Topsy Turvy Peach Cake

Ingredients
225 g self-raising flour
185 g ground almonds
250 g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
150g cold butter, cubed
125g granulated sugar
4 peaches, stoned and sliced into thinnish wedges
125 ml orange juice
4 free-range eggs
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp peach or orange liqueur (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line base of a 24cm round spring form or square cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, baking powder and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Don’t over process. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
3. Place granulated sugar and orange juice in a small, heavy-based saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Immediately pour into base of cake tin and top with peach wedges, skin-side down.
4. Beat eggs until frothy, combine with olive oil and vanilla extract. Add to dry ingredients in bowl and mix until well combined. Don’t over mix.
5. Pour cake batter over peaches and smooth top. Bake for I hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover top of the cake with baking paper during cooking if it is browning to quickly.
6. Stand cake in tin for about 10 minutes before inverting on to plate. Remove base and baking paper. If using liqueur, prick upturned cake with a skewer and drizzle on liqueur. Serve warm or cold.

Status
Not tried yet.

Courgette / Marrow Curry

Ingredients

Olive oil
2 tsp fenugreek
60 g butter or ghee
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 tsp grated ginger,
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1.5 tsp turmeric
1 marrow (approx 1kg in weight) peeled and chopped into chunks
1 large onion, thickly sliced
2 punjabi bhadi, each one broken into 3 or 4 pieces
1 tsp garam masala

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy based sauce pan and add the fenugreek. Immediately stir in the butter or ghee and add the finely chopped onion. Cook the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly until it softens and starts to brown at the edges.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for about a minute and stir in the tomato, salt and turmeric. Cook, stirring for another minute or two and put in all the remaining ingredients except for the garam masala.
3. Stir well and cook on high heat until the contents start to boil. If the marrow is very fresh you shouldn't need any water, but if it seems dry add 100ml or so of hot water.

4. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 30 - 35 minutes, stirring regularly until the marrow is very tender and the bhadi is soft and breaking up.
5. Stir in the garam masala and cook for another minute. Serve with flat bread, paratha, yoghurt or raita.

Status

Just made - didn't have any bhadi, so added  yellow split peas (120 g) and 2 tsp of ground cumin - used red wine for extra liquid - worked fine - very tasty (stirred in some sweet chilli philly too) - the split peas need a little longer cooking though.

Curry 'Essence'

Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
50g chopped onion
2tsp good quality Madras curry powder
1 heaped tsp tomato purée
150ml red wine
120ml water
1 bay leaf
salt, sugar, a touch of pepper
juice of ½ a lemon
2 tbsp apricot jam or mango chutney

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and gently stew the onion until transparent.

2. Add the curry powder and cook for a few minutes longer. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a few moments, then add all the other ingredients. 

3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

4. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing it through with a ladle. Allow to cool.

Use

Flavouring for salad dressings and sauces e.g. coronation chicken - will keep for 3 to 4 weeks in a screw top jar in the fridge.

Status

Haven't tried it yet.