30 g/1 oz butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato (kumera) , chopped
4 cups/1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 cup/185 g sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

75 g/2 1/2 oz raisins
1 cup/250 ml hot chicken stock
8 pork escalopes (schnitzels
3/4 cup/90 g flour
90 g/3 oz butter
1/3 cup/90 ml malt vinegar

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup/75 g caster sugar
1 1/2 cups/375 ml double cream (scalded
3 teaspoons vanilla essence
3/4 cup/8 oz strawberries
125 g/4 oz dark chocolate, melted

1 Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, carrots and sweet potato. Cook for 5 mins.
2 Stir in stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 mins. Cool slightly.
3 Then puree soup and return to a clean saucepan.
4 Stir in sour cream and cook without boiling for 5 mins stirring constantly. Stir in dill and serve immediately.

1 Soak raisins in a bowl in the hot stock for 1 hour.
2 Coat escalopes with flour. Melt half the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook escalopes for 3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and keep warm.
3 Stir vinegar into pan. Bring to the boil. Cook, scraping to lift sediment from pan base. Simmer for 3-4 mins or until mixture thickens.
4 Stir in raisin mixture and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins and remove from heat. Whisk in remaining butter a little at a time. Spoon sauce over escalopes. Serve immediately. Accompaniments: Steamed zucchini and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Both elements of this dessert can be made in advance.
1 Choc-dipped strawberries. Hold stalk, dip each fruit in melted chocolate to partially coat. Put on non-stick baking paper to set at room temperature.
2 Custard: Beat egg yolks and sugar together for 2 minutes. Beating constantly, slowly pour in hot cream. Stir in vanilla essence and transfer to clean saucepan.
3 Cook over a low heat without boiling, stirring constantly, for 5-10 mins or until custard thickens. Remove from heat, cool slightly.
4 Divide custard between serving glasses. Cool completely. Serve with choc-topped strawberries.

Assorted lettuce leaves for colour and taste
1 bunch watercress, broken into sprigs
1 1/2 cups/375 ml dry white wine
1/2 cup/125 ml water
6 spring onions, chopped
16 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
1/4 cups/60 ml walnut oil or vegetable oil
30 g/1 oz walnuts, roughly chopped

30 g/1 oz butter
500 g/1 lb eye fillet of beef RED PEPPER BUTTER
125 g/4 oz butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper/capsicum
2 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese

440 g/14 oz canned peaches, drained
440 g/14 oz canned pears, drained
1/2 cup/125 g sugar
2/3 cup/170 ml champagne or sparkling white wine
1 1/2 cups/375 ml double cream (scalded)
3 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 Line a large serving platter with lettuce leaves and watercress.
2 Place wine, water and spring onions in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add mussels. Cook for 5 mins or until shells open. Discard any mussels that do not open after 5 mins.
3 Remove mussels from cooking liquid. Arrange on lettuce bed.
4 Strain cooking liquid and reserve • 1/3 cup/90 ml. Combine reserved cooking liquid and oil and season to taste. Drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve immediately.

Make Red Pepper Butter in advance.
1 Place butter, red pepper and parmesan cheese in bowl. Beat to combine. Shape butter into a log, wrap in plastic food wrap. Chill.
2 Melt plain butter in a frying pan over a high heat. Add beef and sear until brown on all sides.
3 Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake for 35 mins at 1800C/3500F, or until cooked to your liking.
4 To serve, slice beef and top with a slice of Red Pepper Butter. Accompaniments: Mixed vegetables - squash, snow peas and/or roast potatoes.

Can be made in advance.
1 Puree peaches and pears.
2 Combine sugar and wine in a saucepan and bring to simmering; cook until sugar dissolves.
3 Stir in pureed fruit and pour into a freeze proof container.
4 Cover. Freeze for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up crystals. Freeze for 2 hours longer or until firm. Serve with hulled strawberries.

30 g/1 oz butter
2 large leeks, white part only, chopped
2 potatoes chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups/1 litre chicken stock
4 tablespoons cream (double)

125 g/4 oz pecans, finely chopped
1 cup/60 g breadcrumbs, made from stale bread
4 chicken breast fillets
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup/125 ml vegetable oil
90 g/3 oz butter

3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups/500 ml milk, scalded
4 eggs, beaten
Honey, for serving
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add leeks. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 mins.
2 Add potatoes, thyme and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 mins or until potatoes are tender.
3 Cool slightly. Then puree soup and return to a clean saucepan.
4 Cook, stirring for 4-5 mins or until hot. Season to taste.
5 To serve, ladle soup into bowls, place a tablespoon of cream in the centre of each, and swirl using a skewer.

1 Combine pecans and breadcrumbs. Spread each fillet with mustard. Dip in egg mixture. Coat with breadcrumb mixture. Chill for 1 hour.
2 Heat oil and butter together in a frying pan over a medium heat.
3 Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes each side, or until golden and cooked through. Serve immediately. Accompaniment: Green beans and sliced mushrooms, with cherry tomatoes.

1 Stir honey and vanilla essence into hot milk.
2 Mix 3 tablespoons hot milk with eggs. Whisk egg mixture into milk mixture. Whisk for 30 secs longer. Strain.
3 Divide between ramekins. Place in a baking dish with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
4 Bake for 30 mins at 1800C/3500F, or until custards are set. To serve, drizzle a little honey over each custard and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

4 tomatoes, cut into 12 thick slices.
12 slices mozzarella cheese, cut into rounds.
6 slices cucumber, halved
6 black olives, pitted and halved
12 sprigs fresh, flat-leaf parsley PESTO MAYONNAISE
1 bunch fresh basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 kg/2 lb topside steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
1/4 cup/30 g flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups/375 ml beef stock
2 teaspoons tomato paste / puree
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
375 g/12 oz puff pastry

2 red-skinned apples, cored, cut into wedges
2 green-skinned apples, cored, cut into wedges
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 kiwifruit, skinned, sliced across
2 Oranges, segmented
10 fresh or dried dates
125 g/4 oz Camembert cheese
125 g/4 oz Stilton cheese
125 g/4 oz mature Cheddar cheese
Assorted cheese/water biscuits PASSIONFRUIT YOGHURT DIP
2 cups/400 g natural yoghurt
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons passionfruit pulp

1 MAYONNAISE: Place basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor. Process to combine. Stir in mayonnaise.
2 Top each tomato slice with a teaspoon of pesto mayonnaise; then a slice of cheese, a piece of cucumber, a piece of olive and a sprig of parsley. Serve.

1 Toss steak in flour. Heat oil in a frying pan. Cook meat in batches until brown.
2 Return all meat to pan. Add garlic and onions. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, stock and tomato paste.
3 Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Cool.
4 Place filling in a pie dish. Roll out pastry to 5 cm larger than pie dish. Cut off a 1 cm strip from pastry edge.
5 Wet rim of dish. Press on pastry strip. Brush with water. Place pastry over filling. Press edges to seal.
6 Bake for 30 mins at 2000C/4000F. Serve with mixed vegetables/mashed potato.

1 DIP Combine yoghurt, honey and passionfruit pulp. Mix well. Chill until ready to serve.
2 Toss apple wedges in lemon juice to prevent browning. Arrange apple wedges, kiwifruit slices, oranges, segments, dates, Camembert, Stilton cheese and Cheddar cheese attractively with biscuits and dish of dip on a large platter. Serve. (A nice dessert wine or a port makes a perfect finishing touch.)

60 g/2 oz butter
250 g/8 oz scallops
1/4 cup/ 60 ml dry white wine
1 cup/ 250 ml cream (double)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

4 poussins (spatchcocks, or small chickens)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 rashers bacon, rind removed HERB BUTTER BASTE
2 tablespoons dried, mixed herbs
90 g/3 oz butter, melted
1/4 cup/60 ml vegetable oil

1 1/2 kg/3 lb mixed melons – rockmelon (cantaloupe), honeydew and watermelon
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
4 pieces crystallised ginger, chopped.

1 Melt butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add scallops. Cook, stirring, for 3 mins. Remove scallops. Set aside.
2 Stir wine, cream and thyme into pan. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 8 mins or until sauce reduces slightly and thickens.
3 Return scallops to pan. Stir in chives and season to taste.
4 Cook for 2-3 mins or until scallops are heated. Serve immediately.

1 Place a sprig of thyme in the cavity of each poussin. Tuck wings under birds and tie legs together.
2 Wrap a rasher of bacon around each bird. Secure with a wooden toothpick or cocktail pick. Place birds breast side up in a baking dish.
3 BASTE: Combine herbs, butter and oil. Brush over birds.
4 Bake, brushing frequently with baste for 30-35 mins – at 1800C/3500F – or until birds are cooked. Serve with Honey baked vegetables.