Does Your Kitchen Rule? Posted by Kate Flower 3 March, 2010 - 2:56 PM

But My Kitchen Rules!

The knives will be out as Australia's best home-cooks battle it out on Chanel Seven's My Kitchen Rules. It's state versus state, plate against plate, as five teams-of-two from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane attempt to out-dine and out-wine each other to see whose kitchen rules. Being a Sandgroper I think that Perth has it in the bag, but then I may be a little bias!

Share your show stopping recipe ideas with me and let's see which state has the most flair, skill and finesse in the kitchen. Below is my ripper recipe for a chic summer salad. This would be a perfect meal to impress lunch guests on a balmy West Australian afternoon. Don't forget a couple of good bottles of Pinot Gris. I think it would be a contender on My Kitchen Rules. Let's see what you've got Australia!

Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta Salad with Goats Cheese and Vincotto (Serves 2 mains)

Ingredients

Dressing
30ml red wine vinegar
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp white sugar
Black pepper to taste

Salad
2/3 cup Orecchiette pasta (cooked per packet directions)
70g soft goats' cheese
30g crème fraiche
4 baby zucchini halved longways
2 tbsp olive oil
½ small fennel bulb shaved (or finely sliced)
8 kalamata olives pitted
8 cherry tomatoes halved
1 small red capsicum
10 small basil leaves
20 small Italian parsley leaves
2 tbsp Vincotto (available in good grocers and delis)

Method
To make the red wine dressing, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Place goats' cheese and crème fraiche in a small bowl and combine by mashing together with a fork. Place the combined cream cheese in a piece of foil and roll into a tight log. Secure at each end and refrigerate for 1 hour minimum. Preheat oven to 180C and rub 1 tbsp of olive oil over the red pepper. Place it on a baking tray and roast for about 25 minutes until the skin is blackened in areas. Remove from the oven, cool, then remove skin and seeds and cut into 10 equal pieces. Drizzle the baby zucchini with 1 tbsp olive oil and cook white side down on a hot griddle for 5 minutes. Remove and cool to room temp and season with salt and pepper. Place all Salad ingredients apart from the cheese and Vincotto in a large bowl, dress with 4 tbsp of the red wine vinegar dressing and gently toss. Remove the cheese from the fridge and cut the log into 6 even rounds. To serve, drizzle two plates with 1 tbsp of Vincotto each. Place two rounds of cheese on each plate with room in the middle to pile the salad. Evenly divide the salad ingredients over the two plates. Place a third round of cheese on top of the salad and drizzle with a little more red wine dressing. Serve immediately at room temperature with crusty bread for a perfect summers day lunch.

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