WATERMELON SPRITZ

Watermelon and vodka is a combination that always rings party bells for Matt Preston. Add mint, a little garnish of a feta and olive skewer and you've recreated the flavors a classic summer salad!

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5lt of freshly squeezed watermelon juice; from 3kg of watermelon
• 6 green limes, cut into quarters.
• 300ml chilled vodka
• 1lt soda
• 10 sprigs of mint
• 30 pitted olives
• 100g of fetta, cut into 20 cubes 
• Ice

• METHOD

  • 1
    Squeeze all the limes bar two quarters into a large jug. Top with the watermelon juice and give it a good stir. Place in the fridge until the guests arrive. Chill the glasses.
  • 2
    Just before the guests arrive, run the remaining lime quarters around the rim of each chilled glass Add the vodka to the watermelon juice and stir. Fill each glass with ice and the pour over the watermelon taking care to restrain the lime wedges from dropping into each glass. Using a sieve or a wooden spoon to help you achieve this. (Add the wedges if you want their green in the glass).
  • 3
    Garnish with a little plume of mint and a skewer of olives and two cubes of fetta.
• 
  

Street Food Lovers

KOREAN BRISKET AND KIMCHI BURGER

the humble burger. The result? A unique fusion of flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g beef brisket, minced
• 125g speck, rind removed, minced
• 1/3 cup (80ml) light soy sauce
• Sunflower oil, to brush
• 6 spring onions, dark green part thinly sliced, pale part halved lengthways
• 2 green capsicums, quartered lengthways
• 6 brioche burger buns, split, brushed with oil, sprinkled with black sesame seeds
• Kewpie mayonnaise and gochujang (Korean chilli paste), to serve

Quick kimchi

• 1/4 cup (55g) salt
• 1/3 Chinese cabbage (wombok), sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs dried chilli flakes

• METHOD

  • 1
    Combine brisket, speck and 2 tbs soy. Form into 6 patties and flatten. Brush with remaining 2 tbs soy. Chill for 30 minutes.
  • 2
    For the kimchi, combine salt, cabbage and 2 cups (500ml) hot water in a bowl. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain. Stir through sliced dark spring onion and remaining kimchi ingredients.
  • 3
    Heat a chargrill pan over high heat and brush with oil. Cook capsicum and pale spring onion for 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside. Brush pan with a little oil. Cook patties for 2 minutes each side, then reduce heat to medium and cook for a further 3 minutes each side or until charred and cooked through.
  • 4
    Spread bun bases with mayonnaise. Top with capsicum, patties, chilli paste, spring onion, kimchi and bun lids to serve.

This posh pasta dish is the ideal foil for a summer menu dilemma.

HAND-CUT PASTA WITH PROSCIUTTO, ASPARAGUS AND BABY COS

INGREDIENTS

• 250g fresh lasagne sheets, cut into 2cm-wide strips
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 8 spring onions (with bulbs), white bulbs and green tops thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
• 1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
• 20g unsalted butter
• 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut on the diagonal
• 1 baby cos lettuce, leaves torn
• 5 prosciutto slices, torn
• Grated parmesan, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep frypan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the white spring onion and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the wine, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half.
  • 3
    Add the chicken stock, butter and asparagus. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, then toss through the drained pasta. Add lettuce and prosciutto, and season to taste. Toss gently until lettuce has wilted.
  • 4
    Divide among 4 serving bowls, then top with green spring onion and parmesan. Serve immediately.

PASTA SALAD WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, BASIL OIL AND PECORINO

Try and find the best-quality heirloom tomatoes you can for this simple pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g wholemeal rigatoni or other wholemeal short pasta
• 2 large handfuls basil leaves
• 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 300g mixed heirloom tomatoes*, halved or cut into wedges
• Shaved pecorino*, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Drain, then rinse well under cold water.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, blanch basil in boiling water for 10 seconds, then rinse under cold water. Drain well, then squeeze out excess water. Place basil in a food processor with oil and pulse until basil is finely chopped.
  • 3
    Place the pasta and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Season, then gently toss to combine. Drizzle with the basil oil, scatter with pecorino, then serve.

  • NOTES

    -

    * Heirloom tomatoes are from selected greengrocers and growers’ markets. Pecorino is a hard sheep’s milk cheese from delis; substitute parmesan.

PASTA HANDKERCHIEFS WITH MUSHROOM RAGU

Fresh pasta topped with buttery, herb-flecked mushroom ragu - serve this and your guests won't even know it's meat free.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups (400g) ‘00’ flour
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• Semolina, to dust
• 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 eschalots, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
• 1/2 tbs thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 600g mixed mushrooms (such as pine, portobello, king brown, chestnut or slippery jack), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
• 20g unsalted butter
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

• METHOD

  • 1
    To make the pasta, place the flour in a mound on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Pour in the eggs and 1/2 tsp salt, then, using your hands, gradually incorporate the eggs into the flour to form a soft dough. Knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Enclose dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  • 2
    Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, then enclose 3 portions in plastic wrap and set aside. Starting on the thickest setting of your pasta machine, run the dough through 2-3 times, folding it in half each time, until smooth and elastic. Continue rolling the dough through the settings 2-3 times, reducing the thickness each time, until 2mm thick. Place pasta sheet on a semolina-dusted tray and cover with a clean tea towel while you roll remaining dough portions.
  • 3
    Dust each sheet of pasta with semolina, then, using a sharp knife, slice each sheet into rough triangular shapes that resemble handkerchiefs. Dust again with semolina and set aside.
  • 4
    To make the mushroom ragu, heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the eschalot, garlic, parsley stalks and thyme, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Increase heat to high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then add the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • 5
    Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for a further 4-6 minutes, then add the butter and stir to combine. Season and remove from the heat.
  • 6
    Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving a little cooking water. Add pasta to the ragu and toss to combine. Return the pan to high heat and cook, tossing, for 1 minute or until heated through. Add a little cooking water, if necessary, to loosen.
  • 7
    Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with parsley leaves, lemon zest and freshly ground pepper to serve.

CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP

With pepitas for crunch and dried cranberries for sweetness, this creamy pumpkin soup is extra special.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 600g pumpkin, peeled, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 leek (white part only), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (125ml) pure (thin) cream
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
• Dried cranberries and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

• METHOD

  • 1
    Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add garlic, vegetables and nutmeg, then toss to coat. Add stock and 2 cups (500ml) water, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.
  • 2
    In batches, transfer to a blender and whiz until smooth. Return soup to the saucepan and place over low heat. Stir in cream, then season. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with seeds, cranberries and parsley, then drizzle with extra oil.

Try this Italian strawberry and rhubarb cobbler

STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB COBBLER

Try this Italian strawberry and rhubarb cobbler, it's to die for! This super easy dessert is light on ingredients and easy to make, just add cream!

INGREDIENTS

• 400g strawberries, hulled, halved
• 500g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
• 3/4 firmly packed cup (170g) brown sugar
• 21/2 tbs cornflour
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• Pure (thin) cream, to serve
• 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
• 110g thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 1/3 firmly packed cup (80g) brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150ml extra-virgin olive oil

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornflour, vanilla pod and seeds, and orange zest and juice in a 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish and set aside for 30 minutes to soften.
  • 2
    For the topping, place all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Remove vanilla pod from strawberry mixture, then dollop the batter over the fruit.
  • 3
    Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cool slightly. Serve cobbler with cream.