Recipes, home grown goodness, BBQing and food stuff
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<p>Mad fucking Scientists always win.</p>
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<p>Mmmmm... Guatemalan Insanity Pepper...</p>
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<p><img src="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/0/09/Pepper.jpg" alt="Pepper.jpg"></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="551249" data-time="1452143629"><p>Mad fucking Scientists always win.<br>
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Mmmmm... Guatemalan Insanity Pepper...<br>
<br><img src="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/simpsons/images/0/09/Pepper.jpg" alt="Pepper.jpg"></p></blockquote>
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Ha, I remember that episode with Johnny Cash as the voice of the talking dog. Brilliantly twisted. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="551386" data-time="1452205878"><p>
Ha, I remember that episode with Johnny Cash as the voice of the talking dog. Brilliantly twisted.</p></blockquote>
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That's probably one of my favourite episodes , Cash was a coyote wasn't he? -
<p>yeah I'd be keen on a plum sauce recipe, although my lone tree is looking fairly sparse (only in it's 2nd season of fruiting so I am pretty stoked with it) it is a Billington Plum.</p>
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<p>With your dried tomatoes, how do you store them?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="551719" data-time="1452458601">
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<p>Crucial! (or anyone) Any fabulous Plum Sauce recipes? I am going to harvest the tree tonight</p>
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<p>I'll get out my notebook tonight and post up.</p>
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<p>If your plums are ripe and full of natural sugars, I also have a recipe I use for tamirillos which makes a kind of fruit based chilli jam. I use my smoked jalapenos in it and it is damn tasty with meats and cheeses.</p>
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<p>As for keeping your tomatoes, I tend to only partly dry them (in a low oven) to concentrate the flavours then bag them and freeze them. Just get them out when you need them for pasta etc. I'm not big on strong sundried tomato flavour in salads and stuff but doing it this way works well for cooked dishes during the rest of the year.</p>
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<p>I now have my new toy of a vacuum sealer so will be able to store them better as well.</p>
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<p>The smoked chillis, I finish them off in the oven them keep them in a jar with a couple of those silica sachets you get among packaging. Helps keep them dry.</p> -
<p>I tried some of my cherry tomato's I dried yesterday on home made pizza, they were pretty good, could probably add some chilli powder or something to them for a bit more punch.</p>
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<p><strong>Smoked Chilli Tomato Sauce</strong><br>
Makes about 1 litre</p>
<p>1.5kg tomatoes (skinned)<br>
450g finely chopped onion<br>
400ml malt vinegar<br>
200g soft brown sugar<br>
3 tbsp salt<br>
Smoked chillis (you need to judge this based on what they are like. Late season ones that have developed more heat/seed will be much hotter. Try 2. You can always boost later.)<br>
2 tbsps ground allspice<br>
4 ground cloves 1tbsp worcestershire sauce</p>
<p>Slowly cook off onions with a little oil to develop a bit of colour then add a cup or so of tomatoes and cook down. You are looking to slightly caramelise this as a base.<br>
Add everything else and simmer for around 2 hours, lid on to start, but then remove lid so that sauce reduces to around a litre.<br>
Whiz it all up with a blender and check for consistency/ flavour. You can reduce further to concentrate flavour if needed or if you like it as is even add about a tbsp of arrowroot (mixed with same quantity of soy sauce) as a thickener.</p> -
<p>A basic learning needed please.</p>
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<p>I have done so before but for some reason I struggle to time the boiling of the tomatoes before skinning them. Then I end up with a bit too much tomatoe waste</p>
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<p>Tips for skinning tomatoes please.</p> -
<p>Couple of ways</p>
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<p>Get a big pot of water on the boil. Cut a small cross on the bottom of each tomato. Put a few in the water at a time for around 10-30 seconds depending on variety/ripeness. Lift them out with slotted spoon and put in second pot/bowl of iced water. Skins should just slide off.</p>
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<p>What I tend to do is to cut the toms into half done the middle and put them in the sauce like that. The skins just cook off and all you need to do is know how many you have (eg 12 tomatoes = 24 skins to find). I find I can easy just pluck them out of the sauce after a bit of cooking using a pair of tongs.</p>
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<p>edit: re-read your post and see it is probably the judging time in the first method? If so you can usually see the edges start to curl at the cuts you made. Give it a few more seconds and you should be right.</p>
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<p>I started doing it the second way when I was using over ripe 'sauce' toms. I agree that the traditional method can result in a lot of loss of flesh.</p> -
<p>Two good tips!</p>
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<p>Thanks!</p>
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<p>Will definitely do this sauce as the Mother In Law is over for a couple of nights and she arrived with a kg of marts which is cool but we will have bucket loads soon as ours are starting to ripen</p> -
<p>I know it isnt the season for soup, but the better half isnt a fan of the sauces and the like I am making and she suggested I make her some tomato soup...</p>
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<p>Any good tomato recipes? While I am sure I can find a heap of recipes via Mr. Google, I would prefer a TSF one!</p> -
<p>TR - why not a gazpacho - perfect for sultry summer nights and you can sneak in a chilli hit</p>
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<p><span>Serves 4</span></p>
<p><span>100g slightly stale crusty white bread, soaked in cold water for 20 mins<br>
1kg very ripe tomatoes, diced<br>
1 ripe red and 1 green capsicum, deseeded and diced<br>
1 medium cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced<br>
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed</span></p>
<p><span>1 chilli (or more) deseeded and diced<br>
150ml extra virgin olive oil<br>
2tbsp sherry vinegar<br>
Salt, to taste</span></p>
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<p><span>Mix the diced tomatoes, peppers and cucumber with the crushed garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Squeeze out the bread, tear it roughly into chunks, and add to the mixture.</span></p>
<p><span>Blend until smooth, then add the salt and vinegar to taste and stir well.</span></p>
<p><span>Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled.</span></p>
<p><span>Serve with garnishes of your choice: diced black olives, hard-boiled egg and small pieces of cucumber and pepper; mint or parsley also works well, spring onion, cubes of jamon etc</span></p>
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<p><span>Perfect starter before some grilled prawns and salad.</span></p>
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<p><span>Serve with a tempranillo or if you want to be uber-trendy a chilled Gisborne Albarino</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="552523" data-time="1452804566">
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<p>Crucial. Waiting on plum sauce recipe please. Picked a couple of KG's last night.</p>
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<p>OK, will find tonight.</p>
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<p>EDIT: You could substitute the tomatoes in that previous recipe for plums, maybe add a touch of water or apple juice. I will get that Tamarillo Chilli Jam one for you though</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="552528" data-time="1452805318">
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<p>TR - why not a gazpacho - perfect for sultry summer nights and you can sneak in a chilli hit</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Serves 4</span></p>
<p><span>100g slightly stale crusty white bread, soaked in cold water for 20 mins<br>
1kg very ripe tomatoes, diced<br>
1 ripe red and 1 green capsicum, deseeded and diced<br>
1 medium cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced<br>
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed</span></p>
<p><span>1 chilli (or more) deseeded and diced<br>
150ml extra virgin olive oil<br>
2tbsp sherry vinegar<br>
Salt, to taste</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Mix the diced tomatoes, peppers and cucumber with the crushed garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Squeeze out the bread, tear it roughly into chunks, and add to the mixture.</span></p>
<p><span>Blend until smooth, then add the salt and vinegar to taste and stir well.</span></p>
<p><span>Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled.</span></p>
<p><span>Serve with garnishes of your choice: diced black olives, hard-boiled egg and small pieces of cucumber and pepper; mint or parsley also works well, spring onion, cubes of jamon etc</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Perfect starter before some grilled prawns and salad.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Serve with a tempranillo or if you want to be uber-trendy a chilled Gisborne Albarino</span></p>
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<p>sounds good, although wife is not big on the chilli factor.</p> -
If you have a glut of really good ripe tomatoes you must try Panzanella. You will need:-<br><br>1. Said tomatoes, quartered if a decent size, otherwise halved.<br>2. Half that quantity of cucumber, skinned and cut into chunks.<br>3. Same quantity of red onion, halved and then sliced.<br>4. Same quantity as tomatoes of good, crusty leftover bread (Baguette or rustic sourdough are ideal),slightly stale, torn into bite sized chunks.<br>5. 1 clove of garlic finely chopped.<br>6. Some parsley, finely chopped.<br><br>Combine the tomatoes, cucumber and onion in a large mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper then dress with some good olive oil and a little red wine vinegar. Leave for 15 minutes or so.<br><br>Add garlic and bread and mix carefully by hand. Leave for about ten minutes (depending on the staleness of the bread [you need the bread to absorb the flavours but not get mushy, a little bite to it is ideal]). Add parsley.<br><br>Eat with a glass of rustic red wine.<br><br>Repeat until finished.<br><br>NB. Tomatoes must be ripe, ripe, ripe
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<p>Hooroo,</p>
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<p>Tamarillo Chipotle Jam (or substitute plums in your case)</p>
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<p>1kg Tamarillo (riper the better)</p>
<p>2 medium onions finely chopped</p>
<p>200ml red wine vinegar</p>
<p>200g soft brown sugar</p>
<p>Smoked Chillis to taste (about 2 decent smoked jalapenos)</p>
<p>1.5 tbsp salt</p>
<p>1tsp allspice</p>
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<p>Chuck it all in a pot and simmer for at least an hour. This one you want to have reduce down to a runny jam like consistency. If the fruit doesn't have enough liquid to start just add a little apple juice (you'll see what it is like after 10 minutes or so. You want enough liquid to simmer away for that first hour before it starts reducing)</p>
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<p>As for the skins, I use the method of keeping the fruit pieces large then plucking the skins out. Easy with the tough Tamarillo skins. With plums you could even just leave them one and whiz it up in a food processor at the end. Personally I don't mind a bit of finely whizzed skin in it.</p>