The home shed and the garden - an update

OK, so it's not a stone farmhouse in Tuscany, but our shed has proven quite a fine place to live over the past year. I do have a few complaints - the damn dust for one. With the road next to the vineyard unsealed, clouds of red dust roll over us whenever a car goes by. But not too many cars do go by. And one misty morning a herd of cattle moo-ed by and we sat outside with our cups of tea watching the quintessentially Australian scene being played out in our own front yard.

We could get the road sealed, it would certainly cut down the dust. And it would be easier on my poor old Honda.

But we don't want to live on a sealed road, it's so much more interesting with it's rocks and dust and pot holes and kangaroo tracks.

There are plans afoot to renovate the shed. At the moment our bedrooms are upstairs and the bathroom/laundry and kitchen/living areas are downstairs. The middle of the shed (see the roller doors in the photograph) is still a working shed full of farm "stuff" and the other side is the Cellar Door, which we open for wine tasting and sales every weekend. We have decided there is no point building another house on the property, we will just take over the shed and make it a home. After all, the electrics and plumbing are all in place, so why start from scratch?

The Garden.
This spring we established a garden.It was pretty tough going to begin with. The ground around the shed had been severely compacted over years as a drive way and parking area for tractors, trucks and harvesters. We tried to rip the ground buy barely broke the surface, so instead we layered gypsum to break the clay, a few ute loads of compost from a landscape supplier and a truck load of extra river sand and earth to build up levels. The entire area was then covered in a thick layer of mulch. If we keep adding compost, the soil will improve over the next few years. Mulching is absolutely essential for successful gardening in dry Australia. Well, mostly dry. As luck would have it we just experienced our wettest summer in decades, so many of our young drought hardy plants have turned up their toes in the water logged clay ground. I will replant as soon as the weather cools down.

I want the garden to be a shady haven in our long hot summers. I like controlled chaos in a garden - no neat borders, box hedges or boring roses on sticks. I prefer a garden to be full, over-grown, edging on wild. Mostly green with splashes of colour here and there. I like trees to grow in unusual forms with limbs overhanging paths or bent into bonsai-like shapes.

Not for me those perfectly formed straight trunked trees sold in nurseries. The botanical equivalent of "little boxes on the hillside".

I've learnt over the past ten years what grows best out here in central NSW. Favourite plants, often repeated or planted en masse, include rosemary, pennisetum rubrum, Russian sage, silver wormwood, sedum, seaside daisy, artichoke and lavender (French or English, not Spanish -too prissy.) Many of these plants can be divided and propagated at home, saving lots of money on landscaping. Australian natives such as emu bush, wattles and hakea also feature.

For shade, we have planted a fast growing White Cedar (also known as Persian Lilac), a Chinese Pistachio, a Japanese flowering plum, a crab apple, an ash and a black mulberry. And I could never have a garden without herbs. Instant gratification and useful as well, we scatter herbs throughout the garden in a roughly permacultural kind of way. We have thyme, sage, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, lemongrass, lemon verbena, bay, chives, dill, basil, rocket, garlic and mint. I have given up on coriander as it always bolts to seed.

Last night, half the ingredients that made up our dinner came from our garden. Home made pasta using our own eggs, our own garlic, tomatoes, basil and sage. How much better life is with a garden!

A long, slow summer of dam swims, good friends and yabbying

After our uncharacteristically wet spring and summer, the dam in the vineyard is full and has been the centre of summer entertaining. The brown, earthy, cool dam water is heavenly when temperatures hit the high 30s (that's around 100 F for all of you on the other side of the planet). As I write, we are expecting temps of around 40 C (or 104 F) tomorrow. Yikes!

The other thing we love about the dam is that it provides us with yabbies. Yabbies (known by the fabulous scientific name Cherax destructor) are basically freshwater crayfish, found in rivers and dams throughout Australia. They are tough survivors, burrowing deep into the bottom or sides of dams and rivers during periods of drought until they find moist soil. Yabbies can survive for years underground. Yabby meat is quite sweet and has been eaten by aboriginal people for thousands of years. The remains of yabby shells have been found in ancient aboriginal riverside middens dating back 28,000 years.



Yabbying is an Australian tradition - up there with icy cold beer and Christmas at the beach. All you need is a small piece of meat (the stinkier the better), a long piece of string, a degree of patience and low expectations. We took some dear friends from Canada and Sydney on a traditional yabbying expedition on a hot day in December. We had no luck with the old meat-and-string method (possibly not helped by me throwing myself into the cool water to escape the ridiculous heat - enough to make any yabby run for cover), so we set an "opera house" trap overnight. (Note; it is illegal to use opera nets in rivers, but OK in a small private dam). The following morning, our hard work and patience was rewarded with one, solitary, unamused yabby.



Our not-so-bountiful yabby catch - lived to see another day.

My hopes of a yabby feast dashed, we threw some sausages on the BBQ for lunch that day. But here is what I had intended to do with the yabbies;

Fresh yabbies with tomatoes, capers, fennel & chunky garlic croutons
This recipe is inspired by the books and recipes of Australian cook extraordinaire and regional food champion, Maggie Beer, with a nod to Jamie Oliver too. I can recommend  "Maggie's Orchard" (published in 1997 by Viking Press) and the beautifully photographed "Maggie's Table" (2001, Viking Press) for information and recipes on yabbies..and all of her books for any lover of good food!

First, prepare the yabbies for the worst;
Stun the yabbies by putting them into the freezer for half an hour. Best they are unaware of what is about to happen to them. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and throw yabbies in straight from the freezer. Cook for about 5 minutes, drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel the yabbies and remove the yucky bits.
Now, make the salad:
Throw into a bowl chopped tomato wedges, finely sliced red onion, a tablespoon or so of chopped capers, finely sliced fennel, grated lemon rind, lemon juice (tarragon vinegar is good too), extra virgin olive oil, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Toss well. If possible, let the salad stand for a little while to allow the juices to marinate the flavours together. This salad will be a bit like an Italian panzanella - salty, zingy, fresh, flavoursom.

And finally, the chunky crutons;
Take a loaf of good, solid bread such as Italian ciabatta and tear it into bite sized pieces. Spread over a baking tray, slop generously with olive oil and add one or two cloves of crushed garlic, salt & pepper. Toss well and bake in a moderate oven for about 5 - 10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Now toss the bread, salad and yabbies all together and serve in a generous bowl with a cold beer or a Canowindra chardonnay.

YUM!
Post script; Timmy the cat was found caught in the yabby net the day after yabbying, having climbed inside to get to the bait. He waited patiently all night to be let out and was not amused by our laughter or the fact that we left him in there for a few extra minutes while we rushed off to find the camera.



Just take the damn picture and get me out of here.













Postcards from Canowindra

The beautiful spring weather inspired me to take a wander through town over the weekend and take a few snap-shots of local life for you. Spring is a busy time in the bush - wool is being sent to market and hay is being made while the sun shines. Farmers are worried about too much rain over the next few weeks which has the potential to ruin wheat crops, and locusts remain a threat. But spirits remain high since the drought broke - the local pool has re-opened for the summer season and orders are being placed at the local butcher for Christmas hams. Life is good in the country.

Lady and dog, strolling down the main street.




Wool ready for market.



"Looks like more rain coming."



Finns Old Store in the main street - recently re-opened as a gift shop/cafe.



Original stained glass windows of the Garden of Roses Cafe
 - the place to go for a hamburger "with the lot".



Pasta with Sage & Nut Brown Butter



The past few weeks of warm weather and rainy days followed by sunny days has seen my
sage triple in size. Its purple flowers are lovely but it's the pungent leaves I covet!




For an easy meal, simply allow a generous knob of unsalted butter (I used about 125g here) to froth and just start to brown. Add fresh sage leaves and fry for just a minute until they begin to crisp. Tonight I also tossed in a few capers and roughly chopped flat leaf parsley for good measure. Good salt and ground pepper is a must. Other possible additions are garlic and/or pine nuts. It all comes together in minutes. Don't burn the butter - you want nut brown.




Ta da! So easy - throw it all together with a bit of Parmesan on top and serve with a green salad. Tonight's lettuce is from our own garden - I feel so smug! We matched it with a local wine - a 2010 Angullong Sauvignon Blanc from just up the road in Orange, NSW. Great family dinner outside as the sun set over the vineyard and the chooks scratched around the garden. We love (almost) summer nights!



Sweet success - our Dolce Nero starts to make an impression!

Here I am, slaving away, pouring tastings of our wines at the
Canowindra Twilight Markets. I prepared little espresso cups of
dark chocolate and cardamom mousse to go with the Dolce Nero.

Our Sangiovese dessert wine "Dolce Nero" is gaining a few fans. This morning we received an order from Stuart Knox of Fix St James Wine Bistro fame in Sydney. Stuart was just listed as a "sommelier to watch" by Max Allen in The Weekend Australian. He is a great supporter of Australian boutique wines. He tweeted, and I quote;

"Loved the Dolce Nero. Really unique and very flexible with food matching. I've got a crazy idea to try. Can you send me 12 to pour?"

Yah! We love new orders!

Here is a description of the Dolce Nero from Australian Wine Communicator of the Year (2010) Peter Bourne;

"This lush and plush passito-style dessert red has a rich, concentrated grapey bouquet of marinated prunes and liquorice allsorts. The palate is equally luxuriant though its Sangiovese heritage remains clearly defined...Perfect with Corella pears marinated in red wine and served with Italian-style rice pudding or a slither of classic Gorgonzola dolce."

Sounds delicious doesn't it? You can read more about our Dolce Nero in my Nov '09 post...

The magic of a "free range" country childhood.

About 500 metres up the dirt lane running alongside our vineyard, you'll find a small outcrop of wild acacia trees (golden wattle) growing on the side of the road. The trees are gnarled and light on foliage - a consequence of ten years of drought. A small man-made gully runs through the trees to direct water on the rare occasion it does rain. The ground is rough and rocky - the odd sheep's skull and old tyre lies tossed among the stinging nettle and other weeds.
It's nothing special, but to our children and their friends, this is a magical place known as "The Village". The gully has been christened "Creek Angus" by Angus the Autocrat, much to Ella's displeasure. (I fear revolution is unavoidable!) This is their land. It is a place they come and play without adults hovering over them, directing them, scolding them, cramping their style. Over the past twelve months they have created individual houses decorated with weeds, rocks and bones. They have developed infrastructure - pathways, a town square and even a dog kennel for Max. Many picnic lunches have been packed and taken up to The Village, along with work tools and additional building materials such as off-cuts of wood, empty plastic bottles, rope and cardboard boxes. Angus has a pen knife which he has been taught to use responsibly.

It's The Secret Seven meets Lord of the Flies

The children have been known to play up at The Village for hours only to come home at dusk. Just like my suburban childhood in the 70s - "come home when it gets dark", my mother used to say. These days only "irresponsible parents" would let a child "roam the streets" all day. It's a wonder children today have any skills at all by the time they leave home! Perhaps they don't?
Some over-protective parents may not like the idea of children playing, out of sight, in an outcrop of trees on the side of a road. There is potential for danger. The road is hardly used - but it only takes one farmer whizzing by in his ute, not expecting a child to jump out from the bushes, for tragedy to occur. On the other hand, it would be a tragedy of another kind if the children did not have this incredible place in which adventures are had, skills are forged and lifelong memories made.
So we have put a few rules and safety measures in place. Firstly, a few bikes are left in clear sight by the side of the road so that anyone in a car or ute will know there are children about. Secondly, no young children without road sense are allowed up to The Village. And thirdly, no running out from the trees on to the road under any circumstances. Just because only one car goes past a day is no need to become complacent about road rules. The children are keenly aware that if anyone is caught breaking the rules or being silly near the road, they will all suffer the consequences and no-one will be allowed to play in The Village - so they self monitor.
I still worry, and take the occasional stroll up to The Village to keep an eye on them (much to their annoyance). But we have made the decision that The Village is an experience to cherish. We are very lucky - we can do this living in the country. We can safely give our children more freedom than we could (or would) if we lived in the city. But perhaps we need to find ways to give our city children more scope and independence as well?
I love New Yorker Lenore Skenazy's blog (and book) http://www.freerangekids.wordpress.com/ - "how to raise safe, self-reliant children..without going nuts with worry!"

The 109th Annual Canowindra Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Show (please be sure to snip your raisins)

Another Canowindra Show has come and gone in a frenzy of wool, wheat and preserves. The Agricultural Show is a tradition held in just about every country town in Australia, no matter how small the population. The Royal Easter Show in Sydney is a huge event every April, but its regional equivalent is played out across thousands of rural communities every year.





I wasn't allowed into the Preserves and Home Mades pavilion
with my camera while judging was taking place.
I'm not sure what they thought I might do with the images.





The Canowindra Show is traditionally held over a two day period taking in the 4th Saturday in September when the spring countryside is at its most glorious. The 100 page Show program is published about a month before, ensuring ample time to co-ordinate entries and exhibits. For the farmers, competition sections include Stud Beef Cattle, Merino Stud Sheep, Dairy Goats, Wool, and Working Dogs. For the "Ladies", competition sections include Dairy, Fruit and Garden Produce, Home Mades, Preserves, Needlework, Decorative Flowers and Craft Work. And then there is the hotly contested "Rich Fruit Cake Competition" - the winner of which must be prepared to bake a second cake for the state semi-finals and may go on to the Royal Easter Show in Sydney! This section includes a time-honoured recipe which must be followed to the letter. The following hint is included in the program;

"To insure uniformity, and depending on size, it is suggested the raisins be snipped into 2 or 3 pieces, cherries 4-6 pieces, and almonds cross ways to 3 or 4 pieces." 

The Preserves section includes 32 categories from Peach Jam to Cucumber Relish. Entry fee is 30c (capped at $3) and first prize $2.

Every year my children enter works in the Junior Art section - usually Lego creations and drawings. They also like the "Animal made from vegetables or fruit" category - although I am pretty sure last year's winning eggplant penguin was not made by three year old Geoffry! 

Friday night is feral night - the night we have to tackle the side show. The kids love it - the lights, the noise, the Dagwood Dogs and undercooked hot chips with chicken salt. The plastic toy guns and jewelery worth 5c that cost us a dirty $5 ball throw. The "colourful" carnies selling Elvis clocks and whirlie-gigs. At 8pm, after the polo cross and harness racing, fireworks light up the night sky.



Wool ready for judging



Bringing in the sheep



At 9am on Saturday the ring events begin. Cattle and sheep are judged, working dogs are put through their tricks and the vintage tractor pull wows the gathered crowd. Ironically, the "Official Opening of Show" is held at 2pm on Saturday, just before it ends. But the best is saved till last - the Sashing of the Showgirl, the Grand Parade and the Stockman's Challenge.

By 3.30pm on the fourth Saturday in September the Canowindra Show is over for another year - exhibits are collected, the carnies fold up their monster machines and the good people of Canowindra go back to their simple, normal lives where fruit cakes can be made with whole fruit pieces and eggs are misshapen and speckled.

Our first eggs!

The day we have eagerly awaited has finally arrived. Some time in the early hours of this morning, two of our clever chooks did, for the first time in their young lives, what they were born to do - laid two brown, slightly speckled eggs. I can't help but wonder how much of a shock it must have been - at least our various bodily functions are explained to us in excruciating detail for years before we are confronted with them. Perhaps I should have better prepared them in some way? Life education for domestic chooks.

I feel strangely smug about it all - as though I have done something terribly clever.  Billions of chickens lay billions of eggs every day (although, sadly, usually not in such comfortable digs) and yet I feel as though something truly amazing has happened. It's a good feeling knowing you can produce food to feed your family - although I'm not sure how far two small eggs will go tonight. But I am sure it won't be long before we have so many eggs we will be giving them away - how nice that will be. Thank you clever chickens!

Cannellini Bean, Chorizo & Tuscan Kale Stew

Dinner ingredients last night include Tuscan kale straight from the garden.

 The Tuscan kale seed I sowed in April  is now providing an endless supply of gorgeous healthy greens for the kitchen. The children are stoic - their natural inclination being to screw up their faces at the prospect of kale at every meal. But I think they may be coming around to this packed-with-goodness super food - especially served this way. This stew is full of flavour and reminds me of a thicker, stewier version of minestrone.

Rough ingredients
2 leeks or an onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 or 3 chorizo sausages, sliced
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped - or a can
one large potato, washed, peeled and cubed
olive oil
a flourish of paprika
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
couple of tablespoons of tomato paste
a can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
a lovely bunch of kale, finely sliced - or spinach or silverbeet.
fresh Parmesan to top

Rough method
Basically, create a soffritto of the leek, carrot and celery, sauteeing them until soft in the olive oil. Add the garlic a few minutes later to ensure it doesn't burn (nothing worse than bitter burnt garlic!)  I can't tell you how many dishes I begin with this classic flavour-building starter of onion, carrot and celery sauteed in olive oil. Apparently, the Italian word "soffritto" comes from "soffriggere" - meaning to cook at a temperature just below frying. The French have their version too, called "mirepoix", the only difference being the French tend to use butter instead of olive oil.
Now, back to the pot. Add the chorizo and let it cook off and release it's lovely oil and flavour for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, potato, beans and kale. Let it all simmer for half an hour or so, or until the potato is cooked through. Season and serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top - and perhaps a bit of finely chopped flat leaf parsley (also a staple in my garden). I like to serve crusty white bread with this stew - great for mopping up the sauce. Naturally, this is a dish just made for Sangiovese, but last night we enjoyed it with a big oak aged Durif.

MAY 2012 UPDATE! We have made the happy discovery that this recipe is a winner with our 2011 Pinot Grigio too!

 Cannellini bean, chorizo and Tuscan kale stew with
 crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Canowindra - an artist's perspective

Our friend and local artist, David Isbester, manages to capture the heart and soul of this little country town in his wonderful, tonal paintings. David exhibits his works - and those of many other regional artists -  in his gallery, RiverBank, in the main street of Canowindra.Click on this link for a quick slide show of his works - it's worth it.

Be present. - Canowindra, NSW, Australia, 2804 - Artpost Slideshow

PS - I have mentioned David previously in this blog.To view some more of his works, including landscapes, go to my post from March 2.