Summer Strawberry Tart

Glistening berries sit on creamy custard amid almond paste to make a delectable tart. Recipe serves 8.

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen ready-rolled butter puff pastry, thawed
Border:
2 cups ground almonds
3 ounces (90 g) caster sugar
3 ounces (90 g) icing sugar, sifted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring essence
Filling:
4 teaspoons custard powder
1/4 pint (150 ml) milk
1/4 pint (150 ml) fresh or thickened cream, whipped
4 teaspoons caster sugar
8 ounces (250 g) small strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup raspberry jam, warmed and sieved

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 12 inches (30 cm) long. Trim to a 12 x 8 inch (30 x 20 cm) rectangle. Place on the baking tray; prick all over with a fine fork. Chill for 10 minutes.
2. Bake the pastry for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Stand on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes.
3. For the border, place the ground almonds and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well to form a paste. Spoon the paste into a large piping bag fitted with a star pipe/nozzle.
4. Pipe the paste neatly around the outer edge of the cool pastry. Pipe 5 diagonal lines evenly between the sides. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. For the filling, mix the custard powder and milk in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Pour into a bowl, cover and leave to cool completely.
6. Fold the whipped cream and caster sugar into the custard. Place the pastry base on a serving plate; spread the custard in between the almond borders. Arrange the strawberries over the custard. Brush the warm raspberry jam over the strawberries.

Tip: You may prepare the almond paste up to a week in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed. If the strawberries are large, slice them before arranging on the tart.

Pear and Parsnip Puree

This unusual puree is delicious served with a roasted rack of lamb. Recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

3 medium parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) unsalted butter
2 ripe pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Place parsnips in a medium sized saucepan and add water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain.
2. Melt the butter in a small fry pan over medium heat. Add the pears and saute for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Process the parsnips and the pears in a food processor until smooth. Add the sour cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and process to blend. Warm gently just before serving.

Chicken and Mushroom Donburi

"Donburi" means a one-dish meal that is eaten from a bowl, and takes its name from the eponymous Japanese porcelain food bowl. As in most Japanese dishes, the rice here is completely plain but its nevertheless an integral part of the dish. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons groundnut oil
2 ounces (60 g) butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh root ginger, grated
5 spring onions, diagonally sliced
1 green fresh chili, seeded and finely sliced
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
5 ounces (150 g) tofu, cut into small cubes
4 ounces (125 g) shiitake mushrooms, stalks discarded and cups sliced
1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups chicken stock
Generous 1-1 1/2 cups Japanese rice or Thai fragrant rice

Method:

1. Cook the rice by the absorption method or by following the instructions on the packet.
2. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil and half the butter in a large frying pan. Stir-fry the garlic, ginger, spring onions and chili for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Add the strips of chicken and fry, in batches if necessary, until all the pieces are evenly browned.
3. Transfer the chicken mixture to a plate and add the tofu to the pan. Stir- fry for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat until the mushrooms are tender.
4. Stir in the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar and cook briskly for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the time. Return the chicken to the pan, toss over the heat for about 2 minutes, then pour in the stock. Stir well and cook over a gentle heat for 5-6 minutes until bubbling.
5. Spoon the rice into individual serving bowls and pile the chicken mixture on top, making sure that each portion gets a generous amount of chicken sauce.

Tip: Once the rice is cooked, leave it covered until ready to serve. It will stay warm for about 30 minutes. Fork through lightly just before serving.

Pineapple Salsa

This salsa is wonderful served with fish. It is also good with grilled chicken and roasted duck.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon freshly chopped ginger
Ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Stir all the ingredients together, cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. Will keep, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Duck Risotto

This makes an excellent appetizer for six or could be served for half that number as a lunch or supper dish. Add a green salad, or serve with snow peas and sauteed red pepper slices. Recipe serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

2 duck breasts
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
4-5 cups simmering duck, turkey or chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Strips of thinly pared orange rind, to garnish

Method:

1. Score the fatty side of the duck breasts and rub them with salt. Put them, fat side down, in a heavy frying pan and dry-fry over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes to render the fat. Transfer the breasts to a plate and then pull away and discard the fat. Cut the flesh into strips about 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide.
2. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered duck fat from the pan into a cup or jug, then reheat the fat in the pan. Fry the duck slices for 2-3 minutes over a medium high heat until evenly brown but not overcooked. Add the brandy, heat to simmering point and then ignite, either by tilting the pan or using a taper. When the flames have died down, add the orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat either 1 tablespoon of the remaining duck fat or use olive oil. Fry the onion and garlic over a gentle heat until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the rice and cook, stirring all the time, until the grains are coated in oil and have become slightly translucent around the edges.
4. Add the stock, a cupful at a time, waiting for each quantity of stock to be absorbed completely before adding the next. Just before adding the final cupful of stock, stir in the duck, with the thyme and mint. Continue cooking until the risotto is creamy and the rice is tender but still has a bit of "bite".
5. Add the orange rind and Parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then remove from the heat, cover the pan and leave to stand for a few minutes. Serve on individual plates, garnished with the pared orange rind.

Chocolate and Cherry Pie

This pie contains cherries set in egg custard topped with dark chocolate icing. Recipe serves 8.

Ingredients:

2 sheets frozen ready-rolled short crust pastry, thawed
Filling:
2 large eggs
9 teaspoons cornflour
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring essence
3 teaspoons gelatin
14 ounce (415 g) can red cherries, drained and pitted
Topping:
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 cup fresh cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Heat a baking tray in the oven.
2. Place a sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface. Brush lightly with cold water, then lay the second pastry sheet on top. Roll out the pastry a little larger and line a 9 inch (23 cm) round pie dish. Cut out crescents from the trimmings. Brush the pastry rim and place crescents on the rim to decorate. Prick pastry case well and chill for 10 minutes.
3. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and a layer of baking beans. Put on the hot baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, removing paper and beans for the last 5 minutes. Stand pie dish on a rack; cool.
4. For the filling, put the eggs, cornflour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup milk and beat together until smooth. Heat the remaining milk in a heavy-based saucepan until almost boiling; pour gradually onto the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into the saucepan; stir over a medium heat until thick and smooth. Pour into a bowl; add the vanilla and cool until lukewarm.
5. Place 1/4 cup cold water in a heatproof bowl or enamel mug; sprinkle gelatin over and stir well. Stand the bowl or mug of gelatin in a hot-water bath until dissolved. Remove and cool until lukewarm. Quickly whisk gelatin mixture into custard. Cover surface of custard with clear plastic wrap and chill until cold and thick.
6. For the topping, put the chocolate and cream into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat very gently until melted. Stir until smooth and glossy. Cool.
7. Spread half the chocolate mixture over the base of the pastry case and cover with the cherries. Pour the custard over the cherries, then chill.
8. Re-melt the chocolate mixture and spread over the custard. Smooth the top and chill until set. Score the top diagonally with a sharp knife.

Persimmon Cake

Use very ripe, soft persimmons for this cake as they can be dry and bitter before they ripen. To obtain the flesh, stem and quarter the fruit and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Recipe serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

8 ripe persimmons, flesh mashed
2 eggs, beaten
2 ounces (60 g) almonds, chopped
3 ounces (90 g) walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 ounces (40 g) peanuts, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts
4 ounces (125 g) caster sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Method:

1. Mix the almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pine nuts with the persimmon flesh. Add the beaten eggs.
2. Stir in the sugar, flour, baking powder and lemon rind and mix thoroughly.
3. Line a 8 inch (20 cm) cake tin with baking paper. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Turn cake onto a wire rack and cool before serving.