A great idea if you have lots of eggs

Ihave had the greatest pleasure writing more than 120 Farmhouse Kitchen columns since 2008.

My writing career began after a serendipitous meeting with Nadene, the editor of NZ Lifestyle Block. I was asked to give a talk to the Anglo Nubian Breed Society about cheesemaking. She sourced two big buckets of frozen goat milk and I experimented with a merlot-soaked goat cheese. It was delicious, one of those cheeses you’ll never forget where you were when you first tried it. Neither Nadene nor I drink, but we were both in full agreement that the subtle mix of wine and cheese was divine. My husband Dave also remembers because he lost an expensive bottle of merlot to the process.

That’s how I ended up writing for NZ Lifestyle Block. I said yes to an opportunity.

This meeting was a pivotal point in my life and shaped the next decade of discovery and growth. Writing has become fundamental to everything I do. I was introduced to the wonders of digital photography, wrote two specials on cheesemaking and collaborated on another about preserving (all still available on www.thisnzlife.co.nz).

I also fulfilled a dream by writing my latest book, my ultimate guide to cheesemaking, How to Make Cheese. It’s now helping beginner cheesemakers to be successful in New Zealand and around the world.

Life is full of these moments, ones that shape our future. If I had wavered and said I didn’t think I could do it, I would not have taken a pathway that has led to so much. Sharing knowledge is a gift that enriches the giver and the receiver. The readers of this magazine have enriched me with their feedback. Thank you.

The many monthly articles on a wide variety of topics has expanded my interests too. A love of cheesemaking has contributed heavily to the recipes, but I’ve also covered fruit, vegetables, preserving, meat and fish. Lately I’ve been sharing my new favourite obsession with soap-making, skin care and home-made cleaning products.

You’ve also shared in the many adventures Dave and I have had, visiting unusual and beautiful places and meeting amazing people along the way. We have collected antique dairying equipment and quirky bits of kitchenalia and carried them home with us. Well, Dave has carried them home.

It is fitting that my last article is for this edition, a time for celebration with friends and family. I’m going to leave you with an old family recipe that is rather comforting and wonderfully useful, especially if you have lots of eggs.

My grandchildren helped make the latest batch and we all enjoyed the most amazing picnic scoffing these filling and protein-packed, sausage-covered eggs.

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie, how I feel myself at the moment. If you ever need help with your cheesemaking or any other recipe I’ve passed on, get in touch via www.makecheese.co.nz

Au revoir. This is a comforting and familiar dish that everyone can enjoy, enough for four large helpings. Although they can be eaten hot, they are much better cold. Place room temperature eggs into warm water and bring to the boil. Simmer the eggs for 4 minutes – be careful not to overcook them at this stage because they will be cooked again later in the oven. Pour the boiling water off the eggs and fill the pot with cold water to cool the eggs quickly which prevents a dark ring forming around the yolk. Remove the shell from the egg – I crack the pointed end of the egg on the bench, then peel. Mix the sausage meat and herbs together. Divide the sausage meat into four portions. Flatten one piece of sausage meat to the size of a saucer and place the dry, boiled egg in the centre. Wrap the sausage meat around the egg to completely cover it, then dust with plain flour. Dip the sausage-encased egg into the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs, then repeat with the other eggs. Place the eggs on a greased baking tray, then put into the oven, set at 150°C and cook for 20 minutes. You can turn them over halfway through the cooking to brown all over. Remove from oven and cool.

and savoury. I don't need to be able to make amazing pies like her, but I'd love to just have a slice of one of her apple and gooseberry pies again. The thought of it brings back such lovely memories of cold days at home on the farm. Until I remember those prickles.

I am lucky enough to have both sorts of gooseberries, the sweet and the sour. Our good friend Deano planted a sweet gooseberry at our flat in Picton when he lived there. When it didn't produce any fruit for two years, he took the advice of a green-fingered friend who told him to talk to it. He duly went out and had a word.

“Listen, you prickly so-and-so, if you don't make any fruit this year, I'm going to dig you out!'”

That year we got a bumper crop. You can make this recipe as either a thick sauce or a chutney, depending on how much you mash it up. I have recently discovered dried Kashmiri chillies and highly recommend them for chutneys. They add lots of flavour and not too much heat. That makes them perfect for me but far too mild for my fire-breathing husband. Add chilli powder if you like it hotter. This might look like lemon curd but it's completely different. The combination of the gooseberries and lemon has an almost floral flavour and there is nothing better than a hot pikelet or piece of toast with a dollop of this curd on top. It must be used within four weeks. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge and use it up within a week. Put the gooseberries into a pan with the lemon juice and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring often. When the fruit starts to collapse and release its juice, mash it up. Rub this mixture through a fine sieve to get a thin, smooth gooseberry purée. Put the purée, butter and sugar into a large metal or heat-proof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. You can stand the bowl on a metal preserving ring or wok ring to balance it if you wish. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Take off the heat before it gets too hot. For the next stage, you should be able to comfortably put your finger into it. Pour in the beaten egg, whisking quickly and constantly. Now return the pot to the heat and keep whisking the mixture over simmering water until it gets thick and creamy (82°C on a sugar thermometer). This requires patience as it will take a good 10-15 minutes. If the curd does start to scramble, take it off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. As soon as it has thickened up, pour the curd into hot, sterilised jars and seal. Label when cool.