Last week the farm kids, aged between six and 11, set up and ran a fundraising stall for Nature Conservation Margaret River completely on their own. They made all the items, set up the display, made the signs, managed sales and made $140 in just over an hour from a stall on the front verandah at the farm. An impressive effort given the items ranged in price from 50 cents to $5! Thank you to all the customers who supported this little venture.
It was all in the name of learning about gaining a reward for effort, with that reward being contributing to their local community. In the follow up, when asked how they felt about the experience the response was a universal ‘Pretty good!‘. In the coming months the farm teens will be organising a community clothes swap, so watch this space to be kept in the loop.
Rosemary, olive oil and orange cake
by Yottam Ottolenghi
For the crystallised rosemary
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 3cm each in size
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the cake
About 2 tablespoons/30 grams unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
¾ cup (160ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon (120g) superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1½ oranges)
1½ tablespoons (7g) packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
½ cup (130g) sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
For the orange icing
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1¾ cups (175g) sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1½ cups (150g) sifted icing sugar
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallised rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Generously grease a 23cm bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
Loco Love vegan chocolates are a regular addition to the front counter these days and walk out the door almost as fast as we can get them in!
