Raspberry Jam - in the Microwave!

Yep. Jam. In the microwave. This is a sure-fire recipe to make berry jam. I've made blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry jam this way. I'm guessing you could probably do stone fruits this way as well but I haven't tried it. It is most useful for small batches where you don't want to go to all the trouble of stove-top jam. Make sure you use a container that is large for the amount of fruit - so the fruit comes no more than 1/3 of the way up the side - as the jam will boil vigourously.

Raspberry Jam

200g of raspberries
100g of sugar

(or any amount - just the same ratio ie twice the amount of fruit to sugat).

Put in a microwave safe container. Microwave on high for 5 mins. Give it a stir. Test for jell point and then microwave for 1 minute at a time until jell point is reached. Pour into a warm clean jar and cool.

I have to admit, I usually just microwave for 7 minutes and it usually works out fine without testing - but if you want to be absolutely positive it will work test it.

Jell point testing - put a dish in the freezer. To test for setting put a small dollop of the hot liquid on the plate. Leave in freezer for 40 seconds until it is cool and then push at it with your finger. If it leaves wrinkles on the surface of the jam, it is ready.

Peach Jam

The last of the peaches in the box I bought at the local farmers markets were getting very ripe - time to make jam! Making jam from stonefruit like cherries, peaches, and apricots, is quite easy to do. I never use pectin or jamsetting agents and the resulting jam is usually quite luscious. It isn't as "jelly"-like as that found in supermarkets, but it is thick and spreadable and - well - jammy! I quite like that soft gummy lusciousness of home-made real jam. Real jam also has no preservatives, additives, or artificial colours. It always beggars my belief that most jams produced in Australia have preservatives in them. Home-made jam can last for ages. I've had it sitting there unopened for a year without any problems at all. I've also bought imported French jams that contain no preservatives... anyway, I shall just shake my head and end my ranting!

Walnut sourdough with home made peach jam!

Peach Jam
1 part sugar
2 parts peaches (or you can substitute other stone fruit, or a mix of stone fruit, if you wish)
1/2 lemon per kilo of peaches

I realise that what I have given you is a ratio, rather than a recipe! A lot of other recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar, but I've always thought that leaves you with an overly sweet jam. As it is, I think the ratio with the overripe peaches is a tad too sweet - but that is just my taste!

Place sugar and sliced peaches into a pot. Heat slowly so the peaches release their juices and dissovle the sugar. Squeeze in the lemon. Heat on medium heat until gently bubbling. Cook for about 20 minutes and then start testing for the jell point (see below). Test every 5 minutes until jell point is reached. Then take off the heat. Pour into clean warm glass jars, top with lids, (you can also get plastic wrappers and elastic band jam sets in the supermarkets). I then wrap them with teatowels so they don't cool too rapidly & crack the glass. Once they are cool place them in fridge or cool dark pantry. Once opened, of course, refridgerate.

Jell point testing - put a dish in the freezer. To test for setting put a small dollop of the hot liquid on the plate. Leave in freezer for 40 seconds until it is cool and then push at it with your finger. If it leaves wrinkles on the surface of the jam, it is ready.

buraczki ze smietana (Beets with sour cream)

This is great served either warm or chilled. I personally love the little hits of dill and pepper against the sweet creamy beet. Some recipes add horseradish to taste, and this adds a lovely sharpness and bite to it which makes it a spicy side to meat dishes. Personally, I like it creamy, with a hint of lemon to add just a hint of acidity.

buraczki ze smietana

4 beetroots
3/4 cup of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
a couple of fronds of dill to stir through (reserve some for garnish)

Cook the beets in boiling water until just done. Cool until able to be handled, then peel and grate them.
Stir the sour cream through (and horseradish if you are using it), season to taste. Sprinkle with dill, squeeze the lemon juice over, and stir till combined. Garnish with extra dill. Serve warm, or chill in the fridge for 2 hours if you are wanting to serve cold.

Peach tart

This is a little fruit tart that is quick to whip up and pretty forgiving on quantities. Basically you are making a very thick batter, pouring that into a pie dish, and covering it with fruit slices. This makes a dryish sort of biscuity base, which is quite nice but I think needs something to help it along. If you use fruit from a tin I suggest that you pour some of the tinned juices over the tart when it comes out of the oven. You can also make the optional syrup and pour that over the hot tart - gets very sweet and sticky. You can also use any other type of fruit on top - whatever takes your fancy!

Peach tart
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup of almond meal
75g butter
5 tbs sugar (or to taste)
1/3 cup milk - (or enough to make a thick batter)
2 eggs
1 tin peaches or 2 large ripe peaches

Cream the butter and sugar. Whisk in the eggs. Add in the flour, almond meal, and milk and combine till it forms a thick batter. Pour into the bottom of a pie dish. Arrange slices of fruit around the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cook at 180 degrees for 30 mins or until the cake has set.

optional syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water


Bring the water to a boil.. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly. Pour some over the hot tart when it comes out of the oven.

Zupa Grzybowa (Mushroom Soup)

If you google the web for Zupa Grzybowa you'll find that there are probably as many recipes for this yummy soup as there are Polish cooks. Some start off by cooking a roux which will later thicken the soup. Others thicken at the end with a clever combo of sour-cream and flour. Some add barley. All would probably agree that the best mushrooms for that are those that are grown in Poland... but I really have no access to them fresh or dried, so I can't comment! The addition of dried porcini, however, does add a lovely depth of flavour to it. Perhaps one day I will be able to use Polish mushrooms - if so, I'll tell you what they are like. :)

I'm giving you my version which does not use a roux, and is usually not thickened at the end. It freezes well at that point. You can thicken it with sour cream and flour if you wish when re-heating - instructions will be given below. Or you can simply serve with some sour cream on the table for people to add to their liking.

You can very easily make this soup either vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the sour cream

Zupa Grzybowa

500g mixed fresh mushrooms
100g dried porcini (or if you happen to be able to get dried Polish mushrooms give them a whirl!) - soak these for about an hour before use.
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 litres good quality vegetable or beef stock - use the fresh kind, not one made up from stock powder!
1 cup pearl barley (optional)

cook onions in olive oil until translucent. Add in fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and the water the mushroms were soaking in (run through a sieve to catch any grit). Stir through. Pour in the stock, add in 1 cup of rinsed pearl barley. Put a lid on it and cook at a medium-slow heat for about an hour. If using the pearl barley make sure you cook it long enough so it is soft - the hour usually suffices.


for thickening...
2tbs cornflour
2 cups of sour cream
mix the cornflour and sour cream together. Whisk in a wee bit of the hot soup to loosen it and bring it to the same temp as the soup (so it doesn't curdle when added). Pour into the soup, whisking until it comes to a boil.

Delicious served with toasted sourdough.

As the Polish say smacznego! or Bon apetit!

Bread and butter cucumbers

These are still really in testing phase, I don't think I have yet found the *perfect* bread and butter cucumber recipe but I have made a few batches and arrived at one which I think is quite yummy, and that I would be happy to give away to a friend. I started out with a couple of recipes from the web - one that was too tart, and one that was WAY too salty. Once I realised that their methods were basically the same, I threw them out and have adjusted the quantities to better reflect my tastes.

Bread and Butter Cucumbers

6 small or 3 large cucumbers
1 or 2 small spring onions
2 tsps salt
1 tsp mustard seed
3 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seed and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 mins on a gentle heat. Cool slightly.

Slice the cucumbers and onions finely. Arrange them in sterilised jars. Pack them fairly tightly.

Fill the jars with the warm vinegar syrup. Put the lids on, let cool, and then refrigerate. Leave until the cucumbers have changed colour - usually a few days. I find that it is usually a week or two before the flavours are really mellowed together, but you can eat them before then if you just can't wait!

Creamed Corn

I love creamed corn, especially on toast - one of my fav comfort foods. So, when I found out corn was really really cheap at the local market I bought a heap and cooked up a pot of it! This is a really easy recipe and though you can make it in smaller batches I usually try to make larger ones because it freezes well. It can also be used as a basis for corn chowder, or other soups, as well.

There are lots of recipes for this, some with actual cream in them - but I much prefer this method. It keeps the flavour of the corn better IMO. I'm guessing you could veganise it with a non-dairy milk, though that might alter the taste a little. The recipe has a wee bit of sugar in it - it helps with breaking down the starch while cooking.

Creamed Corn

6 cups corn cut from the cob
1&1/2 cups milk
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs cornflour

Puree 4 or 5 cups of corn in a food processor or blender. The more corn you leave out the more "bits' of corn will be in at the end so just adjust the quantities of pureed vs whole to your liking.

Place pureed corn, the remaining corn, in a pan with the cornflour, milk and sugar. Stir to combine.

Heat over a gentle heat till the corn is soft and has thickened. Stir occassionally to make sure it doesn't catch and burn on the bottom.

Serve with toast or as a side dish. Cool if you wish to freeze or store for later use.