That does not mean we do not enjoy our beaches during winter. We still take walks along them and some hardy souls in thick wetsuits even hit the waves.
So while Surf-side Eating features a lot of photographs reminiscent of summer, the inspiration for the recipes fits any time of year.
The book is a collection of recipes from a variety of cooks designed to evoke memories of the "salty air and soothing effect of time spent by the ocean".
"The flavourful recipes are inspired by cuisines from the best beaches and surf spots around the globe."
So while travelling is a no-go at the moment, we can still enjoy dishes inspired by their cuisine and culture from around the world.
The book’s chapters include breakfast and brunch (Rise and shine), lunch (Salads and sides), and all-day dining, while beachside barbecue covers the more meaty side of meals at the beach. The book finishes with a section on light and tasty desserts.
Toasted muesli with baked rhubarb
Shelagh Ryan
Fill your shopping bag with oats, barley, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, mix all the ingredients together and slowly toast them in the oven. Store it in a glass jar on the kitchen counter to admire: a breakfast of champions.
Serves 10
100ml (⅓ cup) sunflower oil
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
125ml (½ cup) clear honey
125ml (½ cup) maple syrup
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
500g (2½ cups) jumbo rolled oats
150g (1½ cups) rolled barley flakes
70g (⅔ cup) wheatgerm
50g (⅔ cup) shredded/desiccated coconut
125g (1¼ cup) almonds
100g (1 cup) pecans
125g (scant 1 cup) sunflower seeds
100g (⅔ cup) pumpkin seeds
10g (1 Tbsp) sesame seeds
250g (1⅔ cup) dark raisins
200g (1½ cup) dried dates, halved
To serve
Greek yoghurt, to serve
Baked rhubarb
500g (5 cups) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
2 Tbsp caster/granulated sugar
freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 1 orange
Equipment
2 baking sheets, greased and lined with baking parchment
sterilised glass jars with airtight lids (optional)
Method
Heat the oven to 130degC.
Pour the oil, vanilla, honey, syrup and cinnamon into a saucepan or pot set over a gentle heat and stir to combine.
Mix together all the remaining ingredients - except the raisins, dates and yoghurt - in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot oil mixture and stir well to ensure everything is well coated.
Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 30-45 minutes. Stir the mixture at regular intervals and cook until evenly golden and dry. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before adding the raisins and dates.
To make the baked rhubarb
Heat the oven to 150degC.
Place the rhubarb in a baking dish that is big enough to hold it in a single layer. Sprinkle over the sugar, orange juice and zest and gently mix together. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the rhubarb is just soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before serving with the toasted muesli and Greek yoghurt.
Store any leftover muesli and baked rhubarb in separate airtight containers or sterilised glass jars fitted with airtight lids. The muesli will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks and the rhubarb should be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Fried and steamed salmon in miso garlic sauce
Atsuko Ikeda
This native recipe from Hokkaido, Japan’s most northern island, consists of pan-frying (yaki) salmon and some assorted vegetables, then steaming the lot in sake and serving it in miso sauce. Add a little garlic to the miso sauce for an extra burst of flavour.
Serves 2
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 skin-on salmon fillets
¼ savoy cabbage, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
½ carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
60g fresh shimeji mushrooms, bottoms
trimmed and separated
2 Tbsp sake
To serve
1 Tbsp butter
Miso garlic sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 Tbsp red miso
2 Tbsp mirin
Equipment
large frying pan/skillet with a lid
Method
For the miso garlic sauce, in a small bowl, combine the grated garlic with the red miso and mirin, then stir until combined. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in the large frying pan/skillet over a high heat. Fry both the salmon fillets, skin-side down for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin has browned.
Flip and fry for 2 more minutes, then remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
Add all the vegetables and mushrooms to the hot pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Put the salmon fillets back into the pan, nestled among the vegetables, and pour in the sake around the salmon. Place a lid over the frying pan/skillet and let the fish steam over a medium heat for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
Add the miso garlic sauce to the pan and stir gently to evenly coat the ingredients. Put the lid back on and simmer for 4-5 minutes over a medium-high heat until the salmon is perfectly cooked all the way through.
To serve
Top each salmon fillet with a sliver of butter and allow it to melt a little. Serve hot.
Green tea madeleines with vanilla and black pepper cream
Laura Santini
Fluffy green shells with peppery cream clouds, the former slightly warm and the latter nice and chilled, makes for a dreamy combination.
Makes 18
60g (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp) plain/all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp matcha green tea powder (the best quality you can find)
2 large eggs
170g (¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp) caster/ granulated sugar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
125g butter, melted and cooled
zest of 2 limes
For greasing
oil
For dusting
icing/confectioners sugar
Vanilla and black pepper cream
300ml (1¼ cups) double/ heavy cream
½ vanilla pod/bean, seeds only
3-5 turns finely ground black pepper
Optional
splash of sake
icing/confectioners sugar (if using sake)
Equipment
two 9-hole madeleine pans
Method
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and matcha powder and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and doubled in volume, about 3-5 minutes.
Whisk the lime juice into the egg mixture then fold in the flour mixture (using a spatula) until just combined.
Fold in the melted butter and lime zest and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Heat the oven to 200degC, when you are ready to cook the madeleines.
Grease the madeleine pans with a little oil and spoon in the batter until the mixture comes about three-quarters of the way up each mould.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the madeleines are lightly golden around the edges.
While the madeleines are cooking, make the vanilla and black pepper cream by whisking the cream into very soft peaks and folding in the vanilla and black pepper. If using the sake add a very small splash and sweeten to taste with a little icing/ confectioners sugar.
Once the madeleines are done, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm madeleines with the cream.
