Comments on: Farmers’ Market Round Up: Collingwood Childrens’ Farm

By: Bex

Bex — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:46:44 +0000

Mmmmm thanks for the massive long reply to my comment!
It makes me feel special (sometimes i actually stop following blogs if they don’t reply to my comments hehe but i’m now loyal to your blog rofl!).
I might have to try and get quinces next season.. either that or i’ll give the collingwood farm market a go.. it’s not far from me!
I have found a list of what’s in season on Poh’s Kitchen website (http://www.abc.net.au/tv/pohskitchen/in_season/) …. it’s really helping me! But I am a bit of a newbie to cooking hehe. Is there a cool calendar or something that I can get to know whats in season? I’ve really been wanting to eat things based on when they are in season after watching Food Inc!

Beetroot is really good just to roast.. you can boil them first if you like… then just check it in a dish with some other roast veg eg.pumpkin, potatoes, carrots etc.. and its really quick healthy meal (minus the starch of the potatoes). But its good to get a natural source of sugar from the beetroot.
It’s strange how I love beetroots now… I never did like them for a long time growing up.

But yep, consider me a follower of your blog.. I feel I have a lot to learn in terms of cooking & blogging :D

-Bex

By: essjayeats

essjayeats — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:39:47 +0000

Lisette: Hmm.. I’m thinking of cooking up a sliced orange in quince syrup, and serving then together with some cream…

Penny: How did you find the chestnuts to peel? What are you cooking with the quinces?

By: essjayeats » Blog Archive » Chicken Stock Recipe

essjayeats » Blog Archive » Chicken Stock Recipe — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:19:10 +0000

[...] About In Melbourne, a city full of food and obsessed by coffee, I cook, I eat, I share the good news and the bad. « Farmers’ Market Round Up: Collingwood Childrens’ Farm [...]

By: essjayeats

essjayeats — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:43:04 +0000

Hi Bex, Thanks for joining in. You can only eat quinces cooked (well, some hard core fans chew them raw, but I don’t advise it). They taste like a firm cooked apple, but much, much more fragrant – hints of pear even. They stay on the tree, never fall off even when they are ripe, so any you see will be OK to use, and they last for a long time off the tree and most varieties have a delicious perfume. I’ve been buying these particular quinces from this grower for the last 7 weeks. At first I thought they were very green, but they cooked up OK. This last lot (the last for the season I’m afraid) smelled divine, and even now are perfuming the house as I cook them.

Quince are in season in Autumn from about Mid-March until July, depending on where you are, the variety and the weather.

They are ripe when they start to change colour form green to yellow, but most noticeable is the scent. While “newly ripe” i.e bright yellow/green the fruit is very high in pectin as is good as a jelly, or in a jelly. The pectin level decreases as the fruit gets more ripe (golden yellow) but they are still high in pectin compared to other fruit.

Some quince I’ve cut up have a worm in them, I just discard that bit (they don’t usually get that far) and use the rest of the quince.

I’m not sure it’s a point of finding a good quince versus a bad quince. rather just finding ANY quinces!

I have decided that I like them best poached for 6 hours or more at 140 degrees in a cast iron casserole until they turn deep ruby red. They I serve them on porridge, or with creamed rice, like you would any stewed fruit. The texture is what wins me over, they aren’t “mushy” like stewed apples, and the variety I’ve been using “Champion” keeps its shape even after 6 hours of poaching.

I also try to make a batch of quince jelly/paste (two different products, from the same process) once a year if I have time. The jelly is good as a meat glazed (Christmas Ham especially) and mint sauce base. The paste is delicious with cheese.

What do you do with beetroot?

By: penny aka jeroxie

penny aka jeroxie — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:19:02 +0000

Got ourselves some quinces, chestnuts, pressed tongue and loads of apples and vegetables. Over did it again. But I can’t help myself. Everything LOOKed GREAT!

By: Bex

Bex — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:06:25 +0000

Mmmmm I love roasted beetroot.

I have never eatten nor used Quinces.
Questions about quices:
What do they taste like?
When are they in season?
How do I know a good quince from a bad one?
What do I do with them?

Awesome post, I love your blog.

By: lisette

lisette — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:45:29 +0000

Quinces and anything, probably with oranges…. Rhubarb and more rhubarb… So many choices!