TOPICS : markets, in season April, cooking with the stars – Aries, choosing pineapples
GUEST : Lilith, astrogourmet and hula queen
PRESENTERS : sister T and sister B
FARMER’S TIP : PINEAPPLE TRICKS
A second generation pineapple farmer at the local market told sister T that – shock horror – the famous pull-the-leaf-out-to-see-if-the-pineapple-is-ripe trick is all a lie. He remembers a pineapple ad when he was a child recommending this, and his pineapple farmer father scoffing : “Rubbish!”. Apparently they just come out when the pineapple has been picked for 1 to 2 weeks. Or it gets sick of getting its leaves pulled I suppose, and lets go.
Pineapples should be picked ripe, they don’t ripen after picking as they have no starches to convert into sugars, they just soften.
So – smell your fruit, should smell ripe but not fermenting.
And look at the base, where it was cut from the plant : moist and clean means cut ripe within a day of getting to you, dark or mottled with a little fungal growth means cut ripe within 2-3 days. Totally dry and clean means cut unripe.
Straight from the farmer’s mouth – may your pineapples be always sweet and juicy.
GUEST RECIPE : an Aries recommendation by Lilith
Speedy Aries are fond of no fuss meals they can whip up in minutes, but
fast needn’t mean nasty. So in the spirit of their love for red, hot,
quick, raw and politically unpc food in this anti-cattle, semi-vegetarian
community, I have a recipe for Steak Tartare – raw beef – as taught to me by
a Belgian boyfriend.
TARTARE STEAK
Ingredients:
Best quality eye fillet beef
1 egg per person
red onion, finely chopped
capers
flat leaf parsley, very finely chopped
paprika, fine salt crystals, cracked black pepper
Worcester sauce, Tabasco, Dijon mustard, home made mayonnaise
Optional: anchovy fillets
Method:
Mince beef as finely as you can by hand, never in a mincer, and mound each
portion in centre of a plate.
Break an egg in half, separate whites and retain yolk in the half shell.
Place eggshell in centre of the meat mound.
Surround central mound with smaller mounds of red onion, capers, parsley,
paprika, black pepper, salt crystals (mortar and pestled if they’re too
coarse), mustard, mayo and if you like them, anchovy fillets.
Serve with Worcester, Tabasco, pommes frites with lashings more mayo and
because there’s nothing like blood, heat and alcohol to excite an Aries,
plenty of chilled chili vodka.
FROM THE BELLY LAB
Sister T loves to play with raw meat too, but in the slightly more mellow form of carpaccios – an Italian classic that is easily adapted and improvised.
CLASSIC CARPACCIO
is just thinly sliced beef fillet or rump – as thin as you can get it, easier if the meat is slightly frozen. You lay the slices on a plate and dress with salt, pepper, good olive oil and lemon juice at the last minute. On top you can add slivers of Parmesan and/or some rocket leaves.
NEO-CLASSIC CARPACCIO
Carpaccios are popular in restaurants because they are so easy to do at the last minute, and to change. They can be a light and flavourful entree, or a light main with green leaves (or more of those pommes frites)
You can play with different herbs and dressings, but don’t let them sit on the meat and cook it. Or you can use a slab of thinly sliced fish like tuna or salmon, or sear the meat or fish on the outside before slicing.
EDIBLE QUOTES :
“Delicious, despite its vegetarian overtones”
“That’s what I like to see, a whole jug of double cream!”
both by Jennifer Paterson, of the Two Fat Ladies cooking show
CONTACTS :
belly@belly.net.au – get in touch with the bellysisters
Renee Searles cd launch – at the Drill Hall, Mullum, April 16
tickets from bruns hds health foods…yummy homemade chai and cakes….7pm…$20
Renee Searles PO Box 27 Brunswick Heads NSW 2483 Phone: 02 6685 0223
Email: renee@divineshe.com www.divineshe.com
farmers markets and weekend markets links and info – see markets page of
www.belly.net.au
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9EwIRp-76U&feature=related – video of the “Two fat ladies” at the Cotswold pony club
lots more 2FL on youtube