Ketchup

• 2.5 kg (5.5lb) tomatoes
• 3 tsp (15g) salt
• 3/4 c (150g) sugar
• 1/2 c 125 ml white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp mustard, dried
• optional:
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 1/4 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves

Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to a heavy based pot or saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and bring it all to a boil stirring constantly. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a while longer- about an hour if possible, or until a little drop tested on a saucer does not separate (i.e. does not leave watery liquid on edges)

Sieve the mixture once it’s cooled, you can leave it at that or give it a blend/pulse to smooth it out more.  Bottle in sterilized jars or bottles and keep for up to 3 weeks.

(I am SO proud of my balcony cherry tomatoes!)

One of my favorite memories from when I was pretty young was when my Dad would go to the local market/swap meet and come home with all kinds of interesting things.  Sometimes he would being home a whole bunch of honey and he would prepare a ‘honey tasting’ for my brother and sisters.  It was lovely, comparing flavors like orange blossom, leatherwood, eucalyptus and clover and then so seriously choosing our favorites.

Generally the lighter the honey the more gentle the flavor, the darker the more rich.  The main reason why honey is sometimes considered a healthy option is because when you buy it, you know what you’re getting – only one ingredient.  It can be processed in a number of different ways, but generally it is a very pure form of natural sweetener. Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates (natural sugars) and water, as well as trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.  It has almost the same calories as sugar, but is considered far more nutritional because it also contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids, which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals.  Often eating a local honey will help alleviate hay fever symptoms.

Let’s get to baking some sweet treats using the lovely stuff. (Or visit these earlier recipes for honey vanilla pound cake, honey figs,  honey ginger cake).

Honey Applesauce

• 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) cooking apples(McIntosh, Granny Smith or Empire would be nice)
• 1/2 c water
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Makes about 4 cups

Core the apples, but don’t peel and place them in a large saucepan or pot. Add water, then cover. Cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft, stirring occasionally. Press the apples through a colander or wide sieve to remove skin.  Add honey and spices to the applesauce; stir to blend.  This will last well in the fridge for at least a week.

If you use red apples, the sauce will be pink, from the skins, just peel the apples first of you don’t want the colour.  Also it’s nice to experiment with adding different things to the sauce.  Lemon peel, or a whole clove or what about adding some berries while the apples cook?  You can use applesauce for a lot of other cooking too, in muffins, with pork or with breakfast porridge.

Song for this recipe: “Pineapple Crabapple” The Free Design

It frustrates me because it is so easily avoidable.  This is a problem that doesn’t need fund-raising to find a cure.  No new drug needs to be invented, all it is about is a combination of laziness and ignorance.  When did it become our first priority to feed our taste-buds and not our bodies?  When did the idea of nutrition get separated from food?  When did eating healthy turn into tasting boring?  This obese phenomenon is less than 100 years old.  Fast food began the trend, obviously. People now feel that eating out is cheaper and faster.  Lots of poor neighborhoods in the US have a fried chicken joint on the corner, but no grocery store.  Diet and exercise are not complicated terms,  overeating seems to be mainly a psychological issue now.

How does a country, a world turn this speeding bullet around?  We watched Food Inc. recently which is something we won’t go into right now.  But it is an amazing (horrifying) movie, not totally unbiased, but it does ask many of the questions that EVERYONE should be asking. Where does your food come from? We as consumers are powerful, the demand for goods starts with us.  You can check out the Food Inc site for some great ways to get involved.  What is knowledge if it isn’t shared?

Love him or hate him, Jamie Oliver is trying.  Using his power of celebrity to influence celebrities all over the USA.  Who knows what his motives are, but you have to hand it to him for trying.  So today, to do my part, I signed his food revolution petition.  You can here.  I figure I vote for people in politics to be my voice for the things I believe, but because in my local politics, both parties have other issues, I’ll give a vote to someone like Jamie who might just do some good.

It’s not just Jamie Oliver making a difference.  He’s very showy about his journey, but I think it adds to the drama in helping to make people realise just how bad things are.  Tv is obviously a useful platform for spreading the word, especially in the US.

Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic foods supermarket in the US, it’s shoppers and Chef Ann Cooper, the nation’s “Renegade Lunch Lady,” have joined forces for a second year to help bring fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins to school lunch programs and raise awareness around healthier school food through a project that will fund salad bars for public schools across the States.  From now until Sept. 29, shoppers may donate to the project at the check-out or make a donation online all the money goes to the setup and running of salad bars in schools.

If you want to eat healthy yourself, it’s not hard.  There are tons of resources online for delicious healthy recipes, nutritional information, fast cooking ideas and tips for a healthy lifestyle, but if you’re really wondering, just eat more fruits and veggies for a start, take a little walk to the store maybe and don’t eat food with a million ingredients in it.  You can still eat treats and bread, pasta or cheese, just think about how much you’re eating and make sure the majority of what you eat is made up of veg, fruit and whole foods.  Cook, bake and enjoy!

Pork and Shiitake mushroom dumplings

Makes about 24

• 2 shiitake mushrooms, chopped (you could use dried/soaked ones)
• 250g (1/2 lb) pork mince
• 1 egg
• 95g (1/2 c) drained canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 3 green shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbs Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• generous pinches of salt and white pepper
• 24 flour dumpling or wonton wrappers (recipe below)

Combine all the above ingredients (besides the dumpling wrappers) together in a large bowl and mix well with your hands, it’s messy, but the best way. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 – 30 minutes to develop the flavours.

Place half the dumpling wrappers on a clean work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture into the centre of each wrapper. Brush the edges with a little water. Pinch the edges together to enclose the filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and pork mixture.

For steamed dumplings: Line the base of a bamboo steamer with non-stick baking paper. Place 8 dumplings in the steamer and place over a wok or saucepan of simmering water. Steam, covered, for 6 minutes or until cooked. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining dumplings.

For fried/potsticker dumplings: Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut or sesame oil in a wok or fry-pan.  Not too hot, use a medium heat.  Place the dumplings in the pan and put a lit ontop.  Cook for 6-8 minutes without stirring and then scrape the dumplings off the pan (they don’t call them potstickers for nothing) onto a plate to serve.

We like to eat these with noodles and green or snake beans.  But they are great alone with a soy dipping sauce any time of day.  You can also freeze them before you cook them, just place some baking paper between each one in a container and freeze for up to 3 weeks.

Dumpling wrapper recipe:

Makes about 30

(Wonton wrappers can also be used, they generally have an egg in them)

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 c Ice water

In a bowl mix together the flour and salt, then stir in water a little at a time, only as much as you need to form a smooth dough.  Knead the dough for a minute or two and then let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Tear off little golf ball sized pieces of dough, roll into a ball with your hands and then roll out really really flat with a rolling pin.  Aim for about 1 mm thick and about 7.5cm or 3 in round.  Very thin. Repeat with all the dough (it’s a workout!)

Song for this recipe: “Heat of the Night” – Asia 

We were away last week in the great NYC, definitely one of the best places for foods of any kind- but you know what they love in NY?  Pie.  In fact I’m quite sure it’s a world-wide love.

Fresh Strawberry Glaze Pie

• 1 baked and cooled graham crust (directions below)
• 1 c whipping cream
• 1 pkg (250)g softened cream cheese
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1/4 tsp lemon rind
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• 6 c fresh berries (yes you can use any kind)
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/3 c water
• 1 Tbsp icing sugar

To make a graham crust, Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).   Mix 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of melted butter.  Press this mix evenly into the base of an 8in pie tin and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Whip the cream until stiff and set aside.  Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then add in 1/3 cup granulated sugar, lemon rind and juice.  Fold in half of the whipped cream.  Spread this mix over the baked and cooled pie shell. Chill well in the fridge.

Wash and hull berries (cut out the core).  Crush enough to yield 1 cup and let the remaining berries dry.  Combine corn starch and 3/4 cups sugar in saucepan. Add the crushed berries.  Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Cover and simmer on low heat for a few minutes.  When it has cooled a little press the  mixture through a sieve. Cool and then combine with whole berries.

Heap the berries onto pie base.  Combine the whipped cream (more cream can be used if you like) with the icing sugar and garnish the pie generously.

Song for this recipe: “Dream” Alice Smith

• 175g butter, softened
• 3/4 c (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind
• 3 eggs
• 1 c (150g) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4  c (70g) natural yoghurt
• 3 peaches, sliced
• icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting
• double cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease a 25cm-round cake tin lined with baking paper

Place the butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Add the flour, baking powder and yoghurt and beat until just combined. Spoon into the prepared tin.  Top with the peaches and bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

Recipe adapted from: Donna Hay

Song for this recipe: “Peach Trees” Rufus Wainwright

Fennel is generally referred to as an aromatic herb.  Florence fennel or finocchio is the type with the swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable, it’s pretty available in most supermarkets.

• 1 bulb fennel
• 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• salt + pepper
• parmesan cheese (optional)

Trim the fennel of stems and feathery leaves, reserving the leaves. Wash the root and trim as little as possible.  Cut the fennel into 1 cm slices from root to tip so that some of the slices remain intact, attached to the stem.  Blanch the fennel in boiling water for about 3 mins until just tender and then drain well.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and add the fennel slices.  Fry on a medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes until beginning to colour. Lift slices onto a serving plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

While the pan is still hot, add the balsamic vinegar and allow to bubble briefly.  Add salt and pepper to the fennel and pour the pan juices over. Roughly chop the reserved fennel leaves (if you like the strong anise-like flavor) and scatter over before serving. If eating cold, a few fat shavings of parmesan are a delicious addition.

recipe adapted from Riverford Organic Foods.

Song for this recipe: “Real desire,” Dan Auerbach

Makes about 8 cups

• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/2 c maple syrup (use the real thing if possible)
• 115 g (4 oz) melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c peeled, chopped apple (about 1 medium apple)
• 1 c zucchini, grated
• 1 c chopped nuts, optional

If you’d enjoy these with a maple streusel topping, you’ll need these ingredients also…

• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350°F). Line muffin tins with paper liners, or grease them.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla. Peel and chop apple; shred zucchini and mix these into the egg mixture.

Mix together wet and dry ingredients (not topping) just until moistened. Add nuts, if desired.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans.

Streusel Topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. With a fork, stir in maple syrup and butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Top each muffin with 1-2 Tbs streusel topping, crumbling the topping with your fingers. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from No empty chairs

Song for this recipe: “Hot in herr”, Nelly

Frozen mango margarita

You can check out how to prepare a traditional margarita glass here.

serves 4

• 300 g frozen mango cheeks (they need to be frozen)
• 125 ml (1/2 c) tequila (silver is good)
• 80 ml (1/3 c) fresh lime juice
• 80 ml (1/3 c) Cointreau liqueur
• 50 g (1/4 c) caster sugar
• 1 c ice cubes

Place the mango, tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, sugar and ice in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Pour evenly among the serving glasses.  You can do this in two batches if your blender isn’t super powerful.

Blackberry breeze

serves 4

• 150 g punnet blackberries
• 250 ml (1 c) lemonade
• 125 ml (1/2 c) vodka
• 125 ml (1/2 c) raspberry cranberry juice
• Crushed ice, to serve

Place the blackberries in the bowl of a food processor or the jug of a blender and process until pureed.  You can mash them by hand if you have no machines!  Strain through a fine sieve into a jug or bowl.

Stir in lemonade, vodka, raspberry cranberry juice and lots of ice until combined.