Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs

Winters here, time for comfort food. And what could be more comforting than a dish of plump and juicy meatballs! The kids love them, and its a good, easy, economical meal. Here are three different ways to prepare them:

YOUR STANDARD MEATBALL
500g lean beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lrg tblsp tomato paste (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
200g dried spaghetti

A jar of tomato pasta sauce or tinned tomatoes, Fresh basil and grated parmesan

Heat oven to 200¡C. Combine mince, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, tomato paste and egg in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Knead the mixture with your hand for a couple of minutes, as it will help the meatballs hold together when they’re cooked. With damp hands, shape mixture into 20 balls and place on a wire rack set over a baking pan lined with foil. Bake meatballs in an oven heated to for 20 minutes until browned. Place tomato pasta sauce (or tinned chopped tomatoes) in a saucepan and bring to the boil to heat through. Add browned meatballs and stir to coat in sauce. Cook spaghetti in a saucepan with plenty of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender to the bite. Serve spaghetti in bowls topped with meatballs and tomato sauce, garnish with parmesan and basil.

NB: I used to always cook the meatballs on the stovetop in a frying pan, but have recently discovered that cooking them in the oven will help to remove any excess fat from the meat, making this a nice healthy meal.

YOUR SLOPPY JOE MEATBALL
Use the above recipe for making the meatballs and sauce, then instead of cooking spaghetti simply cut some long bread rolls down the centre long-ways, and serve the meatballs in these rolls, not unlike American hotdogs. Top with grated cheese and the garnishing / embellishments of your choice.

YOUR FANCY ITALIAN MEATBALL
(WITH POTATO, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO BAKE)

4 thick slices of Ciabatta or Sourdough, crusts removed, roughly chopped (or you can use fresh bread crumbs Ð it will still work ok)
1 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
750g pork mince
1 egg, whisked
1 lemon, finely grated rind
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
6 medium potatoes, washed, cut into 4cm pieces
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt, pepper
3 zucchini, sliced
250g cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup small basil leaves, extra, to serve

Place bread into a bowl and cover with milk. Stand for 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze as much milk as possible from bread. Place bread into a large bowl. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Add onion mixture to bread with mince, egg, lemon rind, parmesan, nuts and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Form into meatballs and place onto a tray. Preheat oven to 200ûC. Place potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place potatoes onto tray and drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt. Roast for 20 minutes. Add meatballs to tray and cook for 20 Ð 30 minutes. Stir potatoes and meatballs. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil and roast for 10 minutes or longer, until vegetables are soft. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

– Danielle

Gourmet Gannet – Cooking Workshops

July Saturday 2^nd, 10am – 1.00pm

Pastry Perfect – Whole Balsamic Garlic Cloves, Thyme & Goats Cheese Tart

At this workshop I will demonstrate and then everyone will make their own shortcrust pastry turning it into a delicious garlic & balsamic tart.  If you have a 22cm spring form tart tin please bring that or a cake plate to take tart home on.

July Thursday 21^st, 7pm – 10.00pm

North African Flavour – At this workshop we will make the Tunisian paste Harissa which will spice up any winter roast or stew.

We will also demonstrate a few simple Moroccan dishes with these spice that we can share as a light supper, eg: Spiced Liver Kebabs with Harissa, Prawns with Preserved Lemons & Harissa.  As well as sampling some dishes you will also take home two jars of your own made Harissa paste.

August Saturday 5th, 10am – 1.00pm

Everyone’s Crackers! – We will all make a batch of various crackers including seeded lavash and blue cheese shortbread. Perfect for winter pre dinner entertaining.

August Thursday 18th, 7pm – 10.00pm

Traditional Cornish Pasties – How to make your own savoury short crust pastry and traditional pasty filling.

Workshops $45 per person, please bring an apron

– Allison Mawer   email: allison@gourmetgannet.co.nz    tel: 411 8847

Follow Allison’s recent travels on her blog http://www.peasepudding.wordpress..com if you are interested to hear about Alli’s experiences at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in Cornwall, Rick Stein’s and a Michelin rated truffle restaurant in Perigord, France. She  will also be posting photos of their  trip on Gourmet Gannet Facebook .

Beekeeping – Are Beehives the new Hens?

Hives, hens – all part of the new wave of enthusiasm for sustainability, organic,fresh as and local produce.

Local beekeepers love beekeeping as a hobby and conditions seem to be really good out here. No sign of the dreaded Varroa mite, attributable to windy conditions, great weather patterns, lots of good natural sources and careful husbandry.

The best time to start a hive is in spring, when the bees have got through the winter, hives are expanding and new queens are in flight. So now is the time to swot up and get ready, and there’s plenty of resources to check out:

Bee keeping clubs.   –  email – auckbeeclub@clear.net.nz

–  the internet- –  magazines such as Rural Lifestyle and Organic Farming and books – available from your local library

How to start?: The equipment is quite expensive for example the hot knife costs @ $100 – this is the electric knife that cuts the outer wax off. Often beginners club together maybe as neighbours to get started. Take your time looking for options, note that used hives run a high risk of harbouring disease. Each hive sits on a base and contains frames in which the worker bees build honeycomb.

A cover goes over the top and then the roof. Up to 10 frames hang vertically but our local beekeeper maintains 9 as he finds this easier to manage and it gives the bees more space to work. A hive tool (optional as you may be able to modify an existing tool) a smoker for subduing the bees and also 2 working hives are recommended. Protective clothing includes a bee suit, gloves and a hat with gauze veil. And check out your reaction to bee stings.  Some people are highly susceptible to stings which can cause hospitalisation  – or can even be fatal.

Location of hives: –  preferably out of sight, quiet spot, morning sun, shelter from strong winds  although local beekeepers think the wind may have also helped keep the hives healthy and disease free; and a handy year supply of water.

Bees have regular flight patterns so place them behind something tall to ensure they fly up at least 2,5m and over to clear them from going into the neighbours (and defecating on their clean washing as they fly off). When the bees first leave the hive they circle above the hive to get a sense of home. Some sort of identification helps them return such as a branch. Pohutakawas are a great source of pollen as is borage and of course manuka (recognisable on the frame as it has a ‘heaviness’).

Obtaining bees: it is often possible to collect swarms from people who want them removed. Swarms are usually easy to handle as the bees hives are full and they’re looking for a new home.

Working and checking your bees regularly calms them and they become used to you. Work with them early morning or dusk when they are less active. Bees are intuitive and can sense when someone is not comfortable around them. Bees only sting when they feel  threatened – and once they have stung they die.

Queen bees can be very expensive to buy ($700). However the natural process is the Queen bee lays queen cells, the new queen fights with the reigning queen and usually wins. The drone mates with the queen and snaps his penis inside her so she can’t mate again. She lays the eggs that are fertilised for the worker bees – the more worker bees – the more honey.

The queens are developed from larvae  selected by worker bees and specially fed in order to become sexually mature. There is normally only one adult mated queen in a hive. A virgin queen will develop from a fertilised egg. The young queen larva develops differently because it is more heavily fed royal jelly a protein-rich secretion from glands on the heads of young workers. If not for being heavily fed royal jelly, the queen larva would have developed into a regular worker bee.  All honey bee larvae are fed some royal jelly for the first few days after hatching but only queen larvae are fed on it exclusively. As a result of the difference in diet, the queen will develop into a sexually mature female, unlike the worker bees.

The harvest is usually February.

As a hobby beekeeping is time consuming,  but it is comparatively easy work. Varroa  mite disease does mean that one has to be vigilant and constant checks need to be made. So far the local hives have been disease free.

And the results are great. This year a local beekeeper had 44 x 1 kilo  jars off 1 hive!

Beekeeping is important  because bees are no longer able to live in the wild with the Varroa mite here. We are able to help the bee population by planting nectar-and-pollen filled flowers.

And the  best way to insure that bees will survive  is to grow  flowers and lawn completely pesticide-free. Though the exact causes of Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, remains unknown, many experts suspect that use of pesticides plays a very large part. The ubiquitous, mono-cultured green lawn may be another factor, as there is nothing for a honey bee to eat in the common urban yard. As is also mass planting of crops.

Gardeners can (must) help by planting: Summer:  Bluebeard, cosmos, sea holly, and sunflowers attract honey bees. Also  ageratum, coneflower, milkweed, marigold, dahlia, hyacinth, geranium and crocus. And rosemary. Honey bees will also feed from the plants of many fruits and vegetables you may already be growing on your property, such as squash and zucchini, apples, berries, and watermelon. Spices such as chive, oregano, rosemary, and sage also provide food for bees.

Autumn: choosing plants that bloom until the late autumn is invaluable for helping honey bees get through the long winters. Goldenrod is one of the most important food for honeybees, zinnia, echium, aster, comfrey, lavender.

Winter: usually bees retreat to the hive to huddle for warmth and live off their honey reserves. However, in a warmer climate, you may be able to feed honey bees by planting, honeysuckle, butterfly bush and witch hazel.

Spring: choosing plants that bloom in the early spring is helpful as bees will be living on the end of their reserves, and may begin to emerge from the hive quite desperate for food. Early flowering plants include wisteria, California lilac, primrose, wallflower, borage, columbine, hazelnut and clover. The common dandelion is one of the most nutritious early bloomers for bees: unfortunately, most people weed them out to the detriment of honey bees.

Honey provides us with  very rich source of pure nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, protein and natural antibiotics. The 3 key health benefits are

– Honey is nature’s energy booster , – Honey is a great immunity system builder – Honey is a natural remedy for many ailments

 

Salute to the ‘chocolate smile’

So, 13 years old, hanging out with my best friend Paula, a little bored (as 13 year olds are inclined to be), it’s Easter, a few stray eggs lying around, and whaddya know, the ‘chocolate smile’ is born. What a hideous creation. It involves stuffing as many chocolate eggs into your mouth as possible, chewing them up until they’re nice and slimy (but still with a few lumps for effect) – then giving the sickliest, sweetest smile you can. You get the picture  –  not pleasant at all. Worst still, it’s a tradition that just won’t go away. Even today, as middle-aged women, Paula + me + chocolate in a room together = gross. I seriously recommend you DO NOT TRY THE CHOCOLATE SMILE AT HOME (or you too may get hooked). Instead, why not check out these somewhat more appetising ‘things to do with chocolate’…

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE TART

500g best quality dark chocolate

325 ml cream

225 ml milk

3 large eggs (fresh as and room temp)

1 packet of sweet pastry (or make your own if you can be bothered)

Base: Roll out the pastry into a large (maybe 24cm wide x 4cm or so deep) spring-form tart tin. Blind bake for 5 mins at 180ºC using pastry weights (or rice, beans or lentils will do – put your baking paper on top of the pastry case first and fill up with weights evenly). After 5 mins remove baking paper and weights and bake until lightly golden, it won’t take too long, keep an eye on it. Remove and cool. Reduce oven to 135ºC.

Filling: Combine milk and cream and bring to the boil (just). Gently melt the dark chocolate over a pot of boiling water and whisk in the milk and cream. Beat the eggs and whisk into the dark choc. Pour into pastry case.

Bake the lot at 135ºC until the filling is firm but still trembling in the middle. This does not take too long (maybe 10-15mins? depending on your oven), just keep an eye on it and you’ll know when you have it right as when you pull it out it is just firm and has a glossy sheen (don’t let it go matt). Serve warm with mascarpone (or vanilla ice cream), a short black and some berries and/or a shot glass of Frangelico. Grown-ups will go weak at the knees. This recipe is also great for baby tart cases.

CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

230g best quality dark chocolate

2 large egg whites at room temperature

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups long thread desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, remove from heat and cool for 15 mins. Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form and, continuing to beat, slowly add sugar then vanilla. Beat for another 5 mins until stiff and glossy. Fold in the melted, cooled chocolate. Then fold in the coconut. Put large tablespoons of the mixture on to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cook until crisp on the outside but chewy in the middle (about 20 minutes, but take one out and break open to check). Remove from the oven, cool and dust with cocoa.

CHOCOLATE BANANAS

Take a banana and slit it length-ways (from end to end) but without cutting through the skin on the other side. Push the ends towards one another to open the banana up a little then stuff with chocolate (any chocolate will do – dark, milk, chips, chunks, caramello, even nutella works), then wrap the whole thing in tin foil and bake in moderate oven for 15-20 mins (until skin is blackened/chocolate melted). The kids love it, they’ll yummy it up straight out of the skin. 50% good for you.

– Danielle

Food Review – Extract Espresso, 1/190 Main Road, Kumeu

I have tried most coffee stops between Muriwai via West Harbour to Albany on my daily trip to work, varying stops each day depending where my mood takes me. That has changed since discovering Extract Espresso in Kumeu which has now become my only daily coffee stop.

At Extract a large flat white still means lots of flavour, not just extra milk. The Supreme Boxer coffee bean they use offers a good rich malty coffee kick while keeping it smooth. But it’s not all in the bean, great coffee has to be attributed to the Barista and the calm and caring approach that is so obvious at Extract Espresso certainly reflects in the end result with every cup.

As well as excellent coffee there are always daily fresh and often warm from the oven scones, almond croissants, muffins and my favourite cinnamon brioche scrolls. They also have a small but well selected breakfast/brunch menu which I have not yet tried but watch in envy as the plates pass me while waiting for my coffee in the morning.

The café is spacious and bright with a relaxed atmosphere, offering a wide variety of magazine to read suggesting that you would be welcome to wile away a few hours here without anyone minding. So if you haven’t yet found Extract and love your coffee do pop by, they’re next to the VTNZ building.

Opening Hours: Mon – Friday 07.00 – 15:30. Saturday’s 08:00 – 14:00

– Allison Pirrie Mawer

Restarant Review

Ribier Restaurant, Huapai    http://ribier.co.nz

14^th January 2010    Eugene Sokolovski & Anna Ianovski 

We had been hearing good reports about the newly opened Ribier restaurant in Huapai but with Christmas and New Year all planned and booked we only managed to get there last week. The décor is a little rustic with little changes from the previous restaurant but once the food arrived at the table this was quickly forgotten. 

I chose the entrée of Roasted Pumpkin, Olive Oil Marinade Labane, Caramalised Walnuts & Strawberries which was an exceptional combination of flavours and textures. The salmon and scallop tortellini on a bed of Portobello Mushrooms and Green Olive Sauce was a winner and I had to wrestle hubby for a second taste. The Pork Piccata with Pistachio Risotto, Olives & Marinated Mushrooms was not only very generous but a great contrast between piquant flavours of the pork and an unforgettable creamy nutty risotto. Our second main dish was the chef’s special of Roast Rabbit Leg with a breast of Rabbit stuffed and wrapped in filo served with an amazing lightly spiced Carrot Souffle. 

Being a dessert girl, I often find the dessert menu lets a restaurant down but this was not to be the case at Ribier, it was the pièce de résistance, in fact if I am passing through Huapai and need a sweet treat I would even drop in just for dessert, it was that good. We shared (with a lot of fighting about who had eaten the most) a Dark Chocolate & Rosemary Marquise, OrangeConfiture & Chocolate Ice-cream and a Fig & Honey Pudding, Lavender Panna Cotta with a Tropical Mango Sorbet. Both beautiful presented and generous portions that almost beat me, but not quite. The service is casual but incredibly friendly, what was most impressive is that the Chef/ Owner came out of the kitchen to see how we had enjoyed the meal. Very passionate about what he is doing, it was a delight to chat to him. 

We highly recommend you drop in. 

  – Allison Pirrie-Mawer

 

The truth about Gluten

You may have noticed how many more foods are being promoted as gluten free these days.  This is in response to a fast increasing number of people who cannot tolerate gluten, a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat, barley and rye called gliadin.  There has long been a debate as to whether oats contain gluten.  The protein in oats is called avenin and is very similar in composition to gliadin.  Cross-contamination is one of the big issues that effects oats – they are usually grown in fields next to gluten containing crops, milled and prepared in the same factories and transported in the same containers. Unless you are particularly sensitive, most gluten sensitive people can cope with gluten-free oats, especially if they are organic jumbo rolled oats.  Just limit yourself to eating them once every four days.

Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helps it to rise and keep its shape.  It also affects the texture of baked goods – its what makes pizzas and bagels chewy.  Its used in a broad range of foods where you would not expect to find wheat – as a stabilising agent in products like icecream and ketchup.  It’s hard to find a bar of Cadbury’s that does not contain wheat/gluten.  Gluten, especially wheat gluten is the basis for imitation meats resembling chicken, duck, fish, pork and beef.  They also sneak it into some rice crackers and wheat is in soy sauce so you really have to become a dedicated label-reading fiend to avoid it.  Even then you can be tripped up as labeling for gluten is voluntary. 

The number of people becoming sensitive to gluten is on the increase – because it is being used in so many foods and because there used to be hundreds of types of wheat, now there are really only about three in commercial use.  Over-exposure to any substance is a quick way to become sensitive to it.  In Italy, where they enjoy all that yummy pizza, pasta and bread, 7 out of 10 children are now thought to be gluten intolerant.  The most common symptoms are gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, flatulence, gas and bloating. Other symptoms may include joint pain, fatigue and headaches. 

The good news is there are a huge variety of alternatives available.  Tamari instead of soy sauce, buckwheat pancakes instead of wheat, a huge range of biscuits and crackers, many of which taste a lot better than their wheat containing opposites.  Pure Bread makes a delicious buckwheat bread called Young Buck – or try some left over brown basmati rice with your eggs, avos and tomatoes.  You just have to start reading labels and using your imagination!  Have a look in the organic section in SuperValue (Waimauku) or your usual food store.  The Green Grocer in Kumeu has lots of gluten free products (including a gorgeous lasagne if you are out and stuck for lunch) and Extract usually has a gluten free treat on offer.

If you are concerned that you might be sensitive or even allergic (referred to as Coeliac) to gluten, there are a number of ways of finding out for sure.

Gluten-free Dessert Lemon Custard Tart
Serves 10

130g fine rice flour, 75g gluten-free corn flour
45g debittered soy flour,  3 tbsp caster sugar
160g cold butter,  Pure icing sugar for dusting

Whipped cream to serve,  Lemon Filling
2 cups milk, 3 eggs

1/3 cup lemon juice, 3 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
½ cup caster sugar 

Sift the flours three times into a bowl (or mix well with a whisk to ensure they are well combined).  Process the flours, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Continue processing, adding 1 tbsp of iced water at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Turn out onto a gluten-free floured board and knead for about 3 minutes until smooth.  Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Grease a 23cm fluted tart dish.  Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3mm.  Ease into the tart dish and trim the edges, then refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 170^oC.

Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beads or rice.  Blind bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the filling, pour the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium-low heat.  Remove from the heat.  Place the eggs, lemon juice, zest and sugar in a jug and whisk with electric beaters on a low speed until just combined.  Increase the beater speed and whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture.

Pour the filling into the cooled pastry case and bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm to touch.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  Dust with icing sugar if desired and serve

 -Lisa Bourne – Natural Health Consultant.  Bourne Health 021 800753

Gourmet Gannet – Foodie Fun

The Afternoon Tea Club – Pop along for high tea at the Gourmet Gannet and be treated to a glass of bubbles, finger sandwiches, homemade savouries and cakes. Catch up with some friends, make some new friends or treat someone to afternoon tea!

No need to hike into town to the Langham when you have it on your doorstep
When: Sunday 28^th November, 2pm – 5pm. Cost: $20 per person. Best to book to guarantee a space at: www.gourmetgannet.co.nz

The Truth about ……Water

 We may seem pretty solid but we exist mostly as water – our liver is 96% water, brain 95%, lungs 90% and blood 82%.  As a foetus we started life as 99% water, by the time we were born 90%, by adulthood we are down to 70% and if we die of old age we will probably be down to about 50%. 

Water regulates our metabolism and manufactures hydroelectric energy at the cell membrane, particularly in the nervous system.  It breaks down food to their primary constituents for absorption and carries nutrients and minerals to the cells of our bodies.  Water removes waste and harmful matter and transports oxygen, hormones, chemical messengers and antibodies around your body.  It regulates body temperature and lubricates joints, hair, skin, mouth, nose, eyes and soft tissues. 

Recipes – Stuff It

Danielle - Stuffed?

 

Argh, where’s my inspiration this month? Seems to have deserted me. But here are a few recipes none the less, along the lines of – er, stuffing. Starting with this super-delicious cheese-packed stuffed bread concoction: a calorific little number that never fails to please. Healthy? Um, well, it has garlic and spinach in it. So ignore all the creamy stuff and enjoy!