Little Lime and Coconut Tarts

The recipe for these little tarts was given to me by Tracey Barton and Alison Dobson-Bonney, from The Brown Bag Lunch Company. This they ran from Bella Pacific, a unique little gift shop that doubled as a café along Jervois Road in Herne Bay.
 

The store was a riot of colours from floor to ceiling. A string of delicately cut paper Mexican fiesta flags fluttered high above the counter. On the walls hand painted ukuleles hung alongside little Mexican Milagros (or miracles) traditionally used by people to petition saints
 

The appliquéd bedspread and cushions, made in Hawaii, looked very inviting on the queen-sized bed which took pride of place in the middle of the shop.
 

The shelves were laden with quirky cat stops by Lyn Dunfit, Poppie and Oscar handbags, little stacking dolls, painted bird brooches, natural cosmetics and handcrafted jewelry.
 

 

Alas, Bella Pacific closed down some time ago, but I still treasure the recipe which follows.Great for morning tea with a cup of coffee or as a dessert treat.
 

 

Bella Pacific Lime Tart

 

Ingredients

Base

 

200g unsalted butter, softened

250g (2cups) plain all purpose flour

30g (1/4cup) icing sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

 

Filling

6 eggs

375g (11/2cups) caster sugar

60g (1/2cup) plain flour

125ml (1/2cup) lime juice

Finely grated zest from 4 limes

1/2cup of toasted coconut threads for sprinkling on top

 

Method

Grease and line the base and sides of a 25cm tart dish with baking paper and set on a baking tray.

To make the base, mix the butter, flour, icing sugar and egg together in a food processor until a dough forms. Press the dough into the tart tin.

 

Refrigerate the dough in the tin for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 then bake the base for 20 to 25 minutes, until pale golden.

 

While the base is cooking, make the filling. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the sugar, flour, lime juice and zest and whisk until combined.

 

Pour the filling onto the cooked base and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Remove tart from tart tin.

Decorate with toasted coconut threads. Cut into 12 pieces.

Or can be made in small tart tins.

 

Making Lollipops: A School Holiday Workshop

I took my granddaughter to the Old Lolly Shop in Takapuna this morning. Stephen,  who has been making sweets for over 30 years, gave a whole bunch of kids a demonstration on how to make lollipops from scratch.They were enthralled as he melted the sugar, let it cool a little , pulled it, dyed it and twisted it to create the stripy effect. Then he cut each child a length , let then coil their own lollipop, and push the stick in while it was still soft enough.

The workshop only cost $4.00 per child and it was such a great opportunity for her to see a master sweet maker first hand and then have a go at  making a lollipop herself.

She has now, not surprisingly, decided on a new career: To work in a lollyshop when she grows up.

Wine and Cheese at Rose and Thorne

 

 

 

 

We had a wine and cheese party with a difference last night at Rose and Thorne. At their Friends and Family night we were not only treated to a glass of wine, crackers and cheese but had a bra fitting as well. We had a lot of laughs and it was definitely an uplifting experience!


Rose and Thorne is a charming bra and knickers boutique in Newton, Auckland It's glamorous but very affordable. You can book in, have a coffee, a piece of cake, a bra fitting and a bra all for $25.
I fell in love with their red chandeliers!

http://www.roseandthornedesign.co.nz/

Trapping Whitebait

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My sister Margreet, brother in law Neil and friends set off for the weekend to Haast catch kilos of whitebait. but it was not to be. Unfortunately it rained heavily, there were wild winds and flurries of snow so the whitebait were not going to come in any time soon. They did catch two!

These did not go too far as whitebait patties - They had to make do with an omelet filled with 2 minute noodles!!!
 
Never mind. They said it was fantastic to see Jackson's Bay and Okura in their wild natural form.

Chefs Love Breasts

A wicked title for a great fundraiser!

 Friday 19th October is  ‘Chefs love Breasts’ NZ Chef’s Association (Auckland branch) fundraiser for Breast Cancer Network.

Pink iced cup cakes are being produced by NZ Chef's Association members, and students at AUT. These will be sold for donations on Friday 19th October. If you are in Auckland and wish to purchase cup cakes, and support Breast Cancer Network, please phone 0800 692 433.

Individual cup cakes will be sold by Chefs in Britomart, Auckland City, or orders of a dozen can be purchased for $50 by completing and returning an order form, that may be found http://www.bcn.org.nz/news-a-action/projects.html.

Orders of a dozen can be collected at 101 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga on the day. Surprise your work mates with morning tea!

 

Roasted Asparagus, Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Salad

 Roasted Asparagus, Red Pepper and Feta Cheese salad

 



I have been hanging out for fresh asparagus, and finally Spring has arrived and it's here. This recipe can either be a  vegetarian main or a side salad  It makes a large quantity so can easily be halved.

Asparagus does not like to wait around in the vegie bin for too long. I buy it fresh and use it on the same day.

I chop the woody ends off with a knife rather than break them off . And just to make sure that all of the asparagus will be tender when cooked I also peel the bottom parts thinly with a potato peeler, especially if the stalks are large.

Bowties pasta are decorative, remind me of butterflies, and look good in this salad, but  pasta spirals would do just as well here.

This salad tastes nicest while still warm but any leftovers will keep for another meal. In this case let it come back to room temperature before serving.

While the vegetables are roasting prepare the dressing

 Dressing:

Whisk together:
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of honey
salt and pepper to taste


Salad Ingredients:

A packet of bowties pasta ( 500 gm)
2 bunches of asparagus ( about 250 gm each) cut into short lengths
2 large red peppers  ( chopped)
4 spring onions ( finely sliced)
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
350 gm of feta cheese ( cubed)
slivers of basil leaves  ( optional)

Method

Peel and chop the garlic very finely or smash it with the back of a knofe and combine with the olive oil.
Toss the sparagus and pepper in the olive oil mixture and roast them in a moderately high oven ( 200 degrees) for 15-20 minutes stirring from time to time s unto the vegetables are tender and have browned lightly.

While the vegetables are roasting boil the pasta in salted water until the al dente stage.This will take about 12 minutes. ( start to check after 10)

Put the pasta in a large heatproof bowl.
Stir the dressing through
Add the roasted asparagus and peppers and stir well.
Add the spring onions and the feta and give the salad a good toss.

Serve warm in bowls . Garnish with slivers of basil leaves if you wish.











 

Soapy Custard Squares and slices of Lemon Meringue Pie

I spotted these luscious custard squares in Oamaru last week at Soapmakers. Dont' be fooled, they are perfectly inedible but wouldn't they look exceptionally decorative in a shower?
Apparently Cuisine magazine called in before us so no doubt they are planning to publish some soapy pics as well.

Another soapy creation, these lavish  slices of lemon meringue pie also looked deceptively edible.
 

Vegetarian Meals: Red Pepper and Potato Frittata

Kate , who is vegetarian, is back home this week so I have been creating some effortless meatless meals.  The first was a red pepper and potato frittata. This is good either for lunch or dinner.

Red Pepper and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 red capsicum pepper seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups of chopped potatoes
1/3 cup of milk
4 eggs lightly beaten
125 grams of feta cheese ( cubed)
4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
Basil leaves

Method:

Boil the cubed potatoes for 5 minutes ( or until tender)
Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft
Add the potato cubes and the chopped red pepper
Fry for a further 3 minutes stirring from time to time
Cool slightly.
Mix the beaten eggs and milk.
Stir into the vegetable mixture with the cubes of feta cheese
Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese.
Pour into a 20 cm greased oven proof dish
Bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes
Garnish generously with slivers of basil leaves.

Barker's Steamy Lime Pudding

 

Barker's Steamy Lime Pudding

When we stopped off at Geraldine  last week while on our South Island Holiday we just couldn't resist dropping in to Barker's for a tasting of lots of their jams and jellies. My two favourites were the lime curd and the blackcurrant and red onion jelly.

The lime curd is a new product that you could just slather on hot buttered toast but it would also make a great filling for little tarts and be used in other desserts.  Here is one of the recipes the Barker's team has come up with.

While there is still a bit of a chill in the air ( yes,even in Auckland!) it would make a lovely warm dessert.
 

Steamy Lime Puddings

Ingredients

·         370g jar Barker’s Lime Curd

·         1 cup flour

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         2 tsp grated lemon rind

·         ½ cup sugar

·         100g butter

·         3/4 cup milk

·         2 eggs

 

You will need 8 ramekins (half-cup capacity) for this recipe.

 

Method

Divide the lime curd over the base of each ramekin.

Stand the ramekins in an ovenproof dish filled with enough warm water to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins.

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the lemon rind and sugar.

Cut the butter into small pieces and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture.

Beat the eggs and milk together, then make a well in the flour mixture and stir in the egg mixture to combine and form a batter.

Pour the batter over the lime curd in the ramekins, distributing it evenly.

Cover the ovenproof dish with foil, leaving room for the mixture in the ramekins to rise.

Bake at 200⁰C for 40 – 45 mins. Turn out each pudding onto a serving plate.  Top with a dab of whipped cream and fruit if desired.

 

 

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

Here is a brightly coloured cauliflower and broccoli salad. The red, white and green  vegetables look especially lovely served in a white bowl. Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge and can be taken to work for lunch the following day.

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower ( broken into small florets)
1 head of broccoli ( broken into small florets)
3 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
4 tablespoons of olive oil.
1/2 of a small bottle of capers
1/4 cup of sundried tomatioes ( chopped)
250 grams of feta ( cubed)
The juice of a 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Boil the cauliflower and broccoli florets in salted water for 2 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil
While it is cooling slightly fry the finely sliced garlic in a tablespoon of ooil until it is golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
Add the garlic and the oil it was fried in to the salad bowl .
Then stir in the sundried tomatoes and capers.
Squeeze lemon juice over, and stir again.