Morrison Street Cafe

February 2012 newsletter

Cafe — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:02:45 +0000

See us on Facebook February 12

welcome

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year. It seems a long time since we brought out the pre-Christmas one and there has been a lot happening around the region over that time. Many of the festivals, feasts and performances have already happened but we still have the Evolve Festival of Opportunities this weekend and several winery music events to come.

Our summer menu has gone down a treat with the seasonal dishes all having their fans. We are about to start work on the late summer/autumn menu which will be released the week before Easter.

We also say goodbye to our lovely FOH manager, Pia, who is heading to Australia, and welcome back Miriam to her old role as FOH manager. Several other staff are also moving on to study and new prospects so there will a few new faces to welcome you over the coming weeks.

coffee card draw

Congratulations to:

Rich Lander

Angela Higgins

Bring this newsletter in to the cafe during the next month to receive a bag of Atomic coffee, ground to your needs

what’s hot

Over summer the Mezze Platters have been really popular. You may have seen their pic up on Facebook, but if not, they are a colourful collection of marinated and roasted summer veges, tabouleh salad, feta dip, hummus and our grilled pita bread. They come ready for 1, 2 or 3 people.

our allergy-free foods

A good number of dishes on our menu are wheat, gluten or dairy free, or vegetarian. For those who enjoy a soy milk coffee we use a soy milk which is lower in fat and sodium, has no added cane sugar, and is organic and gluten-free. Ask to see the menu allergy sheets if you want to know more about a dish.

upcoming exhibitions

18 Dec – 7 Jan Tania Bostock, Greta Baldwin

8 – 28 Jan Mandy Preston, Larisse Hall

morrison’s recipes

These mouth-watering morsels are great served as a nibble or with a mesclun salad and relish or chutney. They are wheat and gluten free and the recipe makes around 25.

chicken, parmesan and ginger bites

900gm chicken mince
75gm W&G-free breadcrumbs
75gm grated parmesan cheese
6 spring onions
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp fresh ginger
5 slices cooked bacon – finely chopped
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp white pepper

place all of the above ingredients into a large bowl and mix well
with wet hands roll into 5cm diameter balls and flatten a little
heat oil in a frypan, brown patties on both sides then place on an oven tray
bake at 200C for 10 mins, until cooked

our retail area

Take home a pack of our cafe-made muesli, W&GF bread, ciabatta or sourdough breads, hummus, cashew nut & capsicum pesto or our mayonnaise. Try the Kakariki EV olive oil, Atomic coffee or Fair Trade dark hot chocolate powder. Or the new Nelson Arts Guide or the Coffee Carafe and Pouring Kettle.

Sue at NZ Travel Brokers – Nelson can help with all your travel – family, leisure, business, adventure

Ph 021 555836 www.travelgallery.co.nz

Chocolate & Berry Brownie

Cafe — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:38:32 +0000

Here’s a sweet treat that has been on the menu here for years, in its various forms. Ever popular, it’s wheat and gluten free ingredients make it an accessible treat for everyone. The recipe makes 15 large or 20 moderate-sized pieces, and it freezes well

450 gm butter – softened
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
6 eggs
1/2 cup potato flour
1 cup rice flour
240 gm cocoa
pinch of salt
3 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries) - fresh or frozen, chopped if large

Cream butter and sugar in a cake mixer until white and creamy

Add vanilla essence and eggs, mixing in one at a time

On a slow speed add the dry ingredients

Add berries and mix

Pour and spread evenly into a swiss roll tin lined with baking paper

Bake at 180C for 40 mins or until skewer comes out clean

Ice with ganache

250 gm dark chocolate
100 gm sour cream (warmed in microwave)

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 40 second bursts until melted

Add warmed sour cream

Whisk together till smooth

Creamy Risotto

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:14:30 +0000

We’ve had several requests for this recipe, which we run in one form or another each winter. It is wheat and gluten free and serves 4 to 6 people.

1 leek – finely diced
4 cloves garlic – finely diced
2 sticks celery – finely diced
small bunch of thyme – finely chopped
1 white onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp white pepper

On a low heat saute off all above ingredients in a large pot with 25gm butter and 2 tbsp oil, until soft

Stir in 2 cups aborio rice, stir well and saute for another 5 mins

In another pot bring 1 1/4 litres of vegetable or chicken stock and 1/4 cup white wine to the boil

Slowly add stock mix to the rice mix, 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring well. When the liquid has been absorbed add another 1/2 cup of stock mix.

Continue this until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add any fillings/flavourings – chicken, spinach, mushrooms, seafood, roasted pumpkin, etc

Add 2 tbsp cream and mix before serving

Garnish with herbs and parmesan cheese

Tomato, Bean & Barley Soup

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:56:45 +0000

Here’s a warming soup to finish the winter off with. It is vegetarian, and wheat and dairy free, so there won’t be many out there who can’t eat it. And it makes a nice safe option if you’re feeding a group of people on a cold evening.

1 white onion – roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 celery stick – small dices
1 carrot – peeled, finely diced
1/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1 litre vege stock
1 small tin chickpeas, white beans or bean mix
400gm or 1 small tin of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Saute off the onion, garlic, celery, thyme and carrot in a little oil until soft (approx 10 min)

Add barley and stir

Add vege stock or water, bring to the boil and simmer until barley is tender – approx 20 mins

Add beans, tomato and seasoning; cook for another 15 mins

Serve with fresh bread or toast.

Friands

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:52:46 +0000

Here’s another recipe that will appeal to those with sensitivities as these friands are both wheat and gluten free.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
300 gms melted butter
10 egg whites

Place all the above ingredients in a large bowl and combine well

Leave to rest for at least 20 mins before using

Grease friand moulds or muffin tins

Fill half the mould/tin with the friand mix, add a layer of filling (see below) and top up with friand mix to 3/4 full

Bake at 200C for 20 to 25 mins

Leave for 5 mins, then turn out on to a cooling tray

Filling Options: stewed rhubarb, any fresh or frozen berries, lemon curd, coconut, peaches, etc

Fish Cakes

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:45:16 +0000

Earlier in the year we featured a fish cake recipe based on potatoes.
This one uses flour as the base, and if you are wheat or gluten sensitive then rice flour and W&G-free baking powder can be substituted. The cakes can be made small, and served as nibbles, or larger for a main meal, served with a green salad and chilli sauce.

400gm white fish
1 tbsp red or green curry paste
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 egg
30gm rice or wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 fresh kaffir lime leaves (available from Asian
stores)
1/2 small red onion
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Place fish in a food processor and process till smooth

Mix blended fish and all other ingredients well in a large bowl

Use wet hands to form your fish cakes into required size and shape

Place in a hot frypan with a little oil Cook until brown on both sides and cooked right through

Pad Thai

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:27:13 +0000

This meal is best cooked in a wok although a heavy frypan will do. All the sauces are available at Asian food stores.

The recipe serves 4

1 1/2 tbsp tamarind puree
3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
50ml seasoning soya sauce
50ml oyster sauce
50ml fish sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp tomato sauce
Extras: slices of chicken, prawn, squid or mussels

Rice Sticks: Place a packet of rice sticks in a large bowl. Cover with
warm water, soak for 20 ins then strain.
2 carrots – julienned (cut into thin sticks)
1/2 packet mung bean sprouts
3 spring onions, sliced on an angle
3 tbsp crushed cashew nuts
2 cups vege stock or water
3 eggs

Heat a little oil in the wok, crack in eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon to break them up. Add carrot, seafood or chicken, rice noodles, vege stock and sauces.

Toss and cook till all liquid is absorbed, add sprouts, cashews and spring onions.

Garnish with nuts, spring onions and a wedge of lemon

Mrs H’s Old-Fashioned Tomato Sauce

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:15:58 +0000

Anyone who has a vegetable garden will be inundated with tomatoes right now. So why not preserve some of this lovely summer taste for later in the year.

Mrs Hansen’s old-fashioned tomato sauce recipe is an ideal way to do this. The sauce can be used later as a pasta or pizza sauce, a
flavouring in rich winter soups, or drizzled over hot chips like in the good old days.

6 kg tomatoes
1.5 kg sugar
3 large onions, chopped
1 bulb garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
75 gm salt
25 gm whole allspice (in a muslin bag)
900 mls malt vinegar
a few chillies

Put all ingredients in a large preserving pan, including the allspice which is left in the bag through cooking

Boil together for 2.5 to 3 hours

Strain, return to the pan and boil for another 10 minutes

Preserve hot in sterilised glass bottles with sterilised lids

Coconut Bread

Cafe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:09:13 +0000

This moist sweet bread is great served for brunch with fresh berries, banana and a drizzle of yoghurt. It also freezes really well, and can be enjoyed off our breakfast menu.

2 eggs
300 ml milk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
300 gm coconut
75gm melted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence

Whisk eggs.

Add the milk and vanilla essence and mix again.

Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Add the egg mix to the dry ingredients and combine well

Pour into a greased loaf tin

Bake at 180C for approx 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

Cool before turning out of the tin and cutting.

Ginger Gems

Cafe — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:26:19 +0000

Here’s one of our most popular baking items, Ginger Gems, which sell out quickly whenever they appear on the counter. Even better, they’re easy to make, and you don’t need special gem irons to cook them in. Small muffin tins are just fine.

270gm golden syrup
170gm butter
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup milk
2 small eggs

Melt golden syrup and butter together. Whisk in milk and eggs.

Combine all dry ingredients together

Combine wet and dry ingredients together well with a whisk

Pour into greased muffin tins or gem irons, but only fill ¾ full as they will rise

Bake at 180C for approx 20 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.