Fresh Peach or Pear Appetiser

Serves 4

1/2 fresh peeled peach or pear per person (stone removed).
Filling:
125g cottage cheese
1 tblspn. chopped chives
90g grated fresh ginger
lettuce leaves for serving.

Method: Combine the filling ingredients and mix well. Place a half peach or pear onto a lettuce leaf and fill the cavity with filling mixture. Chill well before serving.

Source: contributed by Jill Eastham in Angaston Kindergarten Jubilee Cookery Book 1955-1985. 1986 edition (Angaston, 1986), p.7.

A Dinner Cooked with Claret

Soup: To give your pea soup a lift, add 1 soup spoon of claret per person when serving.

Beef Steak Special: This is particularly good with gravy beef. Cut beef in 3/4 inch slices and lay in oven-proof dish; slice onion or leeks over the top and pour over enough claret to just cover. Put in refrigerator for 24 hours. Drain beef and coat well with seasoned flour and return to claret in dish with onions. Add any other vegetables in season, e.g. peppers, tomatoes, and celery. Cook slowly in oven for approx. 4 hours. Cheap and wholesome.

Spiced Pears: Heat a pint of claret in a saucepan and then put in 3 or 4 peeled (but not cored) pears, together with 1/2 cup sugar, a little nutmeg, and stick cinnamon, and 1 clove. Cook slowly and serve with fruit together with the liquor, hot or cold, with cream.

Source: contributed by Mrs. Alan Archer in The Walford Recipe Book. Compiled by the Parent-Teacher Association of the Walford Church of England Girls' School. (Adelaide: Messenger Press; October 1966), p.25.

Banana Dip with Fruit Crudites

3 medium bananas
350g LF-cottage cheese [low-fat]
150g NF-yoghurt, plain [non-fat]
1 lemon, quartered
2 Tblsp mango chutney
1 tsp mild curry powder
2 Tblsp sultanas

Method: Blend all the ingredients except the sultanas, then stir them in. Garnish the dip with lemon wedges and surround it, on a decorative plate, with crudites:
3 apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 firm pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 Tblsp lemon juice 

4 stalks celery, cut into fingers
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
Toss the apples and pears in lemon juice.

Source: Rumbles Cookbook: low fat, low cholesterol, low salt and high fibre recipes edited by Judy Read (Adelaide: Royal Adelaide Hospital Health Promotion Unit, n.d. [1980s]), p.20.

Very Easy But Delicious Sweet

1 sponge or plain butter cake
6 oz. cream
3 or 4 ripe pears
Few drops of almond essence

Method: Split cake through centre. Whip cream with icing sugar and essence to taste. Spread cream on half cake -- place peeled half pears closely on top. Add another layer of cream, then top with cake and more cream if desired. Strained tinned pears may be used, but fresh ones are better. Put in refrigerator for 1/2 hr. before serving.

Source: The Possum Cookery Book in Aid of Miss Minda - Telethon (Brighton: Minda Home Auxiliary, n.d. [1960s - post 1963]), p.62.

Curacao Pears

6-8 under ripe pears (should be hard and green)

1 cup orange juice

1 cup dry apera (sherry)

1 cup sugar

Peel of one orange, finely sliced

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 cup blue Curacao

Method: Peel the pears but leave stems on. Place juice, sherry, sugar and orange peel in a large pot and heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears then brandy and Curacao. Cover and simmer (not boil) for 30 minutes. Keep pears upright for an ombre look, but you can turn for an all green look. Remove from pot when pears tender, not soft. Put in serving bowl to cool. Keep chilled and serve with cream. Will keep in fridge up to 3 days.

Source: contributed by Amanda Thomas in A Dash of QAC: A Sprinkle of Sweet and Savoury from our Members (Adelaide: Queen Adelaide Club, 2020), p.41.

Pears in Tarragon Cream Dressing

(as an entree or sweets)

4 ripe juicy pears

Paprika

Lettuce leaves

Dressing:

1 egg

2 tablespoons castor sugar

1/4 pint cream

3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method: Prepare dressing -- break egg into bowl and beat. Add sugar and gradually add vinegar. Stand bowl in saucepan of simmering water, stir until mixture begins to thicken, then remove from heat -- stir until slightly cool, season and chill. Whip cream and fold into dressing. Peel pears, cut in halves, lay each half on lettuce leaves. Before serving, coat eash [sic] pear half with 2 tablespoons dressing -- garnish with paprika on top.

Source: contributed by Mrs Lorna M. Hosking, A.C.H. Gawler Auxiliary in The Adelaide Children's Hospital Recipe Book 1979 (Adelaide: 1979), p.36.

Cottage Cheese Pears

4 firm, ripe pears

1&1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 oz. cottage cheese

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

3 tablespoons oil

pinch salt, mustard, pepper & sugar

3-4 oz. lean ham

1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method: Peel, core and halve pears. Blend the oil and lemon juice with seasonings, sprinkle this or just lemon juice over pears to keep them from discolouring. Blend the cottage cheese with diced ham, mayonnaise and chopped parsley. Pile into the halves of the pears, put on lettuce, top with parsley.

Source: A Recipe Book. St. Ann's School for Children with Special Needs (Marion, n.d. [c.1980]), p.52.

Brown Pears

Equipment Needed:

1 2 litre ovenproof dish

Measuring cups and spoons

Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients:

4 pears

500 ml warm water

1/2 cup sago

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Method: Wash pears and leave whole. Place in a casserole dish. Dissolve sugar and butter in warm water and pour over pears. Place sago around pears and cook in oven 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees C. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Source: Quick and Easy Desserts (Kent Town: The South Australian Country Women's Association Incorporated, 2002)

Chocolate Pears

block milk chocolate

2 tbs brandy

6 tbs milk

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Method: Melt block of chocolate. In a separate bowl beat egg yolks and sugar, add brandy and milk. Add all to chocolate mix, cook over steamer until thick. Leave stick in pears. Peel pears and steam to soften slightly or use uncooked if well ripened. Dip pears into chocolate mix, then place in individual sweets dishes and chill. [Serves 6]

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.52 ['Winter Menu']

Blushing Pears (Microwave)

4 pears

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 lemon

4 cloves

red food colouring

Method: Choose well shaped pears, peel but do not remove stalk, heat sugar and water on high about 3 minutes in a small deep casserole that is just deep enough for the pears to stand side by side, stir several times to dissolve the sugar. Add pears, lemon juice, grated rind and cloves.

Cook 3-4 minutes depending on size, spooning syrup over several times and turning dish.

Remove pears carefully, strain syrup and add red colouring to give a bright pink colour. Return pears to syrup and chill, turning pears frequently and spooning over syrup to give an even pink colouring.

Serve with cream.

Serves 4.

Source: contributed by Y. Molling S.C.N.H. [Southern Cross Nursing Homes] 1st Floor Cook Book No. 2 (?North Plympton; n.d.), p.150.

Fresh Pear Cocktail

3 sticks celery, chopped finely

12/ cup spring onions, chopped finely

1 red apple, diced

2 firm pears, diced

1/2 cup raisins

4 oz spring onion cheese, sliced and cut into small squares

Combine in a bowl carefully.

1/4 cup French dressing

1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method: Arrange in serving dishes and pour over dressing.[Serves 6]

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.60 ['Spring Menu']

Delores Delight

1 lge can carnation milk

4 passionfruit (or pineapple, peaches, or pears)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 pint whipped cream

3 lge tsp gelatine

Method: Beat milk, which has been well chilled, until thick, gradually adding sugar and gelatine (dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water and cooled). Fold in pulp of passionfruit and pour into 2 x 7" sandwich tins, well greased with butter, and sprinkled thickly on sides and bottom with cocoanut. Leave to set in refrigerator. Join together with whipped cream and decorate creamed top with nuts, strawberries, cherries, banana slices, pineapple, etc. [Serves 6]

Source: The Parson Knows: Easy Dinner Party Recipes (The Parish of St. Stephen, Glenunga; n.d.), p.58 ['Spring Menu']