Quince Paste, Shaved Ham and Cheddar Popovers

Ingredients

Mango and Chilli Salad

Serves 2

1 large mango
2 long red chillies
1 small red onion
Dark brown sugar
Brookfarm lime & chilli macadamia oil
Rocket
Mint or coriander leaves
Macadamia nuts (optional)

Dressing:

3 tbs Brookfarm lime & chilli macadamia oil
2 tbs lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce

Peel mango and slice off the cheeks.
Split chillies and remove seeds.
Cut onion into 5cm slices.
Pat brown sugar onto flat section of mango and brush oil on chillies and onion.
Place mango pieces with the sugar sides down onto preheated chargrill along with the onion and the chilli. Cook until the sugar caramelizes on the mango and the skin blisters on the chillies.
Place a few rocket and herb leaves on the side of a plate and arrange mango (charred side up), chilli and onions next to greens, pour over dressing and macadamia nuts

Courtesy of ABC Radio
Wendy Taylor

Venison Tagine, Couscous and saffron Meredith yoghurt

Mussels in Maggie Beer Pasta Sugo

250ml Maggie Beer verjuice
500gm jar Maggie Beer tomato sugo
1kg mussels
2 tsp parsley, chopped
Lake Crystal lake salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Maggie Beer extra virgin olive oil

Bring verjuice to the boil in a deep fry pan. Add mussels and cover with lid. Leave for several minutes before checking and as the mussels open, remove them with tongs. Discard any mussels not opened during this process (approx 7 minutes in total)
Heat sugo in a saucepan and add strained cooking juices from mussels. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Place the mussels in 4 bowl and pour sugo over them. Add parsley and pepper. Drizzle with extra olive oil if desired. 
Serve with crusty bread. 

Onion & Rosemary Tart with Taleggio

375g Careme butter puff pastry
4 medium onions
50g butter
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 plump garlic cloves finely sliced
120g Mauri Taleggio
1 egg beaten for egg wash
Lake Crystal lake salt & fresh ground pepper

Preheat over to 200c. Lightly flour work surface. Roll out pastry further to approx. 2 to 3mm thick. Leave as one piece, place on a baking sheet with baking paper. Score a border 2cm from the edge; prick all over with a fork. Rest in refrigerator.
Peel onions, cut into half from stem to root then into thick segments. Put them in a shallow pan with the butter and leave over a low to moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes until soft, translucent and golden. Once cooked remove from heat and add the rosemary and garlic, stir to combine and place to one side to cool.
Remove pastry from refrigerator, brush border lightly with egg wash then scatter with cooled onions. Break the cheese into small pieces and tuck amongst the onions. Sprinkle with lake salt and ground pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200c, then turn the oven down to 170c and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve warm from the oven, or set to one side and reheat before serving for 10 minutes at 160c.

Potato and Rosemary Galette

375g Careme Butter Puff pastry
200g Kervella goat curd
4-6 slices lachsschinken (smoked pork loin) or prosciutto (leave out for vegetarian option)
2-3 medium desiree potatoes
2 large cloves garlic finely sliced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
Third Pillar Olive Oil
Lake Crystal lake salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 egg yolk beaten for egg wash

This dish can be prepared in advance. Re-heat in the oven at 160c for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Preheat oven to 200c
Unroll defrosted pastry and leave as one piece. Lightly flour work surface and roll out further to give you approx. an extra 4cm all round. Place the pastry on baking paper on a baking sheet. Score a border 1cm from the edge. Rest in refrigerator.
Finely slice potatoes about the thickness of a ten cent piece. Toss potatoes with garlic, rosemary and a little olive oil and set to one side.
Remove pastry from refrigerator and brush border lightly with egg wash.
Spread the goat curd thinly over the pastry leaving a 2cm boarder. Top with slices of lachsschinken or prosciutto. Lay potato slices in rows across the pastry so each slice slightly overlaps, tucking in pieces of rosemary and garlic as you go.
Sprinkle with lake salt, ground black pepper and any extra rosemary.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200c, then turn the oven down to 170c and continue baking for 25 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
If cutting into bite sized pieces allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Chicken with Maggie Beer Preserved Lemons, Pancetta and Rosemary
 
Ingredients
10 x 375 g free-range chicken thighs
8 quarters Maggie Beer preserved lemon
1/3 cup finely chopped rosemary
125 ml Third Pillar extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices pancetta

Method
Remove the pulp from the preserved lemons, then rinse and cut into small dice. Toss the chicken pieces in 2 shallow baking dishes with the preserved lemons, rosemary and olive oil, then grind over pepper. Allow the chicken to sit for 1 hour for the flavours to infuse.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C. Make sure the chicken pieces are lying skin-side up, and then bake for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and swap the positions of the trays. Cook for another 10 minutes, then test for doneness. (The chicken will continue cooking while it rests, but if the juices run very pink when you prick the thickest part of the thigh, you may want to return the meat to the oven for a few more minutes.) Turn the chicken over to be skin-side up again and rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, crisp the pancetta on a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, then add to the resting chicken. Serve the chicken and pancetta with a salad and good crusty bread.

Sauce:
If you wish to serve a sauce with this, add 125 ml hot reduced chicken stock and 1/4 cup Verjuice to the baking dishes while the chicken is resting.

Don’t forget to buy chicken in any form with the skin on: if you’re strong-willed enough you can remove it after cooking, but the skin and fat keep the meat beautifully moist and impart flavour during cooking.

Serves 10

Sheep Feta and Oregano Tart

1 x 175gm Careme Sour Cream pastry, blind-baked into 1 x 24cm pastry shell
1/2 brown onion finely chopped
1 plump clove garlic chopped
1/2 cup cooked spinach
4 eggs and 2 yolks
360ml Meander Valley pure cream
240ml milk
Lake Crystal lake salt
Pepper
150g Meredith ewes milk feta
1 tsp oregano (fresh or diced)

Pre heat oven to 160c and prepare pastry shell as directed in Handling and Baking instructions. Once the pastry case is baked leave oven temperature at 160c.
While tart shell is baking, saute onions and garlic until soft and translucent, set to one side. Whisk together egg yolks, cream and milk, season with lake salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a jug for ease of pouring.
Spread the cooked onion and garlic mixture together with the cooked spinach (squeeze out any excess liquid) over the base of the tart shell. Top with feta and oregano
Take the tart shell on a baking tray to the oven; rest half the baking tray on the oven rack and pour in the filling. Gently push into the oven and cook for 25-35 minutes until set and the filling is puffed up like souffle. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You can also try the recipe with Mohr smoked salmon and Tarragon, or Mauri Gorgonzola and Porcini mushroom.

Lemon Cream Tart

350gm Careme Vanilla Bean sweet shortcrust pastry to make either 1 x 20cm blind baked tart shell or 6 x 8cm blind baked tart shells
155ml lemon juice
3 whole large eggs
1 large egg yolk
170g sugar
Pinch Lake Crystal lake salt
225g unsalted butter (cool)

Tart shell - preheat oven to 160c and prepare pastry shell (or shells) as directed in handling and baking instructions for Careme Vanilla Bean sweet shortcrust pastry. The tart shell can be made a day in advance, store in a cool place in an airtight container.

Lemon Cream - Pour water to a depth of 5cm into a saucepan, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Combine lemon juice, whole eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt in a stainless-steel bowl that will fit securely over the saucepan without touching the water. 
Whisk the ingredients together tip - never let the egg yolks and sugar sit together for more than a moment without stirring; the sugar will 'cook' the yolks and turn then granular
Place the bowl over the saucepan and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 82c on a thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes
Remove bowl from saucepan and allow to cool to 60c, stirring from time to time to release the heat. Meanwhile cut the butter into small pieces (approx 15g) when the cream is ready add the butter a few cubes at a time whisking (either by hand or with a hand held mixer) until incorporated. Continue to do this until all the butter has been added. The cream should be pale yellow and quite thick.
The cream can be used immediately or poured into a storage container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Spoon or pour the cream directly into the cooled tart shell. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving. As an optional extra you can top the lemon cream with fresh whipped cream, a dust of icing sugar and fresh fruits such as raspberries before serving.

Casa Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Ingredients

3 leaves Gelatine
400ml Meander Valley Pure cream
150gm Caster sugar
250ml Casa Buttermilk

6 x 10cm discs Careme butter puff pastry
250g castor sugar
150ml balsamic vinegar
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup basil leaves
2 golden shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tbs capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Bird in Hand Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
Maggie Beer red wine vinegar
Third Pillar extra virgin olive oil
150g Soignon Spreadable Goats Cheese

Preheat oven to 220c
Combine the sugar and 100ml water in a small heavy-based saucepan over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until the syrup turns a light caramel colour. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the balsamic vinegar - the caramel will split.
Pour the caramel into the base of the 6 x 10cm tart tins or disposable foil pie cases. Arrange the cherry tomatoes over the caramel and place in the oven.
Meanwhile, place the pastry discs on a tray lined with baking paper, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Once the pastry has risen, place the pastry over the tomatoes, reduce heat to 160c and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Mix together the parsley, basil, shallots, capers and olives and season with Lake Crystal lake salt and black pepper. Drizzle with enough red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to moisten.
To serve, place a handful of the salad in the centre of each serving plate. Carefully invert the tarts on to a baking tray then transfer to the top of the salad. Drizzle over any remaining caramel and tomato juices. Dot the tars with ricotta and finish with a good grind of pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Philip Johnson, Ecco Bistro, Brisbane
Brisbane Courier Mail, Good Life, April 11, 2006

Fruit Galettes

375g Careme butter puff pastry
1/2kg apricots or 1/2kg cherries (fresh can be substituted for good quality pitted morello cherries)
400g B-d Farm Quark
Pulp from half a vanilla bean
50g (or to taste) castor sugar
Zest half a lemon
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp Hank's apricot jam for glazing

Pre heat oven to 200c.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Unroll pastry (do not attempt whilst still frozen, this will cause the pastry to crack).
Lightly flour the pastry and work surface and gently roll out the pastry to give you approximately an extra 4cm all round or to around 2mm thick.
Using a 10cm pastry cutter, cut out 8 discs and place on the baking tray, place this in the refrigerator while you prepare the topping.
Mix the cheese, vanilla bean pulp, castor sugar, lemon zest and egg together.
Prepare the fruit; halve and remove the stone from apricots, if large cut into quarters. Remove pip from cherries, if using fresh.
Remove pastry from fridge and top each disc with 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture leaving a 1cm border. Top each disc with either 5 pieces of apricot, or 5-8 cherries, depending on size.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200c, reduce temperature to 170c and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
While the pastries are baking warm through apricot jam either on the stove or in the microwave.
Pass through a sieve
Remove pastries from oven and glaze the fruit and pastry with apricot jam whilst still warm

Fruit galettes can be served warm or cold. To re-heat place in oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 160c.

Apple Galette with Almond Cream

375g Careme butter puff pastry defrosted according to packet instructions
200g almond meal
200g butter
150g castor sugar
4 whole eggs
Pulp from half vanilla bean
3 drops of almond essence
1 tbs plain flour
1 tbs castor sugar
3-4 medium sized granny smith apples
4 tbs Hanks apricot jam for glazing

Pre heat oven to 200c.
Flour work surface and roll pastry out to approximately 2mm thick. You should have enough pastry for 10-12 squares of circles 10cm by 10cm. Alternatively you can leave whole to make one large tart, re-freeze any excess pastry.
Place pasty onto baking paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add vanilla pulp and almond essence.
Add 1/3 of the almond meal and mix until combined.
Add eggs one at a time and whisk vigorously.
Add the rest of the almond meal and flour and mix until combined.
Remove pastry from fridge spread the almond cream onto the pastry, leaving a 1cm border.
Slice apples in half and cut into 3mm thick slices, arrange apple slightly overlapping in rows on top of the almond cream.
Sprikle sugar over the apple.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes at 200c then turn down to 170c and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes  (30 to 40 minutes for large tart). The underside of the tart should be golden brown.
Warm apricot jam through until runny, pass through a sieve, bush over the warm tart.
Serve with real cream.

Raspberry Tart

1 x 175gm block Careme sweet shortcrust pastry, blind baked into 20cm tart shell
1 Large punnet raspberries (approx 30g)
375ml Full fat milk
1 Vanilla pod, split
4 egg yolks
120gm Castor sugar
50gm Cornflour
100ml Meander Valley pure cream

Prepare pastry shell as directed in handling and baking instructions inside packet.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar until combined, this stir in cornflour.
Boil milk with vanilla pod and scraped out seeds.
Pour boiling milk onto egg mixture, remove vanilla pod and whisk.
Return mixture to saucepan and whisk continuously and reboil. Remove from heat.
Transfer to a bowl, place cling wrap atop the mixture (mixture to come into contact with cling wrap) place in refrigerator to cool, allow at least 1 hour.
Whip cream and fold through cold mixture.
Fill tart shell with mixture and top with fresh raspberries, dust with icing sugar before serving.

Blueberry Frangipane Tart

175g Block Careme sweet shortcrust pastry made into 1 x 20cm tart shell
150g Blueberries (if fresh are not available substitute for good quality frozen berries)
200g Butter
150g Castor sugar
1/2 Vanilla bean (scrape pulp from pod)
1 1/2 tbs Dark rum
4 Eggs
200g Almond meal
1 tbs Plain flour

You can use a variety of different seasonal fruits with this tart, peaches, apricots, raspberries and cherries all work well.

You can also make small individual tarts, 1 x 175g block makes 4 x 8cm tarts.

Preheat oven to 160c and prepare pastry shell as directed in handling and baking instructions. In this case blind-baking is not required.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add vanilla pulp and dark rum.
Add 1/3 of almond meal and flour and mix until combined.
Remove prepared pastry shell from fridge and fill with frangipane mixture. Press the raspberries into the frangipane so they are half submerged.
Bake in oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the frangipane is light brown in colour.
Leave to cool for 15 mintues before serving, dust with icing sugar and serve with thick cream.

Left over frangipane can be frozen, or used to make frangipane turnovers with Careme butter puff pastry

Chocolate, Maggie Beer Quince paste and Almond Slab 

Roast the almonds on a baking tray in the oven for 5-10 minutes until a deep gold. Chop very roughly. Once the chocolate has almost melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan, and then remove the covering. Stir to melt any remaining unmelted chocolate. Cut the quince paste into ½ cm cubes. Pour the almonds and the quince paste into the melted chocolate and stir very briefly. Brush the lined pan with a trace of Third Pillar Olive oil.

Polenta & Gruyere Fritters

Ingredients

250 ml Maggie Beer Verjuice
5 leaves of 2 g. gelatine
20 gm Sugar
1 sprig tarragon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 eschalottles peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons freshly plucked chervil

Maggie Beer Quince Glazed Ham

Ingredients
6-10 kg leg of ham, traditionally smoked.
1 x 350 ml jar Maggie Beer Quince glaze
150 g dried or pickled figs
150 g pitted prunes
150 g dried apricots

Method
Preheat the oven to 280°C or as high a temperature as you can get it.

Strip the leathery skin from the ham being careful not to remove any fat from under the skin – a covering of 5 mm – 1 cm is what you are after.

Brush quince glaze several times over the top and sides of the ham. Score the fat quite deeply into a diamond pattern but be careful not to cut through to the meat. The diamond size should suit the size of the fruit you are using to decorate. Continue to brush with the glaze until you have used about half. Place ham on a baking dish and bake at 280°C or as hot a temperature as you can get, to get a good seal. Keep brushing with the glaze during the cooking time and watch that the base doesn’t burn. (If it starts to burn, add a little water to the base). Bake for about 15 minutes for the glaze to adhere.

Cut the figs in half and carefully fix them and the apricots and prunes into the corners of the diamonds with toothpicks, arranging them in lines of similar fruit. Brush the remaining glaze over the ham without dislodging the glaze or fruit. Add a little water to the baking dish to avoid the juices burning, and continue adding if necessary. Bake the ham for another 15–20 minutes at as hot an oven as you can get until it’s beautifully glazed, then allow it to cool before serving.

Chicken & Pork Parcels with Porcini Mushrooms

450g Careme sour cream flaky pastry
2 Medium brown onions
4 Plump cloves garlic
100g Swiss brown onions
15g Porcini mushrooms
200g Pork belly - finely minced *
300g Chicken thigh - coarsley minced *
2 Tbsp chicken liver pate
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 Cup bread crumbs
1 Large free range egg beaten
1 Tbsp pistachio nuts (optional)
1 Tsp fresh sage coarsley chopped
2 Tsp fresh thyme leaves
Lake Crystal lake salt and pepper
8 slices prosciutto
1 egg yolk beaten for egg wash

* Ask your butcher to mince the pork & chicken

Preheat oven to 180c.
Roll out pastry, the easiest way to do this is to roll each block out to 2mm thick then cut each block into four rectangles.  The scraps can be rolled into one.
Place the pastry in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Chop swiss brown mushrooms, finely dice onion and garlic, saute all together until soft. At the end of cooking add sage and thyme then set to one side to cool.
Soak porcini mushrooms in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove porcini and finely chop. Pour soaking liquid through muslin cloth (or clean chux) to remove grit, set soaking liquid to one side.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl (excluding proscuitto) add cooled onion, garlic, mushroom mixture and porcini mushrooms. Pour over half the porcini soaking liquid, mix to combine. The mixture should not be too wet, if this is the case add more breadcrumbs.
Remove pastry from fridge and transfer to a baking sheet with baking paper. Place a slice of proscuitto on each side to encase the filling. Bring one side of the pastry up to cover half of the mix, egg wash a 1cm strip along the top. Bring the other side up to encase the mix and overlap the pastry where is has been egg washed. You should have an envelope style parcel with two open ends where the meat is exposed. Fill the rest of the rectagles then egg wash the tops of each one.
Bake at 180c for 30 minutes until golden brown.

A sweet shortcrust pastry base with a 99% dark couverture chocolate added, souced from Kennedy & Wilson in Victoria's Yarra Valley.

The addition of the chocolate adds a wonderful balance to the existing sweetness to produce an almost dry bitter flavour. The pastry is all natural with no additives or preservatives and is the perfect accompaniment to rich sweet tart fillings. The packet contains a 250gm semi rolled block.

Dark Chocolate Tart

1 x 250gm Careme Dark Chocolate Pastry blind baked into a 20cm tart shell
200gm good quality dark chocolate*, melted
300ml thickened cream
50ml full cream milk
2 large free range eggs
50g caster sugar
Fresh raspberries
Jersey cream

Pre heat oven to 160C and prepare pastry shell for blind baking. Once pastry shell is ready, reduce oven temperature to 100C. 
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat.
Bring milk to the boil in a pan, then slowly pour onto the melted chocolate, stirring until smooth.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar then combine with chocolate cream.
Place the tart shell on a baking tray and spoon in the chocolate cream filling.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until just set, the centre should quiver ever so slightly.
Remove from oven and leave to cool before removing from tart case.
Once cool dust with good quality cocoa powder and serve with fresh raspberries and Jersy cream.
Serves 6 to 8.

*Use dark couverture chocolate between 48% and 55%

Ingredients
1 cup cream
1/4 cup Maggie Beer Verjuice
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
100gm Blue d Basque crumbled or cut small
1 head cauliflower

Method
Separate heads of cauliflower. Steam or boil until stalk is cooked through, and strain.
Combine cream, Verjuice, herbs and bring to a simmer, reduce to 3/4 of volume.
Remove herbs, and whisk in cheese off the heat.
Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Pour over cauliflower and serve immediately.

Ingredients
375gm Careme Butter Puff Pastry
6 medium red onions
Third Pillar Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Maggie Beer Vino Cotto
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
Egg yolk or milk for glazing
100gm Soignon spreadable goats cheese
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200C.
Defrost Pastry according to instructions. Roll out a little further to approx. 3mm thick. Cutin into two rectangles and score a border 2cm from the edge. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and place in fridge.
Cut each onion into quarters. Toss with olive oil, vino cotto, salt and pepper. Place in a roasting dish lined with baking paper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove and leave to cool.
Remove pastry from fridge. Sprinkle a thin layer of the bread crumbs over each rectangle of pastry. Wash the border with milk or egg yolk.
Scatter the roasted onions over each piece of pastry finishing with the thyme. Place in oven at 200C. After 10 minutes reduce oven temperature to 180C and continue to bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drop little balls of curd over the tart. Return to oven for a further 5 minutes or until pastry is cooked and golden brown.

Ingredients
1tbs Third Pillar Olive Oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 litre salt-reduced chicken stock
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
20g Lescure Charentes AOC butter
1/2 cup Biemme Grana Padano parmesan, grated
180gm pancetta (or bacon) cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
100gm Bleu d'Auvergne AOC, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan; cook the pancetta until browned lightly. Add the onion and garlic; cook stirring until the onion is soft but not coloured.
Meanwhile, combine the stock and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, keep hot.
Add the rice to the pancetta mexture; cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to the boil.
Simmer, uncovered, until almost evaporated.
Add the stock mixture in 1/2 cup batches to the rice; cook, stirring over a medium heat until the stock mixture is absorbed after each addition. Taste the rice after about 15 minutes to see how much longer it needs. Add the peas in the last 5 minutes; cooking time should be about 20 mintues or until the rice is tender. The risotto should be quite runny.
Add Bleu d'Auvergne, butter and season to taste with salt and pepper, stir well until combined.
Spoon risotto into warmed serving bowls and serve with grated permesan.

Serves 4

Ingredients
8 slices of Black Pig prosciutto
200gm Mauri Fontina
2 large roma tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves
8 thick slices of New Norcia ciabatta bread
150gm Lescure Charentes butter
50ml Third Pillar extra virgin olive oil
1 medium fresh lemon, zest & juice
1 tbs Clovis dijon mustard
150gm wild rocket
80g Ligurian olives
50gm pink shallot, finely chopped

Method 
Lightly butter bread, finely slice tomatoes and wash basil.
Slice Fontina into 8 slices using a hot knife.
Lay prosciutto on 4 slices of buttered bread. Add roma tomatoes, basil and finally Fontina.
Top with remaining sliced bread and place in 180C oven for 10 minutes until nicely toasted.
Meanwhile, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and dijon mustard. Season with salt and set aside.
Toss rocket, olives and shallot together along with dressing. 
Serve alongside sandwich as a great lunch idea. 

Ingredients
1 Calendar Marinated Feta Jar 325gm
250gm Black Pig Chorizo
250gm spinach & rocket salad mix
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes or 4 roma tomatoes
A good handful of snow peas
100ml Third Pillar olive oil
50ml Third Pillar red wine vinegar
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
Cracked pepper to taste

Method
Wash tomatoes and snow peas, spin salad mix and set aside.
Top and tail snow peas, blanch and refresh.
Heat pan (no oil needed).
Slice chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes.
In a large bowl combine spinach mix, snow peas, tomatoes and warm chorizo.
Pull out feta pieces and crumble over the top.
In a bowl, whisk olive oil and vinegar. Add freshly squeezed lemon and drizzle over the salad.
Gently toss ingredients.
Serve with warm, fresh sourdough bread.

Notes
Black Pig Chorizo is free range and preservative free. It can be eaten as is. Great for an antipasto platter. Try in an omlette or stirred through fresh creamy scrambled eggs. A great inclusion on home made pizza.
Calendar Marinated Feta is wonderful stirred through scrambled eggs and english spinach. Great in frittatas, quiches and tarts. Also delicious on an antipasto platter. Use on home made pizza.

Discovered when a group of (tipsy) friends dunked a crimson wildflower into a champagne flute. The flower slid gracefully to the bottom of the glass, and the petals slowly unfurled. Wild Hibiscus flowers are now found in upscale bars and restaurants, and prestigious retail stores in 16 countries worldwide.

Ingredients
90mls white rum
30mls fresh lime juice
45mls Wild Hibiscus syrup
2 choped Wild Hibiscus flowers
2 halved lime wheels
2 stems mint
Soda water

Method
Fill a high ball glass with crushed ice.
Muddle in 1-2 stems of mint, lime wheels and chopped Hibiscus.
Add rum, syrup & lime juice to shaker with ice, shake for 10 seconrds & strain half into the glass.
Top with soda water
Garnish with mint tip

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbs yellow bean sauce (from Asian food stores)
1 tbs chopped stem ginger in syrup
50ml Third Pillar extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs Maggie Beer red wine vinegar
2 eschalots, finely chopped
2 tbs chopped corriander leaves
3 bunches thin asparagus, ends trimmed
3 Mauri Buffalo Mozzarella balls

Method
Place the tomatoes in a bowl with the bean sauce, ginger, oil and vinegar.
Stir to combine, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Stir in eschalot and corriander, then set aside for a further 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.
Tear each mozzarella into 2-3 pieces, place on serving plates, then drape the asparagus over. Give the tomato mixture a good stir, then pile on top and serve.

Ingredients
6 tbs Third Pillar Olive Oil, plus extra
4 large Portobello mushrooms, stemmed
Lake Crystal Lake Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
300gm Scarmorza Bianca
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 medium sized vine ripened tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Method
Prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat)
Drizzle 3 tbs of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Drizzle olive oil on grill pan to prevent mushrooms from sticking & grill mushrooms until they are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes each side.
Meanwhile, whisk 3 tbs olive oil and garlic together.
Add the tomatoes, Scarmorza Bianca and basil, toss to coat. Season with salt & pepper.
Place 1 hot grilled mushrooms, grill side up on each of 4 plates.
Sprinkle wiht salt & pepper, and spoon the tomato salad atop the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil to serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients
8 sprigs of chives
St. Agur Cream (see preparation below)
1 tbs melted butter
4 thick slices of crusty bread
2 pears

Method
Peel the pears, remove the core and cut them into thin strips. Put them into a frying pan of medium heat with some butter unitl they start to brown.
Grill the bread.
Cover the bread with the warm pears, then pour over some St. Agur cream.
Sprinkle with chives and serve.

St. Agur Cream
75gm St. Agur
57gm B-d Farm Swiss Quark
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tbs chopped watercress

Method
Mix the St. Agur and the quark in a saucepan over low heat until a creamy, sauce like texture is achieved.
Flavour with lemon juice, add garlic and watercress.

Potato & Caramelised Onion Frittata with Mauri Gorgonzola Piccante

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Lescure unsalted butter
2 large onions, chopped thickly
Lake Crystal Lake Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp raw sugar
5 medium potatoes, unpeeled
2 Tbs Third Pillar olive oil
10 large eggs
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
60g Mauri Gorgonzola Piccante

Method:

To make the caramelised onion -

In a medium non-stick pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the onions, 1/2 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper. Cook, stirring often to avoid scorching, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown. (12-15 minutes).
Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced to a glaze.
Keep the onions warm.

To make the frittata -

Parboil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.
Cut in to 2cm thick slices, then chop coarsley.
Heat oil in a non-stick oven proof pan over medium heat. Add potatoes, 1/2 tsp salt and a dash of pepper. Cook, uncovered, turning the potatoes occasionally, until they are browned and tender. 
Spread the potatoes as evenly as evenly as possible in the pan.
Heat the oven to 180C.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt & dash of pepper until well combined.
Pour over potatoes and reduce heat to 170C.
Using a rubber spatula, lift up the cooked part of the frittata and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked eggs to run underneath. Continue this occasionally until the top is almost set (approx 5 minutes).
Sprinkle with Mauri Gorgonzola Piccante and return to oven until frittata is puffed and the top is set (approx 1 minute).

From HaLo Restaurant, Barrack St Jetty, Perth

Egyptian spiced cheese balls with roasted baby beetroot, rocket salad & herb coulis.

Ingredients
100gm Yarra Valley Persian Feta
100gm Blue Cow Traditional Feta
100gm Meredith Goats Feta
za atar spice
12 baby beetroot
Rocket leaves
2 bunches soft picked herbs (parsley, basil, mint, dill)
25-30 simple sugar syrup

Method
To make the balls - combine the three cheeses together in a small bowl. Season if necessary but it should not need it.
Take a small ice cream scoop and make into balls approximately 25gm each.
Roll balls in the spice and put to one side.

To make the coulis - blanch picked herbs in boiling salted water for 30 seconds and refresh in ice water straight away.
Squeeze excess water and place in a blender and puree with sugar syrup until smooth. Pass through a fine strainer and put to one side.

Cook the baby beetroot in boiling salted water until tender, remove and refresh in ice bath. While still warm rub beetroots under running water to remove skins. Place in a small roasting pan with a little olive oil, garlic cloves, thyme and seasoning. Roast for approximately 10 minutes in a hot oven.

Arrange balls on a plate with some rocket leaves and baby beetroot, drizzle over herb coulis and serve.

Pumpkin Soup with Fourme D'Ambert

Ingredients:
800gm pumpkin
100gm Fourme D'Ambert
50gm Lescure butter
200ml water
200ml Isigny creme fraiche
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method
Remove the seeds, filaments and rind from the pumpkin and cut the flesh into small pieces.
Over a low heat cook the pumpkin in the butter, covered for about 5 minutes.
Pour in water, 1/2 tsp salt, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.
Puree pumpkin in a blender, add creme fraiche and season with salt and pepper.
In a large saucepan, gently bring soup to a boil. 
Ladle into warmed soup bowls and lay 5 thin slices of Fourme D'Ambert on the surface.
Wait for a moment until the cheese has melted, and serve.

From Restaurant Amuse, 64 Bronte St, East Perth

Goats Cheese Panna Cotta with Confit Tomato

Panna Cotta Ingredients
160gm Woodside Swag
260gm cream
260gm milk
10gm sugar
6 leaves gelatine

Method
Bring milk, cream and sugar to the boil.
Add goats cheese and stir until melted.
Add gelatine, stir until combined then pour into moulds and leave to set.

Confit Tomato Ingredients
10 tomatoes
5gm thyme
5gm sugar
5gm salt
Cracked black pepper

Method
Blanch, peel and seed the tomatoes. Cut into quarters.
Lay quarters on a tray, season with sugar, salt and black pepper.
Place in oven at 100C for two hours.

Onion Soup with Gruyere Crostini

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups brown onions, halved and thinly cut lengthwise
3 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp plain flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
4cm thick slice of ciabatta cut in half
2 tbs Lescure Charentes butter
1 1/2 cups Gruyere Alpage grated

Method

In a large heavy pot melt the butter over low heat
Add onions, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep amber and very soft, about 25-30 minutes.
Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the wine, increase the heat, and let the wine bubble away for 2-3 minutes.
Add the beef stock and water. Let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pre heat the oven to 160C and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
Place the ciabatta on the rack and toast until crispy, about 2-3 minutes each side.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and discard.
Pour the soup into two ovenproof bowls, float the toasted ciabatta on top, and cover it with a thick layer of Gruyere.
Put the bowls in the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and golden.

Fresh Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad

Ingredients

1kg fresh beetroot (fresh bulbs with leaves, or substitute with baby spinach leaves)
200gm green beans
1/2 small red salad onion, finely sliced
1 Tbs pine nuts, dry roasted
100gm Yarra Valley Dairy Black Savourine

Dressing

1 Tbs Maggie Beer Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Third Pillar Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs drained capers in brine, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

Trim the leaves from the beetroot, rinse leaves and scrub the bulbs.
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil, add beetroot, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 30 mintues, or until tender. Drain and cool.
Peel the skins off the beetroot and cut the bulbs into wedges.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender.
Remove with tongs, plunge into a bowl of ice water and drain well.
Add the beetroot leaves to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until leaves and stems are tender.
Drain, plunge into a bowl of ice water, and then drain again.
Place vinegar, oil, garlic, capers, salt & pepper in a screw-top jar and shake well.
Divide the beans and beetroot wedges and leaves among four plates, crumble goat's cheese over the top and drizzle with the dressing.

Ingredients
2 sheets of Careme Sour Cream Pastry, Thawed
2 1/2 cups frozen peas
10g Lescure Charentes unsalted butter
Pinch caster sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tbs chopped mint
200ml Meander Valley pure cream
120gm Sevre & Belle Chevre du Poitou

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Quarter each pastry sheet and use to line eight 10cm loose-bottomed tart pans.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile, cook the peas in a pan of boiling salted water with butter, sugar and a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Drain, cool slightly, then puree half the peas in a processor until smooth. Transfer all the peas to a bowl, then add egg, yolk, mint and cream. Beat well with a spoon to combine, then stir in three quaters of the goat's cheese. Season and set aside.
Place the tart pans on 2 trays. Prick the pastry bases with a fork, then line with baking paper and pastry weights or uncooked rice. Blind bake tarts for 8 minutes of until golden around the edges. Remove paper and weights, then bake for a further 2-3 minutes until golden and dry.
Divide pea mixture among tarts and scatter with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Serve warm or at room temperature, with salad if desired.

From Dux Cafe, 71 South Tce, Como

Creme Fraiche Tart with Black Savourine

Ingredients
1 Careme Sour Cream Short Crust pastry
200g Creme Fraiche d'Isigny
200g Wild rocked
3 black figs
5 Black Pig proscuitto slices
20g roasted black sesame seeds
200g Yarra Valley Black Savourine
200g raspberries
200ml balsamic vinegar
20ml water
Third Pillar Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method
Prepare six muffin moulds. Roll out pastry and cut into approx. 140mm rounds. Line the muffin moulds with pastry and par bake for 15 minutes at 180C. Cool bases until needed.
Combine raspberries and water in a saucepan and bring to simmer. Use a hand blender to blitz berries and pass through a sieve. Add berry mix, sugar and vinegar. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half (about 45 mins) making sure the sauce does not burn. Allow to cool.
Slice figs into 1/4's. Slice cheese into small pieces. Use half of the cheese to line the pastry bases and slightly melt under grill.
Mix remaining ingredients, add a small amount of olive oil to combine.
Spoon creme fraiche, then sesame seeds into warm tarts.
Carefully and quickly layer equal amounts of salad on each tart. Garnish with raspberry balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

Parmesan Crumbed Chicken

Ingredients
1/3 cup plain flour
2 eggs
2 cups fresh multi-grain breadcrumbs
1 lemon, rind finely grated
1/2 cup Biemme Grana Padano, grated
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
800g chicken tenderloins, tendons removed, trimmed
Canola oil for shallow frying
Mashed potato, steamed green beans & lemon wedges to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 130C. Combine flour, salt & pepper on a large plate. Lightly whisk eggs in a shallow dish.
Combine breadcrumbs, lemon rind, parmesan, parsley, salt & pepper in a separate shallow dish.
Lightly coat chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, then breadcrumb mixture, pressing crumbs on gently with your fingertips to coat. 
Add oil to a large frying pan so it is 1cm deep.
Heat over medium-high heat until sizzling.
Cook chicken, in batch, for 2 minutes each side or until just cooked. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in oven.
Serve chicken with mashed potato, green beans and lemon wedges. 

Blue Cheese and Quince Pastries with Pear and Rocket Salad

Ingredients
2 sheets Careme Butter Puff Pastry, just thawed
100g Maggie Beer Quince Paste
150g Enterprize Foundation Blue sliced into 12 pieces
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 tsp Clovis sherry vinegar
2 tsp Clovis walnut oil
2 tsp Pendleton Extra Virgin olive oil
50g baby rocket leaves
1 small pear, thinly sliced
2 tbs walnuts

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Use a small bowl to saucer as a guide to cut eight 11.5cm diameter discs from the pastry. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place 4 pastry discs on the tray, top each disc with a slice of quince paste and 3 slices of cheese, leaving a 1cm border. Brush edges with egg then top with remaining pastry discs. Press edges firmly with a fork to seal. Brush all over with egg.
Cut a small slit in the top of each pastry. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper.
Place pastries in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and oils in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Combine rocket, pear and walnut in a small bowl, pour over dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve pastries with pear and rocket salad.

Beef Casserole with Parmesan Dumplings

Ingredients
1kg gravy beef, cut into 2cm chunks
1 tbs Pendelton Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
6 Black Pig belly bacon rashers, chopped
500g button mushrooms, halved
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbs plain flour
2 cups Maggie Beer beef stock
1 cup red wine
2 fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
50g Lescure charentes butter
2 cups self raising flour
1/4 cup Biemme Grana Padano
3/4 cup milk

Method
Brown beef in olive oil over medium heat. Transfer to plate.
Add onion, bacon rashers, button mushrooms, and garlic cloves to the pan and cook until soft. Stir in plain flour.
Add beef stock, red wine, thyme and bay leaves, bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, add beef and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Spoon into a 2L ovenproof dish.
Preheat oven to 200C. Rub butter into self raising flour. Stir in parmesan and milk, bring together and roll into 20 balls. Place on top of stew and bake for 20 minutes.

Beetroot and Vino Cotto Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch of fresh beetroot
1/4 cup Maggie Beer Vino Cotto
1 cup Third Pillar extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches rocket
100gm Walnuts
150gm Kervella Firm goats cheese
Lake Crystal salt to taste
Cracked pepper to taste
1/4 tsp sugar