artichoke dip

2 cups grated parmesan cheese 280g frozen chopped spinach, thawed

and drained of excess liquid 400g tinned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ⅔ cup sour cream 1 cup cream cheese ⅓ cup mayonnaise 2 garlic cloves, minced Crackers or toasted bread, to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C/160°C fan forced. Grease a 6cm-deep ceramic pie plate/gratin dish. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, spinach and artichoke hearts. Combine remaining ingredients. Add to spinach mixture. Pour into pie plate. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

roasted winter root vegetable minestrone SERVES 6-8

3 carrots, roughly diced into 3cm cubes 3 parsnips, roughly diced into 3cm cubes 3 white sweet potatoes, roughly diced into 3cm cubes 2 tsp fennel seeds Extra virgin olive oil Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper 2 large brown onions, finely diced 6 cloves garlic, sliced 4 celery stalks, diced 1 bulb fennel, diced 3cm-thick piece pancetta, diced 1 fresh bay leaf 3 sprigs thyme 3 tbsp tomato paste 250g tinned cannellini beans, drained 1.5L good-quality chicken stock 200g green beans, cut into 4cm lengths ½ bunch of chard or silverbeet, cut into

2cm widths including most of the stem 2 handfuls short pasta Grated parmesan, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Toss the carrot, parsnip, sweet potato and fennel seeds in oil. Season with salt and pepper and tip onto a lined baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes.

Add a splash of oil to a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, fennel and pancetta and sweat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, thyme and tomato paste to the pot and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the roasted vegetables, drained tinned beans, stock and 1L water. Bring to a simmer. Add the green beans and chard and cook for 15 minutes, adding the pasta for the last 8 minutes of cooking time. Watch the level of the liquid – it should be a thick soup but you may have to add more water.

Once cooked, season to taste. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan.

pear frangipane tart SERVES 8 BUTTER CRUST

1¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp salt 1½ tsp sugar 8 tbsp very cold butter 3-4 tbsp iced water ¼-½ cup apricot or apple jam, to glaze FILLING (FRANGIPANE) ⅓ cup natural almond spread 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp plain flour 1 egg Pinch of salt 3 large Beurre Bosc pears Lemon juice

Grease a 22cm tart tin with removable base. To make the butter crust, mix flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture using a food processor or pastry cutter until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.

Add the iced water, blending with a fork until mixture starts to stick together.

Form the dough into a disc and place it on a lightly floured countertop. Roll it out like a pie shell, using small dustings of flour to keep it from sticking (be careful not to overwork the dough, less is more). Turn the dough out into the prepared tin and press into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers (you might not need all the dough). Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan forced. To make the filling, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat together the almond spread and sugar. Beat in the butter. Add flour, egg, and salt and beat thoroughly until light and fluffffy.

Core and slice pears into 3-6mm-thick slices, keeping the peel on for a beautiful visual effffect. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Spread the almond mixture on the base. Arrange the pears in a circle, overlapping each layer slightly. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the frangipane is puffffed, golden and firm to the touch. Cool the tart on a wire rack.

To make the glaze, heat jam in a small saucepan until melted. Set aside for five minutes to cool slightly. Brush the cooled tart with the glaze.