NEWS 2010

We have been experiencing the most glorious autumn and purple is the dominant colour in my garden at the moment and egg plant is the standout vegetable I have in my small vegetable patch. I have enjoyed the still warm sunny days but will be ready when the cooler mornings arrive and a different menu.

Autumn is always the time to make preserves and the Jams and Preserves Cook Book (published by Penguin Books) has been out on the bench top and my favourite preserve at the moment is Caramelized Onion Chutney and Pickled Indian Limes. You really have to make chutneys or pickles when the fruit is at its best and in good inexpensive supply.

It has been a busy start to the year with Beginners Classes and a fun Easter Class which everyone enjoyed might have been the chocolate Easter nests?

Children’s school holiday workshops are as popular as ever and I taught a small group of teenage girls who cooked mushroom ravioli with a thyme cream sauce, chocolate date puddings with butterscotch sauce and other delights in a relaxed afternoon class. I was asked to organise a Birthday Party for 10 boys who wanted to cook with chocolate. The birthday boy had such a great time with his friends, mixing, stirring, cracking eggs and producing all sorts of chocolate coated fruits including making a small chocolate marshmallow snail. They sang happy birthday and munched into chocolate cup cakes they each had personally decorated. It was certainly a hit and I will be offering these to anyone who wants to organise a similar thing for their child.

One of my garden hens died of old age recently and it was a sad day as Roxy was the children’s friend. She was always happy to take food out of your hand and never minded being picked up and carried round the garden. The other hens don’t have quite the same personality but the eggs are still in good supply!

I have also run several corporate team building workshops for small groups who produced some excellent dishes without recipes - this is quite a challenge for those not experienced in the kitchen, but teamwork and task negotiations. The reward is a delicious 4 - 5 course meal. It is often a total surprise to the group that they sit down to enjoy and relax after preparing the food as they often don’t think they will achieve the task in the time given.

Slow Food Sydney ran a tour to the Hawkesbury and lower blue mountain region to sample seasonal fruit and pick vegetables as well as wine tastings. We ended up at 42 Bannermans a restaurant at Glenhaven which provided a delicious Italian lunch with food sourced for the local farms in the region. It was interesting but also worrying seeing valuable farmland being sold off into residential blocks. This is our food bowl and we are just giving it away and more needs to be done to protect our local food security and supplies. Lots of discussions and ideas over a glass of wine at one of the cooking classes I will be running in the next few months as well as the food tours.

I look forward to seeing you then.
Cheers Syd