This week's Bite

Homemade preserves are such a joy to make, give and receive that it's a shame many of us find we don't have the time to do it. If you're keen maybe a change of perspective to the way Kathy Paterson goes about it will assist. Rather than thinking of it as one whole hot, sticky day's work, do it little and often. I am in to it with an icecream container of raspberries from the garden (the weather has been kind to the raspberry patch in Central Otago) and I now have three jars of

raspberry jam

on the shelf. It took me 18 minutes!

Following our first frost on Saturday I pulled all the basil and whizzed up

pesto

to store in the freezer - 20 minutes including picking time. Next up, 3 jars of Kathy Paterson's

butternut, quince and apple chutney

, that should be made within two hours. To borrow a phrase from Ray McVinnie - you get the idea? Kathy has also added recipes for

piccalilli

and

roasted tomato sauce

in to our preserving recipe collections this week. Take a wander through the sweet and the savoury and brush up on your technique with our preserving 101.

Looking ahead to Easter, Allyson Gofton is

roasting chicken, with herby Greek flavours

.

Jan Bilton is on the treats with

chocolate and custard muffins

and

Easter hedgehog slice

.

But first, yes, it's weeknight meals that need our attention. How about one of Warren Elwin's

tacos

and a

fresh cheese pasta bake

?

Also in Bite this week
Peter Gordon talks chilli
Win a $150 voucher to dine at one of three restaurants who are finalists in the Silver Fern Farms Restaurant Awards