A tradition worth saving

The Sunday roast should not be a rare event.

The Dominion Post headline read “11 days without sunshine”. Little wonder, then, I was feeling exasperated by the weather. I am not quite ready to begin winter cooking, and feel I have been thrust into it like a petulant child told to clean up his room. That was until an announcement, attached to a bottle of wine, arrived in the post, advising me that National Roast Day will be on Sunday, August 1.

Within two decades, it seems, the traditional Sunday roast will become a rare household event, but Selaks wine company is determined not to see that happen, nobly wishing to preserve what it believes is our national meal. I agree the tradition of the Sunday roast is worth saving.

You could start here, with this cheap cut. It has crisp skin, tender meat, loads of flavour and a cooking time that won’t keep you waiting for hours – yet it allows you to do other things while it gently roasts. It’s good served cold the next day in a sandwich with some pickled onions. Pomegranate molasses is available at broad-minded supermarkets or specialist food stores.

Roast Pork Belly stuffed with Apples and Sauerkraut, with Pomegranate Molasses and Roast Kumara

1kg pork belly, boned and the skin scored

juice of a lemon

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lay the pork belly skin-side down on a large chopping board. Put the sauerkraut into a bowl. Peel, core and chop the apple and mix through the sauerkraut. Put the mixture down the centre of the pork belly. Shred the sage leaves, sprinkle over the top and roll up the pork to form a cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine down the length to secure it. Oil a roasting dish with the grapeseed oil, place the pork in the dish and season liberally with salt. Place the roasting dish into the oven for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 180°C.

Scrub the kumara under cold running water and cut into 5mm-thick slices. Toss in a bowl with the oil and lemon juice. Tuck in around the pork and bake until tender and golden brown. Cook the pork for 45 minutes until the juices run clear. Remove the meat and kumara from the roasting dish and pour off as much fat as you can. Place the dish over a low heat and pour in the cider. Bring to the boil, stirring to lift any meat scrapings, and add the cider. Add the molasses and orange zest, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Check the seasoning and serve with the pork. Serve the kumara on the side.

Serves 4.

I have only recently returned to eating feijoas, since gorging on them as a child left me unwell for days. The distinctive smell of them in a greengrocers was enough to cause me distress even as an adult. My discomfort was so bad that when I moved into a new house several years ago, my first act, even before unpacking, was to cut down the two feijoa trees at the end of the garden. I remained morbidly drawn to them, though, for ripe feijoas, with their clear jellied centre sections, are addictive. So is this cake. Wellington company Cupcake Sweeties makes a sensational feijoa cupcake with cream-cheese icing that I like to indulge in on a Sunday morning. Feijoas also make a great salad, tossed with mint and spring onions and dressed with a classic oil and vinegar dressing.

Feijoa and Ginger cake

450g ripe feijoas

2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Line the base of a deep 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Peel the feijoas, then chop into 1cm cubes. Put them into a small saucepan with the butter and cinnamon and soften for 10-12 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally so they do not burn. Pour in the golden syrup, let the mixture bubble up briefly, then remove from the heat. The feijoas should continue cooking until they are sticky and deep golden.

Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a food mixer and beat until pale and thick. Sieve the flour and baking powder. Add the almonds to the flour. Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl with a fork, then add to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, alternating with the flour and almonds. Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Spoon the feijoas and any syrup over the mixture. It will gradually sink into the cake, making a sticky layer further down. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and lightly firm. Serve warm, in thick slices with whipped cream.

Enough for 6.

Eaten raw, scooped out of its skin, on toast with a sprinkle of salt, stewed with lots of brown sugar for breakfast or made into chutney, the tamarillo’s distinctive sharp flavour is perfect for this time of year. A wake-up call to jaded tastebuds. This juicy crumble needs nothing more than a dollop of whipped cream to accompany it; I love the contrast of cold cream against a hot dessert. It adds a whole new dimension to an ice-cream headache.

Tamarillo and Apple Crumble

4 tamarillos

2 tbsp rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 180°C. To peel the tamarillos, cut a small cross in one end, place in a deep bowl then cover with boiling water. Leave for 3-4 minutes, drain, then refresh them under cold running water. The skin will slip off easily. Slice the tamarillos, peel and chop the apple, then combine. Toss with 4 tablespoons of sugar and the orange juice and zest. Spread the fruit in the base of a 20cm baking dish. Process the flour with the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs, then add the remaining sugar and the rolled oats. Spread over the fruit and bake until the crumble is golden – about 45 minutes.

Serves 4.