Silk Scrambled Eggs

3 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (30ml) cream
1-2 tbsp crème fraîche
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Yarra Valley Caviar Altlantic Salmon pearls to serve

Serves 1

1. In a small pan, combine eggs, butter, and cream DO NOT ADD SALT.

2. Set over low heat and cook, constantly whisking, until eggs begin to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and continue whisking.

3. Return to heat, whisk and remove from the heat and whisking each time the eggs begin to thicken more. Repeat these steps until the eggs form a custardy consistency, 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche; this will stop the eggs from cooking.

5. Season with sea salt black pepper.

Vanilla & Vodka-Cured Ocean Trout

½ cup rock salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 x 1kg ocean trout fillet, cut from the thick part of the whole fillet, pin boned, skin on
¼ cup vodka

Method

1. Place the salt and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine well.

2. With a knife, split the vanilla pod lengthways. Reserve the split pod and smear the seeds over the flesh side of the trout.

3. Place the trout in a shallow dish, skin-side down. Sprinkle with the vodka and leave to cool in the fridge, covered, for 1 hour.

4. Combine the split vanilla pod with the salt and sugar mix and rub over the trout, pressing the vanilla pod into the skin.

5. Cover the fish in cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

6. When ready to serve, remove the trout from the salt mixture – it will be pretty wet by this stage. Wash off the remaining salt by running under cold water, then pat dry.

To Serve

Serve the eggs immediately (hot) with room temperature slices of vodka and vanilla-cured ocean trout — garnish of salmon caviar and dill sprigs.

French Toast (Sourdough) with bush honey, lemon ricotta, spice-poached blackberries and pawpaw ribbons

Serves 2

French Toast

4 x 1cm thick slices of
fresh sourdough bread
160ml full cream milk
3 eggs, lightly whisked
¼ cup Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity Blue Gum Honey
Pinch ground cinnamon
60g unsalted butter

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, eggs, honey and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined.

2. Dip the slices of sourdough into the egg mixture to coat evenly.

3. In a frying pan, melt half the butter over medium heat, then cook two slices of egg-coated bread, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Next, add the remaining butter and cook the second batch of sourdough slices.

Ricotta Whip

250g ricotta cheese
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tbsp Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity Blue Gum Honey

Method

1. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk ingredients vigorously until combined, and the ricotta becomes light and fluffy.

Thyme-roasted Blackberries

250g punnet fresh blackberries
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity Blue Gum Honey

Preheat oven to 180C

Method

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and evenly scatter the blackberries on top.

2. Place thyme sprigs randomly on top of the berries and drizzle with honey.

3. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the berries collapse slightly.

4. Remove from oven; allow to cool slightly.

To Serve

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to make 20 paw paw ribbons (10 per plate).
Bee Fruity Blue Gum Honey (to drizzle)

Arrange your French toast pieces on two plates, top each with thyme roasted blackberries and paw paw ribbons. Spoon a generous amount of ricotta whip onto each plate. Drizzle with honey.

French Sourdough Toast with with lemon ricotta whip, thyme-roasted blackberries & rockmelon ribbons

Serves 2

French Toast

4 x 1cm thick slices of
fresh sourdough bread
160ml full cream milk
3 eggs, slightly whisked
¼ cup Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity
Blue Gum Honey
Pinch ground cinnamon
60g unsalted butter

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the milk, eggs, honey and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined.

2. Dip the slices of sourdough into the egg mixture to coat evenly.

3. In a frying pan, over a medium heat, melt half the butter then cook 2 slices of egg-coated bread, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Next add the remaining butter and cook the second batch of sourdough slices.

Ricotta Whip

250g ricotta cheese
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tbsp Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity Blue
Gum Honey

Method

1. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until well combined and ricotta becomes light and fluffy.

Thyme-roasted Blackberries

250g punnet fresh blackberries
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp Beechworth Honey’s Bee Fruity
Blue Gum Honey

Preheat oven to 180C

Method

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and evenly scatter the blackberries on top.

2. Place thyme sprigs randomly on top of the berries and drizzle with honey.

3. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the berries collapse slightly.

4. Remove from oven; allow to cool slightly.

To Serve

Use a vegetable peeler to make 20 rockmelon ribbons (10 per plate).
Bee Fruity Blue Gum Honey (to drizzle)

Arrange your French toast pieces on 2 plates, top each with thyme roasted blackberries and rockmelon ribbons. Spoon a generous amount of ricotta whip onto each plate. Drizzle with honey.

For more information visit beechworthhoney.com.au

Makes 16-20 crêpes

400ml Kefir (we preferKefir  from Blue Bay dairy)
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
⅔ tsp salt
300g plain flour (or gluten free)
⅔ tsp baking soda
200ml hot water, just off the boil
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Raw organic coconut oil for frying
50-100g melted butter

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl add kefir, eggs, sugar and salt. With an electric mixer beat until well combined.

2. In a heatproof jug, add the hot water and baking soda together and mix well.

3. Immediately add water-baking soda mixture to the mixing bowl.

4. With the electric mixer set to a high speed, slowly add the flour a little at a time, mixing until a crêpe batter forms. The batter should be a thick, but pourable consistency. You can adjust the constancy of the batter using flour or warm water as required.

5. Set batter aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Small bubbles should appear at the top of the mixture.

6. Add sunflower oil to the batter and mix well with the electric beater for a further 2-3 minutes prior to pan frying crêpes. Note: Batter can be refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 day; whisk before using.

7. Heat a 30cm nonstick crêpe pan or skillet over medium to high heat. Lightly coat with coconut oil and melt. Add one third of a cup, medium-sized ladleful of batter to the pan and swirl to completely cover bottom of pan. Cook until underside of crêpe is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Loosen edge of crêpe with a rubber spatula, then quickly flip. Cook for an additional minute. Slide crêpe out of pan and paint with melted butter and repeat with remaining batter. (Coat pan with additional coconut oil and melt as needed.)

Pickled Onion

1 white onion, finely sliced into rings
50ml water
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl add water, lemon juice, sugar and salt; mix together well.

2. Add onion rings to the bowl and continue to stir making sure the onion is wet and covered.

3. Leave in a cool place to pickle for one hour.

4. Drain onion from pickling juice, reserving a little – approximately 20-30ml.

5. In a glass jar add the pickled onion rings, extra virgin olive oil and the reserved pickling juice.

6. Mix together well and refrigerate with lid on prior to serving.

To Serve

Hot smoked whole salmon fillet, broken into small chunks
Pickled onion
Dill sprigs
Finely chopped parsley
Blue Bay European-style light sour cream
Cracked black pepper and salt if desired.

For each crêpe, add a generous amount of smoked salmon chunks topped with pickled onion pieces, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of herbs. Roll crêpe tightly and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and dill sprigs. Season to taste.

‘A great way to introduce more grain into your diet is through porridges. Porridges are to Scandinavians what fry-ups are to Englishmen. There are an endless number of toppings and flavour combinations that can be used to vary your porridge. This Bounty-inspired combination works well with any grain, though I particularly like it with millet.’ – Simon Bajada

Millet Porridge, Cardamom, Cacao & Coconut

Serves 4

Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes

250g (2 cups) millet flakes, rinsed three times
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
2 tsp cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
2–4 tbsp brown sugar or honey
500ml (2 cups) coconut milk or oat milk
60g (1 cup) toasted coconut flakes
80g (⅔ cup) chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 tbsp cacao nibs

Method

1. Put the millet flakes, cardamom, vanilla extract, cacao powder, coconut oil and sugar (or honey) in a saucepan together with 1 litre (4 cups) of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

2. Divide the porridge between bowls, pour over the milk and top with the coconut flakes, hazelnuts and cacao nibs.

Nordic Light

This feature article is an edited extract from Nordic Light by Simon Bajada published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $49.99 – available in stores nationally. Photographs ©Simon Bajada

Melon Caprese with Green Tomato, Baby Bocconcini, Basil and Mint

Serves 2

1 large garden-fresh green tomato, finely sliced into circular segments
½ honeydew melon (chilled), seeds removed
4-5 pieces of baby bocconcini (chilled), drained
Handful of mint leaves, finely sliced or freshly-picked baby leaves if you have them in your garden
Handful basil leaves or freshly-picked baby leaves if you have them in your garden
black pepper and extra virgin olive oil to serve

Dressing

1 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp single origin bush-style honey
salt and pepper to season

Method

1. In a small bowl whisk together sherry vinegar, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice and honey. Mix until well combined then season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. In the base of a large shallow serving bowl, arrange 6-8 tomato slices and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing, reserving the remainder.

3. Cut honeydew melon into 4 wedges; remove rinds. Shave melon wedges into thin ribbons using a mandoline or large vegetable peeler blade.

4. Arrange shaved melon ribbons on top of the tomato to make a swirling pattern. Add hand torn pieces of baby bocconcini in between the melon ribbons. Drizzle the melon and bocconcini with the reserved dressing mixture.

5. Garnish the salad with sliced mint leaves and carefully arrange basil leaves around the bowl. Drizzle cheese with a little olive oil and finish with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Kefir Coconut Lime Chia Seed Pudding
with Pineapple Jam, Black Sesame Tuiles and Fresh Shaved Coconut

Chia Seed Pudding

Serves 4

200ml coconut cream
200ml Blue Bay Kefir
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped
Zest of one lime
1 kaffir lime leaf
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup black chia seeds
Shaved coconut and shaved
palm sugar to serve

Method

1. In a heavy-based medium saucepan add coconut cream, vanilla pod and seeds, lime zest, kaffir lime leaf and honey.

2. Simmer over a low heat, for 4-5 minutes to infuse flavours without reducing the liquid. Remove from heat allow to cool completely.

3. With a wooden spoon stir in the kefir.

4. Place chia seeds in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the infused coconut-kefir liquid over the seeds, stir well.

5. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the pudding to thicken and set.

Pineapple Jam

Makes approximately 600g

400g diced fresh pineapple flesh
2 cups caster sugar
2 cups water
3 star anise
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

Method

1. In a medium saucepan add sugar, water, star anise, vanilla pod and scraped seeds.

2. On a high heat, bring to the boil, and cook for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar and reduce liquid by half.

3. Add the diced pineapple and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat, remove half the pineapple flesh from the pan and purée that in a food processor.

5. Return the purée to the saucepan and warm to a low heat.

6. Continue to simmer the jam for a further 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

7. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate before serving.

Black Sesame Tuiles

Makes approximately 20 tuiles

100g plain flour
100g Icing sugar
3 egg whites
100g unsalted butter, melted
4 tbsp black sesame seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 170C

1. Sift flour and sugar together into a medium mixing bowl.

2. Lightly whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl and then stir into the flour and sugar.

3. Stir in the melted butter and mix until a smooth paste is formed.

4. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

6. Using a teaspoon, place a small ball of the tuile mixture on the greaseproof paper, and using the back of the spoon smear into a 5cm diameter circle – making the paste as thin as possible.

7. Make a few tuiles in batches, perhaps 5 per baking tray and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

8. Bake for 6-10 minutes until slightly golden.

9. Remove from the oven and using a spatula shape the tuiles by draping them over a rolling pin; they will crisp up as they cool.

To Serve

Spoon the kefir coconut lime chia seed pudding into glasses and top with pineapple jam. Garnish with shaved coconut and shaved palm sugar. Serve each pudding with a few black sesame tuiles.

Blue Bay Kefir, from Mornington, Victoria (in our opinion) is Australia’s best, as it’s made from premium organic milk, has no added thickeners or preservatives and best of all it tastes divine!

Banoffee Buttermilk Pancakes

Serves 2, in large stacks

1½ cups self raising flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
⅔ cup caster sugar
¼ tsp nutmeg
1½ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 whole eggs
Unsalted butter, for greasing

Method

1. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.

2. Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and lightly grease with butter. Cook quarter cupfuls of the mixture, or one measure of a large kitchen spoon, in batches, for 3-4 minutes, cooking each side until golden brown.

3. Set aside in a warm place, ready for serving.

Bubble Wrap Mould, Dark Chocolate Garnish

200g 70% cacao dark chocolate
1 tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
Cocoa powder for dusting
Clean sheet of small diameter bubble wrap plastic

Method

1. Melt the chocolate slowly over a bain marie.

2. Gently fold in the cinnamon and nutmeg until well incorporated.

3. Using a baker’s spatula, evenly spread the melted chocolate over the bubble wrap.

4. Allow to cool slightly, then place on a metal tray and then place in a refrigerator to set.

5. Once set the bubble wrap can be peeled away from the chocolate garnish. The chocolate can be cracked into smaller pieces ready for serving. Dust the pieces lightly with cocoa powder before assembling the
pancakes.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 300ml

75g unsalted butter, diced
50g soft brown sugar
50g caster sugar
50g golden syrup
1 vanilla pod scraped
125ml thickened cream
½ tsp Murray River Salt

Method

1. In a small heavy-base saucepan over low heat add butter, sugars, golden syrup, scraped vanilla pod and seeds; simmer for 3 minutes. Swirl occasionally.

2. Slowly pour and stir in cream, continue to stir until it begins to simmer. Reduce for 2-3 minutes to thicken.

3. Season with Murray River salt.

Note: The caramel sauce will continue to thicken once cooled.

Vanilla Cream

300ml thickened cream
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

Method

Whip cream and vanilla seeds together until soft peaks form.

To Serve

2 medium-sized bananas,
peeled and sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter, allow to melt and warm until foaming.

2. Add the bananas and gently cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.

3. Remove cooked bananas from the pan and set aside.

4. Assemble your pancake stack by layering each pancake with cooked bananas and dollops of vanilla cream.

5. Top the pancakes with a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce and garnish with bubble wrap dark chocolate pieces.

Cheesemaker Andre Kogut is a patient man. He spends a lot of time waiting. He waits hours for his milk to turn to curds. He waits weeks as the curds set in their hoops. He then waits years for his cheddar to slowly mature. ‘Good things can’t be rushed,’ says Andre with a warm smile. Born in The Ukraine countryside he learned to ferment milk into kefir (traditionally fermented, non-homogenised probiotic yoghurt product) and soft cheeses at his grandmother’s side. Fifteen years ago he started producing dairy products under the Blue Bay label making products familiar to him such as kefir. ‘Fermented products are now so popular but our family have been making them since before we can remember,’ he says. ‘We’ve always known the health benefits of live probiotic cultures. Not that my grandmother would use those words,’ he says with a laugh.

Andre is also a perfectionist in the best sense. He sources his milk from a single herd of dairy cows grazing in the green rolling hills of Gippsland. The farmer uses organic practices such as eschewing chemical fertilisers and pesticides, instead employing natural weed and insect control and spreading compost and manure, alternatives to super phosphate and ammonia nitrate on the pasture. The farmers are also well known for their humane animal husbandry such as not separating the calves from their mothers and not sending poddy calves to the abattoir. Andre appreciates the quality of the milk and pays the farmers properly.

When the milk arrives at his small factory, hidden in the back blocks of the small industrial park in the seaside town of Mornington on the Mornington Peninsula, he is there waiting. Like all cheesemakers he takes a sample of the milk testing it for fat, protein and other technical parameters. Andre also does something different. He takes a glass of the milk and smells and tastes it like a sommelier would wine. ‘Every season, every day the milk can be different,’ says Andre. ‘Some milk is better for cheese than for kefir.’

Andre agreed to take the excess seasonal milk from the farm. With this he makes great semi hard cooked-curd gouda style cheese and a rich creamy cheddar. The gouda has all the hallmarks of Dutch gouda with its firm pliable texture and lovely nutty caramel flavours. Aged for 6 months this is a cheese perfect for melting or adorning a cheese platter. Andre also makes a cheddar that is rich and creamy. Using vegetarian rennet and traditional Cheddar cultures he sets the milk and cuts the curds. The curds are milled and salted then hooped into a 6kg wheel. They are partially drained and then left to set for several weeks with constant turning before being sent to the cellar, where maturing for 2-3 years, they develop those rich floral and ‘cheesy’ aromas one expects in a cheddar. The texture is smooth and velvety, a more refined version of the Mersey Valley Cheddar style of cheese.

Andre was selling extensively to the big supermarkets but they were not playing fair. Instead he chooses to work with good food stores and selling direct to the public through his factory in Mornington and via farmers markets in and around Melbourne. ‘I love the contact with the general public,’ says Andre. ‘They give me so much feedback. They tell me what they like and don’t like about a product and we can make changes to adapt to what they want. It’s the same relationship with the farmer. I have constant contact with my primary producer and our end customers. It is complex. But it is so rewarding’

Breakfast Quark Recipe:

Serves 2-4

500g Blue Bay Quark
Blue Bay European-style Light Sour Cream, 2 tablespoons per plate
fresh blueberries, 5-8 per plate
Chunky loganberry and blueberry sauce (see recipe below) to garnish
Beechworth single origin honey, to drizzle

To Serve

Mix 125g of Blue Bay Quark with Blue Bay European-style Light Sour Cream and spoon onto a serving plate. Top with blueberries, Chunky loganberry and blueberry sauce and a drizzle of honey.

Chunky Loganberry and Blueberry Sauce

500g fresh or frozen mixed berries; we used last season’s frozen loganberries and blueberries
Juice of half a lemon
4 tsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
10 2cm x 2mm strips of lemon zest
1 tbsp Chambord liqueur

Method

1. Place berries in a small saucepan on low heat to thaw and cook down for approximately 5 minutes.

2. Add the lemon juice, sugar, Chambord, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest. Reduce heat and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes to infuse flavours.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.

Blue Bay Dairy
6 Latham St, Mornington, Victoria
bluebaycheese.com.au
kefirrecipes.com.au

Syrniki (seer-nee-kee) Russian Sweet Cheese Fritters

Makes 12-14 medium size pieces

250g Blue Bay Quark Cheese, or drained cottage cheese
2 eggs
pinch of salt
50g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp baking powder
100g plain flour, plus extra flour for dusting and rolling
100g unsalted butter for frying
fresh seasonal berries or other fruit jams and Blue Bay Kefir to serveicing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Place the cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla bean paste into a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or spoon mix until well combined (no longer than 2-3 minutes). The mixture will be very sticky, however, don’t worry it is meant to be this way.

2. Using a soup spoon, scoop syrniki batter directly onto a clean and floured work surface. Then roll to coat with flour and flatten with your palm to form a patty. Repeat process with the remaining batter to make approximately 12-14 small patties.

3. Heat a nonstick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. A one third of the butter (per cooking batch) allowing it to melt in the pan. Before frying, make sure the butter is hot by sprinkling a little bit of flour into it; if it sizzles, it’s hot enough.

4. Cook the syrniki pieces in batches 4-5 patties, for 1–2 minutes or until golden, then turn over and cook for a further 1–2 minutes or until golden and slightly puffed. The flour coating will make the outside slightly crispy while the mostly cheese filling will taste light and delicious.

To Serve

Dust the syrniki pieces with icing sugar and serve with seasonal berries or your favourite jam with a generous spoonful of Blue Bay Kefir.

Kefir is fermented milk and an amazing source of probiotics. For more great recipe ideas visit kefirrecipes.com.au
For stockists visit: bluebaycheese.com.au