Progressive Enterprises Limited

EDITORIAL

Stable, balmy weather is a wonderful feature of life in February and March in most parts of the country. Add to this an abundance of fresh seasonal produce and you’ve got the perfect recipe for enjoying eating outdoors, whether it’s a relaxed meal around the barbecue, packing up a seriously yummy picnic, or having friends around for a glass of wine and nibbles alfresco.
We recently had friends around for an evening of tapas and we all relished the seafood delights my husband cooked up as we sat around on the deck and enjoyed the long twilight. It was such
a chilled out evening and emphasised how easy it is to have fun treating friends to good food without stressing out
or spending hours cooking.
Summer is perfect for such relaxed occasions because the very fact that you’re outside makes events more casual. So we’ve gone all out this issue to offer you plenty of ideas for fabulous food that can be cooked on the barbie, or served so that you can make the most of great weather. Look at pages 14, 21, 34, 40, 48 and 82 for some delicious recipes that capture the best tastes of summer.
This is the time of the year when we start cranking up our schedules again and those with school-age children will know how the demands of their calendar affect our everyday lives. We’ve selected recipes that have been a favourite with kids for tasty lunches and definitely won’t be left to languish in the lunch box on page 64. And don’t forget that there’s nothing better than home baking for offering the occasional treat or for after-school snack attacks. Try our suggestions for filling the tins on page 84.
There’s been a recent revival of interest in traditional skills such as gardening, baking and preserving. This time of the year there’s a glut of all sorts of fruit and vegetables. Why not make the most of the cheap seasonal price of tomatoes and have a go at making your own tomato sauce and relish? We’ve got a simple step-by-step guide to get you started on page 80. We’ve also got a recipe for making your own Red Capsicum Jam on page 25, and a quick lesson in making Apricot Jam on page 78. You may discover you’re a whizz at filling the pantry with your own preserves.
And now that we’re over the splurges of the silly season, we’ve got some fantastic ideas for budget meals on page 52. Sophie Gray offers recipes for making fab meals from mince and lots of suggestions for helping to make your dollar go that little bit further.
It all adds up to a magazine that’s packed full of useful recipes featuring our wonderful produce. I hope this issue will help you to revel in all that the New Zealand summer has to offer us lucky Kiwis. Enjoy!

Sarah Beresford
Editor

RECIPE

Chocolate Truffles
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
½ cup cream
selection of chocolate hail, desiccated coconut, chopped pistachios and/or cocoa, for coating

• Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan and heat it to almost boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate.
  Mix thoroughly.



• When the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth, set the bowl of chocolate aside to cool, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until
  the mixture is firm.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll the mixture into small balls.
• Toss the truffles in your choice of chocolate hail, desiccated coconut, chopped pistachios or cocoa and place them on the tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set.
• When the truffles have set, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve them, place the truffles in mini muffin cases and arrange them on a plate.
  Makes approximately 20.

TIP
If you want to make white chocolate truffles, replace the dark chocolate with white chocolate. As the white chocolate mixture is softer, it is best frozen for 2-3 hours before rolling the truffles.

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