Cooks' Corner

[mark smyth]

always sticking a tongue out

[alpines]

but having a garden is much less common than it once was, and even more so for vegetable gardens.

I believe that the economic catastrophe here in the USA has reversed this situation. I see more and more people (especially here in KY) growing their own fruit and vegetables...and why not? So much more enjoyable than the stuff Wal-Mart and Co dish out under the guise of fruit & veg. Sherba has been growing squash, zuccini, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, watermelons, blueberries and yes, even rhubarb for the past 5 years. Well out of range of the rock garden I might add

Mark, your salad sounds delicious....and almost "American". Just the thing for this heat wave we're having. Pity you're so far away.

[annew]

I'm just going to park myself here to wait for Lesley's promised best-ever chocolate cake recipe...

[maggiepie]

Me too, plus the ginger ice cream and the sausage.

[Brian Ellis]

Helen try this if you like Ginger, it's a variation on Millionaire's shortbread and is currently disappearing fast!

Ginger Crunch

150g plain flour
25g cornflour
100g caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp baking powder
100g cold unsalted butter, diced

for the icing
150g icing sugar
115g unsalted butter diced
3tbsp golden syrup
4tsp ground ginger

Sift the flour, cornflour, sugar, ground ginger, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer, then add the diced butter.  Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until everything comes together.  Press the dough evenly into an 11 x 34 cm baking tin lined with baking parchment.  Place in an oven preheated to 160℃ and bake for 20 mins.

About five minutes before the shortbread base is cooked, make the icing: combine all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted.  Pour the icing over the base as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Cut into slices while still warm, then leave to cool.  Ginger crunch is best eaten the day it is made, but will keep for up to four days in an airtight container.

[maggiepie]

Thanks Brian.
Am not a fan of icing, does it still taste good without?

[Brian Ellis]

The ginger is in the 'icing' Helen which is a sort of fudge I suppose, so I really don't know... I suppose the thing to do is try it on some guests and have a taster then to see what you think.

[maggiepie]

Well there is some ginger in the first part too.
Thought they might taste a bit like ginger snaps.

[johnw]

here's a question for the cooks out there.

My mother was famous for her flourless Hungarian Chocolate Cake, the recipe was passed down through the generations.

What the recipe doesn't mention is how to make a semi-sweet chocolate whipped cream which she put in the centre.  Years ago I tried whipping the cream first then adding the melted chocolate - not good.  Then I tried this - " ½ pint whipping cream to a good quantity of melted & cooled semi sweet chocolate, add a little sugar to taste - add vanilla and place in the fridge till serving."  Still the result is not as smooth as it should be as the chocolate goes a bit beady in the cream.

Any suggestions on how to make a smooth chcolate whipped cream, and not sweet?

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Well there is some ginger in the first part too.
Thought they might taste a bit like ginger snaps.

No Helen, not strong enough, and much softer being shortbread.  Worth having a go with some chopped up stem ginger in the base perhaps, then you could cut them into fingers and dip them into chocolate

[Lesley Cox]

John, I think you've asked about this before? I wonder whether adding a thick chocolate sause to the whipped cream would do the trick. This sauce is very good. 150 ml cream, 1 tbsp instant coffee, 150 gms dark chocolate. Heat cream and coffee until hot but don't let boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until melted. To add to your whipped cream I'd cool it right down until stiffish, maybe refrigerated.

The July edition of NZ's "Taste" magazine has a wonderful selection of choc recipes all of which I'll be trying within a couple or 3 weeks or so. God help my shape! I mean, as examples, Chocolate espresso mousse cake, Choc espresso profiteroles, Choc and coffee marbled meringues.

[Lesley Cox]

Just for the record (not that I'm boasting) Taste Magazine in conjunction with Farmers' Markets New Zealand Assn, recently held a series of awards. Best Farmers' Market in New Zealand was awarded to Otago Farmers' Market of which I have been Manager for the last 6 years. It was awarded on public vote and we had way over 1000 more than the next market. Of course it was our own public who voted but we also had many votes from as far away as Auckland to Invercargill, including areas which have good farmers' markets.



Even on a very cold day such as we've had recently we have up to 8000 people every Saturday morning and we've yet to do a gate count on one of the busiest days. The building in the background is part of Dunedin railway station, one of those decorated wedding cake type buildings which you either love or hate, but you can't miss. The market is beside the station and very central, an ideal place for it.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm still waiting for the guys to bring and wire in my oven but in the meantime I can do the icecream.

Rhubarb and Ginger Icecream.
Base Recipe (This is used for all the recipes in a little book I have called "Icecream for All.")

2 egg whites at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar

2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 tbsp warm water
1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup (250 mls) cream, chilled
1 tsp vanilla essence

Beat egg whites until peaks fold over, add sugar and beat until stiff

Beat yolks and water until frothy. Add sugar and beat until yolks are as thick as the beaten whites and very pale in colour.

Beat cream until very thick, add vanilla and beat until blended.

Fold both whites and yolks into the whipped cream.


MY OVEN HAS ARRIVED!

This icecream recipe is actually called Rhubarb, Rhubarb.1 quantity base recipe
200 gms fresh rhubarb
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp sugar

Prepare rhubarb puree: chop rhubarb into 1cm sticks and place in saucepan with water and ginger and sprinkle with sugar. Bring to boil and simmer gently until tender. (I cook the rhubard in the microwave. Blend or sieve to a fine puree (or not too fine). Adjust sweetness to taste with extra caster sugar. Chill.

Prepare the base recipe icecream, carefully fold in cold puree. Freeze in a shallow. covered container.

Good with a walnut sauce50g caramel toffees
1/2 cup cream
50g butter
1/4 chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Gently heat cream and toffees until melted. Stir in butter, nuts and cinnamon. Serve warm over icecream.

To the base recipe you can add anything you fancy, chopped or pureed fruit of any kind, nuts, chocolate, cocnut, crumbled biscuits or carrot cake, honey and sultanas, orange zest and juice, lemon curd, etc. You can make the icecream into a large or little filo pies, sundaes, inside a bombe or whatever.

[Lesley Cox]

I suppose I'd better do the Ginger Shortbread recipe too which I prefer to Ginger Crunch.

[Brian Ellis]

I suppose I'd better do the Ginger Shortbread recipe too which I prefer to Ginger Crunch.

I suppose you had better

Best Farmers' Market in New Zealand was awarded to Otago Farmers' Market of which I have been Manager for the last 6 years

Huge pats on the back all round, you must be really pleased Lesley, well done