recipes from cooking at the D.T.N.H friday 15th november
Todays menu
garlic and herb pull apart bread
cauliflower and cheese soup
gnocchi in brown butter and sage
blueberry muffins

The kids today at cooking at the Dunalley Tasman Neighbourhood house, had fun rolling the bread and shaping it to bake, making the muffins , peeling and chopping the potatoes and rolling the gnocchi and sitting down and eating a delicious lunch in the sun! They also had plenty of time to run free at the house, in the playroom and outside in the cubby house and gardens. It was unfortunate that the cauliflower in the garden I had eyeballed a week or so ago for the soup had gone to seed but I did find a few herbs to go with what a had taken from my garden. It was especially exciting to use a recipe from the new Bream Creek farmers Market Cookbook! We also did today remind a few of the local residents that they don’t need a child with them to join in on these once a month Friday sessions, or even a desire to cook at all, just to book in through the neighbourhood house and come for lunch and a chat.

Herb and garlic pull apart- from the thermomix everyday cookbook

Includes directions for making the butter

Butter
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch herbs (today it was chives, parsley, sage, tarragon and thyme)
5/600 g fresh cream, chilled, not thickened, minimum fat content 35%
500 g cold water

Bread
450 g lukewarm water
750 g bakers flour
1.5 tsp salt
4 tsp YeastPlace garlic and herbs into mixing bowl chop for 3 sec/speed 7. Set aside.

Insert Butterfly. Place cream into mixing bowl and beat for 1-3 min/speed 4 to separate*.

Once separated, strain buttermilk through the basket carefully. Remove Butterfly.
Place water into mixing bowl with separated butter and mix for 5-10 sec/speed 4.
Strain liquid again through basket and squeeze solids with your hand to extract all remaning liquid.
Once butter is ready, add garlic and herbs and mix for 30 sec/speed 4.
*The separating process takes between 1 and 3 minutes depending on the freshness of the cream.

Bread Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and mix for 5 sec/speed 7 to combine.
With dial set to knead, knead for 2 min
Let dough rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Roll onto ThermoMat into large rectangle and spread herb butter over dough.
If necessary, sprinkle dough with flour first to prevent butter from sliding off.
With a butter knife, cut 3-4cm wide strips. Fold each dough strip in a concertina pattern and place cut side up in a 26cm springform tin until all the strips are pressed in together.
Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. Serve hot.

If not using a thermomix you can use a basic bread dough recipe with a herb and garlic butter

 Cauliflower and cheese soup
1 clove garlic
1 onion
tsp oil
½ cauliflower
½  tablespoon TM veg stock paste
600 ml water
3 sprigs tarragon
100 grams cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

TM Directions
Put peeled onion and garlic in the bowl and chop 5seconds/ spped 5 . add oil  and cook 100/2 minutes/ speed stir and cauliflower, stock, water and cook 15minutes/ spped 1/ 100 C. add tarragon and cheese blend 1 minute slowly good from speed 1 to 10.

Stove top Directions.
Peel and chop onion and garlic fry in a heavy based pot over a medium heat with the oil for 2 minutes. Add water, stock cauliflower and simmer for abou 15 minutes, stirring reglarly. Add tarragona and cheese and puree

Gnocchi in a brown butter and sage sauce- from the Bream Creek Farmers Market cookbook

Serves 4 as an entree

Gnocchi
500 g Kennebec potatoes
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour

Brown Butter Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons garlic
2 tablespoons sage
Salt and pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves
100 g parmesan

For the gnocchi: Peel and dice the potatoes into 2cm dice. Place into a medium sized saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.  Drain well and cool slightly.  While the potatoes are still warm, mash well then mix in the eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper and flour.  The quantity of flour required may be slightly more or less depending on the potatoes.   Aim for a soft, slightly sticky dough.  To roll the gnocchi, take tablespoon sized pieces of dough, roll into a ball and flatten slightly with the back of a fork.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, and carefully place the gnocchi into the saucepan. Bring the water back to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they float to the surface.  Check that the gnocchi are cooked through before removing and drain.

For the sauce: Heat a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter.  Cook until it starts to froth. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for one minute.  Add the sage and sauté for a further minute.  Toss the gnocchi and spinach through the butter, season with salt and pepper and serve topped with shaved parmesan.

Blueberry Muffins
1 and ½ cup Self raising flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
3 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
180 grams blueberries
Put oven on 180 C

Melt butter and mix all ingredients together well but don’t over mix. Put into muffin cases and bake about 20 minutes until golden and cooked through