the cooks larder

3 Generations on the Farm… Moooo!

July 29th, 2010 § 1

Food writer, recipe developer and our favourite cooking school teacher, Sam Wight, was heading out to meet 3rd generation dairy farmer, Michael Perich, for an article she was commissioned to do for Rex Airlines inflight magazine - OUTthere. The Perich family dairy is the biggest in Australia – definitely a good photo opportunity and chance to have a sticky beak. So I tagged along to do the photos and let Sam concentrate on the interview. Of course I love any excuse for a road trip and the to catch up with a favourite friend!

We met lovely dairy farmer Michael at his huge farm on which 2000 cows are milked 3 times a day. The 3 generations (Grandparents, sons and daughters and their families) all live on the farm. I hope the fourth generation continues the great work! Here is a little photo essay of what we saw… plus a quick recipe for our favourite thing to do with winter milk at our house: Lindt hot chocolates! Find out more about the dairy on their website…you can even organise a tour….

Young cows have run of the paddocks for 2 years

Even young cows can do fancy tricks with their ears...

Dinner time..... hundreds and hundreds of mouths to feed

They were very happy to have their photos taken... not shy at all!

Ready for milking

Here comes the milk!

The dairy at dusk

It's getting late, but this dairy works 24/7

Cows waiting for their early evening milking

I've always wanted a big red tractor... just like this one!

Decadent Lindt Hot Chocolates….

We serve these at the store in a lovely handmade porcelain Malcolm Greenwood bowl, but here’s how to make them at home…

1 cup of Lindt milk buttons (available at The Cooks Larder)
3 cups of milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla

Bring milk in a heavy saucepan on a medium heat almost to the boil. Drop in the vanilla and the chocolate buttons. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Delicious served with crusty bread and butter….

Kitchen meets craft

July 29th, 2010 § 4

One of the best things about owning the Cooks Larder (apart from access to amazing food everyday) is meeting lots of people. Last weekend by chance I met a very clever woman indeed… she and her brother carve beautiful crochet hooks from sticks… so simple, so lovely, I just had to ask to borrow them so I could photograph them. People who know me well know that when not cooking I love a bit of craft …. so I dug out my kitchen twine from the messy third draw (usually reserved for stringing up the Christmas turkey) and crocheted a classic granny square… very appealing even if totally useless!

Family Dinner #10… Simple Beef Stew

July 20th, 2010 § 1

The first week back at school is tough on everyone involved so it is definitely time to get back to to basics… and you can’t get more basic than this stew. This recipe doesn’t even call for the meat or vegetables to be browned beforehand, making it very fast to prepare. I really don’t like the word stew… in fact we can never use it on menus because it just doesn’t sound delicious! SO call it a braise, call it slow cooked beef – call it whatever you like. It is simple but tasty enough to hit the spot. You can add herbs to taste, more vegetables such as mushrooms, hot paprika, bacon, more or less garlic or red wine. Throw in leeks if you have them but don’t worry if not… it is always satisfying. Serve with mash, steamed greens and a big handful of parsley. I make a double (or triple batch now that I have invested in an extra big Le Creuset dish) because it freezes very well and makes for a fabulous pie mix!

Simple Beef Stew

1.5kg beef (chuck, blade or gravy) cut into 2-3cm chunks
1 can diced canned tomatoes
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons paprika
1 cup red wine

Toss the beef chunks in the seasoned flour. Shake of any excess. Put all ingredients into a large oven proof pot and cook for 1.5-2hours. Check if meat is tender – cook for 20mins longer if not and check again. Yup. That’s it!! Plenty of time for slow baths, homework and lunches to be made AND maybe even an early night!

particularly delicious after rainy rugby training….

simple cupboard cookies…perfect for wet school holidays

July 8th, 2010 § 2

It’s school holidays and it’s a bit cold and bit rainy …looks like there are going to be lots of indoor days. This means endless rounds of Rummikub (if you don’t have this number game, get it soon – it’s great). Half way through our first round we definitely needed a mid morning sweet treat – fast. The cupboard was rather bare but we managed to pull together enough ingredients to bake these great little cookies using the very basic ingredients on hand.

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a winter favourite… at it’s freshest

June 30th, 2010 § 1

Picked this morning

I was lucky enough to receive a big bunch of broccoli today – just cut from a home garden. I dream of having a garden that produces vegetables like this…. perhaps one day. When given a gift like this I feel an enormous responsibility to use it well with great respect and to use it as soon as possible so we can actually enjoy produce that is less than 24hours old! What a privilege! SO here is what we ate for dinner tonight: a simple dish showcasing this deliciously fresh broccoli…

Friends of broccoli: Chilli, garlic, lemon and parmesan

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bread and butter puddings with raspberries…

June 27th, 2010 § 2

Frozen berries will work just fine...

Bread and butter puddings work well in a big dish, or individual like these...

Some people love them, some people don’t – others simply wouldn’t dare to eat such a shamelessly indulgent combination: bread+butter+cream+eggs+sugar! Being the daughter of English parents meant I grew up with bread and butter puddings regularly appearing on our table – though mum always used sultanas – never raspberries. Here is the recipe, based on my mums pudding. It always sells out at The Cooks Larder… I have also included a few variations on this favourite …Enjoy!

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a good excuse for bread

June 19th, 2010 § 4

Lately we have been looking for any excuse to drive across town to go to Iggy’s to get bread…. Avalon to Bronte is quite a trip for bread, even for amazing bread. Especially since I am always on about reducing food miles by eating as local as possible… But a few weeks back we had the perfect excuse to be in Bronte because amid the endless rain there was a pause. So we headed over the bridge armed with our excuse - exercise! You see I have never experienced the Bronte to Bondi walk and this was the perfect day to see this beautiful wild coastline – dark and stormy but when the clouds lifted there were brilliant summer-like blue skies. Everyone was out – some bolting out for a run; dog owners taking a stroll; desperate sun lovers lying on the beach (in their bikini’s – come on it is June) and happy couples gazing out to sea… while we walked off the bread. Luckily I took my camera to snap away. Here are some of the things we saw – sorry, a whole post without any food pics! » Read the rest of this entry «

this season’s favourite

June 11th, 2010 § 0

cavolo nero

Every season I seem to develop a love for a particular food and find myself looking for ways to eat it as often as possible. This season it is definitely cavolo nero… the fabulous Tuscan cabbage. I’d love to say that I have just picked these bunches from my garden but alas, between the excessive rain here in Sydney and a large dog who likes to trample the garden, my tiny seedlings are struggling to stay alive… I don’t think they will ever look like this…. never mind. Here are a couple of simple ways I have been enjoying cavolo nero and feel so so nourished and healthier as a result!

Shred finely and saute with garlic to serve with fish, beef, pork sausages.
Cut finely and stir into soups for instant colour and flavour
Served sauted with roasted almonds, garlic, lemon zest for a healthy lunch
Sauted with pancetta, garlic and tomatoes with loads of freshly grated parmesan for a simple dinner
Witled with poached eggs – great start to the day…
This is a fabulous recipe from Heidi Swanson that I shared on my birthday today with some lovely friends and a bottle of Veuve….(although I drastically upped the garlic and olive oil and accidently forgot the walnuts. I also substituted corona beans for large lima beans and cavolo nero for the kale).

Family Dinner #9… not so boring steak & vegetables

June 7th, 2010 § 0

When my kids know steak and vegetables are on the menu for dinner they are never enthusiastic… I get it, it is after all one of the more boring but practical dinners because it is both quick and healthy. Since doing the vegetables this way however, the dinner is greeted with far more enthusiasm! They are seriously tasty!

Make all the vegetables even if you think the kids won’t eat them… you might be surprised that they will at least try even the capsicum when it is cooked like this – my youngest is a new convert now! Make more than you need because the left overs make for a delicious lunch the next day – piled high on sandwich, mixed with rocket and tuna or tossed through lentils with balsamic! These vegetables are also perfect for an antipasto platter – serve them with a crumble of fresh goats cheese or chunks of parmesan.

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Family Dinner # 8 …Lemon Roasted Chicken

May 29th, 2010 § 0

Butter and lemons....

I love lemon [in case you haven't noticed]… and lemon and chicken are best of friends especially in winter…. This is a simple way of jazzing up your normal roast chicken and really infuse it inside out with flavour. You could also add a grated garlic clove or chopped parsley to the mix but there is something about the clean freshness of the lemon and a touch of salt that is a winner for me…. but use this process for making a multitude of compound butters with endless flavour combinations: chilli & coriander; sage and garlic; parsley, thyme and chive, redwine and chive and so on…..use them with chicken or when pan frying fish or top a steak with a thin slice for added richness. » Read the rest of this entry «

Family Dinner #7…Pork Sausages baked with apples and fennel.

May 19th, 2010 § 0

The ingredients

Okay. So I am no longer in Bali and it’s up to me to cook dinner…. Current Reality = Freezing cold, hungry family, tired from work. Never mind I have the solution with this very easy-all in one dish-throw in the oven- feed everyone family dinner…Pork Sausages baked with green apples, tiny onions, fennel, garlic and celery. Served this tonight with cabbage sauted with more garlic and a touch of butter and some steamed broccoli.

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back from Bali…

May 15th, 2010 § 4

Having just arrived back from Bali I was hoping to share with you some amazing food experiences… With our own fabulous cooks at hand we ate [and ate, and ate... and ATE] thanks to the lovely Wasi but we kind of just relaxed and it was hard to even get out the camera… but despite all of the amazing food the stand out was these incredible mint drinks…we managed to find out the ingredients… » Read the rest of this entry «

Another for the lunchbox… my nanna’s Treacle Malt Bread

April 28th, 2010 § 2

School is back and so are the lunch boxes.. this is another lunch box loaf to kick off the term – it ticks all the boxes….simple, quick, with only a few ingredients. I have been making this recipe since I was a child, as did my mum, as did my grandmother. Everyone should have a family recipe and I guess this is ours, not in the least bit gourmet but ours all the same….Family recipes are always more about the memories than actual food. My memory is getting home from school and eating this simple loaf still warm with butter…but to be honest, it tastes better cold the next day still with the butter! I particularly love the frugalness of this recipe – it is after all a wartime recipe. So just one egg, no milk, no butter, no fuss. The unique flavour comes from the malt and the treacle…

PS…. If you’d like to share your family recipes with me on this blog, please feel free to send them in [smackie2@optusnet.com.au] with a little about the story and memory it holds for you. I’ll make and photograph the recipe and share with all our readers! » Read the rest of this entry «

Holiday fun …old fashioned patty cakes

April 16th, 2010 § 0

Too much mix

.... Just right!

In the Show Time post I promised to get back to you about the cupcake, or patty cake, recipe I was going to try from The Country Show Cook Book. As mentioned finding a good old patty cake recipe had been proving difficult – many tried were too rich, others too dry, others too sweet. Well I am happy to report that the reason this recipe by Yvonne Maslin has won so many awards over the last 28 years was clear – they were perfect and totally simple!

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Till next year…

April 14th, 2010 § 1

Easter is almost gone. This year I realised we really don’t have an Easter food tradition [barring chocolate of course] and for a family that loves food like mine, this is an issue that needs to be rectified! Given I have one whole year to pull something together there is clearly plenty of time and I should possibly focus on something practical like the laundry or something. Hmm … I don’t think so! Actually I already have a contender for the winning recipe from the very lovely Patrice at Womans Nook. She has just published on her website a beautiful looking recipe for an Easter Sunday Bread… much more sophisticated than a Hot Cross Bun. Patrice advises not to wait till Easter to make it so I’m going to give it a go soon… It’s certainly a little more work than my average lunch box loaf but I can imagine the lovely yeasty sweet fresh bread aromas that will fill my kitchen…and bring them all running! » Read the rest of this entry «

It’s Show Time!

April 10th, 2010 § 3

It wouldn't be the show without a snow cone!

Going to the Easter Show use to be the last thing I ever wanted to do… the crowds, the noise, the long day, the bad food etc etc… Last year though, I decided to venture out there again and … I had a great time! We set some fairly harsh family rules: no rides, no showbags, no rubbish plastic landfill items and then try to make it all about the produce, the fabulous animals and the crafts. We talk to as many farmers as we can and ask them all sorts of city-folk questions and enjoy soaking up their pride about what ever it is they do, be it apples, alpacas or angus beef cattle. We treat our trip to the show as a trip to the country… as much as it is possible anyway, given the concrete jungle of Homebush!

very pretty girls...

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Family Dinner #6…. One Tray Baked Chicken Meatballs & Roasted Tomato Sauce

April 7th, 2010 § 0

This recipe is based on one I found in Dish magazine. Of course anything cooked on one-tray or pot always catches my eye for family food. This is not only a great meal for a quick midweek dinner it is a perfect school holiday recipe [especially if the rainy weather has set in where you live] – the kids in our cooking school classes at the store this week did a fantastic job and all their plates were clean!! » Read the rest of this entry «

pound away

March 30th, 2010 § 4

Mortar and Pestles are such good things…

If you don’t have one – invest soon. Try the Asian supermarkets for good heavy duty ones at great prices. Buy the heaviest you can possible handle. They are superior to food processors because they grind rather than chop. This allows the food to exude all of their essential oils giving a more intense flavour. It seems like more work but it is surprisingly fast, is far more satisfying and you have better control over the result. If you have never made a hand pounded pesto do so soon – you will be amazed that the flavour difference! It really doesn’t take long at all – consider it an upper body work out or share the load around the kitchen – kids love it!

PS.. I’m often asked which is which: the mortar is the bowl and the pestle is the heavy bat-shaped stick you grind or pound with…