gershgoods, wholesale distributor of premium quality foods

A word from Peter Watson - how to debone the bird, roll it and stuff it!

2011-12-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Every now and then its good to be reminded that the simple things in life are ever the most elegant and if you doubt that, look no further than great designers like Chanel. My reminder came in the form of a dish that was written by a fave Italian cook, Giorgio Locacelli, resident of the UK but raised in Lombardy Italy where his uncle had a restaurant and he was, from an early age surrounded by food and cooking. Locacelli is regarded as the finest Italian cook in the UK food scene. He is outwardly, fanatic in regard to method and style, but then, as ever with Italians, passion overcomes making his cooking and food a pure delight.

I have a chicken in the fridge... not unusual I hear you say and you would be right, but the point was I guess that I was sick of roast chicken, over grilled chicken, done the BBQ chicken thing last week, so something new was in order. I began by plunging into the depths of memory and decided that I would debone the chicken, stuff it and..... step in Giorgio! He suggested that a stuffing of mushroom and truffle with fresh herbs would be stunning, further that to poach the chicken and serve it with some cappilletti (little hats filled with ricotta) cooked in the broth in which the chicken was poached, would be stunning. He was right.

let me walk you through the method for deboning. For a definitive method, I would advise you to consult with Mastering the Art of French cooking by the indomitable Julia Child, however it is not all the difficult requiring most of all a very sharp knife, and my much loved small Shun paring knife which I still keep in its original box and sharpen lovingly before each performance. I am also known to become very agitated should anyone use my knife. Call me anything you like, but there are some things that are sacred.

There is little point in going through this whole performance for a chicken less than free range organic, so make sure that you have a chicken worthy of your efforts. I would also suggest that you remove it from the refrigerator some hour or so before you intend to start, having the bird at room temperature is easier. I also prefer to lay a tea towel over the chopping board to prevent slippage. If you have some issues with both hygiene and with fear of the knife slipping, then a pair of kitchen cloves could be desirable.

Make the first cut straight down the back bone, god I hope that you will all know the difference between the breast bone and back bone, the breast bone is where the breast fillets are located, the back bone is the 'bottom' of the bird. So the first incision is from vent to neck, straight down the back bone. The next steps are simply to carefully pare back the flesh from the carcass, detach the wing bones and the drum sticks (this can be done by snapping them off the carcass or by cutting in the joint itself) and leave them in place for the minute. Pare carefully on each side until you are left with only the breast bone, now carefully begin to detach the breast bone, this is the one place that you may make a big mistake ... it is thin tissue and so requires some care.

To remove the wing bones, first cut off the last two sections of the wings, leaving you with just one bone. Run your knife right around the bone just below the point on the bone that connected the wing to the carcass and begin to pare the flesh down. It is very simple and at the end, just pull the bone out. The leg bone or drumstick is a little more complex as you will have two bones per leg to deal with, but the principal is the same.

This will leave you with a complete skin intact chicken, all flesh in place. Roll it up and put in the fridge to await the next step. Place all the bones into your stock pot, including the wing tips, add an onion, a carrot or two a couple of stems of celery, cover all with some cold water and begin to make a delicious soup/stock... this will take 60 minutes. My trick here is to do this in the base of my Chinese steamer and to then steam/poach the chicken over the stock, thus I also get the advantage of adding the flavour of the cooking chicken to the soup and the chicken is bathed in delicious steam. Win win all round.

The stuffing is easy... I chose not to follow the Giorgio plan with truffles, mostly because I did not have any on hand, but to extemporise a little. I choose some fresh mushrooms, some dried porcini and in fact ham, you could of course use proscuito. I start with one of my retail ready stuffing mixes.

Ingredients

Peter Watson Sage and Red Onion stuffing

2 tblspns of milk

1 tblspn butter

200 grams of ham or proscuito, chopped but not too finely

150 grams of Swiss Browns that are chopped but again, not too finely

50 grams dried porcini, soaked in some hot water (don't waste the water, add that to the chicken stock) chopped, again not too finely

salt and pepper

egg is an option, I am not a lover of 'dense' stuffing so I prefer to not use one, for those who want to have a cold slice terrine like finished dish, then add one egg.

Place Peter Watson Sage and Red Onion stuffing mix in a bowl. Soften the butter and add it along with the ham and mushrooms, work this through with your fingers, try and not 'compress' it. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lay out the boned bird and cover the flesh side with the stuffing, leaving 2.5 cm along the outside edges (not the neck or bum end, just the sides) and pat the stuffing down, not hard. Now simply draw the two sides together and form a roll. Using kitchen twine, tie up the bum and neck ends first to prevent leakage of the stuffing and along the rest of the roll, four ties to hold it all together.

Rub the roll with a little oil add a bit of salt and pepper, place in the top half of the double boiler and steam over the stock for 50 to 60 minutes, not at a harsh boil, but on a gentle heat. At the end of one hour, check that the chicken is cooked and wrap the roll in foil that again you have oiled slightly, place to one side.

Here I have to confess that I did not make the Cappilletti, but I did buy the best I could. I am so glad to have that off my chest.

Strain the stock and remove as much of the fat as possible, there will be a bit, chickens are quite fatty. Place the strained stock in a pot and bring back to the boil, add your home made Cappilletti and cook, mine took about 14 minutes.

To Serve slice a piece or two if that's what you want, place in the middle of a pasta bowl, surround with 10 or 12 cappilletti and cover with a good ladle of the delicious broth, scatter a little fresh parmesan or grana padana over, test for salt and pepper and enjoy. I have to confess that I did have some crusty bread with this and gave thanks.

Locacelli is to be thanked for a reminder that such simple delights, requiring nothing more than moderate skill, attention to detail and fresh ingredient are enough to produce a meal of great excellence and perhaps, its time that we took stock of our cooking lives and embraced with passion, the concepts that have driven food and cooking in countries like France, Spain, Italy and Greece for years and which, in so many ways we have either lost or are in danger of loosing or being swamped by too much food choices or ingredients we neither understand nor in some ways, relate to.

If you are the more visual type - there is a good Deboning Video on UTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe4qSPojwtw&feature=related

Peter Watson December 5, 2011

Brine your turkey for Christmas.

2011-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Peter Watson says we simply must brine the Turkey for better flavour and moist texture This is his recipe which also uses the divine stuffing mixes which we sell so many of each Christmas.

method.

You must start the evening before with a fully thawed bird. It will need to be submerged in the brine solution and preferably kept in a cool or refrigerated situation for up to 8 hours. A large bird will need a very large pot or bucket. This solution should be enough for a 5kg to 8 kg bird.

Ingredients

3 litres of Vegetable Stock or chicken stock

375 grams of table salt

1 cup sugar (brown is best)

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 litre of iced water

Bring stock, salt, sugar and herbs to the boil, allow to cool then add the iced water to cool completely.

You will need a clean bucket that will easily hold the turkey with the brine. Place the brine into the bucket.

Wash and dry the turkey and lower the bird breast first into the bucket making sure that the cavities are filled with the brine. Place something on the bird to keep it below the brine solution. Place the bucket into the refrigerator over night, or no longer than 8 hours. If the refrigerator is otherwise occupied, consider using a chiller or even a styrene box. Remove the turkey and dry it completely. When cooking you will need to allow for the fact that a brined turkey will cook faster.

Cooking the Turkey

Stuff your turkey in both the cavities, being careful not to overstuff the main cavity of the bird. Use a combination of pork mince (with fat) and one of the Peter Watson stuffing mixes; Prune and Apple, Apple Red Onion and Sage, or Cranberry, Walnut & Thyme (Gluten Free). The neck cavity can be well stuffed, it may also be an advantage to bind the stuffing mix with an egg.

The quick method:
The accepted norm is to allow 20 minutes per kilo and then add an hour. In the case of a brined bird, it would be as well to check the bird after 30 minutes. Please preheat the oven... turn it up full and when you put the bird in to roast, drop to 180 celsius for the cooking time.
The slow method:
Peter's secret... since most of us have a ham for Xmas and will remove the skin and glaze the ham... keep the skin and place it over the turkey to allow the ham fat and skin to act as a baster and a way to keep the moisture in. Cover the bird with aluminium foil. Preheat your oven to 140 celcius and cook slowly for 4 - 5 hours (depending on the size of the bird, if smaller, 3 - 4 hours and then remove the foil and turn up the heat to 180 celcius, cook for 45 minutes, remove the ham skin and cook for another 10 - 20 minutes till golden. (The ham skin if crisp, is quite delicious!!)

Peter likes to roast the bird on a bed of root vegetables with loads of fresh herbs and a good slug of orange juice. (This makes for a stunning gravy.)

Tasmanian saffron - more precious than gold.

2011-09-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Terry & Nicky Noonan gave up their secure jobs on the mainland and moved to Tassy in 1989. They were keen to make a living from the land, but with only three sloping acres, they needed a small crop that could be hand harvested and easily shipped. Shopping one night they came across a jar of imported saffron, which at $14 for 125g became the seed of their inspiration. In 1991, after mountains of research and preparation they imported 5000 saffron corms (stem bases) from Europe, and became Australia's first producers of Saffron.

Tas-Saff is now a thriving commercial saffron producer and has developed a network of 50 growers throughout Australia and New Zealand, all producing premium grade Saffron to meet the worlds demand for Australian saffron.Their journey has not been without many trials, which have taught them to spread the risk over many farms in many locations.

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice first cultivated in 2300BC in Kashmir. It was valued as a spice, a dye and for its medicinal properties.Saffron is the most commonly adulterated, copied and misrepresented spice. As saffron was traded like gold in medieval times, saffron forgers were buried alive or burned at the stake.

Saffron is still expensive because it is incredibly labour intensive with processes which cannot be mechanised. In order to extract 1 kg of saffron from crocuses, the stigma's of almost a quarter of a million flowers must be hand picked, dried and bottled. "It takes about an hour to pick a thousand flowers" says Terry. For 45 days in Autumn the delicate purple crocus flowers appear in the morning and must be picked quickly to get the newest and freshest flowers before they wilt in the sun. The stigmas are nimbly twisted from the flower by hand, then dried for two hours before being packed into tiny 100mg glass jars which hold the stigmas of 20 crocus flowers.

The Noonans small packing and processing facility is carefully climate controlled and all processes require gloved hands, netted hair and fine tools more suited to a jeweller. The quality of their handling of the precious spice is one of the many factors which make their Saffron premium quality. Tas Saff Saffron is HACCP certified, Extra Category 1 Saffron and has been accredited to SQF 2000 - the worlds leading food safety and quality management standard.

The high quality means that Tas-Saff saffron goes a long way - far less of it is needed in your cooking. Each stigma is whole and un broken, so to achieve best results Tas Saff saffron should be infused in liquid for 24 hours to get the best flavour and colour. Saffron has been described as having a woody, honey-like, oaked-wine, tenacious aroma, and bitter lingering, appetite stimulating taste. Saffron is high in anti-oxidants.

gershgoods distributes the gourmet retail packaged 100gram vials in display boxes of 12 units, and two foodservice sizes in1gram and 5gram bags.

Saffron Rice

50 - 100mg Tas-Saff saffron
One and a half cups of Australian long grain rice
20 grams butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups of quality chicken stock

Remove lid from Tas-Saff saffron vial and fill with almost boiling water.
Leave to infuse for 24 hours.

Use a heavy saucespan with a tight fitting lid.
Prepare saffron as per instructions below.
Heat butter and oil in a deep saucepan and cook onion until soft without colouring.

Add rice and cook for a further minute, stirring all the time to ensure the rice is well coated with butter and oil.
Stir in approx. 3/4 of a cup of stock then add your saffron infusion, stir and mix well.

Add the remainder of stock ensuring that all the saffron is rinsed out of the cup.
Stir well, then cover tightly and cook gently for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and stand for a few minutes to let steam escape.
Turn rice with a fork to fluff up and serve.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

A night with Tetsuya

2011-08-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

On a Tuesday night in August, the gershgoods team arrived at Tetsuya’s restaurant in Kent St Sydney for a private demonstration of the many uses of his fantastic range of retail products. The team were excited, and there were some who only expected a sous-chef to give the presentation. They were delighted to be greeted by Tetsuya Wakuda himself, and after introductions and a glass of Bollinger Champagne he began.

Firstly he encouraged the staff to be creative with their cooking - using the Tetsuya's dressings as a base for their own recipes. He explained how vinegar is useful for bringing up the flavours of food and that Nori vinegar freshens flavours of other dressings when mixed together.

He showed his technique for perfectly cooking Wagu beef, which he served with his own Tasmanian wasabi mustard. He also prepared Smoked ocean trout with Rice Vinegar and wasabi, Kingfish Salad with Salad Vinaigrette, and Venison with Honey Rosemary Dressing. He explained that the Dressings can be used as a versatile ingredient, not just for salads and that Honey Mustard and Tasmanian Pepper Berry dressings are ideal with gamey meats.

The gershgoods team were truly engrossed, and have learnt new techniques and applications, which have extended their own culinary horizons. So now they are inspired and enthusiastic to share Tetsuya’s tips with you and the new ways to use the Tetsuya’s retail products.

A sample recipe:

Wagu Beef with Tasmanian Wasabi Mustard

Take beef cold from the fridge, do not raise to room temperature before cooking.

Do not season the meat before cooking.

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in non-stick skillet on full heat.

Seal beef to make a crust, blot up fat with a paper towel as it is released during cooking.

Rest in oven at 75C for up to 2 hours.

To serve, reheat beef on surface. Slice thinly and season with salt & pepper.

Serve with Tetsuya’s Wasabi mustard on the side of plate.

The Tetsuya's range of retail products is a top-seller over Christmas, with the Soft Smoked Ocean Trout Sides topping the list of things you must have. Pre-orders close 30th September - so order today!

Perfect Pangkarra Pasta

2011-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Pangkarra Pasta is truly unique for many reasons.

Firstly there is the heritage of the primary ingredient - Durum wheat grown on a farm in the beautiful Claire Valley, South Australia. This grain is lovingly grown by the Maitland family, the fifth generation to farm the land since they arrived in South Australia in 1866. Using sustainable farming techniques and organic fertilisers, the family produce premium quality grain which is way too good for the bulk market. They store the grain on the farm in chemical-free storage facilities, then traditionally stone mill it, which ensures the wholegrain flour that is produced retains the natural flavours of the grain.

Then there is the pasta making techniques. When the pasta is made, it is extruded through bronze heads - creating a rough surface texture which allows the pasta to better hold sauces. The hand crafted pasta is then dried at low temperatures in controlled conditions. They do this because pasta which is dried too quickly can become hard and glassy.

Then there are the health benefits. Wholegrain pasta is not the same as wholemeal pasta. Wholegrain retains all the goodness of the whole grain of wheat. This means it is high in Thiamine (B1), is an excellent source of antioxidants & phytonutrients, and has a low GI. Pangkarra pasta is also low in fat and sodium, and an excellent source of fibre.

Then there is the flavour. The team from Pangkarra flew up to meet us last week and took over our warehouse kitchen to give us a tasting and educational. They simply cooked the pasta until al dente, drizzled it with quality olive oil and tossed it through with sautéed mushrooms, baby spinach, garlic, butter and a pinch of truffle salt. We were all amazed by the delicious nutty flavour and divine texture. It truly is in a class of its own.

Even Maggie Bear loves Pangkarra Pasta.
"Pangkarra definitely embodies the slow food philosophy when you consider that it is the wholegrain milled traditionally and the pasta made with the slow drying that makes such a difference to texture and flavour,” Maggie said. “The family should be very proud of their pasta. I really loved its flavour and texture.” Maggie Beer.

Gershgoods is excited to distribute the following Pangkarra Pasta products to quality food stores in NSW from mid August.

Wholegrain Fettuccine
Wholegrain Spaghetti
Wholegrain Linguine
Wholegrain Penne

Keep a look out for Pangkarra Pasta popping up in all your favourite foodie magazines.

We're turning 180 Degrees

2011-07-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

gershgoods loves to support companies that produce all natural delights and this one is a cracker. Pun intended. 180 Degrees started in New Zealand producing premium quality crackers using all natural ingredients and New Zealand butter. Now made in small batches here in Australia, the 180 Degrees Oat Crackers range is specifically designed to accompany fine cheeses, fruit pastes, dips and spreads.

The boutique cracker comes in four varieties including Walnut Oat, Natural Oat, Hazelnut Oat and Chilli Pepper Oat. The 150g retail box is designed to catch the eye when on the shelf, each flavour in a different colour, so it is easily identified. These delicious small crackers have a shelf life of one year and come in cartons of twelve. After tasting them all it is difficult to decide on a favourite, but as each cracker flavour marries well with different cheeses, we didn't need to. Thankfully we found suggestions on the side of each box, which helped us to choose what we would eat with what.

Walnut Oat with Roquefort, Stillton, Pecorino, Fromage de Chevre, parmesan, Gouda, Camembert or a creamy blue.
Natural Oat with Camembert, Gruyere, Brie, Parmesan, Cheddar, Feta, Gouda or creamy blues.
Hazelnut Oat with Gouda, creamy blue cheeses, Jarlesberg, Emmental, Pecorino, Camembert, Gruyere and Brie.

Chilli Pepper Oat with aged Cheddar, Edam, Emmental, Pecorino, Camembert, Gruyere, Brie and Provolone.

180 Degrees Oat Crackers will be in stock for delivery early August.

Call the gershgoods office on 4759 1100 or email Luke Walker on sales@gershgoods.com.au

Medlow Gels Promotion for August

2011-07-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Get your orders in now to take full advantage of this Medlow Fine Gels promotion for August.
Contact the Gershgoods office on 4759 1100 today.

Sami's Kitchen - Shawarma Spiced Pork Belly, Braised Nettles and Cauliflower

2011-07-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Shawarma Spiced Pork Belly, Braised Nettles and Cauliflower - Recipe by Matt Rothman, Chef at Single Origin Roasters
Serves 4 People

Shawarmais a popular Mezze staple across the Middle East and has become probably the most renowned Eastern fast food worldwide, maybe second only to the humble Falafel ball. In fact, it is sometimes called the Arabian Taco!

Pork Belly
1kg pork belly, bone out and skin on
40g Shawarma blend
30ml olive oil

Remove all moisture from pork rind by dabbing with high-grade paper towel. This will ensure the pork rind crackles perfectly. Mix salt flakes, oil and 40g of Sami’s Kitchen Shawarma Spices. Rub all over pork belly, including the rind. Work into both sides of the belly. Place pork, skin side up in oven pre-heated to 250C and cook for 20 minutes then turn oven temp down to 140C and cook for an additional 1 ½ hours.

Nettles
200g picked nettle leaves
1 garlic clove minced
30 ml olive oil

Wearing gloves, place fresh nettles on a large cutting board (both top leaves and the fine stems can be used). Chop the nettles coarsely and add them to a pan with the garlic and olive oil and sauté until the nettles are wilted.
Note: Baby spinach can be substituted for nettles using the same quantity and method.

Cauliflower
½ head of cauliflower
25g butter
300ml milk
Seasoning

Remove the cauliflower stalks and cut into small pieces. Heat the butter and milk in a pan, add cauliflower and simmer until softened. Strain and liquidise the cauliflower then season and pass through a fine sieve.

Rosnay Organic Whole Figs in Syrup - Coming in August

2011-07-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

On the Rosnay farm they don't only grow olives and grapes, they have 120 fig trees too. Their largest organic figs go to market fresh, however there are a lot of smaller figs that are are perfect for bottling.
Using organic raw sugar , Rosnay port, vinegar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg, Florence Statham has spent years getting the recipe just right. They are absolutely delicious, great with icecream, on the cheese platter, or with careme puff pastry to make a divine fig gallette.

Order them now for delivery in August. Contact Gershgoods for more details.
http://rosnay.blogspot.com/2011/03/figs-are-in-seaon.html

Cunliffe & Waters Slow Cooked Lamb Kasoundi

2011-07-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

This mouth-watering recipe is featured in the winter warmers selection by Cunliffe & Waters, we at Gershgoods recommend it as the perfect dish to comfort you from the harsh cold outside.
Slow Cooked Lamb Kasoundi

This mild but very aromatic Indian style curry will undoubtedly become one of your firm favourites. It is so simple to prepare (as we have very kindly done most of the work for you) and yet it has the most wonderful depth of flavour. If you start cooking it the night before it will be even tastier.

1kg diced lamb shoulder (or similar cut)
1 large leek, finely sliced
1 jar Cunliffe & Waters Tomato Kasoundi
1 tin diced tomatoes
a little flour, salt and pepper
Toss the lamb in seasoned flour.

Sautee the leek in a good splash of vegetable oil (olive is fine) in a heavy based pot on a medium-low heat until it softens, but does not start to change colour.
Turn up the heat and add the lamb. Stir continuously until browned.
Add the jar of Cunliffe & Waters Tomato Kasoundi, 250ml water and the tin of tomatoes.
Simmer on a low heat with the lid on for 2 hours - checking occasionally to see if more liquid is required.
Season and serve with basmati rice, Cunliffe & Waters Lime and Date Chutney, cucumber raita and naan bread. You will be very popular indeed!

Heilala Vanilla Plantation Trip 2011

2011-06-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

HEILALA VANILLA PLANTATION TRIP 2011

Take A Trip To The Kingdom Of Vanilla With Chef Damien Styles

Don your summer linens and an appetite for new discoveries and delicacies and be one of only a few to witness the magical world of vanilla on an intimate journey with highly acclaimed chef, Damien Styles to the Heilala Vanilla plantation, located on the Vava'u Islands in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Over seven glorious days (Mon 24 Oct - Mon 31 Oct 2011) in the Tongan sunshine, intrepid

gourmands will be immersed in the humble village life and the Tongan way, appreciating and learning

the complex and intricate processes of growing and harvesting vanilla. This trip will be on Tongan time

i.e. very relaxed and not a five star hotel, butlers and spas kind of holiday! Read More...

Duck in Peter Watson Thai Yellow Curry

2011-06-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

Darren made this for the gershgoods team last Friday, it was delicious!

This recipe uses the Peter Watson Thai Yellow Curry Paste

Ingredients:
1/2 jar Peter Watson Thai Yellow Curry paste
1 tin of Coconut Cream
1 tin of Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
100 grams (ish) Palm Sugar (about 1 heaped tablespoon)
1 large or 2 smaller ducks from the Chinese butcher, cooked (roasted) and cut into bite sized pieces.

Method: Place the coconut milk and cream in a flat pan and place over heat, cook till reduced and starting to split, add the half jar of Peter Watson Thai Yellow Curry paste to the milk mix along with the fish sauce and sugar... allow to cook until the sugar is melted and a great sauce results.

Place the chopped up duck into the sauce and allow to simmer for a short time. (I added 5 dried birds eye chilli's as well )

To Serve: Have a good bed of rice and spoon a generous portion of the duck over and a good squeeze of lime juice. For those who like it, some chopped coriander.

So easy and so good.

Original Hot Chocolate

2011-06-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of our newest suppliers is warming us up today for the chilly winter solstice.

The Original Hot Chocolate Company produce a fun and indulgent way of enjoying a favourite hot drink, using premium couverture Belgian chocolate from Callebaut.

Their handmade creation is a delicious chunk of chocolate set onto a wooden spoon, available in milk, white and dark varieties. All are stunningly stir-able and delightfully gluten free!

We love that it's so easy to use:

Simply heat or extend approximately 200ml of milk then whirl and stir The Original Hot Chocolate Company spoon until the sweet silky chocolate has melted away, leaving you a steaming cup of premium quality hot chocolate.

For order information please head to our website: www.gershgoods.com.au

The Bio Burger

2011-05-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

One of NSW's prized artisan food companies, Nicholson Fine Foods, created the Bio Burger product using a stone ground blend of dried peas, beans, lentils, vegetables, spices and herbs. It is quick to prepare, is multi-functional, gluten and egg free and is low in fat and salt.

Here are 2 of the suggested recipes for the Bio Burger that we think are just delicious.

Lamb and Raisin Burger

Ingredients

1 pack Bio Burger

1 equal part Water

80 g Seedless Raisins

40 g Chopped nuts or seeds(pine nuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds all work)

240 g Minced Lamb

40 g Chopped green herbs(mint, parsley, coriander)

to taste Salt or Soy sauce

Cooking Directions

Pour boiling water over bio burger and raisins then mix well until fully absorbed.(if you are throwing a party, do this step prior to guests' arrival, so as to not make them too hungry)

Cover and let stand for 20 minutes

Add minced lamb, chopped nuts or seeds, and chopped green herbs.

Mix well for 5 minutes until fully blended.

Form into shapes and cook on grill, deep fry or bake.

Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

1 pack Bio Burger

1 equal part Water

40 g Grated Cheese

240 g Grated Raw Sweet Potato

40 g Chopped green herbs(mint, parsley, coriander)

to taste Salt or Soy sauce

Cooking Directions

Pour boiling water over bio burger and mix well until fully absorbed.

Cover and let stand for 20 minutes

Add grated sweet potato, cheese and chopped green herbs

Mix well for 5 minutes until fully blended.

Add beaten egg and mix well again

Form into shapes and cook on grill, deep fry or bake.

Side Note: If you've got vegan friends, replace the cheese and egg for some crumbled tofu.

Potato and Rosemary Galette

2011-05-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Make this galette without the prosciutto for a vegetarian option. If doing so select a stronger cheese such as taleggio or fontina.

This dish can be prepared in advance, re-heat at 160°C (140°C fan-forced) for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Not suitable for freezing.

Ingredients

375g pack Carême butter puff pastry, thawed

3 medium desiree potatoes

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

200g Goat curd

4 slices prosciutto, chopped

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten for glaze

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
2. Place pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll out just enough to cut a 26cm round.Place the pastry on prepared baking tray. Lightly score a border 3cm from the edge. Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
3. Meanwhile finely slice potatoes to a thickness of approximately 2mm. Toss potatoes with 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Remove pastry from refrigerator, brush border lightly with egg glaze.
5. In a small bowl combine goat curd, remaining garlic, rosemary and prosciutto, season with salt and pepper, mixing until well combined. Spread the goat curd mixture evenly over the centre of the pastry leaving a 3cm border.
6. Lay potato slices in rows around the pastry so each slice slightly overlaps, creating a concentric pattern.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan-forced), cook for a further 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Heilala Vanilla - Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding

2011-05-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to test the latest recipe from Heilala Vanilla, a creamy rice pudding will be a perfect winter warmer indulgence in the coming months.

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons white rice
4 Tablespoons Heilala Vanilla Sugar
3 cups of milk
1 Tablespoon Heilala Vanilla Paste

Method:
Heat the milk slowly. Whisk in the vanilla paste and vanilla sugar and stir to dissolve.
Add the rice and pour into a shallow ovenproof dish.
Cook in a oven at 150 degrees C uncovered for 1.5-2 hours, stirring half way through.
The pudding should be creamy and just set.
Serve warm with a dusting of cocoa or cinnamon. Serves 4.

For information on Heilala Vanilla products click here.

Ashbolt Farm Elderberry Concentrate = Perfect Winter Remedy

2011-05-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

What makes winter bearable? Ashbolt Farm's Elderberry Concentrate. As seen in the months Country Style Magazine (see below for snip-it from Flavours section of the magazine), for a Hot Toddy pour hot water over the syrup to taste and add lemon rind and spices such as cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

An alternative for those who prefer a subtle flavour, add a dash of Elderberry Concentrate to hot water and lemon and serve as a tea. Perfect for comforting those winter sniffles.

Elderberries have been proven to reduce the intensity and duration of colds or flu by half. For more details on the health benefits of elderberry and elderflower click here.
Head to www.gershgoods.com.au for details on ordering.

Peter Watson Thai Chicken Green Curry

2011-05-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last week the Gersh team were warmed with another Peter Watson south east Asian range dish, beautifully cooked by Darren Gershbach.
This particular Thai Green Curry was served with chicken and rice.

Traditionally this spice mix is cooked in a split coconut cream. To do this take one can of coconut cream and place in a frying pan (this will be the pan you cook the curry in so choose well), place on a high heat to boil then reduce to low heat to evaporate, in approximately 12-14 minutes the mix will split, give up it's oil and become very thick.
Add to this 2 heaped dessert spoons of Peter Watson Thai Green Curry paste and fry until the aroma is fragrant.
Add 500gm of chicken that is diced in the Thai style (4cm by 1cm by 2cm) and begin to cook. Add another can of coconut milk and continue to cook, add 2 dessert spoons full of fish sauce and 1 heaped spoonful of palm sugar. Kaffir Lime leaves can be added at this stage (the paste mix does contain some).
Continue cooking until the meat is tender and some of the liquids have evaporated leaving a thick rich curry as a result.

In Thailand a pure meat curry would not happen, it would contain a vegetable of some kind, usually the small pea shaped eggplants found natively. If these can not be found may we suggest small green peas.
Vegetables should be added approximately 20 minutes after you have cooked the meat.

Serve this curry with white rice and accompany with more chopped chili in a vinegar water combination.

FW: Sami's Kitchen - Grilled Baby Chicken with Shish Tawook

2011-05-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

From: David Johnson [mailto:noaadmin@bigpond.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 10 May 2011 11:12 AM
To: 'gershgoods.marketing.ggblog@blogger.com'
Subject: Sami's Kitchen - Grilled Baby Chicken with Shish Tawook

Sebastian Luximon – International Chef at Cucina Italiana, Newport has created a recipe using Sami’s Kitchen spice Shish Tawook.

We can’t wait to try this one out for ourselves.

Grilled baby chicken with Shish Tawook, rocket baby beetroot and tomato chutney

Ingredients

Baby chicken/ Spatchcock

Garlic

Olive oil

Rocket salad

Baby beetroot

2 tomatoes

White vinegar

Sugar

1 Onion

1 bunch of Parsley

Balsamic Vinegar

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with 3 tablespoon of Shish Tawook, 1 clove of garlic crushed and olive oil for 1 hour

2. Cook in a pan the diced tomatoes, with a quarter of diced onion and garlic together until it becomes soft and add about quarter cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Cook until everything become soft and add the parsley at the end.

3. Make a dressing with the vinegar and olive oil to add to the rocket and beetroot salad.

4. Grilled the chicken on a barbecue until cooked and serve with the tomato chutney and salad.

Sami's Kitchen - Grilled Baby Chicken with Shish Tawook

2011-05-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sebastian Luximon – International Chef at Cucina Italiana, Newport has created a recipe using Sami’s Kitchen spice Shish Tawook.

We can’t wait to try this one out for ourselves.

Grilled baby chicken with Shish Tawook, rocket baby beetroot and tomato chutney

Ingredients

Baby chicken/ Spatchcock

Garlic

Olive oil

Rocket salad

Baby beetroot

2 tomatoes

White vinegar

Sugar

1 Onion

1 bunch of Parsley

Balsamic Vinegar

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with 3 tablespoon of Shish Tawook, 1 clove of garlic crushed and olive oil for 1 hour

2. Cook in a pan the diced tomatoes, with a quarter of diced onion and garlic together until it becomes soft and add about quarter cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Cook until everything become soft and add the parsley at the end.

3. Make a dressing with the vinegar and olive oil to add to the rocket and beetroot salad.

4. Grilled the chicken on a barbecue until cooked and serve with the tomato chutney and salad.

Peter Watson Fish Penang (Thai Style) Curry

2011-05-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

This beautiful fish curry was cooked for us by Darren Gersbach not long ago using the Peter Watson Penang (Thai Style) Curry paste from the new SE Asia paste range. We loved it so much we thought we would share the recipe with you.

500gm of fish cut into bite sized pieces for a cooking time of 20 minutes
If desired mixed seafood can be used and added to the curry in order of cooking time (Darren used mussels, calamari and prawns)
1 can of coconut milk
3 dessert spoons of Peter Watson Penang Curry Paste

Place the coconut milk into a saucepan and add the curry paste, cook until oil starts to rise.
Add the fish and 2 dessert spoons full of fish sauce, 1 dessert spoon full of palm sugar and if you have them a couple of lime leaves.
Allow to cook slowly until you have a dryish curry that you can serve with white rice and garnish with chilli.
You can also add to the curry a mixture of asian greens such as bok choy, choy sum and pea shoots.

This delicious dish will not be forgotten by the Gersh team.

Sensory Evaluation

2011-04-27T01:35:00.000-07:00

In the course of a regular gershgoods week, we talk to and meet the most interesting and inspired food-people, and have the every-day pleasure of learning so much from each other. However some days, some exchanges, and some people are extra, extra special. A few weeks ago, two of our most esteemed food-friends treated us to a more formal exchange of knowledge.

Renowned cheese expert, judge & sensory evaluator Russell Smith and his partner Sally, encouraged the whole gershgoods team to close the warehouse for the afternoon, get out from behind our desks, behind the wheel and behind the packing benches, and participate in a Sensory Evaluation - a revealing educational afternoon in the field of sensory perception - How and Why we Taste.

From our personal relationship with Russell, we know he really tastes his food and wine, and meals with him and Sally are always fascinating and especially enjoyable. However, in this educational we came to truly understand where he is coming from, and the importance of knowing our palates and our own taste thresholds. So, what we thought would be a pretty interesting afternoon turned out to be totally revolutionary!

Russell explained that the existing simplistic theory of palate break-down - the idea of sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastebuds is actually incorrect. In fact there is a lot more to understand about taste than this simplistic theory. To outline this Russell explained flavour perception and taste thresholds.

Through tasting, we analysed our own taste thresholds and compared them to studies conducted across Australia. We were tested to find out at what strength could we detect a particular flavour. The results were exciting and revealing - we each found out if we on, above or below the average level of detection.

Following this exercise we were presented with a cheese judging experiment where we applied our new knowledge. We tasted and compared our detection of five key taste components across a range of cheeses - Cheddar, Brie, Camembert and Blue from various producers around Australia.

As this theory is now shaping the understanding of producers and chefs around Australia, understanding these principles and having a sensory experience of it was vital for us as a food-team. It was also a pretty fantastic way to spend the afternoon, and has left us all inspired, informed and excited about tasting every little sip and new bite.

To find out more about Russell Smith and his Sensory Evaluations, take a look at the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence website. www.appetiteforexcellence.com

Easter Recipe: Dark Chocolate Tart with Drunken Muscatels

2011-04-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Prepare the muscatels the day before, the tart can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance.

Ingredients

300g Carême Dark Chocolate Pastry or Vanilla Bean Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
170g Kennedy & Wilson couverture chocolate 70%*
400ml cream
80g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Good quality cocoa powder for dusting
150ml sherry
150g bunch of dried Muscatels, cut into small clusters (we recommend Tabletop Grapes)

Method

For the drunken muscatels, heat sherry to just below boiling point. Place muscatels in a medium bowl and pour over the sherry. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to soak overnight until muscatels have softened and plumped.
Prepare and blind bake a 20cm round dark chocolate pastry tart shell according to instructions on inside of packet.
Cut the chocolate chocolate into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl.
Place the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate, add butter and whisk to combine.
Place pre baked tart shell on a baking sheet, pour chocolate mixture into tart, fill to top . Place in refrigerator to set, allow at least 1 hour. Or if cool in kitchen can be left on kitchen bench to set, allow at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, dust with cocoa powder and garnish the centre of the tart with muscatels, plus serve extra muscatels on each plate along with a dollop of thickened cream.

*It’s important to use a minimum of 70% cocao content chocolate for the tart to set, available from gourmet food stores.

Malfroy's Gold Availability 2011

2011-04-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tim Malfroy of Malfroy’s Gold Honey contacted us recently to let us know about the latest issues affecting the beekeeping industry.

Due to a high level of rainfall in the Central West Tablelands over the past few months most beekeepers in the region have experienced a weak season in honey production.

Tim Malfroy explained that while “Malfroy’s Gold honey products will be in short supply over the winter months, the next season which resumes in October 2011 promises to be much better.”

Gershgoods apologises for any inconvenience and hope you will continue to support this food artisan in the next season.

Overview of product availability:

330g Soft Set: available all year

400g Honey varieties: available in reduced quantities all year

300g Honeycomb: expected November 2011

150g Wollemi Wilderness: available, but almost sold out!

On a more positive note, Tim Malfroy has spent the past 3 years working on a new style of honey production and beekeeping. This ‘natural’ beekeeping is the first of its kind in the Australian market and the product ‘Wild Honey’ will to be the only commercially available honey from this method. It attempts to mimic the behaviour of bees in the wild and allow the bees to draw virgin comb by using French Warré hives.

The first harvest of this ‘Wild Honey’ product will be available in very limited quantities late this year.

“It is produced from virgin comb, and genuinely cold pressed before bottling. This honey complies with the Demeter International Guidelines for beekeeping and honey production, and will be the only biodynamic honey available in Australia” explains Tim Malfroy.

Those who have tried Wild Honey & Honeycomb have been bowled over by the difference in flavour and texture compared to conventional, commercial honey.

Tim is also teaching beekeeping courses in this new method, through Milkwood Permaculture:

http://www.milkwoodpermaculture.com.au/courses/categoryevents/14-beekeeping

Please contact the Gershgoods office if you would like any further information on Malfroy’s Gold honey products including the ‘Wild Honey’ product available at the end of 2011.

p: (02) 4759 1100

e: info@gershgoods.com.au

w: http://www.gershgoods.com.au/

Sami's Kitchen - Baked Deep Sea Perch marinated with Shish Tawook

2011-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

Shish Tawook is a deliciously versatile Middle Eastern chicken dish using; garlic, paprika, pimento, nutmeg, thyme and cinnamon. Sami's Kitchen have re-created the spice blend used in this style of cooking and adapted it to this warming baked fish recipe.

Ingredients

2 Deep Sea Perch fillets cut into half
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Sami's Kitchen - Shish Tawook spice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Half an onion, finely chopped
Bunch of Broccolini
Handful of Green Beans
1/2 cup of Red Quinoa

Place perch fillets in plastic container with onion, garlic, oil and spice mix. Put on the lid, shake the container to marinate fish and set aside.
Thoroughly rinse the Red Quinoa under running water to remove any bitter taste.
Add 1/2 cup Red Quinoa to 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring it to the boil. Reduce heat and let simmer whilst covered for 15 minutes. Keep your eye on it and once cooked set it aside and fluff with a fork.
Wrap the pieces of fish individually in baking paper and place on a tray. Make sure all the mainade is divided between the fish.
Place wrapped fish on a baking tray and place in oven at 180 degree heat fan-forced for 15-20 minutes.
Chop the end of the green breans and cut broccolini to 3cm lengths and place in saucepan. Boil for 5-7 minutes.
Serve fish on top of the Red Quinoa with the side of greens. Serves 4.

I don't believe we've met

2011-04-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

In the last 12 months the Gershgoods team has expanded. We don't believe we have formally introduced you to our new staff members.

Bethany Jarvis commenced employment with Gershgoods in September last year as our Administration Assistant and brings with her an excitable can-do attitude. You may have spoken to her recently on the phone as she takes your orders. Bethany assists Sharelyn and Rae with the accounts and lends a helping hand to our sales staff.

Rae Cobb commenced employment with Gershgoods last May. She looks after our accounts and ensures we have enough in the bank to acquire new stock for all our customers. Rae comes to us from a strong accounting background.

Matthew Williamson commenced employment in March this year and assists Wilson and Elliot in the warehouse packing your orders and organising delivery. Matthew comes to Gershgoods from a varied creative background and has a keen eye for detail which works in our favour as he helps to sort out our warehouse and make sure everything is in it's right place.

Juliet Leahy is our newest face on the road, who started with us in March this year. She is well known in the ACT for her proactive sales approach, and brings a wealth of experience to our team. She services sales in the Southern Highlands, South Coast and Canberra region.

Our photographer Jennifer from Silversalt photography has been snapping Gershgoods staff and products for the past 7 years so we like to think of her as family. She has also just given birth to a beautiful baby boy and we would like to extend a warm welcome to August Conri Leahy-Watson into our family.

Photos courtesy of SILVERSALT Photography

Nuts about Duck Creek Macadamia

2011-04-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

If every macadamia nut in the world was as good as Duck Creek Macadamia, we would be in nut-heaven.

These quality, boutique macadamias are grown in the subtropical hinterland of Byron Bay on family owned plantations.

Only the largest sized nuts are selected to be used in Duck Creek Macadamia's premium range. These grade 1 macadamia's are pure luxury.

Macadamia's are industry graded and range from a maximum of 4mm in size (grade 8) to premium wholes which are required to be at least 17mm and a minimum of 95% whole kernels.

Duck Creek Macadamia's speciality is in producing premium quality, grade 1 macadamias, for the premium end of the retail market.

The Duck Creek Macadamia product range features gourmet macadamia nuts coated with a diversity of couverture chocolates (chocolate of the highest quality), and exotic savoury dustings that have won a multitude of national gourmet snack awards at the Sydney Royal Show.

These unique product offerings have attracted the attention of Qantas Airlines who offer Duck Creek Macadamias on more than 2000 domestic flights every week.

Duck Creek Macadamia's are high in energy, containing a high concentration of mono-unsaturated (healthy) fats and are cholesterol free. Their oil and spread contains 100% macadamias and has also been awarded medals at the Sydney Royal Show.

Duck Creek has a macadamia product for lovers of sweet and lovers of savoury. These products are best suited to the retail environment as their packaging and counter display are very attractive at point of sale and on the shelves.

Duck Creek Macadamia's make great gifts for friends and family or as a well deserved personal indulgence. Once you have one, you will want the whole jar.

Simone's Raspberry Slice

2011-03-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Perfect for an afternoon tea of indulgence

1 cup coconut
1 cup SR flour
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed weet-bix
125g melted butter
1 heaped tblsp golden syrup
2 tablespoons Cunliffe & Waters Willamette Raspberry Jam
125g Kennedy & Wilson White chocolate

Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, stir through melted butter and golden syrup.
Press into a lined slice tin and bake in a moderate oven 180° for 20 minutes or until golden.
Melt chocolate in a bowl over water.
Once slice is cooled spread on the Cunliffe & Waters Willamette Raspberry Jam, then spread on the white chocolate.

Mussaman Curry - Peter Watson

2011-03-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Peter Watson has graced us with fine curry pastes, pasta sauces, marinades, stuffing mixes and viniagrettes.
This particular curry paste is a favourite of ours and looks stunning on a shelf to boot.
At Gershgoods headquarters it has been raining for at least 4 days, we've lost track.
What better way to cosy up than with a bowl of this delicious Mussaman Lamb Curry:

Ingredients:
550g of lamb in 4cm pieces
3 tablespoons of oil
1 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of Peter Watson Mussasman Curry Paste
125mL of water
2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 heaped tablespoon of chopped roasted peanuts
Boiled rice
Deep fried shallots to garnish

Brown the meat in the oil and set aside. Take the curry paste and fry gently until fragrant, add to that the coconut milk and water. Return the meat to the sauce and start to cook.
After 20 minutes of cooking over a medium heat, add the potatoes along with the fish sauce and roasted peanuts. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with more roasted peanuts and some deep fried shallots.
Delish.

Roasted Tomato Tart - Careme Pastry

2011-03-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Tomatoes

1/4 cup (60ml) Extra-virgin olive oil
500g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 anchovies
1 tablespoon baby capers, rinsed
50g pitted kalamata olives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup roughly, chopped basil leaves

Tart

445g Careme sour cream shortcrust pastry
4 large eggs, lightly whisked
100g goat's curd
extra basil leaves, to garnish

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 degrees fan-forced) and lightly grease a 22cm round loose-bottomed tart tin.
Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, anchovies, capers and olives together in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, tossing ingredients to coat. Place roasting tin in preheated oven, cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, allowing to cool. Reduce oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 degrees celsius fan-forced).
Meanwhile carefully line the tart tin with pastry, so that it sits 1cm above the top of the tin (to allow for shrinkage). To help strengthen and support the sides create several pleats in the pastry, to prevent the sides from collapsing. To do this, simply press any loose pastry around the top edge together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
To blind bake the pastry case, line the pastry case with baking paper or foil. Cover paper with baking beans, rice or a dried pulse (eg. chickpeas), to help support the sides and weigh the base down during cooking.
Place tart tin on a baking tray in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tart tin from oven, check pastry is lightly golden around the edges before removing beans and baking paper. Return tart tin to oven and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until dark golden.
Add the basil to the cooled tomato mixture and using a stick blender, puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, before adding the lightly whisked eggs, stirring to combine.
Pour the tomato mixture into the prepared tart case, dot with goats curd and bake in oven for 45 minutes or until centre of tart is cooked. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
To serve, scatter over extra basil leaves, This tart is delicious served either hot or cold.

Ashbolt Farm in Sydney

2011-03-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Anne Ashbolt creator of Ashbolt Farm is in Sydney this week conducting some tastings of her amazing Elderberry and Elderflower products.
You can find her at the following stores:

Wednesday (Today!)
11am - 1pm
Norton St Grocer Bondi
1027-1028 Fresh Food Hall Westfield/500 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction
1pm - 3pm
Parisi's Food Hall
21 Dover Road, Rose Bay,
3pm - 5pm
Maloney's Grocer Surry Hills
Shop 4/490 Crown Street, Surry Hills -

Thursday
11am - 1.30pm
Blackwattle Delicatessen
Shop 8a/Sydney Fish Market, Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont
1.30 3.30pm
The Essential Ingredient - Rozelle
731-735 Darling Street, Rozelle
4.30 - 6.30pm
Royal Randwick Fruit Market
Royal Randwick Village Shopping Centre 73 Belmore Rd, Randwick

Friday
11am- 12.30pm
Village Grocer
Shop 72, The Village - Stocklands 197 - 215 Condamine St, Balgowlah
12.30pm - 2.30pm
Accoutrement
611 Military Road, Mosman

Drop in to your nearest store, say hello and pick up some goodies!

For more information on Ashbolt Farm products head over to www.gershgoods.com.au/products

Chocolate and Apricot Wonton Stack - Nicholsons FIne Foods

2011-03-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

It's officially Autumn and what better way to get a little bit cosier for the colder months than with this beautiful recipe from Nicholson Fine Foods.

Ingredients

Wonton wrappers
Cinnamon and nutmeg castor sugar
Australian dried apricots soaked overnight in cold water
500gms sugar
1 lemon zested and juiced for each kg of apricots used
Nicholson Fine Food Belgian Chocolate Mousse (as per recipe on packaging).

Method

Gently poach soaked apricots in lemon sugar syrup until tender (30 min)
then allow to cool. Deep fry wonton wrappers, drain on paper. Dredge in spiced sugar and store in airtight container. Assemble stack by piping some mousse onto the centre of the plate. Top with a wonton wrapper. Place an apricot on top and top with a wrapper. Pipe some mousse on top and top with a wrapper. Top with an apricot and a half strawberry. Use the apricot syrup to decorate the plate. Pistachio praline could also be used for a garnish.

quality food = quality life

2011-03-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

There is an impeccable force out there when it comes to choosing your next meal. We're constantly battling with the argument that if it's good for you then it must be time consuming and quite dull.
The truth of the matter is that there is a significant importance to consuming quality foods.
As food is essentially a prerequisite for life, it's fair to assume that the quality of food that one consumes is proportionally linked to the quality of one's life. What else would the ancient proverb "you are what you eat" refer to?
Hippocrates said once "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food", not only is food your sustenance but it prevents illness.
It's so easy to obtain a quick fix for your hunger by driving up to those fast food mega chain outlets, but how satisfied are you after consuming their products? Really.
Food quality on a basic level refers to standards of manufacturing, hygiene, process chemicals and the ingredient list.
On a deeper level, food quality stands for the contributing health benefits, the processes by which a product is produced, the care and attention that is poured into providing you with a product full of natural flavours whilst delivering a ethical approach to sustaining the environment from where the product roots began.

The satisfaction of consuming a product that addresses a higher standard of care in all aspects that it may effect is much greater.

That ruling is just one of the considerations Gershgoods reviews before taking on a product line, so you have the peace of mind that any product consumed that is distributed by us is of the utmost premium quality.

To prove this theory we asked around our office to find out what some of our staff are looking forward to consuming, the consensus was that Gershgoods was not just a place to work but a way of life. A quality way of life.

Rae (Accounts) - Goan Cuisine's Vindahlo curry with a fresh garam masala spice sprinkled over the top
Bethany (Admin) - Nicholson Fine Foods Chocolate Mousse topped with a dash of NFF's Raspberry Passion Sauce
Luke (Sales) - Goan Cuisine's Spiced Blood Orange Marmalade Kangaroo Rissoles
Wilson (Warehouse Manager) - Cunliffe and Waters' Tomato Kasaundi Beef Curry
Elliot (Warehouse) - Tetsuya's Smoked Trout on poached eggs
Kim (Sales) - Lamb back-straps with Nicholson Fine Foods BBQ Sauce
Matthew (Warehouse) - Nicholson Fine Foods White Chocolate Mousse
Rebecca (Marketing) - Tabletop Grapes Muscatels on Simply Fine Foods Nigella Seed Lavoche with some double cream fromager d'affinois
Darren (Director) - Toby's Estate Single Origin Burundi light roast through a chemex.

The above selections from Gershgoods staff not only make use of the premium quality products on our shelves, but constructing each dish takes very little time. Contact us for more information on how you can add these products to your own shelves.

News from our shelves

2011-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

We can't believe it's already March! This month is shaking up to be a busy one with lots of tastings, events and people coming to visit. Not to mention some new goodies that are popping up on our shelves.

This month you can expect:

Anne Ashbolt from Ashbolt Farms is hitting Sydney to do some tastings. We're announcing where you can find her next week.

Don't forget Heilala Vanilla will be at Taste of Sydney on the NZ Stand March 10-13.

Gingerbread Folk have also announced they will also be at Taste of Sydney you can find them on Stand E, March 10-13.

Peter Watson will be conducting some tastings towards the end of this month, of their fantastic pasta sauces - official dates will be coming soon.

Rosnay Organic Farms - Flickerfest and dinner is on the 26th of this month. Tickets are available through their website.

All through March we are taking pre-sale orders for the indulgent Duck Creek Macadamia products, to be released in April, please feel free to contact us for more information.

Making it's debut on our shelves very soon is a brand new creation from Tetsuya's. The amazingly delicious Wasabi Mustard. Stay tuned for order details.

Halloumi & Pomegranate summer salad

2011-02-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of summer here in Australia, and while the cooler weather is already beginning to nip at our feet our last hurrah for warmer days comes in the form of this absolutely delicious summer salad using one of our favourite spice blends.

This Halloumi & Pomegranate Summer Salad was created by Hayssam "taste-extraordinaire" Bejjani from Sami's Kitchen and we love it:

2 x Halloumi cheese blocks (Pittas is best)
1 x fresh Pomegranate fruit
200g fresh Tomato (we used the small grape Tomato)
3-4 sprigs of fresh Mint
1-2 tbsp Sami’s Kitchen Zaatar blend
50ml Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar (love Pukara Estate)

Cut the Halloumi cheese into slices, approximately 1cm thick.

(It’s always a good idea to wash the Halloumi in fresh running water after removing from the packaging)

Heat a large frypan, add a touch of olive oil to avoid sticking, and grill the Halloumi slices on both sides until golden; this should take no more than 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove the Halloumi from the pan and let it cool down, then cut each slice into 4-6 small pieces.

Remove the Pomegranate “pearls” from the flesh of the fruit and place in a bowl.

Cut the Tomato into slices or if using the small grape Tomato simply slice in half.

Remove the Mint leaves from the stalk.

Find a nice big platter; place the Halloumi at the bottom; add the Pomegranates, Tomato and Mint on top; sprinkle the Zaatar over the whole lot and then drizzle the Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar.

You may add some Salt to taste.

This should look impressive and be bursting with refreshing flavour. Enjoy!

Flicks, Food and Friends

2011-02-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

March 26th friends - Put that date in your diary, pack your picnic blanket and round up the crew. Rosnay Organic Farms is putting on their second Flickerfest!
There is a free afternoon farm tour at 4:30 for those who haven't yet ventured out to Rosnay land.
Dinner and drinks is from 6:30pm (RSVP's required by the 22nd) and the first film kicks off at 8pm.
Entry costs and booking forms are available on the Rosnay website

We are looking forward to rugging up, sipping some fine wine and gobbling up some amazing organic olives.

Relaxing Elderflower Tea

2011-02-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

This week's recipe in the spotlight uses the award winning Elderflower Concentrate by Tasmania's Ashbolt Farm. With all the exciting new products coming onto the market, countdowns to the Taste of Sydney festival and Easter consuming us at Gershgoods, the Relaxing Elderflower Tea recipe is just what we need to relax at the end of the day and calm our busy minds.

The Elderflower has many health advantages, traditionally used as an aid against respiratory illnesses such as asthma, colds and influenza, skin purification and general detoxification.

Ashbolt Farm's Elderflower Concentrate has been entered into 4 consecutive Wrest Point Fine Food Awards (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and won Gold Medals in each year and a National Champion Award.

Stunning as a winter morning’s de-tox, or great before bed for a relaxing night’s sleep.

Ingredients
ASHBOLT Elderflower Concentrate
Hot water
Lemon or Ginger as desired

Method
Step 1 - For those who like fresh ginger, pour boiling water over grated or thinly sliced ginger in a plunger pot or a cup, allow to cool a moment or two (to maximise the herbal benefits of the elderflower) and then add ASHBOLT elderflower concentrate and perhaps a slice of lemon / lime to the cup.
Step 2 - NOTE: Some people add Elderflower concentrate to ‘freshen’ the flavour of fruit-based tea bags and to extend the concentrate a little further.
Step 3 - Add gin or vodka, if desired, for a relaxing toddy.

For more yummy recipes from Ashbolt Farm - visit their website or contact us.

An eye for Hollows

2011-02-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

We at Gershgoods support a number of charities, community groups and foundations that we believe are outstanding in their fields and are doing everything in their power to improve the environment, aid those in need and support third world and indigenous communities.

This week we're placing a spotlight on the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Inspired by the work of the late Professor Fred Hollows (1929-1993) an eye doctor, surgeon and internationally recognised social justice activist. Prof. Fred Hollows had a belief that all people had the right to good health and the best eye care available.
Fred was also committed to improving the quality of health amongst Aboriginal communities. His work took him all over the world and he made a major impact on reducing the cost of cataract prevention in third world countries to as little as $25.
The foundation has helped to restore sight to over 1 million people worldwide and continues to help those in need.

As with any charitable organisation, they're services are not free. Gershgoods gladly donates to the Fred Hollows Foundation regularly because we believe everyone deserves to see what a beautiful world we live in.
http://www.hollows.org.au

Heilala Vanilla Paste = Overall Runner Up Award

2011-02-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Keeping with this weeks' Heilala Vanilla theme we would like to share with you something that popped up in our inboxes this morning of which we are very proud of.

Heilala Vanilla's Paste product has won the Overall Runner Up bestowment at this years Cuisine 2011 Artisan Awards held in New Zealand.
The paste has been and continues to be a massive hit amongst hat winning chefs and home cooks. Heilala have produced a 100% consistent vanilla flavour in their paste which is made from vanilla grown on coconut husk frames in organic virgin soil, hand polinated and dried. Just a few of the reasons why we love Heilala Vanilla.

Cuisine is New Zealand's leading good food and wine magazine and each year a selection of artisan producers are nominated by readers and held before the Cuisine magazine's judging panel comprising of chief editors of the good food mag and leading respected profiles in the industry such as Enzo Bettio, founder of Delamine Fine Foods and owner of Vin Alto; Jacqui Dixon, co-founder of Sabato; Julie Moore, co-founder of Moore Wilson; Jessica Godfrey, marketing manager of Caffe L'affare.

The winners of this years' award Helen and Richard Dorresteyn of Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company astounded judges with their Buffalo Yoghurt, a additive free thick-set velvety yoghurt.

Heilala Vanilla Passion Martini

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

We're holding onto summer with a tight grip before it slips away in a matter of days.
One of the many things we cherish on balmy days is a relaxing icy cold beverage.
Our good friends at Heilala Vanilla have put together a few mouth-watering cocktail recipes featuring their premium vanilla extract and syrup.
Our favourite this week is the Vanilla Passion Martini...

1 tablespoon Heilala vanilla sugar on saucer
1 egg white, whisked to frothy
2 ounces/60 mls Passion Fruit vodka
1 teaspoon Heilala vanilla syrup
Juice of half a lime

METHOD:
Dip a clean finger in egg white and run around rim of martini glass. Dip glass in Heilala vanilla sugar and allow to dry.
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add vodka, lime juice and Heilala vanilla syrup. Shake vigorously until well blended. Strain and pour into prepared martini glass.

Serve immediately.

Other delicious cocktail recipes using Heilala Vanilla can be found on their website:
http://www.heilalavanilla.co.nz/recipes

Charitable Business

2011-02-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

As always Gershgoods takes care to acknowledge that our suppliers not only use premium quality ingredients in their products, but that these ingredients are derived from fair trade, sustainable and ethical environments.
The initiatives taken on by our friends make us proud to have the relationships we do and inspire us to continue to give back to mother nature and the communities that dwell on her land.

Once a month we will take some time to shed some light on the varied projects our friends contribute to.

This month we're taking a look at Toby's Estate S.E.E. Project.

Toby's Estate has an inspirational dedication to their S.E.E. Project (Social, Ethical and Environmental Responsibility). So often we hear of coffee bean and tea farmers being sold short and the real story of how the beans are grown, who grows them and the environment that surrounds them is lost.
Thankfully the days of instant coffee mass produced without love are disappearing, although not completely gone.
When sourcing their coffee beans and fine teas the team at Toby's makes a point of getting to know the local farmers and producers. Through this process of personalising the business the understanding of the social, environmental and economical challenges faced by the communities who bring us such fine products, becomes clearer.

The results of Toby's fair trade agreements and personal relationships with these communities ensure that products are not traded based on a commodity value but on a premium product value, which in turn improves the quality of life these third world farmers and their families. It also cements the practice of bringing coffee lovers the very best products available.
Toby's Estate also have a strict educational policy - they love to make sure that the seller, drinker and barista understand where the products are sourced from. It turns an activity into an experience.
This paired with the commitment to sourcing through sustainable networks such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Utz and 4C is just one of the reasons why we love Toby's Estate so much.

For more information on the Toby's Estate S.E.E. Responsibility project visit www.tobysestate.com.au

recipe of the week

2011-02-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Goan Cuisine's - Baffad Curry
Perfect for the cool weather we're experiencing.

Ingredients

    1 Kilogram Beef/Chicken/Lamb
    2 Onions, sliced
    5 tablespoons BAFFAD CURRY PASTE
    2 cups Water
    2 Potatoes, cubed
    1 Chilli, de-seeded
    Salt to taste

Directions
For 1kg of Beef/Chicken/Lamb curry use 5 tablespoons paste.
————
Sauté 2 sliced onions, add the BAFFAD paste and fry on low heat for 10 minutes until mixture looks ‘glazed’.
Add 1 kg meat/chicken and fry well.
Add 2 cups hot water, 2 cubed potatoes and cook covered until done.
Add 1 de-seeded green chilli and simmer for 5 minutes.
Salt to taste and heat through.

Serve with boiled basmati rice.

recipe of the week

2011-02-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

Caramelised Peach & Almond Crumble as seen on the Careme Pastry website.

preparation time: 20 mins
cooking time: 50 mins
serves: 6

ingredients
435g pack Carême sweet vanilla bean shortcrust pastry
1 egg yolk beaten
4 free stone peaches, de-stoned and sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto (optional)
crumble ...
6 almond biscotti biscuits
¼ cup whole natural almonds
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 ½ tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon almond essence
60g chilled unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes

method
preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced), lightly grease a 22cm round tart tin with removable base.
place pastry on a lightly floured kitchen work surface; roll pastry to a thickness of approximately 3mm. to check if the pastry is the correct size for the tart tin, place the tart tin over the pastry, there should be at least a 5cm border the whole way around. carefully line the tart tin, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

to blind bake the pastry case, line the pastry case with baking paper or foil, then fill to top with baking beans or a dried pulse (eg. chickpeas), to help support the sides and weigh the base down during cooking.
place tart tin on a baking tray in preheated oven, bake for 15 minutes. remove tart tin from oven, check pastry is lightly golden before removing beans and baking paper. brush base of tart with beaten egg yolk and return to oven, cook for a further 10 minutes. remove tart from oven, allow to cool.

for the crumble, place the biscotti biscuits, almonds, flour, sugar and essence together in a food processor, pulsing until mixture is coarsely chopped. add the butter and pulse until small clumps begin to form. set crumble aside for later.

place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. meanwhile toss peach slices in brown sugar, tip into pre-heated frying pan spreading to a single layer, move occasionally until fruit is evenly coated in caramel. add amaretto to the pan, tossing peaches to combine, remove from heat.
spoon fruit into the prepared pastry case, top with crumble, bake for 25 minutes. serve tart with cream.