Christmas flair

Hasselback Potatoes

Summer Christmas time here in New Zealand is all about relaxing outside with friends and family with delicious food and drink, says The Veggie Tree Spring & Summer Cookbook author Anna Valentine. “My aim for the Christmas food in this book is to make life simple and use the best of what we have at our fingertips. For me this means having food that won’t take ages to do on the day and even better, can be made in advance.”

The potatoes in this recipe will have to be prepared just before cooking or they will go brown. There is an easy way to prepare hasselback potatoes; just place a wooden spoon alongside each potato to ensure you don’t cut too far through.

The quinoa stuffing can be made two days in advance and the vegetables can be stuffed the day before.

Christmas stuffed vegetables with summer quinoa & hasselback potatoes

Vegan/gluten-free/serves 4

Ingredients and method:

1 aubergine, cut into large dice1 tsp salt

Put the diced aubergine into a colander and shake them while adding the salt. Place in the sink while preparing the following ingredients:

1 red onion, diced2 cloves garlic, sliced400g tomatoes, canned, passata or grated¼ cup olives, pitted and sliced1 sweetcorn cob, kernals only

In a medium pan heat:

¼ c olive oilAdd the prepared onion and fry for two minutes. Dry the aubergine in a tea towel, then add to the pan along with the garlic. Fry for four minutes, then add:

1 cup quinoa, white or red or mixed400ml water1 tbsp dried oregano or 4 sprigs fresh2 bay leavesStir in the tomato, olives and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the sweetcorn kernels and:

1 tsp salt½ tsp cracked black pepperStir in and cook for a further two minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Meanwhile prepare the vegetables for stuffing:

4-6 capsicums tops cut off and reserved, but seeds scooped out1 marrow, sliced into 3cm thick slices with seeds removed4-6 tomatoes, tops cut off (preferably with the stalks intact) and reserved, but seeds scooped out4-6 potatoes, scrubbed and sliced halfway through at 3mm intervalsOil a roasting tray. Stuff the capsicums, marrow pieces and tomatoes with the quinoa mixture. Put the tops back on the capsicums and tomatoes and arrange in the roasting tray with the prepared potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper and bake for one hour until the capsicums are cooked and starting to slump.

For the topping melt in a frying pan on a medium heat:

2 tbsp butter or olive oil4 sprigs fresh sage, leaves only

Gently fry the leaves until crispy and remove with tongs or slotted spoon to a wooden bowl or paper towel.

Then toast until golden:

¼ cup almonds

Scatter the almonds over the top of the cooked vegetables.

Add the crisp sage leaves and:

200g feta cheese, dairy or alternative, crumbled

Serve with steamed snow peas or beans and pesto.