Use up those zucchinisRecipe: Denise's Zucchini Slice

It's that time of the year when zucchini are plentiful  in the garden and we have larger ones and we all think what do we do. This is a great recipe to feed the family and it is also very good cold for the next day and school lunches.  Use up your own zucchinis or order some of ours!

one quarter of a cup of olive oil

500g grated zucchini course

1 large onion finely chipped

170 g grated cheese

one cup sr flour

3 eggs free range

150g bacon (leave out if vego or don't like)

two tomatoes ripe

Pre heat oven to 180C. Line a cake tin or loaf tin 30cm by  20cm with baking paper. Combine all ingredients except tomatoes. Do not go heavy on olive oil it will spoil the dish. Pour into tin and smooth the top. Add the sliced tomatoes.  Bake in oven for forty  minutes and bake on lower shelf let sit for ten minutes. Serve with green salad and corn on the cob.


bananasRecipe: Denise's Banana cake

We at Hartley Harvest attempt to provide you with the best fruit and veg, but at this time of year the bananas will go ripe very quickly. Here is my recipe for my Banana Cake. I am a bit tired of the stoggy banana  Bread.  This cake is light and fluffy and keeps well.

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups ripe mashed bananas

1 3/4 cup SR flour

1/3 cup maple syrup

1. Preheat hove to 160c place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy

2. Scrape down the sided of the bowl and add the eggs beat well to combine

3.Add the banana flour and maple syrup and stir to combine

4. Spoon mixture in 26cm x11cm lightly greased loaf tin lined with baking paper. Bake for45-50 minutes on bottom shelf. cool in tin

Its very yummy I hope you all enjoy

Can add raspberries to this mix







Baby FrittataRecipe: Denise's Baby Frittatas

Its back to school and this is a easy solution for those school lunches.

Baby Frittatas

I make these in small cake tins ( will make approx 18 with this mixture). They taste great cold the next day as well.

1kg pumpkin peeled and chopped finely

1 onion finely chopped

6 pcs bacon ( can be left out) finely chopped

2 small beetroot finely chopped

1  large zucchini finely chopped

8  eggs

1 cup pouring cream if not milk

150g shredded cheese any flavour

Heat oven 180c Grease the cake tins well

Combine all the veg ingrediants into a bowl add the eggs which have been well beaten . Add cream and the shredded cheese. Stir well. Place the mixture into the individual cake tins. Approx a tablespoon.

Bake for 20 minutes. Or until golden brown

Remove from oven and let stand until cool. Remove from tins  and place in fridge. Serve as school lunches. They are really tasty, and the kids will love them. We hope you enjoy them!


Baby FrittataRecipe of the week: Stuffed Peppers with Jap Pumpkin and Goats Cheese

I made this for my niece Kate birthday. Everyone loved it!

150g unsalted butter

1/2 jap pumpkin

100g parmesan cheese grated

2 garlic cloves crushed

40g capers

6 small capscicums

2tsp olive oil

180g goats cheese

Melt butter in a large pan. Add the pumpkin which has been finely chopped into small cubes.Add garlic. Reduce to heat to low and cook uncovered for about forty minutes spooning the butter over the pumpkin from time to time, until the pumpkin is soft and carmalised. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pumpkin from the butter and add it to a large bowl with parmesan more garlic and caper. Set aside until needed. The left over butter can be used for cooking carrrots.

Preheat oven to 230c cut the peppers lengthwise. Remove the seeds the the flesh. Drizzle over the oil Roast for 30 minutes until the peppers are slightly charred and soft. Remove and reduce oven to 180c


Spoon the pumpkin mix into each pepper and dot with the goats cheese. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes to brown the goats cheese.

Serve with a green salad. Enjoy Denise




Baby Frittata

Recipe of the week: Corn Fritters

I have made these for many years but each time it gets changed slightly. Great for dinner with salad and veg, even better cold if you can keep the family out of the fridge

3 eggs

120ml coconut milk

75g sr flour

3 sweet potatoes grated you can leave on skin

2 corn large scraped to give corn kernels

3 spring onions or one onion

one half red chilli,

one bunch flat leaf parsley

oil for frying

Spices can be added such as turmeric, corriander seeds, or what ever you like. My family do not like spices so I dont add.

Combine all ingredients to a bowl. Stir to make a smooth batter. Stir well. Chill in fridge for half an hour.

Pour in olive oil to come up 1cm on sides of frying pan. Heat oil . Scoop one tablespoon on mixture in. cook for two minutes one side and then turn over. Keep an eye on the oil so you dont burn the fritters. Cook until golden brown. Transfer to plate with lined kitchen paper and keep warm while you continue to cook remaining fritters. Serve with sweet chilli sauce, or yoghurt with cucumber or both. Enjoy. Hope they make it to the morning   Denise



Recipe of the week: Eggplant Cheese Cake

We've been getting requests for eggplant recipes so here is one of my favourites.  Eggplant Cheese Cake tastes delicious served hot or cold.


Eggplant cheese cake

Oil about 65ml

2 eggplants

150g feta crumbed into large chunks

150g low fat cream cheese

3 eggs

60ml cream

150g tomatoes cut length ways

one onion finely chopped

one bunch flat leaf parsley chopped

Heat oven 210c. Line the side of a deep 19cm square baking tin or round 20cm with a sheet of foil and brush with olive oil.

Lay out the cut eggplants on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and brush with oil making sure that plenty of oil is absorbed.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 40 minutes until the eggplants are soft and golden. Set aside to cool

Reduce oven to 170c

Place the fetta , cheese, eggs and cream and blend with a electric whisk until smooth. Stir in the onion and flat leaf parsley

Arrange the eggplant slices in the baking tin. Fill the gaps with tomatoes. It you have any left over they can be spread over the eggplants. Pour the cheese mix over the  eggplant and tomatoes, leave to expose some of the tomatoes and eggplants exposed on top. Sprinkle with more flat leaf parsley. Cool for 40 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove from tin and cut into slices. Serve with a  green salad.



Carrot Fritters     

1 egg

3 Large carrots grated

1 large potatoes grated

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup corriander leaves or parsley

olive oil for frying

1/2 cup greek style yoghurt

1 1/2 tablespoons mango chutney

Using your hands squeeze out the excess moisture from carrot and potato.

Sift flour into a bowl. Season. Using a fork whisk milk and egg until combined,. Pour over flour. Stir until smooth. Add carrot mixture with corriander Stir until combined

Pour enough oil into a large non stick pan. Heat over medium heat. Place a tablespoon of mixture in oil and cook for  3-4 minutes on each side and are cooked through.

Combine yoghurt and mango chutney in a small bowl. Place fritters on a plate and serve with a dollop of yoghurt mixture. Makes 12.



Apple & Rhubarb Muffins

To celebrate the return of apples and rhubarb here is a recipe for delicious muffins. Bake and enjoy. Great for school lunches or with a cup of tea

2 cups SR flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

11/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup rhubard thinly sliced

1/2 cup apple peeled small chunks

Preheat oven 200c Grease 12 muffin tins with light oil. Sift flour and baking powder, into sugar. Melt butter and mix with eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of flour and beat in liquid. Fold through rhubarb and apple. Spoon in muffin tins until two thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes Cover with baking paper if muffins are not cooked through an bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from tin


Recipe of the week - Capsicum & Corn Muffins

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup fine polenta

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 capsicum finely chopped

2 to 3 cobs of corn scrapped to get the corn kernels off the cob

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon castor sugar

Preheat oven to 210c Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Add polenta and sugar stir well. Make a well in the centre

In a separate bowl whisk together egg, milk and oil Add the corn and parsley.

Add the mixture to the flour mixture stirring well with a wooden spoon

The batter should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes until the muffins are golden.

Leave the muffins in the tin for  couple of minutes turn out onto wire rack and serve

It is better to loosen the muffins with a flat knife before turning


Sweet Potato, Leek and Parsley Gratin

40 g unslalted butter

4 leeks sliced

2 cloves garlic

800g sweet potatoes thinly sliced

800g potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup parsley leaves

300g parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 200c . Melt the butter in a non stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Place the sweet potato, potato, oil and slat and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Layer the sweet potato, potato and leek, parsley and cheese in a 26cm x 34 cm baking try lined with non stick baking paper and finish with a layer of cheese. Cover loosely with aluminium foil and bake for  30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden. Serves 6 – 8

Baked Veggies with thyme and honey

The Heirloom packs are a big hit. Here is a recipe for the baby beetroot and coloured carrots

1 Heirloom pack

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup honey

4 sprigs of thyme

pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 200c Toss the baby veg with the oil honey and tyme. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes until tender. Serve with roast chicken


Best Ever Chicken or Sweet Potato Soup

You can choose whether to use chicken or substitute for sweet potato, or you could even make a pot of each.



2 of our special Soup Packs contains all the veg you need

1 cup San Remo Pasta Letters for soup

Chopped flat leaf parsley

1 x Free range chicken/ or sweet potatoes

2 cloves garlic

2.5 litres of water


Place chicken and one veg soup pack which has been finely chopped into a large saucepan. Add diced garlic. Bring to boil cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for an hour. Or until chicken is cooked through.

use a metal spoon and skim off the the foam that forms on the surface. Remove chicken from stock and cool.

Shred the chicken meat into pieces Strain the stock discarding the veg from pack no 1. Return the stock to the pan and add the 2nd veg pack which has been finely chopped, add the pasta and the finely shredded chicken. Cook over high heat for 15 minutes.

Top with parsley and serve.


Orange Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes that I have ever made. It is timeless

If you have a quite a few people coming double the ingrediants

2 large oranges

2 mandarines

250 g ground almonds

250 g castor sugar

6 eggs

Boil the oranges and mandarines in enough   water to coat the fruit well, Boil for about 2 hours, keep checking so that the oranges do not boil dry. Allow to cool. Once cold cup up into pieces including the rind. Preheat the oven to 190c and line a springform tin. Grease well. Blend the oranges and all the other ingredients in a food processor. Pour the batter into a prepared tin and bake for an hour. If the cake is still wet after testing put foil over the top and cook longer. Cool. Turn the cake out. I like to coat the top of the cake with melted chocolate.

Quick fix for colds

Its cold and flu season and we are all suffering. Boil the kettle, take one cup of boiling water, a squeeze of half a lemon and add a teaspoon of honey, let it cool slightly and drink it . It should help


Minestrone Soup

Its cold and school holidays are here. Here is a recipe that will suit the whole family. We've added tins of Classic 5 Bean Mix and Minestrone Pasta that you need for this recipe to the Deli Section of our website to make it easy for you to add them to your order

1 leek finely chopped

1 can four bean mix classic

50 g butter

1 large onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

100g bacon

2 celery stalks finely chopped

2 carrots chopped

3 potatoes peeled and chopped

400g pre made tomato sauce made for pasta

3 litres chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 zuchinni sliced

1 cup frozen peas

150g small pasta

Grated parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the garlic, leeks onion and a handful of parsley. Add the chopped bacon and cook over low heat for about ten minutes until soft.

Add the carrots, celery, potatoes and cook for five minutes. Stir in the tomato suace.Season and then add the stock, and bring slowly to boil. cover and leave on a low simmer for about 2 hours. Stir once or twice to make sure it does not stick.

Taste for seasoning and add the zuchinni , frozen peas and the can of the four bean mix which has been rinsed in cold water. Add the pasta and simmer until it is al denete. Serve with crusty bread and grated parmesan cheese.


Recipe of the week - Free Range Roast Chicken with Stuffing

This is the best chicken I have ever eaten. Make sure you use a free range chicken and enjoy it. This makes chicken into a special meal again.

1 Free range chicken

Stuffing ingredients

2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs ( dont cheat, make your own)

1 onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

chopped herbs, parsley, oregano

50gm cashew nuts

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped capscicum

2 tablespoons olive oil to combine

1 PEAR cut in chunks

Combine all the above ingrediants in a bowl

Preheat oven to 180c

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with absorbent paper. Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the chicken secure with a skewer . Pace the chicken into a lightly greased baking dish. An lighlty cover the chicken with olive oil. Cover the chicken with aluminium oil and place in the oven.

Bake the chicken for 1 hour and then remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve with roast veg baked in another tray on the lower shelf in the oven.




Recipe of the week - Denise's Bolognese Sauce

This Bolognese is the best you will ever taste. The secret is using free range minced meat, it really does make a difference to the flavour.

500g beef minced free range

1 carrot chopped

1 onion chopped

1 zuchinni chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

6 thin slices of bacon ( this can be left out)

1 tbs spoon olive oil

1 cup red wine

400g chopped tomatoes

1 cup beef  stock

1 cup tomato passata

1 desert spoon brown sugar

500g tagliatella or other long pasta

grated parmesan cheese and basil leaves to serve

Place carrot, onion, garlic, zuchinni in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add vegetable mixture and cook stirring for 5 minutes or until softened. Add mince meat breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon. Cook   for three to four minutes until browned

Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. add red win and reduce theliquid by half. Add beef stock, tomato passata and 1 desert spoon of brown sugar. Cover the saucepan with lid and cook for app 1/2 hours remove lid and cook for another 1/2 on low heat stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water according to packed insutrctions. Drain then add the sauce and toss to  combine. Serve with cheese and basil leaves.


Recipe of the Week - Curried Sausages

This week Denise is sharing her recipe for Curried Sausages. It's a family favourite that always has everyone asking for more.  You could cook twice the quantity and freeze half for a quick meal to have another day.

12 free range sausages

1 tbs olive oil

12 curry leaves

1 small onion thinly sliced

1/2 long chilli green finely chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sweet paprika

12 tsp curry powder

400g chopped tomatoes

1 tsp caster sugar

400g chick peas

rinsed and drained

1 tbs corriander

mashed potato to serve

To make curry sauce heat oil over medium heat add the curry leaves and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add paprika and curry powder then cook for a further minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, then cook stirring occasionally for 10- 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, then add chickpeas and corriander and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Cook sausages in a frypan over medium heat until browned and cooked through.

Serve with mashed potatoes and sauce. serves four.



Recipe of the Week - Silverbeet and Zucchini Ricotta Cake with Tomato and Eggplant sauce

A delicious meal to serve the family, especially at Easter.


600g ricotta cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

150g silverbeet

1 zucchini coarsley grated

1 onion finely chopped

4 eggs lightly beaten

3/4 cup parmesan finely grated

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons chives

1 cup flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 eggplant cut into pieces

1kg tomatoes halved

Preheat oven to 200c and lightly grease 18cm cake tin. Het 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan. Add the silverbeet, zucchini and onion and fry for 1-2 minutes stirring until the silverbeet has wilted. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Whisk the ricotta and and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add the parmesan, breadcrumbs, herbs and spinach mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and scatter parmesan cheese on the top. Bake for 25 minutes.

For the sauce

Heat the remaining oil in the same frying pan and fry the eggplant for 3 minutes, stirring until slightly golden. Add tomatoes and a clove of crushed garlic and a teaspoon of sugar to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the ricotta cake into wedges serve with tomato sauce and garnish with basil. Crusty bread is also great with this.


Recipe of the Week - Sweet Lemon Butter

A simple recipe with only four ingredients, two of which you can order from us, farm fresh, free range eggs and juicy lemons.


2 eggs

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter


Cream butter, sugar and eggs, add lemon juice and mix well. Place mixture into a saucepan and cook steadily until it thickens. Allow mixture to cool slightly. Pour into sterilised jars and keep refrigerated. What could be simpler than that.



Recipe of the Week - Roast Vegetable Cous Cous

This is delicious dish to have on it's own or serve as a side with any of the other recipes in our weekly emails.


300 g peeled pumpkin

1 carrot cut lengthways

1 zuchinni thickly sliced

1 onion cut into wedges

2 beetroot cut into quarters

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped 250 g cherry tomatoes

400g chick peas

1 cup couscous

1 cup hot vegetable stock

finely grated zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 cup mint

Tzatziki optional to serve

Preheat oven to 200c

Place pumpkin, carrot zuchinni, onion, beetroot in a roasting pan. Toss with olive oil and garlic. Roast for 20 minutes. Add tomato and chick peas and roast for a further 5 minutes.

Place couscous in a large bowl. Add stock and cover with a clean tea towel and stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk the lemon juice and 2 tbs olive oil the stir through the couscous. Transfer the couscous to a platter and arrange the roasted vegetable on top. Top with the mint and drizzle over a little Tzatziki. serves about four.



Recipe of the week: Lamb shanks with red wine and herbs

I use a slow cooker. It can be turned on when leaving home and when you return in the afternoon dinner is ready. Serve with couscous or mashed potatoes

4  free range lamb shanks

1 brown onion finely sliced

6 sprigs of oregano and thyme and parsley

2 cups red wine

1 litre beef stock

3 carrots

1 zuchinni

8 chopped tomatoes

2 sweet potatoes finely chopped

1 corn cob, kennels taken off

1 can chickpeas

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Turn the slow cooker onto high. Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker except the chickpeas. Taste for seasoning. Put the lid on . Cook for approx 6-7 hours. Taste, make sure the lamb is coming off the bone. Stir through the chick peas and cook for a further half hour. Check there is enough liquid in the cooker , you might need to add more




Recipe of the week: Slow cooked leg of lamb with chilli mint sauce

This is one of may favourite dinners for when you have the family over or with dinner with those special friendsI We know you'll enjoy this recipe too, so we're offering free bunch of mint with every leg of lamb purchased.

1 leg of lamb free range

2 tbs fish sauce

1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

100 ml olive oil

Chilli mint sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tgs spoon olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

finely grated vest of lemon and juice

2 large long red chillies (can be omitted)

1 red onion finely sliced

2 cups mint leaves

Preheat oven to 180c

Dont use fan force oven, if electric take it down to 160c needs to take time with a slow cook

Combine the fish sauce and the chilli sauce mint and oil in a bowl. Place the leg of lamb in a roasting dish and brush all over with the marinade, And cover with aliminium foil  Roast for 40 minutes . Remove the foil and roast for a further 15-20 minutes.

Set aside to rest for about 10 minutes.

To make the sauce. Place all the ingrediants and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Carve the lamb and serve with the mint sauce. Serve with a mix of seasonal roast veg, such as carrots, pumpkin and beetroot.



Glazed Carrots

4 – 6 Carrots or a bunch of heritage carrots

2 tablespoon butter

1 dessert spoon brown sugar

and a little water


Cut the carrots into pieces and cook in the butter brown sugars and the water in a saucepan over medium heat.Make sure you have enough water to cover the carrots. Keep the mixture boiling with the lid off the saucepan  until the carrots are tender, and the water has evaporated. The carrots should be glazed and glistening. Sprinkle with chives or parsley to serve. This should take about 10 minutes.


Mushrooms Au Gratin

2 cloves garlic

2 finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

500g slice mushrooms

Place the mushrooms in the above marinade and leave for  2 – 3 hours mixing occasionally. Pour off any excess liquid. Sautee mushrooms in 4 tablespoons of butter until soft. Place in a ovenproof dish  and sprinkle the top with 1 cup of stale home made bread crumbs. ( do not use the packet bread crumbs as it will spoil this dish ) which has bee mixed with your favourite grated cheese. Heat oven to 230c and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. This can be made well ahead of time and put in the fridge and cooked when needed. This can be served as a meal with crusty bread.

Recipe of the week - Denise's Steak & Kidney Pie


I like mine with some vegetables

1kg of steak and kidney chopped

3 tablespoons plain flour

ground pepper

4 pieces of bacon finely chopped

1 large onion finely chopped

3 stalks of finely chopped celary

3 carrots finely chopped

one litre stock

4 tomatoes chopped finely

1 bunch parsley

1/2 kilo mushrooms chopped

Turn the slow cooker onto high

Roll the steak and kidney in the flour and place in a fry pan with some olive oil and lightly fry with the bacon and onions. Make sure it is still soft and only browned. Put this mixture into the slow cooker.Add the celary carrots and tomatoes. Pour over enough stock to cover the mixture Season with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to go to a slow simmer and cook for approx 4 hours. Check it might need a little longer. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, and add the chopped parsley and mushrooms. Stir through.  Transfer meat into  a ceramic pie dish.

Preheat the oven to 200c and cover the dish with pre bought pastry. It can shortcrust or puff pastry. Take on sheet out and thaw it out. Place the pastry over the pie dish and egg wash the pastry. Prick the top of the pastry with a fork to let the steam out. Bake for approx 30 minutes so it is heated through.

Serve with mash sweet potatoes and steamed beans


Recipe of the week - French Onion Soup

This is an old fashioned soup but still very rewarding.

6 rasher of bacon chopped

25 g butter

1/2 cup olive oil

8 large onions

1/4 cup plain flour

4 clovers garlic finely chopped

1 1/2 cups white wine

2 litres chicken stock

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

8-10 slices sourdough bread

100 g grated cheese

Saute  the bacon in the butter and 25ml of the olive oil in a large saucepan until the bacon starts to crisp, remove the bacon and set aside. Add the onions to the saucepan and saute until fairly brown. Keep an  eye  on it  u may need to add some more oil and butter.

Add the flour and stir for a few minutes. This is best down with a whisk to stop lumps forming. Add the bacon and the garlic wine and stock and simmer to half and hour. Add the parsley and simmer a bit more. Lightly toast the bread. Divide the soup among heat proof bowls and place the toast on top. Place the cheese on top. Preheat the grill to medium high then place the bowls under the grill. Melt the cheese, and now serve.

Recipe of the week: Pears baked in cream

This is an old fashioned favourite I cooked this long time ago. A friend to mine at the markets reminded me of this recipe . Thank you brings back many good memories

Four large pears peeled and cut into halves and lay them into a oven proof dish, Sprinkle with raw sugar liberally. Place into oven 230c until caramelised , the time will depend on your oven. Check after ten minutes. Pour in one cup of cream and swirl it around the dissolve the caramel, mix it with a spoon if necessary. Cook further until the pears are tender. Serve with grated lemon rind   and whipped cream or ice cream.


Recipe of the week

This is a main course dish for winter and the kids will love it.

2 litres of chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 medium onions diced

1 carrot chopped

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 parsnips chopped

3 pcs chopped celery

one quater of pumpkin chopped

3 small cloves garlic

1 egg

1/2 kilo cooked chicken finely diced

6 pcs bacon finely chopped

One thick piece of crusty bread

flour

1 cup elbow pasta

In a large saucepan bring the stock to boil, turn heat down and let it simmer.

Heat oil and butter in a frying pan and add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Add to the simmering   stock  with tomato paste parsnips and chopped pumpkin.  Cover and let simmer until veg are tender.

This will take about 15 minutes.

Make the chicken balls.

In a food processor mix together the bread, garlic, egg until a smooth paste about 30 seconds, Add the chicken and ham. mix until the paste is smooth.

Roll the chicken mix into balls. Roll in the flour so that they are lightly dusted.

When the vegetables are tender raise the heat so that it is an intense simmer. Drop the meat balls and the pasta into the soup and cook for about 5 minutes. Serve, Hope you all enjoy Denise



Recipe of the week - Orange Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes that I have ever made. It is timeless

If you have a quite a few people coming double the ingrediants

2 large oranges

2 mandarines

250 g ground almonds

250 g castor sugar

6 eggs

Boil the oranges and mandarines in enough   water to coat the fruit well, Boil for about 2 hours, keep checking so that the oranges do not boil dry. Allow to cool. Once cold cup up into pieces including the rind. Preheat the oven to 190c and line a springform tin. Grease well. Blend the oranges and all the other ingredients in a food processor. Pour the batter into a prepared tin and bake for an hour. If the cake is still wet after testing put foil over the top and cook longer. Cool. Turn the cake out. I like to coat the top of the cake with melted chocolate.

Quick fix for colds

Its cold and flu season and we are all suffering. Boil the kettle, take one cup of boiling water, a squeeze of half a lemon and add a teaspoon of honey, let it cool slightly and drink it . It should help

Recipe of the week - Minestrone Soup

Its cold and school holidays are here. Here is a recipe that will suit the whole family. We've added tins of Classic 5 Bean Mix and Minestrone Pasta that you need for this recipe to the Deli Section of our website to make it easy for you to add them to your order

1 leek finely chopped

1 can four bean mix classic

50 g butter

1 large onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

100g bacon

2 celery stalks finely chopped

2 carrots chopped

3 potatoes peeled and chopped

400g pre made tomato sauce made for pasta

3 litres chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 zuchinni sliced

1 cup frozen peas

150g small pasta

Grated parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the garlic, leeks onion and a handful of parsley. Add the chopped bacon and cook over low heat for about ten minutes until soft.

Add the carrots, celery, potatoes and cook for five minutes. Stir in the tomato suace.Season and then add the stock, and bring slowly to boil. cover and leave on a low simmer for about 2 hours. Stir once or twice to make sure it does not stick.

Taste for seasoning and add the zuchinni , frozen peas and the can of the four bean mix which has been rinsed in cold water. Add the pasta and simmer until it is al denete. Serve with crusty bread and grated parmesan cheese.



Recipe of the week: Best Ever Chicken or Sweet Potato Soup

You can choose whether to use chicken or substitute for sweet potato, or you could even make a pot of each.



2 of our special Soup Packs contains all the veg you need

1 cup San Remo Pasta Letters for soup

Chopped flat leaf parsley

1 x Free range chicken/ or sweet potatoes

2 cloves garlic

2.5 litres of water


Place chicken and one veg soup pack which has been finely chopped into a large saucepan. Add diced garlic. Bring to boil cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for an hour. Or until chicken is cooked through.

use a metal spoon and skim off the the foam that forms on the surface. Remove chicken from stock and cool.

Shred the chicken meat into pieces Strain the stock discarding the veg from pack no 1. Return the stock to the pan and add the 2nd veg pack which has been finely chopped, add the pasta and the finely shredded chicken. Cook over high heat for 15 minutes.

Top with parsley and serve.



Sweet Potato, Leek and Parsley Gratin

40 g unslalted butter

4 leeks sliced

2 cloves garlic

800g sweet potatoes thinly sliced

800g potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup parsley leaves

300g parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 200c . Melt the butter in a non stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Place the sweet potato, potato, oil and slat and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Layer the sweet potato, potato and leek, parsley and cheese in a 26cm x 34 cm baking try lined with non stick baking paper and finish with a layer of cheese. Cover loosely with aluminium foil and bake for  30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden. Serves 6 – 8

Baked Veggies with thyme and honey

The Heirloom packs are a big hit. Here is a recipe for the baby beetroot and coloured carrots

1 Heirloom pack

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup honey

4 sprigs of thyme

pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 200c Toss the baby veg with the oil honey and tyme. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes until tender. Serve with roast chicken


Two recipes this week for back to school:

Potato and Tuna cakes

500g potatoes peeled and chopped

1 x 185 g tin of tuna

1 celery stick finely chopped

1 cup corn kernells from fresh corn cob

2 carrots finely grated

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons parsley

2 tblespoons of olive oil

Cook potatoes for 15 minutes until tender. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.  Mash well until smooth and set aside chill for 1 hour in fridge.

Add the tuna, celery carrot corn and parsley to the mash with the egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper and stir well until combined. Divide the mixture in 12 portions . Add the patties to the breadcrumbs to coat.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes each side and serve with sweet chilli sauce and lettuce leaves. These are great cold in the lunch box.

Pumpkin Vegetable Slice

2 teaspoon oil

2 cups grated pumpkin

1 small onion finely chopped

2 cups frozen peas

1 cup corn kernels from corn on the cob

2/3 cup flour SR

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup grated cheese

Heat oil in a saucepan and add pumpkin onions and cook for three to five minutes

In a large bowl combine cheese flour,  eggs and the softened vege mix and combine well

Spread mixture evenly into a greased oven proof dish 28cm x 1225 cm and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool serve in the lunch box.



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