Whether it’s bringing people together or satisfying an insatiable sweet tooth, there’s very little that good food can’t solve. CW food writer Fiona Williams shares two perfectly presented dishes to nourish the soul.
Honey and macadamia cheesecake
This is an edited extract from The Farm Community by Tom and Emma Lane, published by Hardie Grant Books $39.99 and is available where all good books are sold.
Serves: 8-10
- 100g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 350g gingernut biscuits
- 500g (2 cups) cream cheese, softened
- 175g (½ cup) honey
- 300ml thickened whipping cream
- 70g (½ cup) raw macadamia nuts, chopped, plus extra to garnish
- Honeycomb, to garnish
- Edible flowers, to garnish
Grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin. Break the gingernut biscuits with your hands into the bowl of a food processor. Process the biscuit pieces until they are finely chopped. Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and process until combined. Press the biscuit and butter mixture into the bottom of the spring form tin to form the base of your cheesecake. Place the tin in the freezer for 20 minutes to allow the base to set.
Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the food processor bowl. Chop the cream cheese into cubes and add to the food processor bowl with the honey, then process until smooth. Add the cream to the cream cheese and honey mixture and continue processing until thick. Stir in the chopped macadamia nuts.
Remove the base from the freezer. Spread the cheesecake filling evenly on top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight, or until firm. Around 15 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer to soften at room temperature. Serve the cheesecake with fresh honeycomb, edible flowers and extra chopped macadamia nuts. Store any leftover cheesecake in the freezer.
Butterflied lamb leg with kale salad
Recipe courtesy of Australian Lamb | www.australianlamb.com.au
Serves: 6
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
- 1.5kg lamb leg, butterflied
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup currants
- 1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
For the yoghurt sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup (260g) Greek style yoghurt
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped mint, with extra sprigs to serve
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
Combine all yoghurt ingredients in a small bowl with half a teaspoon of sea salt flakes. Stir to combine, adding enough warm water to give it a thick creamy consistency.
Preheat barbecue to medium and cook the butterflied lamb leg, covered, for 25 minutes, turning halfway. Transfer to a clean plate, season, loosely cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice lamb.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add onions and currants, season and cook for 10-12 minutes or until onions have softened and caramelised. Cook for a further minute, and then remove to serving bowl. Combine kale, carrots and lemon juice together in a bowl and serve with sliced lamb, onion mixture, yoghurt sauce and mint springs.
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