Sunday, October 30, 2016

Raspberry summers (and a pavlova recipe)


In the early 1980s I spent two summers picking raspberries. There was a large berry farm on the outskirts of the town where I lived in New Zealand. Each morning I'd jump on my bike, ride the ~10 km to the farm, and pick (and eat) raspberries all day. We were paid by weight and I ate a LOT of berries, so it wasn't the most lucrative of occupations! Everyone said I'd hate raspberries by the end but I don't. They're still one of my favourite fruits and I'm hoping to grow some once we clear away enough weeds from our new back fence.

Raspberries are delicious all on their own, or you could serve them with pavlova:

6 egg whites
3 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 cup caster sugar
1.5 tablespoons water

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add half the sugar, and beat well. Add the rest of the sugar and the vinegar, cornflour and water. Beat until well combined. Pile the mixture onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius, then turn oven down to 110 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 1.5 hours.

When cold, serve with fresh cream and seasonal fruits.


There were no leftovers. Let's declare this pavlova a success!

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