Pittwater Life March 2018 Issue

Food Life
Sharing at the table over
the Easter long weekend
with Janelle Bloom
Food Life
Recipes: Janelle Bloom Photos: Ben Dearnley; Steve Brown; Benito Martin
The end of this month
ushers in the Easter
break we have all been
waiting for (well, I certainly
have). I look forward to sharing
great food with family
and friends around the long
table on the back deck. Here is
some of the food I am looking
forward to serving up – happy
Easter!
Olive Focaccia
Serves 4
1¼ cups warm water
2 tsp (7g sachet) instant dried
yeast
1 tsp caster sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups plain flour
3 tsp sea salt flakes
2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1. Combine the water, yeast,
sugar and 2 tablespoons
of oil in a bowl. Mix well.
Combine flour and 1 tsp
salt in the large bowl of an
electric master. Add yeast
mixture. Using the doughhook,
beat on low speed
until the dough comes
together.
2. Increase the speed to medium
and beat for 8 minutes
or until smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and a tea towel, set
aside in a warm place for
45 minutes or until dough
doubles in size.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C fan
forced. Grease a 20 x 30cm
pan. Punch the dough
down with your fist; knead
for 2 minutes or until
smooth. Press into the pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and
a tea towel and set aside in
a warm place for 15 minutes
or until dough doubles
in size.
4. Use your finger to press
dimples into the dough.
Brush the top with the
remaining oil. Press the
olives into the dough and
sprinkle over rosemary and
remaining salt. Bake for 20-
30 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm or at room
temperature with dips.
Barbecue T-Bone
with tomato
chilli jam
Serves 4 (Not Good Friday!)
4 thick cut (400g each) t bone
steaks
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dried pink peppercorns,
crushed
1 tsp sea salt flakes, crushed
Tomato chilli jam
2 red banana chillies, seeds
removed, roughly chopped
2 birdseye red chillies, seeds
in, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, roughly
chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 medium (600g) ripe
Short history of chocolate eggs & hot cross buns
Eggs have been associated with the Christian
festival of Easter, which celebrates the death
and resurrection of Christ, since the early days
of the church. However, Christian customs connected
with Easter eggs are also adaptations of
ancient pagan practices related to spring rites.
The earliest Easter eggs were hen or duck
eggs decorated at home in bright colors with
vegetable dye and charcoal. The Victorians
had cardboard, ‘plush’ and satin covered
eggs filled with Easter gifts and chocolates;
handmade chocolate Easter eggs date from the
early 19th century.
It wouldn’t be Easter without the Easter
Bunny, which appears to have originated in
Germany in the 17th century. Known as the
‘Easter Hare’, this mythical character distributed
eggs to children who had been wellbehaved,
in the same vein as Santa Claus. (Like
eggs, rabbits have a long symbolic association
with fertility.)
And then there’s the hot cross bun – an
English tradition dating from medieval times,
the spiced sweet bread is topped with a cross
made from flour paste to signify the crucifixion
of Christ.
tomatoes, peeled, halved,
seeds removed
1½ cups white sugar
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1. To make the Tomato chilli
jam: Process the chillies,
onion and garlic until
finely chopped. Transfer
to a medium, heavy-based
saucepan. Roughly chop
the tomatoes and add to
the saucepan with the
sugar, salt, vinegar and
water. Stir over medium
heat for 10 minutes or until
the sugar has dissolved.
Increase the heat to
medium-high and boil
gently for 35-40 minutes
until thick and jam-like.
Spoon into a sterilised jars,
seal and allow to cool.
64 MARCH 2018
The Local Voice Since 1991