delicious Australia - May 2020

FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT
KEFIR
S E A S O N A L
UPDATE
Top produce picks by Mike
McEnearney, head chef of Kitchen
by Mike and creative director of
Carriageworks Farmers’ Market.
a 1L glass jar.
COCONUT & TURMERIC
KEFIR WITH GINGER &
CAYENNE
SERVES 4
Begin this recipe at least
1 day ahead. You will need
3 young coconuts (substitute coconut
water)
1-2 probiotic capsules or 2 tbs water kefir
grains (both from health food shops)
1 1 /2 tbs finely grated fresh turmeric or
1 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1 /2 tbs finely grated ginger
Pinch of cayenne pepper (more if desired)
Preheat oven to 150°C. Wash a 1L glass jar
and a non-metal spoon in hot soapy water,
then run them through the dishwasher on a
hot-rinse cycle to sterilise. Alternatively,
place the jar and spoon in a large saucepan
filled with water and boil for 10 minutes.
Place on a baking tray in the oven until dry.
Cool completely at room temperature.
delicious.com.au/food-files
For more tips on making the
most of ingredients.
KEFIR
If you’re feeling a little sluggish, Pete Evans’ supercharged
water kefir might just be the lift you need.
Meanwhile, open the coconuts by
cutting off the tops. Strain the coconut
water into sterilised jar. If using a probiotic
capsule, open capsule and add probiotic
powder or kefir grains to the coconut
water, then add turmeric, ginger and
cayenne. Stir well using sterilised spoon.
Cover with a piece of muslin and secure
with a rubber band. Place in the pantry for
24-48 hours to ferment. The kefir is ready
when the water turns from relatively clear
to cloudy white.
Taste test the kefir after 24-30 hours. It
should taste sour, with no sweetness left,
like coconut beer. Some batches are fizzier
than others but all are beneficial.
If it still tastes sweet, place it back in the
pantry for remaining fermentation time.
When you’re happy with the flavour, pour
through a sieve to remove kefir grains (if
using) and return kefir to the jar. Store in
the fridge for up to 2 months. Kefir grains
can be left in coconut water in the fridge
until you make your next batch of kefir
(refresh coconut water every 5 days or so).
Follow Pete
@chefpeteevans
Follow Mike
@mikemcenearney
DAYS ARE COOLER and a
tad shorter. Our bodies crave
the nourishment the shifting
season demands and, luckily,
these months give up some
of the year’s best, most
varied bounty: mandarins, persimmons,
pears, avocados and root vegetables.
When there are tonnes of mandarins
around they are perfect to juice. I make a
tonic by slow juicing them, adding oregano,
and half a chilli, which gets your blood
rushing. The oregano has antibacterial and
antiviral qualities to help keep the good
bugs in your tummy. Grab some mandarins
from Watkins Orchard at Carriageworks.
Persimmons are in good shape right
now. They have a tonne of vitamin C to
help boost immune systems. Slice thinly
and use in a salad with olive oil, preserved
lemons, capers and marjoram. Eden from
Fanelli Organics offers persimmons from
a grower within his co-op.
Pears are super versatile and come in
many varieties. I use them up in chutneys
and jams, however my favourite is to bottle
them in sugar syrup and put them away to
use throughout the year. Lesley and
Quentin at Kurrawong Organics has a good
stock of beurre bosc and other varieties.
We have producers at Carriageworks
that grow only avocados. Look out for
Bob’s Farm and Burbnar Fruit. High in
monounsaturated fatty acids as well as
omega 6, avos can help lower cholesterol.
Besides smashed avo on toast, I like to eat
them for breakfast with a dollop of miso
and a drizzle of olive oil.
My favourite root vegetable right now is
the celeriac. It’s great roasted or mashed
to serve with different types of meat, or try
it grated raw into salads. Look out for
good-quality celeriac at Block 11.