Village Herb Farm - Kuranda, Queensland Australia - Fresh Herbs

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Recipes - Italian

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Whole Fish in Red Wine Ingredients 4 Whole Fish approx 300 gm each 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 250 ml white wine vinegar 1 tsp black peppercorns 300 ml dry white wine 6 whole cloves 150 ml water 100 gm butter or margarine 1 carrot thinly sliced 1 tblsp fresh mixed herbs chopped 3 bay leaves (or to taste) pepper & salt to taste Zest of 1 lemon 1 small lemon – sliced thinly 4 sprigs of fresh continental parsley Garnish: Additional herbs & Lemon

Method: Clean fish and leave heads on. Dry off excess moisture and arrange in shallow pan or dish. Bring vinegar to boil and pour slowly over the fish. Place fish in refrigerator for approx. ½ hour to marinade. Place wine, water, carrot, bay leaves, lemon zest, onion, peppercorns and cloves into a pan with a pinch of salt and gently heat through. Remove fish from refrigerator and drain. Throw away vinegar. Place the fish in a large frypan. When the wine mixture has boiled, strain and pour liquid over the fish so they are about half covered and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove fish from pan carefully, removing as much liquid as possible, but leaving the liquid in the pan. Arrange on serving platter and keep warm. Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and retain heat until the liquid has reduced to about ¼ cup. Melt butter in a separate saucepan and strain in reduced cooking liquid. Spoon over fish and garnish. Serve with fresh rocket salad. Serves 4 people.

Pasta Pasta is versatile, fast and healthy and even tastes good! I have included here a few basics but generally speaking you can dish up a gourmet meal to impress in less than ½ hour with just a bit of imagination. Don’t be scared to use your fresh herbs. Unlike dried herbs, the flavour is generally subtle and enhances to flavour of your main ingredients. As a rule of thumb, start with a little and add until you are happy with the result. Oh, and remember, don’t overcook the Pasta. Boil until “just tender” or follow the directions on the package.One or more of the following dishes served with fresh crusty bread and a large bowl of salad is the best Fast Food I know. A nice glass of Australian wine is always a great way finish off your Italian food.

1. Spaghetti/prawns/herbs Ingredients 1 lge carrot cut into thin strips 2 teaspoons crushed garlic 1/3 cup good Australian Olive Oil 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 500 gm uncooked shelled prawns 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives 150 gm snow peas 50 ml lemon juice Freshly ground salt & black pepper 500 gm scallops (if too expensive, then double the prawns.)
Method Boil spaghetti until just tender and drain well and keep warm. Heat oil, add all ingredients and stir until seafood in just tender. Toss mixture through the spaghetti and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese

2. Fettuccine Carbonara
Ingredients 500 gm fettuccine 4 eggs lightly beaten 6-8 Bacon rashers sliced 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 500 ml fresh light sour cream ½ cup fresh chopped continental parsley
Method Boil fettuccine until just tender, drain and keep warm. Cook bacon until crisp, reduce heat and add cream, eggs parsley and cheese. Just heat through - do not cook. Gentle stir through the fettuccine and serve.

3. Herb Tortellini
Ingredients 500 gm tortellini 4 sprigs fresh oregano chopped 90 gm butter Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 sprigs fresh continental parsley chopped 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese Method Boil tortellini until just tender, drain and keep warm Heat butter in pan, add tortellini, herbs, pepper and half the cheese. Stir until heated through and combined. Sprinkle pasta with the remaining cheese and serve.