Weird!

I approached this recipe today with trepidation. In fact, the only reason I chose to make it at all, is because it's from one of my most trusted cooks, or more specifically her Mum. Recipes My Mother Gave Me, Stephanie Alexander presents Through My Kitchen Door, the first published cookbook of her mother Mary Burchett.

Cooking in a time where variety of ingredients depended largely on how well you could grow your own, the creative ways Stephanie's Mum presented meals to her family was amazing. True, there are some things even Stephanie suggests you don't try, or at least you might find a side panel suggesting a 'better' option for a sauce or similar.

The recipe that caught my eye though, is one that sounds so odd, to me at least, and yet it is one that Stephanie says that this dish was, and still IS loved. It combines bacon, meatloaf and bananas! Stunned, I am to say the least. A sign that I can sometimes be a bit of a recipe snob. Had it come from a family member of mine, I probably wouldn't have attempted it at all. It's only my respect for Ms Alexander that I thought I have to give it a try.

From the same book however, a sign of how ahead of her (Australian) time Mary Burchett was. Goodness knows I still hadn't heard of this recipe until at least the 80's and this was what was served in the Burchett home in the 60's. I chose to serve this recipe before the unusual main course - it is colourful and, in season (the only time you would want to make it) tastes fabulous. The original calls for salted whipped cream on top. Initially this may sound strange, and yet, consider that it might taste similarly to a mild, fresh cheese, unlikely to be found in Australia half a century ago.

Tomato Salad with Basil

The recipe doesn't include quantities but I used:

4 very ripe, perfect tomatoes, sliced thickly
half bunch basil roughly chopped
100g fresh goat cheese (as suggested by Stephanie)
a little salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of the cheese)
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
The recipe suggests leaving pepper off the list as the 'basil has a hot clove-like taste', and I didn't miss the pepper.

Lay the perfect tomatoes on a platter, sprinkle with a little salt, and scatter with the basil, then crumbling the cheese over it all. I drizzled a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over it all.

Serves 6 as a starter


It tasted as beautiful as it looks (certainly prettier than the second course as you will see). We all enjoyed this, the children are fans of tomatoes anyway, and adding the lovely soft cheese was OK by them. I feel that The Lovely Man was a little unsure of the cheese - the idea of it being goat's cheese I think put him off, but he did eat it!

Right, onto main course. Stephanie suggests a gravy be made, and who am I to argue? After seeing The Lovely Man 'tolerate' goat's cheese, I knew he'd be thrilled with lots of meat and gravy, even if the sight of bananas next to it confused him.

Meat Loaf with Bananas

600g minced topside (originally 1lb, but I wanted to ensure leftovers)
1/2 metric cup fresh breadcrumbs (originally called for 1 cup dry breadcrumbs)
1 small onion, chopped (originally 1/2 small onion)
1 egg
salt
pepper
tbsp dripping (you could use any other oil I suppose, but I went with the recipe)
2 rashers bacon, each cut in half to make four shorter lengths
4 bananas (recipe didn't stipulate ripeness, so I went with firm, but just ripe bananas, I think they could have been riper in hindsight - eating ripe)

for the gravy

1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup (or more as is your preference) water

Preheat the oven to 180C

Combine the minced beef, crumbs, onion, egg and salt and pepper, working it all together well with your fingers. Mould the mixture into a roll of about 6 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches. I guess I did this, I am a bit rusty on these old fashioned measures!

Melt the dripping in the baking dish (just pop it in the oven to get hot for a few minutes) before putting the roll of meat in. Cook for 45 minutes, before draping the bacon over the meatloaf and placing the skinned bananas around it. Return to the oven for another half hour or until the bacon and bananas are cooked.

Remove the Meat Loaf and bananas carefully to a serving dish. Put the dish on the heat and and scrape up all the bits before stirring in the flour. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up, add the water and stir well, adding more water until you have the consistency you want. Strain and serve over or with the meatloaf.

Serves 4