BAKED APPLES WITH LEMON SYRUP


Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Serves: 6

• 6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled
• 40 g soft unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 sun dried apricots, chopped
• 12 roasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup water

For the lemon syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 lemons, juiced and zest julienned

Preheat the oven to 200°c. Core the apples using an apple corer (keep the cores), and cut the apples horizontally into 1 cm slices. Reform the slices into the apple shape and secure slices together using wooden cocktail sticks. Cut a 1cm slice from each apple core and place in the base of the core cavities, to prevent the stuffing from seeping out during cooking.

Mix together the butter, brown sugar, apricots and hazelnuts and press into the cavity of each apple. Place the apples into a baking dish. Combine the lemon juice and water and brush over the apples. Pour the remaining lemon water around the apples and lightly cover with a piece of foil to prevent the stuffing from burning.

Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until tender, brushing occasionally with the cooking liquid. Remove the wooden sticks and serve warm with the lemon syrup.

Accompany with thick cream.

For the lemon syrup: Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a medium sized saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves then boil over a medium heat until the liquid reduces to one cup. Serve warm poured over the baked apples.

 

Making Green Tea from your Camellia Sinensis

 To make your own green tea use the  youngest and softest tips and one or two of  the uppermost leaves of the Camellia  Sinensis.

Place about 10 tips (approx 5 gms) onto a saucer. Heat the leaves in a microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds on medium until they are very soft and moist.

Roll all of the leaves into a ball between     the palms of your hands for 10 to 20   seconds this will break up the cells in the leaves and help to release the colour and flavour.

Place your tea leaf ball into a white cup (so you can assess the colour) and add boiling water. Gently stir for about a minute until the water turns light lime green. If you brew for too long the tea will taste bitter.

Strain out the leaves and enjoy your refreshing green tea. You can reuse the same leaves for another 2 or 3 cups.

 

Scotch Broth

This is a perfect winter warming soup for the whole family; serve it with fresh sourdough bread to mop up all those delicious flavours.

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

500gm Lean neck of lamb

1 Large Onion                                  

2 Carrots, sliced

2 leeks, sliced

1 litre Vegetable stock

1 Bay leaf

Sprigs of fresh parsley

55gm Pearl barley

Salt and Pepper

 

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy based saucepan and add the pieces of lamb, turning them to seal and brown on both sides. Remove lamb.

Add onion, carrots, and leeks to the saucepan and cook gently until softening. Return the lamb to the pan with veggies and add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, parsley, and pearl barley, bring the mix to the boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.

 Discard parsley sprigs remove lamb and then remove any bones and chop the meat and place back in soup Season with salt and pepper.

This dish tastes even better the next day after it is cooled and refrigerated, remove and discard the layer of fat, then reheat gently and serve immediately.

Pasta Primavera                                                    

 Serves 4, prep time 10 mins,

Cooking time 15 mins

1 Lemon           

350g farfalle1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 bunch asparagus trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally.

150gm Snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways.

1 tbs Olive oil

1 zucchini, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally,or 8 zucchini flowers (optional).

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbs Wholegrain mustard

300ml Thickened cream

Shaved Parmesan, to serve

Use a zester to remove the rind from the lemon and then juice the lemon. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water following directions until almost al dente. Add the peas, snow peas and asparagus to the boiling pasta and cook for 1 minute or until bright green, drain well.

Heat oil in frying pan over high heat; add zucchini or zucchini flowers and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes or until tender, transfer to a bowl.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute, then add mustard, cream, lemon juice and half the zest and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, add zucchini and pasta mixture and toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve into individual bowls and top with remaining zest and parmesan. Serve immediately.