Plus three other travel-friendly recipes, including rustic goat’s cheese tarts, a crunchy broccoli ‘spoon’ salad and an easy strawberry jam slice.
If there’s a secret to an easy and stress-free social gathering, it’s for everyone to pitch in and do their bit. Not only does this method save money and time, it also adds a fun, surprising factor to the event. So what can you make when asked to bring a plate?
Recipe writer and country cook Sophie Hansen’s new collection of seasonal recipes aims to answer that question. What Can I Bring includes ideas for pretty much any occasion, from family feeds to pot-luck picnics, and camping trips to huge paddock parties.
The common thread is forgiving and generous recipes that are truly portable and happy to sit out at room temperatures for a while.
Here are four easy, affordable recipes to make for your next get together.
Baked pearled barley with all the early autumn vegies
This recipe does a few things well: firstly, it uses a heap of the beautiful vegetables in season around early autumn (think zucchini, tomato, corn and eggplant). Next, it feeds a load of people in one tasty package. And, finally, it’s not at all hard to throw together and doesn’t mind being left out at room temperature for a while (within reason). One more – it’s almost tastier as leftovers reheated with buttered toast.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup (200g) pearled barley
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 zucchini, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 cups (500ml) tomato passata
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 1 cup (60g) chunky breadcrumbs
- 1 cup (100g) freshly grated parmesan
- 1 cup (130g) mozzarella, torn into rough pieces
METHOD
- Rinse the pearled barley until the water runs clear then place in a saucepan and fill with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 25 minutes, or until al dente, then drain.
- Heat half the olive oil in a deep-sided ovenproof frypan and cook the onion for about 15 minutes, or until completely soft and beginning to caramelise. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to the heat, add a splash more oil, increase the heat to high and fry the zucchini and corn kernels until softened and starting to colour, about 10 minutes. Transfer these to the dish with the onion. Add a splash more oil and fry the tomatoes and eggplant for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
- Return all of the vegetables to the frypan and add the passata with ½ cup (125ml) water and the basil leaves, then stir to combine. Season well with salt and black pepper. Add the barley to the pan and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy.
Travel advice
Cover tightly with foil to keep warm, and rest easy knowing that this will sit happily at room temperature for a reasonable amount of time, getting more and more delicious while it waits for you. You can also make it a couple of days in advance and keep it chilled, then reheat it on arrival or serve at room temperature.
Serves 6-8 as a side
Corn, goat’s cheese, pickle and dill tarts
I love this flavour combination so much; the pickles, sliced quite thickly and baked with the rest, are such a flavour bomb with the buttery corn and creamy cheese. We have made these into small galettes here, but you could use a tart shell or muffin tins – whatever is easiest!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 cups (600g) fresh corn kernels (from 3-4 ears)
- 1 × quantity shortcrust pastry (see below), chilled
- plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
- 1 handful dill, chopped
- 1 × quantity ricotta filling (see below)
- 150g goat’s cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup (300g) dill pickles, cut into 1cm slices
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cream
METHOD
- Melt the butter in a heavy-based frypan over medium-high heat and add the corn kernels. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until they are just beginning to catch and caramelise. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
- Roll out your chilled pastry on a lightly floured benchtop and cut into four to six rounds – I used a side plate with a 15cm diameter. Transfer to a couple of trays lined with baking paper.
- Add the dill to the ricotta filling and mix to combine. Place about 2 tablespoons of this in the middle of each pastry round. Top with a little goat’s cheese, about 2 tablespoons of the cooked corn kernels and a few pickle slices.
- Gently pinch the edges of your pastry together to form a crimped seal. Whisk the egg yolks and cream together and brush this mixture over the crimped edges.
- Pop in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and golden.
Travel advice
Allow the tarts to cool, then pile them into a container and wrap loosely with a tea towel. If you’re going far, keep them chilled and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Serves 4-6
How to make shortcrust pastry
INGREDIENTS
- 1⅔ cups (250 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- a pinch of salt
- ½ cup (125g) chilled butter, cubed
- 4 tbsp iced water
METHOD
- Tip the flour onto your benchtop, add the salt and make a well in the centre. Into this, place the chilled butter. Using the heel of your hand, smoosh the butter into the flour, working it together until the mixture is coarse and sandy with pea-sized pieces of butter. Now add the water, a little at a time, still using the heel of your hand to bring everything together into a cohesive disc of pastry. A few streaks and seams of butter are totally fine here. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Depending on your tin/tray size and depth, you might have some leftover pastry. Just roll it out and make yourself a mini tart.
Makes approx. 380g pastry, or enough for 1 large tart or 8 small tarts
How to make ricotta filling
This might make a bit too much filling, depending on how many vegetables you’re adding, or the size of your tins/tarts, but if you do have a little extra, let’s say 1 cup (230g), perhaps go for a quick baked ricotta-ish situation. Simply add one or two more eggs to the mixture, pour into a buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle with a little more cheese, then bake at 160C fan-forced (180C conventional) until puffed and golden. Serve with a simple green salad.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (50g) finely grated parmesan
- ½ cup (12ml) single cream
- ⅔ cup (165g) fresh, soft ricotta
METHOD
- Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined.
Makes approx. 400g
Crunchy broccoli “spoon” salad
Bright, crunchy, packed with big flavours and very healthy, this salad ticks all the boxes. Plus, it sits beautifully at room temperature (within reason) as long as you add the cheese at the last minute. A good chopped “spoon” salad is an underrated thing – so handy when you’re standing up at a party and only have one hand free to eat with. This salad is excellent as is, but if you want to, add a few chopped hard-boiled eggs, some hot-smoked salmon or tuna, or perhaps some poached chicken. If you haven’t tried raw broccoli, trust me, it’s really good!
INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup (55g) whole almonds
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 head broccoli
- 6 dates, stones removed, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 100ml)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- a pinch of chilli flakes, to taste
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup (150 g) tri-colour quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to the packet instructions
- 120g mature cheddar, cut into small cubes
METHOD
- Place the almonds and tamari in a dry frypan and cook over medium heat, tossing often, for about 10 minutes or until the almonds look dry and smell aromatic. Let the nuts cool, then roughly chop and set aside.
- Finely chop the broccoli florets and peel and finely chop the stem. Place in a large bowl with the dates and chopped almonds.
- For the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, honey, garlic, chilli, some salt and pepper and the mustard in a small jar and shake well. Pour it over the broccoli, add the quinoa and toss to combine. Set your salad aside for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the dressing can ‘soften’ the broccoli.
- Toss through the cheddar and serve.
Travel advice
This salad travels so well and really doesn’t mind being left out at room temperature for some time. In fact, it gets better with time, within reason – just make sure you add the cheese right before serving.
Washing salads
Here are a few tips for making a simple green salad to transport on a warm day.
- Fill a bowl or the sink with cold water. Plunge in your greens and leave to sit for a minute or so to allow any grit to sink to the bottom.
- Remove and spin or shake as dry as you can.
- Lay a couple of tea towels on your benchtop and arrange your greens across them. Gently roll into two sausages and place in the fridge or an insulated ice box or cooler.
- When you’re ready to serve, simply unwrap and tip the leaves straight into your salad bowl, ready to dress.
Serves 6 as a side, 3-4 as a main
Strawberry jam crumble slice
Melt the butter, mix everything together and you’re done! This one couldn’t be easier, but the key thing is to let it cool completely in the fridge before slicing or it will fall apart. Swap the jam with marmalade if you prefer.
METHOD
- 175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- ½ cup (110g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
- ½ cup (45g) desiccated coconut
- 180g plain flour
- 1 cup (320g) strawberry jam, or jam of your choice
INGREDIENTS
- Start by browning the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and melt, stirring as you go. Continue cooking until it begins to brown, about 5-6 minutes, then pour into a bowl or jug and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 140 fan-forced (160C conventional) and grease and line a 20cm square slice tin.
- Combine the cooled brown butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, oats, coconut and flour in a bowl. Mix together with your hands until you have a crumbly dough. Press half of this mixture into the base of your lined tin. Spread this with the jam and crumble the remaining dry mixture over it.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before chilling in the fridge. Once well chilled, slice into bars. If you try to slice this while still warm it will crumble and collapse. It will still be tasty, but not so much in “bar” form.
Travel advice
Once fully cooled, transport these bars in a tin or airtight container.
Makes approx. 20 small squares
This is an edited extract from What Can I Bring? By Sophie Hansen, photography by Sophie Hansen. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99. Buy now
The best recipes from Australia’s leading chefs straight to your inbox.