Polenta and wine are two things that make life without gluten not such a bad time after all. Baked polenta with a slow-cooked ragu and a glass of red: good. Polenta fries with a glass of prosecco: great. Polenta-crusted fish with a glass of rosé: yes thanks, I will. Fish coated in polenta is a great…
Category: seasonal
Grilled stonefruit with passionfruit crème fraîche
On a recent holiday to Bali I made it my responsibility to eat as much tropical fruit as I could find and/or work out how to eat. A new discovery for me was selak, a reptilian-skinned fruit which, once peeled, resembles large garlic cloves and is deliciously crunchy and tart. I ate many mangosteen, branches…
Venison, cherry & asparagus salad
This salad instinctively came together as a response to the contents of my pre-Christmas holiday fridge: a gift of some venison, spinach leaves needing to be eaten, a handful of exorbitantly-priced new season cherries, and a bunch of asparagus bought because at any moment it will disappear from the vegetable aisle never to be seen again (until…
Roasted salmon, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage & kumara salad
A big bowl of vegetables topped with some pan-fried, grilled or steamed fish and a zingy dressing is my idea of a good weeknight dinner. This salad is a variation on this theme and as everything gets roasted together in the oven it’s simple to prepare with a minimum of dishes. And most importantly, it’s delicious….
Pumpkin soup topped with smoky chickpeas, silverbeet & lemon
I don’t get overly excited about soup and rarely order it when I go out. However, when soup comes topped with smoky chickpeas and silverbeet dressed with olive oil and lemon zest, I start to get interested. To make this soup into an even more substantial meal you could top the soup with a couple of…
Pumpkin, silverbeet & feta frittata
There’s nothing I’d rather eat less than cafe cabinet frittata. Sure, there’s a chance it could be good, but there’s an even greater chance that it will be blandly eggy, soggy, and regrettable. Homemade frittata is a different story; I often make it to take for lunch at work the next day. A slice of homemade frittata alongside some salad greens tossed…
Roasted beetroot & chickpea salad with honeyed thyme walnuts, feta & parsley
Making salads to take for lunch at work is one of my favourite kitchen activities. Seasonal vegetables are always the starting point, to which I add beans or legumes, toasted nuts and seeds, feta, and lots of fresh herbs. Sometimes the result is what my sister calls ‘goat food’ i.e. lots of greenery, plenty of chewing….
Seasonal shortcake
A cake for all seasons. Spring time brings together rhubarb and new season strawberries (pictured), a heavenly perfumed combination of tart and sweet. Summer is yellow-fleshed peaches and blueberries. Autumn is feijoas and apples.Winter pairs the sharpness of tamarillo with the softness of apple. Each seasonal shortcake is delightful in its own way; you’d better try…
Fennel, mandarin & hazelnut salad
There is no kitchen tool more lethal or more useful than a mandolin. It requires your full concentration; one glass of wine for bravery is recommended, any more than that would be irresponsible. Mandolins are perfect for creating winter salads from fennel, cabbage, radishes, carrots… there are endless possibilities. This salad is less a recipe than a…
Brussels sprouts, pear, bacon & hazelnut salad
This is the salad that changed my Brussels sprouts worldview. Prior to this, I thought they were okay in a nourishing-suppose-I-had-better-eat-them sort of way. Now they are one of my favourite vegetables. This salad is a great quick weekday dinner but it’s also good enough for special occasions; I made this for two of my favourite food-loving friends…
cake for breakfast 