Beside the Seaside

Words: Belinda Neame | Photography: Tim Bean

Baked Soft White Cheese

Ingredients

• 250g good quality soft white cheese

• Honeycomb

• Seasonal fruits that work with soft white cheese (pears, figs)

• Sliced bread

• Walnuts

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and place the cheese (we used Brie) in a small cast iron pot.

Place the cheese in the oven with the lid on and bake for 10–15 minutes. The baking time will depend on how soft and gooey you want your cheese.

Remove from the oven and place half of the honeycomb on top of the cheese. You can find honeycomb at any good deli or speciality supermarket.

Arrange the fruits, bread, walnuts and remaining honeycomb on a piece of wood, or large wooden board, and start scooping away!

Spaghetti Marinara

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 2 x 400 grams cans crushed tomatoes

• Salt and pepper, to season

• 500 grams good quality spaghetti

• 500 grams good-quality marinara mix (or seafood of choice)

• 300 grams black mussels, debearded

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley

Method

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened (about 3–4 minutes). Add the garlic and wine, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add in the crushed tomatoes and paste and simmer for 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and toss in a little olive oil.

Add marinara mix (or seafood of choice) and mussels to the tomato sauce and stir through thoroughly. Cover with lid and cook for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, discarding any mussels that do not open.

To serve, toss the sauce through the pasta and serve topped with parsley.

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au

Lumberjack Cake

Ingredients

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 cup dates, chopped and pitted

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 1 cup boiling water

• 125 grams unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1 ½ cups plain flour

• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Topping

• 60 grams unsalted butter

• ½ cup milk

• 2/3 cup shredded coconut

• ½ cup brown sugar

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Grease a 19cm square cake pan and line the base with baking paper.

In a bowl, combine the apples, dates, soda and boiling water. Stir and cover and allow to stand until warm.

In the meantime, beat the butter, sugar and extract until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Stir in the sifted flour alternately with the apple mixture and mix until well combined. Stir through the walnuts.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and even out. Bake for 50 minutes and then spread with the topping. Bake for a further 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Cool the cake in the tin.

Topping

Combine the butter, milk, sugar and coconut in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.

Recipe adapted from the Australian Women’s Weekly