Winter vegetables might not have the good looks of their summer cousins, but don't look away, writes Dunedin chef Jack Gould.
Since I arrived in Dunedin one of my favourite things to do is visit the farmers market.
I love the wide range of market stalls and the hustle and bustle of the crowds. It's a great showcase for what is good about the food scene here.
What I like is you can see for yourself what is actually nice and in season rather than the sanitised version you see at the supermarket.
Eating seasonally is cheap, healthy and good for the environment, so we should all do more of it.
This is easy in the summer, as fruits and vegetables are in good supply and the choice is massive.
The colours are vivid and most things need little to no cooking time.
The winter, however, is different.
Those beautiful green vegetables give way to ones that are rough, tough and oddly shaped.
Even the colours are more dull or hidden by thick skins covered in soil.
It's easy to feel uninspired by what's on offer, but instead of reaching for that takeaway menu, let me show you a few ideas of how to turn those slightly less glamorous vegetables into something a bit more special.
Roasted beets with goat's cheese, walnuts and honey
Ingredients
1kg beetroot
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
goat's cheese
honey
salt and pepper
Ingredients
Roast the beets in a low oven (150degC) until soft. When they are cool, peel and slice them, then drizzle with a little balsamic, olive oil and seasoning.
Roast the walnuts with a little salt until golden brown. Crumble the cheese over the beets, scatter over the walnuts and drizzle a little honey all over.
Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon
Ingredients
500g Brussels sprouts
200g smoked streaky bacon
Italian parsleybutter
Method
Grill the bacon until crispy then roughly chop. Take the ends off the sprouts then peel away any tough outer leaves. Place in rapidly boiling water for a couple of minutes until just cooked. Drain and season (although remember bacon is salty), add a knob of butter, the bacon and a handful of chopped parsley.
Kale crisps
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
Method
Trim the kale into nice big pieces. Toss in a little olive oil. Place on a baking tray and cook at 150degC until crispy. This will take about 20 minutes, but make sure you give them a mix about halfway through. Once they are done sprinkle with sea salt.
Roasted plums, praline and ice cream
Ingredients
6 plums
1 Tbsp brown sugar
30g butter
100g caster sugar
dash of water
50g hazelnuts
good-quality vanilla ice cream
Method
For the praline, line a tray with baking paper. Put the sugar in a heavy-based pan, add the water and cook on a low heat until the sugar has turned to a nice golden caramel. Once you reach the desired consistency remove from the heat and add the nuts, quickly stir and then pour on to the baking tray. Leave this to cool and harden then bash into small pieces with a rolling pin.
Halve the plums and take out the stone. Sprinkle over the butter and brown sugar and bake at 180degC for about 20 minutes. They should be bubbly and juicy.
Once ready, arrange on the plate with a generous scoop of ice cream and the hazelnut praline scattered over the top.
