No matter the time of year, there are always seasonal ingredients to look forward to in Australia. As autumn gives way to winter, citrus is coming into its best time and tart apples that have been picked in autumn, like Granny Smiths, are hitting the stores. Make the most of them with this lovely dinner idea.
In this pasta dish I've opted for penne, but you can use any short pasta. Likewise, lots of different vegetables can take the place of zucchini – just cut them fine so they melt into the sauce. Finally, don't buy cheap pasta. This dish is so simple you want the pasta to be the hero, and you can taste the difference in quality.
Whip up a Sunday lunch that’s as simple as it is tasty, with many of the classic flavours of the Med.
This stew is rich and tomato-ey and a real winter warmer. This is a dish we served the first year Three Blue Ducks opened in Falls Creek about five years ago. On a hike into the mountains in the pre-season, we saw enormous numbers of rabbits, and started thinking about how to use this animal that was so familiar to the locals.
This bold little loaf can be served with soups and dips, and has a golden pumpkin crumb studded with green olives.
Fill a cake tin with sliced or diced apples then top it with a thick batter, so it bakes into something deliciously cakey on top, with sweet-smelling apples below.
Persimmons come into season at this time of year and add a beautiful sweetness. If you can't get a hold of persimmons, pears work well.
There are few dishes more fundamental than a good roast chicken, the basics of which follow two important principles. The first is to never overcook it...
Chinese cooks have always loved the intensity of flavour of dried shiitake mushrooms, but I like highlighting the fantastic range of cultivated exotic Asian mushrooms.
This delicious cool-weather salad is a great accompaniment to a pasta dish and can be dressed warm or chilled. Add some toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to add a crunch.
Slowing cooking is the way to lasting flavour. Serve this classic Italian veal braise with crusty bread, potato purée, rice or soft polenta.
Celebrate the shorter, cooler days of autumn by cranking up the oven and baking this hearty, delicious pie. A Moroccan classic, this pie is well worth the effort. I particularly love its sweet 'n' savoury nature. To complete, serve with my carrot salad and and with cous-cous or rice.
Slim, elegant and intense with flavour, more like a tart than a true cake and perfect for an easy Easter dessert or an afternoon tea snackeroo. For me, you can't do better than a scoop of creme fraiche on the side but if vanilla ice-cream is your thing, then go for it. This keeps well for a few days in an airtight tin. Use apricots, plums or peaches.
The crispness of fresh carrot, paired with the sweetness of sultanas is marvellous. This is a simple and bright salad recipe that will be memorable.
I love all those Spanish salsas that go so well with meat and seafood. Romesco - a red capsicum and nut-based sauce - is one of my my favourites.
Banish your fear of the souffle with this back-to-basics recipe. Serve this large souffle with a green salad or a huge bowl of green peas.
Thai chillies, perhaps more commonly referred to as bird's eye, are not for the faint-hearted so use to taste (!) in this quick chicken dish, suitable for a dinner party gathering.
Unlike the traditional crepe, a galette is made from buckwheat flour and water, making it an excellent alternative for non-gluten eaters.
This light, summery dessert is easy to throw together. When figs are ripe you don't want to do much to them.
You can add a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes to the pasta if you like it nice and hot. I also love mixing it with sautéd tuna cubes.
This one-tray roast couldn't be easier to prepare and the escaping juices from the tomatoes and zucchini make for a light brothy sauce.
Filling a flan case with something delicious is one of the simplest pathways to an impressive dessert.
Smoky, oily sardines cooked on the barbecue are a lovely match to creamy, fresh burrata and charred zucchini.
A cobbler or crumble is a really simple dessert for feeding a crowd.