Moving to the Valley and being surrounded by ever changing seasonal produce has always been my greatest inspiration, and that in turn has allowed me to learn my craft by trial and error and I’ve gone along from one idea to the next, which has included every which way to use grapes, so wine and food have always gone hand in hand for me. Ask any Barossan and they will tell you that local wine is an essential partner to our fantastic produce grown in the Valley- MB. Read the rest...
I’ve always loved the ‘alchemy’ of cooking quinces, as they transform their pale yellow colour into the most exotic, rubescent red. The tartness of quince when peeled, cored and sautéed in nut-brown butter, is the best antidote to the richness of duck or goose. Try it served as a silky puree with quail, guinea fowl, partridge or pheasant. This same puree can also be used as a dessert by adding extra sugar and a vanilla bean during cooking. Small quinces can be baked fresh from the tree after being peeled and cored. Stuffed with walnuts, butter and honey they are delicious as an end to a long Autumn lunch- MB. Read the rest...
To marinate your own olives, once they’ve gone through the pickling process, toss them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with some rosemary and thyme and, particularly if using kalamatas, some orange rind. I keep an earthenware crock on the kitchen bench filled with olives immersed in brine or a mix of olive oil and wine vinegar. There is no need to refrigerate them unless you’ve added flavourings that may perish. If you do so, bring them to room temperature before use- MB. Read the rest...
From its humble and ancient past; virtually unknown beyond country farmhouses, Verjuice has become a staple ingredient in home kitchens and industry enterprises across Australia and internationally, due in large part to Maggie becoming the first in the world to produce it commercially. As Maggie explains, “I can’t honestly tell you how many times I came across the magic word ‘verjuice’ before I looked it up. And then the penny dropped. This was the obvious product for us to make as vignerons and for me to use in cooking." Read the rest...
On Saturday night I attended the Origins Dinner; the finale of special occasions for Tasting Australia. Thirty chefs supplied food in waves for 500 people; it was a night of delights from every quarter! The pristine oysters to start, with a glass of Deviation Road Sparkling, were just in the most magnificent condition, and I kept helping myself to them quite greedily. Tasting Australia is now all finished for the year, and I must send my huge thanks to Simon Bryant and Paul Henry, and the team behind them, for another incredibly successful festival!- Maggie. Read the rest...
