Raspberries

The raspberries in the garden are coming into season. There's nothing to beat sweet, freshly picked raspberries - either on their own or with cream or ice-cream.

At least half of them don't even make it to the plate - they are eaten as they are being picked!

This time of year in NZ is berry season - so sometimes we combine them with a "berry salad" of strawberries and blueberries.

Lemon pudding

50g butter
Rind of two lemons
Juice of two lemons
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs separated

Beat butter, sugar, egg yolks and rind together.
Stir in the milk, lemon juice and flour.
Beat egg whites separately until they form peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the mixture.
Pour into ovenproof bowl.
Place bowl into ovenproof dish and pour water into dish - about 1 cm deep.
Bake at 160 degrees C for around 35 minutes until pudding is firm and the top is golden.
Serve with cream or ice cream.

Lemon roasted chicken with noodles

There were a few lemons on the lemon tree so this main course and dessert are based on them.

1.5 kg chicken.
Packet (or two) of instant noodles
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 onion
Garlic and ginger
1/2 cup chopped up peanuts
Diced cucumber
2 spring onions cut up
1 cup water
Lemons

Stuff the chicken with a cut up lemon.
Place in an ovenproof dish,
Cut the onion into quarters and place in dish.
Squeeze the lemons over the chicken and place the pieces in the dish.
Sprinkle with garlic and ginger.
Pour the water into the dish.
Roast at 180 degrees for about an hour or until chicken is cooked.
Cook the instant noodles as per instructions. Stir in the soy sauce.
Place the noodles on the bottom of a bowl, mix in the peanuts, spring onion and cucumber and place pieces of the chicken on top.

Boerewors with onions and tomatoes

Boerewors
1 onion
Garlic and ginger
Tin tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Brown the onion, garlic and ginger.
Spoon on the bottom on an ovenproof dish and place the boerewors on top.
Cover with the tin of tomatoes and water.
Cook at 170 degrees for around 30 minutes.
You can prick the boerewors if you like - the fat flavours the sauce.
Serve with crusty bread to mop up every bit of it.

Boerewors

Some background on the main ingredient of the next recipe.

Boerewors is a Southern African sausage. It comes in a long roll and can either be cooked in the oven or on a BBQ. When you cook it, cook it whole - don't cut it up into smaller pieces. It contains very little fat so you don't want any to escape otherwise it tends to be dry.

We get ours from Janssens in Brown's Bay.

Aside : Vegetable display at the Ellerslie Flower Show

The Saturday kids went along to the recent Ellerslie Flower Show where they particularly enjoyed the erupting volcano - smoke and all!

Every year they have an exhibit made entirely from vegetables.

Aside : Saturday kids featured in "Digital Life" on NZ National Radio

Radio New Zealand has an afternoon program called "Afternoons with Jim Mora" which also has a podcast. It has a Digital Life slot with Helen & Chelfyn Baxter of Mohawk Media.

They have a blog where they blog the contents of each fortnightly slot. The Saturday kids blog is mentioned here.

Aside : Roses in the garden

As summer fast approaches, the roses emerge from their winter hibernation and present a stunning display - cut flowers all summer long.

Fudge self-saucing chocolate pudding

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water

Sift flour and first measure cocoa.
Add the first amount of sugar.
Stir in milk.
Spoon over bottom of ovenproof dish.
Mix second measures of sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over.
Using the back of a spoon, pour the boiling water over the mixture.
Bake at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes or until centre is firm.
Serve with cream or ice cream.

Chicken pie

1 sheet puff pastry
500g chicken breasts
1 onion
Garlic and ginger
1 can chicken soup
1/2 cup cream
Tin tomatoes
Parsley
Frozen vegetables

Cut chicken into cubes and brown together with the onion, garlic and ginger.
Stir in the soup and the cream.
Add the tomatoes and vegetables and warm through.
Spoon into a pie dish, sprinkle with parsley and cover with the puff pastry.
Bake at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes and then bake at 180 degrees C for another 10 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Aside : Broccoli in the garden

A head of broccoli just before picking. Pick, wash and then stir fry - what could be fresher?

Thai green curry

500g mince
1 onion
Garlic and ginger
Tin tomatoes
Mizuna
Thai green curry kit - sauce and Singapore noodles

Brown the mince and the onion.
Add the garlic and ginger.
Add the tin of tomatoes and warm through.
Add the sauce.
Add the mizuna and cook until limp.
Soak the noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Place some noodles on a plate and cover with the green curry mixture.

Aside : Mizuna in the garden

It's really quick growing. Use as a salad ingredient (like lettuce) but we prefer it in a stir fry.