A honey of a tart
Abag of little green kiwifruit arrived on the doorstep recently from the neighbour’s vine. It was a welcome gift as I had spied the wild vine weaving its limbs through the dusky pink of a smoke tree from my kitchen window. Although they took some time to ripen, the sweet little fruits have starred in the kitchen this week.
I liken this conserve to lemon honey. I have fond memories of morning toast thickly spread with lemon honey at my grandparents’ table.
This could also be called curd, but I prefer the sunnier name of ‘‘honey’’, reminding me of light and floral spring blossoms rather than milky curds.
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Makes about 300ml
About 4 soft green or gold kiwifruit
cup pulp required)
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice 80g butter
cup sugar or 3 tablespoons light clover honey 1 egg
2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg
Halve the kiwifruit and scoop the flesh into a sieve. Use the back of a spoon to press the pulp into a bowl to collect a cup. Set aside the seedy flesh to make chia jam or kiwifruit salsa (see directions below).
Combine the kiwifruit pulp, lime juice, butter, and sugar or honey, in a small mixing bowl. Sit this over a saucepan containing 1-2cm water to create a double boiler. Heat gently until the butter has melted.
Add the egg and egg yolks one a time, whisking between each addition. Continue to whisk constantly over a low heat until the curd thickens and clings to the whisk. It takes about 5-6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and pour into a 300ml sterilised jar. Store the kiwifruit honey in the fridge and consume within one month.
Kiwifruit chia jam
Combine the leftover kiwifruit flesh (about 3⁄4 cup) with one tablespoon honey or maple syrup, one tablespoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of chia seeds. Adjust the taste with extra sweetener or lemon if needed. Store in the fridge and use within three days. Spoon it on to cereal or stir through yoghurt.
Kiwifruit salsa
To the kiwifruit flesh add two tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander, one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of finely chopped red onion, the juice of half a lime, a pinch of salt, and chilli flakes to taste. Mix together and serve with slow-cooked lamb or pork with corn tortillas and slaw.
These sweet, chewy tart cases match well with the subtle acidity of the Kiwifruit and Lime Honey. It is important to grease the tart moulds well to prevent sticking. See the notes below. Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 12 small tarts (3cm) or 4cm x 10cm tarts
23egg whites
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup 1 cup desiccated coconut
cup ground almonds (almond flour) Zest of 1 lime
Pinch of salt
1 cup thick greek or coconut yoghurt
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Generously grease the tart moulds with butter or coconut oil (solid fats have better non-stick properties).
Place the egg whites and honey or maple syrup in a bowl and whisk vigorously until foamy, about one minute. Add the coconut, ground almonds, lime zest, and salt, and mix to combine. Evenly press the coconut mixture into the tart moulds to a thickness of 2-3cm.
Bake for 12 minutes (small tarts) to 15 minutes (large tarts) until golden around the edges.
Cool the tarts in the moulds until warm then use a teaspoon to carefully loosen the tart shells, and transfer to a cooling rack.
The tart cases can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for two days.
To serve, swirl a cup Kiwifruit and Lime Honey through the yoghurt and dollop into the tart cases.