This is a lovely light brunch, lunch or evening dish full of the tastes and colours of summer. A the best bit is… it doesn’t take that long to prepare so you don’t have to miss too much time in the sun.

I use a traditional flan pastry for the base and fill this with fresh wilted spinach, red capiscums and grated cheddar cheese with some grated Jarlsburgh cheese for a delicious bite.

You will need:
1/2 packet of ready made savory pastry or 1/2 quantity of homemade traditional flan pastry
Large bunch of fresh spinach, washed with hard stalks removed and leaves torn
1 Red Capsicum, roughly chopped
50g Button White Mushrooms, wiped and sliced
Splash of Olive Oil
6 Eggs
Milk
Cheddar Cheese
Jarlsburg Cheese (optional)
Seasoning

What to do:
• Roll out the pastry big enough to line the base and sides of your flan tin. Gently, prick the base with a fork, do not push the fork all the way through the pastry.
• Now, you have a couple of options:
1. You can bake the flan case blind, by covering the base with baking beans or uncooked rice, then popping into the oven until the flan begins to colour, approx. 5 min. Remove from oven and take out the beans/rice (you can save these in a jar for next time). This gives a firmer base.
2. You can make the filling and put this straight in to the flan, this gives a softer pastry base.
• Saute the mushrooms and capsicum in a little olive oil, remove from heat and add the torn spinach.
• When the vegetables are cool, put them into the flan case.
• In the saute pan, add the eggs and using a wooden fork whisk gently, until the whites and yolk are combined.
• Add a good splash of milk, don’t over do it or the flan will not set.
• Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Season.
• Cover with grated cheese and pop into the oven until golden brown. Approx. 30mins.
• Let cool slightly before serving with minted new potatoes.

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My goodness, this really is HEAVEN!! Forget the rest of your family/guests and tuck in…quickly or it WILL all be gone!!

NOTE: These are not served in the dishes so use150ml capacity cups/moulds
Makes 6 – 8

What you will need:
60g Butter
½ cup Flour
350ml/ 1 ½ cups Warm Milk
75g Kapiti Sainte-Maure Goats Cheese
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped Herbs
3 Egg Yokes
4 Egg Whites
2 cups Cream

What to do:

• Pre-heat oven 180°C.

• Melt 20g butter to grease moulds.

• Melt remaining butter, stir in flour cook out, and then add milk brings to boil then simmer for 5 min.

• Add cheeses & herbs, folding in egg yolks. Whisk whites till creamy fold into mixture. Pour into moulds.

• Lay tea towel in baking dish, stand in moulds add hot water 2/3rds deep, bake for 20 mins, until firm.

• Cool then run a knife around the inside of the moulds, turn out soufflés.

Before serving place in buttered dish, pour over cream to moisten thoroughly, return to oven for 15 min until swollen & golden.

Serve with rich tomato sauce

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These are truly heavenly serve with a crisp green salad & fresh French bread and lashings of REAL butter.. Yummy!

What you need:
400g Potatoes
200ml Water
60g Butter
80g Flour
2 Eggs
170g Kapiti’s Sainte – Mature Cheese

What to do:

• Cook the potatoes until tender, then mash.

To make Choux pastry:

• Melt the butter & water slowly in a saucepan.

• Bring to nearly boiling, then add flour whisking vigorously until the mix comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball.

• Add eggs one at a time, continuing to whisk until incorporated. The mixture will come away from the sides of the pan.

• Beat well adding potatoes. Fold in cheese.

• Heat the oil over a medium heat, test it by dropping in a crust of bread, if ti sizzles & goes golden, your ready to go.

• In the palm of your hand roll a little of the mixture into balls then place into oil and deep fry until golden.

• Drain on kitchen paper. Serve.

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These are impressive by anybodies standards.
Just perfect for that lazy brunch on a weekend or holiday…

You will need:

For the Crepès:
3 Eggs
1 cup Flour
¼ cup Oil
2 cups Milk
Well drained Spinach

For the filling:
50g Cream Cheese
150g Blue Cheese
3 cups white button mushrooms

What to do:

• In a large bowl lightly whisk the eggs and flour together. Add the oil & milk, whisking lightly.

• DO NOT over work, just enough to incorporate the ingredients. (this the secret of making good crepes)

• With a hand blender mix through the spinach. Let stand.

• Mix together the cream cheese & blue cheese. Sauté mushrooms in a little butter and add to the mix.

• Heat a very small amount of oil in a frying pan. Add enough mix to cover the base of the pan. You want thin pancakes, remember you have to roll them around the filling.

• Let cook until beginning to turn golden in places. Flip over and do the same on this side.

• Put on a plate add some filling and roll into a cigar shape.

• Place in an oven proof dish and keep warm until you have enough to serve.

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This is on for those lazy weekend brunches or mid week suppers.
SO Simply, but oooh! so decadent.

You will need:

For the Pastry:
2 Scant Cups Plain Flour, make up to 2 good cups by adding freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
125g Butter/Margarine, softened
Cold Water to mix

What to do:

• Pre heat oven to 200ºC.

• Sift flour & parmesan into a bowl, cut the butter into small pieces, add to the flour mixture. Then its time to get those fingers dirty.. Oh yes! WASH your hands first..

• With your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, cold hands are wonderful for this!

• With a blunt knife, one you eat your meal with is perfect, make a small well in the center of the flour mixture and add a small amount of water, mix with the knife adding more water slowly, until a stiff but flexible dough is achieved.

• Tip out onto a lightly floured surface, turn around in the flour a bit until finely coated.

• Now with a rolling pin, roll out the shape very lightly, moving the pastry on the surface, you don’t want it to stick.

• Pat the sides into the shape desired.. eg: square or round depending upon your tin shape. Try not to handle more than necessary.

• Make the size slightly larger than the tin, place pastry over the tin and press gently into the sides of the tin, trim off any excess, then pinch all around the sides, making it neat.

• Pick over the base gently with a fork, DON’T pierce the pastry all the way through.

Baking the Pastry Case Blind:

• Put some greaseproof paper onto the base of the pastry, cover with baking beans or rice (uncooked) and bake for 10 mins.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 150C.

For the Filling:

150g Goats Cheese Feta is nice, cubed
2 Red Onions, sliced
2 White Onions, sliced
4 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Milk
A Mixture of Grated Cheese: Parmesan & Mozzarella is good

What to do:

• In a little oil, fry the onions gently until golden, takes about 10mins. Cool.

• Mix the beaten eggs with the milk & some seasoning, add the onions & diced cheese, tip mixture into the pastry case.

• Pop into the oven for 15mins until the surface is just beginning to set, then sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, return to the oven and bake until golden.

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With the ocean of cheeses out in the market today, it’s often a dilemma which one to choose.

It’s an expensive business buying cheese, so, we usually stick to our favorites.. the ones we know and love.. the ones we don’t stay firmly on the shelf.. such a pity.

There is a whole world of flavours out there, waiting to tantalize your taste buds..

I will describe different cheeses: their textures & flavours so you can experiment.

That’s the crux of cooking, changing little things can transform dishes.. it’s fun..

• Parmigiano reggiano:

Otherwise known as Parmesan.. This is king amongst hard cheeses. Its rough, grainy chunks cut from the wheel are known through out the land.

It should have a sweet, fruity aroma, its flesh should be refreshingly yellow, and its taste unforgettable.. fruity, salty, strong & rich but not overpowering in any way.

Its brittle crumbly texture should melt in the mouth, be neither dull, bitter or smell like ‘old socks’.
Buy it in small amounts or freeze it and use it straight from the freezer to obtain full benefit.

• Grana panano:

Also parmesan, but a cheaper version than parmigiano reggiano which is the ‘piste de resistance’ in hard cheeses.
Grana means hard, panano refers to the region where the cheese is made.

Uses: A good alternative to parmesan but often lack that ‘kick’ in flavor.

• Pecorino:

A Ewe’s milk cheese, made in & around Tuscany. Delicious from young when they have a firm but supple texture with a nutty sweetness.
More mature cheeses have a grainy texture with a pungent burnt caramel aroma.

Uses: Excellent alternative to parmesan, with a strong distinct flavor unique to this cheese adding another dimension to dishes.

• Caciotta toscano:

Made from cow’s or ewe’s milk, depending upon the season.
It has a thin pale yellow-beige rind, the cheese itself has a creamy but slightly acid feel on the tongue while remaining mild rather like Gouda.

Uses: A great one to be included on the cheese board for bread or crackers to add something different.

• Taleggio:

Made from cow’s milk, this has a distinctive square shape with a sticky terracotta coloured rind.
The cheese its self has a consistency of a good Brie.. sweet, soft and gooey.

Uses: Definitely one for eating not cooking.

• Gorgonzola:

Made from cow’s milk, this cheese dates back to the tenth Century.
It has a unique, distinctive sweet, tangy spicyness which unfolds in the soft gooey body of the cheese.

Uses: Very versatile, cook with it or eat it straight from the wrapping. ( I still remember cheeses when sold being wrapped in waxed paper.. oh! those were the days)

• Ricotta:

Made from cow’s, ewe’s or goat’s milk. This cheese has a consistency of tiny, fine white curd pieces. Buy it fresh.

Uses: Used in both sweet & savoury dishes, its versatility is endless.. in salads, stuffing for pasta or sweet pastries, antipasto… the list is truly endless.

• Mascarpone:

Made from cow’s milk, this is more of a cream than a cheese with a superb velvety texture. Like Ricotta it has a thousand and one uses.

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