It’s the perfect morning to write – A Trio of Recipes

Tags

capers, Carrots, chilli, dressings, eggs, Fries, Frits, Micro greens, pears, puff pastry, Rocket leaf, Salads, smoked salmon, Soy sauce, spinach, Tart, walnut oil

I’m sitting in my kitchen warm and toasty looking out on the garden and the Atlantic Ocean beyond while contemplating the trees and bushes with the last of their autumn colours dropping gracefully to the ground; the leaves seem to have stayed around longer than usual which adds to the rich beauty of the morning as the air seems to dance with wisps of fog in the most magical way.

It’s the perfect morning to write, sitting here sipping on a soothing cup of coffee while my mind flits through the many recipes enjoyed by people past, and who recently stayed at Clifton House, and of their usual departing request to please send the recipe.

Most recently requested recipes are; Poached Egg on a bed of micro greens served with Carrot frits, Chilli spiced Autumn Pear salad, Smoked salmon & Spinach tart.

Poached Egg & Micro greens served with a side order of Carrot Frits

Serves 2

For the eggs

2 large organic eggs

20 g micro leaf rocket

1 tsp. good quality aged balsamic vinegar

1 desert spoon walnut oil

For the carrot frits

500 g carrots cut into fries approximately 1cm thick

1 tbsp. cornflour

A few grindings black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oven to 200c

Method

Place the cornflour and black pepper in a plastic bag, add the carrot frits and toss to cover evenly. Remove carrots from bag, place on a baking sheet and gently toss through with olive oil. Spread out in a single layer and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until done. To prevent carrots from sticking it is best to turn them halfway through the cooking process. When the carrot frits are cooked, sprinkle with salt.

When the carrot frits are ready, place some micro greens on each plate. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and walnut oil, drizzle over the micro greens and set aside.

Place a small pan on the stove with sufficient water to almost cover the eggs; sprinkle in a little salt, add the eggs and poach gently until cooked to your liking.

Place a poached egg gently on top of the micro greens, season with a few salt flakes and some ground black pepper. Serve with the carrot frits on the side. The frits are delicious to dunk into the egg.

Chilli Spiced Pear Salad

This is nice to serve as a starter or to enjoy as a light lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large chilli deseeded and finely chopped

3 tbsp. Groundnut or olive oil

2 tsps. Soy sauce

1 tsp. Castor sugar

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

3 firm but sweet pears cut into medium thin slices

Mixture of salad greens

Salt flakes and ground black pepper

Method

Add the chopped chillies to the oil in a bowl. In a small pan, warm the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar together. Once the sugar has dissolved, whisk it into the olive and chilli mixture. Set aside.

Place some salad greens on each plate, top with some of the sliced pear and drizzle over the dressing, finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes and ground black pepper. Serve.

Smoked Salmon & Spinach tart

Serves 4-6

Equipment

You will need a 25cm loose bottom tart tin, about 4cm deep.

Ingredients

Ready-made puff pastry

Olive oil

1 pack of baby spinach

1 onion finely diced

1 pack of smoked salmon

2 tbsp. capers

1 round of feta

5-6 eggs (large)

120 ml milk

A little salt and a good grinding of black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 180C

Roll out the ready-made puff pastry and line the tart tin – set aside.

Wash the spinach. Heat a pan and add some oil to the pan followed by the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Drain and press the spinach to remove all the excess water. Tear into bits and leave to cool

In the same pan drizzle a little more oil and add the onion; Sauté until soft and translucent. Set aside to cool.

Scatter the spinach over the base of the pastry, followed by the onions and then the salmon, torn into strips, then the capers and the feta.

In a bowl mix together the eggs and milk; season with salt and pepper, keep in mind the saltiness of the salmon, feta and capers.

Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the tart tin.

Place the tart tin on a tray and set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.

Serve with a salad.

Vegetable & Ricotta Torte

Tags

Books, broccoli, Cape Town, Clifton Kitchen, Cook Books, Cooking thorugh the seasons, feta, food and drink, food and travel writing, Food Blogs, gluten free, Kate Abbott, Lifestyle, Mascarpone, News, onion, Parmesan, Photography, Pie, recipes, Ricotta, spinach, Torte, travel Writing, Vegetables, Writing

 

This torte is one I make often using my favourite seasonal vegetables. It is wonderfully adaptable; to be enjoyed in either winter or summer, using whatever vegetables are in season. I usually make my own Ricotta, which I prefer; recipe included.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

140g broccoli spears

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion chopped,

2 courgettes (zucchini) finely sliced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped and bruised to release flavour

120 g baby spinach

1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme or basil

80 g parmesan, grated

250 g ricotta

225 g mascarpone

25 g feta, finely crumbled

4-5 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the broccoli, cook until stems are soft. Drain and plunge into cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process and to retain the colour of the broccoli. Chop into small chunks.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Turn up the heat and add the courgettes, cook until softened and golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, then add the spinach, mix in and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Remove pan from heat, add the broccoli, the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set mixture aside to cool.

Lightly butter a 20 cm spring form tin and dust with some of the grated parmesan, about 1 tablespoon of cheese should do.

Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, feta, eggs and about 50g of the parmesan. Add the mixture to the cooled vegetables, folding through to incorporate. Adjust seasoning.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter over the remaining parmesan. Place the tin on a baking sheet which will catch any drips and place in the oven. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. When cooked the top should be golden brown and the mixture still slightly wobbly in the centre.

Remove and leave to rest and set for about 20 minutes before serving. At this point the torte may be cooled completely, then refrigerated and served chilled as a summer torte. Serve with a salad.

Home-made Ricotta

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk

½ tsp. sea salt

3 tablespoons of either distilled vinegar, fresh lemon or lime juice.

Method

Place the milk in a heavy bottom pot. Add salt and heat gently, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching until the milk reaches a temperature of about 80-90C, or if you don’t have a thermometer, heat until the milk starts to simmer and foam at sides. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and add vinegar or the lemon/lime juice. Give the mixture one or two stirs, and then leave alone for the curds to develop. This should take about 5 minutes.

Line a sieve with cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Gently pour the milk mixture into the cheesecloth, disturbing the curds as little as possible in the process. Leave to drain for 5 minutes then bring the ends of the cloth together and tie the bag to the tap over the sink and leave to continue draining for about 15 minutes. The ricotta is now ready to use. The longer it drains the drier the ricotta will be.

Breakfast Tart for Easy Entertaining

Tags

Breakfast, Easy Entertaining, eggs, food, Life, Lifestyle, News, Photography, Recipe Food Blog Cook books Travel Writing, Rocket, spinach

There are a lot of hungry mouths to feed for breakfast. In the fridge I have rocket, spinach and feta and in the pantry fresh farm eggs and in the deep freezer the ever handy puff pastry. All these ingredients will not only make a delicious breakfast, but will also solve the problem of feeding a crowd, and  what’s more it takes only about 20 minutes to prepare, then into the oven for about half an hour to bake.

Breakfast tart of Eggs, Spinach, Rocket & Feta Cheese

Serves 6

Ingredients

80 g butter coarsely chopped

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

600 g spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped

80 g rocket, coarsely chopped

150 g feta crumbled

150 g ricotta

30 ml each coarsely chopped thyme and oregano

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Puff pastry, ready made

100 ml buttermilk or cream

9 eggs

Olive oil, for drizzling 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

In a pan melt half the butter and sauté the leek and garlic until they start to caramelise; then add the spinach and rocket, cook until wilted, then transfer mixture to a colander and drain.

Place the wilted greens in a bowl; add feta, ricotta, herbs, and lemon zest. Season to taste, mix and set aside.

Roll out the pastry to fit a 20cm x 29cm baking tray or tart tin. Melt the remaining butter, brush the base and sides line with the pastry, allowing pastry to overhang. Spread filling mixture over pastry base, make 6 evenly spaced indentations in filling and set aside.

In a bowl or jug, whisk buttermilk and 3 eggs to combine, season, then pour over spinach mixture. Crack remaining eggs in to the indentations, season each egg lightly and drizzle with olive oil. Brush the pastry edges with a little melted butter or milk.

Place tart in oven, bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the eggs are set.

Serve with some bacon and or tomato relish, and as it is the festive season, perhaps a little Champaign too.

Linger a Little Longer with Fresh Ricotta & Spinach Crêpes

Tags

Books, Cape Town, Cape Town Cooks, Chefs, Cooks, Crêpes, Food Blogs, Light meals, News, Photography, recipes, Ricotta, spinach, starter, Travel, Writing

The spinach in my garden is still producing new leaves, just the thing I want for what I am planning. The spinach together with the gorgeous fresh ricotta, herbs and seasoning, will make a rather nice filling for some posh crêpes

Fresh Ricotta & Spinach Crêpes

Serves 4 as a main meal or 8 as a starter

Crêpe batter

500 ml milk

170 g plain flour

4 eggs

100 g butter

Filling

1½ tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

400 g baby spinach

200 g ricotta

60 g parmesan cheese finely grated, a bit extra for scattering

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Prepare the batter: I find a food processor works well for this purpose. Put milk, flour, eggs and a pinch of salt in a food processor, mix until well combined.

In an 18cm non-stick pan, heat about 5 g of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place 2 tablespoons of the batter in the middle of the pan, swirling to spread batter thinly and evenly. Cook crêpe until just set which should take about 1 ½ minutes, turn and cook the other side for about 30 seconds or until golden brown. Transfer crêpe to a plate and repeat the process with the rest of the batter. You should end up with about 20 crêpes.

For the filling: heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add garlic and sauté for a few seconds then add the spinach, and a pinch of salt, stir until the spinach has wilted. Transfer spinach to a bowl, leave to cool slightly then add the ricotta, parmesan, thyme, season to taste. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C

Working one crêpes at a time, fill with 2 tablespoons of ricotta and spinach filling. Fold crêpes in half, then in half again to form a cone shape. Place the crepe on a paper lined oven tray and repeat the process with the remaining crêpes and filling. Bake until heated through and the edges start to crisp; this should take about 10-15 minutes.

Serve scattered with parmesan and an accompaniment of well seasoned and finely diced ripe tomatoes tossed in olive oil.

Food For a Crowd

Tags

Appitizer, Books, Calzone, Cape Town, Cefs, Cooks, Entertaining, feta, food, Food Blogs, Life, News, Photography, Pizza, Proscuitto, recipes, spinach, Travel, Writing

Calzone can be filled with anything you have at hand making it perfect food for feeding a crowd, especially handy at this time of the year when we entertain a lot. It’s also easy to make but does require a little forward planning.

The flavourful marriage of spinach, rocket and prosciutto together with feta cheese is one of my favourite combinations.

Serves 8-10  as a starter or appetizer

or

Serves 6 as a main meal with salad

For the dough

500 g flour. I use 00 flour

200 g semolina, and a little extra for dusting

1 tablespoon activated instant dry yeast

10 ml sea salt

40 ml olive oil

400 ml water

For the filling

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves thinly sliced

300 g baby spinach

250 g rocket, small leaves are best

salt and pepper to taste

12-14 slices of prosciutto

Method

In a bowl combine the flour, semolina, yeast and 10 ml sea salt. Make a well in the centre, add olive oil and about 400ml water, stir to combine. Turn dough onto a clean work surface, knead until combined and smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with tea towel, and place in a warm place to prove until double in size. This will take about 45-50 minutes.

In the meantime sauté the garlic in olive oil in a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, add spinach and rocket and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 250C.

Prepare the base

You will need an oven tray measuring 40 x 25cm. Scatter a base of oven tray with semolina. Roll two thirds of the dough slightly larger than the baking tray (45 x 30 cm) and place the dough on the tray.

Arrange wilted greens over the dough, leaving a 3cm boarder. Scatter with basil, feta and prosciutto, fold in border, moisten the border with egg wash and set aside. Roll out remaining dough to 40cm x 25cm, place over prepared base and press edges together to seal. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until dough has risen slightly, about 25-30 minutes. Cut slits in top, place in oven and bake until golden brown (10-15) minutes.

Cut into serving portions and serve either with a salad or as an appetizer

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…

Aromatic Warmth & Heady Fragrance ….. the inspiring notes for todays menu

Tags

Bobotie, Carrots, corriander, Crab meat, cumin, fish, ginger, Onion seeds, salmon, Seasoning, Spices, spinach, Turmeric

It’s a clear bright sky today; the wild almond which towers over the entrance to the Clifton House is breaking out with blossoms, soon they will fall to the ground like snowflakes; the wonderful fragrance of cardamom coffee wafting from the kitchen pricks the senses. I fancy something fragrant and mildly spicy for dinner.

The pantry store cupboard holds a store of heady scents and warm colours, I find just what I need for the Fish Bobotie which I will serve with a warm salad of carrot, spinach tossed together with a cumin, lemon and garlic dressing. I pick fresh curry leaves from the little tree in the herb garden and add a few Kaffir lime leaves to the bundle. The curry leaves provide a mild aromatic warmth to the Bobotie which I feel the dish just cant do without. The kaffir lime leaves are optional.

Aromatic Fish Bobotie served with Carrot, Spinach and cumin salad with toasted black onion seeds

Deliciously fragrant and mildly spicy, a good dish for entertaining friends.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cans of skinless and boneless pink salmon ( drained mass 270 g)

1 can crab meat (drained mass 113 g)

2 slices of bread

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

½ ground cayenne pepper

Thumb size piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped

1 onion peeled and finely diced

1 cup of cream

1 tsp. turmeric powder

2 large eggs

Salt

Black pepper

6-8 curry leaves

4 kaffir lime leaves finely sliced (optional)

Method

Set the oven temperature to 180C

Drain the cans of salmon and crab meat and place in a bowl.

In a separate bowl tear the bread into chunks and cover with the cup of milk, leave to soak.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, add the cumin, coriander, cayenne and sauté for a few seconds, add the chopped ginger, sauté for a few more seconds then add the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion is tender and soft. Add to the bowl with the fish and crab and mix through. Squeeze the bread reserving the milk for later; add the bread to the mixture in the bowl. Mix all thoroughly but gently together and place in a buttered oven proof dish.

Add 1 cup of the cream to the reserved milk in which the bread was soaking, add the turmeric, the eggs, beat together lightly and season with salt and pepper. Pour this custard liquid over the fish mixture. Add some curry leaves pushing them gently down on top of the custard. Add a sprinkling of the finely sliced Kaffir lime leaves.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the custard is set and is a nice golden colour.

For the warm salad

Carrot Spinach and cumin salad with toasted black onion seeds

The secret to this salad is good quality organic carrots and spinach and lightly pan roasting the onion seeds

Ingredients

500g cooked carrots

250g baby spinach washed, blanched and squeezed dry

½ tsp. ground cumin

2 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped

½ tsp. sea salt

Juice of half a lemon

1/3 tsp. castor sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp. pan roasted black onion seeds

Method

Slice the cooked carrots into long strips, about 3-4 strips per carrot. Place into a salad bowl, together with the spinach, layering as you go.

Pound the cumin, garlic, and salt in a mortar and pestle. Mix in the lemon juice, sugar and olive oil until well amalgamated.

Pour the dressing over the carrot and spinach and sprinkle with the roasted black onion seeds.

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.