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Rhubarb and apple tarts

These individual tarts are heavenly, and go perfectly with cream, or are just as good by themselves. Try them and see. Makes: 6 tarts Ingredients: <ul> <li>500g shortcrust pastry (store-bought or your favourite recipe)</li> <li>1 tablespoon plain flour</li> <li>¼ cup caster sugar</li> <li>2 apples, peeled and sliced</li> <li>300g rhubarb cut into 2cm pieces</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</li> <li>¼ teaspoon ground cardamom</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat your oven to 200°C and put a large baking tray on the middle rack to warm up.</li> <li>Roll out your pastry and cut out six circles approximately 15cm and put them in the fridge to stay chilled.</li> <li>Toss the apples and rhubarb slices with the flour, caster sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.</li> <li>Lay a large piece of baking paper on the counter and place the chilled pastry on top. Fill the centre of each pastry with the apple and rhubarb mixture.</li> <li>Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the sides of the filling, pressing it together.</li> <li>Brush the pastry with a little of the beaten egg and sprinkle a little extra caster sugar on top.</li> <li>Slide the tarts onto the hot tray and cook for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.</li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Bacon and egg tarts

Ready to eat in half an hour, this delicious recipe for bacon and egg tarts is the perfect with morning or afternoon tea will become a family favourite! Serves: 8 Ingredients: <ul> <li>8 rashers bacon</li> <li>4 eggs</li> <li>20g butter</li> <li>1 onion, finely chopped</li> <li>½ cup cream</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> <li>2 sheets puff pastry</li> <li>100g mozzarella cheese, cubed</li> </ul> To serve <ul> <li>Tomato relish</li> <li>Rocket salad</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Pre-heat oven to 210°C.</li> <li>Trim the bacon of rind and cut each rasher into two pieces.</li> <li>Melt butter in a small pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for three minutes. Remove and cool.</li> <li>Break the eggs into a small bowl and add the cream. Using a fork to gently blend together but do not beat. Season with salt and pepper.</li> <li>Cut each sheet of puff pastry into four equal squares and place into greased muffin pans.</li> <li>Arrange the two pieces of bacon in each pastry case, place a few squares of mozzarella into pastry case. Pour the egg mixture slowly into each pastry case.</li> <li>Bake the tarts in the pre-heated oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to cool for five minutes in the tin prior to removing tarts.</li> <li>Serve hot with tomato relish and fresh garden salad leaves.</li> </ol> Image: Getty

Food & Wine

Cute-as-a-button mushroom house captivates buyers

A quirky “Mushroom House” has popped on the market in Michigan, USA. A home owner in the United States has taken their love for the humble vegetable to a whole new level, with the seven-bedroom property expected to sell for a cool $US4.5 million ($6.4 million). The unique abode covers 6,000 square-feet and is referred to as “The Thatch House” due to its signature roof. American architect Earl Young designed the original seven-bathroom home back in 1918. He was known to source stone for his multiple properties throughout Northern Michigan. However, the new owner dreamed up a new aesthetic, drawing a thatched roof onto a napkin. The design concept took nearly two years to come to fruition and saw thatch being imported in from Europe. The interiors reflect Young’s original aesthetic with stone fireplaces and staircases, along with the timber joinery and benchtops in the living areas, kitchen and bathrooms. The timber floorboards are a rich chocolate tone, along with the new owner’s choice of plush textiles in bold hues, provides a warm and inviting feel to the estate. Images: Domain

Real Estate

Magic mushrooms relieve depression and now we might know why

Psychedelics like psilocybin, the key active ingredient in magic mushrooms, have become a beacon of hope for people with depression that is resistant to other forms of treatment - and new research has shed some light on how they affect the brain. A team of psychedelics researchers have used MRI technology to understand how psilocybin works in the brain, finding that it first “dissolves” then expands brain connections. The study, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01744-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Medicine</a>, found that certain parts of depressed people’s brains became more interconnected and flexible after two doses of psilocybin, and that the changes lasted for up to three weeks. “These findings are important,” Professor David Nutt, a psychiatrist at the Imperial College London and one of the senior authors of the study, said. “For the first time we find that psilocybin works differently from conventional antidepressants - making the brain more flexible and fluid, and less entrenched in the negative thinking patterns associated with depression.” Though magic mushrooms have been used for their healing properties by Indigenous people for a long time, per <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-finally-figured-out-how-magic-mushrooms-might-relieve-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ScienceAlert</a>, their use in clinical trials - and our understanding of how they work - is limited. Previous research from Professor Nutt and his colleagues found that a combination of psilocybin and psychological therapy was as effective as taking escitalopram, a common antidepressant, without the common side effects that can include weight gain, reduced libido, and insomnia. Though this and other small studies have shown the benefits of psilocybin, how it works in the brain has been poorly understood until Professor Nutt’s most recent study. He and his team analysed the brain scans of 43 people with clinical depression who had participated in two previous clinical trials, including 22 people treated with psilocybin, and 21 people who received escitalopram. They found that those who received psilocybin had greater connectivity in regions of the brain that are rich in serotonin receptors which are usually segregated in depressed patients. A day after treatment, their brain networks were more interconnected and flexible, while no such changes were seen in the people taking the antidepressant. “This supports our initial predictions and confirms psilocybin could be a real alternative approach to depression treatments,” Professor Nutt said. Their findings match those of a study from 2020, which found similar changes in brain network connectivity up to a month after one dose of psilocybin. As exciting as these findings are, neuroscientist and fellow senior author Dr Robin Carhart-Harris said more research is needed. “We don’t know yet how long the changes in brain activity seen with psilocybin therapy last and we need to do more research to understand this,” he said. “We do know that some people relapse, and it may be that after a while their brains revert to the rigid patterns of activity we see in depression.” Either way, the researchers hope their findings pave the way for studying psilocybin’s effect on other mental illnesses characterised by rigid thought patterns, such as anorexia and addiction. “We now need to test if this is the case, and if it is, then we have found something important,” Dr Carhart-Harris said. Image: Getty Images

Mind

From Fendi to fungi – your next handbag could be made from mushrooms

It might be time to switch your handbag from Fendi to fungi, say researchers. They have harnessed the power of the humble mushroom to convert food waste into <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/a-novel-approach-to-making-leather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainable faux leather</a>, paper and cotton substitutes. Presenting their results at a virtual meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the researchers say that this fungal leather takes less time to produce than existing substitutes already on the market, and, unlike some, is 100% bio-based. Their efforts tie together two enormous, but seemingly unrelated, environmental concerns. Cotton, petroleum-based synthetic fibres, paper and leather are all beset with ecological woes, ranging from water demand to contributions to climate change and the ethical treatment of animals. Meanwhile, plenty of food goes to waste. Setting out to resolve the whole suite of issues in one fell swoop, lead investigator Dr Akram Zamani and her team in Sweden have developed a range of sustainable materials derived from fungi. “We hope they can replace cotton or synthetic fibres and animal leather, which can have negative environmental and ethical aspects,” says Zamani. They’re not the first group to have produced a fungal leather, but according to Zamani, they are the first to have made a product with properties that can match real leather, and at a production rate that could realistically match market demands. Although there is little available information on the production process of existing fungal materials, Zamani says it appears that most are made from harvested mushrooms or from fungus grown in a thin layer on top of food waste or sawdust using solid state fermentation. Such methods require several days or weeks to produce enough fungal material, she notes, whereas her fungus is submerged in water and takes only a couple of days to make the same amount of material. In addition, some of the fungal leathers on the market contain environmentally harmful coatings or reinforcing layers made of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum, such as polyester. That contrasts with the University of Borås team’s products, which consist solely of natural materials and will therefore be biodegradable. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p186111-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.56 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/materials/sustainable-textiles-fungi/#wpcf7-f6-p186111-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://www.google.com/" data-value="https://www.google.com/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “In developing our process, we have been careful not to use toxic chemicals or anything that could harm the environment,” says Zamani. So how do they go about the transformation of mushrooms to materials? It all starts with fattening up your chosen fungus. Fungi are hungry little organisms. To feed their cultivated fungal strain – Rhizopus delemar, commonly found on decaying food – the team collected unsold supermarket bread, which they dried and ground into breadcrumbs. As the fungus fed on the bread, it produced microscopic natural fibres made of chitin and chitosan that accumulated in its cell walls. After two days of feeding, the scientists collected the cells and removed lipids, proteins and other by-products that they say could potentially be used in food or feed. But what they were really after was the jelly-like residue left behind – a goop consisting of the fibrous cell walls that was then spun into yarn, which could be used in sutures or wound-healing textiles and perhaps even in clothing. In an alternative method, the suspension of fungal cells was laid out flat and dried to make paper- or leather-like materials. Through a series of trial-and-error tests, the team has now developed materials made from multiple layers of these fungal sheets. The composites are treated with tree-derived tannins to give them softness, and alkalis to give them strength. Finally, strength, flexibility and glossiness are all improved by treatment with glycerol and a bio-based binder. The end result is a material that very closely mimics real animal leather. “Our recent tests show the fungal leather has mechanical properties quite comparable to real leather,” Zamani says. The team is working to further refine their fungal products. They recently began testing other types of food waste, including fruits and vegetables – particularly the mushy pulp left over after juice is pressed from fruit. “Instead of being thrown away, it could be used for growing fungi,” Zamani says. “So we are not limiting ourselves to bread, because hopefully there will be a day when there isn’t any bread waste.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=186111&title=From+Fendi+to+fungi+%E2%80%93+your+next+handbag+could+be+made+from+mushrooms" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/sustainable-textiles-fungi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jamie-priest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Priest</a>. Jamie Priest is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Adelaide. Image: Akram Zamani </div>

Technology

Try this one pot lamb shanks with button mushrooms

Need some weeknight dinner inspiration? Why not try this tender-to-the-bone lamb shank recipe? Serves: 3 | Cooks in: 3 hours and 10 minutes Ingredients <ul> <li>50g (1/3 cup) plain flour, to dust</li> <li>4 lamb shanks, Frenched</li> <li>1½ tbsp olive oil</li> <li>½ bottle red wine</li> <li>12 eschalots, peeled</li> <li>1 bunch thyme, half trussed, half leaves picked</li> <li>400g Button Mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> <li>Creamy polenta, to serve (¾ cup with 750ml mix of chicken stock and milk, butter and finely grated parmesan)</li> </ul> Method 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the flour into a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Dust the lamb shanks in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. 2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based, ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the shanks for 5 minutes, turning, until browned. Remove and set aside. 3. Pour in the wine and boil for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Return the shanks to the pan with the eschalots and trussed thyme. Pour in enough water to submerge the shanks and bring up to a simmer. Cover the surface with a piece of baking paper, then cover with a lid and place in the oven for 1.5 hours. 4. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and turn the shanks over, topping up with water if necessary. Add the mushrooms and cover with the baking paper and lid, then return to the oven for a further 1.5 hours or until the shank meat is falling from the bone. 5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Toast the remaining thyme until bright green, then remove and set aside. 6. Remove the shanks from the pan and place in a bowl, loosely covered with foil and set aside to rest. 7. Place the pan over high heat. Reduce the sauce for 10-12 minutes or until thickened and glossy. 8. Divide polenta among bowls and top with a shank, mushrooms and eschalots. Spoon over the sauce and scatter with toasted thyme to serve. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/recipes/one-pot-lamb-shanks-with-button-mushrooms" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Healthy creamy mushroom pasta sauce

Serves: 4 | Cooks in: 15 minutes Ingredients <ul> <li>350g farfalle pasta</li> <li>1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle</li> <li>1 bunch sage, leaves picked</li> <li>500g Button Mushrooms, cleaned, thinly sliced</li> <li>50g butter</li> <li>2 tbsp plain flour</li> <li>2 garlic cloves, finely chopped</li> <li>750ml (3 cups) vegetable stock</li> <li>1 cup milk</li> <li>250g fresh ricotta</li> <li>75g walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> </ul> Method 1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, then drain and set aside. 2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Toast the sage leaves until crisp and translucent, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 3. Melt the butter in the pan. Stir-fry the mushrooms and garlic for 4 minutes until golden. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the stock and milk. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and toss to combine. 4. Divide the pasta among bowls. Spoon over the ricotta, scatter with the walnuts and sage and drizzle with oil, to serve. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/recipes/healthy-creamy-mushroom-pasta-sauce" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au. </a> Recipe courtesy of Mushroom Association Australia.

Food & Wine

Baked breakfast mushrooms stuffed with spinach, feta and egg

Prep / cook time: 25 minutes Serve: 2 mushrooms per person Ingredients: <ul> <li>4 large flat mushrooms (large Portobello mushrooms also work well)</li> <li>1 big handful of baby spinach leaves</li> <li>1 1/2 tbsp marinated creamy feta cheese </li> <li>4 medium free-range eggs</li> <li>2 thyme sprigs</li> <li>Cracked pepper to taste</li> <li>Sea salt to taste</li> <li>1 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped, to serve</li> </ul> Method: <ul> <li>Pre heat the oven to 180°</li> <li>To clean the mushrooms, brush the skin with a dry paper towel to remove any dirt.</li> <li>Using a small paring knife, remove the stems.</li> <li>Fill the base of the mushrooms with the baby spinach leaves, ripping larger leaves into smaller pieces. </li> <li>Carefully crack an egg into each mushroom on top of the spinach.</li> <li>Add a spoonful of marinated feta cheese as well as a drizzle of the feta marinating oil on top of the cracked egg.</li> <li>Add a pinch of salt and pepper and sprinkle a few leaves of the fresh thyme on top.</li> <li>Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until the mushroom has softened and the egg is still soft inside.</li> <li>Serve straight away topped with parsley.</li> </ul> This recipe has been published with permission from Australian Mushrooms.

Food & Wine

Miguel’s mushroom sweet potato gnocchi

When it comes to cooking, celebrity chef Miguel Maestre has a surprising favourite ingredient – mushrooms. “Mushrooms are a brilliant and versatile ingredient that make meal times tastier and healthier,” the restaurateur and TV presenter said. Here’s one of Miguel’s mushroom recipes. Recipe by: Miguel Maestre for Australian Mushrooms Serves 2-3 Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 medium sweet potatoes</li> <li>2 cups all purpose flour</li> <li>2 teaspoons salt flakes</li> <li>flour for dusting</li> <li>250g Swiss brown and button mushrooms, chopped in quarters</li> <li>10 sage leaves</li> <li>2 tbsp toasted pinenuts (optional)</li> <li>1/2 lemon</li> <li>50g butter</li> <li>Grated Parmesan</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork, and then bake them for at least 1 hour on a bed of rock salt in the oven until they are tender and the skin starts to look wrinkly.</li> <li>While the potato is still warm, peel the skin away from the flesh and set aside to cool slightly.</li> <li>If you have a potato ricer, put the sweet potatoes through this. Otherwise you can use a fine sieve and push the potato through with a ladle or wooden spoon.</li> <li>Place the flour on a board, or your kitchen bench. Make a well in the centre and add the riced / sieved sweet potatoes to the well. Season with salt and pepper.</li> <li>Using your hands, work the sweet potato into the flour until it’s fully combined. You don’t want the dough to be sticky so keep adding flour gradually until you get a nice dry dough. This could take quite a bit of extra flour.</li> <li>Once fully combined, roll the dough into a ball and cut it into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a long sausage, each about a finger in thickness.</li> <li>Cut the rolls of dough into 2cm little pillows of gnocchi, and gently toss each piece into some flour on your work bench to ensure that it’s dry. At this point you could also use a gnocchi board or fork to press grooves into each piece of gnocchi to make it more professional looking but this is optional and tastes just as good without!</li> <li>To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the salt. Blanch the sweet potato gnocchi in salted boiling water until they all float. Then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.</li> <li>In a large frying pan, over a high heat, add a splash of olive oil and a teaspoon of butter, add the quartered mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until golden. Spoon out the mushrooms into a bowl.</li> <li>Using the same frying pan, add the cooked gnocchi and sear until crispy. Add the remaining butter, pine nuts, sage leaves and mushrooms you just set aside. Cook until the butter starts to burn.</li> <li>Then add lemon juice and Parmesan and serve.</li> </ol> Tip: <ul> <li>Putting the potatoes through a sieve or potato ricer is a vital step to making gnocchi, as this breaks down the starch.</li> <li>If you make gnocchi often, a potato ricer is a fairly inexpensive kitchen tool that is handy to have.</li> </ul>

Food & Wine

Enjoy a tasty pear tarte tatin

Here’s another French classic that has made it onto our favourites list. A traditional tarte tatin is made with apples, but I’ve gone for pears here, although poached quinces would work wonderfully too. You could, of course, use apples – my favourites are granny smiths. Serves: 4 Ingredients Baked pears <ul> <li>4 small pears</li> <li>110g (½ cup) caster sugar</li> <li>20g unsalted butter</li> <li>1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways and seeds scraped</li> <li>2 tablespoons brandy</li> <li>100g caster sugar</li> <li>100ml brandy</li> <li>1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways and seeds scraped</li> <li>50g unsalted butter, cubed</li> <li>1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry</li> <li>Cream or ice-cream, to serve</li> </ul> Directions <ol> <li>To make the baked pears, preheat the oven to 160°C. Butter an ovenproof dish that will fit the pears snugly.</li> <li>Peel, quarter and core the pears. Arrange the pears in the dish. Sprinkle the sugar over the pears, then dot with a little butter and some of the vanilla seeds. Pour in the brandy and cover with baking paper and foil. Bake for 1½–2 hours, or until the pears are soft and light golden brown. Remove and set aside.</li> <li>Increase the oven to 190°C. You will need an ovenproof frying pan to cook the tart. Put the pan over medium heat and add the sugar, brandy, vanilla seeds and bean. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel.</li> <li>Add the baked pears, arranging them neatly in the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan gently to make sure the pears aren’t catching on the base. Dot with the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Using a wooden spoon, tuck the pastry edge down around the pears, taking care not to touch the caramel, as it is very hot.</li> <li>Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling up around the edge. Remove from the oven.</li> <li>Get a serving plate that is larger than your pan and put the plate on top of the pan. Using oven gloves to protect your hands, invert the pan onto the plate. Allow the caramel to cool slightly before serving with cream or ice-cream.</li> </ol> Image and recipe from <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fall-day-cafe-stuart-mckenzie%2Fprod9781743368404.html" target="_blank">All Day Café</a><a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fall-day-cafe-stuart-mckenzie%2Fprod9781743368404.html" target="_blank"> by Stuart McKenzie</a> (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99). Photography: © Armelle Habib 2017. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/pear-tarte-tatin.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.

Food & Wine

Whip up some puff pastry pear tarts

Almond frangipane is a classic French preparation that can be made in moments. It provides a delicious base for raw or poached fruit and is spread over uncooked pastry to make simple tarts. It can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then softened at room temperature or in the microwave in less than a minute. This recipe uses ground almonds, but it can be made with ground hazelnuts or walnuts. A fun variation is to leave the poached fruit halves whole and to cut pastry shapes to echo the shape of the fruit being used, thus making individual pear tarts or even peach or plum tarts. Each pastry shape must be chilled well before baking to prevent shrinking. Serves: 6 Ingredients <div class="article-body"> <ul> <li>1 roll ready-made all-butter puff pastry (such as Carême), thawed overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1 hour, then rolled into a 25cm-square sheet</li> <li>1 free-range egg yolk</li> <li>3–6 (depending on size) whole poached pears (see page 29), halved</li> <li>2 tablespoons reduced poaching syrup double cream or ice cream, to serve</li> </ul> Almond frangipane <ul> <li>80g unsalted butter, softened</li> <li>80g caster sugar</li> <li>80g ground almonds</li> <li>2 teaspoons plain flour</li> <li>1 free-range egg yolk</li> </ul> Directions <ol> <li>To make the almond frangipane, cream butter and sugar in a food processor until light and creamy. Add the ground almonds and flour and pulse briefly. Add egg yolk and mix just until you have a smooth cream. Scrape into a bowl until needed.</li> <li>Lift pastry sheet onto a baking paper-lined baking tray. Lightly mix the other egg yolk with a fork and brush it all over pastry with a pastry brush, ensuring that no egg drips over the edges (this will impede rising). If making a rectangular tart, score a 1 cm border around edges and prick centre with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.</li> <li>Spread chilled pastry with a 5mm thick layer of frangipane inside the scored border. (If using drained fruit halves for individual tarts, place a spoonful of frangipane on the pastry where the hollow of the fruit will cover it.)</li> <li>Preheat oven to 210°C. Cut fruit into thick wedges, then lightly press into frangipane, arranging them in closely packed and slightly overlapping rows. (For individual tarts, place halves over spoonfuls of frangipane.) Brush fruit with a little reserved syrup. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.</li> <li>Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 170°C and cook for another 20 minutes. (Bake individual tarts for 15 minutes at 210°C and 15 minutes at 170°C.) Carefully paint fruit once again with reserved syrup.</li> <li>Bake for another 5 minutes; pastry should be the colour of toast so that it is really crisp and crunchy. Cool tart/s on a cake cooling rack before slicing with a serrated knife, if necessary (use a sawing action rather than pressing through the pastry). Serve with double cream or ice cream.</li> </ol> <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fkitchen-garden-companion-cooking-stephanie-alexander%2Fprod9781921384349.html" target="_blank">Recipe and image from Kitchen Garden Companion - Cooking by Stephanie Alexander, Penguin Books, RRP $49.99.</a> Photography: © Simon Griffiths, Mark Chew. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/puff-pastry-pear-tarts.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

BBQ mushroom skewers with rosemary gremolata

Have mushrooms laying in the fridge but not sure what to do with them? Simply throw them on the barbie and let the magic happen with this recipe. Ingredients: 2 large bunches rosemary 500g button mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed 1 garlic clove 2 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, zest finely grated 10g butter Salt and pepper, to season Directions: 1. Strip the leaves from sharpest end of the rosemary sprigs, leaving a few at the top, making enough for 12 skewers. Alternatively, you can use short, soaked bamboo skewers. Thread 3 mushrooms onto each skewer. 2. Finely chop the garlic and 1 tbsp of the rosemary leaves together on a board. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Lightly toast the garlic and rosemary mixture for 1 minute or until lightly golden. Remove and combine with the lemon zest in a bowl. 3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt the butter and remaining oil in the pan. Cook the mushrooms skewers for 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and scatter over the gremolata to serve. Tips: You will need thick, sturdy rosemary sprigs to be used for skewers in this recipe. Soaked bamboo skewers are the best alternative. If using rosemary sprigs as skewers, use a bamboo skewer to make the first incision to make it easier to insert the rosemary sprigs. Recipe by <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.australianmushrooms.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Mushrooms</a>. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/bbq-mushroom-skewers-with-rosemary-gremolata.aspx" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au</a>.

Food & Wine

Delicious kale, prosciutto and blue cheese tart

Serves 8 So many food trends come and go. Right now kale is having its moment in the culinary limelight, it is so versatile and nutritious. Try serving a wedge of this tart with a bitter leaf salad, which helps to cut through the richness. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fthe-edible-city-indira-naidoo%2Fprod9781921383816.html">Recipe from The Edible City by Indira Naidoo, published by Penguin Books, RRP $45.00.</a> Ingredients <ul> <li>1 pre-rolled butter puff pastry sheet, thawed</li> <li>2 tablespoons thyme leaves</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> <li>1 large bunch kale, finely chopped</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>1 onion, thinly sliced</li> <li>1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds</li> <li>Salt and freshly ground black pepper</li> <li>Small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley</li> <li>180 g blue cheese, chopped</li> <li>2 eggs (extra)</li> <li>4 egg yolks</li> <li>200 ml pouring cream</li> <li>200 g sour cream</li> <li>200 g prosciutto (about 4 strips)</li> </ul> Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). 2. Sprinkle the pastry sheet with the thyme leaves. Roll it out to fit a pie dish 27 cm in diameter and 5 cm deep. Prick the base all over with a fork. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice, then blind-bake for 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden. 3. Remove from the oven and remove the paper and baking beans. Brush the base with the beaten egg, return to the oven and bake for 6 minutes until golden and crisp. 4. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. 5. Place the kale in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Place a lid on top and allow to soften and wilt for 15–20 minutes. 6. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion. Fry for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the kale and mustard seeds and cook for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the kale mix over the tart case, then sprinkle over the parsley and scatter over the blue cheese. 7. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, cream and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour into the tart case. Place the prosciutto strips on top. 8. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until light golden and just set with a slight wobble. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then serve. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/kale-prosciutto-and-blue-cheese-tart.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Enjoy a savoury onion and goat cheese tart

This puff pastry tart is perfect for when you want a savoury treat. Read more: Serves: 4 Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 sheet of defrosted frozen puff pastry</li> <li>4 red onions sliced</li> <li>2 tsp fresh thyme leaves </li> <li>200g crumbly goats cheese </li> <li>1 egg </li> <li>50g butter </li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Add butter to a medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted add sliced onions and cook gently for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally until soft and caramelised and set aside to cool.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and lay puff pastry on top. </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">With a knife score a line 2cm inside the edge to create a border around the pastry (do not cut through the pastry). With a fork prick the pastry all over inside the border. </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Inside the border, spread caramelised onions and distribute half the goats cheese in chunks.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">In a small bowl beat the egg and brush around the border of the pastry. Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"> Remove from the oven, top with remaining goats cheese and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.</li> </ol> Recipe courtesy of Australian Onions.

Food & Wine

Enjoy the taste of summer with a tropical granola breakfast tart

Juicy, delicious and bursting with nutritional goodness, these breakfast tarts are the perfect way to wake up. Serves: 4 Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients: Tarts <ul> <li> 3 Cups rolled oats</li> <li> 1 Cup sunflower seeds</li> <li> 1 Tsp vanilla paste</li> <li> ¼ Cup honey</li> <li> ½ Tsp cinnamon</li> <li> 4 Tbsp melted coconut oil</li> <li> 1 egg white</li> </ul> Topping <ul> <li> 1 Tub coconut yoghurt</li> <li> Fruits for topping – Ruby Rise Red Papaya sliced, mango cubed, blueberries</li> <li> Shaved coconut</li> <li> 1 Tbsp honey</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 120 degrees.</li> <li>Lightly spray 4 small tart tins with vegetable oil.</li> <li>In a medium bowl combine oats, cinnamon, sunflower seeds, vanilla, honey, egg white and coconut oil. Mix well. Divide the mixture between tins. Press the mixture at the bottom of the pans and press evenly at the bottom and sides of pan – be sure to leave ditch/well for the yoghurt.</li> <li>Bake for 20 minutes or until light and golden brown.</li> <li>Allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then move to a cooling rack (keep in tins).</li> <li>When completely cool, gently remove.</li> <li>Place a few spoonfuls of yoghurt into the granola tarts, then top with the fruit and toasted coconut. Drizzle with honey.</li> </ol> Recipe and photo courtesy of Ruby Ryse Papaya.

Food & Wine

Indulge in some filling mushrooms and ancient grain salad

Time to prepare: 10 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves: 4 - 6 If you're finding your healthy New Year's resolutions have started to wane, try this mushroom and grain salad that is sure to get your body back on track! Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 packet superblend (fibre) – freekeh, green and yellow lentils and beans</li> <li>80ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>2 punnets swiss brown mushrooms, cleaned, quartered</li> <li>2 lemons, zest finely grated, juiced</li> <li>1 red onion, halved very finely shaved</li> <li>1 bunch coriander, finely chopped, including the stems</li> <li>80g pine nuts, toasted</li> <li>200g feta, optional</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> </ul> Directions <ol> <li>Cook the grain blend according to packet instruction, then drain, set aside and cool.</li> <li>Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes or until golden and cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.</li> <li>Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest and juice with the onion in a large bowl. Add the remaining oil, cooled grain blend, mushrooms, coriander and pine nuts and toss to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. If using, top with the feta to serve.</li> </ol> Recipe courtesy of <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.australianmushrooms.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Mushrooms</a>.

Food & Wine

Meat Free Week Recipe: Braised mushrooms by Rowie Dillon

Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes These gorgeous braised mushrooms are especially delicious when served with creamy polenta. They’re an all year round winner! Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>680g mixed wild mushrooms or shittake, trimmed</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">½ tbsp marsala (optional)</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">125 ml water </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Sea salt</li> </ul> Method: In a large braise pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add ⅓ of the mushrooms, pressing down firmly to sear them. Add marsala if desired. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the next tablespoon of oil and mushrooms and then repeat again. Return all the mushrooms to the pan, add the water, reduce heat, over and simmer until tender. Season with salt and serve with creamy polenta. This recipe was supplied by Rowie Dillon 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

French classic: Pear tarte tatin

Here’s another French classic that has made it onto our favourites list. A traditional tarte tatin is made with apples, but I’ve gone for pears here, although poached quinces would work wonderfully too. You could also use granny smith apples. Ingredients: Baked pears 4 small pears 110g (½ cup) caster sugar 20g unsalted butter 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways and seeds scraped 2 tablespoons brandy 100g caster sugar 100ml brandy 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways and seeds scraped 50g unsalted butter, cubed 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry Cream or ice-cream, to serve Directions: 1. To make the baked pears, preheat the oven to 160°C. Butter an ovenproof dish that will fit the pears snugly. 2. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Arrange the pears in the dish. Sprinkle the sugar over the pears, then dot with a little butter and some of the vanilla seeds. Pour in the brandy and cover with baking paper and foil. Bake for 1½–2 hours, or until the pears are soft and light golden brown. Remove and set aside. 3. Increase the oven to 190°C. You will need an ovenproof frying pan to cook the tart. Put the pan over medium heat and add the sugar, brandy, vanilla seeds and bean. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel. 4. Add the baked pears, arranging them neatly in the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan gently to make sure the pears aren’t catching on the base. Dot with the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Using a wooden spoon, tuck the pastry edge down around the pears, taking care not to touch the caramel, as it is very hot. 5. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the caramel is bubbling up around the edge. Remove from the oven. 6. Get a serving plate that is larger than your pan and put the plate on top of the pan. Using oven gloves to protect your hands, invert the pan onto the plate. Allow the caramel to cool slightly before serving with cream or ice-cream. Image and recipe from <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fall-day-cafe-stuart-mckenzie%2Fprod9781743368404.html" target="_blank">All Day Café</a><a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fall-day-cafe-stuart-mckenzie%2Fprod9781743368404.html" target="_blank"> by Stuart McKenzie</a>. Photography: © Armelle Habib 2017. Written by Stuart McKenzie. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/pear-tarte-tatin.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.

Food & Wine

Tasty lemon and herb mushroom salad

This quick and easy salad is the perfect accompaniment to a weekend lunchtime meal Ingredients: <ul> <li>Dressing</li> <li>125ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>Juice of one lemon</li> <li>2 red chillis, de-seeded and finely chopped</li> </ul> Salad <ul> <li>250g button mushrooms, sliced</li> <li>4 mini cucumbers</li> <li>1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> </ul> Directions: Dressing 1. In a screw top jar combine olive oil, lemon juice, chillies and a pinch of salt. Put on the lid and shake until well combined. Salad 2. Add all salad ingredients to a bowl, top with dressing and gently mix to combine. Serve as a side salad with chicken, fish or grilled meat. Recipe courtesy of <a href="https://australianmushrooms.com.au">Australian Mushrooms.</a> Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/lemon-herb-mushroom-salad.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Easy beef and mushroom stroganoff

This version of the classic dish of quick–fried steak with mushrooms shows how vegetables can be used to enhance and ‘stretch’ a modest portion of meat. The result is every bit as special as true stroganoff, and is more in keeping with today's taste for meals that are not dominated by meat. <div id="ingredients">Ingredients <ul class="no-bullet"> <li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>200 g chestnut mushrooms, halved</li> <li>1 red capsicum, seeded and cut into fine strips</li> <li>200 g broccoli, cut into small florets</li> <li>150 ml beef stock</li> <li>1 onion, sliced</li> <li>300 g fillet steak, cut into thin strips</li> <li>2 tablespoons brandy</li> <li>¼ cup horseradish cream (optional)</li> <li>⅔ cup (160 g) sour cream</li> <li>salt and pepper</li> </ul> </div> Preparation <div> <ol> <li>Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan.</li> <li>Add the mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes or until beginning to soften.</li> <li>Stir in the capsicum and broccoli florets and continue to fry, stirring, for 3–4 minutes.</li> <li>Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.</li> <li>Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.</li> <li>Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and stir–fry the onion for about 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown.</li> <li>Add the strips of beef to the onions and stir–fry for 1 minute or until the beef begins to change colour.</li> <li>Stand safely back from the pan, pour in the brandy and set light to it.</li> <li>As soon as the flames subside, stir in the horseradish cream, if using, and the sour cream.</li> <li>Add the vegetables with their cooking liquid.</li> <li>Stir well, season to taste and serve immediately.</li> <li>A rice pilaff is the traditional Russian accompaniment for stroganoff; tagliatelle is very popular today.</li> <li>Boiled new potatoes are also delicious with this vegetable–rich version.</li> </ol> This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/recipes/beef-and-mushroom-stroganoff">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> </div> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

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Indulge in some filling mushrooms and ancient grain salad

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French classic: Pear tarte tatin

Tasty lemon and herb mushroom salad

Easy beef and mushroom stroganoff