My Weekend in Whangarei... And the Market...

It's been a mostly fine weekend in Whangarei and I have been out and about...
Doing all sorts of things.
I got up early on Saturday and went to the Whangarei market ...
A popular bustling place with fresh fruit and vegetables, yummy treats and boutique meats and cheeses.
This 'Farmers Market' was established in 1997 by 2 growers to sell direct to the public, quality produce  locally grown with minimal or no spray.
It was the first market of its type.
It starts at 6.30 am every Saturday, prime time till 7.30 and closes at 10.30am...
So the early bird catches the worm.
I always think I'm not going to buy much... But just as well I took two carry bags with me.
As you can see I  came home with delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, a fennel bulb...
Slice thinly in a salad... Or poach white fish in a little milk or cream, add sliced fennel, some walnuts and cook gently till liquid evaporated or put in a dish, top with potatoes mashed with liquid and hey presto...
A delicious fish pie.
In the jar is bright green basil pesto and the eggs are so huge a rubber band was necessary round the box.
I stopped on my walk home to get croissants to have with fresh coffee...
Sitting in the sun in my bus.

On another trip to the supermarket I bought the ingredients to make my Christmas Mincemeat...
I gave you the recipe a few days ago... Well here it is, the ingredients all  measured and weighed...
Ready to whizz up...

Here is the end result... In my big stock pot that I told you has several uses...
Mostly as my kitchen rubbish tin (lined with a plastic bag)... But on this occasion for combining the
mincement. A liberal slosh of brandy will ensure it keeps for years...
If it doesn't all get scoffed this year...
I will make it into little tarts, muffins, eccles cakes and as a topping
over my home made ice cream.
The bits of green you can see are the apple skins...
And the white is the suet which will disappear when cooked.

The end result in jars ready to  hide away to 'mature'...
The small jar is my prunes in gin... The yellow bits lemon zest.

 

Christmas Is Coming... Some Of My Favourites...

PRUNES IN GIN....
These are a really decadent Christmas indulgence...
Some prunes... 
Some lemon zest...
And a bottle of gin 
Pack prunes into a nice shaped jar. Put lemon zest in between. Press down, cover with gin and Hey presto!
In 6 months you will have absolutely the most delicious heavenly 'Liqueur Chocolate'. .
On a cheeseboard they are sensational.
Also eat as a snack with pre-dinner drinks...
Or as a desert... Perhaps with home made ice cream - Recipe tomorrow.
Put into small jars to give as gifts.


CHRISTMAS MINCEMEAT PIES

 

CHRISTMAS MINCEMEAT

500gr apples unpeeled (I use Granny Smith, I like the tartness)

125gr suet (I buy in a box at supermarket)

225gr raisins (I like the fat sticky Lexia raisins)

500gr brown sugar

125gr candied lemon peel

225gr currants

2 teasp mixed spice

1/2 teasp salt

Juice & grated rind of 1 lemon

Mince fruit and suet. Mix all ingredients together.

Add brandy - as much as you like.

I add lots... It's a preservative.

With lots of brandy it will  keep for a very long time... And keep maturing in flavour. 

I make this mincemeat at least 6 months prior to Xmas...

 Sometimes I make double and keep some till the following year.

I also use it during the year as a topping over home made ice cream.

A dinner party favourite.


For those who are fans, above is my recipe for these little pies. I keep them in the freezer and just defrost them when I want them.
They make beautiful gifts.
Last year I gave a friend a dozen and he ran a blind tasting with his family, pitting home made pies against shop bought - home made won hands down!

You can 'lid' these pies any way you want. I like the stars (I've tried other shapes like hearts; nothing seems to work as well as stars), sometimes I put a full lid with a glace cherry or blanched almond on top.  

I used to make these pies with my Mum. 

It is a tried and true recipe passed down my family.

Mince or whizz with a 'stick' to be as fine or chunky as you like.

I always use the Neenish Tart pastry recipe from the Edmonds book. It suits fruit mince pies really well, it's sweet - but doesn't crumble when you bite into it spilling fruit mince all down your front! 
It can be used straight away or refrigerated or frozen in portions for later use.

Recipe below...

 

There are other uses for Christmas fruit mince...

Try it in muffins... or in small filo pastry parcels.

Make cinnamon buns adding fruit mince...
Or a bread wreath with fruit mince spread through the dough.

CHRISTMAS DAY MUFFINS

2 cups flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 teasp baking powder

1 teasp baking soda

pinch star anise

pinch gr cloves

75gr butter

1 cup milk or buttermilk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup fruit mincemeat

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 eggs, beaten

1 teasp grated orange zest

chopped glace cherries or cranberries to garnish

icing sugar for dusting or make a runny icing & drizszle over

Mix flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and spices together.

Melt butter, add milk, stir in sugar then mincemeat & berries. 

Whisk in the eggs & zest.

Fold wet mixture into dry mix. Do not overmix.

Spoon into tins or paper cases.

Cook 180deg 20-25 mins.