MINT PASTE RECIPES

Steps:

• Cut apples into thick slices but do not peel or core. Combine apples, water, lemon juice and two cups mint leaves in large saucepan, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes until apples are soft. Strain mixture through muslin-lined sieve, over a bowl and stand overnight.

  Measure strained juice and return to a large, clean saucepan. Add one cup of sugar for each cup of juice and stir over heat until sugar is dissolved.

  Bring to boil and boil rapidly for 15 minutes or until setting point is reached. Add a few drops of food colouring to give desired colour. Remove from heat and add chopped mint leaves.

  Allow to stand for 10 minutes and stir the mint through to disperse evenly. Pour into sterilised jars.

  * Caroline Velik's crumbed lamb culets

  
  Tips on storing fresh herbs:

  I am a fan of food-storage bags for prolonging the life of cut herbs as they draw out excess moisture. To achieve a similar result, you can wrap the herbs in a paper towel and store in a plastic container, with a tight-fitting lid, in the fridge. Instead of storing leftover herbs in a bunch, where you can easily forget about them, why not make a marinade or pesto, which keeps in the fridge for up to a week and becomes an instant flavour hit in many dishes.

  Otherwise, try freezing leftover herbs. Simply pick the leaves, then chop finely or use a food processor for the task. Add enough water to form a thick paste, then freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, place in labelled freezer bags and you'll have instant flavour to add to sauces and soups. This works well with basil, parsley and tarragon.

Steps:

• Place the sugar, honey and water in a saucepan and bring to a strong boil. Place the almonds in the food processor and grind until coarse. Remove the boiling sugar from the heat and pour over the coarse almonds. Blend until smooth. This may take 10 minutes or more, depending on the strength of the food processor. Remember, food processors are not usually strong enough to yield the same consistency as the almond paste that you can buy. If your mixture is too thick and the food processor is straining, you can add a little Kirsch or simple syrup to the processor. Add the liquid slowly and stop when the processor is moving more freely. The quality of almond paste is determined by how smooth the consistency is.
• Wrap the almond paste in plastic wrap and allow it to cool. When you are ready to use it, knead in the butter. The butter makes it smooth and not so sticky.