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Where does the inspiration for a meal come from for you? Every morning, I open the fridge door to jars full of jams, chutneys and pickles. They sit proudly amongst a bowl full of figs that were picked only days earlier from the fruit laden tree a couple of doors down. A carton of eggs laid by local chooks, homemade almond milk, a variety of nuts and a drawer full of the finest, nutrient dense vegetables that grow just down the road at Transition Farm - crisp lettuce heads, vibrant orange capsicums, bunches of long tropea onions and robust shiny green zucchinis. All just waiting to be turned into delicious meals. ​With our own veggie garden exploding with greenery, and carrots that were in need of thinning out, my mind started to piece together the culinary puzzle. Carrot top and silverbeet pesto. Zucchini ribbons and slender strands of spaghetti. A scattering of crushed toasted almonds and a generous grating of parmesan.... Using simple ingredients, a sprinkle of creativity and a handful of inspiration along with a mind that never stops dreaming about food, a simple meal was created. This what I love, this is what makes me happy. ​​ Green Spaghetti with carrot top and silverbeet pesto. Serves 4 250g spaghetti a large zucchini a good handful of carrot tops, washed well and chopped a big bunch of silverbeet or cavalo nero or kale, leaves stripped and chopped a large handful of basil, chopped 60g parmesan, plus extra for serving, grated zest of 1 lemon and its juice 3/4 cup of a mixture of almonds and walnuts, toasted in a dry frypan, roughly chopped light olive oil Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Make long ribbons with the zucchini using a spraliser, if you don't have one, try using a peeler to peel off long slender strands. Meanwhile, using a food processor or a mortar and a pestle, blitz together all of the pesto ingredients. I like to add the carrot tops first, give this a blitz and then do the same with the silverbeet leaves, you may need to do this in batches. add in the basil, parmesan, lemon zest and juice and 1/2 cup of nuts, blitz all of this until finely chopped. Add enough oil to make a smooth paste and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, reserve a little of the cooking water, and then drain the pasta. Pop the pasta back into the pot along with the zucchini ribbons. Stir through the pesto (the amount you use depends on how much you want to use, I had a small jar that I could fill with what was leftover when I added it to mine) Loosen it all with the reserved cooking water until it looks silky. Serve with extra grated parmesan and sprinkle over the reserved nuts along with a few basil leaves if you have some leftover.

In the pantry on the third shelf sits a container that is more often than not filled with some sort of home baked goodies. It just feels right when that container is full, a quick sweet treat to have at hand, especially when visitors pop around, it's always lovely to have something to put onto a pretty plate to offer them. We have been working our way through batches of buttery, lemony, almond shortbread over the last couple of weeks. I was inspired by a recipe that I had come across on the BakeClub website, www.bakeclub.com.au for rosemary and lemon sables. However, I had a friend coming to visit us the following day who is coeliac so I set about trying to make them gluten free, and so began some experimentation. The perfume that exploded out of the fine needle like leaves of the rosemary and lemon verbena as I finely chopped them was heavenly and as I rolled the buttery balls in my hands I may have sneakily pinched a few taste tests of the dough! with a thumb print pressed into the top and the oven waiting, they soon turned a wonderful shade of gold. The result was beautiful and delicate, a perfect little something to accompany a cup of tea or two. ​ ​ My littlest taste-tester thought they were well worth the effort of sneaking into the pantry when I was showering, when I stepped out I was met with a very cheeky albeit a very proud little man with a toothy grin as he held said biscuit up to his face excitedly saying, "look mummy, I got a bikkie!" It seems that he grew a little overnight and can now reach the biscuit container... needless to say it has since changed positions. ​​ Rosemary, lemon verbena and almond shortbread. Makes approx. 30 250g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 165g caster sugar 1 egg yolk 200g almond meal 140g rice flour, can use either brown or white 2 long sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped finely 1 sprig of lemon verbena, leaves removed and chopped finely. or zest of 1 lemon if you dont have lemon verbena Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside. Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat together for a couple of minutes until it starts to become pale and creamy. Add in the egg yolk along with the rosemary and lemon verbena (or lemon zest) and beat again until combined. Add the almond meal and rice flour and beat on a low speed until its all combined. Roll out about a tablespoon worth of mixture into little balls, place it into the palm of your hand and then using your thumb, press down into the middle to create a little dent. Place onto the prepared trays about 2.5cm apart. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden, swapping the trays halfway through the baking time. Allow to cool on the trays and then store in an airtight container. They will keep well for a few days.

​ ​My eyes were drawn to an open cardboard carton that sat on the workbench beside our front door. I had just arrived home and my first thought was that Ben had forgotten to take it down to the recycling bin. It wasn't until I peeked into it that I realised, with an audible gasp, it was in fact full of blushing, fuzzy-skinned apricots from our neighbours tree. Is there anything quite so special than the gifting of fresh homegrown produce? I am at a loss to come up with anything that matches that euphoric feeling! I cradled the box inside and found a couple of bowls to decant them into. Standing back to admire the beauty of a heavily laden kitchen bench, I felt the corners of my mouth rise to give a gentle smile. ​​ It was with great gusto that I slowly worked my way through those sunshine filled fruits until only a few remained in the bottom of the bowl, reserved for the pleasure of enjoying them fresh, allowing the juices to run down my hands. The others were poached with cardamom, honey and star anise. A large pot bubbled away happily, perfuming the whole house with sweetness and a delicate aroma of lavender escaped until it had reached setting point, ready to be poured into the awaiting jars. A thick, sticky experiment resulted in a cordial of sorts was bottled and the remaining were tossed with a few lonesome plums, pieces of dark chocolate and a touch of rosewater before being tumbled onto the centre of a buttery, gingery spiced pastry. Carefully pleating the edges to hold it all together, a fine scattering of demerara sugar glistened around the edges. ​​The smell, the sight, the rusticity of it all had my mouth watering, I couldn't help but pinch a little of the golden crust off and pop it into my mouth as I brushed orange-hued apricot jam over the top. It was thoroughly enjoyed over the following days with a large dollop of greek yoghurt spooned on top, but I would imagine that vanilla bean ice cream or crème fraiche would be just as delightful. Apricot crostata For the pastry 240g plain flour 1 tbsp. caster sugar a pinch of salt 1 tsp ground ginger 180g chilled unsalted butter about 60ml chilled water Measure out the ingredients into a bowl, reserving the chilled water for now, then tip out onto your bench. using a pastry scraper, cut the butter into the flour until only smallish chunks remain. drizzle over a little of the water and then carefully bring it together to form a ball. You still want to be able to see chunks and streaks of butter throughout. wrap it up or place into a bowl with an upturned plate on top and rest in the fridge for 40 minutes. You can always make this the day before and leave in the fridge, just remember to take it out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before so that it can be easily rolled out. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and place a sheet of baking paper over a baking tray or a pizza oven tray. I use a pizza tray which measures 30cm. roll out the dough on a lightly floured bench until it is slightly larger than the tray. then roll up onto the rolling pin and drape it over the tray. while the pastry rests in the fridge you can make the filling. 750g apricots, halved, pitted and quartered 30g dark chocolate, chopped 50g coconut sugar 50g caster sugar 40g plain flour 1 tsp rosewater 2 tbsp. almond meal for sprinkling on the base demerara sugar for sprinkling Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving the almond meal. Sprinkle the almond meal over the base of the pastry and then carefully tumble the fruit onto the centre of the pastry leaving about a 5cm border. lift the edges to form pleats and to hold the fruit in place and then sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Place into your oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow to rest for at least 40 minutes. But its equally delicious at room temperature when its completely cooled down. Enjoy with a dollop of yoghurt, a scoop of ice cream or a lick of crème fraiche. It will keep well for at least 4 days. ​​

As we drove off down the uneven dirt road, destined for our return home, his little sing-song voice exclaimed, "Mummy, I like that market, it fun!" And that crocodile mentioned above, well he found his way into the car, positioned directly beneath Beau's feet. They were sharing a "make-believe" ice cream. Thank goodness he was a friendly one! We whispered to one another as we ducked and weaved our way through the cherry trees, branches hanging low, laden with glistening ruby red gems. We were not only looking for those perfectly ripe dangling cherries but we were also keeping a close look out for the fairies who were darting in and out between the trunks of the trees. Beau had informed me that they were in fact having a tea party and he wanted to join in. We also had to keep a close eye on the crocodile who was lurking about...the imagination of a child is a wondrous thing. I love that sound of the cherries hitting the bottom of the bucket, every so slowly weighing my arm down as its filled. Beau followed behind, face and hands covered in cherry juice - his cherries, dare I say it, were not even close to making it into said bucket. No, they ended straight up in his tummy! As we drove off down the uneven dirt road, destined for our return home, his little sing-song voice exclaimed, "Mummy, I like that market, it fun!" And that crocodile mentioned above, well he found his way into the car, postioned directly beneath Beau's feet. They were sharing a "make-believe" ice cream. Thank goodness he was a friendly one! Each year I promise myself a cherry pitter and each year I forget, or go to buy one and find that every other person has had the same idea and that the store has sold out. So it was my thumbs, yet again, that received a workout as I sat at my kitchen bench removing the tiny little pips and popping the halved cherries into my large jam making pot. Toasted, freshly ground cloves, peppercorns and cardamom pods were stirred through the vibrant piping hot liquid and it was all allowed to bubble away before pouring into the awaiting jars. I generously spread the last remaining spoonfuls from the bottom of the pot onto a thick slice of fresh sourdough and ate it then and there whilst standing in my kitchen, the sunlight filtering through the window, the pool of sticky warm jam glistening. I just love this time of the year, especially when it comes to gifting edible treats. There is a simply joy gained when one takes the time to package up a little parcel of home made goodies - biscuits, mince pies, granola and jars of jam just to name a few. Perhaps if you do find yourself making this jam, you too can realise that simple joy when you hand over a jar to a friend, a neighbour or someone special in your life. Just remember to save those last remaining spoonfuls from the bottom of the pot for yourself...its the best part! Spiced Cherry Jam Makes about 11 x 120ml jars 1.2kg fresh cherries, pitted and halved 1/2 cup lemon juice 10 cardamom pods 10 cloves 10 peppercorns 1 cinnamon stick 3 cups sugar In a small dry frypan, add the spices and peppercorns and toast lightly until fragrant. Then crush to a fine powder either using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Once you have pitted all of your cherries, pop them into a large pot, reserving the pips in a square of muslin, tie this up into a little parcel and set aside for the time being. Pour in 1 cup of water and the lemon juice and place the cherry pip parcel in with this too. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat so that it is just bubbling away nicely. Stir every now and then for the next 30 minutes, or until the cherries are tender when pushed with the back of the spoon. Now you can stir in your lovely spice mixture. Pour in the sugar and stir until its completely dissolved. Return the cherry mixture to a boil and then reduce down so that it is bubbling away a bit more than what it would be on just a simmer. You can scrape off the scum that rises as you go, but I tend to do this at the very end. Make sure you continue to stir quite often as you don't want the jam to stick to the bottom of the pot! Let it bubble away like this for at least 30-40 minutes, or until thickened. You can pop a small plate into the freezer and when you think that the jam is done simply put a small spoonful of jam onto the plate and then pop it back into the freezer for about 30 seconds, if when you slide your finger through the middle and it leaves a pathway then the jam is ready. It is important to keep a close eye on it once it has almost reached setting point as it can very quickly burn!! Trust me, its happened more than once and the poor pot was never the same! While the jam is bubbling you can get your jars ready. I simply soak them in hot water in the sink and then place them onto a baking tray and pop them into the oven on about 120 degrees until they are dry. Turn the heat off the jam when you are happy with the consistency and run a spoon around the top to remove any scummy looking bits. ladle into a jug and then carefully pour into the jars, it will be piping hot so be careful. tighten the lids, using a dishcloth and an oven glove works for me and then turn the jars upside down for a couple of minutes before turning them the right way up once again. (this helps to seal the lids) Wipe down with a hot cloth and leave to cool completely. Label and date and store in a cool, dark spot. It will last at least 12 months. Once opened store in your fridge.

At times it begins with a thought; an idea starts to form in my mind. It may have been something I had read, smelt or tasted and in some cases it comes about from having a few egg whites leftover, a small amount of sour cream sitting in the fridge or I just generally have a wave of inspiration wash over me and allow those flood gates to open wide. Since taking part in Anneka Manning's "The science of baking e-course" which you can have a look at over on www.bakeclub.com.au, I have found myself feeling more confident in trialling out the different recipes that pop into my head. Having an understanding about the structure certain bakes need and the way in which each ingredient plays a vital role was not only extremely interesting to learn about but it also has made me an even more observant baker in the process. It was this luscious dark chocolate and cumquat maramlade cake that had been weaving its way to the forefront of my mind for a while. Once I was finally given the chance to bring her to life I grabbed at with both hands. Melted velvety smooth dark chocolate rivers were swirled through feather-light meringue creating that wonderful marble effect that always has me stopping for a moment to admire. With the bowl scraped clean, a cheeky taste of the batter, the timer set. All I could do was cross my fingers and wait. With my notebook on the bench, I quickly scribbled down some words, weights and oven temperature and times. Allowed to cool, she was then dusted in a fine layer of rich cocoa powder. her fragrance was magnificent. I carefully cut a small wedge and gave a little clap of my hands. Now all that was left to do was to taste. I took my cake fork to the pointy end and as I popped it into my mouth, my eyes closed and I could feel the flavours, the texture, the warmth dancing around every surface of my mouth. The very slight, subtle bitterness of the marmalade peeking through. And just like that, as if by magic, Ben arrived home, eyes wide as he spied the cake on the bench, "can I have some, or do I need to wait until its been photographed?" he said with longing."you can have that piece" I gestured. As I waited, he too closed his eyes, took another mouthful, looked at me and said with a puzzled expression, "What's in it?" my shoulders slumped ever so slightly as i waited for his verdict once told that it was marmalade... "it's delicious" A sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to say something else!" I replied as he helped himself to another piece. Two days later all that remained on the plate were crumbs. Dark chocolate, roasted almond and cumquat marmalade cake. Makes a 22cm cake You can use any marmalade you like, I just so happened to have a few jars of cumquat marmalade on the shelf. 180g dark chocolate 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature 140g caster sugar zest from one orange 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature 90g sour cream 100g plain flour 150g roasted almonds extra 2 tbsp. caster sugar 1/4 cup of marmalade of your choice Preheat your oven to 160 degrees, fan-forced. Grease a 22cm springform cake tin with butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. Lay the almonds out onto a baking tray and pop into the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until they have that lovely roasted taste to them. Set aside and allow to cool. Once cool, place them into a processor and blitz until they turn into a meal. Don't go too far though otherwise you will end up with a paste instead. Pop the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pot of slowly simmering water and allow to melt until lovely and smooth. Set aside. Cream the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and add the yolks, one at a time to the creamed mixture, mixing well between additions. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix until combined. stir through the almond meal, flour and sour cream. In a clean bowl, pour in the eggwhites and with the whisk attached and the power to low to start with start whisking. Gradually building up speed to medium once there are small bubbles appearing, add in the 2 tbsp. of sugar and continue to whisk until it reaches the soft peak stage. Carefully fold the meringue through the chocolate mixture in two batches until just combined. Spread half of the batter into the tin and then spread the marmalade over the top, finally finishing with the remaining batter. Smooth it all out with an offset spatula or the back of the spoon and pop it into the oven for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before removing and placing onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with a fine layer of cocoa powder and serve with crème fraiche, vanilla ice cream or simply by itself. It can be stored in the fridge for at least 5 days but I really don't think it will last that long anyway.

A slice of oozy creamy brie sat on top of a piece of Smyrna sun-dried quince and I was in heaven. As I stood there savouring every last morsel I cold feel the ideas blooming in my mind. Walnuts! Yes, walnuts! What if I was to put these three things together - the quince, the brie and the walnuts to create some sort of savoury dish. And so the process began. My pen and notebook at the ready as words quickly appeared on the page. Books were opened and the pages flicked through with a flurry. I was on a mission. I closed my eyes and imagined tasting these things together. I had remembered that Sue from Singing Magpie Produce had told me that the quince paired really well with salmon, so I naturally had to include this into the equation, however, it was in the form of flaked hot-smoked salmon that it appeared and what followed was a creamy yet light filling encased in a crisp and buttery walnut and rosemary crust. A tart was born and with it came a new-found love affair with sun-dried quince. I have now made this tart three times, tweaking and changing things here and there in the hope that you too may create it in your own kitchen. It can be served hot, at room temperature or simply straight out of the fridge, cold, for when those hunger pangs just cant wait a minute longer. It would be perfect to take along to a picnic or gathering and even better gifted to a friend or family member. I will leave that choice up to you. But I can without doubt be sure that you will fall head over heels for Sue's quince and find yourself having to refrain from eating the whole packet when it arrives in your mailbox, consequently re-ordering some and perhaps sneaking a couple of other of her delicious products in your online shopping basket too! Makes one 23-25cm tart Walnut and Rosemary pastry 100g toasted walnuts 350g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 200g cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks 1 free-range egg a sprig of rosemary Add the walnuts and rosemary leaves to a small food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Pop into a bowl with the flour, salt and butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles course breadcrumbs. Add the egg and bring the dough together with your hands. Lightly flour your bench and knead the dough into a ball, very briefly just so that it all comes together. Pat it out into a disc and wrap in cling film. Place into the fridge to have a little rest for at least 30 minutes. Or, overnight. Just make sure you take it out to reach room temperature again before rolling out. This will make it much easier to handle. Grease the base and sides of a 23-25cm loose bottomed tart tin well using a pastry brush and a little melted butter, making sure you really get into all of the fluted edges of the sides and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees. When the pastry has finished resting, roll out onto a lightly floured bench until it is just a bit bigger than your tin and then carefully place into the tin. The easiest way to do this is to take your rolling pin and roll the pastry onto it, then carefully roll it back down on top of the tin. If the pastry is quite soft or, if its a warm day place the pastry lined tin back into the fridge for 20 minutes. I do this regardless. Sit the tin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Trim the edges and Carefully place foil onto the pastry and push down so its sits flat, then fill with pie weights, or if you don't have these you can use rice. Place into the oven for 20 minutes then lift up the foil just to check that there are no holes or cracks and bake for another 10 minutes. Or until the pastry feels dry to the touch, patch up any cracks with leftover dough. You may have leftover pastry which is always a good thing, simply wrap it up tightly and place into the freezer for another time or you can make smaller mini tarts with whatever you have leftover. For the filling 2 leeks, top and tailed and sliced thinly 40g butter 1 tbsp. olive oil 150g creamy Brie 300g ricotta 6 eggs 300ml thickened cream 85g sun-dried smyrna quince (I order these through Singing Magpie Produce) 150g hot smoked salmon Set your oven temperature to 170 degrees. First of all you will need to cook your leeks, so place a large frypan on the stove with a medium heat, pop in the butter and oil and allow to melt, add the leeks and a pinch of salt and stir frequently until softened and just starting to colour. Set aside. Using a food processor or high powered blender, place the ricotta and brie in and then blitz them together until smooth. Add in the eggs, cream and a grinding of black pepper and a pinch of salt and then blend again until lovely and smooth. Stir through the leeks. Now you need to pour in about half of the ricotta mixture into your tart shell and then place the quince slices on top of this followed by the flaked salmon. Pour the rest of the ricotta mix over the top, it should come just below the rim of the pastry. Carefully place into the oven and cook for about 60 minutes. It will puff up and look wonderfully golden on top. Dont worry that it then deflates on resting, its supposed to and you havent done anything wrong. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for at least 15-20 minutes before removing from the tin. Slice and serve with a simple green salad and a zesty dressing. Leftovers can be enjoyed straight from the fridge, warmed in the oven or wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for at least 2 months.

My feet quickly scurried over the icy-cold pavers towards the carport; our second fridge lives out there and I grasped whatever it was that I was heading outside to get firmly in my hands before rushing back up to our blue front door. It was when I took that first step inside that for a moment I was back in my Nanna Joy's home, her home in Box Hill. It always felt so large and the driveway was so long, with the grass strip running right the way down the middle. The grass was thick and spongy and she always kept the odd fork or two in the garden beds, which stuck upright, the tines resting in the dark, rich soil. A hills hoist stood proudly in the centre of the back lawn which provided many a cheeky swing around by my brother and I, before being told "get down from there!" My imagination ran wild at the thought of all the creepy crawlies that lurked in the shadows of the old, un-used outback toilet that sat up on the left hand side of the garden, thank goodness there was another, more user friendly one closer to the house! And then there was the green, long-corded rotary dial telephone that sat next to the black teledex, I loved listening to the sound it made as I turned the dial.... It was in her kitchen however, that I have perhaps the fondest of memories. It had this certain smell of baking and cooking which intermingled and infused the air. My brother and I would sit at the high bench waiting patiently for the sausage rolls to be pulled from the oven. Their golden, flaky pastry shells shining under the light that filtered in through the kitchen windows. Her strong hands handled them delicately as she pulled one by one off the trays to cool. Soon after a plate would appear in front of us and a giant dollop of "Black Crow" tomato sauce would dive out of the glass bottle, I remember always having to "smack" the bottom of the bottle to will it on out. We would greedily scoop the sauce up with our almost too-hot-to-handle sausage rolls which would leave a trail of pastry flakes in the smear that was left behind. More often than not, fluffy pikelets would follow, flipped with an expert ease and magically appear before our wide hungry eyes. Those days seem so long ago but then they also feel as though they happened only yesterday. It only takes a batch of sausage rolls to take me back to those days of sitting in Nanna Joy's kitchen. She lives on in many ways, but it is through her sausage rolls where much of the happiness and "joy" are shared. A party was never complete without a tray piled high and they were always the first to disappear. They were well known amongst many of the customers at the café too and my Aunty became quite the expert maker/roller/baker, I wouldn't dare try to count how many she would have made over the years! Perhaps its the addition of diced bacon or the dash of savoury/sweet Worcestershire sauce that gives it that little something special that makes myself and many others reach for "just one more". I think it has something to do with both, but I also think that its the memories that will be forever rolled into each one. That first bite when lips become covered in flaky pastry crumbs and the smear of rich red tomato sauce on the plate is all that remains. Yes, it is these and many more thoughts that will always put a smile on my face. More so now, knowing that these same memories will be created for Beau, for there will always be a plate piled high at every one of his parties and the occasional batch will be (allowed) to cool on the kitchen bench, lined up as straight as soldiers, ready to tempt any hungry tummies after time spent out in the crisp winter air. And each time I will give Nanna Joy a little nod and thank her for the moments and memories that she helped to create, that made our childhood as special as it was. Nanna Joy's Sausage Rolls Makes about 16 large or quite a few party sized 2kg Sausage meat 2 brown onions, finely diced 6 rashers of bacon, diced, fat trimmed 4 tbsp. tomato sauce 4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 cup breadcrumbs about 8 sheets of puff pastry (I like to use Borgs) 1 egg & a dash of milk for brushing Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. line trays with baking paper so they are ready and waiting. In a large bowl combine the sausage meat, onions, bacon, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumbs. season well. Your hands will be the best tools for this next part as it requires a bit of mixing and squishing together so that all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Lay out the pastry sheets and then using a sharp knife cut down the middle of each one so that you now have two long sheets. Take a good handful of the meat mix and first squish it into a ball and then using two hands start to form it into a sausage shape. lay it down towards the left hand side of one of the halved sheets and then stretch it out so that its an even shape and touches the top and bottom of the pastry sheet. You may need to add more mixture or take some away, just don't overfill them as they will burst their bottoms when they cook! Maybe try a practice one and see how it rolls up and then you will be able to judge better for the rest of them. Continue to do this until all the mixture has been used up. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk and mix together and then using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash down the centre of each sheet and then one by one roll them up so that the seam is on the bottom. Now you can either just cup them in half and have 2 large sausage rolls or you can cut them into 4 and have party sized ones. I will leave that up to you. Place them onto the prepared trays, leaving a bit of space in between each one. Brush with egg wash and then pop them into your oven for about 40 minutes (swapping trays around half way through) or until they are golden, shiny and look good enough to eat! Allow them to cool on the trays until they are cool enough to handle, or you could pluck a couple from the tray, minding your fingers, onto a plate, a good dollop of tomato sauce (or a lovely chutney) and enjoy them hot, straight from the oven. Pop the rest onto some cooling racks and allow to cool completely before storing them in airtight containers, with sheets of baking paper in between the layers. They will keep in the fridge, for at least 5 days ready for a quick re-heat in the oven for lunches in the days that follow. Or you can freeze them for up to 2 months.

Butter; What is it that makes it so special? What is the very first thing that pops into your mind at the mention of it? Is it a golden, crispy-skinned roast chicken that has been smeared in the stuff? Perhaps it’s the sound of the knife, scratching over the surface of toasted sourdough, crumbs flying here, there and everywhere all over the kitchen bench as you try to spread fridge-cold butter right to the crusty edges. When I think of butter I often think of baking. Rubbing cold cubes of butter into flour for the first stages of pastry making. Creaming it with sugar until its pale and fluffy. And melting it on the stove until it has reached that gorgeous nut-brown stage, sending a blanket of caramel-like aromas throughout the kitchen. The latter takes me back to a day. One that I will never forget. We used to make a burnt butter tart at the café, which quite often would very quickly disappear from the counter before lunch time arrived. It would be topped with seasonal fruits, spices and even the scattering of dark chocolate and coconut at times. I always loved coming up with different flavour combinations as it could withstand just about anything, making it a very good vessel to become experimental with. This particular day saw us have a rush of orders come in all at the one time. I had just put the pot with the butter in it on to the stove to “burn” it before being whisked from the kitchen to help out the front. Stuck out there a little longer than I had imagined I turned to face a customer who appeared to have a look of concern on her face, “your kitchen is on fire!” My eyes darted over to the kitchen and there flying high above the pot on the stove were some very angry looking flames! Quickly opening the door, I had lost all memory of where the fire blanket was (It was of course right where it always was) and for a moment I was frozen. My dad came in, grabbed one of the lids off the stock pots and threw it over the top of the flames. The butter was indeed burnt, burnt to oblivion and the pot wasn’t in very good shape either, it was never quite the same after that. I however, continued on with “burning” butter, always erring on the side of caution and never leaving it out of my sight. Lesson learnt! I had been playing around with an idea that had been swirling in my mind for a while now, jotting down notes in my baking journal as they appeared. It was a tart that I wanted to create, using poached quince of course, I just can’t seem to get enough of them at the moment. My first trial run was ok, but it was lacking that something special. It was during a conversation with the ever so lovely, Sally Frawley @sallyfrawley during a day of photographing and styling together that the “something special” was unearthed…. Quince butter. A glorious smooth paste of pureed poached quince poured into a baking dish and cooked until it reaches an even more intense colour and flavour. I could happily have eaten it just like that, perhaps on a slice or two of freshly baked sourdough with a scattering of creamy goats’ cheese… I had an idea, however, and I was determined on bringing it to life. And so, this quince and frangipane tart with a burnt butter crust was created, with a very last-minute sprinkling of coarsely crushed almonds added on top. It was lovely. So much so that I am sharing it with you in the hope that you too may find a moment or two to have a couple of hours to yourself in the kitchen, rolling, stirring and sprinkling. Just remember to always keep a watchful eye on that burning butter! Quince frangipane burnt butter tart Makes 1 23cm tart 125g unsalted butter 200g flour 50g polenta 70g caster sugar 1 egg Pinch of salt 1-2 tbsp cold water In a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it has reached that lovely nut-brown colour, but be careful you don’t take it too far! Pour into a small bowl, scraping out those burnt bits on the bottom too and then place into the fridge to harden. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the polenta, sugar and salt and then take your butter from the fridge and using a spoon, scoop it out into the bowl. Now you need to rub the butter and flour mix in between your fingertips until there are no longer large chunks of butter left. Add the egg and stir together with your fingertips, add in the water a little at a time until it forms into a neat ball of dough. Flatten it out slightly and press any cracks that have formed back together, wrap in cling wrap and then pop into the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. When ready to roll out take out of the fridge 30 minutes before hand, depending on how hot or cold your kitchen is you may need to wait longer or get on with rolling soon after you have taken it from the fridge. On a lightly floured bench, roll out until it is slightly larger than the tin you will be using. Roll it up onto the rolling pin and then drape over your tin and very carefully ease it in, trimming a little of the excess pastry away. (keep this handy though) Pop into the fridge again for another 30 minutes. For the Quince butter…. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. You will need to have poached quinces on hand for this, I do have a recipe for this together with the quince and apple tart in the recipe before this one. You will need 500g of poached quince, blitzed in a food processor until lovely and smooth and then poured into a baking dish lined with baking paper. Now you can pop this into the oven for an hour, stirring halfway through. Once it’s done, set aside to cool. You can do this a few days beforehand if you like and keep it in the fridge. Now to blind bake your pastry. Increase the oven to 200 degrees and either using baking paper or foil to line the pastry case you will then need to fill this with pie weights or rice or dried beans. Place the tart tin onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and place on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, then take it out and lift the paper very carefully just to take a peek to see if you need to patch any cracks or holes in your pastry with the pastry offcuts. Once this has been done, pop it back into the oven, on the middle shelf for a further 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and remove the baking paper and weights. Allow to cool. To make the Frangipane… 100g unsalted butter, softened 100g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Finely grated zest of an orange 2 eggs, lightly whisked 100g almond meal 100g almonds, coarsely crushed in a food processor or in a zip lock back and bash with a rolling pin Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and zest together until creamy and smooth, then gradually add the egg and beat until combined, you may need to scrape down the side of your bowl and then continue to beat. Fold in the almond meal until everything is combined. Now to fill your tart… Reduce the oven back to 180degrees. Using a palette knife or the back of a spoon spread the quince butter evenly over the base then do the same with the frangipane and then finally scatter over the crushed almonds and smooth it all out evenly. Place the tart into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch when lightly pressed with your fingertip in the centre. If you find that the edges of the tart are browning a little too much, simply create a collar, of sorts, with some pieces of foil and then continue to bake. Once she’s done, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before placing onto a lovely platter and serving with a big dollop of thick Greek yoghurt, crème fraiche or vanilla bean ice cream. I hope you enjoy, and I would love to see your creation of this if you do get the chance to have that quiet moment in the kitchen. Don’t forget to tag @amy_minichiello_ if you do, Amy xx

I really never used to look forward to the colder months; the change in seasons and the rain were more of a hinderance than anything else. But as my love for food and cooking grew so did my love for the above. I now look forward to these changes and everything that comes with it. The pure joy and excitement that fills me from top to toe at the sight of the first heads of snow white cauliflower; the crates of those colourful, taught skinned varieties of the new seasons' apples with insides crisp, juicy and sweet and Then of course there are those fuzzy-skinned fruits, that are rather magical in their own right. As I write this, a tumbled pile of these yellow delights sits amongst bowls and plates of chestnuts, lemons, pomegranates and apples. They patiently await their moment to shine, just like the precious rubies they turn into after hours of slow cooking. Whether it be on the stove, in a slow cooker or in the oven the process is the same, they need to simmer away slowly while they fill the home with spiced aromas of whatever it is that you have chosen to flavour them with. A cinnamon stick, cloves, a bay leaf perhaps, or you may be more inclined to pop a star anise into the mix or a generous spoonful of glistening honey. A slender split vanilla bean doesn't go astray either. The end result is one that only keeps on giving, that is until they have disappeared, which can only mean one thing....another trip to the farmers market on the weekend. A quick glance every now and then is all they ask of you, which means you are free to potter about doing other things around the home or simply choose a book and allow yourself the pleasure of getting lost amongst the pages for a while. (I need to do this more!) Over time they will transition from pink to ruby red as the windows steam up with the promise of what is to come. If all you do is spoon a few of the tender quarters into a bowl and top with a dollop of thick, creamy yoghurt then that is perfect. I do quite enjoy them on top of my morning porridge with a little drizzle of the poaching syrup over the top. But, if you do feel like being a little more adventurous then there is this... a cross between a pie/tart/cake/crumble of sorts. Whatever it is, it is comfort and it is delicious. Especially when the rain beats against the windows and the open fire is crackling away. I do have such a soft spot for any sort of crumble. It is perhaps because they make me feel that little bit closer to my grandmothers' again. I think that they all would have enjoyed this tart very much. Well I hope that they would have anyway. For all of the elaborate desserts and the multi tiered cakes being created out in the world today, it is these simple, honest, "old-fashioned" recipes that I feel the most connected to. And that connection extends to the seasons and the many "gifts" that each one brings along with it. At the end of the day the months will change, the air will become cooler and the days will shorten. But there will always be cake and mugs of hot tea to wrap your hands around and that is certainly something to embrace. To poach your quinces 5-6 quince, peeled, cored and quartered cinnamon stick 2 star anise 1 bay leaf 1 lemon, sliced 1 tbsp. honey 1 cup sugar In a large pot place all of your ingredients in, don't worry that the quinces are turning brown, they will be ok. Pour in enough water to cover them and then turn the heat on high, stir until the sugar has dissolved and then bring it all to a boil, reduce the heat to low. Place a cartouche over the top. Simply cut out a circle that will fit on top of the quinces and cut a smaller circle in the centre (this allows for steam to escape) pop the lid on your pot and allow to simmer away slowly for a good 3 hours or so, or until you are happy with the beautiful colour they have turned into. Once coloured to your liking, turn off the heat and allow them to cool in their syrup overnight. Then spoon them every so gently into glass jars or containers and cover with the syrup. Place them into the fridge where they will catch your eye every time you open the door. They will sit there happily for at least 3 weeks, but I doubt they will last that long. For the tart 1 orange 1 lemon 2 granny smiths, peeled and grated 4 poached quinces, or 16 quarters For the base 85g caster sugar 85g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 egg yolk 120g wholemeal plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder For the hazelnut crumble 50g brown sugar 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature 75g plain flour 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1tsp ground cinnamon 50g hazelnuts icing sugar, for dusting Preheat your oven to 200* fan-forced and grease a 20cm springform cake tin with butter and line with baking paper. Finely grate the lemon and orange with a microplane and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange and pour into a medium sized saucepan, then peel your apples and grate them and place them into the pot with the juice and the diced quince and stir them all together to combine. Pop the pot over a medium heat and cook until everything has melded together and the juices have reduced, it should be quite thick and pulpy, if its not just continue to cook while stirring occasionally until it is. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for at least half an hour. Next you need to make your base by beating together the butter, sugar and half of the reserved zest until smooth, then add in the egg yolk and continue to beat until its smooth and light. Sift over the flour and baking powder and then stir this in until everything has come together. Now all you need to do is to spoon this mixture into the base of the cake tin and press it down with your hands. I find that if you use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup this makes it a lot easier to get a level bottom. Spoon the quince and apple mixture on top of the base and smooth out evenly with a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Lastly, the crumble topping..In a medium bowl, place the sugar, butter, flour and spices in and then using your fingertips you want to rub the butter into the dry ingredients so that it looks "crumbly" its ok if you have a few bigger chunks of butter too. Add the remaining zest and Roughly chop your hazelnuts and mix them through as well. Sprinkle this mixture all over the top as evenly as you can and now you can pop her into the oven, Its always a good idea to place the tin on a baking tray on top of a piece of baking paper when using a springform tin, so I recommend doing this. Bake your cake for about 50 minutes or until the top has turned a lovely shade of gold and your home smells like Grandmas house. When you are happy with how it looks, remove her carefully from the oven and allow to sit in the tin until completely cool. Once cool, remove from the tin, being careful that the quince and apple mixture hasn't stuck to the sides anywhere, if it has just run a knife around and then release the tin. Place onto a pretty plate and dust with icing sugar and serve with a big dollop of greek yoghurt, crème fraiche or gently whipped cream. I imagine a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream would be quite lovely too!

My thick woollen turtle neck jumper slips on over my head and I pull a double layer of socks over my feet. Our little home, with its timber floorboards and cool draughts that sneak through the door can become quite the ice box at this time of the year. The season has changed once again and its now time for those slow cooked meals of comforting ragus, bubbling pots of thick, hearty soups and hot buttered toast. Cosy "home days" tucked up inside while the swirl of wood smoke fills the air from the surrounding chimneys. It's Autumn and its my favourite season of all. Droplets of rain string together like little fairy lights, clinging to the branches and the added warmth of the oven is a welcome relief, standing in front of it as it warms the backs of my legs. Even though I do find myself turning that oven on in the heat of summer, there is not much else that I enjoy more than turning it on as soon as the cooler weather blows into town. It's as though my hands just want to create even more. That, or the fact that baked treats partner so well with the chillier, cosier months. (note: When i wrote this a week ago, I thought the warmer weather was well and truly behind us, alas, the weather had different ideas and today reached a top of 29 degrees! With the days ahead forecast for much the same, perfect for a long weekend camping trip!) I had been awaiting the parcel eagerly, already playing around with the ideas in my mind as to what I was going to create when they arrived! It was the ruby red that glistened through the clear window in the package that caught my eye first, how could it not. I wasn't going to wait a moment longer. I cut open the bag and clasped a sticky sun-dried Smyrna quince slice in between my fingers and then I popped it right into my mouth. Determined that I would not eat them all straight from the packet (which would be ridiculously easy to do, especially with a lovely wedge of blue cheese!) I set about creating a savoury tart. Layered with buttery leeks, creamy brie and ricotta which was all encased in a toasted walnut pastry shell. Keep your eye out for this recipe soon! The next required much toing and froing. Should I bake a cake, cookies, biscuits? Many thoughts and scribbled notes later resulted in these special little chocolate, ginger and sun-dried quince biscuits. Which may I add are quite more-ish. They would make quite the lovely edible Easter gift for a friend or neighbour or you could simply make them to store in the biscuit jar. The dough also freezes really well which is perfect for when you need a little something quite quickly or for when the time does not allow for baking adventures. All that is needed to pretty them up is a dunk into a pool of melted dark chocolate and a touch of edible gold leaf and you have yourself a special Easter (or anytime) treat. Chocolate and sun-dried quince Easter biscuits Inspired by a recipe from Belinda Jeffery's "Mix & Bake" 250g plain flour 50g cocoa (I always like to use Callebaut) 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp. ground ginger 20g crystallised ginger 100g sun-dried Smyrna quince (You can order these online from Singing Magpie Produce) 250g unsalted butter, left out of the fridge for at least an hour. 150g light brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste about 80g dark chocolate, melted (double this amount if baking both of the logs) edible gold leaf (optional) can be found online, or cake stores or places like Essential Ingredient. If you have a food processor then it will come in handy here (I don't) but I do use my Vitamix which works perfectly fine too. So with whatever you have to hand, place the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and ginger into the processor/blender and whizz it around for a few seconds until its combined. Pop the crystallised ginger and the quince in now and then give it a good few bursts. Pour this mixture into a bowl. Now add the butter, brown sugar and the vanilla in and blend it all together until its lovely and creamy. You may need to scrape down the sides to make sure that its all blending together evenly. Now pour the flour mixture back into the blender/processor with the butter and sugar. You want it to just come together. If using a high-powered blender (like I do) you will need to use the long stick thingy to help the mixture along. Now scrape everything out with a spatula into a bowl and cover and pop into the fridge for at least 45 minutes, or until the dough firms up enough for you to divide it into two and roll each of them into logs. You may just be able to kind of press it into this shape. About 5cm in diameter should be about right. Tear off two sheets of baking paper, a little longer than the rolled dough logs and place each one onto a sheet, then roll it up and then do the same with a sheet each of foil. Twisting the ends so that they look like Christmas bon bons. Peheat your oven to 170*. Now pop these into the freezer for at least 1/2 an hour, or until firm. You can leave the logs like this in the freezer for a month or two and then when you need a little treat or an edible gift to surprise someone with then all you need to do is to take one or both out of the freezer for about 1/2 an hour (depending on how warm it is) and then slice and bake. If baking after that 1/2 an hour is up then you want to unroll them from their little sleeping bags and simply slice them into about 8-10mm thick rounds and place them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, about 4cm apart. This recipe does make quite a lot so it may be a good idea to keep one of the logs in the freezer for another time. Bake for 10 minutes and then swap the trays over and around so that they all bake evenly and bake for another 5 or so minutes. Its a little more difficult to tell when chcolate biscuits are ready, but they should be just a little soft in the centre if you touch them lightly with your fingertip, as they cool they will crisp up. Remove them from the oven when you are happy with the way they are and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once they have cooled completely, set a small saucepan of water (you don't need much about 1/2 a cup) over a high heat and bring to a simmer, turn down and place a heatproof bowl over the top with the chocolate in it and stir with a spatula until melted. Turn the flame off and very carefully remove the bowl from the pot. Now pick up a biscuit, tilt the bowl so that you get a lovely pool of chocolate to dip one half of the biscuit into. place back onto the cooling rack to dry completely. Repeat with remaining biscuits. If using the gold leaf, you will need a small paint brush, one that has a narrow tip. very carefully peel pieces of the gold leaf up with the brush and then place onto the biscuits. Try not to touch it with your fingers as it sticks to everything! You can leave them to dry completely on your bench, or pop into the fridge for 1/2 an hour to set the chocolate. Then place into a container or package up and give them as gifts. They will keep for a week.

The sun had not yet peeped over the horizon as I peeled myself from our cosy bed. I had set my alarm early that Sunday morning to allow myself enough time to bundle together everything i needed for this, the first of what I hope will be many, pot-luck "Instagram meet" picnics. Jars of homemade pickles, relishes and rosemary and poppyseed crackers were placed into the cooler bag while my vintage china plates, tea cups and cutlery were wrapped in a white tablecloth, dainty blue flowers embroided around the edges. As I gently placed these into the picnic basket, the kettle was busily boiling and the thermos sat waiting patiently. Last but not least was the burnt butter and beetroot cake, which sat happily on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Beau and I waved good bye to Ben as he shut the gate behind us. Another adventure awaited! They had predicted showers but all I could see ahead were clear cornflower blue skies as we made our way to the St Kilda Botanical Gardens, in Melbourne. We managed to find a car park right out the front, with Beau tucked into his pram and me juggling baskets, cakes and the black card table, we found the perfect spot. From the gravel path we made our way over the lush green grass and there stood a magnificent Moreton Bay fig tree. The sunlight dappling the ground underneath as the rays filtered through the large branches. Trees like this, with their grand old trunks always stop me in my tracks, if only they could tell us their stories it would be like sitting with an old wise "well-travelled" woman. Underneath the fallen leaves had created a carpet and I set about "styling" up the table. It was when Beau and I were collecting leaves when out from under the canopy of the low-lying branches we met Meredith (@meredithgaston). A glowing, radiant human being who is may i say, as kind and beautiful as she comes across in her many books and her instagram page. I felt as though I was meeting an old friend and as we sat under the tree hearing one another's stories while Beau drifted off to the land of nod. we enjoyed a lovingly prepared salad of slow-roasted tomatoes, tempeh, quinoa which had a delicate crown of micro greens before being joined by yet another lovely soul, Eleni (@myfamilysfooddiary) and her beautiful daughter, Xenia. She has a passion for her Greek culture that I find infectious and makes me want to cook and eat everything that she shares so very generously on her instagram page and her blog. I find it so uplifting when i get to meet (in real-life) people who i have "met" through social media, especially when they are as geniune and down to earth as they come across in the digital world. I guess it may be because we feel like we know them a little bit before we meet each other and have common interests. I have been so incredibly lucky to have been able to have that connection with quite a few people who I have befriended through this amazing platfrom that opens the world up to even bigger possibilities and new connections. Which is why I am determined to meet as many of you who have been following me, showing me support and leaving some of the most beautfil, heart felt comments that quite literally leave me with a tear in my eye. And its not only those who follow me but those I enjoy following too, reading your stories, indulging in your beautiful photography and trying to soak up as much of the knowledge that is so generously shared by others, that leaves me wanting to make those connections in the real world too. So watch this space as I would love to try and organise little meet ups like this a few times throughout the year. Even as I write this, a couple of weeks later, I cant wipe the smile from my face. Human connection brings so many values to our lives. A sense of belonging, community and a support system and meeting people who are like-minded creates conversations that flow on for hours without a care in the world as to what time it is. I think that is priceless, especially in a world where life seems to whizz by 1000km an hour and in 5 minutes you are another year in! And saying "How is it already April?" I left those gardens that sunday afternoon with two new friends, a happy heart and a belly full of delicious food. And for that I am grateful. As I am a big one for giving and sharing I would love to share with you the brunt butter and beetroot cake that I made for this special day. With the idea that you too can perhaps make it, gather some of your community and enjoy together. If all you get from it is a couple of hours of good conversation, laughter and a memory of a lovely afternoon then im pretty sure that it would be better than sitting at home, by yourself in front of a screen. Just try it, you may come away with a new friend or two, and we can never have too many of them! Burnt Butter & Beetroot cake Makes a double layer 23cm cake, or you can halve the recipe and make 1 23cm cake. 6 free-range eggs, at room temperature 350g caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 500g beetroot, grated. if you can find a mix of different colours, red, striped and golden beets then its makes it just that little extra special 350g plain flour pinch of salt 10g baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 240g unsalted butter Preheat your oven to 170' and grease with butter and line with baking paper either 2 23cm cake tins or 1 23cm. In a small saucepan, pop in the butter and you want to melt it and then cook it until its reached that lovely nutty brown colour and smell. Watch it carefully though as when it does get to this stage it can easily go too far! Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and add the salt into a bowl. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until its turned into a fluffy, pale concoction, almost double in size of the original mixture. It will be almost cloud-like. Gently fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until almost combined and then do the same with the beetroot. Turning the bowl as you gently fold the batter over itself until its all combined. Next you want to add a couple of spoonful's of the batter into the burnt butter and give it a stir really well. scraping up any of those burnt bits that stick to the bottom. Pour this into the rest of the batter and gently fold again. Pour half into one tin and the other into the second tin. Or alternatively just the one tin if you are halving the recipe. smooth the tops with a spatula. Pop into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops bounce back when lightly touched. If they don't then just bake for another 5 minutes. All ovens are so different, so go with your gut feeling. Remove from the oven and let them rest in the tin/s for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. *I like to bake this cake the day before assembling it, so as to make sure it has completely cooled before icing. But if you don't have this time, then simply pop her into the fridge for at least an hour after she has cooled at room temperature for about 40 minutes and then you will be right to go. It is quite a delicate cake so just be extra careful when removing from the tin/s. Once you are ready to "dress" her up. Choose a lovely cake plate or any plate that it will fit nicely on and place the first cake layer on, then spread with half of the icing and a drizzle of the reserved beetroot syrup. Position the second layer on top and again spread lavishly with remaining icing. Arranging the beetroot slices on top in whatever way takes your creative fancy. Just make sure that you have removed the cardamom pods. Drizzle with remaining syrup. I also like to scatter a few little edible pink rosebuds over the top, or for something even more elaborate, you could try adding a touch of edible gold leaf for a little sparkle. For the ricotta and cream cheese icing Halve this if you are making just the one cake. 250g cream cheese, at room temperature 250g ricotta zest of a lemon (or orange would be lovely too) 1 cup icing sugar, sifted In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using hand held beaters, beat the cheeses together until smooth, add in the zest and the icing sugar and continue to beat on a relatively high speed until its lovely and smooth. Set aside. For the candied beetroot 2-3 small beetroot, thinly sliced, I don't have a mandolin, but if you do then definitely use it. try using the one colour for these for if you were to mix the red with the golden everything would turn pink! 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 crushed cardamom pods (optional) In a medium saucepan pour in the water and add the sugar, over a medium-high heat, stir the sugar until it dissloves then add in your beetroot slices, cardamom pods (if using) and vanilla bean paste and continue to simmer just so that there are little bubbles on the surface popping through for about 20-30 minutes, or until the beetroot has turned translucent. Using a pair tongs, place the slices onto the baking tray lined with baking paper and leave to cool. Pour the syrup into a small bowl and set aside. You will use this later for drizzling over your cake. The layered cake shown here has been made with a beetroot praline instead. Here is the recipe. 350g beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced 200g caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 cardamom pods, crushed 150g water Add the sugar, vanilla and water to a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, next add you beetroot slices and then reduce to a simmer and cook until it has almost reduced, 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then. Using tongs, pull out the beetroot slices and lay them onto a cooling rack with baking paper over the top, pour over any remaning syrup and allow to cool. These are a lot more candy-like than the recipe above. *This lovely cake will keep, wrapped in the fridge, for up to 5 days.

Early morning rain had dampened the earth and the sun was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. Mum, Beau and I quickly threw our legs over the rusted old gate at the entrance of the fibro shack two doors down. From our living room window I can see it; the large green leaves swaying in the breeze; the birds flitting this way and that as their bellies swell from nibbling at the fruit. This is when I know that they are ready and it is time. So, there we were, standing under the canopy of the old fig tree, her leaves dappled with droplets of rain and with each pluck of a plump, purple-hued fig, it was quickly followed by a "plop" as they landed softly against the paper bag. My mind was going 100 miles an hour as to what to do with these gems. After having already received an abundance from the very lovely Trish, I set about making jam, with a touch of limoncello (you can find the recipe at the bottom of the page) and as it bubbled away on the stove top my mind wandered again. A pile of cookbooks and a few scribbled notes later I had captured them! praline figs, dotted with butter and roasted until their collective juices pooled at the bottom of the dish; scattered with crushed almond praline and served with thick greek yoghurt (this recipe can be found on Sophie Hansen's blog www.local-lovely.com) next came honey-roasted figs; figs preserved in brandy followed by balsamic figs with a piece of soft, snow-white goats cheese nestled into the centers. But it was these, delicate lemon scented cream cheese baby cakes dolloped with a whipped goats cheese curd which allowed for a slice or two of honey-roasted fig to nestle comfortably into, before being scattered with hazelnut praline and finally drizzled with ribbons of honey that really made me happy. Ripening fruit waits for no one and at times it may feel as if one is drowning in a surplus of seasonal produce! However it is always lovely to give whatever it may be away, be that fresh or bottled, preserved or baked. Because handing over something that that your hands have created; a jar of glistening, seed-speckled jam or a plate of little cakes to a neighbour, well, there just isnt many other simple pleasures that give both the giver and receiver an infinite amount of joy! Little Lemon scented baby cakes Recipe adapted from Belinda Jeffery's "Mix & Bake" cookbook, Cream cheese & citrus butter cake 225g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp bi-carb soda 1/2 tsp salt 185g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 150g cream cheese, softened at room temperature 275g caster sugar grated zest from 2 lemons 3 free-range eggs, at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Lemon syrup (optional) Will make for a moist version 55g caster sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin (or you can use dariole moulds if you happen to have them) with butter and then place a round piece of baking paper at the bottom of each hole. line the sides with paper as well, its easier if you create a sort of collar with them and wrap them around to sit in each hole. Sift the flour, baking powder, bi-carb and salt into a large bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl using hand held beaters, pop your butter and cream cheese in and then beat until smooth and combined. Add in the sugar and the lemon zest and then continue to beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides at least once or twice so that everything is combined. Next, add the eggs one by one, giving them a little whisk to break the yolk up before adding to the batter. Wait until the first egg has been incorpoated and then add the next. Add the vanilla and mix again. stop the mixer and pour in the dry ingredients and then pop it back onto the mixer and give it one or two little pulses before turning staright on, otherwise you will end up in a floury mess! continue to mix slowly until the flour is just combined. Scrape down the sides and give it a final stir with your spoon. spoon the batter into the muffin tin, coming about half way up. place into your oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops spring back lightly when touched on top. You can also use a cake tester or skewer to check if they are done. While your cakes are baking away, now you can make the syrup. In a small saucepan add the sugar and lemon juice, making sure there are no pips. Stir continuously over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then allow to simmer for about a minute. Take off the heat and set aside. Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes, then remove the collars and run a knife around the outsides, then carefully ease your knife down one side and lever the little cakes out. sit them on the cooling rack so that what was their bottoms in the tin are now their tops, and place them either onto a tray or on top of a sheet of baking paper so that there is less mess to clean up after having poured the lemon syrup over each one. Allow them to cool completely. They can be made a day ahead and stored into an airtight container at room temperature if you would prefer to ice them the following day. Goats cheese curd icing 40g goats cheese (I like to use Meredith Dairy) 200ml thickened cream 70g icing sugar, sifted In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the cheese and sugar together until smooth, slowly start to pour in the cream and then whisk until its a velvety smooth texture that holds its shape. You can make this the day before and let it sit in the fridge. Hazelnut praline This will make more than you need, but it is very handy to have stored in the freezer in an airtight container, with baking paper between each shard. 120g hazelnuts, roasted 110g caster sugar 80ml water 1 tsp apple cider vinegar Lay your hazelnuts out on to a small baking tray and pop them into the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until they are starting to colour. allow to cool and then roughly chop them up. Prepare a baking tray with baking paper and set to the side. In a medium saucepan add the sugar, water and vinegar and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. This next part requires you to allow it to sit there without touching until those small little bubbles start to turn a toasty golden colour. At this point you really do need to keep a very close eye on it as it can very quickly have a mind of its own and burn! as soon as it is smelling toffe-like, remove from the heat and add the nuts, give it a good stir and then place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, spread it out as best as you can with the back of the spoon and then allow to cool completely. Be careful, it is extremely hot! Then as quickly as you can fill the pot right up to the rim with hot water, add the spoon and allow to sit in the sink, it makes washing up so much easier!! Honey roasted figs If you spy a fig tree hanging over the fence, in a park or in a neighbours yard (ideally a holiday home) then keep a very close eye on those ripening figs, they are gold! If not, simply buy from your local farmers market. About 8-10 figs a good drizzle of honey enough softened butter to dot onto about half of the figs Slice the figs into about 3 and lay them out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. drizzle over the honey and dot over the butter and then place into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, or until softened. Allow to cool. You may end up with more than what you need but they are very delicious on top of warming spiced porridge the next morning for breakfast. All of these elements can be done at least a day in advance, the praline will last in the freezer for ages and the goats curd icing and figs will keep in the fridge, covered. To assemble Take your little baby cakes and sit them in a row on your bench. Next give the icing a bit of a stir and then dollop a spoonful on each cake. lay a slice or two of honey-roasted fig on top and then roughly chop some of the praline and scatter over the top. drizzle with a little honey, (i love this part as i watch the honey slowly glisten and fall from the spoon creating a stream of liquid gold) Boil the kettle, place a baby cake on to a pretty china plate, a cake fork to the side. Make your hot beverage of choice and choose your most comfy spot in your home and enjoy the few minutes of stillness. Fig & Limoncello Jam Makes about 4 1/2 cups, but I usually double the recipe. 1kg fresh figs 80ml lemon juice 2 tbsp limoncello 1kg sugar (you can either use caster or regular) 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste Sterilise your jars. Wash them in hot water and then place onto an oven tray and into the oven at 150 degrees. Allow them to sit in there while the jam cooks. Wash your lovely figs and then chop them into quarters. Pop them into a large pot along with the juice, limoncello and 125 ml of water. Bring them to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until they are soft. Add in the sugar and vanilla bean paste and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring back to the boil and then reduce until it is all bubbling away like a lava field. Leave it alone but do come back to stir every now and then, watching to make sure its not catching on the bottom of the pot. Remove any foamy, scummy looking bits from the top and continue to cook for anywhere between 25-60 minutes. You can test for the setting point by placing a small dish in the freezer and then plopping a little jam on to the plate and then putting back into the freezer for a couple of minutes. If when you slide your finger through the centre of the jam creating a path and it stays put, then your jam is ready. Remove from the heat and being very, very careful using a jug and perhaps a wide neck funnel, pour the jam into the jars, seal tightly with their matching lids and give them a wipe with a hot cloth, turn upside down and leave for 5 minutes before turning right side up again to completely cool. Label and store in a cool dark place and enjoy giving it away or spread thickly onto hot buttered toast! I not so secretly enjoy scraping the last little spoonful left in the bottom of the pot onto said hot buttered toast as the dishes wait patiently to be washed.