A cook's journal - Bass Coast Post

Christmas goodies

28/11/2015

By Jan Cheshire

IT'S that time of the year once again. Those long, hot (let's hope not too hot) summer days beg you to ask a few friends around for a barbecue. These two very easy recipes should help with the nibbles. The dip is a favourite of mine because it’s so simple and tastes great. The chickpea nibbles go down well with everyone because they are not too spicy. They are actually quite good for you! I sometimes snack on them during the day.

A taste of the orient

31/10/2015

THESE kebabs have always been a special favourite of mine. I did them recently for a small dinner party and they were very popular. The satay sauce needn’t be too hot but for extra spiciness add a teaspoon of chilli paste or a pinch of chilli flakes.

Fresh start

26/9/2015

By Jan Cheshire

WE LOVE our muesli for breakfast most days. I much prefer to make my own as I can put in as much of the things I like as I wish.

A taste of Spain

24/8/2015

By Jan Cheshire

RECENTLY, we stayed in a small town on the northern NSW coast. This place has a fish co-op where the fishermen bring their catch each day. This recipe was given to me by the lady who runs the sales part of the co-operative. This serves four people, but I cheated a bit and still bought 12 prawns for two people! It was delicious. This makes a lovely special dinner.

Golden harvest

12/7/2015

By Jan Cheshire

WE had lots of pumpkins this year. They are such a versatile vegetable. With my three grandchildren coming down to Cape Paterson for the school holidays, I thought I should make a cake, and a pumpkin fruit cake was the logical choice. I have made this recipe many times and it is always a winner. It is very easy to make and it keeps well.

Enough to warm the heart

14/6/2015

By Jan Cheshire

Cauliflower is becoming one of those “trendy” vegetables these days, and it is indeed good for you. I have never been fond of it just plain boiled. This is a delicious, heart-warming soup which I really do enjoy and I am sure you will too. It is quite impressive for a special dinner, too, dressed up with some crisp bacon pieces.

Simply delicious

16/5/2015

By Jan Cheshire

WE'VE had a very good crop of apples this year, but unfortunately some little demon of a codling moth got into them and spoilt quite a few. I’ve been able to turn out the odd apple pie and crumble, but I especially liked this German cake as it is so easy to make and does not require me to haul the mixer out of the cupboard. It is lovely served as a dessert with fresh cream or ice cream.

Season of mists and mushrooms

18/4/2015

Photo: awee_19/flickr creative commons

By Jan Cheshire

IT’S autumn once more, my favourite time of the year, and it comes with all its goodies from the garden. Pumpkins, apples, figs, sweet corn, quince and one of our great favourites – mushrooms. I like the flavour of portobello mushrooms and they can be good just fried in oil or butter as an accompaniment to a main meal.

An Easter treat without the chocolate

21/3/2015

By Jan Cheshire

THESE biscuits are very easy to make and delicious to eat with a cup of tea at Easter time when everything else is made of chocolate. This is an old English recipe from a book that came with my very first oven in 1965!

Late bloomers

20/2/2015

By Jan Cheshire

OUR tomatoes have been very late this year, but they’re now beginning to ripen nicely. If you’re looking for something light for an evening meal or a lunch with friends, try this delicious tomato tart. It looks great too!

A fool-proof summer dessert

31/1/2015

By Jan Cheshire

MY PLUM lady on the Cape Paterson Road has sold her property so no more bags of plums for $3 and no more jars of plum jam. On the bright side, plums seem to be cheaper this year and I do so adore them. This is a wonderfully simple and delicious dessert you can make with plums or rhubarb.

Bean feast

13/12/2014

By Jan Cheshire

It’s broad bean time again, and we have a wonderful crop as usual. We have spent most afternoons this week podding them, freezing them and of course eating them, along with the peas that Bert grew. It’s always a bit of a challenge to use them up, but they do freeze well and last a few months in the freezer.

Sweet and tangy

22/11/2014

By Jan Cheshire

THIS cake is light and airy and very delicious. You could make it with other berries, but the blueberries, which seem to be a bit cheaper this year, blend very well with the lemon curd. You can buy the lemon curd or make it. The recipe is very easy.

No tricks, just the treat

18/10/2014

By Jan Cheshire

IT WILL soon be time for Halloween. When I lived in southern Ireland many years ago, October 31 (All Hallows Eve) was very popular with all the children in the village where we lived.

Fruit loaf with a twist

20/9/2014

By Jan Cheshire

SOME time last year I posted a recipe in the Bass Coast Post for blood orange marmalade. Blood oranges are very plentiful this year in the supermarkets and I have just made another batch of the marmalade as it is very much a favourite in our house.

The delicious stalk

23/8/2014

By Jan Cheshire

THIS is a really old-fashioned soup that was very popular in Britain when I was growing up. I had forgotten all about it until recently when I was going away on holiday and had a large head of celery to get through before we left. This is really a most delicious soup and very simple and cheap to make, especially if you have lots of celery in your garden.

Just desserts

12/7/2014

By Jan Cheshire

At this time of the year, Bert and I really enjoy eating steamed or baked puddings – part of our English heritage, I suppose. When we were kids we always had a dessert after dinner, be it a tin of fruit and some evaporated milk, a stodgy rice pudding or a hot steaming pudding. These little puddings are a bit more sophisticated than the old “spotted dick” of my childhood, but they are very delicious and heart-warming – just what you need for a chilly winter’s evening.

Knobbly beauty

14/6/2014

By Jan Cheshire

EACH winter I look forward to making tasty, warming soups and slow-cooked stews. Each year I try out new ideas for soups and eventually come up with an outright winner for the year. Last year it was the celeriac and potato soup.

Fruit of the gods

17/5/2014

By Jan Cheshire

WE’VE been enjoying lots of fresh figs this year. They’ve been so much cheaper than in previous seasons and are so versatile served either as a dessert, or our favourite fig dish, baked with blue cheese with a salad or as an entrée.

Seriously chocolate

12/4/2014

The original sacher torte. Photo: David Monniaux

By Jan Cheshire

SACHER Torte, a very delicious moist chocolate cake, originated in Vienna and was first served at the Hotel Sacher, where to this day you can still order a piece of for morning tea.

Garlic rush

14/3/2014

Photo: JJ Harrison

By Jan Cheshire

In 2012, my husband, Bert, planted garlic for the first time. Apparently you have to plant it on or near Anzac Day for best results. In December 2012, we harvested the crop and he put aside some garlic cloves to sow for the following year. We have just harvested those and we have a wonderful crop of fat, juicy garlic bulbs.