Even though I was suffering from a lurgy and without a voice, Colin and I had a long arranged weekend with a great old friend and a very special extended family at Smoky Bay on the Eyre Peninsular. Of course, it was all about the food, and the wild caught, starting with oysters (just opened) and razor fish for breakfast, and going on from there. We had the most amazing catches over the days, including squid, Tommy Ruff and Blue Swimmer Crab; all caught by the boys (not from me!). It was just such an amazing weekend; finding deserted beaches, creeks and rolling sand hills that came right down to the sea, wood fires with tea from the billycan and grilling what the boys had just caught over the open fire. It was the most pristine environment and being surrounded by wonderful people topped it all off; it was truly fantastic! Read the rest...
Once picked, a ripe pomegranate will keep for a very long time at ‘cellar’ temperature having a similar storage life to the apple. If there is a large amount of fruit to be handled, harvesting can begin a little before full maturity as pomegranates continue to improve in storage, becoming juicier and more flavorful. The fruit should, however, be sufficiently coloured and reasonably sweet before being removed from the tree. To eat the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half and then ‘pop’ the seeds out by flipping the skin back on itself. Remove any pith that may come with the seeds and then sprinkle them over an autumn salad of figs, prosciutto and goat’s cheese, or incorporate them into any game dish such as quail, duck or venison, add to a lamb roast with fresh mint or dot across labneh with lots of fresh parsley and a good slick of extra virgin olive oil. To juice pomegranates simply cut in half and squeeze in a lemon squeezer and drink as is, or add to a cocktail for the most refreshing burst of flavour and jewel-like colour. Read the rest...
April 01 2016
News
As the cooler weather sets itself against us, it's important we make the most of the beautiful Autumn sunshine that's hanging on by a thread. We suggest finding some time this month to attend the below events in the Barossa. Read the rest...
Autumn is signalled by so many changes, but for me, the one that always serves as the true indicator we have turned the corner into a new season is the light; that golden, flaxen coloured light that hits the hills of the Valley late in the afternoon. It’s as though golden syrup has been poured over every surface – it’s really no wonder to learn photographers refer to it as ‘magic light’. Food lovers will be equally enamoured by Autumn’s arrival, with an abundance of produce made all the more special because of their brief appearance; figs, quinces, pomegranates and lovely big field mushrooms to name a few. This ‘special appearance’ produce makes it an easy decision to return to the kitchen after months of weather too hot to contemplate the stove. Read the rest...
March 28 2016
News
I have never been someone who is governed by convention, so I was always looking for another way of doing things. Like, the Verjuice, which came about because in 1984 we couldn't sell our Rhine Riesling grapes. So I said, "OK, I’ve read about this Verjuice, let's make some” and we became the first in the world to produce Verjuice commercially. Read the rest...
