Pittwater Life January 2024 Issue

Food Life
Pick of the Month:
Fresh Jalapeno
Food Life
250g green grapes, removed
from stalk
12 fresh lychee, peeled (or 1
can lychee, drained)
2 x 125g blackberries
1 small [pineapple, peeled,
quartered thickly sliced
Cream and or ice cream, to
serve
Spiced maple syrup glaze
1 cup (250ml) pure/Canadian
maple syrup
1 tsp each ground cinnamon
and nutmeg
1. For the spiced maple syrup
glaze, pour the maple into
a small non-stick frying
pan or small saucepan over
medium-high heat. Bring to
gently boil, boil gently 3-4
minutes until reduced and
thickened. Remove from
heat, stir in the spices. Cool.
2. Thread the pieces of fruit
onto 24 bamboo skewers.
Place on a platter, cover and
refrigerate until icy cold
for 10 minutes. Serve the
fruit skewers drizzled with
spiced maple glaze and
cream or ice cream.
Jalapeno is a medium-sized
plum-shaped chilli. It has a
thick red or green flesh which
makes it feel heavy for its size.
It’s one of the most popular
and versatile varieties. Use
in salsas, casseroles, dips or
omelettes. Pickled Jalapenos
are very common and widely
used in Mexican cuisine, while
the smoked version is referred
to as chipotle. (Heat rating
4-5/10.)
Buying
Buy chillies that have a
smooth, shiny, tight skin.
Wrinkles or soft spots are
signs the chilli is old. Also
check there is no sign of
mould around the stem.
Storing
Store in a paper bag in
the crisper section of the
fridge for up to 1 week.
Don’t be tempted to store
in a plastic bag as this will
cause the chilli’s to sweat
and deteriorate rapidly. Fresh
chillies can be frozen in
small airtight plastic bags for
up to 12 months. Alternately,
place chillies on a wire rack
or thread with a needle &
thread and allow to dry at
room temperature in a bright
sunny spot. The chillies will
shrivel and their heat will
concentrate.
Preparation
It goes without saying that
caution is required when
preparing these hot little
morsels. Avoid rubbing
eyes or touching skin after
handling chillies (if you do
68 JANUARY 2024
The Local Voice Since 1991