by Syd Pemberton

Potato gnocchi are perfect to serve with rich stews, or make a delicious entree served with burnt butter sauce.

Potato Gnocchi

600g even sized waxy potatoes, such as desiree

150g plain flour, approximately

Cook unpeeled potatoes in simmering salted water until tender. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel and pass through a mouli or a ricer.

Place potato on bench, season to taste, add 2/3 of the flour and mix to form a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary.

Divide dough in two, roll each piece into a sausage shape about 2 cm in diameter, and then cut into pieces 3cm long.

Cook gnocchi in batches in simmering salted water until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in an oiled dish.

Burnt Sage Butter sauce

100g unsalted butter

1 cup sage leaves

Heat the butter in a shallow frying pan over a medium heat, until golden.  Add the sages leaves, and cook until the butter foams and the leaves are crisp.  Spoon the golden brown butter over the gnocchi.

by Syd Pemberton

Cumquats, like Seville oranges, are in season for only a short time, and make one of the most flavoursome marmalades. This recipe makes about 5 x 375g jars.

Ingredients:

1 kgs cumquats

1 litre of water

Sugar (see below for quantity)

Directions

Wash the fruit and thinly slice on a plate to catch any juice and pips.  Tie pips in muslin bag and place into a bowl with the juice, cumquats and water.

Leave overnight in a cool place.

Pour into a preserving pan and gently bring to the boil.  Cook for about 1 hour, then remove from the heat, cool and leave overnight.

Measure liquid and cumquat pulp in a measuring jug.  Add approximately the same amount of sugar to the fruit.  Place in a preserving pan, and slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Cook at a rapid boil until setting point* is reached.  Remove from the heat and pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal.

* 105°C on a sugar thermometer.  If you don’t have one, drop a teaspoon of the marmalade onto a chilled saucer, put it in the fridge to cool enough to touch, then push a finger across it. If the surface wrinkles, it has reached setting point. If not, return to the boil for a further 5 minutes, then test again.

by Alison Drover

Winter has arrived and I always feel better when it’s really cold as it’s more of a reason to stay home and cook up a storm.

Parsnips are delicious and very affordable, reminding us that good food is about simplicity - taking time to do something well, using a few special ingredients. Parsnips go well with roasted apples and potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and lemon zest - a meal by itself!

Cooking in season, with unprocessed ingredients, reduces our environmental footprint, and provides the foundation for more energy-intensive ingredients such as cheese.  That way, we can have a little of everything, and appreciate the quality of each ingredient.

I’ve borrowed this recipe from www.fratellifresh.com.au. Also check out this great information on parsnips.

Parsnip soup with walnuts, pear & gorgonzola

Ingredients

500g parsnips, chopped and washed
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
300mls water
200mls milk
100g gorgonzola
100g shelled walnuts, roughly chopped
2 pears, quartered and diced
1 bunch continental parsley, chopped
300g butter
salt and pepper
250ml cream

Method

1. Sweat onion and garlic in butter

2. Add parsnips and sweat down.

3. Add the water and cook until the water has evaporated.

4. Add the 250ml of cream and bring to the boil.

5. Blend in a food processor.

6. Put back in pan, add the milk and bring back to the boil.

7. Serve into bowls and top with gorgonzola , pear and walnuts