SOME IDEAS FOR THE GIPPSLAND SUSTAINABILITY TOURS

Leaving from Melbourne a 2 hour trip...
Destination Thorpdale Potato Farms ...veering off the freeway just before the Morwell exit.
Lunch at Escargot ... Mirboo Nth ..... All on the same connecting road .

I suggest you supply thermos tea ,coffee and water , stopping at a  roadside rest  with toilet facilities , wooden bench and seats . ( Near Garfield )
Your contact for the potato farmer is S & G Carpinteri.........03 56346352
This family use Biologic Farming Systems .

When you turn off the Princess Freeway and head towards Thorpdale you will see the soil colour  change before your eyes  to a rich  red .
Welcome to Thorpdale .
After your tour and potatoes in hand......it`s back on the bus  to dine at Escargot home restaurant .....( licenced )
Your Hosts  Vincenza and Doug  03 56681589
Will provide lunch and a tour or a video of their snail farm production .
They sell local hand made jewellery , soap and wine from the area.

I hope your planned tours are a success , the destinations will not disappoint but some of the scenery will take your breath away.

GIPPSLAND LOCAL PRODUCERS ...

MEAT

Hartdale pork venison
Leadoux turkeys
Rimmel rabbits ...Buchan , this would be a great trip , offering a cave exploration.
Quail wholesalers....897 Old Sale Rd  , Brandy Creek. 0417521974

FRUIT AND VEGIES ...
Blueberry fields
Bonaccord
Brigadoon walnuts
Bulmers farm
G.C. Hine
Tambo Hydroponics
Capra organic goats cheese
Gold top milk

GROCERY
* Sticky stuckey`s honey
Saucy spice company
Latrobe valley Farm fresh Eggs
*Hope farm bakery
These could be a good overnight tour..... all  below would fill a 2 day tour.
Paynesville pantry...
Raymond island honey
Banksia Cottage ...Noweyung
Avon oil company ....

Hope these are of help
Noelene Marchwicki

Gippsland won`t let you down .

HUNAN COUNTRY CHICKEN

Cut  300gm of chicken breast /thigh in to big chunks.

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt , pepper, 2 dsp of soy sauce  1dsp of white wine vinegar
3 tbs of sugar , 1 dsp of hoisin sauce , 2 tbs of crushed garlic , 1 tbs of crushed ginger , and 2 spring onions sliced on the diagonal , 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes .
Mix to combine .
Sprinkle and mix in 2 dsp of corn flour.
Slice 1/4 of red , green, and yellow capsicum . Set aside .
Peel and cube 1 egg plant  add to the capsicum bowl.
Add1 red onion thinly sliced .
1 continental cucumber , thinly sliced .
Add the vegetables to the chicken . cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour .
Heat a wide open pan and cook the chicken mix till lightly coloured on all sides and vegetables are cooked through.
Serve on a grain of your choice .....or as I did a bed of mashed pumpkin with broken feta .

Mmmmm not bad at all.

 

TAHINI , LINSEED AND SESAME SEED BREAD

Recipe for a bread machine .........

300ml water ( cold )
2 tbs of tahini paste
2 tsp of salt
1 tbs sugar
150 gm of wholemeal flour
300gm of white flour
3 tsp of gluten flour
1 tsp of bread improver
1.5 tbs of milk powder
3 tbs of sesame seeds
1 and 1/4 tsp of dried yeast

setting basic white bread
Press start ......
I love this bread .

LINSEED AND SOY BREAD

Place in the pan  of your bread machine in the order as listed below .....
310 ml of water
2 tbs of oil
2 tsp of salt
2 tbs of sugar
300gm of white bread flour
75gm of wholemeal flour
50 gm of soy flour
1 tsp of bread improver
1.5 tbs of milk powder
1.5 tsp of dried yeast

AT THE BEEP
50gm of soy grits  ( health food isle Coles )
50 gm of whole linseeds

 

CHICKEN CHAMPLAIN

For this recipe you can use chicken fillets , I used chicken thighs .
Lightly pound the skinned chicken portions , so they can be rolled and stuffed .
Place on a plate , cover and refrigerate .

Peel and core 3 granny smith apples . Set aside

Heat 2 tbs of butter in a pan and saute 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions , till soft and translucent .
Remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup of cream.
Slice the apples and add to the onions .
Add 1 tsp of tarragon  and 1 cup of breadcrumbs to make a loose stuffing mix .
Season with salt and pepper .
Divide this mix between each chicken portion
Lay the stuffing on the fillet / thigh and fold so no stuffing is showing .
Place the prepared chicken on a lightly sprayed baking tray , sprinkle with white wine and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Now make the walnut sauce ........
Bring 1 cup of chicken stock together with 1 cup of cream slowly to the boil , and reduce by half .
In another saucepan melt 2 tbs of butter over a low heat .
Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and gently simmer for 15 minutes .
Add 2 tbs of flour to the walnut mixture and mix well .
Now whisk in the cream and chicken stock and bring to the boil stirring occasionally .
Reduce the heat and add 1 tbs of tarragon and 1 cup of marsala wine .
Reduce by 1/2 then season with salt and pepper .

 

CASTLE GARDEN ......WED 19th FEB 2015

 Pan fried lamb eye of loin

Pan fried butter beans , capsicums , broccoli and onions

Pan fried spiced salmon ...

BREAD ....MOROCCAN WHOLEWHEAT AND COUSCOUS BREAD

I  love making bread , use my bread for the Castle Garden tea room , sell my bread and fill orders .
The bread I make is cooked mainly in a bread machine , there are 2 in my kitchen and sometimes I bake the bread in my pizza oven . if you have neither you can use your kitchen oven .
This is a recipe for a bread machine .......... so add the ingredients to the bread pan as I`ve listed them .
320 ml of room temp water .
2 tbs melted butter , margarine or rice bran oil
1 tsp of salt
1.5 tbs of brown sugar
300gm of wholemeal plain flour
150 gm of white bread flour
2 tbs of gluten flour
2 tsp of bread improver
3 tbs of couscous
2 tbs powdered milk  ( either full cream or skim is fine )
1.5 tsp of Moroccan seasoning . ( ras el hanout )
1.5 tsp of dried yeast

Set your machine on wholewheat  / wholegrain
Press Start

AT THE BEEP
Add 3 tbs of sliced currants

This bread is excellent when served with egg , sausage , a dip for salts and oil any thing savoury .
 

WARM ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH ROASTED PEPPERS, PINENUTS AND LEMON

Rub a red and green capsicum with olive oil , and place on your grill turning frequently .
when the skin is black and blistered , remove to a bowl and cover .
After 10 minutes remove from the bowl and carefully scrape skin off .
Slice the capsicums , removing the seeds and membranes .
slice the capsicums into long strips .
Place the strips back in a bowl and cover .
Trim 500 gm of asparagus and steam till cooked but retaining some crispness . Set aside.
Heat a pan with  1/2 cup of rice bran oil and 4 crushed cloves of garlic .
Heat to a simmer .
To assemble ......
Place the capsicums , and asparagus into the warmed oil and garlic
Heat through .
Toss through 3 tbs of pinenuts ( pignoli ) , season with salt and cracked pepper and finish with 1 dsp  of  grated lemon peel .
 

PORK AND CUCUMBERS

Core and slice  a red capsicum , continental cucumber .  Peel and slice 2 red onions , 3 cloves of garlic and 1 small red chilli.

Place these in a frypan with 3 tbs of  peanut oil.

Slice a pork fillet  (400gm  ) and  place in a bowl with a sprinkle of cornflour  and 3 tbs of soy sauce and 3 tbs of Chinese cooking wine .

Stir to combine and add to  the pan .Cook the meat through and sauce thickens , 10 minutes .

I served the pork and cucumber over a bed of black quinoa  .

 

WALNUT AND PEACH CREAM

I suggest you purchase a set of lidded jars to present this dessert in.
Purchase 2 pieces of fresh , ripe fruit per person .
Peel core and cube the fruit. today we used fresh peaches due to seasonal supply .
Sprinkle with spice ...be adventurous  try  eg ..allspice
                                                                         cinnamon
                                                                          mace
                                                                           clove
                                                                          lavender sugar
                                                                          thyme
                                                                          rosemary
                                                                         marjoram
                                                                          basil
                                                                          citrus peel
                                                                          scented syrups.
The cooking class used lavender sugar , cardamon and all spice . their choice and it worked really well.
Preheat oven to 200 deg C


Make the crumble ..........
Place  40 gm of wholemeal flour
40 gm of plain flour
50 gm of margarine
50 gm brown sugar
Pinch salt
Use your fingers to rub the mix into a breadcrumb texture .
Stir in 100 gm of broken walnuts .
Bake on a lined oven tray for 15 minutes , give the mix a stir at 10 min mark.

Prepare the cream .........
Place in a mixing bowl of the electric mixer  150 gm of thickened cream
100 gm of Greek yogurt
100gm of mascarpone
4 tbs of castor suga
1 dsp of vanilla essence
1 tsp ground cardamom
1dsp of ground ginger
Beat till soft peaks forms .

To Assemble ........
Spoon 1/3 of the crumble into the base of your jar .
Cover with 2/3 the fresh fruit cubes
If you want cook book perfect use a piping bag to pipe in the cream , or use a spoon to spoon in the cream .
Repeat the process  and finish with cream .
Scatter with minor crumbs of the crumble mix .

Refrigerate till your are ready to serve , this will last for days in the fridge .

 

POTATO AND GARLIC TATIN

Wash the skin of 500gm of kifler potatoes .
Place potatoes in a pan of boiling water
Boil until cooked through .
Drain , cool and set aside .
Spray a 20 cm round or square tin .
Set aside .
Crumble 150gm of feta cheese .
Set aside
Cut 200gm of cherry tomatoes in half.
Cut the potatoes in discs .
Peel and slice 3 onions , and a whole garlic head .
Onions and garlic need to be sautéed in a hot pan with a good slug of olive oil.
Now add 40 gm of brown sugar .
And 20 gm of butter .
Stir constantly and add a sprinkle of fresh oregano .

Now it`s time for assembly.......
Cut out a piece of baking paper to cover the base of your pan .
Pour over the caramelised onion base .
Place tomatoes on top .
Add a layer of potatoes using all the discs to cover the tomatoes .
Season with salt and pepper .
Scatter the crumbled feta over the top.

To finish off ........
Using a sheet of puff pastry , cut a large lid for your tart  ( lay over the sheet with an overlap ).
With lid pastry lid laying over the top , CAREFULLY tuck the edges down around the inside of the tin .
Place  in refrigerator till you are ready to cook the tartin .

Cook on 200deg C for 25 minutes
Turn down to 180 deg C for 15 minutes .
Hold a plate on top of the pan to turn out and serve with the pastry forming the base.
Serve with a salad , steak , or chorizo sausage .
 

COOKING CLASS AT CNC 17TH FEB 2015

Tuesday we will be making
(1 ) Walnut and fruit crumble cream served in lidded jars . ( No frozen Nana`s mixed berries , the product of Australia as noted on the plastic bag with the contaminated fruit relates to the packaging  !..."Buy Australian ", make it your mantra .
(2) Suprise Tartin ..
The cooking classes this year are very well attended with a waiting list continuing to grow .

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.
Noelene Marchwicki

DO PIAZA

Do Piaza ....double the amount of onions as to the meat used .

Peel , slice and blitz in a processor 400 gram of red onions
Place the processed onions in a bowl
Add 2 tsp of ground cumin
3 tsp of ground coriander
1 dsp of chopped ginger
2 dsp of garam masala
1 dsp of ground turmeric
Mix together
Add 800 gm of  stir fry lamb strips , that have been lightly sprinkled with cornflour .
Make sure the meat is completely covered with the onion mix .
Let stand covered for 15 minutes .
Heat a large fry pan add 3 tbs of rice bran oil .
Now pour in the coated meat and the remaining onion mix .
When the meat is cooked , you should have a thick coating sauce .
Season with salt to taste .
I served this at Castle Garden on Saturday Night , it was dressed with torn coriander leaves and served on black quinoa .

 

SUMMER FRUITS OF CASTLE GARDEN

TOMATOES

NEW PLANTINGS FOR AUTUMN ,BROCOLLINI , SPINACH , SILVERBEET , BEETROOT

 EGGPLANTS

 EGG PLANT FINGERS

 GREEN CHILLI

 EGGPLANT FINGERS

GREEN CHILLI

ZUCCHINI , MIXED CHILLIES

 NASHI PEARS

 PEARS

PEARS

 FEJOA

 QUINCE

 LEMON

 FIG

 FIG

TOMATOES, TOMATOES AND MORE TOMATOES

 

APPLE GRASMERE

Peel , core and slice 1.5 kg of  cooking apples and add  185 gm of  white sugar  and 150 ml of water .
Cook over a gentle heat until almost a puree , stirring occasionally .

Place the cooked apples in a deep round ovenproof casserole .
Set the mix aside while you prepare a light crispy shortbread crust to go over the top of the apples.
Crumble 155 gm of softened butter
Sieve 250gm of flour over the butter
Then 60gm of soft light brown sugar
60gm of castor sugar
A pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp of powdered ginger .
Cover the apples lightly with this mixture
Smooth without pressing down .

Bake in a moderate oven 180 deg C  for 30 mins
The crust should be a pale biscuit colour .

This one amazing shortbread topping .

Serve the pudding cold with thickened cream .

I used home grown apples from the garden , they came off the grafted crab apple , the tree is 5 years old and it produces crab apples on the lower branches and these bigger apples on the higher branches , very similar to Fuji apples .

THE PLEASURE OF THE TABLE BRILLAT- SAVARIN (Gastronome Francais 1755- 1826 )

" The Pleasure of the Table belongs to all ages and conditions , to every country and to every day .
It may be linked with all other pleasures and remains as the last of all to console us for the loss of the rest ."


" Le Plaisir de la Table  est de tous les ages , de toutes les conditions , de tous les payes  et de tous les jours .
Il peut s`associer a tous les autres plaisirs et reste le dernier pour nous consoler de leur perte ."


There is also a book by Wivine De Stoop ......The Pleasure Of The Table  ......1982 .

DON`T CONFUSE TECHNOLOGY WITH KNOWLEDGE

The net is a wonderful source information no doubt about it .
But nothing will ever replace hands on experience and that experience is only accessible once you have a grasp of the basic concepts of cooking .
You need to know about the difference between flours , powders, sugars ,  how to use eggs ,oils , meat cuts .....it goes on and on
What happens and how we change ingredients when we mix them with other and dry ingredients .
You need to know the feel and by feel , the taste and by taste , you need to train your practical senses , you cannot get this from the net .
When you have an understanding of the basic concepts of cooking then the net can be a handy tool.
In my classes I always get the class to share what they have just made and it amazes the group how flavour and texture varies when we have all followed the same recipe .
This happens because of the execution of the recipe for example ....  time creaming , folding , blending  etc.
The net cannot teach you how to be a cook , but it can teach you how to be a better cook but so can further reading , once you have mastered the basics .
Don`t confuse technology with knowledge .
Cheers
Noelene Marchwicki

FEZANJAN

This a stew of  ground walnuts , pomegranate juice or syrup , spices and chicken .
This dish can be made with lamb meatballs , pheasant , duck or chicken .
A whole boneless chicken or chicken breasts cut into quarters .
Fezanjan is traditionally served with Persian rice , I used Basmati rice cooked in a steamer .

The key to this dish is the  spices and they should be a teasing hint not an overpowering command .

Heat one large pot .
Place some ghee or oil in the pot
Cook enough chicken pieces for the people to be served .
Once the chicken is golden in colour , remove and set aside .
Thinly slice a red onion for each person being served .
Throw the sliced onions in the pot over a low heat till they soften .
Now add a scant tsp of turmeric , ground cardamom , cumin ( don`t overdo the cumin ,it`s not to be to be a curry. ) , cinnamon .

Place 2 handfuls of walnuts in a blender until finely chopped.
Add the walnuts to the pot  and mix well to combine .
Add the chicken and 500ml of stock .
Cover and simmer for 1/2 an hour .

Now add 2 tbs of  brown sugar
Salt and pepper
100ml of pomegranate syrup .

Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes until the chicken is just right .
Taste the sauce if you prefer it a little tarter add a squeeze of lemon or on the other hand add more sugar to sweeten it .
Serve with rice .



 

BANANA CAKES

This is a terrific recipe ...you can find it in Margaret Fulton`s book titled Baking ..pg 184
Margaret`s recipe is for banana cake but I make banana cakes , using aluminium patty pans .
1 tbs of batter in each and bake in 180deg  oven till golden , turn out on cooling rack .
Join the 2  cakes with cream cheese and icing sugar mix with a drop of banana essence and round off the sides with icing mix ...delicious .

Preheat your oven to 180deg C
Prepare your muffin pans , aluminium patty pans or a 20cm round cake tin..

Mash 2 ripe  bananas in a bowl set aside .
Using an electric mixer , cream 125gm of butter
Gradually add 165 gm of castor sugar , until light and fluffy.
Add 1 tsp of vanilla paste or essence
Sift 1 .5 cups of S.R. flour
Add the flour bit by bit alternating with the mashed banana
The mixture is so silky and rich , continue to mix.
Add a 1/4 tsp of bicarb soda to a 1/4 cup of milk
Drizzle milk into the batter mix .
Place batter into cake tin and cook for 40 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Using muffin pans , cook till cakes are risen and golden in colour about 15 minutes .
Using smaller pans the cooking time will be shorter .

Cream cheese icing
Use 250gm of cream cheese  at room temperature mixed with 1 cup of icing sugar and 1 drop of banana essence .
Use to join the small flat aluminium patties and fill the sides and smooth off .

ENTRECOTE A LA BORDELAISE

Huh entrecote?
Entrecote is a steak cut from the middle part of a sirloin of beef .
In France an entrecote is a juicy thick well marbled beef steak cut from the wing ribs .
A la , meaning in the style or manner of .
Bordelaise  in France is a wine sauce made with bone marrow , ceps  and a garnish of artichokes and potatoes .
Bordelaise  in England  is a brown sauce made with a red wine reduction , shallots , thyme , bay leaf and  garnished with diced bone marrow.

First a bit of history from `Traite de Cuisine Bourgeoise Bordelaise
`In times gone by goumets did not disdain an invitation to go down into the wine cellars and eat an entrecote with the cellar master and the tonnelier, who had a reputation for preparing it well.
They made their fire with the hoops of chestnut wood from the old barrels , claiming this gave good flavour to the meat.
Paris restaurateurs serve their entrecote a la bordelaise  with a red wine sauce , which does not at all resemble the traditional entrecote of Bordeaux.`
Tonight I will be preparing Entrecote a la Bordelaise at Castle Garden ......
This recipe is taken from Elizabeth David`s ..French Provincial Cooking .
Get your butcher to thickly slice your preferred cut of steak , at least 2 fingers thick . I am using classic rib steak each weighing 530gm each.
A great steak should  not  be a task to eat , it should be something you never want to end .
This steak is served solely with a traditional  bordelaise sauce , which is another form of cow meat and enhances the steak.
Bordelaise is just chopped shallots , sliced beef marrow and chopped parsley.
Boil 3" long pieces of bone marrow for 20 minutes and then scoop out the marrow .
Slice the marrow in rounds .
Spread the marrow , sliced shallot and parsley mix on the steak as it is being grilled on smoking hot grill.
Serve on a warm plate , there is no need for sauce ,  garlic butter or mustard .

 

CASTLE GARDEN MENU SAT 7TH FEB 2015

Dinner has been booked for fine dining tonight ...in Castle Garden dining room.
The table will be set with crusty bread , light olive oil and mechiou salt .

The guests have decided on a simple miso soup with soba noodles and boiled egg .

Dinner will be kangaroo fillet and leeks served on red quinoa .

The fillet needs slicing thinly and  marinating in a sprinkling of dry sherry , a little salt , 1 dsp of cracked pepper  and a dsp of sesame oil.
The addition od 1 dsp of cornflour which will be sprinkled over the fillet and mixed in 1 hour prior to cooking .
Prepare steamer with red quinoa ( 1:2)
1 piece of sliced ginger should be fried in 3 tbs of peanut oil .
Then add the coated and marinated fillet  to the pan , frying for 4 minutes .
Add thin slices of 1 leek ( white stalk only )
Add 1 dsp of brown sugar mixed in a little water ..
Stir through for a minute..
Served on warmed plates over a bed of quinoa
Dressed with the young leaves of bean sprouts.

Dessert  will be a cucumber , nut and cheese platter , as requested .
 

DINING ALONE ...NORTH AFRICAN LAMB MECHOUI

It`s a rare occasion that I cook for one ,  (well not alone as such Peaches and I were home alone .) so apart from sharing the contents of Peaches bowl , I decided on North African lamb mechoui .

It is a simple meal , but one of the best quick recipes.
Heat a lightly oiled gridle pan .
Make your mechoui salt , 1 dsp of  ground cumin , 1 dsp of  rock  salt , 1/2 tsp of chilli powder ,1/2 tsp of  smokey paprika .

Coat your lamb chops  (I used 4 loin chops ) with 2 tbs  melted ghee and rub  1/2 your salt mix onto the chops.
Place your chops on the hot gridle . Turning once .

I made a simple green leafed salad dressed only with sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced red onions drizzled with red wine vinegar .

I sliced some crusty bread to dip into the unused salt .
Accompanied by a glass of chilled Jacob`s Creek reisling .

Cheers Peaches ...

 

WARM SUMMER PASTA

This a great way to use some of your home grown tomatoes .

Peel and chop 5 good sized tomatoes
And slice 8 sun dried tomatoes
Now place the tomatoes in a bowl
 Add 60 gm of pitted black olives
Add a handful of freshly sliced basil
And 3 tbs of basalmic vinegar .
Cover and let stand for 30 minutes .
Slice up a spicy chorizo sausage   and cut into strips , set aside .
Place 500gm of ribbon pasta  ( your choice ...purchase a good quality egg pasta if not making your own ) , in boiling water till tender , drain and keep warm.
Heat a good glug of oil in a fry pan .
Saute 3 cloves of sliced garlic
3 tbs of fresh sage roughly chopped
chopped chorizo
Saute until chorizo warmed through.
Remove from heat
Toss through pasta and tomato mix
Serve with parmesan and garlic bread

FOR PAUL.......

Paul...
It is one  year ago today  that your world changed forever .
The phone call you made through a trembling voice  telling me that Shane had collapsed and was on life support in the Alfred hospital , Melbourne .
Witnessing your strength and courage over the following days as you sat with Shane , your family and friends , offering them support . You were amazing.
You were there for Shane right till the end.
As your mother it broke my heart to watch you suffer , and even worse I couldn't fix it , none of your family could .
A simple touch , a hug or those empty words " it will be alright " all seem so inadequate .
On the other side of your sadness , you have a beautiful memorial tree growing in the Alma Park Reserve .
A tattoo .
A beautiful feline called Polly .
You work for a very supportive company .
Caring friends
A family who will always  love you  .
And memories that will never fade.
Love you Paul.
Mum xx

 

AUNT RUBY`S VINAIGRETTE

This vinaigrette is one I fondly remember my aunt Ruby making in a `Carnivale ` glass jug .
I have that jug displayed on a dusty shelf in my kitchen .

This vinaigrette is made with a raw egg yolk .
( I grew up enjoying egg flips , sometimes as a treat but mostly on the occasion of recovery from an ailment , made with fresh milk from `Daisy` the Jersey  cow , which I hand milked everyday for family consumption. ..... the world is a very different place to 50 years ago  )
This vinaigrette is great with a green salad  or a dish of  lukewarm asparagus .
In a small bowl or jug use a fork to blend a teaspoon of Keen`s mustard powder with a teaspoon of honey .
Add the raw egg yolk , a pinch of salt and a tbs of cider vinegar .
Add a little  olive oil and continue to stir until the ingredients combine and becomes golden and creamy.
Any left over dressing keeps well in a jar in the refrigerator .

If the dressing separates , a brisk shake or stir restores the homogeneity.