Recipes of the Peninsula

These recipes have come from chefs, cooks and lovers of food.

The common ingredient is local produce.

Please enjoy these recipes.
If you have a great recipe using local ingredients
email to editor@eatdrinkmorningtonpeninsula.com.au with recipe name in subject line,
don’t forget to include a pic!

LATEST RECIPES COMING SOON.

Ingredients

2 cups olive oil
3 cups fresh or frozen peas, blanched
100g baby spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup dill, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g casarecce
100g ricotta
grated pecorino cheese

 Method

To make the pesto, place the oil, 2 cups peas, spinach leaves, garlic, parsley, dill in a food processor and process to form a paste. Meanwhile, cook the casarecce in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan. Add the pesto and remaining peas to the casarecce and mix well. Serve with the ricotta and pecorino cheese. Serves 4.

Ingredients

Gnocchi
1.5kg floury potatoes (such as sebago or désirée), peeled
1tbsp salt
few gratings of fresh nutmeg
2 eggs
375g plain flour

Broccolini
4tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 broccolini, cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spiced walnuts
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp honey
100g walnuts
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
¼tsp cayenne pepper
½tsp cinnamon
¼tsp nutmeg

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and broccolini and cook gently until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Set aside. To make the spiced walnuts, heat the oil and honey in a frying pan. Add the walnuts, toss and gently heat over a medium heat. Coat the walnuts well with the oil and honey. Take off the heat and sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients.

Spread out on a plate to cool and roughly chop. To make the gnocchi, cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender but not falling apart. Drain and allow them to dry for a few minutes. Pass them through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl; if you don’t have either of these, use a potato masher and mash as smooth as possible. Mix in the salt, nutmeg and eggs. Add the flour and loosely press it into the potatoes with your fingers until the mixture begins to come together as dough. It should spring back when lightly pressed. If it seems too sticky you may need a little extra flour. Don’t knead or over-work the dough or the gnocchi will end up gluey and tough. Put the dough on a floured work surface. Roll into thin sausages and cut them into 2cm pieces. Cook batches of gnocchi in salted boiling water until they tumble freely on the surface. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and drain. To serve, heat the broccolini and stir through the cooked gnocchi. Pile on serving plates and sprinkle with the spiced walnuts. Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen or fresh mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries or strawberries)
4 Granny Smith or Pink Lady Apples
¼ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon Sunny Ridge blueberry jam
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup plain flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup of shredded coconut
Pinch of salt
100g cold butter
2 teaspoons honey
Thickened cream or ice cream to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a medium size ovenproof baking dish.

Peel, core and cut apples into 2cm pieces and place in a large mixing bowl with mixed berries. Fold in Sunny Ridge blueberry jam, white sugar & cinnamon until well combined. Spoon berry and apple filling into ovenproof dish. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut, salt and butter in a blender until it resembles a crumble texture or to your desired texture. Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over the berry and apple filling. Drizzle honey (optional) over top of crumble for extra sweetness!

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with your choice of thickened cream or ice cream. Can also be baked into individual servings. Alternative can be cooked 1-2 days prior and refrigerated. Reheat before serving. Serves 8-10.

Ingredients

30g dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups chicken stock, simmering
150g swiss brown mushrooms, chopped
150g oyster mushrooms, chopped
4tbsp olive oil
60g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2tbsp dry marsala
1 bay leaf
4 sage leaves
4 thyme sprigs
2 marjoram sprigs
2 cups pouring cream
1 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
zest and juice 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g fettucine
1 lemon, peeled
1 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1tsp dried chilli flakes, finely ground

Method

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. The water should reduce to just over 3 cups. Drain the mushrooms from the pot with a slotted spoon, finely chop and set aside. In a heavy based pan, heat the oil and half the butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery and cook until onion is translucent. Add the garlic, porcini, swiss brown and oyster mushrooms and stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the marsala and stir until it evaporates. Add the bay leaf, sage, thyme and marjoram. Add the cream and pecorino cheese, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover and rest. Meanwhile, bring water to the boil in a large pot, add salt and cook the fettucine until al dente. Drain the pasta and place back in the pot. Add to the mushroom sauce. Gently toss and plate on a large serving dish. Scatter the toasted walnuts over the top. Place the lemon skin over the top. Sprinkle with the ground chilli flakes. Serve with a bowl of grated pecorino at the table. Serves 4.