This is the most amazing jam and so incredibly simple to make.  You will never want to buy jam from the supermarket again.  Perfect on toasted brioche (or normal toasted bread), but give it a go on pikelets or scones with a little bit of plain whipped cream.  Divine!

Adapted from Donna Hay’s Brown Strawberry and Vanilla Jam Recipe  (Donna Hay Magazine Dec-Jan 2012)

 1.5 kg fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1.5 Tbsp water

1 vanilla bean, cut in half with the seeds scraped

1 kg jam sugar

½ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed from actual lemons)

Put the strawberries and water in a large, deep, non-stick pan.  Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the fruit begins to break down.

Add the vanilla bean, sugar, and lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Increase the heat to high, and bring it to the boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium so that it’s bubbling away happily, for 20 minutes.  While it is cooking, stir occasionally and skim off any foam to ensure a dark, clear jam.

Remove the vanilla bean, and spoon into sterilised jars.   Allow the jam to cool a little in the jars before putting the lids on.

Makes 8 x 250ml jars (2 litres in total).

Nothing beats beetroot.  It can be served hot or cold, grows quickly and easily in New Zealand during the summer and thanks to it’s sweet flavour, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with all the family…

4 medium sized beetroot

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 springs of fresh thyme

2 Tbsp liquid honey

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Trim and peel the beetroot and cut into quarters.

In a baking paper lined roasting pan dish, lay the sprigs of thyme, place the beetroot on top, and drizzle with the olive oil.  Place in the oven for 40 minutes, turning at the 20 minute point.

Mix the honey and balsamic vinegar together.  After the beetroot has been roasting 40 minutes, take it out of the oven and cover it with the honey, balsamic vinegar and water mix (making sure you turn the beetroot around to get full coverage).

Place the pan back in the oven for a further 20 minutes to complete the roasting.  Turn/stir half way through, and at the very end to ensure the beetroot stays moist and glossy.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Exceptionally rich, and like velvet on the tongue, this mousse is a decadent finish to any meal.  If you feel like you need to add a little extra something, try some freshly whipped cream and berries…

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Silky Decadent Old-School Chocolate Mousse (October 2009)

250g (1 block) bittersweet chocolate*

90g unsalted butter

4 free range eggs, separated

1 Tbsp Kahlua (or other coffee flavoured liquor)

1 cup cream

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiled water from the jug will work perfectly). Remove from the heat once melted.

Beat the egg yolks for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer. Whisk the yolks along with the Kahlua through the chocolate/butter combo until smooth and glossy.

Whip the cream using an electric mixer until beaten (until soft peaks just form).

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the cream and egg whites together. Then fold through the chocolate mixture.

Spoon into 8-10 ramekins, and refrigerate.

These can be made 1-2 days ahead of time if kept in the fridge. If you serve directly from the fridge, the result will be a slightly thicker, richer, cake like texture. If you remove from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving, they will be lighter and creamier.

Top with shaved chocolate, or serve with fresh strawberries mixed with freshly chopped mint and rose syrup.

Serves 8-10.

* I used Whittakers 60% Dark Cacao

Rich dark muscavado sugar gives this pavlova both an interesting depth of flavour and a rustic feel…

Adapted from Donna Hay’s Brown Sugar Pavlova Recipe (Donna Hay Magazine Dec-Jan 2012)

This recipe is designed for feeding a crowd.  Halve it for a smaller group.

300ml eggwhites (approximately 10 free range eggs)

1 cup mascovado sugar

1 cup castor sugar

2 tsp white vinegar

2 cups cream

100ml Malibu (or other coconut flavoured rum)

Passionfruit pulp

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Beat the eggwhites in an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form.

Combine the mascovado and castor sugars, and then add to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 20-30 seconds in between each addition.

Scrape down the sides and beat for another 4-5 minutes.  The mixture will be stiff and glossy.

Add the vinegar and beat for another 2-3 minutes.

Spoon the mixture onto baking paper, individual portions size, piling high (you want them 8-10cm in diameter).

Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and place in the oven.  Bake for an hour.

After the hour is up, turn the oven off and allow the pavlovas to cool in the oven – overnight is best, but allow at least 3-4 hours cooling time.

The pavlovas will keep up to a week in an airtight container.  I like to make them a couple of days in advance.

To make the coconut cream, simply beat the cream and rum together until it is well whipped and soft peaks form (being careful not to under or over beat).

Simply dollop a good couple of spoonfuls of the cream on top of each pavlova, and drizzle with the passionfruit pulp.  The tartness of the passionfruit perfectly balances the rich, sweet dark sugar.

If your pavlovas ‘leak’ a little out the bottom on cooling, it’s a sign your oven was a little on the cool side.  As long as the outside is crispy, and the inside marshmallow like, don’t worry about it, consider it an extra sweet syrup!  To counteract it next time, try turning your oven up by 5°C or so.

Makes 12 individual pavlovas.