Zucchini slice (gluten free / grain free):

Ingredients: 
1 medium onion chopped
2 large zucchini grated
1 large carrot grated
1 cup grated cheese
6x600g pastured eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped parsley (optional)

Methods:
​Combine onion, zucchini, carrot and cheese in large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to season.

In a small bowl lightly beat the eggs and oil together.
Add to zucchini mix and stir until just combined. Add some more oil if the mix is not moist enough. You need it moist but not too sloppy.

Spoon into shallow slice type pan, sprinkle parsley over the top, and cook on 180 for around 30-40 mins until top is set and nicely browned

Perfect Roast Chicken

​Ingredients:
1 Ayton pastured chicken
500 ml chicken stock
1 lemon
1 bulb of garlic
few sprigs of rosemary
few sprigs of thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. (chickpea) flour


Method:
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 60 minutes prior to cooking.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Meanwhile fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the lemon and bring the water to the boil.
Add the lemon and boil for about 20 minutes.
Drain the lemon and spike all over with a knife. 
Pat the chicken dry with some paper towel, both on the outside and inside the cavity.
Sprinkle the cavity with some salt and freshly ground pepper. Break the garlic into cloves and put half of them inside the cavity.
Add a few sprigs of the thyme and rosemary and then add  the lemon to the cavity
Place the remaining herbs and garlic cloves in a large oven tray. 
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper and rub all over the bird.
Place the chicken on top of the herbs and garlic cloves and pour in the stock.
Place the tray in the oven and roast the chicken for about 40-45 minutes per kg. Check after an hour if there is still enough fluid in the oven tray and if necessary, add some water. 
To check if the chicken is cooked, pierce one of the breasts and one of the legs. The juices should run clear.
Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile you can make some gravy from the lovely leftover juices in the tray.
Squeeze out the garlic cloves and sprinkle the chickpea flour in the tray.
Add a splash of water, stir well to combine and bring to the boil to thicken. Pour into a jug and serve with the chicken.

​

---

​Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
(for “Perfect Roast Chicken” recipe)

​Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely sliced
2 rashers bacon or pancetta, chopped(optional)
1 tabspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup shelled pistachios
Salt and pepper
 
Method:
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and drain
Bring stock and water to gentle boil in small saucepan.
Add quinoa. Simmer gently with lid on until all the liquid is absorbed.
Allow to rest with lid on
Meanwhile, add olive oil to frypan and place on medium heat.
Add the onion, celery and bacon(if using) Fry gently until onion and celery are translucent.
Add cooked quinoa and fresh rosemary
Combine well
Season with salt and pepper
Allow to cool
Add cranberries and pistachio
Stuff into chicken cavity

​

Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Frittata (gluten free / grain free)

Ingredients:
350g kent pumpkin peeled and sliced into thin slices
1 red onion cut into thin wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
8x600g pastured eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup spinach leaves
3/4 cup feta cheese( I use sheep and goat feta)
sea salt and cracked pepper
1 tabs fresh dill

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C
Oil 6 cup (1 1/2 litre)deep baking dish or 18cm frypan with oven proof handle.
Place the pumpkin and onion in dish and use enough oil to gently toss  the vegetables until they are lightly coated in oil.
Cook  in oven for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender.
Meanwhile lightly whisk eggs and milk in mixing bowl until just combined. Season with salt and pepper.
When pumpkin is cooked, place spinach in dish with pumpkin and onion, sprinkle the feta over the top.
Pour in the egg mix, then sprinkle dill evenly over the top.
Return to oven and cook for 30-35 minutes until just set.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4

​

---

Date, Cinnamon & Rosemary Cake

(Original  source :Tania Hubbard ‘Abundance’
www.glutenfreegrainfree.com.au)
 I have modified the original recipe                
Ingredients:
1 cup pepita (pumpkin) seeds
½ cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons rosemary chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
Pinch of salt
½ cup chopped fresh, pitted dates
4x60 gram eggs
¼ cup oil
½ cup water
 
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175C
Line a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf  tin with non- stick baking paper.
Process in  food processor until finely  ground:
1 cup pepita (pumpkin) seeds
½ cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons rosemary chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
Pinch of salt
Place dry mix in to a  bowl
Add ½ cup chopped fresh, pitted dates
Then add
4x60 gram eggs
¼ cup oil
½ cup water
Combine well
Pour mixture into cake  tin
Bake for 35-40 minutes until cake bounces back when lightly pressed

---

​Super food salad

​Ingredients:
1 large head of broccoli
1 bunch of asparagus
1 cup garden peas
2 truss tomatoes
1 avocado
2 hands of mixed lettuce leaves
2 hands of fresh mixed herbs (I used dill, mint and parsley)
2/3 cup quinoa
1 tbsp. pepita/pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp. sunflower seeds
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 red onion
juice of 2 lemons
olive oil
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
 
Method:
Very thinly slice the red onion into rings and place into a small bowl. Add the juice of 1,5 lemon and give it a good toss. Place the onions in the fridge and give them a toss every 10-15 minutes, so they all pickle evenly.
Rinse the quinoa, in a sieve, under running water and place in a pot. Add 1 1/3 cup of water, bring to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until all the water has absorbed.
In the meantime; bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Wash the veggies, chop up the broccoli into small florets and the stem into 1 cm thick slices, break off the woody ends of the asparagus and chop them into 4 cm long pieces. When the water has come to the boil, add the broccoli, asparagus and the peas and cook for 2 minutes, until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water so the veggies stop cooking and place in a large salad bowl.
Wash the lettuce, spin dry, torn into smaller pieces and add to the veggies. Chop up the tomato, halve the avocado, scoop out the flesh and chop into similar sized pieces and add to the veggie mix as well.
Add the quinoa and give it a good mix.
Preheat a small frying pan on the stove and add the seeds when hot. Keep tossing them until you start hearing a popping sound. Place in a bowl and leave to cool.
To make the dressing; mix the left-over lemon juice in a small jar with about twice the amount of olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste, close the lid and give it a good shake until well combined.
Serve the salad with the dressing, pickled onions and seed-mix on the side so everyone can help themselves.
*You can spruce up the salad by adding some sweet potato falafel, chicken, salmon or feta cheese and some aioli.

---

​Spring veggie fritata​

​
​Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 red onion, peeled
200 grams garden peas
2 bunches asparagus
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch fresh basil
80 grams feta cheese
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. coconut sugar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil
 
Method:
Start by thinly slicing the red onion into rings. Heat a frying pan and add a little splash of olive oil. Add the onion rings and cook until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and the coconut sugar and cook until the vinegar has evaporated and the onions are nice and sweet.
Wash the asparagus, break off the woody ends and cut into 3 cm pieces.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the asparagus and peas and cook for about 2 minutes, until just cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water, so the veggies stop cooking any further.
Finely chop the herbs and crumb the feta into coarse pieces.
Crack the eggs in a big mixing bowl, add 0,5 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper to taste and whisk until well combined. Add in the herbs and give it a good mix.
Preheat the oven to 180oC.
Heat an oven-proof non-stick frying pan or an oven dish on medium heat on the stove and add a good splash of olive oil. Add the egg mixture and when this has set slightly on the bottom of the pan, evenly add the veggies, cheese and caramelized onions. Carefully mix with a fork, so everything is covered in the egg mixture and evenly spread out. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 7 minutes, until slightly set. Transfer the pan or dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until just set and nicely puffed up.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before tipping the frittata out of the pan. It is now ready to eat.
You can eat it either warm, room temperature or cold.
Great for a light lunch with a green salad or cut into smaller pieces as a snack or as finger food or as a part of your lunch box. Keeps well for about 3-4 days in the fridge. 

​Sweet potato falafel

​Ingredients:
1,2 kg sweet potato
1,5 cup besan/chickpea flour
1 scant tsp Himalaya salt
1,5 tbsp ground cumin
1,5 tbsp ground coriander
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch of fresh coriander
2 cloves of garlic
 
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220oC.
Start by roasting the sweet potatoes; Prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork, all around, so the steam can escape and place them on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and place in the oven. Bake the potatoes until soft and cooked through in about 40-60 minutes, depending on their size.
Leave the potatoes to cool down a little bit and when they are cold enough to handle take the skins off and place them potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Finely chop the garlic and coriander and add all the ingredients to the sweet potatoes. Kneed the mixture with your hands until you have reached a smooth consistency. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes or in the fridge for about 60 minutes, so the mixture can stiffen up a little.
Reheat the oven to 180oC.
Scoop out small golf ball sized amounts of the mixture with a cookie dough scoop if you have one, or use a spoon and roll the mixture into balls with wet hands (this prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands) and place on a with baking paper lined baking tray. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and bake until crisp in about 30 minutes.
Serve as a snack with some aioli, in a wrap with some greens, veggies and hummus or on top of our super food salad.  

---

​Homemade aioli

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks from very fresh eggs
150 ml very mild olive oil
150 ml rapeseed oil
1,5 clove of garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
juice of 0,5-1 lemon
pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
*pinch of coconut sugar
 
Method:
You can make the aioli the old-fashioned way by whisking by hand or use a hand held mixer, standing mixer, or like I did a food processor, either way is fine.
Start by combining the egg yolks, juice of half a lemon, the mustard and a pinch of salt in a bowl or your food processor. Squeeze in the garlic by using a garlic crusher or use the flat side of a chef’s knife and give it a good squeeze, so you’ll have a flat garlic clove. Chop this up until you’ll end up with a garlic puree and add this to the egg mixture.
Turn the machine of your choice on and very slowly, in a thin stream, pour in the oil in with the egg mixture. Be careful not to add the oil to quickly, otherwise the egg and oil won’t emulsify. You’ll see that the mixture slowly thickens.
When the aioli has reached the preferred consistency, stop whisking and season to taste. You might want to add some more lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. If the aioli is slightly too tangy or bitter to your taste, you can add a pinch of coconut sugar.
Pour into a clean glass jar and store up to 5 days in the fridge.
​

BBQ Lemon & Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Ayton Farm pastured chicken cut into quarters   
half cup oil
2 tabs of finely chopped fresh garlic
2 tabs of fresh thyme leaves chopped
2 tabs of grated lemon zest
salt and freshly ground pepper


Method:
Whisk the oil, garlic, thyme, lemon zest and onion
Place the chicken in dish, pour over the mixture and coat well
Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight
Preheat the BBQ to medium.
Remove chicken from the marinade, pat dry and season with salt and pepper
Place chicken on grill skin side down and cook for about 15 minutes until skin becomes golden and crisp.
Turn the chicken over, close the lid and cook for about a further 20 minutes
Let rest for 10 minutes before serving
​

Chicken Provincial

Situated a few minutes from Ayton Farm, Mt Barney Lodge provides a venue for great accomodation, camping and outdoor experiences in this region, we link below to a recipe on their web page. 

Mt Barney Lodge recipe

​Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

1kg pastured chicken bones
1brown onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 tabs apple cider vinegar
1 tabs whole black peppercorns
Optional: 1 clove garlic
 
Place bones in large stock pot or slow cooker. Cover bones with water, then  add the vinegar. Let sit for 30-40 minutes as this helps the acid to make the nutrients in the bones more available.
Add the roughly chopped vegetables and peppercorns. If using a stock pot, bring broth to the boil then simmer gently for 24 hours. If using slow cooker, set on high fro 5-6 hours before turning to low for 24 hours. The long cooking time is essential for the bones to become brittle and release all the essential nutrients.
Remove large bones with tongs before straining the remaining liquid. Place broth in refrigerator overnight so that a layer of fat forms on the top. The next day scrap off fat and discard. Divide I nto portions and either store in frig or freeze.
It is a wonderfully healing drink  or a base for soups and other dishes.