greens, avocado, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprout, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, Carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, Chefs, Chicory, cumquats, fennel, food and drink, Foodblog, Fruit, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lemons, limes, mandarins, Nettle, Nettles, okra, olives, onions, oranges, papaya, parsnips, pineapple, potatoes, pumpkin, recipe, rhubarb, Seasonal produce, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, swede, sweet potato, turnip, Vegetable, Vegetables, witlof

It’s hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the month of August. In my garden shrubs and trees are sprouting new growth and last season’s spinach which I had not removed has regrown without much prompting and is looking healthy and lush. The nettles too are doing well in this garden.

Nettles are incredibly nutritious, they establish themselves anywhere where in soil with high fertility, on banks of river beds, near trees and within the vegetable patch. Yes they sting like mad and one needs gloves when picking, but the application of heat when cooking removes all trace of stinging hairs. Cook the nettles as you would spinach. The flavour is slightly stronger than that of spinach and is a lovely substitute to use in the classic spinach and ricotta gnocchi or for a lovely leek and nettle sauté.

When selecting fruit and vegetables, it is best as always to buy where ever possible, locally produced and what is in season to ensure the benefit of maximum flavour and nutrition from your fruit and vegetables.

Here is a guide for produce to look for in August.

Fruit:

Apples, cumquats, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, papaya, pineapple, rhubarb,…

Vegetables:

Asian greens, avocado, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, okra, olives, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, swede, sweet potato, turnip, witlof…

Shoulder of Goat served with a fragrant dish of Spicy Potato, Spinach & Tomato

Tags

blackpepper, cayenne pepper, cinamon, corriander, cumin, curry leaves turmeric, garlic, goat, onion, organic, potato, roasting, rosemary, spinach, tomato, wine

Although it is middle of the winter here in the Cape, the past few days have been gorgeously warm with the temperatures reaching 22∘ during the day, but dropping rapidly toward the evening. It’s a nice time to be in the garden and I have picked some spinach and herbs for this evening’s meal which will be shoulder of young goat, sealed in baking foil and slowly roasted. This will be served with a delicious side dish, a combination of spicy potato, spinach and tomato, bursting with fragrant flavour.

Growing herbs in the kitchen garden provides much pleasure and is well used in the Clifton Kitchen creations. I notice the beautiful tiny blue flowers on the rosemary bushes as I pick what I need and then on to the curry leaf tree which releases the most amazing fragrances as I run my fingers through the leaves, picking four of them for my dish.

The lemon tree is hanging heavy with fruit, ready for picking. I will probably preserve some and make some marmalade too; but back to today’s meal.

What I like about this dish is the ease of preparation allowing you to get on with other matters at hand while the meat slowly takes care of itself as it cooks away in the oven. The ingredients for the accompaniment can be prepared ahead of time and put together at the last minute.

Shoulder of Goat served with Spicy Potato Spinach & Tomato

Serves 6

Ingredients

Baking foil

1.4kg shoulder of goat

2 tablespoons Olive oil

¼ tsp. Salt

1.4 tsp. Pepper

15ml chopped fresh Rosemary

5 garlic cloves unpeeled but crushed

1 large onion roughly chopped

½ cup white wine

Method

Set the oven to 180C.

Place the shoulder of goat on a sheet of baking foil.

Mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Rub all over the meat. Sprinkle over the chopped onion and add the crushed garlic cloves. Pour in the wine and seal the shoulder of goat in the baking foil parcel. Place in the oven and bake for about 3 hours after which the meat will be succulent and soft.

For the spicy Potato, spinach and tomato

Ingredients

300g spinach washed and blanched in boiling salted water and squeezed dry

4 medium size potatoes cut into cubes and par boiled until just soft

3 medium tomatoes chopped

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. turmeric powder

½ tsp. cayenne powder

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

5 fresh curry leaves finely sliced

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

30ml water

Salt to taste

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pan, add the potatoes and sauté until golden and set aside

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a pan, add the spices, curry leaves and garlic and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 30ml of water and cook for 5 minutes with lid on pan, add the spinach and potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.