Angela Day features Tru-Cape in The Star, The Cape Argus, Pretoria News, Daily News and IOL
Follow this link to read this article on the IOL site
Words by Angela Day and
Pictures by Chris Collingridge.
Johannesburg – Tru-Cape managing director Roelf Pienaar has urged consumers not to discard irregular fruit or fruit with blemishes.
They are great for making smoothies, juicing, cooking up with a little sweetness to make sauces to accompany meats like roast pork.
Apple sauce is also a wonderful sugar substitute in many recipes. Apples and pears are ideal for making chutney, as well as adding to soups and stews to add extra sweetness.
FRUITY DELIGHTS
Store apples in the refrigerator to keep them crisp for three to four weeks or store outside of the refrigerator in a cool, dry place to keep crisp for about one week.
It is best to store apples in the refrigerator in a plastic bag as they give off ethylene, a natural gas, which will make produce like lettuce turn brown. Just one bruised and rotting apple in a bunch will give off enough to swiftly ripen (and rot) the others.
Keep all the same varieties together because they will continue to ripen at the same rate.
Store unripe pears at room temperature for about five days. Once ripe, refrigerate for up to a week.
To check for ripeness in pears, check the “neck” right next to the stem for a slight softness. If you want to speed up ripening, put pears in a paper bag with a banana.
The drought and unforeseen weather conditions that we have been experiencing over the past months will have affected the size and quality of produce.
BEEF TAGINE
Serves 4-6
1.5kg beef shin, cut in cubes
salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
2cm piece of ginger, grated
5ml turmeric
5ml ground cinnamon
30ml Moroccan spice
375ml beef stock
30ml honey
2 pears, cored and cut in wedges
2 apples, cored and cut in wedges
125ml chopped fresh coriander
Season the beef with salt and pepper.
Heat 15ml oil in a large, heavy-based pot and fry the beef, in batches, until browned all over.
Remove and set aside. Add more oil as needed.
Heat 30ml oil and fry the onions, garlic and ginger until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the spices and fry for2 minutes, until fragrant.
Return the meat to the pot and add the stock and honey. Stir until combined.
Cover with the lid and simmer for 1½ hours.
Stir in the pears and apples, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until tender.
Check the seasoning, then stir in the chopped coriander and serve.
ROSE APPLE TARTS
Makes 6
1 roll of frozen puff-pastry, defrosted
3-4 red apples
125ml castor sugar
45ml lemon juice
60g butter, melted
extra castor sugar for sprinkling
smooth apricot jam, warmed
Roll out the pastry quite thinly. Cut out discs large enough to line 6x8cm fluted, loose-bottomed pans. Refrigerate these until required.
Core the apples, halve them and slice thinly into half-moon slices. Use a mandolin or a sharp knife.
In a bowl, combine the castor sugar, lemon juice and melted butter.
Add the apple slices to this and place the bowl in the microwave.
Cook on full powder for 2-3 minutes until the apple slices are pliable. Take care not to overcook them
Remove and cool.
Place the apple slices in the pastry cases, starting at the outer edge with the skin-side up. Overlap each slice.
Build up layers until you fill the pastry case.
Take 2 or 3 slices of apple and lay them on your surface in a row, overlapping halfway. Roll up to form the inside curl of the rose. Place it in position.
Sprinkle the apples with castor sugar and bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
Remove from the oven and brush the apple with a little warmed apricot jam.
NOTE: These tarts are delicious served warm with whipped cream. Best served on the day they are made.
MEATBALLS IN TOMATO AND PEAR SAUCE
Serves 4-6s
250g pork mince
250g beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
125ml fresh breadcrumbs
5ml smoked paprika
2ml cayenne pepper
30ml harissa paste
5ml salt
2ml white pepper
125ml chopped fresh parsley
SAUCE
30ml olive oil
50g sachet of tomato paste
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
5ml harissa paste
5ml brown sugar
2 bay leaves
zest and juice of 1 lemon
500ml beef stock
3 pears, cored and diced
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Cover a baking tray with tinfoil and brush lightly with olive oil.
In a big bowl, combine well all the meatball ingredients.
Roll the mince mixture into 12-14 meatballs and place onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place in the sauce on the stove to cook for 15 minutes.
Add the diced pears and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the pears are tender.
Sauce: Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the garlic and salt for 5minutes.
Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, harissa, paprika, sugar, bay leaves, lemon zest and juice and the stock. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes.
Turn down the heat to a simmer, then add the meatballs.
SPICED APPLE AND OAT LOAF
250ml oats
500ml flour
10ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
a pinch of nutmeg
150ml milk
90ml honey
90ml oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 apples, grated
45ml brown sugar for sprinkling
In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Mix well.
Blend together the milk, honey, oil and eggs in a jug. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the grated apple and mix.
Spoon into a 20x12cm loaf tin which has been greased and lined. Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar.
Bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
FRUITY SQUARES WITH ROSEMARY CRUMBLE
Serves 8-10
crumble
125ml flour
125ml brown sugar
a pinch of salt
80g cold butter, cut into cubes
45ml chopped fresh rosemary
125ml chopped pecan nuts
cake
125g butter
250ml light brown sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla extract
125ml milk
2ml salt
5ml grated lemon rind
30ml lemon juice
1 apple, cored and diced
1 pear, cored and diced
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20x30cm rectangular tin.
For the crumble, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the rosemary and pecans. Set aside.
For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a jug, combine the vanilla and the milk.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add alternately with the milk to the butter-sugar mixture.
Stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, apple and pear, and pour into the prepared tin.
Sprinkle the crumble on top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack, before cutting into squares.
JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL DINNER
Tru-Cape invite you to join them for a delectable dinner where the Angela Day team will prepare a special menu using Tru-Cape apples and pears.
On arrival, enjoy a shot of refreshing cold apple, cucumber and mint soup, then relish apple and pear crisps served with a pear and pistachio guacamole; apple and Parmesan tarts with rocket and balsamic; Normandy chicken with chive mash; beetroot, pear and feta salad; and, for dessert, a chocolate tart with a red wine-poached pear.
This will all be paired with refreshing cider supplied by Distell.
Meet the faces behind the brand and find out more about Tru-Cape produce.
Everyone will get a goodie bag. Book soon as places are limited.
Where: The Angela Day Kitchen, Lifestyle Garden Centre, Beyers Naude Drive, Randpark Ridge
Date: Thursday, February 18
Time: 6.30 for 7pm
Cost: R250 a person
To book: Call Lesley Hamlyn at 0117911304 or e-mail angeladay@telkmsa.net
The Angela Day column is published in The Star, Pretoria News, Daily News and Cape Argus