Well, my lunch has been and gone and it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. I eventually decided to make a vegetarian menu – not that I'm a vegetarian, but I truly enjoy that food. I'd come across some lovely fresh zucchini flowers at my local food market (Saturday mornings at Shoalhaven Heads Hotel) and decided that they would be a fabulous to include in the menu.
The Shoalhaven grows wonderful produce, but there are certain things that don't grow here, either because it's not hot enough, or because they aren't in season. So it's strange when you are cooking from all local ingredients. You think you've come up with an idea to include in the menu and then realise that this particular ingredient isn't available right now. For example, I was going to make iced pear and raspberry soup, but soon remembered that pears weren't growing in the Shoalhaven at this particular moment!
The menu I decided on was:
Strangely, Christine and I had bought the same dessert wine, Sticky Fig, from Two Figs winery nearby (I kept one for her lunch) and Kim bought a light orange liquor from Mountain View Winery (also nearby!) It was all looking a bit sweet, but fortunately Colleen brought a lovely Verdelho from Cupitt's Winery in Milton, so it all worked out.
Recipe for
Exotic summer salad with zucchini flowers in tempura batter (served with an avocado sauce).
Salad: Fresh rocket and watercress, fresh nasturtium leaves and flowers, (rinsed gently) local creamy fetta, baby beetroot, Kiffler potatoes, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs.
Steam kiffler potatoes and baby beetroot in their skin until they are just tender. Allow to cool and then peel carefully – you can just rub the beetroot skin off. Make up a vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic and your favourite vinegar. Add some finely chopped fresh herbs (such as Italian parsley, basil, very small amount of tarragon) salt and black pepper. Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces and toss them in half the vinaigrette. Marinate the beetroot in the other half and set aside ( I also added a little freshly squeezed orange juice to the beetroot. Don't refrigerate the potatoes or the beetroot - they should be at room temperature.
Avocado Sauce: (to be honest, I'm not sure if the avocados were local, but I decided to use them anyway!).
2 small, ripe avocados, seeds removed, peeled and chopped, a cup of crème fraiche (I made overnight with a cup of light South Coast milk and a tablespoon of buttermilk, fresh lime juice, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt.
Puree the ingredients in a blender until velvety smooth. Adjust seasoning to your taste and cover well (keep in the refrigerator until you almost ready to use it).
Tempura battered zucchini flowers.
I served two flowers for each person. To make the batter, mix 50 gm of corn flour, 150 gm plain flour,
2 free range eggs, a little salt and approx. 400 ml. iced water. Sift the corn flour and plain flour together. Beat the eggs with the salt and iced water, add the flour and stir quickly – don't overmix. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Roll the flowers lightly in cornflour, then into the mix. Shake off excess batter and put into the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, spooning the oil over the flowers to make sure they are evenly browned.
To assemble:
Mix rocket, watercress (you could use mixed salad leaves) and nasturtium leaves together and place around the edges of large plates. Add potato, beetroot and pieces of fetta around the plate on top of the salad leaves. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette and sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds. Garnish with a few nasturtium flowers decoratively around the plate.
Spoon some of the avocado sauce in the centre of the plate and place the two cooked zucchini flowers on top.
I love hats, so when the girls came for lunch, I opened up the hatbox and we had some fun.
The Shoalhaven grows wonderful produce, but there are certain things that don't grow here, either because it's not hot enough, or because they aren't in season. So it's strange when you are cooking from all local ingredients. You think you've come up with an idea to include in the menu and then realise that this particular ingredient isn't available right now. For example, I was going to make iced pear and raspberry soup, but soon remembered that pears weren't growing in the Shoalhaven at this particular moment!
The menu I decided on was:
Fruit punch with frozen seedless green grapes and watermelon stars.
Chilled cucumber and yoghurt soup.
Exotic summer salad with zucchini flowers in tempura batter (with avocado sauce)
Home made raspberry and strawbery ice cream pudding, chocolate souffle and caramelised oranges.
Strangely, Christine and I had bought the same dessert wine, Sticky Fig, from Two Figs winery nearby (I kept one for her lunch) and Kim bought a light orange liquor from Mountain View Winery (also nearby!) It was all looking a bit sweet, but fortunately Colleen brought a lovely Verdelho from Cupitt's Winery in Milton, so it all worked out.
Recipe forExotic summer salad with zucchini flowers in tempura batter (served with an avocado sauce).
Salad: Fresh rocket and watercress, fresh nasturtium leaves and flowers, (rinsed gently) local creamy fetta, baby beetroot, Kiffler potatoes, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs.
Steam kiffler potatoes and baby beetroot in their skin until they are just tender. Allow to cool and then peel carefully – you can just rub the beetroot skin off. Make up a vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic and your favourite vinegar. Add some finely chopped fresh herbs (such as Italian parsley, basil, very small amount of tarragon) salt and black pepper. Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces and toss them in half the vinaigrette. Marinate the beetroot in the other half and set aside ( I also added a little freshly squeezed orange juice to the beetroot. Don't refrigerate the potatoes or the beetroot - they should be at room temperature.
Avocado Sauce: (to be honest, I'm not sure if the avocados were local, but I decided to use them anyway!).
2 small, ripe avocados, seeds removed, peeled and chopped, a cup of crème fraiche (I made overnight with a cup of light South Coast milk and a tablespoon of buttermilk, fresh lime juice, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt.
Puree the ingredients in a blender until velvety smooth. Adjust seasoning to your taste and cover well (keep in the refrigerator until you almost ready to use it).
Tempura battered zucchini flowers.
I served two flowers for each person. To make the batter, mix 50 gm of corn flour, 150 gm plain flour,
2 free range eggs, a little salt and approx. 400 ml. iced water. Sift the corn flour and plain flour together. Beat the eggs with the salt and iced water, add the flour and stir quickly – don't overmix. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Roll the flowers lightly in cornflour, then into the mix. Shake off excess batter and put into the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, spooning the oil over the flowers to make sure they are evenly browned.
To assemble:
Mix rocket, watercress (you could use mixed salad leaves) and nasturtium leaves together and place around the edges of large plates. Add potato, beetroot and pieces of fetta around the plate on top of the salad leaves. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette and sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds. Garnish with a few nasturtium flowers decoratively around the plate.
Spoon some of the avocado sauce in the centre of the plate and place the two cooked zucchini flowers on top.
I love hats, so when the girls came for lunch, I opened up the hatbox and we had some fun.
Me wearing my favourite twenties hat - better than a chef's hat, I say! And (right) my daughter, Kimella who was my guest at the lunch, chose this little red number.
Colleen with a bit of attitude and Frances the coquette.
Christine (left) can really wear a hat and Kim (right) went for the wig in the hat box - a totally different look.
