Archive for June 2015

Home Archive for June 2015

So as you may know the point of this blog is to cook with Tasmanian products and produce, this idea came about from looking through many a blog that was about eating at Tasmanian restaurants, or people cooking in Tasmania but with little mention of local products. To try and kickstart my mini movement in Tasmanian food I have decided to start #TASMANIAWEEK to showcase one or more Tassie products in recipes that are simple, achievable and humble home-style cooking for sharing with friends, because I really do believe there is a sense of community on this little island I call home and that shines through in the care taken to craft and grow Tasmanian products.

My food may not look like it should grace the cover of Vogue Living, that's because often I have to take 2 or 3 quick snaps while the food is still hot before sitting around a table to share it with family. That is what this food blog is about, not designer ingredients or celebrity names, it's about food made with love, and shared with love, because I believe that cooking for someone, no matter how simple or perhaps burnt it may turn out, is one of the greatest displays of love you can give someone.

I would like to mention here that none of the companies or maker/growers have approached me or given me anything in return for me using their products (but please feel free to approach me about it! wink wink) all the products I use because I like them, if in the future I am lucky enough for that to happen it will be very visible within the blog.

This first recipe is so divine that I perhaps, possibly, may have devoured almost all of them! oops! The lemon zest cooks to be more like candied lemon, just so sweet and chewy that it is addictive. I love the subtle hint of lemon thyme in this recipe, it doesn't make the shortbread savory at all, it's still gorgeously sweet and crumbly and melts in your mouth!

Lemon Thyme Shortbread

150g Ashgrove Farm butter, chopped

75g Caster sugar

140g Plain flour

85g Rice flour

Zest of 1 lemon, grated

1-2 Tbs Lemon thyme leaves (pulled off stems)

Make sure your butter is at room temperature, beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on med-high speed until pale. Lower the speed of your mixer to its lowest and add the flours gradually, until fairly well combined, then add the zest and thyme and mix for a further minute.

Turn off the mixer and gently knead the dough (I like to keep it in the bowl for this, no dirty bench tops!) until it comes together and is smooth. Roll your dough into an even log 20-30cm long, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (now is when I preheat my oven to 150^oC).

Remove the plastic wrap and slice your roll into even sized biscuits (you’ll get 12-16 depending on how you cut it), if you have a stamp to pattern the top you can do that now (I used the bottom of a whiskey glass to do mine).

Lay your shortbread's on a tray, allowing them room enough to spread, and bake for 30-35 minutes.

When they are done simply remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy!

If you do try this let me know! I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Much love M&T

We are just starting the big birthday week for my family, 4 birthdays all lie within 10 days of each other! So this cake is for the first of these birthdays, it is light and fresh, and doesn’t weigh too heavily in your tummy like a mudcake might. You will have to excuse my pictures for the cake but they were taken just before we had to rush out the door for the birthday dinner so my styling is a little non-existent.

Raspberry Shortcake:

2 C frozen raspberries

2 ¼ tsp gelatine powder

3 Tbs lemon juice

225g ‘Nice’ biscuits (any plain sweet biscuit should do)

100g butter, melted

500ml whipping cream

½ C caster sugar

In a food processor blitz the biscuits until you have a fine crumb (if you don’t have a food processor put the biscuits in a large zip lock bag and bash with a rolling pin until fine). Transfer to a bowl and stir through the melted butter. Press this firmly with the back of a spoon into the base of a 22cm springform tin, lined with cling wrap (this will make getting the cake out a doddle). Place this in the fridge while you work on the raspberry mousse.

Microwave the raspberries for approximately 1 and a half minutes until they are warmed through. Force the warmed berries through a sieve with the back of a spoon, make sure you get all the lovely pulpy bits off the bottom of your sieve! Place the berries in a small saucepan and add the sugar, place over a medium-high heat. Put the lemon juice in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine and allow to sit for 5 minutes without stirring. When the gelatine has activated in the juice and the raspberry mix is beginning to bubble (almost at a simmer) add the gelatine to the hot berries, turn off the heat and stir continuously until it dissolves. Transfer the mix to a bowl so that it can cool down to room temp, around 30 minutes.

When the berry mix is cool whip the cream on medium-high with a machine or by hand. When you have stiff peaks, gently fold through the raspberries until fully combined. Pour this into your tin and refrigerate for at least 5 hours but preferably overnight.

You can top this however you would like, a pile of fresh berries in the centre, chocolate shavings, I served mine with a large pile of pistachio pashmak (fairy floss) in the centre.

This is such a luscious cake and its simplicity allows the raspberries to really shine through. The raspberries are from the FarmgateMarket which is held on a Sunday on Bathurst St. in Hobart. It is a beautiful market full of fresh food and produce and I urge you to check it out if you are in the area.

You can certainly get creative with this recipe and use any fruits you like. A mango puree or mixture of blueberry and strawberry perhaps, you are only limited by your imagination!

If you try this let me know! If you tried a different flavour how did it go? I’d love to hear from you.

Much love M&T