Foodlovers Foodtalk Forum
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Re: Your tips please... - 12 years ago
Gosh, I will have to think about it. A couple that spring to mind: Kids lunch boxes: If you give them cut up apple or pear, put a squirt of lime juice in the container and shake to coat. It will stop the fruit going brown and adds a nice tang. Finger food: Do as much preparation as you can the day before the party. Finger food can be time consuming and fiddly to put together and you don't wby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: February 2012 challenge summer surplus - 12 years ago
I have SO many zucchini. I grow a yellow and green variety called zephyr. And I was invited to one of those parties where the hostess sells stuff and asked to take a plate. So I adapted the Foodlover's pumpkin hummus recipe (http://www.foodlovers.co.nz/recipes/pumpkin-hummus.html) to use up one very large zucchini (seeds removed). Instead of cooked pumpkin, I grated the zucchini and then sauteby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Making Tomato Sauce like the Watties one - 12 years ago
Acetic acid (liquid) is non-fermented white vinegar. Look out for cheap white vinegar in the supermarket and check the label - it's probably non-fermented. Not my choice of vinegar but is probably the most similar to what large sauce producers use. The trick to getting consistency right is the length of time it simmers. The longer it simmers, the thicker it ends up. I've sometimes bubbled mineby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: tomatoes - 12 years ago
helen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am working my way through a tomato sauc feature > and wondered if you had any "tips" that we could > share on making the best tomato sauce? When making a tomato sauce for immediate use, eg over pasta (not a condiment), I saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms, capsicum, etc, and then I add a good shakeby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Pasta maker - will I won't I use it? - 12 years ago
I use mine - not often, but often enough to make it worth keeping. I make my lasagne pasta super-thin and do lots of layers (4+) and I much prefer home made pasta sheets to the standard thick, flabby fresh pasta in the supermarket. Plus at certain times of the year we have a glut of eggs - I can't justify paying $5 or whatever for a pack of fresh pasta when I can make my own for a little effort aby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: setting up home cake decorating buisness - 12 years ago
Where are you JC? I know that where we are (North Canterbury), some of the rugby clubs and some local schools have registered kitchens that I expect they rent out when they are not in use. There used to be a commercial one (ie specially built to rent out as a commercial kitchen), but they took the 'for hire' sign down after it changed hands recently. You could try the local council - ask for tby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: tomatoes - 12 years ago
If it's of any interest, I've got about 350 tomato plants flowering like mad at the moment. I mostly sell at the roadside stall and farmers' market when I have too many, but this year looks like it might be a bumper crop so I will probably do bulk sales direct in a month or two. I've planted lots of different sizes and colours, though the majority are medium to cherry size rather than sauce tomatby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: bottles for tomato sauce - 12 years ago
If the sauce is hot when it goes into a standard sauce bottle and the lid is put on straightaway, it pops in when it cools, creating a vaccuum. I buy sauce bottles in bulk from Arthur Holmes because I sometimes make it for sale (I have a registered kitchen), however you can reuse sauce bottles or jam jars from shop bought products. Just check the inside of the lid to make sure the plastic coaby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Chinese New Year - Pot lunch Dinner - Dessert Ideas please - 12 years ago
Whenever I think of Chinese dessert, I think of lychees. Could be a simple lychee in syrup with some cherries (or glace cherries). Or Chinese with a Kiwi twist - lychee pavlova.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Stuff in the USA - 12 years ago
Usually if it's processed, they let you bring it in. The only slightly dodgy thing is the name (smoked bacon). If it does contain meat, they may not let it through? I know my in-laws can no longer bring processed beef-based Aota suet in from the UK (since the last outbreak of foot and mouth). Mind you, I doubt it would contain bacon, how could that be made into a sauce? Probably just a descriptivby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: January 2011 Challenge - the essence of summer - 12 years ago
Without meaning to, I reckon I have had a go already at this month's challenge. It was my better half's birthday at the weekend and instead of a normal cake (my cake baking failures are legendry), I made something I saw in a women's magazine - a raspberry meringue cake. Basically layers of meringue, sponge (very thin) and cream with frozen raspberries. One of our guests remarked that it was the uby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Copyright issues? - 12 years ago
Yes, copyright does apply. However, it relies on the copyright owner finding out it is there and then taking action in relation to their ownership. Probably doesn't happen all that often with recipes, but I've heard the music industry have been quite active asserting their copyright with downloading music since the Copyright Act was amended last year. I've been an editor and writer for the lasby FarmAway - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: tomato skins - 12 years ago
In a salad. In a meat sauce. I keep the skin on unless I'm making something that is supposed to be totally smooth and the skin is removed along with the seeds and pulp through a sieve, like ketchup or tomato soup. I don't think there is any recipe where I bother to remove the skin alone. And I use tomatoes a lot.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Goldfish Missing - 12 years ago
Woo hoo! We were convinced our (new) ducks had emptied our pond this winter (well, there was a goldfish skeleton in the paddock), but come spring they showed up again having hidden at the bottom.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: best source for breadmaking flour in Wellington region? - 12 years ago
I tend to buy supermarket brand, but my friend who does more making says her favourite flour is bulk bags from one of the farm supply stores - I'm fairly sure it was CRT, but could have been PGG Wrightson, so might be worth a look to see which supply bulk flour.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Goldfish Missing - 12 years ago
We had a heron eating the goldfish out of our pond once, though it didn't come back and we still had plenty left (we started with at least 30 mind you).by FarmAway - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Unpasteurised Milk - 12 years ago
I had a 2 litre of blue top, ie homogonised, (cheap brand) that had gone out of date. Rather than pour it down the drain, I made mozzerella with it and made a large ball (used rennet and lemon juice). Probably wasn't as tasty or nice as cheese made from raw milk, but it was certainly better than wasting the milk (made some pizzas with it). Given the choice I would use fresh raw milk. Unfortunaby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: New ideas - 12 years ago
Happy new year to you... shortly. Here we are on the morning of 1 January 2012, a lovely sunny day in Christchurch. We had people over last night and I served basic margharita pizzas cooked in the pizza oven outside, mini beef and guiness pies from Helen's book (our guests loved them), an eggplant tri-colour salad and a green salad, and mini meatballs. Guests brought cheese boards and chippies. Wby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Early bight - tomatoes. - 12 years ago
I plant mine 60cm apart, but I suspect further would be better, especially in warm, humid conditions (we have hot and dry in the summer here). Mine are starting to flower now with some wee fruit forming, so I'm looking forward to being able to stop buying tomatoes in the next few weeks... fingers crossed. Good luck Dawn, new growth is promising. Yes, Auckland/Christchurh is a wee bit far to drby FarmAway - Garden Lovers Forum
Re: Kaffir Lime Leaves - 12 years ago
I tend to use them as you would a bay leaf. Give them a bit of a scrumble (to release the oils), add to the curry or soup, remove before serving. If you chop finely, you can leave them in. I have a wee kaffir lime plant in a pot which is handy, but you could always stick a bag of bought leaves in your freezer and remove as needed.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Early bight - tomatoes. - 12 years ago
How frustrating Dawn, but well done for getting them in early and producing already! I never seem to manage fresh tomatoes for Christmas. Don't give up hope yet - if the weather turns right then it's amazing how well plants can come through. As long as the stem is green, there is hope that your plants could sprout new leaves, I'm often amazed at how resilient tomatoes (and chillies) are. Iby FarmAway - Garden Lovers Forum
Re: Where can i find rye flour and graham flour in Christchurch? - 12 years ago
Have you tried Bin Inn? Or you could try calling Weston Milling in Rangiora as they produce bulk flour (they don't sell direct any longer but could tell you who stocks their products).by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Recommendation for a new frig - 12 years ago
I have an F&P ActiveSmart fridge that I bought 10 years ago (when they were still manufactured in NZ). It's been great - good design and I have never had to defrost the freezer. I liked the fact that I could choose which way I wanted the door to open depending on my kitchen (don't know if they still offer that choice). It has a butter warmer which was another bonus for me, and adjustable heigby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Early bight - tomatoes. - 12 years ago
I find it takes a week for tomatoes to get over their transplant sulk. As for blight, I haven't had it this year (planted 140 tomato plants so far) but quite a few got fried after I planted them as we are having extremes of cold and hot at the moment. We've had quite a wet spring across the nation, I wonder if that's making your blight frightful Dawn?by FarmAway - Garden Lovers Forum
Re: Salami with plenty of garlic - 12 years ago
Verkerks (from supermarkets) do a mainstream garlicky salami. Can't remember which one, possibly Italino? But it's prominent on the label.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Montana to NZ to......... - 12 years ago
Did you have time to visit the museum in Invercargill? I thought it was impressive for a small town (including an earthquake simulator from memory!). If he is still alive, they have a tuatara who became a first-time father at the age of 100.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Stir Fry sauces - 12 years ago
I usually do a generic one that I learned on an Asian cooking evening course I once went on. Stir fry the meat and veg until cooked, then add the following sauce and heat until bubbling, then serve on rice or noodles: Half a cup of stock (beef, chicken or fish, depending on your protein) 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tsp cornflour All mixed until smoby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Amazing pickled onions - 12 years ago
If you don't boil the vinegar and seal while hot, then as pippimac says, it stays live. This means that a 'mother' will develop and grow over time. Harmless (and all part of the vinegar-making process - my mother cultivates her own red wine vinegar 'mother' passed down from her Italian aunt) but it looks a bit like snot.by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Amazing pickled onions - 12 years ago
I sterilise because that's what 'they' tell you to do. However, it has crossed that mind that if you're using pure vinegar, won't that be enough to sterilise (ie kill the 'bad' bacterium and fungii)?by FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: kids B day party food - 12 years ago
The oldest two (13 and 10) have sleepovers now they are older, so they get pizza and cake (I did a make your own pizza party for one of them... I think it was the oldest 13th birthday last February - then we made them sleep in a tent in the backyard so we didn't have to hear the teenage chatter until the early hours). When I have heaps of young ones, I try to start with savoury followed by theby FarmAway - Foodlovers Food Talk