RECIPES FOR JULY 2010
JACK FORSYTH’S 4-2-1 SOUP:
Simplest of all soups surely, requiring 4 carrots, 2 parsnips, 1 swede, chopped onion or leeks & chopped celery.
Bring 2 litres of water to boil for a few minutes, add stock 2 tsp (instant beef stock) & finely-chopped parsley. There may be more sophisticated soups, but for sheer goodness & loaded with valued minerals, the combination of carrot, parsnip & swede is mighty hard to beat. This soup is at its best flavour in the winter especially when the three main ingredients (carrots, parsnips, & Swedes) have been harvested following frost or snow, & is ideal for the young & not so young & will help guide you through without chills & ills. This I know as dad maintained this as our family soup for many years. Vogel’s toast with vegemite, to dip it in briefly, tastes great too. If the young ones take to more juice than vegetables, that’s ok, just add a little more water before the pot is finished. The soup gains flavour over the days & dad used to hand grate the carrots, parsnips & swede which didn’t make them too fine & avoided the soup turning into a sludge type mix. He also used to say that ‘the waste disposal unit was the best fed mouth in the household’, & you can see why when most people tip all the water from boiled vegetables down the sink. This water of course contains all the goodness from the produce itself, so containing it in a soup makes a lot of sense & also adds weight to the saying ‘it’s not what you put on your face, but what you put in it’. So enjoy a very healthy soup indeed.
ORANGE CAKES:
50g butter, ½ cup castor sugar, grated rind of ½ orange, 2 eggs, ¾ cup plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp orange juice.
Cream butter & sugar, add rind. Beat in eggs, adding a little flour with each egg. Fold in flour mixed with baking powder, then stir in the orange juice. Bake 12 minutes in well-greased patty tins at 190 deg C. Ice when cold with orange glace icing.
ORANGE FRUIT STARTER:
2 oranges peeled and cut in cartwheels, 1 apple sliced, 1 pear sliced, lettuce, orange honey dressing.
ORANGE HONEY DRESSING:
¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp honey, dash paprika, 1 tbsp fresh grated orange peel.
Combine all ingredients.
Method – Place lettuce on 4 individual salad plates, arrange fruit on lettuce. Serve with orange honey dressing.
PARSNIPS:
500gm young parsnips, 1 finely-chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 diced red apple, 8 olives or 8 grapes, ½ cup mayonnaise, salt and pepper, lettuce, parsley for garnish.
Peel parsnips and cut into julienne strips. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Pour away hot water and replace with cold; drain. Combine parsnips, onion, celery, apple, olives (sliced) or grapes, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss slightly to combine. Line a serving dish with lettuce leaves, add parsnip salad and garnish with parsley. Chill well.
PARSNIP CHIPS:
500gm parsnips, ¼ cup flour, salt, deep fat for frying.
Wash, peel and cut parsnips into chips. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Place in a saucepan with water to just cover. Add salt and bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain thoroughly on absorbent paper then toss in flour. Deep fry chips in hot fat for 5-8 minutes until crisp and golden brown. If liked, sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
SWEDE PUFF:
1 large swede, butter, salt and pepper, 1 tsp brown sugar, ¼ tsp grated lemon rind, 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Peel swede and grate coarsely. Butter an ovenproof dish which has a lid. Season the grated swede with salt, pepper, sugar, lemon rind and juice. Turn into the buttered dish, cover with a close fitting lid. Bake at 190 deg C for about 35 minutes or until swede is tender.
CARROT SOUP WITH ORANGE AND GINGER:
Peel and roughly chop 750gm carrots and finely chop a 5cm piece of fresh root ginger. Add to a saucepan containing 900ml vegetable stock (or water). Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.
Stir 2 tablespoons chopped parsley into the soup and process in batches with 150ml orange juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return to the pan, simmer gently to reheat and serve with a little buttermilk (or natural yogurt) swirled on top.
Regards, Glenn Forsyth.