Otago Farmers Market
Feed 5 people for $15.00 - Winter Recipes
Prepared by: Alison Lambert
SUNDAY - BEETROOT, LAMB AND WHEAT BURGERS, FLATBREADS AND SALAD
MONDAY - LENTIL, LEMON AND GARLIC SOUP WITH HOMEMADE SODA BREAD
TUESDAY – BEEF, PUMPKIN AND CRACKED PEPPER STEW
WEDNESDAY – PUMPKIN/SQUASH GNOCCHI
THURSDAY - ONE POT FRAGRANT CHICKEN AND RICE
SHOPPING LIST
PANTRY ITEMS
Salt
Pepper and peppercorns
Butter
Oil
Olive oil
Free range eggs
Cracked wheat
Green or black lentils
Chicken or vegetable stock
390g tin tomatoes
390g tin chickpeas
390g tin coconut milk
Flour
Wholemeal flour
Baking soda
Nutmeg
Cumin
Coriander
Honey, coconut or palm sugar
MARKET INGREDIENTS
5 chicken thighs
1 kg stewing beef
500g lamb mince (or beef, venison)
3-4 beetroot
5 medium onions
4 sticks celery
4 carrots
1 bulb garlic
1 red chilli
2 stalks silver beet or 4-6 kale
4 lemons
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Handful fresh coriander
Handful fresh parsley
1 whole pumpkin (1.5kg) or buttercup pumpkin
1 leek
50g parmesan cheese
LAMB, BEETROOT AND CRACKED WHEAT BURGERS Serves 5
Adding sweet, juicy beetroot not only flavours the meat, but also adds moisture. By adding the cracked wheat you add texture and also make the meat go further.
I don’t serve these burgers like you normally would. I arrange a little of everything on a plate and eat it more by picking and mixing, using the bread to mop up the juices etc.
Ingredients
500g lamb, beef or venison mince
3-4 medium beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated (wear rubber gloves!)
1 cup cracked wheat, soaked in boiling water
1 onion, grated
handful chopped parsley (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
oil for frying
Salad
1 cos or iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
1 lemon
Olive oil
5 flatbreads
To serve – natural yoghurt and lemon (optional)
Method
Begin by covering the wheat in boiling water and allow to sit until all the liquid has been absorbed (20-30 minutes)
In a large bowl add the mince, grated beetroot, onion and parsley.
Using your hands squeeze out any excess moisture from the cracked wheat, add to your beetroot mixture. Season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands mix together really well (35mins) until it has combined and sticks together. If by any chance the mixture doesn’t stick, add the egg and bind together again.
Using slightly damp hands mould four even size patties and put onto a plate and chill until required.
Shred the lettuce and leave in the fridge until required.
When ready to cook, heat up a good size fry pan with enough oil to just cover the base of the pan. When almost smoking add the patties and turn the heat down to medium, cook on both sides
so they are golden brown and ruby red, they should take around 5 minutes either side (depending on the thickness).
Warm the flatbreads.
Add a little of everything onto your plate and enjoy.
LENTIL, LEMON AND GARIC SOUP Serves 4-6
I love the addition of pulses to my soups as they add a wonderful textured depth and flavour to the soups and of course they are very economical. However, you do need to plan ahead as the
lentils need to soak overnight.
Ingredients
150g green, black or brown lentils, soaked overnight
3 cloves garlic, sliced finely
50g butter
2 stalks fresh silver beet, kale or cavalo nero
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
1 litre homemade chicken or vegetable stock
2 sticks celery, diced
2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced finely
Juice of 2 lemons
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Soak lentils overnight in 3 cups cold water and 3 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Separate stalks and leaves of silverbeet and slice thinly.
Melt the butter with the oil in heavy based large pot. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and silverbeet stalks over a moderate heat and cook for 5 minutes without colouring. Add the drained
lentils and rosemary, coat in the onion mixture and cook for a further minute. Cover with the stock and bring to the boil, reduce the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the silver beet
leaves and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
SODA BREAD Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
250g plain white flour
1 tsp salt
250g plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
About 400ml buttermilk (make your own by adding a Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to full fat milk, allow to sit until slightly curdled)
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the centre and pour in half the
buttermilk. Using your fingers or a round-bladed knife, mix the flour into the buttermilk. Continue to add the buttermilk until all the flour has been absorbed and you have a sticky dough. You
may not need all the buttermilk – it depends on the flour you use. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. It is
important to work quickly, as once the buttermilk is added it begins to react with the bicarbonate of soda. Put the dough on the baking tray. Mark into quarters with a large, sharp knife, cutting
deeply through the loaf, almost but not quite through to the base. Dust the top with flour. Bake for 30 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
Leave to cool on a wire rack. Eat on the day of baking – or toast it the next day.
BEEF, PEPPER AND PUMPKIN STEW Serves 5
This stew is one that I make every winter. The combination of tender beef, sweet pumpkin and piquant crushed peppercorns works every time! The remainder of your pumpkin can be used in the
pumpkin gnocchi.
Ingredients
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups red wine, something gutsy
1kg stewing beef, in 2cm cubes
3 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, diced
1 tin tomatoes, crushed
2 onions, diced
390g tin chickpeas
2 sticks celery, diced
1-2 Tbsp crushed black peppercorns
Salt to taste
450g (about 3 cups) pumpkin or butternut squash, diced into 2cm cubes
Method
In a heavy casserole over high heat, warm half the olive oil. Add the beef and sear (colour on all sides to seal juices in) about 6 minutes. Remove the beef and set it aside. Reduce the heat to
low, and add the remaining olive oil. Add the carrots, onion, celery and salt. Add the seared beef in the pan with the vegetables and cook together for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and scrape
the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until there is almost no liquid left in the pan, about 4 minutes. Add the stock and the tomatoes, simmer for 15 minutes. Add
half the pumpkin and all the pepper. Add water if there is not enough liquid to cover the solids. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
When the meat is tender, add the rest of the pumpkin, the chickpeas and cook for further 20 minutes, covered until the pumpkin is tender. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve. Can be
eaten in a bowl as is or with crusty bread or a good mash if need be!
BUTTERCUP SQUASH GNOCCHI Serves 4-6
Gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food, it’s great on the pocket and fun to make. Allow a little time to prepare. I like to serve this with a crisp salad.
Ingredients
1kg buttercup or pumpkin
Salt and freshly grated pepper
1 whole egg
Rosemary brown butter
150g plain white flour
60g butter
A little freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp rosemary leaves
60g freshly grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt flakes
50g parmesan cheese
Cracked black pepper
Method
Peel, deseed and cut pumpkin into 3cm square pieces. Steam the squash/pumpkin until tender (5-8 minutes). You want it cooked but not holding excess moisture.
Mouli or mash the cooked squash into a large bowl. Add the egg, nutmeg, and 2/3 of the flour. Season well with salt and pepper and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg. Mix to combine. If the
dough is too sticky add a little more flour until the dough is soft yet workable.
Place a large pot of salted water to the boil. To mould the gnocchi, scatter a little flour over your work bench. Take a little dough and roll into a sausage shape about 2cm thick. Cut the dough
into 2cm slices. Sprinkle over extra flour and roll each piece of gnocchi in the flour to prevent sticking.
When the water has come to a rolling boil. add the gnocchi in batches so that you don’t over load the pot. When the gnocchi have risen to the surface it is ready to eat. Scoop out with a sieve
and drain. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Heat the butter in a pan, add the rosemary and fry until the butter becomes a light golden nutty brown. Add the gnocchi and toss through. Grate over the nutmeg, season with salt and cracked
pepper and serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
NB - If you are wanting to eat the gnocchi at a later stage or even freeze it I always pre-cook it lightly first, drain and cool. Reheat in boiling water for a minute and serve.
ONE POT FRAGRANT CHICKEN AND RICE Serves 5
One pot meals are a life saver, not only fewer dishes, but the food all mingles together and the flavours explode.
Ingredients
5 chicken thighs (more if you would like)
1 390g tin coconut cream
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red chilli, pricked all over
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp honey, coconut or palm sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and cracked pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
Handful fresh coriander to serve
1 tsp ground cumin
1 whole lettuce, washed and pulled apart
100g long grain rice
1 lemon
Method
Heat a little oil in stove and oven safe dish. Add the chicken and brown, remove and set aside. Add the onion, leeks and garlic and cook without colouring until softened. Add the garlic and
spices and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Add the rice and mix through the onion mixture.
Add the chicken, the whole chilli and honey.
Pour over the coconut milk, then fill the empty tin with cold water and add to the chicken.
Season lightly, cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until rice and chicken are cooked through.
If looking a little dry add ½ cup more of water.
Turn off the heat when cooked and allow the rice to fluff up.
Serve with coriander and a crisp salad with a little lemon juice squeezed over. Enjoy!