An oldie but a goodie

I have made this dish many times, it is easy, inexpensive and never fails to impress. I think I first made it in the 1990's! It comes from a NZ Beef and Lamb Marketing Marketing Bureau advertisement. It serves 6 - 8 and don't expect any left -overs as it seems to all go in one sitting.
Lovely with peas and carrots and mashed or baked potato.
Crusty Beef Casserole
1 kg Blade Steak trimmed of fat
1/2  cup water
3tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
Crusty topping
French bread cut into 1 cm slices
25g soft butter or margarine
1 clove garlic, crushed
1tbsp French mixed mustard
Chopped chives or parsley
Cut steak into 6 by 4cm pieces. Place in casserole. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except crusty topping ones. Pour over beef, stir and cover tightly. Bake for 160 degrees Celsius for 2 hours. Combine all topping ingredients and spread onto one side of the bread. Arrange bread buttered side up, on meat, pushing slices firmly down to soak up juices. Return uncovered casserole to oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes or until bread is crisp and golden.

French touch - Tarte Tatin

I saw a picture of an upside down apple tart in an old Taste magazine. I have never made one before and searched on line for one with puff pastry (in true French style), and found one by Jamie Oliver. It is so deliciously yummy I could make one a week! Our lovely neighbours had 3 apples left on their young tree with an invitation to help myself while they were away! They were perfectly 'tart' to use for this recipe as it cut through the sweetness of the caramel. It is really so simple to make and looks really impressive when you have guests over. My photo is not as flash as Jamie's but you get the general idea.

500g puff pastry

 5 small apples - a mixture of sweet and acidic varieties (approx 800g)

100g golden castor sugar

100ml Calvados (or Brandy)

1 vanilla pod cut lengthways with seeds scraped out

50g butter (cubed) 

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Roll out pastry on a floured board until its about 0.5cm thick

This will be enough to cover an ovenproof fry pan you are cooking the tarte tartin in ( I use my lovely big cast iron one), leaving about 5cm extra around the edge

Put the pastry to one side. Peel apples, then halve them horizontally and use a teaspoon to get rid of the core and pips
Put the pan on a medium heat and add the sugar, Calvados, vanilla seeds and pod. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel. Don't try to taste as it can burn you really easily! Once the caramel looks and smells delicious (it should be a lovely chestnut brown) - add your halved apples. Carefully stir everything in the pan and cook about 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften and you get a toffee apple vibe happening. Add the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Quickly and carefully tuck the pastry into the edges - it's best to use a wooden spoon so you don't touch the hot caramel. Bake the Tarte Tatin for about 25-30 minutes or until golden with crispy bits of caramel bubbling up from under the edges. Take it out of the oven. Carefully turn it out onto a plate wide enough (use an oven cloth to protect your self!), I asked my partner to help at this stage to hold the heavy pan while I held the plate steady! Put it to one side for a few minutes so the caramel cools down, then divide up and serve with creme fraiche, icecream or runny cream. Heaven!

French touch - Tarte Tatin

I saw a picture of an upside down apple tart in an old Taste magazine. I have never made one before and searched on line for one with puff pastry (in true French style), and found one by Jamie Oliver. It is so deliciously yummy I could make one a week! Our lovely neighbours had 3 apples left on their young tree with an invitation to help myself while they were away! They were perfectly 'tart' to use for this recipe as it cut through the sweetness of the caramel. It is really so simple to make and looks really impressive when you have guests over. My photo is not as flash as Jamie's but you get the general idea.

500g puff pastry

 5 small apples - a mixture of sweet and acidic varieties (approx 800g)

100g golden castor sugar

100ml Calvados (or Brandy)

1 vanilla pod cut lengthways with seeds scraped out

50g butter (cubed) 

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Roll out pastry on a floured board until its about 0.5cm thick

This will be enough to cover an ovenproof fry pan you are cooking the tarte tartin in ( I use my lovely big cast iron one), leaving about 5cm extra around the edge

Put the pastry to one side. Peel apples, then halve them horizontally and use a teaspoon to get rid of the core and pips
Put the pan on a medium heat and add the sugar, Calvados, vanilla seeds and pod. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel. Don't try to taste as it can burn you really easily! Once the caramel looks and smells delicious (it should be a lovely chestnut brown) - add your halved apples. Carefully stir everything in the pan and cook about 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften and you get a toffee apple vibe happening. Add the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Quickly and carefully tuck the pastry into the edges - it's best to use a wooden spoon so you don't touch the hot caramel. Bake the Tarte Tatin for about 25-30 minutes or until golden with crispy bits of caramel bubbling up from under the edges. Take it out of the oven. Carefully turn it out onto a plate wide enough (use an oven cloth to protect your self!), I asked my partner to help at this stage to hold the heavy pan while I held the plate steady! Put it to one side for a few minutes so the caramel cools down, then divide up and serve with creme fraiche, icecream or runny cream. Heaven!

Treasured tools

I made another batch of preserved lemons on Easter Monday, very satisfying as one jar was reserved as a gift to my neighbour. They confessed last week that they lean over the fence and pick them off our tree. I have never caught them in the act but there seems to be plenty for both families!

I love using my Trug to collect garden produce, it is a beautiful little basket, handmade by an artist using Rimu. I hope it is used for many years to come, it will be passed onto to my family who I hope will also treasure it.
I discovered I have another use for cooking tool that is barely used. A wonderful implement for pushing balls of pastry dough into mini tins and now for pushing lemons into a jar (which is hot from sterilising in the oven) without damaging the fruit or my hand. Very pleased with myself for working that one out, it only took 3 years!

Treasured tools

I made another batch of preserved lemons on Easter Monday, very satisfying as one jar was reserved as a gift to my neighbour. They confessed last week that they lean over the fence and pick them off our tree. I have never caught them in the act but there seems to be plenty for both families!

I love using my Trug to collect garden produce, it is a beautiful little basket, handmade by an artist using Rimu. I hope it is used for many years to come, it will be passed onto to my family who I hope will also treasure it.
I discovered I have another use for cooking tool that is barely used. A wonderful implement for pushing balls of pastry dough into mini tins and now for pushing lemons into a jar (which is hot from sterilising in the oven) without damaging the fruit or my hand. Very pleased with myself for working that one out, it only took 3 years!

Make Quince Paste

Making George's quince paste was certainly a labour of love! My friend gave me a recipe by Stephanie Alexander which has been successful for her. It turned out well, although I think it probably needs to dry out a bit more. Having laboured over the spitting pot of quince and sugar for 4 hours I am a little over it! It tastes really lovely and apparently keeps indefinitely stored in an airtight tin, so no doubt it will get used over time, especially lovely to take as a gift when invited to someones place for drinks or a meal.

8 Quinces, washed, peeled and (cored) - cut into chunks, placed in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid with 1 cup of water and juice of one lemon. I did not core them all as it was too much like hard work. It does not seem to matter as the cores and pips boil down to nothing. The pips provide the pectin to make it set so the more the merrier. Cook until tender (about 30mins), let cooked fruit cool and whiz in a blender, weigh the puree and match with 3/4 of its weight with sugar. Return to a wide base pan, cook over a moderate heat, stirring every few minutes until it turns pinky red, about 3-4 hours, or until the paste leaves the sides of the pan. at this point I read my book close to the stove! The mixture should be hard to push around the pot. Allow the mixture to cool a little then pour into a oiled lamington (or sponge roll) tin lined with baking paper. The amount made should fit into this tin. Dry mixture in a warm place for several days or overnight in an oven with the pilot light on. When dry, wrap paste well in baking paper and then in foil. Lovely with a cheese board, and I plan to try it as a glaze for chicken etc. It will keep indefinitely in the fridge if well wrapped.

Make Quince Paste

Making George's quince paste was certainly a labour of love! My friend gave me a recipe by Stephanie Alexander which has been successful for her. It turned out well, although I think it probably needs to dry out a bit more. Having laboured over the spitting pot of quince and sugar for 4 hours I am a little over it! It tastes really lovely and apparently keeps indefinitely stored in an airtight tin, so no doubt it will get used over time, especially lovely to take as a gift when invited to someones place for drinks or a meal.

8 Quinces, washed, peeled and (cored) - cut into chunks, placed in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid with 1 cup of water and juice of one lemon. I did not core them all as it was too much like hard work. It does not seem to matter as the cores and pips boil down to nothing. The pips provide the pectin to make it set so the more the merrier. Cook until tender (about 30mins), let cooked fruit cool and whiz in a blender, weigh the puree and match with 3/4 of its weight with sugar. Return to a wide base pan, cook over a moderate heat, stirring every few minutes until it turns pinky red, about 3-4 hours, or until the paste leaves the sides of the pan. at this point I read my book close to the stove! The mixture should be hard to push around the pot. Allow the mixture to cool a little then pour into a oiled lamington (or sponge roll) tin lined with baking paper. The amount made should fit into this tin. Dry mixture in a warm place for several days or overnight in an oven with the pilot light on. When dry, wrap paste well in baking paper and then in foil. Lovely with a cheese board, and I plan to try it as a glaze for chicken etc. It will keep indefinitely in the fridge if well wrapped.