Category Archives: seasonal foods

May2

Life without herbs?

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Life without herbs?


I just simply can’t image cooking or eat without adding fresh herbs. What would pesto be without basil, a Thai green curry be without coriander, golden crisp roast lamb without rosemary, your favorite spaghetti bolognaise without oregano & parsley, or succulent roast pork with without my lemon thyme stuffing – oh goodness NO!

Fresh herbs add the vibrancy required, the zesty flavour and often a spectacular colour. Also nutritionally they are super packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

My family has recently embarked on yet another attempt at….our own herb garden and this time YES we are remembering to water (and not to overwater)! However, the garden is in the back yard, and yes requires effort in maintenance. What if I had an abundant supply and it was just at my back door right on the deck…. please enter herbs2home.  Thank you Andre & Susan, you have created the best boutique and so needed home help herb industry; you both have green thumbs and have started this wonderful business…a home herb industry, that is all about making it easy, so affordable and fun for all of us.

I recently was part of a judging team at a marvelous harvest festival… the judging panel was knocked out with this new and innovative business. Andree and Susan – they do all the work for you and even have a 100% fail proof guide of when to and a water measuring gauge tool for you… for those of you either forgot or have a tendency to over water-like me. The herbs are on my deck, looking spectacular, fresh vibrant and so easy. Yes it is super easy. Also, I actually have my open super sweet strawberries right there…. I still can’t believe I can actually grow my own. (with a little help from herbs2home)!

I now have the most perfect supply of flat leaf parsley, coriander, chives, basil, thyme – and strawberries ….right there. Better still when the herbs are finished, guess what they are replaced with others ready to go – ta da…. Just like magic. And if I want to vary the herbs or add in some other greens such as fresh rocket or baby spinach – no problem.

Herbs are best picked and used straight away, not left to wilt, lose flavour and die in the fridge. So for storage, here are my tips:

My own storage tips:

If possible pick fresh but yes if you have a bunch of herbs to store

  1. Wash and pat dry with paper towel then roll in a couple of damp sheets of extra paper towel and pop into a freezer bag. Secure the bag and place into the crisper.
  2. Tupperware: they have these fabulous vegetable storage containers, with air holes
  3. Good supermarkets have vegetable storage bags, found with the plastic wrap etc. Wash and dry the herbs and place into these great bags.

Don’t treat herbs like flowers….they really do not keep standing up in a jug of water… unless you are going to use them right away or within a few hours. However a jug of fresh herbs on the bench or even on the breakfast table– I think it looks just as beautiful as flowers.

Recipes ideas… so many on our website, please check out www.kitchenaid.com.au

Dec22

What’s On Your table this summer?

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What’s On Your table this summer?

 

I love easy entertaining. Delicious & vibrant platters of food served up to the all the family and friends during summer.

Our deck at home is my preferred place to entertain: the dinning room is practically ignored until Easter! The family think it’s ‘the best room’ in the house and comes complete with a couple of hammocks, an over stuffed comfy out door longue – with heaps of pillows and a double door fridge full of ice cold drinks, fruity ice poles and home made ice cream.

Fresh produce is in complete abundance at the markets. Summer produce has so much flavour. Stone fruits of every type,  melons, avocados, eggplants, baby squash , zucchini (with flowers), glorious carrots (Dutch, golf ball, purple and standard), Asian green, Asian herbs, red yellow and orange capsicums, fresh nuts, baby beans  and Australian garlic (treasured garlic that sadly is so very seasonal, so buy it now). Asparagus is still here too, so enjoy this delicious vegetable.  Summer is exploding with flavour!

My butcher has his famous double cured & smoked hams, free range pork and turkey buffets all ready and waiting for the Christmas feasting. And the seafood –  prawns, scallops, whole fish, octopus and squid – oh the BBQ is ready and waiting!

Meals and inspiration – simply look above and click on my favourite KitchenAid recipes. All triple tested, and made with ease.

What’s on my table for my families Christmas feasting?….. Heres a snap shot of that too-

 

 

Jul27

Pork perfection…. every time

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Pork perfection…. every time

Yes, I am the first to admit this is truly my favourite meat. Succulent, tender, juicy and high in nutrients – how could it not be. I am one of the lucky ones, who had a mother that cooked well and knew how to cook pork beautifully.  So NO, I didn’t have dry over cooked tough pork chops with over cooked soggy vegies! And we regularly ate spectacular authentic Chinese ‘yum cha’ and lovely lunches at Chinatown… so very early on I appreciated good pork flavours.

Australia has excellent quality pork and strict regulations on the breading, hygiene and processing of our pork. We do not have the conditions found over seas. All fresh pork found in Australia is Australian pork – the government does not allow fresh pigs to be imported. So if it is fresh – it is Australian.

There is a huge array of cuts, every type of cut for every style of cooking – quick pan frying & char grilling through to slow succulent braising. Pork is actually a lean meat – and there are 10 cuts that have less fat than a chicken fillet!

Flavours – pork works  so well within 101 different flavour bases. Just about  everything marries well from citrus, garlic, curry flavours to mustards, tomatoes, olives and sweet spices like cinnamon, bay leaves and of course apple. Have a look at my roasted apple sauce recipe and of course the superb roast pork behind it !  Yummo, look at the crackling…. my mouth is watering.

Mostly pork is grain fed and yes there are some premiums free range brands such as Otway pork and a traditional heritage breeds like King Valley. I have tried different breeds and yes there is definitely a noticeable difference in taste & texture, so if you can pay a little more for these premium brands.

I myself prefer to purchase from a good butcher or breeder from a registered farmers market. There are some important rules choosing the cut the want and how to see (literally see) if the pork is tender, sweet and delicious.

  • Chose pale light pink looking meat
  • Choose the cut you need to suit the recipe

For  Roasting:

You can choose from the leg, loin or the forequarter. From bone in, to bone free & rolled and easy carve roasts which are quicker & so easy to cook.

Braising:

Again choose from the leg or shoulder. The shoulder cuts are usually sweeter and more economical. Bolognese – pork is essential and is actually the

Stir frying, char grilling and pan frying:

Choose leaner cuts from the leg, forequarter & tenderloin.

Always dry the meat before cooking and I like to rub oil over the meat rather than add oil to the pan.

Resting is also essential, for roasting and even pan frying.  It makes an amazing difference to the tenderness.

The rule of thumb for roasting: roast at 200 C for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C.  Roast 30 – 40 minutes per kg. Rest at least 20 minutes before serving – serve sweet, succulent and sightly pink – do not over cook!

Jun11

Combining the best with the best!

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Combining the best with the best!

Oh yes it was a sensational 3 whole days.  The Good Food & Wine Show Melbourne… everything Melbourne has to offer from chefs to the best fresh produce and hands on classes.

KitchenAid we featured with a freshest most abundant partner there is  … The Melbourne Market Authority – Yes as Melbourne sleeps the markets at Footscray are in full action!  Hundreds of growers and beautiful fresh produce – pallet after pallet.

The Melbourne Markets stand at the Good Food & Wine Show with KitchenAid appliances was a perfect marriage. Simply put combining the best with the best!

What’s in season? Read the rest of this entry →

Jun1

Permission to smell, touch & try before you buy….

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Permission to smell, touch & try before you buy….

Nothing pleases me more than fresh beautiful abundant produce… it is just about the most important step in recipe creating. How can we expect our meals to have flavour and zing if the raw produce is not sparkling & super fresh.

Well, to my complete delight accredited Farmers Markets are becoming more & more accessible and local. Yippee! Recently my valued and dear zany & fabulous produce fanatic ‘ food show’ friend Simone Gordon,(who creates & co ordinates wonderful boutique food shows in Melbourne  like Read the rest of this entry →

Apr8

My favourite Attachment!

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My favourite Attachment!

Can I really have just one… well nearly. You all know and agree with my complete obsession with my KitchenAid Standmixer. An obsession I have had for over twenty years now. But it is the attachments that change the mixer (the worlds best) to a complete KitchenAID.

As a very busy food consultant who some how juggles  my full working life with a very busy household…. putting a delicious, varied, exciting, economical, quick meal together in 20 minutes –  well yes it can even daunt me! Really – well not often but lately I have been racing around with International, interstate and local travel doing demos, TV, food styling and loads of recipe developement – and don’t forget my forever hungry teenage family… so my KitchenAid is yet again my savour.

The MVSA Rotary Slicer Shredder – ‘she’ can do it all! “Various slicing, shredding & grating of just about everything in my fridge helps me create within minutes.

The attachment has a series of stainless steel drums that fit into the housing of the attachment and slice, shred or grate away from speed 1 right up to speed 10 ( I due to time, or lack of  often work on speed 10). As the attachment is continuous I find this incredibly fast as you simply keep adding ingredients -

So what delights have I made this week Read the rest of this entry →

Aug22

I definitely have fennel vision

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I definitely have fennel vision
baby fennel

baby fennel

Whats in Season? A wander down the fruit and veg aisle or a quick trip to a bustling fresh food market (my very favourite way to shop) tells you exactly what’s in ‘season’ and what’s not.

The ‘freshness’ and abundance of new season fruits and vegetables ensures the flavour punch I want, and the texture I want. But the price of seasonal food is also very appealing. By the middle of the season it is almost free, the price is so good.

In-season eating is the key to budget or good value shopping and fresh food markets are the first stop for supurb quality and price.

August is the month for delicious apples (Fiji, Lady Williams and Sundownder) and a selection of great winter vegies like brussel sprouts, beetroot, artichokes (Jerusalem), parsnips and fennel.

Oh, I just love fennel!  It’s an old-world vegetable, enjoyed since Roman times and prized originally for its medicinal qualities as it was eaten to guard against illness.

Used and truly loved in Italian cuisine, the fresh crunchy texture with the slightly aniseed flavour is fabulous in salads, soups, pasta’s and risotto but also sensational when roasted. A little extra fact about fennel is it can be male or female in origin (I will blog about vegetable gender in another post).

Fennel is delicious with cauliflower, cured meats, Read the rest of this entry →

Apr20

hello – yes it’s me!

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hello – yes it’s me!

wow- i am actually doing this. i really thought i would never ever do it.  my friends at KitchenAid have really for forced me into it and now i am able to share food, fabulous food, recipes, ideas and real facts. jorichardson-image-1

 being a foodie that normally has her hands into everything – literally  from creating the best ever double chocolate fudge brownie recipe or drizzling a butterscotch sauce over home made ice cream at a photograpghy shoot to making a high top rye loaf on tele…. I can now lend my hand to telling all and sharing it all with you!  how very exciting. so stay tuned cause I’ll be back soon.