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Chard, leek and walnut crostata

SERVES 4-6 This forgiving tart comes together pretty quickly. The star here is the flaky walnut-spiked pastry. It sits around a centre of sweet buttery leeks, chard and some verdant green herbs. The tart is free form, so if the pastry cracks you can pinch it back together with your finger easily- just be sure to do a final check around the outside of the pastry once it’s filled to make sure all holes are pinched and no filling can escape. I serve this with some simple boiled potatoes and a lemon dressed salad. Ingredients <ul> <li>olive oil</li> <li>2 leeks, outer leaves removed, washed and finely shredded</li> <li>a bunch of chard (about 200g)</li> <li>2 cloves of garlic, chopped</li> <li>a pinch of dried chilli flakes</li> <li>1 teaspoon fennel seeds</li> <li>1 tablespoon red wine vinegar</li> <li>1 small mixed bunch of thyme, rosemary and sage, finely chopped</li> <li>26g Parmesan (I use a vegetarian one)</li> <li>3 medium organic eggs</li> <li>FOR THE PASTRY</li> <li>60g walnuts</li> <li>200g white spell flour</li> <li>teaspoon flaky sea salt</li> <li>100g very cold butter, cut into cubes</li> <li>2 tablespoons ice-cold water</li> </ul> Method <ol> <li>First, make the pastry. Put the walnuts into a food processor and blitz until you have fine, uniform crumbs, but keep an eye on it - if you go too far, they will start to come together as a nut butter. Add the flour and salt and pulse a few times to mix everything evenly.</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>Next, add the butter and pulse a few times until you have a rough looking dough. With the motor running, add a tablespoon of the very cold water and pulse again for four turns of the blade.</li> <li>Take the lid off and pinch the dough with your fingers. Add a little more water if it feels dry and keep blitzing until the dough comes together in a ball; it should be a buttery pastry and not feel crumbly.</li> <li>Wrap the dough in cling film or greaseproof paper and put it into the fridge.</li> <li>Next, warm a frying pan over a medium heat, pour in a drizzle of olive oil and add the leeks, the finely chopped herbs and a pinch of salt Fry for 5-7 minutes, until the leeks are soft and sweet.</li> <li>While this is happening, wash the chard and strip the leaves from their stalks. Slice the stalks into 2cm lengths, then roll up the leaves and slice across the middle into 1cm wide ribbons.</li> <li>Back to the leeks. Add the garlic, dried chilli and fennel seeds and fry in the pan for a couple of minutes to toast the spices. When the pan is smelling aromatic, add the chard stalks and stir.</li> <li>Cook for 5 minutes until the stalks lose their rawness, then stir in the leaves and add the vinegar. Cook until the leaves have wilted - about 4 minutes.</li> <li>Put the vegetables onto a plate to cool and preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.</li> <li>Grate in the Parmesan and whisk in the eggs with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.</li> <li>Take the walnut pastry out of the fridge and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Drizzle some olive oil into the centre of the paper. If your baking sheet is quite flat, you should be able to roll the pastry out to a round - about 30cm across and 1cm deep. If you have a standard deep roasting tray, flip it over and place the paper on the underside instead.</li> <li>Mix the cooled vegetables with the egg mixture. Arrange the vegetables in the centre of the pastry, leaving about 3cm around the edge. Gently fold the pastry border back over the vegetables, pleating a little as you go. It will be crumbly and more difficult to handle than other doughs and may break at its edges, but it will be worth it for the flaky short pastry at the end.</li> <li>Place the crostata in the centre of the hot oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the filling is starting to bubble, then turn the heat down to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through.</li> <li>Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then slide on to a wire rack to cool and let the pastry crisp up.</li> </ol> Recipe from The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones for Meat Free Week 2019. The campaign runs from 23-29 September in support of Bowel Cancer Australia. See <a href="https://www.meatfreeweek.org/">meatfreeweek.org</a> to sign up.

Food & Wine

Leek and gouda tart

Black Estate had been making award-winning organic and biodynamic wines of the Waipara Hills for a number of years before opening their restaurant and tasting room. Theirs are hillside vineyards, on clay limestone soil, and their very stylish but minimal restaurant and tasting froom gets one of the best views of the vines. When the sun is out, the deck is the place to be. Serves: 12 as an entree or 8 as a lunch Ingredients: Shortcut pastry: <ul> <li>250g standard flour, plus extra for dusting</li> <li>10g sugar</li> <li>1 free-range organic egg</li> <li>5g salt</li> <li>160g butter, diced and slightly softened</li> <li>1 Tbsp milk</li> </ul> Leek base: <ul> <li>3 large or 6 medium leeks</li> <li>oil, for cooking</li> <li>1 heaped Tbsp butter</li> <li>2 Tbsp standard flour</li> </ul> Leek filling: <ul> <li>450g cooked-down leek base, no warmer than room temperature</li> <li>4 large free-range organic eggs</li> <li>250g cream</li> <li>approx 70g grated Karikaas vintage gouda</li> </ul> Method: 1. Start the pastry 1–2 days before you want to bake the tart. Place flour on the work surface and make a well in the centre. Put sugar, egg, salt and diced butter into the well and rub in with the fingertips of one hand, drawing the flour into the well with the other hand. 2. When everything is almost completely mixed, add milk and knead pastry 2–3 times with the heel of your hand to make it smooth, but do not overwork it. Flatten pastry into a tight disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or for 8–10 hours) to rest. 3. Remove pastry from the refrigerator and leave it on the bench for 5 minutes. Flour the bench, place the pastry disc on the flour and sprinkle with a little more flour. Using a rolling pin, hit the pastry a few times to make it supple, turning it as you go — this helps you roll it out while still keeping the dough cold. Roll the pastry into a round approximately 3mm thick and 34–36cm across. (You need the pastry to be around 6cm wider all round than the 28–30cm tin you will be using.) 4. Spray the tin with cooking oil. Roll the pastry up on the rolling pin and gently unroll it over the tin. You want it as slack as possible to allow for shrinkage. Mould pastry into tin loosely and gently, then run the rolling pin over the top of the tin to cut off excess pastry. Finish moulding it with your fingertips until it's nicely fitted into the tin. Prick the pastry case all over with a fork. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for 8–10 hours) to rest. 5. For the leek base, cut the white end off each leek (discard the green), cut lengthways and give the end a wash to get the dirt out. Shake off excess water; you don't want leeks to stew when cooking them. Thinly slice the leeks. 6. Heat a pot over medium-low heat until hot and add some oil, then add chopped leeks and cook them until they start to soften, stirring regularly. 7. Add butter, a good pinch of salt and a little ground black pepper. Cook leeks down for 15–20 minutes, or until soft in the mouth and not stringy, and the juices have evaporated. Add flour and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. This stops any more juice leaching out. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 8. While the leeks are cooking, preheat oven to 180degC. Line the chilled pastry case with baking paper, and add rice on top to hold the pastry down. 9. Bake for about 20 minutes, then remove rice and baking paper and continue to bake until pastry is light golden and crunchy with no transparent parts, about 5–6 minutes. 10. Weigh out 450g of cooled leek base into a bowl, and mix in eggs and cream. Season with plenty of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper. 11. Pour into baked pastry case and smooth out. Top with grated gouda and bake for 20 minutes, until golden, just set and not puffed up. 12. Slice when cold and reheat slices at 200deg C for about 6 minutes. <img width="128" height="158" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7815935/1_128x158.jpg" alt="1 (95)" style="float: right;"/> * Recipe reproduced with permission from New Zealand Restaurant Cookbook by Delaney Mes; recipe © Black Estate. Photography © Liz Clarkson, 2017. Published by Penguin NZ; RRP $50.00. Out now. Written by Delaney Mes. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Food & Wine

Potato and leek soup

This hearty soup is a traditional Welsh classic. It’s just perfect for those cooler nights in autumn and winter. Make a big batch and enjoy it for days with warm, crusty bread. Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 tablespoons unsalted butter</li> <li>4 leeks, washed thoroughly, roughly chopped (white and light green parts)</li> <li>3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed</li> <li>1 kg potatoes (anything with red skin, or White potatoes or Yukon gold), peeled and chopped into 1cm chunks</li> <li>6 ½ cups stock (chicken or vegetable)</li> <li>2 bay leaves</li> <li>1 sprig fresh thyme</li> <li>½ teaspoon salt</li> <li>¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li> <li>1 cup thickened cream</li> <li>Crispy bacon pieces/croutons/crispy onions (optional garnish)</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the garlic and leeks and stir regularly. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the leeks are soft and wilted (you don’t want to brown them, so keep an eye on the heat).</li> <li>Add the potatoes, stock, thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low, and allow to simmer until the potatoes are very soft (about 15 minutes).</li> <li>Scoop out the thyme and bay leaves, and use a hand-held (stick) blender to purée the soup until it is smooth. You could also use a regular blender or food processer to purée the soup in small batches.</li> <li>Add the cream and bring the soup back to a simmer. Now is when you want to adjust your salt and pepper to your taste. If the soup is too thin, simmer until it thickens. Add more stock or water if it is too thick at this stage.</li> <li>Serve hot with crusty bread, garnish with fresh herbs, crispy bacon pieces, croutons or crispy onions.</li> </ol> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/06/creamy-chicken-bacon-lentil-soup-with-ciabatta/">Creamy chicken, bacon and lentil soup with ciabatta</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/05/creamy-spinach-soup/">Creamy spinach soup</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/05/cream-of-mushroom-soup/">Cream of mushroom soup</a>

Food & Wine

Chicken and leek pie

The ultimate recipe for dinner or lunch, this sensational chicken and leek pie will quickly make you the hostess with the mostess. Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>6 x 150g chicken thigh fillets, chopped</li> <li>40g butter</li> <li>2 small leeks, sliced</li> <li>2 cloves garlic, crushed</li> <li>2 tablespoons thyme leaves</li> <li>¼ cup plain flour</li> <li>2 cups milk</li> <li>Sea salt and cracked black pepper</li> <li>2 x quantities shortcrust pastry</li> </ul> Eggwash <ul> <li>1 egg, lightly beaten</li> <li>2 tablespoons single (pouring) cream</li> </ul>

Food & Wine

Spinach leek and feta pie

This authentic Greek dish is moderated slightly for an Australian palette, but still with plenty of flavour. Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 cups chopped onions</li> <li>2 cups chopped leeks</li> <li>3 tablespoons olive oil</li> <li>1 teaspoon salt</li> <li>1 teaspoon black pepper</li> <li>3 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well</li> <li>6 large eggs, beaten</li> <li>2 teaspoons nutmeg</li> <li>½ cup grated Parmesan Romano cheese</li> <li>3 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs</li> <li>1 cup feta, cut into ½ inch chunks or crumbled</li> <li>½ cup pignoli (pine nuts)</li> <li>¼ cup salted butter, melted</li> <li>6-8 sheets filo dough (preferably a thicker type).</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. In a sauté pan on medium heat, sauté onions and leeks in olive oil for about 10-15 minutes until translucent. Remove from heat, salt and pepper and set aside.</li> <li>In a large mixing bowl gently combine well drained spinach, beaten eggs, nutmeg, feta, Parmesan Romano cheese, breadcrumbs and pignoli. Mix in the onions and leeks until everything is well blended.</li> <li>Prepare an 8-inch pie dish by buttering the bottom. Layer one-by-one 6 to 8 sheets of filo, alternating directions and buttering generously in between layers allowing the edges to hang over the sides. Butter the edges in between layering as well.</li> <li>Spoon spinach and leek mixture into the pie dish and bring up the corners of the filo to meet in the middle. Butter the top of the filo generously, covering every nook with butter (the butter is going to give you crispy, brown, flaky filo so don’t skimp!)</li> <li>Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.</li> </ol> Recipe from figsandfeta.com Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/spinach-feta-muffins/">Spinach feta muffins</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/02/kale-feta-spinach-pie/">Kale spinach and feta pie</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/02/spinach-bites/">Spinach bites</a>

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Chard, leek and walnut crostata

Leek and gouda tart

Potato and leek soup

Chicken and leek pie

Spinach leek and feta pie