Maggie Beer

Issue 8

With so many things just around the corner - Summer, Christmas, holidays - I can find every reason to indulge in beautifully fresh food but very little time to cook it!

No doubt a lot of you are finding yourselves in the same situation, so this issue is all about ease… hampers, Christmas puddings, quick desserts and wine. Ways to indulge yourself in the produce of the season without feeling exhausted by the effort. Although having just grabbed a handful of new season’s strawberries from the garden, I’m reminded that delicious food doesn’t always have to be an exercise in preparation. It doesn’t get much easier than from strawberry patch to mouth!

Hamper in basket

Bright Stars

At the end of last month I was honoured to be part of the ‘foodie’ team to offer a six course culinary feast to raise money for the Starlight Foundation with their annual Five Chef’s Dinner. I joined Magill Estate’s Jerome Tremoulet, Stuart Oldfield from Salters Kitchen in the Barossa, Tony Carroll from Jolleys Boathouse and Jason Camillo from Blakes at the Hyatt with each of us creating and preparing an exclusive dish for the night, which was then matched with a superb wine.
For my course, I did a starter of Ocean Trout in Verjuice Jellies. It was a successful night on so many levels but most importantly in aiding the work of the Starlight Foundation which is such a wonderful organization that positively affects the lives of seriously ill children at a time when they need it most. All proceeds from the 5 chefs dinner will help to build a “Starlight Express” room at the Women’s and Childrens’ hospital.

Christmas All Wrapped Up

When it comes to sending out a perfectly timed, perfectly chosen gift, I suspect many busy people begin to think , “Oh I wish someone would magically take care of this!” and after many requests I’m thrilled to say we can. We have just finished putting together a delicious collection of hand picked gourmet favourites that will be devoured with glee! Hampers make sense to me and I adore receiving them, but I didn’t want to just put together a collection from my existing range.. it had to be special! So you will find at least one product in every hamper that is completely exclusive; a taste you can not buy anywhere else. I think they’re a deliciously easy solution to gift giving this year!

From the Garden..

Because I mentioned strawberries earlier on I thought I might share my strawberry discovery with you.. I have just picked the first plump berries from my Japanese strawberry plants that I put in earlier this year. They were very difficult to source but having tasted the result I have to say, what a find! If you’re a strawberry lover you would adore them so hunt them down if you can..
My pomegranate is also worth mentioning if we’re talking about unusual varieties. I have always wanted the Azerbaijan pomegranate originally from Persia and managed to find it available as canes that could be sent through the post from WA. Not bare rooted plants but actual canes. Quite amazing! I’ve simply put them into water for them to take root and once planted I’ll be indulging in their incredible flavour within 2 years.
The other home harvest that has me excited at the moment are my loquats.. so much so that it has sparked my first commercial run of loquat jelly. I thought you might be tempted to make your own if you have a loquat tree too so please click here for the recipe. I can smell that wonderful marzipan smell as the jelly is cooking now!

Locuts

Indulge with Ease

Maggie’s superb Barossa Christmas Puddings have arrived.. and just in time too! So jam-packed with Barossa fruit that there’s no need for even a grain of added sugar. Neither you nor Maggie would ever compromise on the lusciousness of a home cooked pud but that doesn’t mean you have to do all the cooking. Grab a delicious pudding that lets you put your feet up this Christmas and we promise we won’t tell if you don’t..

Brag Time!

Speaking of superb wine matching, now would be the moment to mention our Beer Bros Old Vine Shiraz.. This little number just won us a big number with Robert Parker - 95 Parker points! But with stock so limited, it'll be gone before we can say "Aged Rib Eye anyone?" - best grab yours now.

Grown up icecream..

There is nothing more deliciously reminiscent of childhood Summer days than a bowl of good quality ice cream for dessert. But how to please adults at a dinner party with the same simplicity? Easy – just add Cabernet! Maggie’s new syrupy Cabernet Dessert Sauce takes a ‘good Barossa red’ to a completely new level.
Try it drizzled over pancakes or pavlova, folded through yoghurt or cream for a ‘cabernet fool’ or for heavenly ease pour warmed sauce over very grown up vanilla bean ice cream. Available through all good gourmet food stores.