Roast pork with warm apple & chestnut salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.6kg rack of pork
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 20 fresh chestnuts
• 20 (about 1 bunch) fresh sage leaves
• 20g butter
• 2 (about 135g each) pink lady apples, cored, cut crossways into 1.5cm thick slices
• 1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 185ml (3/4 cup) port

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 220°C. Place pork in roasting pan and drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until pork begins to change colour. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C and cook for 1 hour 20 mins or until golden brown.
• Step 2
  Meanwhile, cut a small cross in base of each chestnut. Place on a baking tray and roast, in preheated oven, for 20 minutes or until aromatic. Wrap in a clean tea towel, set aside for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel away shells and light brown skin. Set aside.
• Step 3
  Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
• Step 4
  Heat butter in the same frying pan until foaming. Add the apple slices and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until apples are golden and tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the apple slices to a plate. Cover with foil and set aside.
• Step 5
  Add the onion to the frying pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add apple slices, chestnuts and sage leaves, and gently toss until heated through. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Step 6
  Remove pork from roasting pan. Strain juices from pan into a heatproof jug and use a metal spoon to skim off any excess fat. Place pan over medium heat. Add port and pan juices and simmer, stirring with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces by half. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Step 7
  To serve, place pork on serving plate with apple and chestnut salad. Drizzle with port sauce and serve immediately.

Strawberry liqueur sorbet with strawberry salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3/4 cups (370g) caster sugar
• 1 1/3 cups (330ml) water
• 3 punnets (750g) fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
• 300g pkt frozen strawberries, thawed
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture
• 1/4 cup (60ml) strawberry liqueur

STRAWBERRY SALAD

• 2 punnets (500g) strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
• 1 punnet (200g) blueberries
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture
• 1/4 cup strawberry liqueur
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1
  To make the strawberry liqueur sorbet: combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cook for a further 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
• Step 2
  Combine fresh and thawed strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in icing sugar and liqueur and set aside for 10 minutes to macerate. Transfer strawberry mixture to the bowl of a food processor and processor until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and use the back of a spoon to push excess pulp. You should have about 900ml puree. Stir in cooled sugar syrup.
• Step 3
  Place mixture in a shallow metal tray. Cover with foil and place in the freezer for 6-8 hours or until firm. Use a metal spoon to break up sorbet and transfer to a food processor. Quickly process frozen mixture in 2 batches until smooth. Place in an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm. Makes about 1.2 litres sorbet
• Step 4
  To make the strawberry salad: combine the strawberries, blueberries, icing sugar mixture, strawberry liqueur and mint in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Serve strawberry salad with scoops of sorbet.

Coconut fruit salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pineapple, cored, cut into thick rings
• 2 mangoes, peeled, cut into wedges
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 2 large passionfruit
• 1/4 cup Malibu liqueur (see note)
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/4 cup grated palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1
  Cut pineapple rings into wedges. Place in a bowl. Add mango, banana, 1/3 cup passionfruit pulp and Malibu. Stir gently until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Step 2
  Using an electric mixer, beat cream until thick. Add sugar. Beat until thick again.
• Step 3
  Sprinkle coconut over fruit salad. Drizzle over remaining passionfruit. Serve with sugared cream.

Fruit salad shots

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 free-stone ripe peaches
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 just-ripe small mangoes, peeled, diced
• 240g fresh raspberries
• 375ml good-quality dessert wine (such as a botrytis wine), chilled
• 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup pure icing sugar, sifted

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1
  Cut a cross in the base of each peach. Place peaches in a heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover. Set aside for 30 seconds. Drain and refresh in cold water. Peel and discard skin. Dice flesh.
• Step 2
  Combine peach, mango and raspberries in a bowl. Gently toss to combine. Spoon fruit into twenty-four 60ml-capacity plastic or glass shot glasses. Pour 1 tablespoon dessert wine over each.
• Step 3
  Stir mascarpone and icing sugar in a small bowl until well combined. Top each fruit salad shot with mascarpone mixture. Serve immediately.

Minestrone salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g macaroni
• 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 carrot, peeled, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 120g thin beans, cut into 3cm lengths
• 310g can corn kernels, drained
• 410g can three-bean mix
• 250g red cherry tomatoes, halved
• 250g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 40ml (2 tablespoons) red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons bought pesto
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1
  Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain and refresh in cold water, then toss in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
• Step 2
  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes, until softened. Add the carrots and zucchini and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes. Add the beans and 60ml (1/4 cup) water and continue cooking until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are tender. Transfer the vegetables to a large plastic bowl, add the corn kernels, canned beans and cherry tomatoes.
• Step 3
  In a separate bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, red-wine vinegar and pesto. Pour over the salad, add the parmesan and toss well together.