Cream of Lettuce and Pea Soup

It sounds odd with cooked iceberg lettuce, but is actually one of my favourite soups of all time.  Serve either hot or cold. Adapted from Gretta Anna Teplitzky

250g frozen baby peas

1 large potato, peeled and sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 pieces

750mls chicken stock

Juice ½ lemon

300mls cream

2 tablespoons chives

Mint from 4 sprigs

Place stock, onion, potato and lemon juice into a saucepan and simmer for 15 mins, or until potato is tender.

Add peas and lettuce and simmer just until the lettuce is soft.

Puree in a blender, then pass through a seive.

Add cream and serve hot or chilled.

Quiche Lorraine

This makes a thin quiche with a crisp pastry. So many bases are soggy and not worth the calories. But this is delicious. 
Use a metal tin so the heat from the oven is transferred more efficently. Also, if you have a pizza stone, place the pastry on that.

Shortcrust pastry

250g plain flour

125g butter

Salt and pepper

50-75g cold water

Process flour with salt.

Process half the butter with the flour until thoroughly incorporated.

Cut the other half into cubes and pulse roughly until pea sized pieces remain.

Add water and pulse 5-6 times. It will not come together in the processor, but check it will bind by squashing it together in your hand. If it remains crumbly, add a little more water until it just comes together.

Press into a disk roughly the shape of the tin you will be baking it in. This makes it easier to roll out.

Refrigerate 20 mins.

Roll pastry out. To keep it in the correct shape, and prevent it fraying at the edges, use a knife pushing it against the side. See photo. 
Roll pastry loosely around rolling pin, and ease it into the tin. Lift it up gently at the sides, and ease it down to the bottom.
Cut the pastry a little higher than the tin to allow for shrinkage.

Prick the bottom and refrigerate until chilled.

Preheat oven to 220.

Line with baking paper, weigh with weights and bake 8-10 mins.

Remove weights and paper, return to oven for another 5-10 mins.

Cool before filling.

Filling

200g speck or bacon, diced

150g grated cheese

150 mls thickened cream

75mls milk

3 medium eggs

Salt, pepper and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 200.

Fry bacon.

Sprinkle in the bottom of pastry case with cheese.

Combine cream, milk eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Pour over bacon and cheese.

Place on a baking tray in case it overflows, and bake 25 mins, or until just cooked.

Rest 5 mins before serving.

Moussaka of Eggplant with Seared Scallops and Tarama –Peter Conistis

For the taramosalata:

3 slices crustless white bread, soaked in cold water

½ Small onion, chopped1 Lemon, juiced

100gms Tarana

225ml Greek extra-virgin olive oil

For the tomato salsa:

2 Ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 tbls Parsley, finely chopped

½ tsp Fennel seeds

2 tbls Greek extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Freshly ground pepper

For the eggplant and scallops:

3 Medium eggplants

2 Red bell peppers

24 White sea scallops

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Greek extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1.      Squeeze the soaked bread.

2.      Process together with the onion and lemon juice at high speed.

3.      Add roe and process for another minute.

4.      With motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Remove and chill.

5.      Combine all the ingredients for the tomato salsa and chill.

6.      Sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt and leave to sweat on a sheet pan for 2 hours.

7.      Rinse and pat dry.

8.      Deep fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

9.      Roast the bell peppers until their skin blackens.

10.   Remove skin under cold water. Remove pith and seeds.

11.   Cut the peppers into thin strips and toss with olive oil.

12.   Heat a heavy, non-stick skillet until very hot.

13.   Toss scallops with a little olive oil and pepper and sear for 30 seconds on each side.

14.   Place a slice of eggplant on each plate and top with a tablespoon of the taramosalata.

15.   Place 4 scallops on top, cover with a few strips of roasted red pepper and top with another eggplant slice.

16.   Drizzle generously with tomato salsa. Serve immediately

Black bean and corn salsa

2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed or 1/2 cup dried beans, prepared (see below)
1 ½ cups corn kernels, thawed
1 capsicum, finely diced
1 cup finely diced celery
¾ cup minced red onion, salted for 20 mins, then rinsed under boiling water
1 fresh chilli, seeded and minced
½ cup chopped coriander
I avocado, diced

Lime dressing
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp  grated lime zest
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
S + P to taste
¼ cup vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients, except avocado.

2. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients, except the oil. Mix together, then gradually whisk in the oil.

3. Pour dressing over salad, and stand one hour before serving.

To prepare black beans cover with water, heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Allow to stand for 1 hour, then drain, cover with lots of water and simmer 20-30 minutes. Don't allow them to boil at this point or their skins will split. 

Asparagus Ham and Mascarpone Tart

2 puff pastry sheets

30g unsalted butter

2 tsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

1 onion, finely chopped

150g sliced ham

2 tsp Dijon mustard

250g mascarpone cheese

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, halved

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup shaved parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 2 trays with baking paper. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares, then lightly score a 2.5cm border around the edges of each square with a knife, without cutting all the way through. Place the squares on the trays and chill while you prepare the filling.

Melt butter with oil in a frypan over medium heat and cook onion for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until softened but not coloured. Cool slightly. Finely chop ham in a food processor. Add onion, mustard and mascarpone, then pulse to just combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread mixture within the border of each pastry square, then top with asparagus pieces, alternating tips and ends. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush pastry borders with egg, then bake tarts for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden and asparagus is tender. Top with parmesan and serve with a rocket salad if desired.

Melitzanosalata

This eggplant dip is adapted from the recipe of Tess Mallos, who died in 2012. She wrote the first cookbook I ever owned, and I still regularly make this recipe. She includes a small grated onion, but I find it too strong.

Eggplant dip (Melitzanosalata)

1 large or 2 medium oval eggplants to about 500 g (1 lb)

1 garlic clove, crushed with 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 slices bread, crusts removed.

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place whole, unpeeled eggplant on a baking tray and cook in a moderate oven for 30–50 minutes, depending on size, until soft to the touch. While hot remove skin and chop flesh roughly.

Process bread into bread crumbs.

Remove the flesh from the eggplant and process with the breadcrumbs.

Add the other ingredients to the processor and pulse briefly. Don't overprocess as the olive oil becomes too bitter.

Place in a bowl and chill well. Mixture thickens when thoroughly chilled. Garnish with black olives and serve with crackers, toast fingers or crusty bread.

Spinach Dip

Drain 2 packets frozen chopped spinach
Mix together well
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonaise
2 packets spring vegetable soup
Drained spinach
Cut the top off a large loaf of bread and hollow out the centre. Reserve the bread and chop into bite sized peices.
Pour dip into bread case and surround with bread pieces. When these have all been eaten, it’s time to demolish the bread case.

Black Olive and Raisin Dip

4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
Juice 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Process all ingredients together except the salt and pepper. Add S&P to taste.