Three-Cheese Pumpkin Pie

Serves 4-6

1 Tbspn olive oil
25g unsalted butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ butternut pumpkin (450g) peeled, cut into 1.5cm cubes
1 Tbspn brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 2 lightly beaten egg to brush
100ml pure (thin) cream
120g gruyere, grated
2 Tbsn grated parmesan
Fried sage leaves to serve

Pastry
2 cups (300g) plain flour
30 g cheddar grated
150g chilled unsalted butter, chopped

Pastry: place flour, cheddar and butter in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add 1/3 cup (80ml) chilled water and process until mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil and butter in a large frypan over low heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the pumpkin and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ cup (125ml) water and bring to a simmer. Cover, return to low heat and cook for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is soft. Stir in the sugar and balsamic vinegar, then allow to cool. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured board to a 30cm disc and place on prepared tray. Place the cooled pumpkin mixture in a large bowl. Add the eggs and cream, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in half the gruyere, then sprinkle the remaining gruyere over the pastry, leaving a 2cm border. Fill the centre of the pastry with the pumpkin mixture, then fold over the 2cm border and roughly pleat. Brush the pastry edge with the beaten egg and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Serve the pie warm, garnished with fried sage leaves.

Recipe by Genni Wilson

Balthazar…review by Matt Milner

6 The Esplanade
Perth 6000 WA
Phone: (08) 9421 1206
European and Modern Australian
Signature dish: Aged beef fillet


A favourite with the corporate-set and undoubtedly one of the most talked about fine-dining spots in Perth, I ventured to Balthazar with lofty expectations. I was not disappointed! It turned out to be one of the most memorable dining experiences I have had in a long time.

The restaurant is located at the bottom floor of the Lawson Apartments in the heart of the city. The building is a lovely example of art-deco, and this theme is continued inside the restaurant. Upon entering, you can decide to have a pre-dinner drink at the wine bar, however we skipped this and went straight to our table (very comfortable seating)

The menu is well-rounded and follows a distinctively European/Modern Australian theme.

For entrees, the 5 of us shared a tasting plate, which was memorable. It included prawns, pork sausage, and a tomato and eggplant tart -all of which were immaculately presented and tasted phenomenal.
Then came the biggest challenge of the evening: what wine to select. Balthazar has forged its reputation on it’s incredible wine list. It is extensive to say the least - and is regarded as one of the finest in Perth. After flicking through the list (it is about 50 pages long), we settled on a Sem Sav Blanc from WA, and a Pinot Noir from SA. (A word of warning: whilst the wine list is amazing, so are the prices. The cheapest bottles start at about $50 and go up to the $1000’s).

Choosing a main course was almost as challenging as the wine selection, however I settled on a simple grilled fillet of Barramundi with a balsamic sauce infused with tomato and bacon, and creamy mashed-potato. It was extremely tasty and satisfying. The fish was fresh, delicate, perfectly cooked, and flavoursome, and the sauce was perfectly balanced. The mash was delicious, had a great texture, and wasn’t too stodgy.

After a few more more glasses of wine and numerous gin&tonics, everyone felt dessert was an essential way to end the meal. I ordered the chocolate pudding infused with cherries - it was a good choice. It was rich, warm, and decadent. I almost ordered seconds, but thought about the dire consequences it would have for my already expanding waist-line (and my ever-shrinking wallet).

My dinner buddies shared my opinion on the standard of the food. A couple of them had the pork-belly, which they told me was flavoursome, generous, and overall an excellent dish.

The service is also of a high-standard. The staff are attentive and keen to share their extensive knowledge of the menu and wine-list, yet they are still unobtrusive and discrete.

After a few more (quite a few more) gin&tonics, we got the bill, which was not as scary as I had envisaged. If you take away the exorbitant cost of the wine, the food is very reasonably priced for a restaurant of this quality and calibre.

It felt strange leaving a restaurant without being able to criticise it in some way, shape, or form. But we all left feeling very satisfied and reveled in the fact that we had found a restaurant that had all the ingredients: atmosphere, location, great service, great wine, and outstanding food.

Entree: $15-$27
Mains: $23-$36
Dessert: $14

Susy's Sensational Salad

Rocket
Asparagus
Avocado
Macadamia nuts

Dressing
Macadamia nut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Wholegrain mustard
Sugar

Put rocket in salad bowl first, cook asparagus until crunchy, cool and place on top of rocket, slice avocado on top of asparagus and then scatter with macadamia nuts.

Dress with vinaigrette made with macadamia nut oil, balsamic vinegar, little bit grainy mustard, little bit sugar - all to taste.

Susy's Sensational Salad

Rocket
Asparagus
Avocado
Macadamia nuts

Dressing
Macadamia nut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Wholegrain mustard
Sugar

Put rocket in salad bowl first, cook asparagus until crunchy, cool and place on top of rocket, slice avocado on top of asparagus and then scatter with macadamia nuts.

Dress with vinaigrette made with macadamia nut oil, balsamic vinegar, little bit grainy mustard, little bit sugar - all to taste.

Sweet Potato Thai Green Curry Pastry Puffs…recipe by Jill Anderson

1 small red onion
Olive oil
1-2 tablespoons Thai Green Curry paste
1 large diced sweet potato
Coconut milk or coconut cream
6 sheets Puff pastry - each sheet cut into 9 squares

Egg wash - 1 egg, 1 tablespoon water

Yoghurt Mint Dip
Plain Greek Yoghurt
1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
black pepper
a large bunch of fresh mint leaves finely chopped

Dice a small red onion and fry in a small amount of olive oil.
Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of Thai green Curry Paste (start with 1 tablespoon and add more depending on how hot you like it)

Add a large diced sweet potato. Coat and fry gently for a few minutes to absorb flavours.

Add enough coconut milk or coconut cream to cook the potatoes until soft, then mash gently with a fork.

Add about 1 teaspoon of cooled mixture to the centre of each pastry square.
Fold into triangles, fork the edges and coat in egg wash.

Bake in fan forced oven 180 C, or normal oven 200 C until golden brown.

Serve warm with Yoghurt Mint Dip.
Plain Greek Yoghurt, 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon, black pepper and a large bunch of fresh mint leaves finely chopped.

Could also be good with a Chilli sauce, fresh lime juice and chopped fresh coriander dip!

Enjoy - and we’ll come to help you eat them!

Aubergine Gourmet Foods on South Terrace…review by Jessica Anderson

231 South Tce
South Fremantle 6162 WA
Phone: (08) 9335 2115
Chef: Paul Watters

I awoke nice and early on sunday (after a massive night out) to head out for breakfast and found myself in Fremantle at 12pm. I was starving and looking to assuage my hangover. I’m not 100% sure if it was the fact that I was willing to eat anything or that the food was fabulous but Aubergine’s in South Tce hit the spot for me that morning (ah, midday). I was lucky to jag an outdoor table and placed an order for their breakfast sandwich while my boyfriend had the eggs florentine. I love a place that does all day breakfast and despise those that stop the morning ritual at 11am.

The breakfast sandwich was huge and gave me the option to eat with my hands “sandwich style” or with a knife and fork. I chose to eat with my hands and went for it. A large square of turkish bread that was not too doughy (and therefore the perfect vessel) carried bacon, egg, spinach, cheese, roasted tomatoes and some delightfully tasty relish with onions. I think I ate the whole thing in under 10 minutes, maybe less. My boyfriend’s eggs florentine looked good but unfortunately he wasn’t willing to share that morning, even though I gave him some of my bacon. I can however tell you, that his physical improvement between arriving and leaving was such that the food must have been the perfect hangover cure as well as a damn fine meal.

I was really impressed with the coffee and the service. The two waitresses that served me were both genuinely pleasing and warm. The one with the short hair really went out of her way to make sure some other customers could fit their party on an outside table. The coffee came out quickly, hot and was not bitter to taste. My boyfriend’s flat white was not too frothy either, which is how a FLAT white should be. We also got a juice, and out of the array of ingredients to choose from, the combo of apple, pineapple, orange and ginger really hit the spot. The juice was cool and not overly packed with ice.

I really enjoyed the experience at Aubergines, however I do recommend sitting outside as it can get very noisy inside and has terrible acoustics. I did have an average meal there when I ordered fruit toast about a month ago but this new experience has put it back in my good books. It also has the great Freo vibe without the hoons driving their cars past you and it is free and easier to find a parking spot. I am really looking forward to seeing this part of Fremantle grow as the Seaview Pub and other little cafes start to open up and improve.
I give it a 7 out of 10!!

Mon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat-Sun 7am-5pm
Mains: $3.50-$16.50
Dessert: $3.50-$4.50
Payment accepted: Cash Only

Beef Vindaloo…recipe by Eve Clarkson

½ kg meat – pork, beef or chicken
Turmeric
Vinegar
Salt
Curry Leaves
2 small red onions, sliced
2 tomatoes (roma), chopped
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
Small handful of curry leaves

Masala
1 Tbsp garlic
1 Tbsp ginger
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp black mustard seeds, heaped
½ tsp pepper (white is preferable to black)
5 cloves
1½ tsp cinnamon sticks
10 dried red chillies (15 is usual)
1 Tbsp white sultanas, heaped

1. Marinate meat in turmeric, vinegar, salt and curry leaves for 1 hr
2. Grind masala ingredients together
3. Heat sunflower oil in pot
4. Add onions, fry until light brown
5. Add masala, lower the heat and cook for 3 mins
6. Add the curry leaves
7. Cook until the water evaporates and the masala is dried out
8. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the water evaporates
9. Add the meat and cook until tender

Grublover comment
Eve says: Please put this recipe up on Grublove. I have just made it and it is fantastic. I did it with Pork but I think it is better than beef.

Lamb Shank Stifado…recipe by Jessica Anderson

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 can whole tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
3 large cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 lamb shanks
1 pound sml onions
2 pounds sml red potatoes
1 Tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 175 C. Melt sugar in pot over moderate heat, don’t stir. When melted, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar becomes a deep caramel (5 minutes).
Carefully add the vinegar (it will bubble, so don’t burn yourself) and stir until caramel is dissolved.

Add tomatoes, wine, rosemary, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, pepper and bring to the boil.

Add shanks, cover, take to the over.

Braise, turning shanks occassionally, until tender (~2 hours, but i sometimes leave them in for ages as the flavour just develops).

Meanwhile, cook onions in saucepan of water. Cool then peel. Quarter the potatoes, steam in water. Heat oil in skillet over moderate heat, add garlic and cook until golden. Add potatoes with salt and pepper, increase heat and stir til golden. Then add the potatoes and onions to the shanks.

Extra notes: When you take the shanks out of the oven, skim the fat off the top (this is easier if left to cool as will harden). If you make it a day ahead it will be really tasty but you would do the onions and potatoes on the day. I sometimes add 2-3 cans of tomatoes as Aussie shanks are bigger and the sauce mix doesn’t cover them fully. This recipe doubles nicely.

Sea Garden, Prevelly...review by Jessica Anderson

103 Mitchell Dr
Prevelly 6285 WA
Phone: (08) 9757 3074





It was with a mild sense of delight when I discovered that the surf was crap and the sea was windy as I therefore knew I could indulge in my boyfriend’s company all morning. We headed to Sea Garden in Prevelly for some late coffees and were so seduced by the menu that we decided to place a bigger order.

We decided to share the poached eggs with spinach and feta to accompany our flat whites and cappucinos. I am a serious lover of eating breakfast at cafes, I love the newspaper getting in the way and the fact that I don’t have to do small talk. The Sea Garden has the perfect ambiance for my favourite indulgence. We sat outside, under the peppermint trees with the sun on our backs and a view to the roaring ocean. The food came out in 10 minutes after we ordered.

Firstly, the coffee was strong and smooth. I am regarded as a coffee snob amongst most of my friends and this cafe did not disappoint me.

But to the food …. it was the most delicious breakfast i have eaten in a long time. the eggs were poached perfectly with the whites firm and the orange middle (I kid you not, the centres were bright orange) a perfect runny mess. the feta was a great salty substitute for the usual bacon, and the small amount of grated fresh beetroot took the texture of the meal to a new dimension. the chef had also roasted a small half tomato, wilted the spinach under the warm eggs, lightly buttered the ciabatta toast and wasn’t overly generous on the hollandaise, so the meal was balanced perfectly. The only criticism is that the hollandaise sauce didn’t appear to be “real”, possibly out of a jar.

My boyfriend, who frequents most of Margaret River’s eateries, regards this cafe as a bit “hit and miss” but this Saturday morning it hit it and it hit it hard! I was so impressed that I am excited about my next meal there and cant wait to try something else on the menu. I’d easily give the whole experience a 7 out of 10! (the waitress was pretty cute too).

Open daily 8am - 9pm
Entree: $7-$19
Mains: $18.50-$29
Dessert: $8.50-$14
Licensed. Wine is not available by the glass. BYO (wine only) $5 corkage per person.

Jill’s Caramelised Onion and Goats Cheese Tart

Shortcrust pastry (you can make this yourself of use the frozen stuff)
5-6 brown onions
2 Tb balsamic vinegar
thyme
1 packet goats cheese
3 eggs
small packet whipping cream

Press shortcrust pastry into tart tin and blind bake.
Fry onions in 1 Tb olive oil until they start sticking. Add balsamic vinegar and thyme and cook a little more.
Pour onions over tart base.
Crumble goats cheese over the top (ok to have big clumps).
Whisk up eggs and cream until combined and pour over the top.
Season and bake until ready (around 10-15 minutes).

Grublover comment
Jill made this for us while celebrating Jessie’s graduation in gtown. It is a really simple recipe that always works and always tastes delicious. Serve with a fresh, crisp salad of rocket and balsamic. Great for entertaining because it is equally nice cold.