ABC Radio Brisbane Recipes

I have been speaking on food on ABC Radio Brisbane for over 25 years and usually my recipes are placed on the website. With recent changes in staff, COVID, floods and goodness knows what else these recipes have not been available this year so I am posting on my Blog here. Please contact me if you have any queries, either through this Blog or email at a.alexander@internode.on.net

20 January 2022

Marinated Quail with Potato and Olive Salad

I used quail from Brisbane Valley Farm Direct. These quail are a good large size and can be home delivered along with the many other meats processed there. http://www.brisbanevalleyfarmdirect.com.au

4 butterflied quail

olive oil

Marinade:

½ bunch each coriander and Italian parsley

½ onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon each ground turmeric and coriander

½ teaspoon ground sweet paprika

zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

approximately ¼ cup olive oil

Potato and Olive Salad:

6 baby potatoes

½ preserved lemon

1 roasted red capsicum, cut into thin slices

3 sundried tomatoes, cut into thin slices

½ red onion, finely diced

½ cup pitted green olives, cut into halves or quarters

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 cup Italian parsley leaves

red wine vinegar

1. Pre-heat oven to 200˚C.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place all marinade ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the olive oil and process again until well blended and the marinade is the consistently of a loose paste.  Combine the marinade and the quail in a large mixing bowl and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour but can be left overnight.
3. Cook the potatoes until just tender then set aside until cool enough to peel.  Cut into 2cm dice and place in a mixing bowl.  Remove the flesh from the lemon and discard then cover the lemon with hot water and set aside for 10 minutes.  Drain and cut into fine dice and add to the potatoes with the capsicum, tomatoes, onion, olives, parsley and seasoning and stir to combine well.  Pour over a splash of red wine vinegar and 1-2 tablespoon olive oil and stir again then set aside.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frypan over high heat and seal the quail in the pan on both sides until golden.  Transfer the quail to the baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove the tray from the oven and cover with foil and set aside for 5-10 minutes.  The quail can be cooked on a pre-heated barbecue plate until golden on each side.
5. Spoon salad on to plates and top each plate with a quail.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

Learning to cook

 Do you remember the Gas Corporation, Executive Chef and SEQEB Cooking Schools which all had hands-on cooking classes as well as visiting chefs for demonstration classes? These were just some of the cooking schools in Brisbane over the last thirty years but they have mostly disappeared. So where do you go to learn to cook? I am regularly asked this question and the answer is not clear cut now.

I learnt to cook at the School of Food at Coorparoo in 1979-80 and it was a wonderful atmosphere of mature age adults being taught by a diverse group of teachers. All subjects were examinable and we paid fees for the tuition. In my case I did not have any cooking background so learning the real basics was important and I loved every minute of it. I later taught at the same place and was surrounded by an amazing group of mostly women who shared so much knowledge and it was a great time to be there. I will be forever grateful for the kindness and friendship extended to me at this time.

Now in 2020, cooking schools with that sort of intense instruction are hard to find. If you are a school leaver then the Institute of Culinary Excellence (ICE) operated by Alison Taafe runs courses at Certificate and Diploma Level and is very professional in its approach to food. For those people who do not comply with this age group a good choice would be online classes but with so many to choose from where do you start?

Anneka Manning is a food writer, magazine editor and cookery teacher. She has worked at the Australian Women’s Weekly, Australian Gourmet Traveller and was editor of Good Taste Magazine which produced two cookbooks, Good Food and More Good Food. Two more recent books are Mastering the Art of Baking and Bake Club. Anneka now operates Bake Club, a hands-on and online cooking school. With restrictions due to CLOVID19, online classes are a perfect option. The classes range from the basics to advanced techniques and are interactive. Starting at $99 for 14 modules that will teach how to measure through to the finished product, the courses are very comprehensive and achievable.

I first met Anneka in 1999 when she came to Brisbane to co-present with Kathy Snowball from Australian Gourmet Traveller at the Hilton Brisbane Masterclass Weekend and well remember their professional approach and delightful manner over the weekend.

For further information, go to www.bakeclub.com.au

Prize Winners’ Tips

 The Royal Queensland Show will not happen this year and I will miss the preserves judging which is a full day of tasting all types of preserves with a great group of fellow judges. Hopefully we will be back to normal next year. In the meantime, the EKKA has introduced “Blue Ribbon Baking” which will feature well known winners in the baking section giving some tips on how they achieve that first prize ribbon. This series begins on 8 August and the full schedule can be seen at www.ekkaonline.com/blue-ribbon-baking

 Scone Day

The CWA began on 11 August 1922 and branches of the organisation all round Australia are gearing up to celebrate the centenary in two years’ time. As a way of marking this date Scone Day was introduced a few years ago but sadly current circumstances will prevent the organisation from sharing this with the general public. Local charities rely on stalls to make money for their causes and the Rural Crisis Fund is a very important cause for the CWA. In the past year we have seen members at every turn during disasters such as fires and drought so maybe you could make a batch of scones to share with your family on the 11^th and make a donation to this fund.

www.qcwa.org.au/public-rural-crisis-fund

Recipe Writing

A recent article in the Weekend Australian Magazine by Tony Turnbull titled “Eat My Words” reminded me how important it is to write a recipe in clear English. More important is to not assume knowledge in the person using the recipe. I am very conscious of this and hope I don’t commit the sin too often. The author wrote about cooking onions and the time it takes to reach the “translucent” look – at least 10 minutes and can be more than 20 minutes depending on the end result. Cooking onions is best done on low heat with patience to achieve good results, especially if the onions are not to be dark brown or worse, burnt!

I’m assuming the author is in Britain as the cooks he points the finger at are all well known British cooks – the ones we know instantly only by their first name e.g. Jamie and Nigella amongst others. He is also critical of preparation times given in recipes and I am on his side there. I really don’t like putting this in a recipe as it depends on the skill and experience of the cook as to how long it will take to prepare a recipe.

A few weeks ago I made a Rhubarb and Strawberry Self Saucing Pudding for my regular session on ABC Radio Brisbane on Sundays. I mentioned that I would post here a Passionfruit Self Saucing Pudding and here it is below. Passionfruit is in season now and there are good supplies at independent fruit and vegetable shops. Buy up now and freeze some for later.

Passionfruit Delicious

1 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

pulp of 6 passionfruit

1. Pre-heat oven to 180˚C. Lightly butter a pie dish.
2. Beat the sugar and butter until creamy in texture. It will not be light and fluffy because there is only a small amount of butter. Combine egg yolks and passionfruit in a small bowl and add alternately with the flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form then gently fold them into the passionfruit mixture in three lots. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and place in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pie dish.
4. Bake the pudding in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the pie dish out of the roasting pan and rest for 15 minutes before serving.

 

Rhubarb and Strawberry Self-Saucing Pudding

 1 cup caster sugar

strip of lemon rind

¾ cup water

1 bunch rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces

1 punnet strawberries, cut into quarters

90g unsalted butter

¾ cup caster sugar, extra

1 cup plain flour

2teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk

Crust (optional):

1 dessertspoon cornflour

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 180˚C. Lightly grease a 2 litre oven proof dish.
2. Combine caster sugar, lemon rind and water in a saucepan and stir over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves.       Bring the syrup to the boil then add the rhubarb and cook gently until the rhubarb is just starting to soften. Try not to overcook the rhubarb – it should still be in pieces. Pour the rhubarb into a sieve and reserve the syrup.
3. Gently tip the rhubarb into a bowl and combine with the strawberries. Spoon this mixture into the ovenproof dish.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.       Sift together flour and baking powder and fold into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Spread over the fruit using an off-set spatula.
5. Combine cornflour and caster sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the creamed mixture. Measure 1 cup of the reserved syrup and gently pour over the back of a spoon to give even coverage.
6. Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the juices are bubbling around the outer edge of the dish and the top is deep golden and the crust has set on the top. Remove from the oven and serve with custard or cream.

 

Home Delivery and Take Away

Scenic Rim Farm Box

Eat Local Week has been celebrated in the Scenic Rim in the mid-winter school holidays for ten years and has been a great success from the start. I am an admirer of the region and the way it promotes the produce and must declare that I am a food ambassador for the Scenic Rim along with a dozen other food industry people.

As a result of the climatic diversity in Queensland, there are numerous regions that play a critical part in food production to feed not just their local area but all across the nation. Winter and early spring is the most productive time, especially for vegetables but citrus fruit is also a major crop. Many farms in southern Australia are just too cold to grow vegetables at this time so we rely on the Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Bundaberg and the Bowen Gumlu Agricultural region and other areas.

I always enjoy driving through the nearby Lockyer and Scenic Rim areas and seeing the grey/green leaves of brassica crops, the bright green of lettuce and celery, the delicate feathery tops of carrots and so many others. If there is a crop I can’t identify I have to stop the car and walk over to the edge of the field to see what it is to satisfy my curiosity. A country drive with me always takes longer!

With travel restrictions and crowd control in place due to COVID19 Eat Local Week has been cancelled this year but that has not stopped the region from wanting to promote its produce. Scenic Rim Farm Box is the answer – a home delivered box of local grown and made goods. The first step is to register your contact details at www.scenicrimfarmbox.com.au  Initially the deliveries will be staggered across Brisbane during May. The produce ranges from fresh vegetables and fruit in season, meat, milk and cheese, coffee, nuts, wine and more and I look forward to the start date. In the meantime the Scenic Rim is offering Mother’s Day Farm Boxes for delivery next weekend so go to the above website for details.

I was the lucky recipient of a sample farm box last week and what a great mix of produce – very good smoky bacon, fresh Scenic Rim 4 Real milk and eggs and butter from Tommerup’s made a lovely breakfast. Also included was a big bunch of fresh beetroot which I pickled and now will leave for a few weeks before using. My recipe for Pickled Beetroot is below.

Market re-opening

Peter Hackworth has been influential in changing the hospitality face of Brisbane over many decades. From her first business which brought the coffee culture to town through to a scattering of restaurants to the Riverside market and most recently to Eat Street North Shore. Due to COVID19 markets had to initially shut down to comply with distancing rules. The good news is that now the Riverside at the Gardens Market, which celebrates its 30^th year in 2020, and Kelvin Grove Village Market are set to re-open.

Kelvin Grove Village Market, Saturday 9 May, 6am to 3pm

www.kelvingrovevillagemarkets.com.au

Riverside at the Gardens Market, Sunday 10 May, 9am to 3pm

www.theriversidemarkets.com.au

Take Away Meals

Living on the outskirts of Brisbane I have plenty of space around me and no end of things to do. Unfortunately, some of these activities are not near the top of the list such as cleaning out the linen cupboard but I’m very happy to spend lots of time in the garden. I am missing meeting friends for coffee or lunch but on the plus side I am enjoying having take away dinners each week. Many cafés and restaurants are remaining open with offerings of take away food and coffee and hopefully we can all support them through this difficult time.

Delicious beef and chicken pies, slow cooked brisket in Massaman curry, lamb shoulder, lasagna, soups, puddings and cakes are just some of the dishes on the menu.  Each restaurant has a different menu but they all need our support. If you don’t normally buy takeaway this is a good time to indulge occasionally and know that you really are making a difference. Look out for Mother’s Day hampers on offer as well.

Postponements rather than Cancellations

Organisers of many events due to be held this year have chosen to cancel their events rather than postpone due to the uncertainty of when we can once again go out freely in large groups.  The Queensland Garden Expo 2020 which is normally held in July each year has been postponed to 19 – 21 September this year. This is the state’s largest garden show with hundreds of stalls, exhibition gardens and a wide range of speakers including ABC Radio Brisbane presenters Annette McFarlane and Claire Bickle and other well known gardeners and plant specialists.

www.qldgardenexpo.com.au

I received advice today that Westech Field Days 2020 will be postponed until 2021. What is Westech Field Days you ask, especially if you live in the city? It is a two day event which began in 1983 and is held in Barcaldine every three years for people on the land. Predominantly featuring farm equipment but also with exhibitors of clothing and a speaker’s tent, it draws crowds from long distances and often interstate. Caroline Jones, owner of Three Girls Skipping in Graceville and I were due to attend to give a lunch and cooking class. Phew! This gives us a bit more time to practice the recipes. New dates are 7 & 8 September, 2021.

www.westechfielddays.com.au

Spices for Pickled Beetroot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Beetroot

1kg beetroot

1 ⅓ cups sugar

1 litre white wine or cider vinegar

3cm piece ginger, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon white mustard seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon whole cloves

2 whole dried chillies

2 mace blades

½ cinnamon stick

1. Remove leaves from the beetroot but leave 3cm of the stem intact. Cook the beetroot by preferred method, by covering with cold water in a saucepan and cooking until tender or cooking in a pressure cooker. Once the beetroot are cooked allow them to cool until you can slip the skins off and trim the stem end. Cut the beetroot into desired shape – in this case think about their end use. If using on hamburgers and sandwiches then the beetroot needs to be sliced but if serving as part of a salad or tasting plate then small wedges are ideal.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then simmer for a few minutes to allow the spices to infuse the liquid.
3. Place the beetroot into a large glass jar or a few small jars and pour over the pickling liquid. It is a matter of choice whether you leave the spices in the liquid or strain them out.
4. Allow the pickle to cool to room temperature then store in a cool, dark, dry place for 3 weeks before using. Refrigerate after opening.

This week’s recipe on ABC Radio Brisbane is ideal for Mother’s Day and with a bit of help is suitable for children to make. If you are looking for something to make that is quick, easy and delicious, this is it. This is my “go to” recipe when I have little time and always looks good. When thinking of a recipe to present on ABC I am mindful that I live in the city and have easy access to shops but many listeners live in rural areas, some of them long distances from shops.

Easy Fruit Topped Cake

125g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

125g self-raising flour

Fruit – see below

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease or spray a 20-23cm cake tin or a 23cm fluted round flan tin with removable base.
2. Place butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl and melt in microwave.
3. Remove bowl from the microwave and add sugar. Stir with a whisk until combined but do not beat hard. Add eggs and stir again to mix until mixed well.
4. Add flour all at once and stir to combine – do not beat the mixture which will look like a batter. Using a whisk instead of a wooden or metal spoon will ensure that the flour is easily mixed without any lumps.
5. Pour mixture into prepared tin. Arrange fruit of choice on top and sprinkle with 1 dessertspoon caster sugar.
6. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden and the cake is golden on top. Remove the cake from the oven and sit on workbench for 5 minutes before unmoulding on to a cooking rack. If using a flan tin remove the ring but leave the base attached to the cake.
7. When ready to serve dust the cake with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.Suitable fruit for topping:

• 1 apple, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 punnet fresh or frozen raspberries or other berries (do not defrost frozen berries)
• 1 punnet blueberries
• Stone fruit, halved and thinly sliced
• Morello cherries in syrup, well drain and dried with kitchen paper
• Tinned fruit such as apricots or peaches, well drained and dried with kitchen paper

New Beginnings

I have dusted off the gardening basket and started to plant out the vegetable garden with the few punnets of seedlings I can find in nurseries. With a few exceptions like peas and beans I generally like to sow seedlings because I am impatient but right now I have numerous punnets with seed raising mix planted with seeds. I can’t believe some of the vegetable seedling quantities I have seen being bought in recent weeks. One person walked away with thirty-two punnets – that’s going to be some vegetable garden in coming months.

I have two potted “Lots A Lemons” which have always produced a good crop each year. This year was no different in spite of the harsh conditions. This is a dwarf lemon of the Meyer type and are full of juice, have lots of seeds and a good flavour. I love to start the day with a walk around the garden, cup of tea in hand, to see what has happened overnight. A few days ago I discovered one of the lemons on the ground and half eaten so it was time to pick the crop before the possum came back for more. The juice of these lemons is often stored in my freezer and although I have used them for marmalade they do not give a very good set so are best used for other purposes. I made two jars of Moroccan-style preserved lemons and these will be put away for a few months until they have softened and are ready to use. I love adding some chopped up preserved rind to many slow cooked dishes, soups, mayonnaise and much more.

I used to love knitting but stopped in the mid-80s and started again about six years ago on an occasional basis. I tend to knit with a great frenzy for a few months and then stop for a while. The knitting has come out again and I am enjoying knitting a cardigan for my grandson – hopefully he will get to wear it this year. I buy most of my wool from Yarn Glorious Yarn in Taringa. Owner Sue Wheeler has great knowledge and I must say I feel sorry for her when I walk in with my most basic questions but she cheerfully assists me. I was once having difficulty with a pattern and when I asked Sue about it she explained that I had reversed the pattern halfway through the garment – no wonder it was looking a bit strange! Sue is a great source of inspiration and does online orders.  www.yarngloriousyarn.com.au   0438 374 364

I have always kept a well-stocked pantry. I will generally trial a few recipes each week and hope that most of the ingredients will be at hand with the exception of specialized products. It never occurred to me to fill what little space I had in my freezer with mince, sausages and packets of frozen vegetables but many people did just that. Try buying a freezer at the moment – they are in very short supply. The meat will be local but what about the vegetables? I notice that there are plenty of fresh vegetables in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable shops and plenty more planted to supply into the coming months. This is a simple way of supporting local farmers. I have a refrigerator where I keep mostly dried fruit and nuts and different types of flour. I found numerous packets where I had only used a portion and realized that I have enough to make one large or about six small fruit cakes so that is now on the list of things to do this week.

Ian “Herbie” Hemphill

 

 

 

 

 

I was fortunate to have two trips before this retched COVID19 set upon us. The first was to Southern India with Ian and Liz Hemphill. Ian, known widely as Herbie, is certainly Australia’s top spice expert and renowned worldwide. His books, which include the wonderful Spice Notes, have become the go to texts for everyone from leading chefs to home cooks. I love reading them for the information on the origins as much as for the recipes. Ian and Liz have taken tour groups to India over many years and I travelled with them two years ago which not only opened my eyes to so much of the customs, food and architecture of the country but also made me want to return. This year the visit started in Chennai and finished nearly three weeks later in Kochi. A group of seventeen people blended together well and we embarked on an adventure that included a visit to the largest wholesale chilli market in the world where we were advised to wear masks to subdue the sting of the dried chillies, walking through the ruins of Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the last Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar which was raided by Muslim sultanates in 1565 and the lush tropical lands of Kerala where so many spices are grown. A highlight was a farm visit to see the growing of cardamom, nutmeg and mace, pepper, cinnamon and so much more. With so much of the world to see I would still like to return to India. Herbies spices are available at some food stores in Queensland but can also be ordered online at www.herbies.com.au This week’s recipe that I presented on ABC Radio Brisbane uses a curry powder that was introduced by the colonial French in Pondicherry. The recipe is a twist on Shepherd’s Pie and will be posted on the ABC newsletter that comes out each fortnight at www.abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/abc-brisbane-newsletter   If you can’t wait that long click on “comment” and send a request.

Heavily loaded chilli truck

The delightful decorative style of architecture at Hampi

 

 

 

 

 

Cobweb-like mace which covers the nutmeg shell

Cardamom pods growing close to the ground

 

 

 

 

Peppercorns ripening on the vine

Brisbane’s loss is Tasmania’s gain. I am talking about Julia Matusik. Julia and her husband have relocated to Tasmania in recent months and will be missed here for the lovely food she sold at markets and her excellent food knowledge. Julia ran a few different food enterprises including the delightful Julia’s Pantry food store in Kenmore. Sadly this only lasted two years but it had a lovely atmosphere and lunch and a cuppa was always good. Julia has great knowledge on food for different dietary requirements and was often asked to prepare items for customers with limited preferences – she mastered this very well. Julia writes a weekly newsletter titled Three Things and I encourage you to sign up to it. www.juliaspantry.com.au

In Season

This recipe was given to me by one of my fellow cookery teachers at the old School of Food in Coorparoo in 1980 and I have been making it ever since.  It was a very special place where students attended hands-on cooking classes and firm friendships were made.  The last of the stone fruit are in the shops, including some good blood plums. This cake recipe is just the thing to make while staying at home. It can be made in loaf tins instead of one large tin – perfect for sharing with a neighbor or someone in need.

Plum and Sour Cream Cake with Almonds

125g unsalted butter

210g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

250g sour cream

375g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda

60ml milk

approx. 6 plums

2 tablespoons flaked or slivered almonds

Topping:

45g brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

90g plain flour

15g butter

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C. Line a 30cm X 20cm tin with baking paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time and vanilla and when incorporated, add sour cream.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bi-carbonate of soda. Fold into the egg mixture alternately with the milk, finishing with flour.
4. Spread the batter into the lined tin and smooth the surface. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones and discard. Cut each half into 4-5 slices and scatter these over the cake mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle over the topping and using your fingers press the topping into the cake mixture. Scatter over the almonds and press very lightly. The top will be uneven but when the cake rises the topping will adhere onto the cake mixture.
5. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a wooden skewer. Remove from oven and rest in the tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a cake rack to cool.

 Topping:

Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and flour. Rub in the butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Note:

Many other fruits can used instead of the plums including other stone fruit, chopped or thinly sliced apples, pears or rhubarb, seedless grapes, poached quinces, frozen or fresh berries or bottled or tinned fruit. Make sure the latter are well drained.

 

Eat Local Week FOOD TOURS 30 June and 6 July

As the Scenic Rim is an agricultural gem in the landscape of Queensland, the region showcases its best during Eat Local Week 30 June – 8 July, 2018.

Carrot Field at Kalbar

To celebrate Eat Local Week, I invite you to join me for a day in the country to discover what is growing on the farms, meet the locals, hear their stories and taste the produce direct from the field. We will start the morning with a welcome coffee at Graceville’s Three Girls Skipping Café. During the tour we will relax over morning tea and lunch all of which are included.

To tantalize your taste buds, there is a choice of two different tours during Eat Local Week.

On Saturday 30 June, The Scenic Rim Farm Tour will take you along the western corridor of the Scenic Rim where the rich top soil is perfect for growing winter vegetable crops. Included will be visits to a camel dairy, olive grove, a hydroponic farm and plenty of vegetables. 

On Friday 6 July, The Mount Tamborine Flavours Tour will wind through the picturesque food and craft inspired township where we will visit a productive market garden and an organic skincare factory, indulge in cheese and wine tastings and more surprises on the day.

Bookings are essential via Eventbrite.

IN SUMMARY

Scenic Rim Farm Tour

Date: Saturday 30 June

Time: 8am – 5pm

Cost: $140pp

Depart from and return to: Three Girls Skipping Café, Cnr. Honour Avenue & Bank Road, Graceville

Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/scenic-rim-farm-tour-with-alison-alexander-tickets-45607852314

 Tamborine Mountain Flavours Tour

Date: Friday 6 July

Time: 8am – 5pm

Cost: $120pp

Depart from and return to: Three Girls Skipping Café, Cnr. Honour Avenue & Bank Road, Graceville

Bookings:  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/tamborine-mountain-flavours-tour-with-alison-alexander-tickets-45706127257

Eat Local Week Program: www.eatlocalweek.com.au

Rhubarb from Mount Tamborine

It’s August, it must be Show Time

I am looking forward to attending the Royal Queensland Show tomorrow on opening day and visiting the preserves section in the Agricultural Hall to see who the winners are. Judging took place last Saturday and there was no hint of who was competing, only a number on each jar. My fellow judge Julia Matusik and I tasted our way through 206 entries finishing late in the afternoon.  We also have the assistance of a few very experienced stewards who keep the pace moving throughout the day.

There was an increase in the entries in the Lemon and Passionfruit Butter categories which is hardly surprising given the popularity of these curds as they are more commonly called. Many of the jars were very good and choosing a winner was not easy.

We noticed less salt being used in some of the pickles and chutneys which often resulted in a poor balance of flavor. I think it is better to make a well flavoured chutney and if necessary use less of it rather than compromise the overall flavor.

Whilst we were busy with the Preserves, judges were tasting fruit cakes and puddings and others were judging the large number of iced cakes. I have no ability in this area and greatly admire the skill acquired to create delicate flowers, amusing creatures, exquisite wedding cakes and more. The aroma in the whole cookery section was of sweet Christmas fruit and alcohol – great working atmosphere!  The teapot cake reminded me of Clarice Cliff designs.

 

 

 

 

 

There is a new area at the Royal Queensland Show this year. The Flower and Garden & Quilts Exhibition will be in side and in the grounds of the Old Museum on Gregory Street. A special Royal Queensland Rose has been bred and will be planted in the garden on Friday morning and the Flower and Garden Platform Stage will have a full program of speakers for the ten days of the EKKA.

Some of the sessions on the stage tomorrow will be well known florist Phoebe Stephens working wonders with flowers, Caroline Jones, chef/owner of Three Girls Skipping Café in Graceville creating dessert with strawberries and I will be talking with Renee Holbrook, horticulturalist at Brookfield Garden Centre at 10.30am on Saturday about growing your own tomatoes and strawberries and using them in the kitchen. There will also be plenty of activities for children and more details can be seen at https://www.ekka.com.au/entertainment/the-old-museum-precinct and download the brochure for the full program.

 

Oz Harvest CEO Cook Off

When ten of Brisbane’s busiest chefs give up a Monday night you know it will probably be for a good cause.

Last night chefs and CEO’s from leading Brisbane businesses worked together to feed 300 less fortunate people in our community. Oz Harvest has been running this event in Sydney for some years but this was the first time in Brisbane and the Royal International Convention Centre on the RNA grounds accommodated everyone in one large space.

The chefs were asked to prepare the same entrée with provided ingredients but could then choose their own main course. For dessert the chefs were provided with a soft individual meringue and could serve that however they liked. Working with each chef was three CEO’s who had the experience of preparing the dinner and serving it to the diners. Chefs had to prepare thirty portions for each course.

Ronni Kahn came up with the inspired idea of rescuing food that would otherwise go into land fill and putting it to good use in meals for the needy. The Brisbane office of Oz Harvest collects food from the southeast corner and delivers it to charity kitchens the same day – food that would otherwise be wasted. Since Oz Harvest began it has delivered in excess of 45 million meals to over 800 charities in Australia.

Oz Harvest CEO Cook Off is a fund raiser for the organization and each CEO is asked to raise money through their participation. Caroline Jones, owner/chef from Three Girls Skipping in Graceville and head chef Ann Gard headed up a team that also included Mark Woolf, CEO Tattersall’s Club, Simon Hancox, Grant Thornton Australia Limited and Geoff Batkin from Wesley Mission. Woolworths generously donated many of the ingredients for the dinner.

The barbecues were fired up and bread was grilled, mushrooms roasted and prime rib fillet steaks were cooked to perfection. The first could was Bruschetta with tomato and basil and another with mushrooms and feta. Caroline’s main course was a hearty steak and vegetables – rib fillet with béarnaise sauce, crusted kipfler potatoes with wilted spinach, chargrilled mushrooms and crisp buttermilk onion rings. As with all of Caroline’s food, the plates were very generous and the diners polished them with relish.

One lovely man brought his beautiful ginger cat to dinner – well behaved and just loved being patted during the evening.  Caroline gave a box of biscuits to each of her group of diners to take away and also generously gave a cake to her CEO helpers on the night to share with their staff today.

Dessert had to include a meringue and the Three Girls Skipping version had crushed raspberry cream and fresh raspberries and finished with white chocolate and raspberry bark and rose petals.

State Manager for Oz Harvest in Queensland, Cameron Hickey and his team are to be congratulated for organizing last night. It raised much need funds for the cause and hopefully will encourage more CEO’s to sign up for next year.

 

 

New Chef on the Granite Belt

One of the highlights for me each year is judging the salami for the Stanthorpe Show. I can’t believe how lucky I am to do this and the entries again last week were very good. The Show Society included an olive competition for the first time and 17 entries of black, green and dried olives were also lined up for judging by another group of judges. The traditions of salumi and passata making and olive curing are still strong particularly amongst the descendants of the Italian immigrants into the region. Look out for news later in the year of a tour on the Granite Belt which will include some hands-on cooking.

Michael Dalton of Fino Foods in Brisbane and I were joined by local John Finocchiaro to judge the salami class. John normally enters the competition but did not have any salami left so he made up for it by lending his talented opinion to the judging panel. Almost all entries used natural skins and we looked for good even filling without any air pockets and a good distribution of fat. Some of the samples had fat that was tough and chewy and did not cut cleanly whilst the best of them had soft back fat that just melted when tasted and left a clean aftertaste. Many of the entries were equal or better than what is available in delicatessens.

I couldn’t attend the judging without staying on a few more days to make some preserves with the bounty of produce available at present. A visit to Sam Giacca at Sam’s Farm Fresh Fruit and Veg at Cottonvale was a must and I left with two boxes of ripe Roma tomatoes which have now been dried and will be used later in the year. I will write more about the seasonal fruit in another post.

A new chef has arrived in Ballandean to take over the Barrelroom and Larder at Ballandean Estate. A friend and I dined there last week and the restaurant has had a makeover with new tables and chairs (made by the chef’s brother) and a more modern look to match with the style of food now being served. Travis Crane has written a menu that sources produce from within a few hours’ drive of the restaurant and is presenting a style of food not seen in the region before. From the house made bread and cultured butter to my well-made piccolo, the meal was pure pleasure. Travis, who is operating the restaurant with his partner Arabella Chambers, has worked in Brisbane restaurants as well as doing a stint at In de Wulf in Belgium with Kobe Desramaults and his contemporary food does justice to the carefully sourced ingredients. Change your plans and make a booking at the Barrelroom and Larder as soon as you can. I can’t wait to make a return visit in a couple of weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.barrelroom.com.au

07 4684 1326

 

 

Asparagus

The first time I tasted fresh asparagus was in England in 1975. Until then I had only known it as a vegetable in a tin. A favourite sandwich for me was a toasted cheese and asparagus and a macaroni cheese was made more special with the addition of a tin of asparagus.  After that first tasting of fresh asparagus the tinned product was never good enough. I look forward to the Australian season in spring and summer each year. There is some small asparagus production in Queensland at Mundubbera but the majority of the crop is grown around Kooweerup in the Gippsland region of Victoria.

In general the more commonly available a product the less exotic it becomes but asparagus still seems to hold that “special ingredient” tag.  I have been lucky enough to visit a number of asparagus farms and there is a special pleasure in plucking a spear out of the earth and eating it immediately – it tastes of the sweetest baby peas which might explain why asparagus and peas go together so well.

There are patches of wild asparagus in the Ballandean area of the Granite Belt which have spread from a locally grown crop many years ago but you have to be up early to find it before the locals get to it. There is a famous muscat patch where the asparagus grows wild underfoot and this crop is picked daily and sometimes makes it on to the menu at The Barrel Room at Ballandean Estate.

One lonely spear

My hunger for asparagus led me to plant out fifteen crowns last year and I am anxiously waiting to pick my first spears but ….. the downside is that no spears can be picked for the first two years to allow the crowns to build up strength so they can be long term producers. Now that’s very unfair! My first lonely spear has now grown into more than thirty long feathery stems but I have yet another year before I get the pleasure of harvest. The asparagus is growing in an old cut down tank so is stopped from taking off and spreading all over the vegetable garden.

Wild Asparagus and Goat’s Cheese Tart

In the meantime I will be purchasing delicious Australian asparagus and enjoying every but of it.

Cooking Class

Lentils and pulses have long been the butt of many jokes but thank goodness they have become very popular with chefs and home cooks in recent times. There wouldn’t be a café in Brisbane that does not have at least one item on the menu that does not include lentils or chick peas or some other type of bean. Used in salads, soups, slow braises and many other dishes, they add so much interest.

Caroline Jones, owner/chef of Three Girls Skipping Café in Graceville have been holding monthly cooking class during this year and the next class this coming Wednesday is on Lentils and Pulses. We are getting in ahead of the game as 2016 has been designated by the United Nations as the Year of Pulses.

If you have been to Three Girls Skipping you will know the great range of salads they make which change daily and Caroline will share many of these with those attending the class. Long before baked beans were put in a tin they were cooked slowly with smoked meat, spices and treacle and this will also be on the menu along with a few other recipes.

The class will be at Executive Chef in South Brisbane and the cost is $80.00 per person. We serve light refreshments before class starts and you will also have tastings through the class. Come and join us for a fun and instructive evening.

If you would like to be on the mailing list for classes please contact Executive Chef and ask to be on their newsletter email list.

Class Details:

Wednesday 26 August 2015

5.30pm for 6.00pm start

Executive Chef, 132 Merivale Street, South Brisbane

Cost: $80.00 per person

Bookings: 3844 4413