Posts Tagged With: BASC Vacation Care

Ava’s orange Anzacs

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

My daughter Ava has been ‘helping’ me in the kitchen since she was 3, and especially loves rolling biscuits. She tries to hide under the table to eat the raw mixture, but I see through her tricks!

Fresh from the garden: oranges
Recipe source: Melissa. And Ava!
Makes: about 30 biscuits

ourkitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Bowls – big, small
  • Measures – cup, tablespoon, ½ teaspoon
  • Sieve
  • Microplane zester
  • Large spoon x 2
  • Small saucepan
  • Scales
  • Eggcup
  • Spatula
  • Teaspoons
  • Kettle
  • 2 baking trays & baking paper
 Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • ¾ cup desiccated coconut
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 1 orange
  • 125g butter
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water

 

What to do:

  • Preheat oven to 150°C. Line the baking trays with the baking paper.
  • Sift the flour into the large bowl. Add the coconut, oats and sugar and stir to combine.
  • Finely zest the orange and add the zest to the mixture. Stir until well combined.
  • In the small saucepan, melt the butter and golden syrup over a gentle heat until liquid.
  • Measure the bicarb soda into the eggcup and mix in the boiling water.Add it to the saucepan of melted butter mixture, stirring and then scrape this into the dry ingredients.
  • Take a teaspoonful of mixture at a time and with your hands, roll into even small balls. Place these in even lines on the baking trays, allowing room to spread.
  • Cook for about 15 minutes, until lovely and golden.
  • Allow to cool on the trays and then eat!

Notes: Why are these called ‘Anzac’ biscuits? What does the bicarb soda do? Why is it important to roll the balls into similar sizes?

 

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Autumn pizza with herby mushrooms and rocket

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

Pizza – and making, rolling and stretching out dough – is a surefire winner with kids, and you get to put any number of cunning vegetables on the top, in the form of pizza sauce and artfully decorated toppings… and the smell from the oven as the pizza cooks! Devine…

Fresh from the garden: mushrooms, fresh herbs, onion, garlic, rocket
Recipe source: Melissa
Makes: 2 large or 4 small pizza

ourkitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Bowls – 2 medium, 2 small
  • Salad spinner
  • Rolling pins
  • Grater
  • 2 large oven trays
  • Wide egg lifter
  • Large wooden board
  • Pizza cutter
  • Tablespoon measure, scales
  • Kitchen towel
  • Tongs
  • Metal spoons
  • Serving plates
 Ingredients:

Tomato sauce:

  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tin diced tomatoes
  • Flaked salt and black pepper

For the pizza topping:

  • A handful mushrooms
  • Small handful mixed herb sprigs
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tub bocconcini
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 50g parmesan
  • Flaked salt and black pepper
  • A handful of rocket

What to do:

  • Preheat the oven to 220C. You can prepare the topping now while you wait for the oven to heat up.

For the tomato sauce:

  • Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, reserving half of the garlic for the topping.
  • Heat the olive oil in the frying pan & gently cook the onion until translucent but not brown.
  • Add the garlic to the pan, then open the tin of tomato and add to the frying pan with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.
  • Wash, dry and pick the thyme and add to the tomatoes.
  • Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quite reduced.

For the topping:

  • Wipe the mushrooms and break or slice into thin slices into a big bowl. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  • Wash and carefully dry the herb sprigs – pick the leaves, discarding the stalks – and add to the mushrooms. Peel the garlic and squeeze through the press into the mushrooms. Stir.
  • Tear each ball of bocconcini in half. Grate the parmesan.

Assembling the pizza:

  • Scatter some flour on the table and roll the dough out to form 2 even rectangles to cover the baking trays.
  • Assemble the 2 pizza directly onto the trays, flouring the trays well first.
  • Using the metal spoon, swirl a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce onto the pizza bases, spreading so that they become totally covered.
  • Layer the bocconcini on top and season well, then scatter the herby mushrooms over the pizza and then the parmesan.

Baking the pizza:

  • Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes or until the edges are very crusty and the cheese is bubbling.
  • Use this time to make the dough for the next class if needed.
  • You may want to slip the pizza off the tray onto the rack for the last few minutes, so that you get a really crusty base.
  • Meanwhile wash the rocket and spin dry. Leave the leaves whole.
  • Once the pizza is done, transfer it to a large wooden board using the wide egg lifter.
  • Cut the pizza crossways into small squares, and divide onto serving plates.
  • Sprinkle the rocket over the slices and then get ready to eat!

Notes: What other sort of vegetables could you use in a pizza? What other pizza is there?

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Zucchini, mint and feta salad with pangrattato

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

If you have a spiraliser gadget then this dish is easy and looks fantastic! If not, then julienne your zucchini by slicing or peeling them into as thin strips as possible.

Fresh from the garden: zucchini, lemon, sage, mint
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

ourekitchengarden.net

Equipment:

  • Food processor
  • Measures – cup, ½ cup, tablespoon, teaspoon
  • Microplane zester
  • Paper towel
  • Large frying pan
  • Spiraliser
  • Scissors
  • Citrus juicer
  • Serving bowls and smaller bowls for pangrattato

 

 

 Ingredients:For the pangrattato:

  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Half a small loaf of sourdough bread
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 sage leaves

For the salad:

  • 3 zucchini
  • A small branch of mint leaves
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 200g Danish feta
  • Flaked salt

What to do:

For pangrattato:

  • Break or tear the sourdough into small chunks and then blend up in the food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. You’ll need about a heaped cup worth.
  • Wash and wipe the lemon dry, then zest the lemon, taking only the thin layer of skin off and leaving the white pith on. Wash the sage leaves and gently press dry with a piece of paper towel. With scissors, snip into thin strips.
  • Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the frying pan. Add the rest of the pangrattato ingredients and toss until golden and crunchy (this takes about 5 minutes). Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Set aside to cool and crisp up.

For zucchini salad:

  • Wash the zucchini and wipe dry, then spiralise or julienne them into thin strips. Wash the mint, press dry with a piece of paper towel and using the scissors, snip them into thin strips. You should have about 2 tablespoons worth.
  • Cut the zested lemon in half and juice one half.

To finish:

  • Place zucchini in a dish, top with mint leaves, oil and the lemon juice and season with a grind of pepper. Check the seasoning and add a sprinkle of salt if needed. Unwrap the feta and crumble it into the zucchini. Toss to combine and divide out into your serving bowls.
  • To serve, top salad with a little of the pangrattato and serve the rest in little bowls on the side for each person to help themselves to, just before eating.

Notes: What does a heaped cup mean? What does a spiraliser do? What is pith?

ourkitchengarden.net

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Green herb soup

Posted on May 13, 2014 by melhm

You can use any herbs here depending on what you have fresh – we use a combination of mint, sage, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, basil and marjoram. Herbilicious!

ourkitchengarden.net

Fresh from the garden: potatoes, spring onions, lettuce, lemon, herbs
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Delia Smith
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • Scales
  • Chopping boards and knives
  • Scissors, colander
  • Bowls – big, small
  • Large stockpot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Salad spinner
  • Citrus juicer
  • Measures – jug, tablespoon
  • Stick blender
  • Soup bowls or cups
 Ingredients:

  • 1 litre boiling water and tablespoon of bouillon or 1 litre light stock
  • 350g potatoes
  • 10 spring onions
  • 300g lettuce leaves
  • 50g butter
  • A large handful of fresh herbs
  • A lemon
  • 150ml cream
  • Flaked salt and fresh black pepper

 

What to do:

  • Fill the kettle and set it to boil.
  • Scrub the potatoes until they are absolutely clean and then cut into thick slices and then cubes.
  • Snip the very end of the spring onions so that there are no roots remaining. Wash under cold water and then thinly slice the whole onion, green ends too.
  • Melt the butter in the stockpot, and stir in the thinly sliced spring onions and the cubed potatoes. Stir and cook over a gentle heat so the vegetables soften gently without browning.
    Meanwhile wash the lettuce leaves in several changes of water and shake dry. Roll up a handful of lettuce leaves at a time and then cut into thin ribbons. This is called shredding.
  • Wash the herbs and spin them dry. Pick off the leaves and chop any coarse leaves into small pieces. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the halves.
  • Now stir in the shredded lettuce. Get it all nicely coated with butter. Then add the stock or hot water and bouillon, bring to simmering point, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes or just long enough for the potatoes to soften.
  • Carefully remove the pot from the heat, add the chopped fresh herbs and cream and blend it all together with the stick blender until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice to taste, a little at a time, and checking seasoning as you go.
  • Ladle into soup cups or bowls and serve!

Notes: What are coarse leaves? How do you shred lettuce? Where is the bouillon stored?

ourkitchengarden.net

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Spinach, feta and pumpkin frittate

Posted on August 10, 2012 by melhm

Fresh from the garden: eggs, spinach, pumpkin, marjoram, thyme

Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Gordon Ramsay ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The original recipe calls for sweet potato instead of pumpkin: I think either works well. Gordon also suggests cooking in one big pan over heat and then finishing under the grill, but we pour ours into muffin pans to oven-bake… we also add some of our lovely Bondi herbs for an aromatic twist.

Equipment:

  • Metal spoon
  • Chopping board & knives
  • Paper towel
  • Large frying pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Large bowl
  • Tongs, whisk
  • Cupcake tins: 1 x 12-hole large or 1 x 24-hole mini
 Ingredients:

  • 300g pumpkin
  • A large handful of spinach
  • Small handful marjoram and thyme sprigs
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 200g sheep’s feta
  • 20g parmesan
  • 10 large eggs

What to do:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C.
  • Wash the pumpkin & scrape out the seeds, reserving for the chooks.
  • Wash the spinach and shake dry. Cut off the stalks and chop the leaves into 1cm strips, to yield about 150g cut strips.
  • Wash the herbs and pat dry with paper towel. Strip the leaves from the stalks & reserve.
  • Carefully cut the peel from the pumpkin if needed, and then chop flesh evenly into 1cm cubes.
  • Heat the frying pan with the oil and toss in the pumpkin. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 4 minutes over medium heat until the potatoes are just tender and lightly golden at the sides.
  • Meanwhile, cut the feta into small cubes and grate the parmesan.
  • Stir the spinach into the pumpkin and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
  • Then add the cubed feta and gently stir to mix in.
  • In the large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the herbs, parmesan, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.
  • Divide the pumpkin mixture evenly into the cupcake holes, spoon the egg mixture over and bake in the oven: 15 minutes for the mini frittate and 20 minutes for the large.

Notes: Why is the name of this recipe frittate, ending in e? What other vegetables could you use in the recipe? What other animal’s milk makes feta?

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