Welcome to Roslyn Deakin’s cookbooks on fruit and vegetables.

I have a range of recipe books, which include

Apricot, Broad bean, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cauliflower, Cherry, Choko, Dried Apricots, Eggplant, Lemons, Nectarines, Peach, Passionfruit, Plum, Pumpkin, Quince, Silverbeet, Sweet Potato, and Zucchini.

All my books are designed to be interesting with wide range of variety with recipes from all over the world from soups, main meals, cakes and preserves.

Updates

The Tomato book is still in progress but nearly completed.

Book of the month

Plums differ so much from one kind to another, it is like having a whole range of fruit called by the same name. As long ago as the first century A.D. Piny spoke of a “cast crowd of plums”, and described 12 different kinds. Today there are more than 2000 varieties. They types you see most commonly are firm, round blood plums that come in both large and small sizes; large red skinned, yellow-fleshed plums; small oval. Purplish Angelina; and the greengage, a beautiful yellow plum with a slightly pointed shape.

Home cooking tips and hints

* Some plums are best served warm to enhance their flavour and two simple but delicious ways of doing so are by simply sprinkling plums with a little vanilla sugar and water, then baking; or lightly poaching plums in sugar syrup flavoured with white wine or a liqueur.

* The soft-fleshed, juicy varieties of plums are delicious eaten just as they are.

* Serve fresh plums on bed of ice as a refreshing, easy end to a meal.

* For a simple but very good cold dessert, slice plums and peaches into a bowl and sprinkle with the grated rind and freshly squeezed with the grated rind and freshly squeezed juice of an orange.

* A splash of Cointreau liqueur doesn’t go amiss either- nor does a bowl of lightly whipped cream.

Special Offers

* Our special this month is 4 books for the price of 3 offer.

* For the month of September/October the Apricot book will be $15.00.

* Order an Apricot book by 30^th November 2005 and go into a draw for a free copy of the Peach recipe book (results will appear in the December newsletter)

Recipes of the Month

SWEET TART PLUM DIP

3 cups canned purple plums stoned and drained, ½ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup plum wine or dry sherry,

3 tblspns fresh lemon juice, 1½ tspns prepared mustard, salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine purple plums, red wine vinegar, plum wine or dry sherry, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in blender or food processor and whirl until pureed. Skewered tiny beef, pork or chicken liver kebabs, mini meatballs or cold boiled shrimp gain flavour and character from this Sweet-Tart Plum Dip.

LAMB and PLUMS in HERB SAUCE

1.5 kgs lamb shank or boneless cut into cubes, 20 spring onions or scallions finely chopped, 3 cups water,

2 tblspns dried tarragon, 1 tspn salt, ¼ tspn pepper, ¼ cup fresh mint leaves chopped or 2 tblspns dried mint, 750 grams plums, ½ cup fresh coriander chopped, 3 tblspns lemon juice

Put lamb in dry pan, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Add spring onions or scallions and water and bring to a boil. Add tarragon, salt, pepper, mint and plums. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add coriander and lemon juice and cook until tender. Serve hot with rice or bread and salads. Serves 8-10.

BEEF PLUM CASSEROLE (Jam)

1.5 kgs beef cubed, flour, ¾ cup plum jam, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup Worcestershire sauce, flour

Roll beef cubes in flour and place them in an ungreased casserole dish. Mix together plum jam, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Cover the with the sauce mixture. Bake at 120c for 1 hour.

AMARETTO CUSTARDS with PLUM SAUCE

25 grams almonds sliced, 1¼ tspns ground cinnamon, 5 tblspns castor sugar, 2 eggs, 2 egg whites,

4 tblspns Amaretto liqueur, 90 grams honey, 560 mls skimmed milk, 4 ripe red plums quartered and stoned, 3 tspns lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 170c. Spread the almonds in small baking tin and toast them in the oven as it preheats until they are golden for about 25 minutes. Lightly butter 6 ramekins. In a small dish, mix ¾ teaspoon of the cinnamon with 2 tablespoons castor sugar mixture into each ramekins then tilt it in all directions to coat its buttered sides and bottom. Put the ramekins into a large ovenproof baking dish and refrigerate them. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, Amaretto liqueur, honey, and remaining ½ tspn cinnamon. Whisk in the milk, then pour the mixture into the chilled ramekins. Bake the custards until a thin bladed knife inserted in the centre comes out clean for about 30 minutes. Remove the ramekins from their water bath and let them stand for 30 minutes. Combine the red plums, the remaining 3 tablespoons castor sugar and the lemon juice in food processor. Process plums to a smooth paste, then pass the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove the skins. Refrigerate the sauce until it is chilled. For 30 minutes. To unmould the cooled custards, run a small sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin. Invert a serving plate over top and turn both over together. Lift away the ramekin; the custard should slip out easily. Ladle some of plum sauce round each custard; sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top. Serves 6.

PLUM and PEACH SALAD

2 plums sliced, 2 peaches sliced, ½ cup walnuts coarsely chopped and toasted, ¼ cup raspberry jam,

2 tblspns red wine vinegar, 1 tblspn walnut or vegetable oil

Arrange plums and peaches on serving plate. Sprinkle with walnuts. Mix together raspberry jam, red wine vinegar and walnut or vegetable oil. Drizzle over peaches and plums. Serves 6.

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