Category Archives: Food

Lavender White Chocolate Shortbread

42 Replies

Lavender White Chocolate Shortbread | Gather and Graze

To celebrate the first day of Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere… I’ve created a little floral-infused shortbread recipe to get the season off to a happy start.

The addition of lavender to these buttery, yet light little biscuits may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for me… you could always omit the flowers if you’d prefer, or substitute for perhaps some chopped nuts, some citrus zest or another flavour of your choice.

Here’s to a warm and wonderful Spring and a farewell to winter for another year. Continue reading →

Swedish Spice Cake (Mjuk Pepparkaka)

42 Replies

Swedish Spice Cake (Mjuk Pepparkaka) | Recipe | Gather and Graze

I’ve not spent much time at all in the kitchen over the past couple of weeks… my thoughts, mind and heart have been elsewhere.

My head and heart both know though, that cooking is therapy for me, just as running, swimming, surfing or tennis will be for others. Whisking, sifting and stirring all create a welcome distraction… and within moments, the scent of softly spiced cake emanating from the oven is in the air… comforting, warm and soothing. Continue reading →

Layered Chocolate Cheesecake – Fiesta Friday #27!

75 Replies

Layered Chocolate Cheesecake | Gather and Graze

It wasn’t easy, but I’ve removed my full-length Ugg Boots that have been firmly entrenched on my feet for the past two months and they’ve been replaced by a rather stylish set of heels. My Dame Edna frock has been donned, hair coiffed and coloured to the most beautiful lilac you’ve ever seen and my face made glamorous by a set of fancy, bejewelled glasses! I look a little something like this… Continue reading →

Viennese Biscuits / Cookies

47 Replies

Viennese Biscuits / Cookies | Recipe | Gather and Graze

Sometimes life throws a little curve ball at you and knocks you down for a week or two. It was the flu that knocked me down just recently and as much as I’m finally back to at least feeling human again, the lingering cough is still proving hard to shake.

So after a lengthy period of completely healthful hot soups, tisanes and the like, I was ready yesterday to treat myself… with some Viennese Biscuits that not only taste lovely, but are pretty to the eye as well. The recipe found while rustling through an old ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ Biscuit Cookbook. Forgive me for not posting recipes for soups and flu-kicking hot honey and lemon drinks, but to be honest, I’m a little over them all right now… perhaps some other time! Continue reading →

Fatteh Bil Lahme | Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas and Yoghurt

54 Replies

Fatteh Bil Lahme | Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas and Yoghurt | Gather and Graze

Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks are one of the ultimate winter comfort foods, in my opinion. I’ve cooked them a number of ways over the years and enjoyed each and every one of them, but today it was a Middle-Eastern flavour I was craving, so decided to improvise and adapt on a range of recipes in a beloved cookbook of mine –  Claudia Roden’s ‘Arabesque’. Continue reading →

Polenta-Crusted Roast Potatoes

51 Replies

Polenta-Crusted Roast Potatoes | Gather and Graze

I’m somewhat reticent to admit it, but the side dishes I prepare to accompany our main meals are invariably a way-too-simple selection of vegetables. Boiled, steamed, fried or roasted… depending on the dish they are to supplement and how much time I have to spend on preparing them. They are sadly more of an afterthought, than a feature. Eyes glancing through the crisper drawer once the main meal is underway, to work out what will go well. More of a means for getting nutritious vegetables into our bodies each and every day, than for pure enjoyment. Continue reading →

Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding

38 Replies

Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding | Gather and Graze

The air has been sweeping off the back of the Snowy Mountains. If only it would snow here, then it might all perhaps seem worthwhile. Instead the chill just eats into you, gnawing away relentlessly until you find your way back indoors. So that’s mostly where I stay… loitering in the kitchen, by the warmth of the oven. The best place to be. Continue reading →

Pumpkin, Chorizo and Kale Frittata

37 Replies

Pumpkin, Chorizo & Kale Frittata | Gather and Graze

Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging… just as blogging sometimes gets in the way of life. My usual weekly post got strung out to just over two weeks and it’s been haunting me that I’ve not found the time and energy to put something new out there. Cooking? I’ve been plating up dishes every single day, but to feed my hungry family… instead of my hungry blog. The depths of winter are taking their toll… short days… where it’s too dark at dinner-time to shoot any photographs. The winter solstice, but a couple of days ago… the beginnings of lightness of mind, in the knowledge that our days will only get longer from now on, until the sun beats down with warmth once again. Continue reading →

Lemon White Chocolate Cookies

73 Replies

Lemon White Chocolate Cookies | Gather and Graze

For those who I’ve managed to catch (just in the nick of time!) with their hand reaching out… hovering in guilty indecision… I ask you very kindly to leave that packet of cookies/biscuits on the supermarket shelf… step away from the cookie aisle… and gather up the ingredients listed below instead.  Continue reading →

French Apple Frangipane Tart

50 Replies

French Apple Frangipane Tart | Gather and Graze

It has been said that ‘the apple does not fall far from the tree’. My love of baking (and of course eating) cakes, biscuits, desserts and sweets is shared equally by my mother. When I baked this particular dessert a couple of days ago it made me think of her. I know for sure that she would enjoy it… this classic French tart, with perhaps a spoonful of double cream on the side. Continue reading →

Zaatar and Haloumi Man’oushe/Flatbread

58 Replies

Zaatar Haloumi Man'oushe | Gather and Graze

Yeast and Herbs! They’ve been playing on my mind a lot lately. You see, I needed to make a dish (or drink) that combined both yeast and herbs. Why? Because Angie from ‘The Novice Gardener’ (along with her co-host Catherine, from the exquisite ‘Catherine Cuisine’) suggested it… they were the ones who put down the challenge. Fiesta Friday has recently evolved to include a monthly challenge for those who are up for it… and this month (for Fiesta Friday Challenge #1), we’ve been asked to come up with something interesting (as well as of course delicious), combining these two sensational ingredients. Continue reading →

Two great uses for Cumquats / Kumquats

36 Replies

Two Great Recipes Using Cumquats / Kumquats | Gather and Graze

With 78 vibrant little cumquats/kumquats growing on my tree this year, I must admit to being a touch proud – my bounty is surprisingly up by 77 from last season! She is of the petite, potted variety, that until now has done little more than grow leaves and look rather sickly. This is my fault of course, for not always tending to her needs… water is usually helpful… as is a place to bask in the sun… Continue reading →

Roasted Honey and Walnut Figs

93 Replies

Roasted Honey & Walnut Figs | Gather and Graze

For a classic autumn dessert that embraces two stellar seasonal delicacies, this simple yet heart-warming dish is an absolute must. The lemon zest and sea salt work perfectly to create a balance with the sweet succulence of the figs and honey, while the walnuts provide textural crunch and a rich earthiness. This is not so much a recipe, but a celebration of seasonal ingredients while they’re at their peak. Continue reading →

Oh those Starbucks Memories… Lemon Pound Cake

62 Replies

Iced Lemon Pound Cake | Gather and Graze

Rituals allow us to feel somewhat secure in this crazy world of ours. I’m sure that many of you will agree that the simple act of preparing a cup of tea or coffee and taking the time to sit down and truly enjoy it, can be therapy for the soul. If brewed just right and sipped in either pure solitude or alongside a dear friend it can be more rejuvenating than any available medicine on Earth. Continue reading →

Italian Zucchini & Parmesan Soup

32 Replies

Italian Zucchini Parmesan Soup | Gather and Graze

There was a monster in my garden! My stomach turned as I contemplated how to get rid of him. Should I slash at him ruthlessly, cutting him off from his life-supply? Should I preserve and bottle him like a specimen in the museum? Or should I leave him in situ in the interests of science to see how truly monstrous he could actually become? I had turned my back for a week or two and he had swelled and distended himself to become the zucchini magnificent that he is today. Continue reading →

Birthday Baked Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

40 Replies

Baked Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping | Gather and Graze

Friends, you’re invited to help celebrate the 1st Birthday of Gather and Graze today! Hard to believe that a year ago, I pressed that ‘Publish’ button for the very first time, sending my heart and soul (along with a no-fail recipe for Perfectly Fluffy Scones) out there for all to see. Continue reading →

Roasted Vegetable & Feta Salad

30 Replies

Roasted Vegetable Salad, Gather and Graze

Realising how futile it is to ignore the fact that winter is coming, I’m determined not to spend too much time bemoaning this irreversible certainty. Somehow I need to embrace the fact that jackets and boots will soon need to be unearthed from the depths of my wardrobe and casserole pots along with pudding tins, brought down from the top shelf of the pantry, finding a more easy to reach home. However before I do all of this, I’m determined to sneak this one last salad onto Gather and Graze – it’s a warm one, so perfectly suited to the autumn we are now enjoying! It goes beautifully with grilled meat from the BBQ and a loaf of crusty bread. Continue reading →

Oeufs en Cocotte with Prosciutto

38 Replies

Oeufs en Cocotte, Baked Eggs, Gather and Graze

There are some evenings when breakfast fare can seem rather appetising for a light and easy dinner. Nights when husbands are out at work functions and eldest children are away on school camps… perfect timing for this relaxed, simple dish that ticks all the boxes of being deliciously comforting, relatively healthy and ready in a flash…

A dish that can be adapted for all tastes and preferences… the options are endless. Next time I’ll be trying this with strips of smoked salmon and a sprinkling of snipped chives!

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be playing tour guide, host and interpreter for some very dear French friends who are coming out to visit us for the first time here in Australia. My apologies in advance for not being able to post as much as I’d like to over this period and also for possibly not getting a chance to read and comment on all of your posts. If I find the time, I’ll certainly try to post a little something here and there of my adventures around the country avec mes amis français!

Cheers, Margot

Oeufs en Cocotte with Prosciutto | Gather and Graze

  • 8 Slices of Prosciutto
  • 4 Free-Range Eggs
  • 4 Teaspoons of Creme-Fraiche (or double cream)
  • 4 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
  • Fresh Basil Leaves
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese (finely grated) – optional

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

Line 2 ramekins (mine are about a 1 cup capacity each) with enough strips of prosciutto to cover the base and sides.

Oeufs en Cocotte, Baked Eggs, Gather and Graze

Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin and gently place in the halved cherry tomatoes, a couple of teaspoons of creme fraiche, a few torn basil leaves and a grinding of salt and black pepper. If you like, sprinkle over a teaspoon or two of finely grated parmesan cheese.

Oeufs en Cocotte, Baked Eggs | Gather and Graze

Bake the eggs in the oven for approximately 15 – 18 minutes until cooked to your liking. Serve with a good serving of hot buttered toast.

Oeufs en Cocotte, Baked Eggs, Gather and Graze

Thai Chicken Meatballs

48 Replies

Thai Chicken Meatballs | Gather and Graze

Our evenings have begun to cool off. Evidence that Autumn is well and truly on it’s way. Rain in it’s various shapes and forms has been welcomed, regardless of whether it bucketed down like there was no tomorrow or drizzled finely in silver threads (as it’s doing right now). It’s brought a shade of green back to the landscape that is so much more pleasing to the eye than the brittle straw-brown that we’re all too used to in this part of the country. Summer has been harsh, as usual, yet we’ve made it through and slip fluidly into the delights of Autumn, without even a second thought.

During this change of seasons (welcomed perhaps in both hemispheres), a warm appetiser such as the one to follow can be a truly wonderful thing. Full of flavour and the perfect size for nibbling on between sips of chilled white wine. Or beer… they would certainly go well with a pale ale as well.

My offering for Angie’s Fiesta Friday extravaganza this week are these scrumptious Thai-infused appetisers – the perfect party food to share with friends at The Novice Gardener… or nibblies for a family of four on a cool drizzly afternoon!

Thai Chicken Meatballs | Gather and Graze

  • Servings: Makes about 30-34 Meatballs
  • Print

  • 500g Free-Range Chicken Mince
  • 75g/¾ Cup (Seaweed or Plain) Rice Crackers (crushed in the food processor)
  • 1 Large Clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 Thumb-size Piece of Fresh Ginger (finely grated)
  • 2 Shallots/Scallions (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
  • 1 Small Red Chilli (finely chopped and seeds removed)
  • 1 Free-Range Egg White
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • ¼ Teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • A few good grindings of Black Pepper
  • ¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
  • Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and using a spoon (or your hands) mix until well combined. Roll mixture into balls (approximately 3cm in diameter).

Place enough oil into a medium-sized frying pan to be able to shallow fry and place the pan over medium heat.

When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken meatballs in batches, turning them all the time for even cooking. When they are golden brown (and cooked through), remove to a plate lined with some absorbent paper to sit for a few minutes.

Serve while warm/hot with some sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Thai Chicken Meatballs | Gather and Graze

Notes on Cooking:

  • The crushed rice crackers can always be substituted with bread crumbs (panko would be my preference).

No Bake Lemon and Coconut Slice

49 Replies

Lemon and Coconut No-bake Slice | Recipe | Gather and Graze

When life gets a little busy and you need a fast, easy pick-me-up to accompany a morning or afternoon cuppa, this Lemon and Coconut Slice is the perfect solution! It’s zingy, light and just that little bit moreish. What can be more simple than a no-bake slice? Let’s leave the Tim Tams on the shelf this weekend and make a little home-made zesty goodness instead.

Variations of this recipe can be found on numerous Australian and New Zealand websites (and perhaps even further afield). Slices containing condensed milk and crushed biscuits have been very popular in this part of the world over the years and thankfully they still taste as wonderful as they used to!

Once again I’m linking up this week with my friend Angie at The Novice Gardener for Fiesta Friday. Last weekend the party went off… the food was mouth-watering, the company was electric and for the first time in my life I was labelled as ‘rowdy and raucous’ (along with another gorgeous Australian girl, from the blog Saucy Gander)! Woohoo, it must have been a good party! Or perhaps I just indulged in one too many cocktails? I do remember the very stylish Johnny showing up in his magenta onesie… or is that the alcohol talking too? 😉

I’m hoping Angie will let me back in again this week… I promise to be on my best behaviour!

Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Gather and Graze

  • Servings: Makes Approx 20 Squares
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 250g Packet of Marie Biscuits (or Plain Sweet Biscuits)
  • 85g (1 Cup) Desiccated Coconut
  • Zest of 1 Lemon
  • 395g Can of Condensed Milk
  • 80g (1/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter (diced)

For the Icing:

  • 240g (2 Cups) Pure Icing (Powdered) Sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • 15g (1 Tablespoon) Unsalted Butter (softened)
  • Shredded Coconut (for sprinkling over the top)

Instructions

Crush the biscuits using a food processor (or alternatively place them in a ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin) until you have a reasonably fine crumb. Transfer the crushed biscuits to a large bowl and mix together with the desiccated coconut and lemon zest.

Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Gather and Graze

Into a small saucepan, place the condensed milk and butter. Stir over gentle heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined.

Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Recipe | Gather and Graze

Add the butter/condensed milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

Press the mixture nice and evenly into a slice tin (I like to line the tin first with cling wrap, for easy removal).

Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Recipe | Gather and Graze

For the lemon icing, sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl, along with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice (check for consistency) and the softened butter and beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the base and sprinkle with some shredded coconut. Refrigerate for approximately an hour until the icing has set.

Remove from the tin and slice into squares.

* Store the Lemon and Coconut Slice refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days (if it lasts that long!)

Lemon and Coconut No-Bake Slice | Recipe | Gather and Graze