Time for a spring fling
Showcase the new season’s fresh delights, says NZ House & Garden’s Sally Butters.
Crostini with smashed pea & bean dip & mozzarella
These crunchy, seasoned crostini are the perfect bed for the green goodness that sits on top.
Pea & bean dip
1 small handful mint leaves Few parsley sprigs, leaves only 1 large handful (about 1⁄2 cup) frozen
peas, thawed
1 handful broad beans, double
podded
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 large handful finely grated
parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 lemon, juiced
Crostini
1 short baguette Olive oil for brushing 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves,
roughly chopped
To serve
1-2 courgettes, shaved into ribbons
with a peeler
1 small tub mini mozzarella (bocconcini) or 2 large balls buffalo mozzarella
1 handful fresh rocket, chervil
or a mix of delicate greens
Dip: In a pestle and mortar or a food processor, smash mint and parsley with the peas, beans and garlic until mushy.
Add parmesan then loosen the mixture with a few good glugs of olive oil. Balance out the flavours with a little lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Makes about 1 cup
Crostini: Heat oven to 180C. Slice baguette into thin rounds and lay on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper then sprinkle thyme over. Toast in the oven until crispy, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside to cool.
When ready to serve, carefully drape courgette ribbons on top of the crostini then spoon over some of the dip and top with a little torn mozzarella. Add a sprinkle of greens and top with a little cracked pepper and a further drizzle of olive oil, if you wish. Serve right away.
Makes about 25
Rhubarb fool with orange shortbread
Fools have the perfect balance of tart fruit and creamy decadence, and rhubarb makes a great fool. Just be sure to pair it with really good custard, home made if you have the time, with plenty of vanilla seeds in it. With the addition of shortbread for some welcome texture, you have heaven in a glass. Orange shortbread
125g unsalted butter, softened
cup icing sugar
11⁄4 cups plain flour
cup cornflour
Zest of 1 orange
To decorate biscuits (optional) Violas
1 egg white, lightly beaten About 2 tbsp caster sugar
Rhubarb fool
350g rhubarb
50g caster sugar
1 orange, juiced
150ml cream, whipped
300ml good-quality vanilla custard 1 handful pistachios, roughly
chopped
Shortbread: Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift in flour and cornflour and add orange zest. Mix with a spoon to bring mixture together as much as you can then turn out onto a floured surface and knead to form a smooth dough. Roll into a log, wrap in plastic then place in the fridge until firm, about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 130C. Unwrap dough, slice into thin rounds and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pale and golden.
You can leave the biscuits as is or you can brush them with egg white and place little edible flowers on top. Brush with a little more egg white then sprinkle with caster sugar.
Bake for a further 3-4 minutes to set the egg white.
Fool: Place rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and enough water to cover the rhubarb in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil and cook until rhubarb is soft – 10 minutes or so, no longer. Remove rhubarb from liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
When you are ready to assemble, spoon layers of rhubarb, whipped cream and custard into serving glasses and top with chopped pistachios. Serve the biscuits on the side.
Serves 4
Warm lamb salad with preserved lemon labneh
This warm salad is light yet filling.
Labneh
400g Greek yoghurt
1-2 pieces preserved lemon Salt and pepper
Kale ash
4-5 completely dry kale leaves
Salad
8-10 yams
1⁄2 buttercup pumpkin, deseeded
and cut into crescent moons Olive oil
1-2 lamb racks, depending on size
(allow 1-2 cutlets per person) 1 bag mesclun salad
1 lemon, juiced
Labneh: Place yoghurt in a muslin bag and suspend over a bowl for 4-5 hours to allow the whey to drip out. The labneh is ready when the yoghurt is thick enough to hold its shape. Remove from muslin and spoon into a bowl. Add the finely chopped preserved lemon peel (discard the mushy inside part), a little salt and pepper and mix well.
Kale ash: Heat oven to 140C. Place kale leaves on a baking tray and bake until crispy. Crush into a powder using your hands.
For the salad: Turn oven to 180C. Place yams and pumpkin slices on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
Cook lamb just before serving. Cut the racks into cutlets and rub with oil, salt and pepper. Place in a hot pan and sear until lightly browned and caramelised on both sides – this should take only a minute or two on each side. Place in the oven for about 8 minutes until just cooked then remove and cover loosely with foil.
To assemble, arrange mesclun on a platter, scatter with the roast vegetables and lamb cutlets then dot the plate with spoonfuls of labneh. Sprinkle the kale ash over. Drizzle the salad with a little lemon juice and olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve warm.
Serves 4