BBQ FOCACCIA-MUSHROOM SANDWICHES
Ingredients • 1 teaspoon sugar • 10g dried yeast • 1 cup warm water • 450g strong white flour • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 sprig rosemary • 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt • 50g smoked cheddar, grated • 100g rocket
Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Leave for 10 minutes or until frothy. Put salt, flour and 2 tablespoons olive oil in bowl with electric mixer, add yeast and knead using dough hook attachment (or by hand) until an elastic dough forms. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave until doubled in size (about 15 minutes). Knock dough back, then divide into 30g portions, then roll each portion out to 1.5cm thickness. Dimple dough with fingers and brush with remaining olive oil using rosemary sprig as a brush. Place dough on barbecue chargrill over a low flame, sprinkle with sea salt and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Serves 6
Mushrooms • 6 large Portobello, skin and stalk removed • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed • 3 tablespoons olive oil • Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary
Preheat barbecue, hotplate or oven to 180°C. Mix garlic, oil and rosemary in a bowl, then toss the whole mushrooms in the mix. Cook on flat plate of barbecue with lid down, or in a roasting tray in, oven for 12 minutes. Cut into thick slices.
Red onion jam • 3 red onions, finely sliced • cup balsamic vinegar • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • Pinch of salt
Put ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 12 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
Makes 2 cups
To serve, brush focaccia with a little olive oil. Build sandwiches to taste, with sliced Portobello mushrooms, onion jam, grated cheddar and rocket.
story of the garden with it. All bookings were postponed or cancelled. The building momentum came to a screeching halt and who knew what would happen next. Once again, Mike and Bee summoned the resilience that got them this far.
Thankfully, a garden in lockdown is still a garden – and likely much more than that; certainly more than just a place to grow food. “I am just so grateful we have the garden,” says Bee. “It helps me focus my energy, gives me such pleasure and just to know that at the very least, I can go in there and get a meal together for my family.”
In the middle of it all, Mike’s new series Eat Well For Less NZ debuted on TV – the perfect platform to amplify his message about the value of home cooking. “It’s certainly been a crazy time these last few weeks while in lockdown,” Mike says. “We’ve adapted to lockdown as best we can. We’ve done a lot of video content while in isolation, and have been providing a local meal delivery service that we’re able to operate in level three, and we’ll be looking at how we can reopen the school within the ministry guidelines as New Zealand works its way through the levels.”
With the help of his daughters, Mike also started producing short videos of cooking classes.
Thankfully, a garden in lockdown is still a garden – and likely much more than that; certainly more than just a place to grow food.
These were posted on his Facebook page.
Meanwhile, the garden keeps giving and “we’ve been grateful to have such an abundance of fresh vegetables during this lockdown,” says Mike.
Inspired by this experience, Mike chose the following recipes “as they all incorporate vegetables you can grow in your garden and are a lovely, healthier twist on comfort foods. They’re also fantastic as the days start to cool off, and make a fantastic lunch the next day – if there are any leftovers, that is!” ✤