Silverbeet Stem Gratin

See Stephanie's recipe in the Kitchen Garden Companion. Basically breadcrumbs, parmesan, olives, anchovies and parsley on top. Cam drizzled in olive oil instead of cream.

Result: 6 out of 5, for an amazing vege side dish using the scraps!
Preparation: dead easy. Oven needs to be on.

Squash stuffed with lamb

From Cook's Companion, in the zucchini section, the bush marrow recipe - basically squash stuffed with lamb, with yoghurt sauce.

Result: 4.5 - kids ate the filling, great presentation
Preparation: easy enough, takes 45 mins in oven

Fish Fingers

Soak two pieces of bread in milk. Blitz in blender with fish pieces, e.g. flathead.  Shape into finger shapes approx 1cm thick. Blitz dry breadcrumbs and parmesan with pepper and  oregano. Not much crumbing is needed. Press crumb onto fingers and place on paper on oven tray. Spray with olive oil.  Bake for 10-15 mins each side, at 180 degrees, until browned.

Serve with oven-baked vegies, mayonnaise and tomato sauce, if you are 2.

Result: 4 - remarkably nice texture, and kids gobbled them up.

Preparation: bit messy but quick and eady

Caponata

Look up Neil Perry's recipe. Basically eggplant, garlic, tomato with red wine vinegar, capers and green olives. Good with zucchini and capsicum too.

Vegan sausage rolls

Fry very finely chopped onion and garlic. Add grated potato, kolrhabi, and carrot and fry for about 5 mins. Mash in a tin of cannelini beans and add soy sauce, passata, mixed herbs and finely chopped walnuts. Use as filling in puff pastry. Top with sesame seeds.

Result: 5. Popular with the punters.
Preparation: quick and easy and freezes well.

Broccoli soup

From Eva

Saute chopped onion and leek. Add chopped broccoli and chicken stock. Cook about 20 mins. Puree with stick mixer. Add spinach leaves and cook 2 min and puree again. Serve with toast.

Result: 4
Preparation: very easy

Quick Moroccan Chicken

Similar ingredients to chicken and green olPive tagine in Moroccan book. Chicken thighs, large dice. Fry up with onion and garlic to brown chicken. Add powdered ginger and cinnamon, saffron, bay leaves, chicken stock , preserved lemons and green olives. Simmer about half an hour to cook chicken and thicken sauce.Serve with rice and grilled vege chickpea salad.

Result: 4.5
Preparation: easy and low mess

Chicken and dill stew

Fry up in olive oil: diced chicken thighs, sliced onion, crushed garlic, roughly chopped carrots, celery and zucchini. Add chicken stock, tin tomatoes, salt and pepper, lots of fresh dill and a tin of borlotti beans. Cook for about half an hour. Serve with apple, fennel, rocket, parmesan and walnut salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Serve with buttered bread.

Result: 5 including bonus point for vege content. Surprisingly tasty.
Preparation: quick and easy.

Homemade pasta

Make pasta with 1 1/2 cups flour and 2 eggs. Roll to thickness 2 on pasta machine. Leave to dry for half an hour then cut roughly onto strips and cook in batches in rapidly boiling water for 5 mins.

Make sauce with butter, sage, boiled broccoli, ham. Serve with parmesan.

Result: 6 out of 5. Caitlin slurped it up. Restaurant quality, yum.
Preparation: sauce quick but pasta fiddly and messy - easier if pasta dough is not too sticky.

Rice patties

from Charmaine's vegetarian book page 88.
Includes zucchini.Would also be great with salmon.

Result: 5. Quite remarkable for a vege pattie.
Preparation: a bit time consuming and messy. Could do earlier in the day. Rice needs to cook first.

Zucchini Gnocchi

Make gnocchi following recipe on

www.taste.com.au/recipes/2446/potato+gnocchi

then make a zucchini sauce:
very thinly slice zucchinis. Cook in batches in hot olive oil. Some slight charring is desirable. Remove zucchini then cook thinly sliced red onion and crushed garlic briefly. Add zucchini back in and finish with a little lemon-scented olive oil from montalto. Stir gnocchi through pan before serving.

A fresh tomato chopped through could be a nice variation.

Result: 5
Preparation: gnocchi is not as fiddly as may be expected, and can be done earlier in the day. Sauce is quick.

Paneer and tomato sauce

Based on a Charmaine recipe. Make panir. Fry large slices in non stick pan. Make tomato sauce spiced with cumin, cinnamon and paprika. Serve with cous cous and veges.

Result: 4.5
Preparation: somewhat involved!

Warm Zucchini and squash salad

Very thinly sliced button squash and zucchini. Saute in olive oil in pile, to steam a little. Thinly slice red onion and soak in red wine vinegar while cooking. Mix warm veges with onion and serve warm as a side dish.

Result: 5
Preparation: very quick

Rice paper rolls

Whatever ingredients - bbq pork, fried tofu, thinly sliced cucumber and carrot, cooked prawns, coriander, mint, vietnamese mint, crushed peanuts, lettuce. Soak vermicelli noodles then boil for a minute or so.

Make sauce - kecap manis, tomato sauce, tamarind, rice vinegar, lime, sesame oil.

Prepare rice papers on plate by brushing with warm water then wait about 30 seconds.

Result: 4.5
Preparation: easy with brushed rice papers

Asian pork balls

Pork balls: minced pork, onion, white pepper, five spice, sesame oil, rice flour, egg. Mix very well and throw hard into bowl to split fat through it. Make small balls and steam in wok for 10 mins. Fry in hot oiled wok for about 1 min, then sauce with oyster, 2 cubes chicken stock and a little soy. Serve on top of stirfried veges, with rice.

Result: 4  and kids loved it.
Preparation: meatballs a bit messy but quick to cook.

Fennel salad

Thinly slice fennel, apple and celery. Add chopped mint and parsley. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

Result: 4

Preparation: easy

Zucchini and corn pancakes

Pancake mix - 2 cups sr flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, pinch salt. Mix with whisk and stand in fridge for 1 hour.

Grate zucchini and mix with half mixture. Add some chopped mint and parsely. Add corn kernels to other half. Cook as pancakes in a little olive oil.

Result: 5 for zucchini. 5 for corn if you are a kid.
Preparation: easy, takes a while to cook.

Sauteed Beetroot Leaves

Wash beetroot leaves and stems. Put in large frypan with lid with 1cm water and bring to boil. Blanch for about 5 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water. Chop into pieces. In pan, heat olive oil and lightly fry crushed garlic. Add leaves and sautee about 5 mins. Serve with lemon juice.

Result: 5 as a side dish, especially with home-grown leaves.
Preparation: very quick and easy. The blanching can be done ahead.

Finger-food birthday party for a crowd

For Caitlin and Anna's 4th and 1st party in the hall:

Grownups:
Hommus - home made, with crunchy bread from Cedar Bakery
Spinach cob dip
Dolmades from Royal Fields tin
Zucchini slice
Baked meatballs with sweet chilli and coriander
Breadstick
Party pies from Cedar Bakery - ricotta, and spinach + cheese
Chips

Kids:
Marshmallows
Fruit (banana, grapes, mandarine)
Vegemite sandwich triangles
Cheese sandwich triangles
Jelly cups

Dessert:
Carrot tray cake
Chocolate tray cake made as 2 birthday cakes with smarties for numbers.
Date loaf
Chocolate balls
Cornflake biscuits

Drinks:
Soda water and tap water with blackcurrant, lime and lemon cordials.
Tea & filter coffee

Notes:
Make less dip
Zucchini slice was a big hit
Kids didn't eat fruit
Simple drinks very popular

Kids' entertainment: (hugely successful)
Paper masks from Kmart, with elastic removed and paddle-pop sticks taped on.
Crayons
Stickers & stars

Vietnamese BBQ Pork

Make marinade (all minced up):
Lemongrass
Garlic
Light soy
Lime juice
Rice vinegar
Kecap manis
Crushed chilli

Marinate pork neck, cut into thick strips, for minimum 10 mins, but good for 24 hours. Cook on the very hot griddle, also good on BBQ.

Result: 5
Preparation: marinade a bit messy with all the garlic, but cooking is easy.