Tropic Isle Lamb

This useful diagram comes from an edition of the “New Australian Cookery Illustrated”. My copy is missing the first couple of pages so I can’t say who wrote it or in what year, but it was well thumbed by my mother probably in the 50s and 60s.

One of our local butchers especially prepared the lamb for this recipe. I had never eaten corned lamb before, only corned beef which is one of our family favourites. The meal was just as enjoyable, Anne.

Tropic Isle Lamb

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, corned leg of lamb, 2 tblspns chopped raisins, ¼ cup vinegar, cloves, peppercorns, pinch cinnamon.

Simmer lamb in usual way until fork tender. Drain and transfer to casserole. Drain syrup from pineapple into saucepan, cur one slice pineapple and add to syrup together with raisins, vinegar, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes and then spoon over lamb. Arrange pineapple slices on leg and bake in moderate oven (180° C) about 30 minutes, basting occasionally with syrup from bottom of dish. Serve with boiled new potatoes, buttered peas and baby carrots.

“Menu planning . . . an art at which you can shine” Ruby.

I have been a real Pineapple Princess this afternoon, have made the Saucy Seafood Casseroles and the Two Crust Pineapple Pie. 
The casserole was fine, a bit heavy on the protein (fish, cheese and egg) but quite nice, I teamed it with some carrot and peas.  I used poached salmon rather than the suggested prawns or crab.
The pie looks great, I used Pampas shortcrust pastry, Ann.

 Saucy Seafood Casseroles

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 1 ½ cups cooked flaked fish (crab-meat, prawns or scallops), 2 ½ cups seasoned white sauce, 2 egg yolks, salt and pepper, 1 tblspn lemon juice or dry sherry, 3 hard-boiled eggs.

Drain pineapple pieces. Chop a few pieces and add to the combined fish, white sauce, seasonings, egg yolks and sherry. Spoon into buttered casseroles. Top with remaining pineapple pieces mixed with 2 cups crushed cereal flakes and 1 cup grated cheese. Heat in moderate oven. Serve garnished with slices of hard-boiled eggs and parsley.

Seafood casserole before the oven

Out of the oven and garnished

Two-crust Pineapple Pie

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 2 tblspns cornflour, ¼ cup cold water, enough short pastry to line and cover 18cm plate.

Line pie plate with short pastry rolled thinly. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top. Blend cornflour in water. Place pineapple in saucepan; bring to boil, then thicken with cornflour mixture. Spoon into pastry lined plate, cover with top crust and bake in hot oven (230° F) about 25 minutes. Serve with cream or custard sauce.

Ruby loved a celebration

I don’t know why, but the family wouldn’t let me recreate Ruby’s beautiful Pineapple Glazed (canned) Ham this Christmas! But, Golden Circle Pineapple still managed to adorn our feast! And you can't go wrong with a couple of cocktail onions thrown into the mix! Anne.

And this crystallised pineapple was yum too!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Fill a parfait glass with a random mixture of Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, vanilla milk jelly and chunks of bright red jelly. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Decorate with a Christmas tree (cut with pastry cutter from shallow-set lime jelly) and a sprig of holly.

Merry Christmas from Ruby

And Merry Christmas from Ann and Anne

A pop up pineapple

My daughter, Ella, photographed this great drawing of a pineapple in an exhibition space at the Lonsdale Street Traders which she described as a pop up shop complex in Braddon, Canberra. There was no artist’s signature to identify them unfortunately, Anne. 

PS I have since found out this was one of two pencil drawings by Robbie Karmel and was part of an exhibition of multimedia artworks. A zine, "Zineapples", of the show was also produced  by Oscar Capezio and Naomi Xeros.

Who is Pineapple Poll ?

Described as a “light hearted frolic” Pineapple Poll is a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comic ballet, created in 1959 by choreographer John Cranko with arranger Sir Charles Mackerras, based on "The Bumboat Woman's Story", one of W. S. Gilbert's Bab Ballads, written in 1870. It’s all a touch baffling – “The Bumboat Women’s Story” ?????

The heroine is a girl called Pineapple Poll who sells flowers and the hero is Captain Belaye of the H.M.S. Hot Cross Bun.

Certainly the most entertaining of the youtubes of “Pineapple Poll” is this one of Robert Parker’s performance as Captain Belaye in his first solo during the Birmingham Royal Ballet's stage rehearsals.

 

Go on watch it – it will make you smile. Sadly Pineapple Poll only does a fleeting twirl across the stage towards the end in this particular clip, Anne.

Pacific Sea-Scallop Casserole

I used skinless salmon fillets instead of scallops and it turned out well.  A squeeze or two of lemon juice was a welcome addition to the pineapple.  If I make it again I would serve it in individual gratin dishes (or shells) as a hot entrée.  Very good retro dinner party food, Ann.

Pacific Sea-Scallop Casserole

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 3 cups freshly cooked rice, salt and pepper, 450g sea scallops, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs, 2 tblspns butter, 2 tblspns plain flour, 2 tspns curry powder, tspn salt, ¼ tspn sugar, 1 onion, 1 small apple, 500ml hot milk.

Drain pineapple and add it to hot rice. Season mixture and use it to line casserole. Fill centre with curried sea scallops. Top with additional scallops that have been dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and lightly fried. Re-heat in slow oven, garnish with parsley and serve.

Curried sea scallops: Reserve some scallops, dip in egg and breadcrumbs and lightly fry. Chop remainder into quarters. Melt butter in saucepan and lightly fry chopped apple and onion. Remove from strove and stir in flour, curry powder and salt. Gradually stir in hot milk. Return to stove and cook, stirring until smooth sauce has formed. Add chopped scallops and simmer for 3 minutes.

Patio Patties

The fishcakes were great, I used an old family recipe.  No pineapple rings so used pieces.  It was OK, maybe the pineapple should have been incorporated into the fish cakes, Ann.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, your favourite recipe for fish cakes, red capsicum to garnish.

Drain pineapple slices and fry till lightly browed. Shape fish-cake mixture into patties similar in size to the pineapple slices. Coat with egg and crumbs and bake or fry till rich golden brown in colour. To serve, alternate patties and pineapple slices on a warmed serving plate and garnish with sliced red capsicum. Serve with  mashed potatoes and buttered green peas.

Grow your own 3

Maria and her family are very excited that “Maurice” is producing a pineapple after about 2 years, and, he’s looking great!

“When the fruit is about six months old, about four months after flowering has occurred, changes will begin to occur. The colour of the shell will change from green to rich gold. The colour change of the shell occurs first at the bottom of the fruit and moves upwards. During this change, the fruit becomes sweeter and the colour of the flesh changes from white to yellow. When the fruit is golden half way up it can be picked and eaten but you can wait longer if you wish.”

Reference:  http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/pineapple/pineapple.htm

Tres Exotique

I was a little nervous about trying this dessert, but, we all enjoyed it! Anne

Pineapple Exotique.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, 1 tblspn gelatine, 2 bananas, 1 packet strawberry-flavoured jelly crystals.

Drain syrup from sliced pineapple add water to make 2 cupfuls and pour into saucepan. Stir in gelatine, place over low heat, stirring until gelatine is dissolved – do not boil. Cool, chill until cold and syrupy. Pour a thin layer into round cake pan, chill until firm. Dip pineapple slices in syrup and arrange on this. Chill again. Add sliced bananas to remaining pineapple jelly and when pineapple jelly is firm, spoon bananas and jelly over pineapple. Chill. Prepare strawberry jelly according to directions on packet, chill till cold and syrupy, then pour into mould over banana layer. Chill till firm. Unmould: serve with cream, chilled custard or ice cream.

News Flash!!

Concoctors of pina coladas will be thrilled to know that Queensland agricultural researchers have developed a coconut flavoured pineapple which will be on the market in about two years.

They have called this delight “AusFestival” but I would have liked Ruby to have come up with one of her classic names, something like Mermaid’s Murmurings or Island Illusions.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-05/qld-researchers-develop-coconut-flavoured-pineapple/4408732

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/coconut-flavoured-pineapple-created-in-qld/story-e6frfku9-1226530553583

Thanks Jane and Vicki for drawing this outstanding example of genetic engineering to our attention, Anne.

Pineapples - part of our food heritage.

My sister-in-law, Colleen, recently recommended we have a look at this beautifully presented blog “The Cook and the Curator” from “the Historic Houses Trust and part of the Eat Your History project  which invites you to explore our food heritage.”

http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/king-of-fruits/

This site which was started in October is a fabulous source of information about our cultural history. Jacqui Newling and Scott Hill are the researchers and presenters and their style is inviting - a great way to make history come alive.

And, some of their recipes, such as oyster loaves and calf’s foot jelly, are worth having a look at!

A highlight for me was, naturally, a video on how pineapples were used to decorate a colonial table.

http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/taking-centre-stage/

Happy Birthday!!

One of the Pineapple Princesses, Ann, had a fabulous birthday celebration in her home town of Bundanoon last weekend. The delicious fruitcake she made and decorated to share with her family and friends did – of course – include pineapple as an essential ingredient!

While in Bundanoon the other Pineapple Princess, Anne, found this jelly mould in a charity shop. It was calling out for a Sunlit Salad to be prepared! This is a truly unique recipe! The creation had a truly unique flavour!

Sunlit Salad.

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 1 pkt. lemon jelly crystals, 1 tblspn cider vinegar, ½ tspn salt, 1 cup grated carrot, 1/3 cup chopped Queensland nuts or pecans (optional).

Drain pineapple. Reserve liquid adding enough water to make 1 ½ cups. Bring to boil, pour over jelly crystals, stirring to dissolve. Add vinegar and salt. Chill until partly set. Fold carrot, pineapple nuts and nuts into jelly. Pour into individual moulds or small loaf pan. Chill until firm. Unmould onto lettuce-lined platter and serve with rolled ham slices and salad vegetables. If you have a can handy, add pineapple slices for a truly tropical look.