Watch The Cook and the Chef online: Episode 33 Bananas + Artichokes

Maggie goes bananas this week, travelling to the Tweed Valley in northern New South Wales to discover the unique qualities that this area provides for the growers of this popular fruit. Before transport opened up Northern Queensland most of Australia’s bananas were grown in Northern New South Wales. On a recent trip to the Tweed valley Maggie was really taken with how all the banana plantations are scattered high across the mountain slopes. Third generation grower, Andrew Everest, explained to Maggie that sub-tropical bananas have to be grown up high to protect them from frost. Andrew also explained how the New South Wales bananas benefit from the regions rich volcanic soils. Another feature of sub-tropical bananas is that they take longer to mature than their tropical counterparts and, according to Andrew, this results in them building up sugars and having lots of flavour. Maggie was definitely taken with the flavour of the Cavendish banana she tasted but Andrew had a surprise for her, a bunch of sweet little monkey bananas. Back in the Barossa with bananas in hand, Maggie puts her twist on a classic desert, the banana split, creating a rich and irresistible composition of brandy, bananas, roasted macadamias, ice-cream and crème fraîche, culminating in one very grown up tasting dish. Simon makes one of his favourite banana based dishes, a green banana curry, using plantain’s, a green-skinned, banana-like fruit, a more savoury relative of the traditional sweet banana. Combined with coconut milk, onions and an assortment of spices, this cheap and easy to use ingredient makes a delicious curry, perfect when served with rice and pappadums. Although still readily available the globe artichoke has lost some its former glory, to find out why Simon visits an old friend of the Cook and the Chef, market gardener Tony Scarfo. Tony’s family have been growing globe artichokes for nearly fifty years and has seen their popularity decline in recent times, due in part to the perception that they’re a difficult vegetable to prepare, but as Tony explains, with very little effort these stunning plants can be transformed into something very special. Back in Maggies kitchen our Cook and Chef need no convincing about the merits of this vegetable and show us just how easy they are to prepare and cook. Using globe artichokes and a selection of spring vegetables Simon makes a ‘Spring pot au feu’ or ‘pot of fire’, a fantastic selection of vegetables combined with stock, salt, peppercorns, bayleaves, thyme and parsley, simmered to perfection and served with crusty bread and and an array of tasty condiments. While Simon simmers, Maggie show us how to prepare, cook and serve a globe artichoke with a simple home made hollandaise and a lemon butter, almost a meal in itself. Recipes: - Green Banana Curry - Spring pot au Feu - Grown Up Banana Split - Artichokes with Lemon Butter

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