FEIJOAS

Something out of Brazil other than soccer players, gorgeous women and great music ... feijoas. Native to southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Really popular in En Zed. Feijoas like cool climates - so they won't grow around here. These ones were grown at Stanthorp, a couple of hours away. They are incredibly sweet with flavours that remind me of guava, passionfruit and pineapple. We have been having these after dinner each night, along with some black Genoa figs.

FEIJOAS

MAHI MAHI CURRY

Not much to describe here. More of the mahi mahi bought two days ago (and caught the previous night). Home made yellow curry paste. Thai basil leaves from the garden.

MAHI MAHI CURRY

MAHI MAHI, BABY FENNEL AND A SAFFRON GINGER TOMATO SAUCE

The fisherman at the weekly farmers market operates a boat out of Southport, about 15 kms north of here. A couple of times during the year, mahi mahi pass by on their migrations. I simply sautéed these fillets in grapeseed oil. The sauce is a mix of saffron, ginger, tomatoes, garlic and chilli puréed and reduced. The finely sliced fennel was marinated in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

MAHI MAHI, BABY FENNEL AND A SAFFRON GINGER TOMATO SAUCE

RISTRETTO

I start every day with a couple of strong flat whites. That's because I'm not man enough to front up to a shot of espresso so early in the day. But once the day's in full swing, this is what I really love - the intense, pure full-on coffee hit that is a ristretto. It's half the size of an espresso - about 15 mls. Same amount of coffee, half the water. This is the parfum to a short black's eau de parfum and a flat white/cappuccino's eau de toilette. The coffee has to be good because there's nowhere to hide. Ristretto translates literally as restricted. The only thing restricted is the use of water. The flavour is anything but. In some strata of society they'd be tempted to inject this. But they'd be denying their tastebuds serious pleasure.

RISTRETTO

FISH CAKES WITH ROAST GARLIC AIOLI

Home cooking. I trimmed the bellies off the salmon fillets cooked last night and use these tonight. Finely chopped salmon, cooked sebago potato, egg, chilli crab paste, fried shallots, salt and pepper - coated with panko crumbs and gently sautéed in grapeseed oil.

FISH CAKES WITH ROAST GARLIC AIOLI

SPICED SALMON WITH TOMATO & GINGER SAUCE, CUMIN CRUSTED PUMPKIN

If you're Australian or from London, you might know of Aussie chef Chris Manfield. If you know her, you'll know her love for a bold use of spices, and a particular fondness for the spices of India. I was inspired by her to produce this dish. The salmon was dusted with a mix of roasted and ground cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, white peppercorns, cassia bark and brown mustard seeds, mixed with chickpea flour and salt. The fish was sautéed in a little grapeseed oil in a hot pan - two minutes each side. The pumpkin has been sprinkled with sumac, cumin seeds, sea salt and pepper and roasted at 220C for 20 minutes. For the sauce, I puréed three tomatoes, a 2 cm piece of ginger, a clove of garlic, a bulb of eschallot, salt and a dried bird's eye chilli. I heated a couple of tablespoons of peanut oil until smoking, then added the sauce (quickly, but carefully - it spits violently when the oil and sauce meet), reduced the heat to medium and stirred until slightly reduced and thickened. The lime pickle is from a local Sri Lankan couple at the weekly markets.

SPICED SALMON WITH TOMATO & GINGER SAUCE, CUMIN CRUSTED PUMPKIN

TUNA WITH AJVAR AND CANNELLINI & TOMATO SALAD

All over the world people share (if generous) or protect treasured recipes for traditional foods. In rural Australia, it might be a family secret for making perfect scones. In Mexico, it might be a recipe for pozole. In Louisiana, it might be a generations old recipe for gumbo. In Macedonia, it's probably a recipe for ajvar. According to Macedonians, their home country is famous for its red peppers (capsicums in some countries) and tomatoes. The locals have found dozens of ways to use the bounty of their land. And every home seems to have a recipe for this spicy red pepper sauce called ajvar.

TUNA WITH AJVAR AND CANNELLINI & TOMATO SALAD

MINESTRONE VERDE

There's nothing wrong with plain minestrone. But, to my mind, it's a distant second to this green version. This starts with slices of leek sweated in extra virgin olive oil until soft. Then I add rich home-made chicken stock (supermarket versions won't do for this), salt and pepper, halved Brussels sprouts, green beans and cook these until just tender. Then I add cooked cannellini and borlotti and heat through. I place a couple of tablespoons of basil pesto in deep serving bowls and ladle the soup over the top. You can really use most green vegetables - broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, cavolo nero, peas, silverbeet, kale. You can also add small pasta shapes. And if you fancy it, grate some more parmesan over the top.

MINESTRONE VERDE

YELLOWFIN TUNA WITH CHOKO PUREE AND BORLOTTI

Anyone else got an aversion to chokos? I did. Until recently. Then i discovered how marinating them in olive oil, garlic and oregano and slow roasting completely transformed them from a watery nothingness into something interesting. This time I omitted the oregano and puréed them after roasting. Brilliant. More slowly braised fresh borlotti and tuna  rubbed with ground chipotle chillies and seared in a very hot pan.

YELLOWFIN TUNA WITH CHOKO PUREE AND BORLOTTI

CHICKEN BREAST WITH CHIPOTLES EN ADOBO

The observant amongst you might recognise this is the front half of last night's chicken. Simply roasted with a little roasted chilli and chilli oil. Mexican friends will know how wonderful chipotles en adobo are: smoked jalapeños cooked with lots of great spices. Once made, they last virtually for in the fridge. A simple watercress and avocado salad.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH CHIPOTLES EN ADOBO

CHICKEN LEG, CAVOLO NERO, BORLOTTI AND BASIL PESTO

Rustic Italian fare. I love brining chicken. It adds flavour, thanks to the infusion of salt. It help the skin crisp, thanks to leaching water from the skin. Gently braised fresh borlotti - in chicken stock (made from the chicken frame). Cavolo nero gently braised in extra virgin olive oil with a little garlic. Home made basil pesto.

CHICKEN LEG, CAVOLO NERO, BORLOTTI AND BASIL PESTO

PANKO CRUMBED BARRAMUNDI WITH FIGS AND BALSAMIC GLAZE

More of these super sweet Genovese figs from the markets. Barramundi fillets from the fishmonger, dusted in panko crumbs and sautéed in butter. Ten minutes from start to finish. Now that's fast food. A simple rocket & avocado salad. Dinner.

PANKO CRUMBED BARRAMUNDI WITH FIGS AND BALSAMIC GLAZE