Kumara Cake Roll, made in heaven

Have tried making it this weekend, and it is easier than what it looks to make. Plus is............ a sweet treat made in heaven full of great nutrition benefits.

So what are you waiting for. Try it and impress family and friends. They won't believe Kumara is so versatile.

photo taken  by Diana Rattray

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Filling
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut, optional*.
• powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Butter and flour a an oven tray. Heat oven to 190.

Lay a cotton kitchen towel out on the counter and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes (dark pans will take less time), or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. Immediately loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn onto the towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll up the cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool the rolled cake on a rack.

Beat cream cheese with the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and smooth. Stir in toasted coconut, if using. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes to firm the filling slightly.

Unroll the cooled cake and spread with the cream cheese mixture. Reroll the cake and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 to 2 hours. To serve, unwrap the cake and sprinkle with more powdered sugar. This freezes well.
Serves 8 to 10.

*To toast coconut, spread the coconut out in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 170 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove from the oven and transfer to a small bowl; set aside.

Kumara, source of Potassium. Source of good health!

Are you getting this weekend dinner ready? Are you preparing a great roast perfect for this chilly winter days.

I love the smell that comes out of the oven, plus the warmth that gives to the house.

Everybody enjoys a nice roast , even kids. But do your complain about Kumaras and the veggies. Well it must be in our DNA. When we are little, our taste buds are not as positive towards healthy food.

Did you know “Kumara”,  is among the three food sources for Potassium.

Potassium, the third most abundant mineral in human body, is the synonym for health insurer. Low potassium is associated with a risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders, and infertility.

Eating Kumaras,  will help you reduce your blood pressure and having a cheerful lifestyle.

Lets add them into our diet, and find different and fun ways of eating them!!!!!!

Enjoy your weekend, KUMARA LOVERS.

One of nature's healthiest food, Kumara

Many people think Kumara ,  as being nothing more than plain old potato that can tweak our taste buds with some extra flavor. Yet cutting-edge research on Kumara, tells us that nothing could be further from the truth as they have so many unique nutritional benefits to offer!

Orange Kumaras are:

• Low in fat
• Low in sodium/salt
• A source of fibre
• They are high in vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies. Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including heart attacks.
• Orange Kumara is a good sourced of Vitamin C:   vitamin C is important to help ward off cold and flu viruses, but this crucial vitamin also plays an important role in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It helps accelerate wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, and is essen­tial to helping us cope with stress. It even appears to help protect our body against toxins that may be linked to cancer.
• Orange Kumara contains Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays an important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, and it supports the thyroid gland.
• They contain Iron: iron plays important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper immune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.
• Orange Kumaras are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion  may be deficient in this important mineral.
• They are a source of potassium, one of the important electrolytes that help regulate heartbeat and nerve signals. Like the other electrolytes, potassium performs many essential functions, some of which include relaxing muscle contractions, reducing swelling, and protecting and controlling the activity of the kidneys.
• They are high in carotenoids , which is the precursor to vitamin A in your body.  Carotenoids help strengthen our eyesight and boost our immunity to disease, they are powerful antioxidants that help ward off cancer and protect against the effects of aging.
• Naturally gluten free 

Did you know eating Kumara was so Supergood for you???

Visiting Puhoi, lovely village and great cafe well worth a visit

This week we have visited Puhoi cafe.

Love the natural and historical environment of Puhoi's village.

But love even more the great variety of their cheese.
Being a cheese lover and born surrounded by hundreds of scented cheese I can really magnify the value that varieties of cheese bring to our taste buds.

And can only say those people are fantastic. Their old cheddar "C'est magnifique". And the blues..... a texture to die for, just perfect melting in your mouth. And the aromas you get,....  The experience is something I cannot describe by any words in the dictionary. You have to go and try them.

And personnel.... well that is as good as the cheese. Beautiful Tasha and knowledgeable Kim, shared their time with us, tasting Kumara Fusion™ with their amazing cheese.

We tried different combinations. All desirable for a nibbles plate. But the girls favourite was  Kumara Fusion™ Chocolate with Mascarpone. Also loved the Honey variant with Feta, and Old Cheddar with Original.

I guess women we can not help craving for chocolate, but as those lovely ladies said, Kumara Fusion does not tire you out. And how could, it's vegetable indeed , with lots of love.

www.kumarafusion.co.nz

Foodstuff Central Office visit

A very exciting visit to Foodstuff's central office this week.

Have to say we loved the reception area. Love the modern look of it, with the beautiful new colorful Foodstuff logo. Colours brighten up everybody's days, don't you think so.

Super friendly staff and great meeting rooms.

And what were we doing there. Well presenting our Kumara Fusion™.....

Exciting. Carlos displayed our Kumara Fusion™ varieties on the table. Cut them, and combined them with the best New Zealand fresh ingredients. And ....voila. As usual great serving ideas that you can use at home.

Honey, a little bit of History

Honey is natures sweetener.

Laborious bees, convert flower's nectar into Honey storing it in beehives.

Honey contains a treasure chest of hidden nutritional and medicinal value known for centuries. The sweet golden liquid from the beehive is a popular kitchen staple loaded with antibacterial and antifungal properties that has been used since the early days of Egyptian tombs.

Cave paintings in Spain from 7000BC show the earliest records of beekeeping, however, fossils of honey bees date back about 150 million years! 

Its 'magical' properties and versatility has given honey a significant part in history:

The earliest record of keeping bees in hives was found in the sun temple erected in 2400BC near Cairo. The bee featured frequently in Egyptian hieroglyphs and, being favoured by the pharaohs, often symbolised royalty.

The ancient Egyptians used honey as a sweetener, as a gift to their gods and also as an ingredient in embalming fluid. Honey cakes were baked by the Egyptians and used as an offering to placate the gods.

Greeks, too, made honey cakes and offered them to the gods.

The Greeks viewed honey as not only an important food, but also as a healing medicine. Greek recipes books were full of sweetmeats and cakes made from honey. Cheeses were mixed with honey to make cheesecakes, described by Euripides in the fifth century BC as being "steeped most thoroughly in the rich honey of the golden bee."

The Romans also used honey as a gift to the gods and they used it extensively in cooking. Beekeeping flourished throughout the Roman empire.

Honey continued to be of importance in Europe until the Renaissance, when the arrival of sugar from further afield meant honey was used less. By the seventeenth century sugar was being used regularly as a sweetener and honey was used  less. 

The honey bee was introduced to New Zealand in 183916 by English settlers, and Mary Bumby was the first bee-keeper here.  New Zealand had two native species of bees, but neither was suitable for producing honey.

http://kumarafusion.co.nz/

New Zealand approves Raw Milk Sales and Deliveries

“After extensive consultation and review, the Government decision will allow farmers to continue to sell raw milk directly to the public from the farm and via home deliveries."

New Zealand government has unveiled new rules which permit farmers to sell this most basic, probiotic rich and nutritious of foods directly to consumers.

The new policy requires raw milk farmers to register with the Ministry for Primary Industries, meet hygiene requirements, test milk for pathogens, keep records of sales, and label the milk correctly.

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew said that the New Zealand government has “worked hard to find the right balance between managing the risks to public health while recognising the demand from rural and urban consumers to access raw milk.”

Goodhew said that the new requirements for New Zealand farmers who sell raw milk will come into effect on March 1, 2016.

“Our focus has been to ensure raw milk is available for those who actively seek it, and that people are well aware of the risks associated with drinking it. I believe this policy will achieve both these goals.”