INGREDIENTS

350 g green-skinned pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 large portobello mushrooms, stalks removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
100 g feta, crumbled
¼ cup grated white cheddar
80 g rocket leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
Balsamic glaze (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Toss the pumpkin, with half the oil in a large bowl and season. Transfer to a large oven tray and roast for 25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
3. Meanwhile, place the mushrooms on a large greased oven tray. Combine garlic, herbs and remaining oil in a small bowl. Spoon the herb oil inside each mushroom cap. Season and roast for the final 10 minutes of the pumpkin cooking time.
4. Fry the bell pepper in a drizzle of oil until softened. Combine pepper, feta and roasted pumpkin in a medium bowl. Spoon pumpkin mixture into mushroom caps and generously sprinkle over the Cheddar cheese. Roast the mushrooms for another 10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is golden.
5. Serve mushrooms with rocket, fresh oregano and drizzle with the balsamic glaze, if using. 

Enjoy a sensational summer sunset with these delicious finger food recipes

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SERVES 10–12 // PREP TIME 45 min // COOK TIME 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
3 cups white wine 
2 cups caster sugar 
3 cups water
Juice of 1 orange 
Juice of  lemon 
5 peaches, 4 scored and 1 sliced 
12 gelatine leaves
15 strawberries, halved
2 Madeira loaves, sliced
 cup brandy 
1  cups cream cheese 
4 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence 
2 cups whipped cream 
1 cup strawberries, sliced 
 cup flaked almonds, toasted

METHOD
1. Make jelly by combining the wine, sugar, water, and orange and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat.
2. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the scored peaches and poach for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the peaches and whisk the gelatine into the poaching liquid until dissolved. Strain and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Pour half of the jelly into the bottom of your trifle dish. Keep the rest at room temperature.
6. Peel and slice the cooled peaches and add half of them, along with half of the strawberries, to the jelly in the trifle bowl. Refrigerate until set.
7. Arrange the Madeira slices in an even layer on top of the jelly and brush with 20 ml of the brandy.
8. Whip the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla essence and the remaining brandy together, until smooth and fluffy. Fold through the whipped cream.
9. Spread half of the cream mixture in an even layer on top of the Madeira layer and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
10. Pour the remaining jelly on top of the cream layer, and add the other half of the poached peaches and sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until fully set.
11. Serve the trifle topped with extra whipped cream and decorated with peach slices, strawberries and almonds.

Tip: Making your own jelly can be so rewarding, but if you are in a rush, feel free to use any of your favourite jelly packets in this dish. Using tinned peaches is also a great way to speed up the process, but without compromising on flavour.

There’s no better way to indulge in summertime than by sharing a fresh, seasonal fruit platter with friends and family after a meal!

The post How to make a summer fruit trifle appeared first on TFG Media.

1 BAOBAB

We all know and recognise these majestic ‘upside-down’ trees, which are commonly found in Limpopo. Baobab fruit has a hard outer shell containing a white powdery substance surrounding the seed. The powder is high in vitamin C. 

Taste: The powder has a distinct sour taste. 

Cook: Traditionally mixed with water to make a kind of lemonade, it also works in creamy desserts such as cheesecake.

2 ROOIBOS

Antioxidant-rich rooibos is a fynbos shrub found only in the Western Cape. Europeans started harvesting it in the Cederberg, where it is still farmed today.

Taste: It has a rich, almost sweet, full-bodied taste.

Cook: It goes perfectly with poultry, so make a marinade or basting sauce for chicken or duck.

3 MOROGO

Also known as imfino in isiXhosa and isiZulu, this is the Sesotho name for leafy greens in general. It’s also called ‘wild spinach’ – think of spinach with twice the flavour and none of the bitterness.

Taste: It has a rich, bold and earthy flavour.

Cook: Simply ditch the spinach or chard and use morogo instead.

4 BUCHU

The miracle herb has been used as a traditional remedy for thousands of years. The dried leaves and oil of this little shrub are helpful for treating bladder infections, rheumatism and stomach ache, and they also have antiseptic properties.

Taste: It has a strong scent of menthol and blackcurrant, with a similar bitter flavour.

Cook: Infuse your favourite spirits with it (ever heard of buchu brandy?), brew a cup of tea or

add it to your juices and smoothies to reap the health benefits.

5 WATERBLOMMETJIES

These ‘little water flowers’ grow on ponds and vleis in the rainy winter months. They have a scaly texture and need to be rinsed well or soaked before cooking.

Taste: They taste similar to green beans.

Cook: Make a bredie or add them to a salad or risotto.

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A MEDICINAL PAST

During the Renaissance, cordials were brewed up by Italian apothecaries, who  prescribed them to ‘revive the spirit’ and cure a number of physical ailments. These medicinal concoctions – which contained herbs and spices steeped in an alcohol base– were a far cry from the sweet cordials we know today. Next, fast-forward to the 19th century: Scottish shipbuilder Lauchlin Rose was in the process of establishing a side business providing vital supplies to passing ships. One of the items he dealt in was lime juice. Back then, they’d worked out that eating citrus fruit was essential for preventing scurvy on long voyages when sailors didn’t get enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Infact, The Merchant Shipping Amendment Act of 1867 made it compulsory for British ships to carry lime juice, in an effort to prevent malnourished sailors getting sick.

LOCAL FLAVOUR

At home, South African producers have begun to catch on to the charms of this old-fashioned drink, creating infusions of fruit with indigenous herbs such as buchu and rose pelargonium. You can recreate this unique flavour profile with dried leaves from your own garden, or get hold of a pure herbal tea. It may seem like a daunting endeavour to the average cook, but making a cordial is in fact a pretty straightforward process of brewing a sugary base of simple syrup and adding fruits, flowers or herbs (besides lime and lemon, elderflower, lemon grass and ginger are popular), and allowing the syrup to take on the flavour. Keep a bottle of it on hand in the fridge: Sunburnt kids and dinner-party guests alike are sure to appreciate it.

BASIC LEMON CORDIAL RECIPE

Makes 1 L

INGREDIENTS
1.2 L boiling water
6 lemons (zest of 3, juice of 6)
900 g sugar
60 ml citric acid

METHOD
1. Place the boiling water, lemon zest and lemon juice in a pot. Warm over low heat, but do not boil. Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved, then add the citric acid.
2.  Remove the syrup from the heat, strain through a sieve and then leave to cool.
3. Pour the syrup into sterilised jars. Seal and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
4. To serve, pour a small amount of cordial into a tall glass and top up with soda water. (To make it alcoholic, add a shot of gin or vodka before the soda.)
5. To garnish, add a slice of lemon and a sprig of rosemary for a herbaceous kick.

Tip: You can substitute the lemon with grated fresh ginger, granadilla pulp orpureed raspberries.

Words by Emma-Follet Botha | Photography

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1. BACON ON DEMAND
Bacon in the microwave? It seems so wrong, but it really does work! It’s perfect for when you want a few rashers of bacon, but don’t want to dig out the frying pan. Sandwich uncooked bacon between two sheets of paper towel and put on a plate. Nuke it on high power for a few minutes. And bonus! The paper towel absorbs the fat, so no nasty splatter everywhere.

2. CHIPS!
Make your own potato crisps by placing thin slices of potato on a plate. Microwave for 3 minutes, flip over and microwave for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt

3. GAME OF CORNS
Remove the husk and wrap your mielie in a damp piece of paper towel. Microwave for 3 minutes, then start munching.

4. EGGY EGG EGG
Beat together 2 eggs, some milk, a sprinkle of grated cheese and seasoning. Microwave for 2 minutes, and brekkie is served.

5. WHO’S CRYING?
Cut the ends from your onions, then microwave the onions for 30 seconds. This will release that tear-causing gas so you can chop away pain-free.

Words by:  Staff writer
Photography: Pexels

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