Tzatziki

500 g natural yogurt 1 continental cucumber, seeds removed and grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed juice of ½ lemon 1 teaspoon shredded mint salt Place the yoghurt in a bowl and beat with a whisk to thicken slightly.Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or store in a container, refrigerated. it will keep for 1–2 days but will then become water...

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Tomato Jam

1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled 1 kg white sugar juice of 1 lemon Cut the tomatoes in half, thinly slice and place in a heavy-based saucepan. Gently bring the tomatoes to the boil. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until dissolved. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches setting point. Pour into hot, sterilised jars or if using  Immediately into a container to cool, before refrigeratio...

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Tomato Relish

1 kg ripe tomatoes 500 g (about 4 medium) onions, diced 1 tablespoon salt 300 g brown sugar 1–2 cups malt vinegar 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon mixed spice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Peel the tomatoes and roughly chop. Place the tomatoes and onion in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and refrigerate overnight. This draws out the liquid and intensifies the flavour. The following day, pour off the excess liquid and put...

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Tomato Chutney

1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled 500 g brown onions, peeled and cut into 1-cm dice 1 tablespoon salt 250 g sultanas or raisins, chopped 250 ml white vinegar 300 g brown sugar 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon curry powder ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cloves Dice the tomatoes and place in a glass or plastic bowl with the onion. sprinkle with salt, cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day pour off excess liquid. Place...

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Tapenade

500 g kalamata olives, pitted (see Hints and tips) 100 g capers, rinsed 100 g anchovy fillets 200 ml olive oil Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. or chop and then pound in a mortar and pestle, leaving the oil until last. Store, covered with a thin layer of oil, in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 day...

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Salsa Verde

1½ tablespoons salted capers 1 cup flat-leaf or curly parsley leaves 1 cup mint leaves 1 cup basil leaves 3 garlic cloves, minced 6 anchovy fillets 1 cup olive oil lemon juice salt and pepper Wash the capers and soak in fresh water for an hour. Drain and squeeze dry in a tea towel. In a food processor, blend the capers, herbs, garlic and anchovies until combined. alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle and pound the ingredients into a paste. With the machine still running,...

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Quince Paste

3 kg quinces white sugar 150 ml lemon juice, strained 3 cinnamon sticks Choose quince which are yellow with a slight green tinge to them. this indicates that the quince is still a little under-ripe which in turn means the pectin levels are higher. Wash any ‘down’ from the surface of the quinces and chop roughly at this point there is no need to peel or core the fruit. place the chopped quinces in a saucepan with 750 ml water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat...

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Pistou

4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 cups loosely packed  fresh basil leaves (1 bunch) ½ cup extra virgin olive oil about ¼ teaspoon salt  flakes Puree the ingredients in a small food processor until a smooth paste is formed. (or, pound the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle, then start adding the basil, pounding until pasty, and blend in the olive oil.) Serve immediately or, like pesto, cover with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerate for up to 5 days. it...

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Pesto

4 cups well packed basil leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 1 cup pine nuts or walnuts (or a combination of the two) 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese (or a combination of the two) Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until the basil is finely chopped. Add the nuts and process until the nuts are also finely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil in...

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Onion Jam

200 g white sugar 50 ml water 2 large onions, finely diced 100 ml port salt Place the sugar in a pan and add just enough water to soften. Bring to the boil then allow to simmer until it is quite dark in colour this is the caramel. Add the onion immediately, followed by the port (being careful not to have it splatter on you), then stir to combine the ingredients. at this stage, the caramel may form clumps; do not panic as these will dissolve. Season with the salt. Reduce...

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Mint Jelly

1 kg Granny smith apples 500 ml water ½ bunch mint, washed and chopped with the stalks 1 cup cider vinegar white sugar Roughly chop the apples; leave the skin on and do not core. Place the apples, water and mint in a saucepan over medium heat and cook gently until the apples are soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes. Add the vinegar, remove the pan from the heat and mash the apples with a potato masher. Set up a pot with a colander or large strainer lined with muslin cloth sitting...

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Hummus

250 g dried chickpeas 1 litre cold water 6 tablespoons tahini 4 garlic cloves, crushed juice of 4 lemons salt Place the chickpeas in a large container and cover with the water. soak overnight. Drain the chickpeas, place in a large pot, and add enough fresh cold water to cover by 10 cm. simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and drain, keeping some of the cooking water. Process the chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor, adding just...

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Guacamole

2 ripe avocados ½ cup lemon juice salt Carefully cut each avocado down to the seed using a sharp knife. Turn the avocado around the blade of the knife to cut it in half lengthways. Twist the halves in opposite directions, lifting as you twist to reveal two halves, one with the seed still attached. To remove the seed, give it a short, sharp chop with the knife; this will bury the blade a few millimetres into the seed’s woody surface. Twist the knife and the seed is...

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Chilli Jam

4 red capsicums 6 tomatoes 100 ml olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 8 long red chillies, sliced in half lengthways, seeds  removed and chopped 100 ml malt vinegar 300 g brown sugar 2 teaspoons salt Place capsicums on a roasting tray lined with baking paper and bake at 250ºc, turning every  5 minutes until the capsicums are blackened on all sides. remove from the oven and place in a bowl to cool before peeling.  Peel the tomatoes while the capsicums are roasting. Bring...

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Caramelised Onions

100 ml olive oil 3 red or brown onions,  peeled and sliced Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until beginning to wilt. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid the onions sticking to the base of the pan. Once golden in colour, remove from the pan and cool. store in a sealed container or jar in the refrigerator. caramelised onions will last 5–7 days covered and...

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Baba Ghanouj

2 medium eggplants 1 garlic clove, crushed juice of 1 lemon 100 g tahini 300 g natural yoghurt ¼ teaspoon allspice salt flakes and freshly  ground pepper, to taste Prick the eggplants all over with a fork. Place each over a naked gas flame, set to medium. cook for 5–7 minutes, turning constantly until blistered and blackened. alternatively, this can be done on the barbecue grill but will take much longer.  Eggplants are cooked when very soft to press. Place in a bowl...

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Super Fluffy Pancakes

750 ml milk or buttermilk 8 eggs, separated few drops of vanilla essence (optional) 600 g self-raising flour 100 g caster sugar about 125 g unsalted butter, for cooking In one bowl, mix the milk or buttermilk and egg yolks, whisking until the egg yolks are combined. at this point the vanilla essence can be added, if using. Place the egg whites in a second, large bowl, ready for whisking. In a third large bowl, sift the flour and sugar, making a well in the centre. Pour the milk...

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Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

8 roma or vine-ripened tomatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons salt flakes 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 110ºc. Slice the tomatoes in half and place, cut side up, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush or drizzle with the olive oil. sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, cool and keep refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 day...

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Scrambled Eggs

4–6 eggs (depending on size) 2 tablespoons thick cream (35 per cent fat) salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 75 g butter chopped chives, to garnish In a bowl, crack the eggs, add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Whisk lightly with a fork the whites and yolks don’t have to be completely mixed and the mixture should contain some air; over-whisking the mixture expels the air and makes for heavier scrambled eggs. Melt the butter in a heavy-based nonstick pan over medium...

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Omelette

3 large eggs 2 tablespoons warm water large pinch of salt flakes pinch of ground white pepper 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon olive oil Combine the egg, water, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until well combined. The water evaporates as the omelette cooks making it light and fluffy. Place a nonstick frying pan over medium–high heat, add the butter and olive oil and heat until the butter begins to bubble without browning. Add the egg mixture to the pan. as the egg begins to...

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Hash Brown Potato

500 g (about 2 large) potatoes 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil 2 tablespoons butter salt and pepper, to taste Scrub the potatoes they do not need to be peeled then coarsely grate. squeeze the grated potato slightly to remove some of its water (this makes for a crispier end result). Heat a 30-cm frying pan, preferably nonstick, over medium–high heat. add the oil and butter. When hot, add the potatoes and push down with a spatula to spread evenly in the bottom of the...

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