homestyle beans with smoky bacon and maple syrup

4 slices thick cut smoky bacon

1 onion

2 tbs oil

400g tin diced tomatoes

1 tbs brown sugar

4 tbs maple syrup 

2 tbs worchestershire sauce

4 x 400g  cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

salt and black pepper to season

4 tbs raw sugar

Heat oven to 160C.

Slice bacon thinly and finely dice onion.

In a large ovenproof cast iron dish, heat oil and sauté bacon and onion for 5 minutes. Add tinned tomatoes, brown sugar, maple syrup and worchestershire sauce. Stir well.

Add drained beans and bayleaf. Add two cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with aluminium foil, place in oven and bake for 1 ½  hours. Remove foil and sprinkle over raw sugar. Continue to bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.

serves 6.

Care packages

We are constantly being warned about the dangers of comfort foods; food that we turn to when we’re feeling down, food that fills more than just our hunger pangs. However, what if this is actually the point? Food has the ability to nourish more than just our stomachs.

At some time in your life, a dear friend or family member may need your help. Whether they have had a bad accident, a serious operation, or they are in the midst of a crisis, you can show them that you care, simply by cooking for them. Not only is it practical, it makes everyone feel good. Nothing tastes as good as a homemade meal kindly dropped at your doorstep. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. In fact, simple home cooking is the best, when it has been made with extra love and care. Especially for Melbournians and Victorians, during the current lockdown and restrictions, I think it is safe to say that we all need a little bit of comfort. And if you happen to live in any of the areas affected by the recent storms, you definitely qualify for some extra TLC.

Here are a few tips when making up a care package. Use disposable containers: they are easy to transport, store, reheat and no washing up required.

They are also practical as you can write any cooking or reheating instructions on the lid. Include a copy of the recipe: it lists all the ingredients (in case of allergies) and besides, if your friend likes what you have made, they may make it again.

Don’t forget to include vegetables or salad ingredients. You can prep these by washing, peeling and chopping. You can boil some potatoes, ready to be roasted.

 So next time you are cooking, make up double the quantity and send some off to someone you love.

Mum’s meatballs in barbecue sauce

What could be more comforting than your mum’s recipe? If possible, ask your butcher to mince some topside. Make up a double quantity and package some up for a friend.

500g  mince beef

1 cup soft breadcrumbs

1 onion, finely diced

1 green pepper, finely diced

1 egg, beaten

salt and freshly ground pepper

½ (half) cup plain flour

2 tbs olive oil

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs worchestershire sauce

1 tbs white vinegar

few drops of Tabasco (optional)

1 tsp celery salt

In a medium bowl, place the mince, breadcrumbs, onion, capsicum and egg. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Place flour on a large, flat plate.

Roll mixture into balls and gently coat in flour.

Place oil in a medium frypan and heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. Wipe out the frypan, then add tomato sauce, water, sugar, worchestershire, vinegar, Tabasco and celery salt. Stir to combine. Bring to boil, reduce heat, add meatballs and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.

Serve with rice or creamy mashed potato.

Serves 4.

The arrival of local cherries in the markets means two things: summer and Christmas. Unfortunately, the cherry season only lasts 100 days, so it is a matter of enjoying this seasonal fruit whilst you can. Cherries are available from November to February, with different varieties harvested at different times. The flavours range from mild to rich and sweet, and some are slightly tart or sour.

As well as being delicious, cherries are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants and have a low GI.

When shopping for cherries, look for green stalks and shiny bright skins. The flesh should be plump and taut. The skin becomes dull when it is overripe. Avoid cherries that are soft and bruised or small and hard. Once picked, cherries will not ripen further, so are best consumed within 4 days of purchase. They last longer with the stem attached. Store cherries, unwashed and loosely packed, in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge. Only wash cherries just before eating as this can make them soft. Cherries can be frozen too. Wash first, then dry and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Cherries are crisp and refreshing served simply in a bowl of crushed ice. Or piled high, as an impressive centrepiece to your Christmas table. They are equally brilliant when cooked and work well with flavours like cinnamon, chocolate, coconut and almonds. Try pickling cherries for a taste sensation. Or start the day with my bircher muesli. For a fast and easy dessert, whip up my cherry sorbet.

Cherries are inextricably linked to our memories of carefree days of summer holidays. As Nigel Slater puts it “A bag of cherries is a bag of happiness”.

Seared carpaccio of beef with remoulade and pickled cherries

This is a perfect  dish for summer entertaining. Make a large platter and serve it in the middle of the table. The beef is served delicately raw on the inside, with a seared crust. If you prefer to cook the meat through, place in a 200C preheated oven for around 20 minutes. Allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Pickled Cherries

425ml white wine vinegar

12 pepper corns

12 allspice berries      

350g sugar

3 bay leaves

500g fresh cherries

celeriac remoulade

1 small celeriac, peeled

sea salt to season

juice of ½ lemon

5 tbsp good quality mayonnaise

½ cup chopped parsley

carpaccio

2 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp salt

1.5 kg fillet of beef

2 tbsp horseradish cream

200ml crème fraiche

juice 1 lemon

handful picked watercress

100g shaved parmesan

To make the pickled cherries, bring the wine vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, sugar and bay leaves to a simmer in a small pot. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before pouring over the cherries. Pickle for a day before placing in the fridge where they will keep indefinitely. Serve at room temperature.

For the remoulade, thinly slice the celeriac, preferably on a mandolin. Then, julienne finely into thin strips. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and allow to sit for a few minutes. Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice and parsley together, add celeriac and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

For the beef, place peppercorns, coriander seeds and salt in a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely ground. Rub all over the beef fillet, pressing in well.

Heat a grill pan or large frypan until very hot and sear the meat for around 5 minutes until brown and crispy on all sides. Remove from pan and rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly and arrange on a platter.

Mix horseradish cream with crème fraiche and thin out with a little lemon juice to make a pouring consistency.

Drizzle over platter of beef slices, garnish with watercress and shaved parmesan. Serve with remoulade and pickled cherries.

Serves 6.

old fashioned meat pie

This is a real meat pie. Use cheaper cuts of meat, such as oyster blade or skirt, to provide loads of flavour and benefit from slow cooking. I have used ready made pastry here, but it would be delicious with homemade shortcrust. Individual aluminium pie tins are readily available at the supermarket, or make one large family pie for dinner.

1 brown onion

1 carrot

1 stick celery

4 tbsp olive oil

750g oyster blade steak (or skirt steak)

4 tbsp plain flour

2 cups veal stock (or water)

salt and pepper to season

8 sheets ready rolled shortcrust pastry (or homemade)

1 egg, beaten for pastry glaze

tomato sauce to serve

Roughly chop onion, carrot and celery, then put into a food processor and finely chop.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy based pot and fry the vegetables for 5 minutes until softened. Remove and set aside.

Cut the meat into 2 cm cubes and toss in flour to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot and brown the meat in two batches. Pour in one cup of stock to deglaze the pot and scrape off any bits sticking to the bottom. Return the vegetables to the pot, add enough stock to just cover the meat, bring to the boil, cover with a lid then reduce heat and cook for 1 ½ hours. Stir from time to time to make sure the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Add salt and pepper to season and set aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 220C.

Use a side plate as a guide to cut 6 x 16 cm diameter circles in the pastry. Cut 6 x 11 cm diameter circles as pastry lids.

Gently place the larger pastry in the bottom of 6 aluminium pie tins. Trim any excess.

Place cooled meat filling in the pie. Before placing on the pastry lid, brush around the edges of the pie with the beaten egg to create a seal. Press down the lid firmly at the edges and cut a small vent in the centre. Brush the top of the pastry with more egg glaze.

Place pies on a baking tray in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180C and cook for a further 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with tomato sauce.

makes 6.

With their gorgeous glossy skins in deep, rich hues of purple through to black, eggplants have a kind of mysterious beauty. Available in a cornucopia of other colours, shapes and sizes, keep an eye out for these more unusual beauties at farmers markets, Asian grocers and supermarkets alike.

The versatility of eggplant makes it an all-purpose vegetable that can be baked, sautéed, fried, grilled, boiled and braised. Slice it, shred it, cube it, dice it, stuff it, and definitely puree it, too.

Learn how to cook it properly and you will be seduced by its silky texture and delicate sweetness. Undercooked, it can be squeaky and spongy, unpleasant with little flavour.

The nutrient content of the eggplant may not be very exciting, but it is a good source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Because the flesh of the eggplant is so porous, it can absorb oil quickly. Brush lightly with oil just before cooking. Add a little water to the pan when sautéing to reduce the amount of oil required.

The historical journey of the eggplant through China, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe into the Mediterranean diet has given us an infinite number of delicious dishes to try. Start with the recipes below and eggplant will surely become a favourite.

Ratatouille

A classic French dish, this can be enjoyed as a meal in itself, or accompany anything from fish to chicken, sausages or grilled meats. The addition of fresh herbs and lemon juice at the end balances the richness of the stew.

2 ripe tomatoes

1 brown onion

1 yellow pepper

1 orange pepper

2 small zucchini

1 large eggplant

150ml olive oil, plus extra if required

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

4 sprigs thyme

handful pitted black olives

6 anchovies (optional)

¼ cup baby capers

1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

zest and juice 1 lemon

Chop all the vegetables into similar size dice, approximately 1-2 cm.

Heat oil in a large heavy based frypan and cook eggplant in batches until golden. The eggplant will absorb quite a lot of oil, so you may need to add a little more, depending on the size of the eggplant. (add a little water as you go, to reduce the amount of oil required). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Add onion and peppers to pan and cook until softened. Add zucchini, garlic and thyme and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the olives, anchovies and capers and heat through. Return the eggplant to the pan. Finish off with fresh herbs and the zest of the lemon and finally a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Serve immediately.