YamDaisy Autumn Menu Part Two

For a YamDaisy Cafe Menu the food must be Delicious, Everyday Food and Economical too. Not only that, there are only four dishes on the menu to cater to the (presumably) wide ranging tastes of the customers. The chef needs to cook them all in a small, but well equipt kitchen. O yes, they need to be made from scratch from local, seasonal ingredients.

It is just turning Autumn in Melbourne, the end of Summer vegetables are glorious, and my sister brought me eggplants, zucchini, cucumber and a huge bag of wonderful new season apples when she came to visit a couple of weeks ago. So I came up with the following menu to give an idea of what a Yamdaisy Cafe could do:

JOY'S AUTUMN MENU

Soup: Zucchini Soup with a Dinner Roll
Main 1: Fried Rice with Coriander and Pepper Paste
Main 2: Mexican Polenta Stuffed Peppers With Refritos Beans and Salsa
Fruit Based Dessert: Apple Puree with Custard and an Oat Crisp

I began writing about this menu last post, so to get the chat and recipes about the soup and the first main have a look here:

Main 2: Mexican Polenta Stuffed Peppers With Refritos Beans and Salsa
In the picture above you can see my attempt at the peppers. 
I am not sure the photo shows how gorgeous they were, and of course it can't let you know how delicious they smelled. I just loved them! But I varied quite a bit from the recipe, so I will write it out and then tell you what I did.

This recipe came from "Moosewood Simple Suppers" and it was my first try at making it.

MEXICAN POLENTA STUFFED PEPPERS
5 large peppers - Cut in half lengthwise, keep stems on. Remove seeds, brush inside and out with olive oil (allow 1 1/2 tbsps). Salt lightly, place cut side up on an oiled baking sheets and roast at 450F for 15 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.
Polenta: Cook 4 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup of cornmeal until thickened.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of corn kernels, 1 tbsp oil or butter,  1 cup of grated cheese and 1/2 a cup of chopped spanish olives.
Fill the capsicums with the polenta, sprinkle more cheese on top and bake 5 - 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve with Mexican beans and salsa.

I really wanted to make this recipe, but I had the long red peppers which aren't so thick fleshed. Three instead of five! But I did have some sweet corn and some olives (Greek not Spanish). I thought of how I could slit the peppers open so they would be like a shoe shape to fill with the polenta, but how to get the seeds out? 
I slit them, gave a tiny rub of oil where the pepper sat on the tray, and roasted them for 15 minutes. When they cooled I could open up to get at the seeds and membranes. They hardly had any! All very easy, and I had used a smear of oil, not 1 1/2 tbsps.
Next the polenta. I used my easy microwave method (thanks Barbara Kafka) where I put 1 cup of water, 3 tbsp cornmeal and 1/2 tsp salt in a 1 litre pyrex jug. Stir and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir again and cover with a piece of paper towel. Cook 1 1/2 minutes more on high. Mix in a generous teaspoon of butter and a grind of pepper, and let it sit for three minutes.
For this recipe I added about 1/3 of a cup of fresh sweet corn kernels with the butter and pepper. I don't like my polenta too cheesy, so I didn't add that, and I thought the olives would look nicer on top so I kept them back too.
I spooned the polenta into the peppers and topped with lots of grated cheese (that is where I like my cheese!) and the olives and then popped them back into the hot oven until the cheese was bubbling and golden. (It wasn't happening quickly enough in the oven so I finished them off under the grill).
They are SO delicious! I think I prefer them the way I did them, so that is now my recipe!


Next I looked for the Mexican Beans to go with them. I have a yummy recipe but it didn't quite suit (it had cornmeal in it for a start!) and I was feeling sorry for the carnivores so I looked on the internet for one with beef added. However, I found this one and liked it so much! It would match beautifully with the pepper dish! http://www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com/pinto_bean_recipes.html
And to finish it off a salsa with cucumber, tomato, herbs and avacado if possible would be just gorgeous!

And the final dish, for those who just can't survive without a dessert:

Fruit Based Dessert: Apple Puree with Custard and an Oat Crisp
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while must think I am fixated on apples and oats! Every time I think of a delicious fruit based dessert it seems to contain them! But this time I had that big bag of the most gorgeous fresh apples! 

First I pureed the apple following a method my sister showed me that my mum perfected long after we had all left home! Cut the apples quickly into chunks. Cook gently in saucepan with a thick bottom, with a bit of sugar (2 tbsp for 8 apples I think I used) and a sprinkle of water. When soft, blend with a wand style thing in the saucepan, or if you are like me and haven't got one, cool until you can put them in the blender. The red skins give the puree a lovely pink colouring, all those added vitamins, and yet don't effect the texture. (Note: the skins do blend better if they are less than 2cm square pieces).

I made REAL custard, mindful of the YamDaisy 'make from scratch and not from packets' philosophy. I usually make a very nice packet custard, and this recipe was quite stressful since it was first time.... but O Yum! Eggs and milk really do make such a beautiful custard! I don't think I can go back to packet mix now!

And for a bit of crispness I made a round of Oat Pastry ( 2 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup raw sugar, 100g melted butter ~ combine firmly and press mixture into a 20 cm pie dish. Fill and bake in a moderate oven til firm). 
I just pressed it into the pie plate and baked til crisp and golden and when I had cooled it on a rack I tried to cut it into elegant wedges. I aimed for 16 and got a dozen, they did tend to shatter! I think a YamDaisy Chef would work something else out! They were nice though! The photo makes it look dark, it was really a lovely golden brown. Crisp and sweet and balanced the dish.

The nicest thing about this menu was all the yumminess I got to eat! My next job is to work on the YamDaisy website. I think I need to do a lot of updating to the menu page! You can check the site out here http://home.vicnet.net.au/~yamdaisy/
and see if I have done so! And give me some feedback on what more could be done there! And on this menu too please!
Otherwise thanks so much for reading! Best Wishes to you all!

YamDaisy Autumn Menu Part One

It has just turned to Autumn here in Melbourne, and my sister visited with lovely produce from her farm, which has greatly inspired this menu.
The YamDaisy Cafe Menu has only four choices each day ~ three really, since one is a dessert. So the aim is that they cover a wide variety of tastes.

It seems that every meal I have at the moment contains zucchini, eggplant, corn, peppers, tomatoes. All those end of Summer vegetables that combine so well together.

I began this menu with the fried rice that stars the beautiful eggplant (prepared with pepper and coriander paste). So then I needed another main that stars Summer vegetables but is quite different, and might suit people who don't like the rice. I tried to put meat in it! (I know there are a lot of meat eaters out there). But it just turned out that it is another vegetarian menu! Maybe it could be for Meat Free Monday!

I hope there is something you like anyway!
There is so much good food to talk about... I will spread it over two posts!

JOY'S AUTUMN MENU

Soup: Zucchini Soup with a Dinner Roll
Main 1: Fried Rice with Coriander and Pepper Paste
Main 2: Mexican Polenta Stuffed Peppers With Refritos Beans and Salsa
Fruit Based Dessert: Apple Puree with Custard and an Oat Crisp

Zucchini Soup with a Dinner Roll
This must be the simplest soup in the world, it is hard to believe it tastes so good, but try it and see! A fresh little dinner roll is a perfect accompanimnet!
Zucchini Soup
500 g zucchini ~ cooked in boiling water (to cover) until soft. Cool enough to blend.
Then add 2 1/2 cups of milk, 1 tbsp of butter and Salt and Pepper to taste.
Reheat slowly (do not boil!) and serve.

Fried Rice with Pepper and Coriander Paste

This is best made with precooked rice that is waiting nice and cold in the fridge.
The eggplant is prepared first. Cut 2 medium eggplants into fair sized chunks (2cm squared) and mix through 2 tablespoons of Pepper and Coriander paste.

(This is seriously wonderful stuff! I got the recipe from Charmain Solomon's Thai Cookbook and made it when I had a big bunch of coriander I wasn't using quickly enough. I froze it in a couple of portions. This is how it goes:
1 tbsp chopped garlic crushed to a paste with 2 tsp salt in a mortar and pestle
Roast and crush 2 tbsp of black peppercorns
Chop 2 cups of fresh coriander
Mix all the ingredients above into a paste in the mortar and pestle or a blender.
Add and mix in 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
Note: If you grind the pepper in a spice grinder, just use 1 tbsp as it will taste much stronger.)

Now that your eggplant has been sitting in the amazing paste, gently cook it with just a touch of oil, if you wish, until the eggplant is cooked.
Prepare the other ingredients for the fried rice: I used onion, zucchini, red peppers, corn and beet leaves, but notice how I have zucchini in the soup and red pepper and corn in the other main? I couldn't avoid it!
At least with this recipe the customer can choose what extra veggies they want in their rice!

Stir fry the veggies, then add the eggplant and any of the paste in the bottom of the bowl, then the rice and some chopped peanuts and when all is deliciously hot and fragrant fill up your bowl and enjoy. it tastes fantastic!

Next two dishes - Next post! Jump to it here
If you are trying to work out what the YamDaisy Menus are all about - Have a look here

Birthdays and the YamDaisy Cafe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAUDIA!

My idea of Community Cafes that provide delicious, everyday food will work has a community focus. The chef will get to know people, the IT system will help clarify health issues, food allergies and intolerances, and likes and dislikes as well. The people will get to know each other.

The Cafe can play a part in Community celebrations and surely these should include birthdays too! Claudia's birthday today has inspired this post that looks at the issues around Birthdays at the YamDaisy Cafe.

My idea of the YamDaisy Cafe is to provide homestyle cooking , and not the cakes and pastries that are part of the usual cafe fare. I want to maintain the distinction between the YD Cafe and other cafes in the area.

This is partly to keep a clear distinctions between the 'everyday' food of the YD Cafe, and the 'sometimes' of gorgeous cakes and tarts and such things. The other part is to build supportive relationships with other community businesses. Local cafes and restaurants might give food vouchers or special deals for YamDaisy customers..

But for some people and some situations, it might be really appropriate for Birthdays to be celebrated at the YamDaisy cafe. Here are some:

Pensioner Dan lives in a small bedsitter. His sister's family are coming down for his birthday. He can take them to the YamDaisy Cafe for lunch and celebration.

Marian is working nights, she is picking the kids up from school and having Lucy's 8th birthday tea at the YamDaisy Cafe.

The YamDaisy Chef promised vision impaired Jeff he would cook Lasagna according to his special favourite recipe on his birthday. And he will.

Mrs Tobin has invited three friends to her birthday. Two are diabetic and one has to eat dairy free. They are all pensioners, but the YamDaisy Cafe is the place where they can celebrate.

Everyone knows what a hard year Jen has had, but Lisa chatted to the YD Chef and since they know she will be having lunch at the cafe.... well quite a few other people will be popping in for lunch at the same time. And a big pink cake will be served too!

Can you think of more people who would have their best birthday at the YamDaisy Cafe?

I made Claudia the sort of cake that might work well at a YamDaisy Cafe Birthday Celebration. I wanted to make her a pink one! It is based on the Beetroot Walnut and Hazelnut Cake from Let Her Bake Cake. But I used Almonds and Vanilla for the nuts and spices. . The beetrroot colouring made such a pretty icing! And the beetroot itself made lovely squiggles through the cake mixture!

Claudia this post is dedicated to you. Best Wishes for a lovely year, and I am having a virtual piece of birthday cake with you, and a lovely cup of tea! 

Everyone else is welcome too. Enjoy the cake and do pop over to Claudia's blog and say Happy Birthday!