Capture the essence of summer ripened tomatoes in this traditional Italian passata recipe. Just three ingredients, tomatoes, basil and salt and three simple steps, pulp, bottle and preserve. Then into the pantry for storage until needed. Its simplicity, intensity and vibrancy stand proud in the pantry.  Waiting for its  central role in many of Italy’s favourite dishes that are so revered.    Read More . . .

A Mediterranean inspired chutney full of sun-drenched eggplants, red capsicums and garlic  that's spiced up with fresh ginger and a good curry powder. Very versatile and with the twist of the lid it adds a new dimension to an antipasto platter, a ploughman’s plank or a bitey cheddar cheese, alongside a curry or with grilled and cold meats. I’ve even had it with my Sunday morning bacon and eggs and home-made sourdough bread. A truly delicious combination. We now grow extra eggplants and capsicums to make multiple batches. By the time its shared with family and friends I need to make sure there’s always enough stashed away in the pantry for our use. It's easy to make and a great chutney that uses up excess eggplant and capsicums.    Read More . . .

Sweet chilli sauce captures the colour and vibrancy of summer. Just a splash or a dash, either as an ingredient or as an accompaniment will add a zing to a variety of your favourite dishes.The annual spring planting of several chillies varieties in our kitchen garden always produces an abundant harvest. By autumn, the sweet chilli sauce ritual commences with kilos of fresh bright red chillies, ginger and garlic being chopped and simmered in vinegar to extract their pungent and robust flavours. This multi-award winning recipe will produce almost 2 litres of silken chilli sauce in just 60 minutes.    Read More . . .

Capture the delicate flavour of a Mediterranean summer by preserving your own artichokes. Artichokes where known in Italy by the 15th century and the Italians perfected growing, harvesting, cooking, eating and preserving them. As a botanical and culinary curiosity, it is the unformed flower head that is eaten: not the leaves or root. Preserving artichokes is especially common in Southern Italy where the spring and summer harvest is preserved in oil and used in pasta, pizza or anti pasta platters during the winter months. Preserve your next abundant artichoke harvest with this Italian inspired recipe and discover the joy of mastering the art of preparing artichoke hearts and sharing your home preserve with friends and family.    Read More . . .