Shared Kitchen

Jacket-baked Potatoes Revisited

It’s winter. It’s 8 degrees in Wellington. I don’t live there but my son does. I was thinking he might need warming up with a few carbs, and as I am a potato addict I knew where I was heading.

Tomato, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

Grapefruit is super tangy, so a little goes a long way, but when served with rich foods, say fried fish or pork and crackling, it does a good job of balancing the richness. Try this in tacos, or alongside fried foods or rich meats.

Fudgy Squares

A no-bake fudgy-biscuit sweet treat. Phew! That’s a mouthful. And so are these fudgy squares – and a delicious mouthful at that.

Stewed Chickpeas with Spinach & Eggplant

For this dish, allow time to soak the chickpeas (overnight, or 12 hours). The dish will keep 2-3 days, covered and refrigerated.

Caulifliower & Cannellini Bean MashCaulifliower & Cannellini Bean Mash

Cauliflower & Cannellini Bean Mash

Is this a dip, a spread, or a purée? It can be any one of them. Fennel seeds, garlic, chilli and good olive oil give a stunning flavour.

Spinach

Spinach is a healthy green, but did Popeye get it right? Is it better for you raw or cooked? And is NZ spinach the same as regular spinach?

Me & Cassis

Mock Kir Royale, yep, def better with Champagne.

Leek, Potato & Spinach Soup

This is a good homely soup, full of flavour and goodness, but have a read through the recipe notes so you understand the process. Serve the soup with crusty bread or parmesan toasts

Linzertorte

This is quite an astonishing tart. The original recipe can be traced to more than 300 years ago, to the town of Linz, Austria. When properly made, and kept cool, it can keep for about 2 weeks (a word of caution, heat and humidity work against it). This version was a specialty of my late German sister-in-law Dolores. She had a knack with sweet things. Linzertorte, or Linzer Torte, often has a lattice top, but this version has pastry stars. It is usually filled with gorgeous fruit preserves, but they are thin on the ground where I live given the current shipping crisis, so I have adapted the dish using a plum jam. And there was a surprise there. It’s made me reflect on why sugary trash is so bad, but that when sugar is used skillfully as in this dessert, it is a joy, an absolute treat, something to be treasured.