Basil Pesto

Place the following ingredients in a food processor and mix until well blended: approx. 100g fresh basil, ½ cup good quality olive oil, 40g pine nuts, two to three teaspoons crushed garlic (or to taste), 40g grated parmesan cheese. Use as bruschetta topping with sun-dried tomatoes or add to pasta sauce. Great extra flavour for all Italian recipes. Cover leftovers with extra olive oil, and store in sealed jar in refrigerator.

Green Summer Sauce

Ingredients

500ml plain yoghurt (or extra light sour cream)
two chopped hard boiled eggs
two teaspoons hot English mustard
selection of six fresh herbs (approx. 25g each)

When selecting your herbs, be careful not to use one that may overpower the others e.g. not coriander, rosemary or other strong herbs. We suggest chives, dill, chervil, parsley, young sorrel leaves or garlic chives - but substitute with anything in season.

Method
Place all herbs in food processor and mix until it forms a paste. Place yoghurt, herb paste and chopped eggs in a bowl and add mustard. Fold until combined. Serve cold over hot steamed vegetables. Great on potatoes.

Spicy Vegetable Pancakes

Grate one onion, one potato, two zucchinis and one carrot. Place on paper towel and remove excess moisture. Place in a bowl and add two teaspoons of crushed garlic, 20g chopped coriander, 1/3 cup plain flour and three eggs. Season and add crushed chilli, if desired, to taste. Heat oil in a large frying pan and add ½ the mixture. Spread in base of frying pan and cook for three to four minutes or until golden brown on bottom; turn over and cook through. Great served with sour cream and salsa.

Regina's Lamb Fillet & Rocket Salad.

Salad:

1 Bunch (approx 35 g) Fresh Rocket; 20 gm Fresh Watercress, 2 tblsp shaved parmesan cheese; 2 tblsp virgin olive oil soaked overnight with a twig Rosemary, coriander and a birdseye chili; 2 tblsp Balsamic Vinegar. Prepare the salad and decorate on plates with the parmesan.

Lamb Fillet:

Coat the fillet with Dijon mustard sprinkle with pepper steak seasoning. Stand in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cook in hot oil for for 5 minutes each side, cover with foil and allow to site for a further 10 minutes.

Lamb Topping:

2 tblsp light sour cream; 2 tblsp fresh chopped mint; 3 drops tabasco. Mix all ingredients together.

Arrange Salad on plates. Cut Fillet into slices and place on salad and dribble with topping.

Green Peppercorn recipes.

Here is a simple Green Peppercorn sauce, which will work well with fish (Halibut and Salmon come to mind), or be pretty good on that steak you’ve been thinking about. Once you’ve had fresh Green Peppercorns, brined or dried are a poor substitute.

Green Peppercorn Sauce:

15 g Butter

2 or 3 finely chopped Shallots

A half-glass of dry White Wine

A shot of Brandy (optional)

2 spikes of fresh Green Peppercorns, peeled from the spike

90 ml of stock to suit your dish

150 ml cream

Oil for sautéing the Shallots

Melt the butter in a heavy pan using a medium heat, and sauté the Shallots until translucent. Deglaze the pan with the Brandy, if used, and then add Wine and Stock. Bring to a vigorous boil and reduce by two-thirds, stirring as required.

Reduce the heat, and stir in the cream and two-thirds of the peppercorns, crushing them against the pan sides with the back of the spoon. Cook on a low heat until warmed through and the sauce has thickened. You can now either strain the sauce, and push the peppercorns through the sieve, or leave it as is, which will enhance the flavour (I prefer the latter). Add the reserved peppercorns and cook for a few minutes, season to taste with salt, then keep warm until your main dish is ready.

Something else to try:

Try opening up a pocket in a piece of beef and laying whole spikes of slightly scrunched Green Peppercorns in it, then roast in the usual way. Green Peppercorns lack a tough core, and so will cook out, leaving only the warm flavours permeating the beef (the spike has some flavour too, so don’t be too quick to strip it and throw it away). Enjoy!