{"id":1397,"date":"2011-06-06T09:16:47","date_gmt":"2011-06-05T23:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/?p=1397"},"modified":"2011-06-09T18:20:24","modified_gmt":"2011-06-09T08:20:24","slug":"june-temptations-apples-silverbeet-truffles-and-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/?p=1397","title":{"rendered":"June temptations: apples, silverbeet, truffles and farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"

On air on bayfm 99.9 on June 6, 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

A belly full of temptations – Ms June\u00a0 tempted us with apples and silverbeet and the other good things in season in June, I dreamt of Australian\u00a0 truffles, and found out how to get a truffle dog, and we found out what sustainably grown food really means.<\/p>\n

COMMUNITY GARDENS SURVEY BY TARA BAKER AT SOUTHERN CROSS UNI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/scuau.qualtrics.com\/SE\/?SID=SV_9ubtlzfLcBV57ms<\/a><\/p>\n

An invitation to participate in important research!\u00a0 Do you support the establishment of community food gardens<\/strong> within the
\nNorthern Rivers?\u00a0\u00a0 You are invited to participate in a region wide online survey taking no more\u00a0 than 5 – 10 minutes of your time.<\/p>\n

Southern Cross University Bachelor of Environmental Science with Honours\u00a0 candidate, Kara Baker, is currently seeking input from community members, regarding the attitudes towards the establishment of community food gardens.
\nShe is interested in hearing from local community members from the Northern \u00a0 Rivers region in order to determine the likely community support for new\u00a0 garden establishment throughout the region.\u00a0\u00a0 The survey is anonymous and you do not have to answer all questions if you do\u00a0 not want to or can’t.\u00a0\u00a0 The survey closes 5pm, Thursday 30th June 2011.<\/strong>
\nThe results of this research will form a part of Kara’s Honours thesis and\u00a0 may also be published.
\nIf you have any questions\u00a0\u00a0 Kara Baker, k.baker.11@scu.edu.au<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MISS JUNE’S RECIPES (BY Alison Drover)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Silverbeet, sweetpotato and goats fetta pies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Serves 6
\nCooking Time Prep time 45 mins, cook 1 hr 20 mins (plus resting, cooling)<\/p>\n

120 ml \u00a0olive oil
\n4 \u00a0onions, thinly sliced
\n8 oregano sprigs
\n2 tbsp \u00a0Vinegar
\n2 \u00a0sweet potatoes (about 480gm each), coarsely chopped
\n2 \u00a0fresh bay leaves
\n2 \u00a0garlic cloves, finely chopped
\n1 bunch \u00a0silverbeet, trimmed, coarsely chopped
\n150 gm \u00a0goat\u2019s feta \u2013 look for Nimbin orange feta at the market as this adds great flavor<\/p>\n

For brushing: \u00a0Eggwash<\/p>\n

To serve: \u00a0green salad<\/p>\n

Cream cheese pastry
\n400 gm (2\u00be cup) \u00a0plain flour, sieved
\n170 gm \u00a0cold unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
\n140 gm \u00a0cold cream cheese, coarsely chopped
\n30 ml \u00a0white vinegar
\n\u00bc tsp \u00a0baking powder<\/p>\n

Place all the ingredients for pastry into the food processor, pulse ingredients adding 30ml iced water in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Turn onto a work surface and push dough with the heel of your hand to bring together. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate to rest (1-2 hours).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large saucepan over low-medium heat, add onion and four thyme sprigs and saut\u00e9, stirring occasionally, until onion is very tender and light golden (30-45 minutes). Add vinegar and stir until evaporated (30 seconds-1 minute), season to taste and set aside.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, combine sweet potato, bay leaves and remaining thyme sprigs in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer until tender (30-40 minutes). Drain well (discard herbs), then process in a food processor until smooth, season to taste and set aside.<\/p>\n

Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and saut\u00e9 until beginning to soften (1-2 minutes), then add silverbeet and 2 tbsp water, cover with a lid and toss occasionally until wilted (1-2 minutes). Drain well, squeeze out excess water, season to taste and spread on a tray to cool to room temperature.<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 190C. Divide pastry into 6 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll out on a sheet of baking paper into 3mm-thick rounds. Spread each circle with sweet potato pur\u00e9e, leaving a 1.5cm border. Top with onion mixture, scatter with silverbeet and feta. Brush edges of pastry with eggwash, then fold and pleat to create an open pie. Transfer pies to oven trays lined with baking paper, brush pastry with eggwash and bake, swapping trays halfway through baking, until golden and cooked through (15-25 minutes). Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with a green salad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Baked Apples with honey, pecans \u2013 homemade real egg custard <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

4 (or 1 for each person)\u00a0 large apples
\n1 cup of water
\n2 tablespoons of honey
\n2 tablespoons brown sugar
\n2 tablespoons lemon juice \u2013 zest first
\n2 tablespoons butter
\n1\/2 cup of pecans<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 350\u00baF.<\/p>\n

Wash all apples. Core apple to within a 1\/2 or 1\/4 inch from the bottom of the apple.
\nPeel and remove skin from top one fourth of apple.
\nHalf way down apple, thinly score through the skin. Make score completely around entire outside of apple to help keep apples from spliting.
\nPlace apples in baking dish.
\nMix water and lemon juice together. Fill each apple with approximately 1 tablespoon of this mixture. Pour remaining mixture into baking dish.
\nPlace 1\/4 of butter in each apple.
\nMix pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon, butter together. Fill the center of each apple with a portion of the mixed ingredients.
\nPrior to baking, spoon liquid from bottom of\u00a0 baking dish into each apple.
\nBake uncovered 45 minutes or until apples are soft. Every so often open the oven and pour\u00a0 juices over\u00a0 while baking.<\/p>\n

Fresh Organic Egg Custard <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/p>\n

1 fresh vanilla pod<\/p>\n

500ml full-fat milk<\/p>\n

5 organic free-range egg yolks<\/p>\n

80g caster sugar<\/p>\n

Make sure you use the best milk possible which makes sense as this is the basis of custard. Look for Country Valley at your Farmers Market and read all about how happy their cows are.<\/p>\n

Pour full-fat milk into a heavy-based saucepan. Split a vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and add the seeds and pod to the pan. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat. Set aside until required.<\/p>\n

2. Put egg yolks into a large bowl with golden caster sugar. Using a hand whisk, whisk until thick and pale.<\/p>\n

3. Pour the vanilla-infused milk through a sieve onto the whisked egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring well. Discard the pod (the seeds will fall through into the custard). Quickly wash out the pan and return the mixture to the clean, dry pan.<\/p>\n

4. Return the pan to a low heat and cook slowly, do not let it boil or raise the heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. This will take about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Use a finger and drag it through through the custard on the spoon: if it leaves a straight, clear line, it’s ready.<\/p>\n

Custard requires patience and cooking slowy over low heat stirring at the same speed until it thickens and it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Boiling point is the enemy once you have added the eggs, so always keep the temperature of the custard just below the boil.<\/p>\n

If it boils, the eggs will begin to separate, much as they would if you were making scrambled eggs. If this happens, you may be able to save the custard by quickly straining the egg mixture through a sieve into a blender and whizzing it until smooth. You may then reheat it with a little blended cornflour and milk to help it stabilise, but all this will depend on how far it has curdled in the first place. It will only take about 8 minutes to cook, and remember: a fresh egg custard thickens only to something akin to fresh pouring double cream.<\/p>\n

She’ ll be apples or pears cake \u00ad<\/strong><\/span>
\n80 g unsalted butter
\n190g sugar
\n1 organic free range egg
\nZest from one large lemon
\n185ml cream liquid
\n1 1\/3 cups plain flour
\n2 teaspoons baking powder
\n2 pears 2 apples or all apples or all pears
\n1 tsp cinnamon<\/p>\n

20 g melted butter
\n60 raw sugar<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to around 350 F<\/p>\n

Cream butter and sugar together \u00ad making sure it is white and fluffy not
\ngreasy. Add the egg, lemon zest, cinnamon beat for few minutes \u00ad do not
\nover beat as you are making a batter mixture for the cake.Add the cream and
\nmix. Note to cook \u00ad sometimes it looks like it is curdling do not worry it all
\ncomes together at the end.
\nSift in the flour, baking powder and salt and the beat until smooth.<\/p>\n

Peel and core apples and pears \u00ad cut them into thin wedges like you see in
\nthe pastry shops on the top of tarts. Brush the fruit with melted butter and
\nsprinkle with sugar and arrnage in a fan like pattern around the top of the
\ncake. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.<\/p>\n

Bake for around 1 hour \u00ad check on it by inserting a skewer into the cake and
\nit should come out clean. The fruit will brown and caramelise with the
\nsugar.<\/p>\n

This is a great winter cake for dessert and even better surrounded by warm
\norganic custard.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SUSTAINABLE FARMS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I played part of a talk by Greg Reid from Industry and Investment NSW, given at the recent Sustainable Agriculture forums.<\/p>\n

Here<\/a> is a whole lot more from his talk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TRUFFLES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have a very special friend with a birthday coming up, or several deserving friends, this may be the year to spoil them with Australian truffles. Truffles, the vegetable not the chocolate, look like\u00a0 potatoes with a really bad skin condition and smell and taste like sex and garlic and roses and fallen autumn leaves. The season is just starting and goes until early August, and it looks like a very good year.\u00a0 We have been growing truffles in Oz for about 15 years.\u00a0 There are now growers in every state except the Northern Territory – even in Queensland, which is surprising because they need cold winters.\u00a0 There is a good website,\u00a0 www.trufflegrowers.com.au\/<\/a>
\nthat can tell you everything about growing and using truffles.\u00a0 You can even find out where to buy Australian truffle dogs.\u00a0 You can get fresh truffles by mail order, a 50 gram one the size of a large chook egg will cost you about 150 dollars, but that is enough to make 10 to 15 main courses for those deserving friends.
\nThere are more and more countries trying to grow truffles, from China, to the UK, New Zealand and Chile.\u00a0 They are grown by infecting trees with truffle spores, which are a type of fungus.\u00a0 Scientists have just discovered that there are boy truffles and girl truffles, which may explain why many attempts to grow them failed.\u00a0 Maybe with truffles you need both.\u00a0 In Europe truffles were traditionally found in secret patches under oak and hazelnut groves, but apparently a lot of the people who knew where to find them were killed in WW2, or moved to the cities after the war.\u00a0 Pity they didn’t leave a treasure map.
\nIf you ate out in the 90s you would have tasted truffle oil, it was everywhere, but almost all of it is made with artificial truffle flavour, real truffles are both more delicate and more intense.<\/p>\n

According to the Australian Truffle Growers Association:<\/p>\n

Truffles go with anything as they are a flavour enhancer (they contain glutamic acid!\u00a0 like msg but natural I suppose) and have the \u2018umami\u2019, or savoury taste.
\nTruffles go best with simple dishes involving eggs, mushrooms, chicken, pasta, potatoes,risotto, Jerusalem artichokes, celeriac.
\nThey have a great affinity for fats, any fats, which retain the aroma.<\/p>\n

In Australia we only grow black truffles, which can be cooked.\u00a0 I think white Alba truffles from Northern Italy are much better, but I am a bit biased as I was born in Alba.\u00a0 White truffles are best just sliced very thinly, raw on top of quite plain dishes to enjoy the true truffle scent, but I think if you are using truffles for the first time that is the best thing to do with the black ones too.\u00a0 They are great on scrambled eggs or egg pasta with an egg and parmesan sauce, or in the ultimate mashed potatoes.<\/p>\n

I have just found this recipe for Italian style dumplings with ricotta and pea shoots<\/a>, which looks delicious with or without lots of truffles.\u00a0 And unlike truffles, there were fresh pea tips at the Byron farmers market today. And of course beautiful local ricotta.\u00a0 Yum.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EDIBLE QUOTES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are looots of quotes about truffles!\u00a0 The French writers Colette and Alexandre Dumas were certainly fans.<\/p>\n

“The most learned men have been questioned as to the nature of this tuber, and after two thousand years of argument and discussion their answer is the same as it was on the first day: we do not know. The truffles themselves have been interrogated, and have answered simply: eat us and praise the Lord.”
\nAlexandre Dumas<\/p>\n

“[Truffles] can, on certain occasions, make women more tender and men more lovable.”
\nAlexandre Dumas<\/p>\n

If I can’t have too many truffles, I’ll do without truffles.
\nSidonie Gabrielle Colette<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MUSIC<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Manteca : Dizzy Gillespie, Funky Lowlives remix<\/p>\n

Juke Box : Fred Buscaglione<\/p>\n

Hearts and Minds : Pigram Brothers<\/p>\n

Interlude : Pigram Brothers<\/p>\n

The truffle song : Johann Strauss II and Panforte<\/p>\n

The Truffle shuffle : Million Dolla Records<\/p>\n

Home on the Wave : Love Connection and Pets with Pets<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Love and chocolate truffles, sister T<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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