Serves 6
Roger Vergé is a master of the art of elegant presentation combined with simplicity of preparation. This is one of the best and most economical starters I picked up while doing a refresher course at his school.

Ingredients
2 English cucumbers
1 T (15 ml) flaked sea salt
4 T (60 ml) cream
1 t (5 ml) mustard powder
3 T (45 ml) lemon juice
3 T (45 ml) roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
Ina Paarman's Lemon and Black Pepper Seasoning
flat leaf parsley to garnish

Method
Keep half a cucumber for garnishing and peel the rest. Slice in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices. Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and leave in a colander over a mixing bowl to drain for at least an hour - see Cook's Tip (top right of this page).

Put into a clean cloth and squeeze completely dry. Beat the cream, mustard and lemon juice together until thick. Fold in the parsley and seasoning to taste. Fold the cucumber into the cream dressing. Divide between 6 small coffee cups and press down firmly. Refrigerate until serving time. Remove peel in strips from the reserved cucumber half. Slice in half lengthways, remove the seeds and cut into half-moon slices. Turn out dressed cucumber on 6 fish plates. Arrange the fresh slices around the wilted cucumber. Garnish with flat leaf parsley.

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Linefish Dressed Moroccan-Style
Serves 6
Delicious with quick steamed fine green beans tossed with olive oil and seasoned with Lemon and Black Pepper Seasoning. Pass a good Italian-style flatbread around the table to mop up the absolutely divine juices.

Ingredients
6 boned, but not skinned, fillets of Kingklip, Kabeljou, Cape Salmon, Steenbras or Yellowtail (about 1.25kg in total)
Ina Paarman's Seasoned Sea Salt
olive oil

Sauce
1 red bell pepper
3 medium very ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 t (5 ml) coriander seeds, crushed
¼ t (1 ml) ground cumin
pinch of tumeric
1 red chilli, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced with seeds
½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 T (30 ml) lemon juice
1 T (15 ml) coriander leaves
Ina Paarman's Lemon and Black Pepper Seasoning

Method
Slash a diamond pattern into the skin side of the fish to prevent it from curling while cooking.Season the fish with Seasoned Sea Salt and leave to firm in the fridge covered with clingfilm and an ice brick on top to keep the fish deep chilled while making the sauce.

Roast the bell pepper under a hot grill or over an open gas flame until the skin is charred. Put into a dish and cover so that it will 'sweat', making the skin very easy to pull off when cold. Prepare the tomatoes and keep on one side. Toast the coriander seeds in a small dry pan. As soon as they are aromatic, pour them into a mortar with the tumeric and cumin. Pulverise with the pestle until coarse ground. Add spices, chilli, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to tomatoes. Peel the red pepper, slice into fine strips and add to tomato mixture. Add the fresh coriander and mint. Season to taste with Lemon and Black Pepper Seasoning.

Heat a ribbed cast iron griddle pan until very hot. Brush the fish on all sides with a generous layer of olive oil and cook meaty side down first. Turn and cook skin side down until fish is just done. Alternatively cook the fish on the braai.

Divide fish between 6 plates. Dress with a generous serving of the well stirred chunky sauce.

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Green Beans with Baby Spinach
Serves 6

An excellent dish for pre-preparation. To preserve their colour, a dash of oil is added to the green vegetables before cooking - a good tip to remember. Always season after cooking.

Ingredients
250g baby green beans, remove stem end only
½ bag baby spinach leaves
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
Seasoning to taste (see suggestions below)
Dash of olive oil

Method
Steam or microwave the green beans and baby spinach separately with a little olive oil until just done, but still bright green. Toss with a little seasoning and a dash more olive oil. Arrange on a serving platter. Cover. (The vegetables can be prepared in advance to this stage and refrigerated). Just before serving, re-heat in the microwave.

Suggested Seasonings
Green beans - Ina Paarman's Garlic & Herb seasoning
Spinach - Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper seasoning

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Serves 6 - 8
For a special occasion, give our basic lemon cheesecake an exotic flavour with rosewater & chopped up Turkish delight. Top with whipped cream & fresh rosebuds.

Ingredients

Crust
11 tennis biscuits, crushed
2-3 T (30 ml- 45 ml) melted butter

Cheesecake
¾ cup (180 ml) cold tap water
2 t (10 ml) rosewater (available from Chemist)
1 x 250 g Ina Paarman's Lemon Cheesecake
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
few drops of red food colourant
150 g pink Turkish Delights, diced into 5mm blocks and tossed in a little icing sugar

Method
Mix the biscuit crumbs with the butter and keep to one side. Pour the water and rosewater into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cheesecake mix over and beat until well blended with an electric beater. Cover with clingfilm and leave to firm in the fridge for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and beat again for 1 minute until smooth. Using the same beaters, whip the cream until stiff and fold gently into the cheesecake mixture using a spatula or metal spoon. Divide the mixture in half. Colour one half pink and add the diced Turkish Delight. Blend the pink and white cheesecake mixture together lightly using a knife, so that a streaky, marbled effect is achieved. Line a 20cm loose-bottom pan (base only) with a neat circle of baking paper. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the tin. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the mixture, press down and smooth gently with the back of a spoon.

Leave to set for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. To turn out, slip a thin-bladed knife dipped in boiling water around the sides of the cake to loosen it. Place a large flat serving plate upside down over the loose-bottom tin and invert the cake onto the plate. Push the cake out and remove the base. Peel away the baking paper, which will now be on top of the cake.

Decorate with a small pink rosebud and lots of perfect petals.

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Spiced Expresso

Serves 6 in demitasse coffee cups
I really believe that the best coffee is made in an Expresso coffee pot using filtered water.

Ingredients
3 T (45 ml) medium roast Mocca Java ground coffee
pinch of salt
1 t (5 ml) sugar
fine seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods
pinch of ground cinnamon
2 cups (500 ml) filtered water

Method
Mix the coffee with the salt, sugar and spices and put into the funnel of the Expresso pot. Measure the filtered water into the bottom half of the pot and assemble the Expresso pot. Place over high heat and wait until the coffee has been pressurized through the grounds to the top compartment of the Expresso pot. Serve black with brown sugar and give each guest a cinnamon stick to stir their coffee with.  

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