Autumn Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Apple, Radish and Goat Cheese

Ingredients2 cups rocket or mixed Asian greens 1/2 sliced, cored apple 1 cup cubed, roasted sweet potato, carrot and/or pumpkin 4 sliced radishes 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon honey salt & pepper 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Method 1. Put the greens, apple, roasted veggies, radish and sesame seeds in a large mixing bowl. 2. In a small separate bowl make the dressing: mix the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and season with salt & pepper. 3. Toss the salad with the dressing, using the amount you like. 4. Divide salad into two serving bowls. Scatter the goat cheese on top of the salads.

Vegetable Soup with Quinoa and Nettles

Quinoa, a grain like seed is a complete protein, unlike rice or beans. It is also gluten free. It is the best source for a plant based protein and being high in fiber and iron it should have a place in every vegetarian kitchen. Sopa de quinoa is a staple soup in Peru.  The Andes is where this grain thrives.  Quinoa is cooked with potatoes, onions and garlic in lard or oil and flavored with native oregano and annatto seeds. Whatever vegetables or greens are at hand are added to the soup. The soups I had ranged from a clear pale yellow soup to a thick creamy one, chock full of vegetables and greens.It usually served with an aji made from chili peppers.  You can take one slice from a chili and float it in your bowl of soup until you have the desired heat you like.

Ingredients 8 cups (2 liters) of vegetable or chicken stock 1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed 1 cup carrots, quartered and sliced 1 cup pumpkin, peeled and cubed 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1 cup potatoes, cubed salt (to taste) 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1cup minced nettle

Method 1. Combine carrots, onions and celery in a heavy bottomed soup pot with a splash of olive oil.  Gently fry until the onion is translucent. 2. Add pumpkin, potato, quinoa and stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the quinoa has "split", the curly tails have removed, about 10-15 minutes. 3. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt, if necessary and add the fresh herbs. Cook 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat.

Chunky Potato and Leek Soup

This is my new favourite crew lunch soup recipe.  The chunkiness allows each vegetable to speak for itself while the overall flavour is gorgeous. Ingredients 300 gm sweet potato - scrubbed not peeled and cut into 1 cm rounds (if they are the finger sweet potatoes) 500 gm potato - scrubbed not peeled and cut into large bite size pieces 3 carrots - halved and cut into 1/2cm semi rounds 1 leek halved and sliced into 1/2cm semi circles 250ml white wine 200 gm of pumpkin peeled and cut into 2 cm squares a large knob of butter...about 80 grams 1.5L vegetable stock 1/2 cup chopped parsley 3/4 cup chopped stinging nettles

Method 1. Place the butter and leeks into a large heavy bottom stock pot on medium heat.  Caramelise the leeks...stirring occasionally until they begin to brown. 2. Add carrots, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato and wine and turn the heat up burning the alcohol from the wine. 3. Turn heat back to medium and add stock.  Ensure that there is ample stock to cover vegetables.  Simmer until pumpkin begins to break down.  The pumpkin can completely disintegrate adding flavour to the stock. Add stock if needed. 4.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once the stock is well flavoured, add the parsley and nettles and remove from heat.  Let rest for five minutes before serving.

Photo Credit Belinda Sheekey at Dyeing Trade

Black Rice, Rocket, Bean and Semi-Dried Tomato Salad

This salad is very versatile.  You can use asparagus and broad beans in early Spring, peas and baby carrots or beans and grilled zucchini. Ingredients 250g black rice 250 grams of mixed coloured beans, steamed and cut into 2 cm pieces 100 grams of sugar snap peas, steamed and cut into bite size pieces 3 spring onions, roughly chopped or the top of an onion 3/4 cup semi-dried tomato coarsely chopped 250 grams baby rocket 1 lemon 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar Sea salt and (lots of) freshly ground black pepper

Method 1.  Cook rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 35-40 minutes. Drain well, spread out on a plate or a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool. 2. While the rice is cooking, steam beans until tender.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Cut the beans into bite size pieces. Steam sugar snaps until they sweat.  Remove from heat and place into iced water. Cut into bite size pieces 3.  Wash and spin the rocket. lay onto a wide salad tray. 4.  When the rice is cool, sprinkle over rocket.  Add cooled beans and semi-dried tomatoes. 5.  In a container mix the dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.  Dress the salad. Then zest the lemon and its juice over the top. Source - Jane Clift - One of our CSA members

Carrot Top Pesto

This recipe comes from CSA member Amy Minichiello. Ingredients Green tops off a bunch of carrots 1 garlic clove, chopped 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano) 1/4 cup toasted walnuts Juice from half a lemon Light olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Method 1. Place greens, garlic, walnuts, cheese and Lemon juice in a food processor and blend until all ingredients are chopped finely. 2. Add oil and blend until it all comes together to form a thick consistency. 3. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Spoon into a jar, cover with oil. And try stopping yourself from eating just as is! It's delicious stirred through pasta, dolloped on top of roasted veggies, stirred through a grain salad, the list goes on.

Spring Lentil, Quinoa, Green Garlic and Coriander Salad

Ingredients1 cup cooked quinoa 1/2 cup cooked fine green lentils 3 baby carrots cut into skinny rounds 1 cup snow or sugar snap peas cut into bite size pieces 1 green garlic finely diced mixed greens - your choice, de-stemed, washed, spun 150 grams feta 1 bunch of coriander, dice the tops 2 limes - juiced and the zest from one 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar avocado

Method 1. Cook quinoa and lentils, in separate pots, and cool completely. (This step could be done in advance.) 2. Chop up coriander, juice and zest the lime, cut peas and carrot.  Dice green garlic.  Add all, including salt and pepper, olive oil and vinegar to the quinoa and lentils. Mix well and adjust seasoning. 3. Top with crumbled feta and serve on top of mixed greens. 4. Serve avocado on the side.  The flavour complements extremely well!

Carrots and Peas in a Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Inspired by Ottolenghi's recipe written for The Guardian Ingredients bit over 1/4cup orange juice 1/8cup red wine 1/8cup honey 2 cinnamon sticks 4 star anise 1½ tbsp coriander seeds 1 kilo carrots, peeled and cut at an angle 1/4cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 kilo shelled peas, fresh or frozen salt and pepper Garnish: 2 ½ oz pea shoots (optional)

Method 1. To make the sauce, pour orange juice, wine, and honey into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon and star anise and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered 20-40 minutes until reduced to a third. Set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 3. Heat a small frying pan over high heat. Add the coriander seeds and dry toast them for about three minutes. 4. In a bowl, mix the toasted coriander seeds, carrots, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. 5. Spread the carrot mixture out on a large baking tray and bake in oven for about 15 minutes. 6. Remove tray from oven and add the sweet sauce (including cinnamon and star anise). Stir well and return to the oven for seven minutes, until the carrots are cooked through, but still have some crunch. 7. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 8. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the peas. Simmer for one minute, then drain into a colander. Run under cold water, then drain. 9. Gently stir together carrots and peas. 10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Quinoa, Roasted Veggies, Marinated Chickpeas and Feta Salad

Ingredients1 cup raw chickpeas 1 medium whole Butternut squash or 1/4 to 1/3 of a Queensland Blue squash 3 carrots 2 beetroot 1 cup red quinoa balsamic vinegar extra virgin olive oil 100g feta lemon thyme salt and pepper

Method 1. Night Before: Soak 1 cup of chick peas over night. 2. 1 1/2 hours before serving: Drain the chick peas and refill with water.  Add a 3 cm piece of Kombu.  Boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 1 hour or until tender. 3. Vegetables: While the chick peas are boiling, peel 1 medium whole Butternut squash or 1/4 to 1/3 of a Queensland Blue squash and cut into 1 1/2cm cubes.  (I prefer these squashes because they remain whole even when roasted.) Peel carrots and cut into match sticks. Peel beetroot and cut into 1cm cubes. Place all on a roasting tray. Lightly sprinkle with olive oil, salt and fresh thyme. 4. Roast in a 180 oven for about an hour, turning occasionally so that all sides brown. 5. Quinoa: Rinse and drain 1 cup red quinoa.  Place in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock.  Cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa seed has split, a little white "tail" comes away from the kernel. This is the sign that the quinoa is soft.  Place in a bowl to cool. 6. Marinade: 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dessert Spoon fresh lemon thyme 1/2tsp salt and generous grind of cracked pepper 7. Greens: Use seasonal greens.  Mixed lettuce, spinach, rocket, beetroot greens, mizuna.  Rinse and spin dry.  This salad is delicious with as few or as many as you have. 8. Remove vegetables from the oven and allow to cool. 9. Assembling: Once chickpeas are tender, drain and mix immediately with the marinade.  As they cool, they soak up the marinade.  If there is no marinade left in the bowl with them, make a bit more.

Once cool, add about 100grams of feta cheese cut into 1 cm cubes. Stir to coat with marinade and let sit for ten minutes.

Place greens in bowl.  Top with quinoa, then roasted vegetables then chickpeas and feta.

Hearty Tomato Soup

Ingredients2 cups chopped carrots 2 cups chopped celery 3 cups diced onions 6 cloves garlic, minced 12 cups chopped fresh tomatoes 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups stock 2 Tbsp salt 2 tsp. sugar 2 bay leaves 4 cloves 12 fresh basil leaves

Method 1. Roughly chop all the vegetables. It doesn’t matter what they look like because the soup will be blended later, but make sure the carrots, onions and celery are all about the same size so they cook at the same rate. 2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the carrots, celery, onions and bay leaves and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes, but don’t let the vegetables brown. Add in the tomatoes,  stock, sugar, salt, basil and cloves. Allow to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the carrots are soft. 3. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 4. Puree the soup, either with a stick blender or in batches in a conventional blender. 5. Once the soup is all pureed, push it through a sieve.  You want to get out the tomato skins and seeds, but push through the rest of the vegetables. If you use too fine a mesh strainer, you will just end up with tomato juice. If you can skin and seed your tomatoes before making the soup you don’t have to strain it. But this is time consuming and I found it just easier to strain. 6. Put all the strained soup back in the pot and add the salt and sugar to taste. Even though my tomatoes were very ripe and sweet, I almost always add a couple of teaspoons of sugar to tomato soup or sauce because it helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and bring out the natural sweetness. 7. You can serve as is, or add cream to make a 'bisque'.

Lentils, Monastery Style

This is a hearty soup which, when served with some corn bread, makes a complete meal!  It comes from my well loved copy of Frances Moore Lappe's  Diet for a Small Planet. Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 2 large onions 2 large garlic cloves 1 carrot, chopped 1/2 tsp thyme and marjoram 3 cups seasoned stock 1 cup brown or green lentils salt to taste 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 500g jar of tomatoes 2 cups chopped spinach or silver beet 1/4 cup dry sherry 2/3 cup grated Swiss cheese

Method 1.  Heat oil in a large pot and saute onions, garlic and carrots for 3 to 5 minutes. 2.  Add herbs and saute for another minute to release the flavours. 3. Add stock, lentils, salt and tomatoes and cook, covered until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. 4. Add sherry, parsley and silver beet and continue to simmer until silver beet is tender. 5.  To serve, put 2 tbsps of cheese in each bowl and fill with soup.  Serve with corn bread or muffins.

Mineral Rich Chicken Stock

If you make stock, you know that nurturing smell which permeates each corner of a home as it slowly simmers through the night.  If you have never made a stock, you have to try...just once at least...get your biggest pot (or borrow a big one from your mother) and clean out your vegetable drawer.  Add some bony chicken parts and let it simmer. In our house, I find the smell of a good stock simmering all night is enough to make an ailing child turn the corner.  Whenever the heat of summer subsides, we have a stock pot on.  By winter, our freezer has extra stock frozen, but we still make stock as the weather cools, and all winter long.  We use stock in soups, stews, pasta dishes, risottos, and stir fries.  I believe that the stock made from nutrient dense vegetables and herbs, consolidates their essential nutrients into a rich, spoon licking, brew which re-mineralizes the body and the spirit!

Ingredients Organic bony chicken parts - Carcass(es) (cooked or uncooked), necks, wings or  legs 1 onion, chopped into ¼ inch squares 8 branches parsley (not the leafy tops) 2 bay leaves Several large branches of thyme (or whatever you have leftover from the week) 2 medium carrots, diced 4 celery stalks and leaves, roughly chopped Leek tops Onion tops any tomatoes, beans and zucchini left in the vegetable drawer 8 whole cloves 8 whole peppercorns 2 liters cold water or enough to float all the items Leafy tops of parsley

Method 1.    Place chicken parts in cold water and bring to boil.  Skim the foam that forms. 2.    Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for hours or even overnight. The longer you simmer the stock, the more flavourful it will be. 3.    In the last 10 minutes of the stock simmering, add the leafy parsley to add extra minerals. 4.    Strain the stock.  You can reduce it further to intensify the flavour. 5.    Refrigerate and then skim any fat from the surface. 6.    Freeze in jars or use within a week.

For more great information about stocks, check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

We have written more about Thyme and its great attributes.

Purple Carrots - The New Super Food

The Weekly Times featured purple carrots this week as their "Pick of the Crop". "Herald as the new super food, purple carrots are...packed with healthy benefits."  The article continues, "While orange carrots contain much beta-carotene (good for eyesight and skin), the purples are big in anthocyanins, the purple-red pigment and antioxidant that helps ward off high blood pressure, cancers of the digestive tract and high cholesterol while boosting the immune system and aiding calcium absorption."

Likely about 5000 years old, purple carrots "gained a boost" recently when for eight weeks a Brisbane professor fed purple carrot juice to rats suffering high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and heart and liver damage brought on by a diet high in fats and carbohydrates.  "Amazingly, all symptoms disappeared, even though the high fat-carbohydrate diet was continued."

Transition Farm CSA members have received 'Cosmic Purple' and 'Deep Purple' carrots in their summer share boxes this year, alone as baby carrot bunches or combined with other coloured heirloom carrot varieties.  All have been easy to grow and wonderful to eat.  Unlike some other purple vegetables, the purple carrots keep their colour when cooked which makes for a lovely plate filled with a variety of colours...and health benefits! Heal your heart and liver with a purple carrot dip on your vegetable platter or mashed purple carrots next to steamed green beans.  They are wonderful raw, roasted and steamed, too!

Preserving the Harvest

For the past two weeks, the CSA boxes have been really full with up to 16 different vegetables, not including herbs and garlic!  We cleaned out the last of the early summer cabbage and the first beetroot and carrot plantings, had a great broccoli crop, a bumper harvest of beans and a rocket planting that never seemed to end.  We love loading these heavy boxes into the cooler and wonder what will be created in kitchens around the peninsula.

We have had a few emails regarding what's left in the vegetable drawer as members get ready for this weeks box.  Here are some of the ways we have found to preserve the harvest - fermentation, condiments, freezing and jarring.

Last year, I wrote a post on Preserving, Fermenting and Freezing which may also lend some inspiration. It has a list of some of my favourite preserving books.

These suggestions range from very simple to requiring a bit more time and effort.  It really helps to keep a supply of jars and new lids on hand throughout the summer.  If you do not have to look and/or clean the jars, you greatly reduce your time. The relish for example takes 1hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.  I also tend to stock our pantry with good quality vinegars and any special herbs now so that when I have the produce, I can get started right away.

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Greens Beans I was passed on a traditional New England recipe for Dilly Beans.  I usually make at least one batch as they are a fun addition to an entree platter or you can make a batch of these Spicy Dilly Beans to stir a Bloody Mary.

I love adding beans to minestrone soup.  So when there is a bumper harvest, I quick freeze them by chopping them into 1 inch pieces, dropping them into boiling water for 2 minutes, quickly transferring them into very cold water and then letting them dry in a colander before bagging them into ziplocks and freezing them.  These beans can be thawed and lightly steamed for a vegetable side or added in the last five minutes to a soup.

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Beetroot Although in these parts, we can harvest beetroot year round, I love having jars of pickled beetroot and beetroot relish to add to summer and winter sandwiches and platters.

Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff has a fantastic spiced, pickled beetroot recipe.  The vinegar is countered with a touch of honey and then cinnamon sticks, whole allspice berries and peppercorns offer that wonderful spiced scent that is a pickling memory I still hold from my childhood.  These beets are a far cry from the sickly sweet ones that used to be served in the diners dotting US1 in my home state of Florida.

Beetroot Relish is a great addition to a sandwich and a cheese platter.  There are two recipes with the link and they take less then 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete!

Cabbage I love sauerkrauts and kimichis and also believe in their health giving benefits. I highly recommend Sador Ellix Katz'sbooks about fermentation.  Scythes Australia offer great fermentation pots and other useful tools.

I also like a quicker Pickled Red Cabbage recipe which includes a pickling spice mix that I really love.

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Carrots We have carrots from the beginning of December until about the end of September when it is too cold to germinate more and the ones from winter have gone to seed.  I have to admit that I have never frozen or jarred carrots to try and have them for those two months in the middle.  But I do love Home-Made Vegetable Stock!  Each week starting in mid summer, I make a big pot of stock. Vegetable, chicken, beef - I use whatever I have around and let it simmer for several hours.  I freeze it in glass bottling jars. You can also find quart containers from a packaging supply store.  It is wonderful to have fresh stock for a myriad of recipes...from gravy to stir-fries to soups.

We also juice extra carrots and make a delicious Carrot Mash.

Celery Again, as an essential ingredient in stock, I add any extra celery each week into my stock pot or we juice it.

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Chillies If you love hot sauces or Sweet Chilli Sauce,  make your own spicy condiments using pure ingredients!  They are usually simpler then the ones you can buy, do not include the myriad of preservatives or corn derivatives and are much tastier. Liana Krissoff offers several hot sauce recipes including the mango and peach hot sauce pictured above.

You can also make Curry Pastes and then keep them for at least a month in the refrigerator in an air tight jar or freeze for longer!

Kosher Dill Naturally Fermented Pickles

Cucumbers Fermented Dill Pickles or Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles, I love them all.  You can make the bread and butter pickles as refrigerator pickles in small batches and use them within 1 month, thus eliminating the need to seal the jars with a water bath.  Both Sandor Katz and Liana Krissoff have wonderful recipes for pickles that range from quick dills to two week naturally fermented ones.

Eggplant Nikki Fisher at The Wholefood Mama posted a great Eggplant Pickle recipe from Jay Black.

Radishes Again, another vegetable which pickles and ferments into a wonderful accompaniment.  I will be trying a beetroot and radish ferment in the next few weeks using Sandor Katz's recommendations and a bit of imagination.  I did find this recipe for Pickled Radish which sounded good to me.

RocketRocket Pesto freezes well and uses large amounts of rocket!  Great way to get all of its wonderful health giving benefits.

Tomatoes Now that is a post on its own and, as we are not really to that stage yet, I will leave that for now.

Zucchini You can grate zucchini, drain it in a colander and freeze it in bags to add to quiches, slices or zucchini bread all through the winter.  You can also slice it, blanch it and freeze it to use in pasta sauces or as a vegetable side.  Here is a post on Farmgirl Fare which talks about how to freeze zucchini and summer squash and the many uses for it.

Herbs And what about any extra herbs you have each week.  A simple thing to do is hang the whole bunch upside down in a cool and shaded spot of the kitchen.  When the plant has completely dried, separate the herb from the stalk or stem, ensure that it is completely dried (or put onto a baking tray and leave on top of an oven that is cooling...NOT in the oven) and jar the herbs.  These fresh herbs will be far fresher dried then anything you can buy.

You can also freeze Basil Pesto for simple dinners and yummy pizzas throughout the winter. Make it omitting the cheese and freeze in glass jars or ziplock bags.

What other ideas do you have?

Beet and Carrot Salad

This is a quick recipe (10 minute) that we make alot for farm lunches. Ingredients 2 large beets grated 2 large carrots grated 100 grams feta crumbled 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Method 1.  I use a food processor to grate the beetroot and carrot. 2.  In a bowl, crumble the feta.  Add oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and coriander. 3.  Add beetroot and carrot and mix roughly.  Serve over lettuce or as a side.

Carrot and Radish Salad with a Glorious Moroccan Inspired Dressing

Here is a lovely salad recipe donated from a CSA member Ingredients 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon, cumin and paprika 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp honey 1/2 lemon, juiced 4 largish carrots, peeled, thinly sliced however you like (I halve carrots and then slice lengthwise for appearance) 10 radishes, thinly sliced 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp orange flower water*

Method 1. Place garlic, spices, oil, vinegar, honey and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 2. Blanch carrots in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, drain and refresh. While still warm, toss in the dressing, then set aside at room temperature. 3. To serve, toss in the radish and parsley and drizzle with orange flower water

Notes I didn’t have any orange water flower so just omitted it. I also varied the quantity of radishes to my preferences – as long as there is an even balance of the vegetables in the salad I think it works.

Served with Nikki Fisher’s Beetroot, Rocket, Walnut and Persian Feta Salad and Spinach and Feta Triangles.  The combination of flavours was gorgeous!

Vegetable Pakoras - from Paul Dempsey

Paul and Lisa Dempsey are the faces behind Big Blue Backyard, a local, secluded, award winning, ocean beach hideaway for couples. Designed to blend into the natural environment, this unique retreat sits perfectly between the dunes abutting the National Park at wild and often deserted St Andrews Beach. Paul is a wonderfully diverse chef who draws his inspiration from the ingredients presented to him each week.  The meals served to guests are unique, exquisite and seasonal with ingredients sourced locally. This recipe is a great example of that.  Use it as a starting point to create something from what you have in your box.

Paul makes his pakoras on the fly so there really isn’t a recipe just a list of ingredients and a methodology of sorts.

Here are the quantities he used yesterday but that made at least 180. Par cooked pakora’s freeze beautifully so you can always have them on hand for last minute dinner ideas or unexpected guests.

Ingredients 1kg chick pea flour All the vegetables you want to use— Root vegetables – grate Peas – just podded Cabbage – shredded Peppers – julienned 5 brown onions sliced The roots of the coriander bunch blended with 10 whole green chillies 12 eggs, beaten

Method 1. Mix all the vegetables, beaten eggs and blended herbs together. 2. Depending on how much liquid comes out of the vegetables, one may have to add more chick pea flour to the mix to make the batter more viscous. 3. Gently heat canola/sunflower oil in large sauce pan or wok – medium to deep – oil should get to around 165degrees Celsius.  Using a large serving spoon, spoon big dollop of mixture one by one into the oil – make sure the stay separate and then as they brown gently roll each pakora around in the oil to cook and brown on all sides. (if you want to freeze a few, just let them get to golden brown) With a slatted spoon remove each one from the oil letting excess oil drip back into the pot and then lay to rest on some kitchen paper. 4. Serve warm with a grated yogurt and cucumber mix. 5.  If freezing some, allow to cool and then pack in zip lock bags and put in freezer.

Coleslaw - Bahamian Style!

Growing up in America, I have eaten many coleslaws.  It has never really been my first choice for vegetable sides as it is usually so gloopy...for lack of a better word. Bahamian style coleslaw is fresh and light, and although it still has some sugar, the crunch of the raw vegetables is complemented by the sour spice of the hot sauce and lime juice.

This is my mum's recipe. She lives happily on Long Island, part of the Out Islands in the Bahamas.

Ingredients 1/2 head of cabbage 2 medium carrots

Bahamian Style Coleslaw Dressing 2 tbsps Mayonnaise 2 tbsps Basic Dressing (below) Juice from 1/2 a lime Few shakes of Hot Pepper Sauce (or more to taste) Sea Salt and Pepper

Method 1. Make Basic Dressing (below) and allow to cool. 2. Combine all ingredients for the coleslaw dressing and blend with a wire whisk or in a food processor. 3. Core cabbage and finely shred with sharp knife (don't chop). 4. Grate carrots, if they are large, or finely slice if they are small. 5. Mix to taste with dressing.

Basic Dressing Boil until sugar has dissolved: 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/2 cup water Cool, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Mum's Note: I always keep this in my fridge in a glass jar with a lid.  This is an excellent dressing alone for cucumbers and onions, or beets and onions.  A bit of it is wonderful with sauteed red cabbage, sauteed greens, or in potato salad.

Tatsoi and Cabbage Stir Fry

This is a versatile stir fry that you can make with any vegetables.  I add in broccoli, zucchini and red peppers when we have them.  The carrots replace the red peppers in the winter and spring adding the sweet counterpart to the whole flavour of the stir fry.  Tatsoi is a delicate green.  I chop the stems into pieces and add them with the cabbage. But the tops, I leave whole and add right before serving so that they are only slightly braised.  I have included chicken in the recipe. This can be omitted. Ingredients olive oil 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips 2 egg whites, lightly beaten ½ cup cornflour 3 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a press 2 onions, thinly sliced or 1 large leek or a bunch of green onions 4 medium sized carrots and/or 1 red sweet capsicum, cut into match sticks 2 heads of Tatsoi, remove tops and set aside, dice stems into 1 cm pieces 1/2 head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sherry 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method 1. Heat the wok until very hot, add 1 tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat the side. Dip a quarter of the chicken strips into the egg white and then into the cornflour. Add to the wok and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken, reheating the wok and adding a little more oil each time. 2. Reheat the wok, add 1 tbsp of the oil and stir-fry the onion, carrot and/or capsicum and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened slightly. If using green onions, wait and add with the cabbage.  Add cabbage and tatsoi stems, continuing to stir. Increase the heat to high and add the soy sauce, sherry and oyster sauce. Toss the vegetables well. If you like more sauce, just add soy, sherry and oyster sauce (double the amount of soy and sherry to the amount of oyster sauce). 3. Return the chicken to the wok and toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes to heat the chicken and make sure it is entirely cooked through. Add sesame seeds. Toss the Tatsoi leaves through the chicken mixture, and serve immediately over rice or udon noodles.

Crunchy Salad

Here is a recipe adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe...which he prefaces by saying that it is a very adaptable salad..."One of the things I love about a good crunchy salad is that you can simply change it according to where you live  and what fresh ingredients are available to you."  So have a go at inventing your own crunchy salad - be inventive with how you slice, chop, shave your ingredients.  Explore texture and flavours and revel in a truly seasonal compliment to any meal! Ingredients 1 cucumber 1 red onion, peeled and shaved 3 small carrots 1 fennel bulbs outer leaves peeled back, quartered lengthways 1 zucchini ribbon sliced 6 radishes, quartered 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 heaped tsp castor sugar 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil small bunch of fresh dill or thyme small bunch of flat leaf parsley finely chopped

Method 1. Chop, shred  and/or ribbon slice all of your vegetables. 2. Mix olive oil, vinegar and castor sugar in a small jar.  Shake until well blended. 3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix by hand with the herbs.  Serve.

Photo credit and recipe suggestion - Emma Travers

Asian Cucumber Condiment

This is a recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.  If you want to enliven a dish, this relish can do the job.  It's sweet, sour and spicy all at once. Ingredients 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded 1/4 cup peeled and shredded carrots 1/2 fresh chilli, seeded and minced 1/4 cup fresh lime juice or 3 tbsps rice vinegar 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method 1.  Slice both halves of the cucumber crosswise on the diagonal to make thin crescents. 2. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, carrots and minced chilli.  Set Aside. 3. Whisk together the lime juice, brown sugar, and fish sauce or salt, and stir until the sugar completely dissolves.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.  Add coriander. 4. Chill for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.