Seafood recipes

Fresh pea soup with smoked peppered mackerel

10 minutes

Herbed vegetable and feta bake

40 minutes

Fish recipes

Moroccan lemon chicken on spinach

15 minutes

Cheese recipes

Celeriac and potato soup with grilled cheese croutons

20 minutes

Wholesome chicken noodle broth

40 minutes

Soup recipes

Sweet potato, coconut and ginger soup

40 minutes

Mussel chowder served with cheese muffins

40 minutes

Tart recipes

Handmade gnocchi with burnt butter and garlic glaze

20 minutes, plus roasting time

Savoury bake

Yellow sugared pear butter with shortbread orange drops

35 minutes

Yellow sugared pear butter with shortbread orange drops

By Abigail Donnelly

Serves 6

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cooking Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups yellow sugar
½ cup verjuice
8 ripe pears

For the shortbread orange drops:

65 g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
280 g flour, plus extra for dusting
½ t baking powder
250 g butter, slightly softened
½ t orange-blossom water
2 t orange zest
Cloves, to garnish

Method

Place a saucepan over a medium to low heat and add the sugar and verjuice. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble and, when it has slightly thickened, slice the pears into chunks and add them to the syrup.
Simmer for 30 minutes, or until sticky and deep yellow in colour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then blend to a rough consistency using a hand blender. Spoon into a serving dish and serve with shortbread orange drops.

To make the shortbread orange drops: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift the icing sugar, flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, then add the butter and combine, using your fi ngertips, until the mixture takes on a crumbly texture.
Add the orange-blossom water and orange zest and knead to form a dough. On a fl oured surface, roll the dough into small balls and place at even spaces on a greased baking tray.
Press down onto each ball using the tines of a fork, then place a whole clove onto each imprinted surface. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve with a generous dusting of icing sugar.

TASTE’s take:
This pear preserve is also delicious folded through Greek yoghurt or served as a side with roast leg of lamb or beef.

Sticky pork belly skewers with smoky BBQ glaze

Spinach lasagne

Home-made chips

Fresh pea soup with smoked peppered mackerel

Herbed vegetable and feta bake

Asian-style meal in a bowl

Moroccan lemon chicken on spinach

Celeriac and potato soup with grilled cheese croutons

Wholesome chicken noodle broth

Sweet potato, coconut and ginger soup

Mussel chowder served with cheese muffins

Shortbread lemon tarts

Handmade gnocchi with burnt butter and garlic glaze

The classic potato bake

Yellow sugared pear butter with shortbread orange drops

Yellow sugared pear butter with shortbread orange drops

Ingredients

Method