The Last Quinces

These are the last of the quinces- isn't the colour just divine! They were poached in a light sugar syrup with a little lemon and a vanilla bean. They taste just amazing. I can't wait for quince season to start year so I can try some more recipes.

Lunch Group

I am lucky enough to be part of a group of 8 ladies that get together every second month and have lunch. Not just any lunch anywhere, we take turns in hosting the lunch. The host prepares the whole lunch and chooses recipes that are new to her. They could be from a latest cooking magazine, new cookbook or just something they have always wanted to try, and copies of the recipes are made for everyone.

Last Friday it was my turn. It was so much fun all getting together. It was even raining, so as we are all partners in broad acre cropping enterprises, we could all have a drink and toast the first rain of the season. Whilst our husbands were off preparing machinery and seeding with their packed lunches of sandwiches, we enjoyed the menu below.

warm garlic and rosemary olives with parmesan

crispbread

prosciutto and stracchino rolls

zucchini, raisin and pine nit crostini

quince paste with a selection of cheeses

baked meatballs with tomato and tamarind sauce

pilaf with currants and cashews

mint sambal

spinach raita

tiramisu ice-cream cake

coffee, tea and chocolates

Everything worked well. Most of the recipes came from the April and May issues of Delicious and the olives were from a Donna Hay magazine.Everything I will definitely make again except the olives, they were ok but I have a better recipe for a similar dish. Next time I will have to take pictures.

Quince Paste and Chocolate Cake

I did manage to get around to making my first ever batch of quince paste a last weekend and I must say I am pleased with the results. I followed Stephanie Alexander's recipe in her book The Cook's Companion. It made a huge batch and only took two hours of stirring not the 3 1/2 I thought it would. Doesn't look that fab in theses photos, looked much better when it was all chopped up. Will test it out of family this weekend.




Eggless Chocolate Cake

Mix the following together in a large bowl:
3 cups plain flour, sifted
2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp salt

In a jug whisk the following together vigorously:
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla essence

Pour the liquid mix over the dry mix and combine thoroughly. Pour into a greased and lined lamington tin (approx 20cm by 30cm) and bake at about 170* for about an hour- depending on your oven.

Birthday Girl

It is Emmeline's first birthday on Saturday so we had a nice morning tea with a few friends over to help celebrate today as the next few days will be a bit busy.

Emme appeared to enjoy the cake. If I haven't already, I will blog the cake recipe as it is an eggless chocolate cake that is really easy, surprisingly fluffy and moist, and only requires staples that are usually in the cupboard. We have some good friends who are anafelactic to egg, so this recipe is the one I tend to use most these days when we have kids around. `