All Posts By

James

Jerusalem Artichokes

Posted on May 20, 2014

A wonderful addition to the Late Autumn harvest. Jerusalem Artichokes.

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Native to eastern north America. From the sunflower family also called sunchoke and sunroot.

Jerusalem Artichokes

  • Prepare and cook as for potatoes
  • wash and scrub or wash and peel
  • slice thin and make into a gratin
  • slice into small wedges and roast with sea salt for earthy chips
  • make into cream soup and finish with truffle oil
  • rough chop, pan roast till coloured the add to a frittata
  • and many many more ways

Jerusalem artichoke soup with truffle oil

  • 1kg scrubbed Jerusalem artichokes
  • 100gm dice onion
  • 100gm dice carrots
  • 2 cloves Garlic crushed
  • Cooking oil
  • 1.5 litre chicken stock
  • Small bunch fresh thyme
  • Parsley stalks
  • 200ml cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • Few drops of lemon juice
  • Truffle oil to finish

Sweat off onions, carrots and garlic in a little oil. Add chicken stock, artichokes, thyme and parsley stalks. Bring to the boil and simmer till artichokes are soft. Remove thyme and parsley stalks and purée till smooth. Return to sauce pan and bring to the boil. Add cream and lemon juice. Taste and season. Serve and garnish with a few drops of truffle oil.

 

Ratouille

Posted on April 22, 2014

Ratatouille

100gm diced onion

300gm diced mixed colour peppers

2 cloves crushed garlic

200gm sliced courgettes

200gm sliced eggplant

200gm chopped tomatoes

80ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

Sweat off onions and garlic. Fry all other ingredients in hot pan to colour.Add all ingredients to casserole dish with a lid. Cook slowly in oven, approx 160 for about 1 hour. Season and serve.

Eggplant

cooking classes

Posted on February 4, 2014

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Cooking Classes

 

Taste the summer garden

 

·      Roast beetroot with raisins and red onions

·      Summer vegetable salad

·      Tomato, avocado and feta

·      Brined smoked chicken

·      Carob carrot and date slice

 

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 Hands on class participation. 3 to 4 hours

All food created is eaten

Recipe sheets supplied

$70 per person

Sunday 23rdFebruary 3 pm

Saturday 1st march 3pm

Contact James to secure your place

 Autumn harvest

 The crop is nearly in. What are we going to create?

·      Simple garden chutney

·      Roast ratatouille

·      Pumpkin with cumin coriander and yoghurt

·      Bread with dips

·      Peach crumble

 

 

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Hands on class participation. 3 to 4 hours

All food created is eaten

Recipe sheets supplied

$70 per person

Sunday 16th March 3pm

Saturday 22nd March 3pm

Contact James to secure your place

 

 

 

Sensational seafood

Simple beautiful ideas with seafood

·      Smoked fish with beans and mustard lemon dressing

·      Marinated fish

·      Cured salmon

·      Prawns with yoghurt and mint

·      Vanilla pannacotta with espresso syrup

 

 

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Hands on class participation. 3 to 4 hours

All food created is eaten

Recipe sheets supplied

$75 per person

Sunday 13th April 3pm

Saturday 19th April 3pm

Contact James to secure your place

 

 

 

Classes are at a purpose built teaching kitchen at my home in Welcome Bay

Classes can also be at a venue of your choice

 

The office

Posted on December 31, 2011

The modern cafe has so many more angles than just great coffee and food. Its a place to meet socially, its a place to meet formally and do business. Its a place to check emails and sort the days digital correspondence. Its a place to catch up on the news, globally, locally and the table next door.Its a place to have work discussions. Its a place to celebrate birthdays.

Smart cafes offer accounts, provide table service to there regulars and go the extra distance and create an environment for people to do business, a lot of which is normally done in an office.

My office is the best around, actually best around for hundreds and hundreds of miles. Grindz Cafe, First Ave Tauranga. Owner operators  are a hubby and wife team , Steve and Lesley.

Steve is the front man. The man who never stops smiling and welcoming guests. The man who says yes to soya flat white decaf lattes, says yes to Big Grinds Breckies. The man who says yes to triple short blacks. The man who is in first five position calling the shots and controlling the flow of the team.The man who takes your tin and sends your order down the very efficient line. The man who sets the flavor of the cafe. The man who plays good tunes.

Lesley is in the kitchen, the small but very powerful engine room. The one who pumps out hundreds of breckies. The one who starts before the birds in the morning and fills the cake stands and cookie jars with lots of quality yummy sweetness. The one who fills up the cold cabinet with salads, pies and all wonder of savory creations. The one who pumps out an impressive array of sweet and savory muffins.The one who commands her small but  very efficient team to create and serve the great cafe food we regulars know about.

Quality and consistency are the keys factors in running a good cafe. Grindz ticks those both off with 100% pass. If Grindz was a band they would be rock stars. If Grindz was a sport team they would be the winning all blacks. If cafes could receive Knighthoods it would be Sir and Lady Grindz!!