Cherry Guava Marshmallow

I grew up adoring cherry guavas- eating them off the tree in autumn and watching my grandmother make them in to exquisite jelly. The trees are really just shrubs and easily grown, bearing deep red fruit every autumn, that are simply laden with goodness.

The fruit ripens in batches so it's easy to gather up a bowlful at a time to make use of. 

By adding a little over a cupful of water to a pot of guavas and simmering the fruit until the colour has faded from them, you'll soon have a gloriously rich liquid- enough to make a little traditional jelly or even some marshmallow.

How to make guava marshmallow:

1 cup of liquid (as above) 

Add 3 tbsps of good gelatine (I like nutra organics natural gelatin that I buy at Bin Inn) and heat gently to dissolve.

That's a few minutes stirring over low heat in a pot, or 30-40 seconds in  the microwave.

Stir in 1/2 cup of honey and then pour into a bowl that you can use a beater in or use an electric beater if you have one.

Beat until the mixture is pale pink, fluffy and thick.

Pour in to a prepared container quite quickly.

I use a small square slice tin lined with baking paper.

The marshmallow sets fast so within 20 minutes or so you'll be able to turn it out and cut it.

I rub my hands with cornflour as I handle the pieces and then stack them in layers in an airtight container.

They will keep just fine out on the bench until you've eaten them all.

Sweet, but tangy such a delightful food/medicine treat.  

You can now press the cooked berries through a sieve or work them through a moulie disgarding the hard seeds.

You could make this in to guava ice cream, or sweeten and mix it in to some thick Greek yoghurt, or chia seeds and coconut milk to make guava chia pudding. Guava paste takes a bit of work but it is truly the Queen of pastes. You can find that recipe here. 

Catherine X

Feijoa Oatmeal Cake

 When we lived in Taranaki some 35 or so years ago I often made this delicious cake.

Back then there was no internet so we just thought of it as "our" cake that we'd shared amongst friends, but as I look up oatmeal cake now I realise that it's a tried & true old fashioned fave from way back further.

Our recipe has been stored in a handwritten cookbook all these years & I have just made it again for Rob's birthday. I don't think I'd change anything.

I have always preferred baking that was more "wholesome food" than a sweet treat, so in making a comparison with online recipes I had already halved the sugar content & it is more than sweet enough.

To make use of the feijoas of the season & to add interest & moistness to the cake I began adding the fruit to the mix. I'm sure apple would be good too.

Nice & simple:

In to a large bowl add:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

 a pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence

Stir together & leave to do it's thing for 20 minutes or so

Add 2 eggs- mix

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit & 1 cup chopped feijoas

Mix & pour in to a lined or greased cake tin.

Mine was around about a 20 cm tin

Bake in a moderate oven for 50 minutes to an hour.

Do the old skewer test to make sure it's cooked in the middle.

While the cake is cooling make the topping. Such a tasty treat that makes all the difference to this cake.

Put 100 grams butter, 2 tbsps cream & 1/2 cup brown sugar in to a pot & cook stirring until it is golden & caramelized.

Add 1 1/2 cups of coconut. Fine coconut is good or a mix of fine & shredded. 

Stir & allow to cool. While it is still workable spread over the cake.

Some passionfruit pulp is a nice tangy edition to the topping if you have it.

Summary ingredients for the cake:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

Pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger

2 eggs

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit

1 cup chopped feijoas or apple

Topping: 

100 grams butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

2 tbsps cream

1 1/2 cups coconut

Catherine X

Wild, Seedy Crackers

These wild seedy crackers are a great way to include wild weeds, seeds and fibre in to your diet.

A totally flexible recipe- so just use what you've got and make adjustments according to your own taste.

1 c organic wheat or spelt flour

1/2 c flour quick cook rolled oats

1 cup a mix of seeds &/or nuts:: black or white sesame, sunflower, walnuts etc

1/4 c psyllium husks 1/4 c chia seeds (1/4 c hemp hearts- optional).

OR 1/2 c psyllium, OR 1/2 c of chia seeds- psyllium or chia help the crackers to hold together.

1/2 c of wild seeds & spices: any mix of fennel seeds or dried flowers, black cumin, cumin, coriander, fathen, harakeke/flax seeds, nettle, wild mustard, ground dried Horopito, yellow dock seeds, wild carrot seeds (but not if you're pregnant) dried pineapple weed or calendula flowers.

1 tsp sea salt, ground black pepper, 1 dsp dried onion weed or 1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 c olive oil, 1/2 c warm water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the olive oil & water & work with a wooden spoon or your hands until it all comes together nicely. Add more water a little at a time if it's still a bit dry.

Tip out on to baking paper on a n oven tray (or just grease the tray) & roll out thinly- 3 mm or so.

Mark squares, rectangles with a knife.

Bake for around 20 minutes in a moderate oven- 160 degrees.

Cook until golden but not too brown. Store in an airtight container when cool.

 Mix of wild seeds

Mix of spices

All together, stir, add olive oil & water.

Rob thought he'd try the postage stamp effect but a simple knife cut works best.

They'll come out different every time but are sure to be delicious.

Next lot looked like this- Rob says he'll remember to roll them a little thinner through the middle another time. They still taste great.

Catherine