Christina Franco North Pole Solo 2010

1. Winter Pesto

Cavolo Nero is part of the Brassica family and super nutritious.  It is high in Lutein, Vitamins A, K & C as well as a very good source of Manganese, Copper, fibre, Calcium and Vitamin B.  It has a strong flavour and needs nothing else to make it delicious.  It is plentiful this time of year both in the farmers markets and in my kitchen.  I make a big batch of the pesto every week so that when I am too tired after a gym session I can just boil water.

Ingredients:
1 bunch Cavolo Nero
50g smoked bacon cubes
Drizzle of good olive oil
1 dried chilly pepper
100g long pasta per person

• Remove the centre stalk of each of the cavolo nero leaves.  If you do not do this you will not be able to run it through your food processor. Place in a an inch of salted boiling water and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes. Use a wand or pour Cavolo and water into a blender or processor to make a puree. One bunch should be enough for about 5 portions.
• Once cool store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.
• In a Pot of boiling water cook 100g of long pasta per person for 2 minutes less than the package says
• in a small covered skillet cook the bacon over very low heat until it is cooked through but soft.  You do not want it to brown, and this should take just as long as the pasta to cook.
• Drain the pasta leaving a small amount of the water in the bottom of the pan and return all the pasta to it as well as enough of the cavolo nero to coat the pasta well and the bacon.  Simmer covered for another 5 minutes and then stir in the broken up chilly pepper.
• Dish out and drizzle with a generous serving of olive oil.

______________________________________________

2. Venison, Jerusalem Artichoke and Rooibos Pie

Rooibos means red bush in Afrikaans. Although the plant itself is green the leaves turn red after oxidation hence its name. Over the many years working in Africa I have come to love this infusion in place of black tea. On my last return from working in the Cape I was looking for an alternative to wine to make my pie with and thought to give this red tea a try. It cooks down to a rich gravy full of flavour, gives the venison a beautiful deep red hue and has none of the acidity that wine can have. I now never use wine for my venison pies.

Makes 6 small pies or 1 large one

Ingredients:
2 litres Rooibos tea
450g diced venison
80g chunks bacon (I get the ends from the butcher)
Butter for frying
6-8 Jerusalem artichokes
3 bay leaves

For the crust:
250g flour
125g butter
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg for dough plus 1 egg for wash

• Boil 2litres of water and pour over 2 handfuls of rooibos tea. Let it stand in the leaves until cool. Rooibos is not like ordinary tea and will not get tanniny.

• In the meanwhile brown the bacon chunks in ¼ of the butter. I like to leave the meet and bacon in large chunks that make for a hearty eating experience.

• Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside in a casserole.

• Brown the venison in three batches adding butter every time. If you do it all at the same time the pan will cool down and the meat will not seer; it will release its moisture making it impossible to brown. Remove every batch once brown and set aside in the casserole with the bacon.

• Strain the tea from its leaves and pour over the meat. Rinse the Jerusalem artichokes and cut into bite size pieces and add to the meat.

• Bring to a simmer and cook on a low heat for 1-½ hours with the lid on. In the meanwhile make the crust.

• Toast the cumin seeds and then pound in a mortar.

• Measure out the flour in a bowl and stir in the cumin seeds and salt before cuttimg in the butter.

• Work in with a fork until crumbly and then add egg. Kneed the dough together for 1 minute. (Add sprinkle of flour if too soft or a dash of cold water if still too crumbly). Place in the refrigerator while the meat cooks.

* Preheat the oven to 180’

* With a slotted spoon, remove the venison, bacon and artichokes to a pie dish (or 6 small ones if making individual ones) Turn the heat up and reduce the liquid to ½ cup and then pour over the meat.

*Roll out the dough and cover the dish or dishes with the crust making sure to seal the edges well. Do not pierce the crust and brush with an egg wash Place in the warm oven for 50 minutes of until the pies have browned

______________________________________________

3. Gingerbread cookies

There is nothing that gets you in the Christmas spirit more than walking into a room full of the smell of gingerbread. I like them quite spicy and use 2 teaspoons of black pepper. If you want them a bit more mild then half this quantity. I collect copper cookie cutters of all shapes and normally the whole animal kingdom would have been represented. This being a special year, I only chose polar bears and rhinos!

Makes about 16 large cookies

Ingredients:
6 cups (750g) sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
300g unsalted butter
170g dark-brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
250g molasses

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture; combine on low speed. Divide dough in thirds; wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 350°. On a floured work surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to un-greased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, then decorate as desired.

Royal icing:
1 egg white
250g icing sugar
juice of one clementine or half a lemon
colouring

Beat the egg white until stiff and then slowly add all the sugar. Stir in the juice to give it the consistency of thick cream before adding the colour you want

Use a piping bag for each colour or cut a small whole in the corner of a ZipLock bag. I put some damp kitchen roll at the bottom of a tall glass and put the icing I am not using in the glass. This keeps it tidy but also keeps the end from drying out before I am finished with decorating.
______________________________________________

4. Granola

I have never liked porridge and that is a disaster on expeditions as most breakfast meals are a variation of just that. I never seem to wake up until my teeth have crunched through something… there is nothing more satisfying than the sound and sensation of eating granola. This is my personal favourite, but really any combination of nuts and fruit will work. Experiment and find your own. The only thing to remember is not to add the fruit into the mixture you bake. The fruit will become hard so only toss it into the mixture once it has cooled.

Ingredients
150g butter
300g honey
1 TBS cinnamon
500g oats
100g sunflower seed
100g chopped pecans
100g pumpkin seeds
30g sesame seeds
100g dried cranberries

1. In a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter and honey together. Stir in the cinnamon.
2. Heat the oven to 180′
3. In a large bowl combine the oats, and all the nuts and seeds.
4. Pour the butter mixture over the oats and mix well.
5. Transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven.
6. After 10 minutes stir the oats and then again every 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before breaking up and adding the cranberries. Store in an airtight container ready for your breakfast!

No related posts.