Sunshine Flavours

This is my favourite time of year. I’m enjoying the best weeks of the summer weather, and there’s
an abundance of produce from my garden. It’s overflowing with a huge variety of tomatoes
(I’m currently gauging which were most successful) as well as herbs, chillies and a passionfruit
that’s climbing the fence — luckily it’s high enough to be away from prying toddler fingers! Much
of this fresh produce stars in the recipes to follow. I’m also starting to think of ways that I can
preserve the flavours of summer for months to come.

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Flatbreads with Spiced Beef (& 3 delicious dressing ideas)‍

A stack of warm flatbreads with grilled beef and a selection of dressings in the middle of the
table make a centrepoint for the whole family. The spice rub on the beef can be made in bulk,
kept in an airtight container, and used to season meat and roast veges. 

Serves 4–6

500g scotch fillet or rump steak, trimmed and cut into 2cm strips
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons each turmeric, garlic powder, ground cumin,
   ground coriander, smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to season‍

Flatbreads

1¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2½ cups plain flour
¼ cup sesame seeds
Olive oil, for brushing

In a bowl, mix beef with olive oil, spices and 1 tsp salt. Allow to marinate for a minimum
of 2 hours in the fridge.

For the flatbreads, combine ¾ cup lukewarm water and 1 tsp salt with all the ingredients
in a bowl until the dough comes together. Knead for 10 minutes, then cover and allow
to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. 

Liberally sprinkle a clean bench with flour (the dough will be sticky). Divide the dough into
10 balls, and flatten each one to a 20cm oval. Dust off any excess flour, lightly brush with
olive oil and cook on a hot dry pan on both sides until lightly golden. Place each cooked
flatbread onto a plate and cover with a tea towel to keep warm.

Thread the marinated beef on to 10 skewers (pre-soaked if wooden) and grill on a barbecue
until meat is caramelised and cooked through. 

Serve with the warm flatbreads, fresh salad greens and seasonal vegetables. Here’s a few
of my go-to dressing options:‍

Chimichurri 

An Argentinian sauce with all the fresh flavours of summer. Finely chop 1 cup flat leaf parsley,
¼ cup fresh oregano, ½ medium red onion, and 2 peeled garlic cloves and mix with ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (or 1 fresh red chilli), ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, juice of ½ lemon,
and 1 tsp of salt. Mix well and set aside for at least half an hour before serving.‍

Green Goddess Dressing 

A quick, healthy dressing. In a blender, place 1 cup fresh parsley, 1 cup fresh coriander (substitute basil or baby spinach), 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt, 1 large avocado, 2 spring onions, 2 cloves garlic,
juice of 1 lime, 1 green jalapeno (optional), ¼ cup olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend
until well combined.‍

Roasted red capsicum pesto

A great dip or pizza sauce, or perfect drizzled over just about anything. Blacken 3 red capsicums
on the barbecue until soft, then place into a covered container to steam. Cool, then remove and discard skin and seeds. Blend the capsicum with 1–2 garlic cloves, ½ cup unsalted roasted cashews, 30g freshly grated parmesan, 2 tsp olive oil, ⅓ cup basil leaves, and the juice of 1 lemon. Blend well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Thai Chicken Salad

This fresh salad is packed with flavour and textures. It’s a homage to a favourite lunch spot
I had while living in Brisbane, tucked away from tourists but well known by city workers.

‍Serves 4‍

½ cup toasted cashew nuts 
¼ cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup Vietnamese mint leaves (substitute regular mint)
½ cup coriander leaves
1 green papaya, peeled and sliced into thin batons/julienne (substitute cucumber,
       halved and sliced diagonally)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
Fried shallots, to garnish

Poached chicken

2L chicken stock
400ml can coconut milk
50ml fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 lemongrass stalks, bruised (press with flat side of knife)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4cm piece galangal, finely sliced
2 chicken breasts

Dressing

1 large lime, juiced
½ lemongrass stalk (white part only, outer leaves removed),
very finely sliced
20g coconut sugar (or grated palm sugar)
1 green chilli, finely chopped 
1 clove garlic, finely grated 
30ml fish sauce

For the poached chicken, place the stock, coconut milk (reserving 2 tablespoons for the dressing), fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, garlic and galangal into a pot and bring to a low simmer. Add the chicken breasts and poach for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool.

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl along with the 2 tablespoons of reserved
coconut milk, then combine well. Set aside for at least half an hour to allow the lemongrass to soften.

In a large bowl, combine the cashew nuts, coconut flakes, herbs, papaya and onion. Remove
the chicken from the poaching liquid and slice, then add to the bowl with dressing and combine. Garnish liberally with the crispy fried shallots and serve immediately. I add edible nasturtium flowers from my garden to give it a vibrant lift.

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Lemon Passionfruit Bars

A crunchy shortbread base with a tangy topping.

Serves 12

395g can condensed milk
5 egg yolks
2 lemons, zested
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Pulp of 2 large passionfruit

Shortbread base

⅔ cup icing sugar
1½ cups plain flour
1 tbs lemon zest
150g salted butter, melted

Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.

For the shortbread base, combine all the ingredients in a bowl until the mixture resembles
fine breadcrumbs then press into lined baking tin. Bake for 10 minutes or until just golden.
Remove from the oven and set aside. 

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until the mixture starts to thicken, then tap
the bowl on the bench to release air bubbles. Pour over the shortbread base and spread evenly.

Return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Remove from
the oven and allow to cool. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set before cutting.

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Words & Recipes by Holly McVicar

Photography by ilk

For more recipes and inspiration follow @madebyhollys or see more Seasonal Kitchen stories.

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