02/03: Seasonal Produce - March
Have you noticed the number of red produce in season at the moment? Red fruit and vegetables contain phytochemicals and antioxidants which help ease arthritis and urinary tract infections, help keep your brain agile and help guard against heart disease and cancer. Look for plums, apples, pomegranates, figs, rhubarb, capsicum, eggplant, grapes and berries. When buying figs, bear in mind that they do not continue to ripen after picking and also don’t have a long shelf life, so select ones that are plump and unbruised and eat them soon after. The simplicity of serving fresh figs, prosciutto and fluffy ricotta drizzled with balsamic vinegar or honey will be rewarded.
Red seedless grapes are very good this season and are quite versatile. They can be frozen individually and served as fun ice cubes, baked into a tart or cooked into a sauce as I demonstrated in the Sicilian class a couple of years ago(see recipe below). Keep them crunchy by washing and drying them , then storing them covered in the fridge. I like to cut them into small bunches for a healthy snack on the run. Now is the perfect time to make a red fruit salad for a dessert before winter sets in. Combine loose red grapes, diced watermelon and chopped strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar to release the juices. Serve under a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or with greek yoghurt or an almond granita. Yummy.
Chestnuts are visiting us very soon. Plan to use them this Autumn in soups, or roast and braise them with meats or stuff a roast chicken with them together with mushrooms. Do something different!
Fires and floods will be affecting our supply and price of various fruits and vegetables this winter. Have you considered planting your own? Or purchasing local products from farmer growers’ markets?
Have fun with red....just like I said.......
Red Grape Sauce:
500g red seedless grapes, washed and still wet
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pluck the grapes from their stems and place into a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, squash the grapes to release their juices and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Add extra water if it dries out too quickly. This will avoid you having an end result of grape jam.
Cool slightly and process in a blender. Add lemon juice to taste. This sauce will keep in the fridge for a few days and is delicious served with Cassatta Pudding or an Almond Granita and simply on its own.
Red seedless grapes are very good this season and are quite versatile. They can be frozen individually and served as fun ice cubes, baked into a tart or cooked into a sauce as I demonstrated in the Sicilian class a couple of years ago(see recipe below). Keep them crunchy by washing and drying them , then storing them covered in the fridge. I like to cut them into small bunches for a healthy snack on the run. Now is the perfect time to make a red fruit salad for a dessert before winter sets in. Combine loose red grapes, diced watermelon and chopped strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with a little sugar to release the juices. Serve under a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or with greek yoghurt or an almond granita. Yummy.
Chestnuts are visiting us very soon. Plan to use them this Autumn in soups, or roast and braise them with meats or stuff a roast chicken with them together with mushrooms. Do something different!
Fires and floods will be affecting our supply and price of various fruits and vegetables this winter. Have you considered planting your own? Or purchasing local products from farmer growers’ markets?
Have fun with red....just like I said.......
Red Grape Sauce:
500g red seedless grapes, washed and still wet
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pluck the grapes from their stems and place into a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, squash the grapes to release their juices and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Add extra water if it dries out too quickly. This will avoid you having an end result of grape jam.
Cool slightly and process in a blender. Add lemon juice to taste. This sauce will keep in the fridge for a few days and is delicious served with Cassatta Pudding or an Almond Granita and simply on its own.