Issue 2
Welcome!
I can't believe I have so much to tell you and it's only February!
So where were we when I last wrote? Christmas and New Year celebrations were in full swing with the chance to enjoy a lazy ease back into the year ahead. Good intentions for anything even vaguely lazy! Our Christmas and New Year were no sooner finished it seemed before we were off to London to the Australia Day Gala Dinner. I know you will have read about that on the website over the past few weeks, so I'll pick it up from there…
After the excitement of the Gala Dinner, I really wasn't ready to leave England just yet but I was ready for a little change of pace… so off to the country we went. I was thrilled to be invited to host a "Cooking with Verjuice" class within the blissful bucolic surrounds of Petersham Cafe in Surrey.
I was particularly drawn to their philosophy- to use the highest quality ingredients, in respect of the seasons – products which capture the flavours of the people and places from which they originate.
Petersham Café source as much local and organic produce as possible, many of the salads and herbs are grown in the walled kitchen garden of Petersham House. All dishes are made with the best ingredients, inspired by what can be found growing and flowering around the cafe. Perhaps the Farm Shop has a sister I never knew about?!
In the workshop, I ran through the history of Verjuice and why it is an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen. I demonstrated just how many quick and easy uses verjuice has (listed below so you can feel you were there with me!). The workshop included tastings of the dishes I cooked, as well as verjuice tastings from different countries, including dessert made using rare verjuice aged by some of my English friends.
In such perfect surroundings I couldn't resist introducing everyone to 'Desert Pearls', which by the way works so nicely with food using verjuice. If you haven't tried it yet please pop in to our online shop and have a look, it's just perfect for this time of year.
Oh and if ever you have the chance to visit Petersham Nurseries Café definitely pop in there too because as it has been described in a London paper, it is "impossible to deny that the Petersham Nurseries Café is divinely pretty." I totally agree.
Verjuice Quick Tips
Marinate cooked yabbies or prawns in extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of verjuice and wrap in tender vines leaves blanched in verjuice. Cook in a hot oven for a few minutes dotted with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Make a glaze for chops or a rack of lamb by gently melting a little quince paste thinned down with some verjuice. Brush the glaze generously over the meat, then roll the chops or rack in freshly chopped rosemary and season with sea salt before barbecuing.
Splash cut mango with Sangiovese verjuice.
In a hot oven bake peaches or plum halves with butter and a dash of Sangiovese verjuice.
TV Time
Well, its happening again… I'm back in my kitchen and there's a camera there! I'm very excited (and a little relieved!) to have the first of 'The Cook and the Chef' under my belt. Television has always been a rather daunting creature for me but it seems the beast can be tamed with an element of familiarity.
I feel really good about this new show and I think its because I'm finally feeling relaxed. Of course anyone who knows me would argue I've never been relaxed! But it does feel easy going and I hope that's what comes across on screen. Simon and I are having a great time bouncing ideas and banter between us. His style is so completely different to mine and that to me seems the key to the show's interest. Its like a lucky dip when we both start out with our ingredients and a terrific surprise to see what each of us reveals.
I do hope you will spend your Wednesday nights in the kitchen with us. Of course as a food club member you have even more reason to watch with your exclusive competition access. Just answer our weekly question posted on the website after each episode. I love any competition where the prizes are edible!
Make sure to check out our new aprons (as seen on TV!) and tote bags in the shop.
Hands on Barossa Farm Produce
If you find yourself in Adelaide in March why not book in for some hands on experience at Barossa Farm Produce? I'll be hosting 2 cookings classes with my daughter Saskia at her beautiful new shop in Burnside.
Tuesday 7th March
6.30 - 7.30pm
"Cooking with Verjuice"
Tuesday 28th March
6.30 - 7.30pm
"Autumn in the Barossa"
For bookings please phone: (08) 8338 6008
Classes are $25 per person with a 10% discount offer for goods purchased on the night.
Places are limited to 25 per class so please be quick!
Barossa Farm Produce
61A Portrush Road
BURNSIDE SA
Taking it slow… 9 - 12 March
But I'm referring to the Barossa Slow Food in March. It's such a perfect excuse to come to the Barossa ( if you even need one!) and this year I'm teaminig up with Seppelt's winemaker, James Godfrey to match some of his luscious fortified wines with offal recipes.
In my kitchen on the Saturday (11th) I'll be preparing a feast of offal based dishes accompanied by young and old fortifieds. I've been told places are extremely limited so if you are interested in Barossa Slow make sure to check out all that the week has to offer.
It's going to be great fun.
Dubai's Desert Pearls
You all know by now just how proud I am of our new 'Desert Pearls'. Time then to take it to the world! I'll be in Dubai at the end of this month to launch 'Desert Pearls' into major hotel chains in Dubai. Very exciting!
On the itinerary, the 'Gulf Foods' trade show aswell as hosting some verjuice demonstrations with some of Dubai's chefs. We'll follow up on that when I next write (and I'll try and remember to take some photos too!),
Until then,
Cheers,