Shiny, happy faces

For a short time each year a field near us is in full sunflower bloom

This happy faced crowd always makes me smile

Even funnier, a bunch like this would cost $30 in Sydney.

PS You can see how dry we are - the grass is turning browner by the minute. 

Peach Jam twice

My city life does not involve making jam.  

I have been on the farm for 4 days and have already made 2 batches using our white peaches.   

First up was  the slow cooked version.

I referred to a few recipes and tips from this book- my mother-in-law's Farm Journal
cookbook from 1963.

Mark peeled and cut up the peaches - 8 cups

6 cups of sugar!
I shut my eyes when that goes in with the peaches along with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice.
I think the lemon is supposed to counteract the sugar calories.

Cook over a medium heat until it comes to the boil.
This foam comes to the top - remove with a spoon after 10 minutes. Keep doing that.

Boil gently for an hour until you can put a blob on a cold plate and it doesn't run.
Mine took a while longer.

In it goes into sterilised jars, sealed and simmered in boiling water for ten minutes.
Done.

  2nd batch (left)                     1st batch (right) 

 Had it for breakfast today on toasted sourdough with coffee in my new mug.
A little runny - but delicious. Gorgeous rosy peach colour,  just the right amount of sweetness.

Version two was quicker - using pectin.  I miscalculated quantities and didn't add enough pectin.
It didn't set.   I now have eleven jars of sweet liquid peach.

Any takers?

PS  Googled and found out what we can do with it.
Use as a syrup for french toast, drizzle it over cheesecake, a topping for ice-cream or fruit salad.

I will be like the side of a house by the time I get back to my city life. Take some please.

And Mark has just brought in another large bowl of peaches!

We are in a drought - but it's raining peaches!

We were catching these as they were falling around us.

Two large bowls full.

Now looking at recipes for peach jam.

First day

Woke to a beautiful sunny day after a pretty good nights sleep.  

The welcome home champagne helped!

Typically my first day back on the farm is spent thinking about all of the projects

 I want to do while I am here.  

Sad,  I know. 

 I have to keep reminding myself to relax and enjoy the moment.  

It takes a few days to shake off my citylife.

Mark just ignores my list of "honey do" projects and goes at his own steady farm pace. 

First up, a tour of his extended and impressive garden - lots of tomatoes, peas, beans, zucchinis, kale, garlic, peppers, broccoli.

The peach trees are laden, with fruit falling before we can pick it. The best crop we have ever had.

 I prepared a lemon and thyme roast chicken, which we cooked in the WFO (wood fired oven) and had with orzo, pesto and sauteed zucchini from our garden.
A salad with the first crop of cherry tomatoes.

Eaten outside, with a beautiful sunset, a nice breeze and no bugs. 

Perfect.

Too tired to take a photo of the meal - but couldn't resist this one as the sun went down.

And off to bed.

City vs Country

I grew up in a city (or at least a suburb of a city), three of my favourite places are cities - New York, Paris and Sydney -  and until I met my husband I had never considered living on a farm!

I have been totally surprised how I have adapted to my country life.  

To be truthful, I haven't spent longer than six weeks at a time at our farmhouse - but over the years it has crept gently into my heart and soul.

Today I can say I have two places that I call home.  

I love them both.

I look forward to going to the farm and I am happy when I am coming back to Sydney.

I enjoy the buzz of Sydney and the serenity of the farm.

They reflect two parts of my personality that make me feel complete.

  

Sunset on the farm

Tomorrow at this time I will be winging my way to this.

Combing my two trips into one for a longer stay- will I survive?

Can't wait to share it with you!

Provence - a little ray of sunshine

It's raining in Sydney again and has not stopped all day. 

 So looking forward to some sunshine. 

 In the meantime this photo Barb took recently brings back memories of sunnier times in Provence - one of my favourite places in France.

Photo by Barb de Rome

It doesn't just remind me of driving on these lovely roads, under the dapple of plane trees - but also the scent of lavender and rosemary,  tiny black olives bursting in my mouth,  pine needles and thyme crushed underfoot, chilled rose, tangy chevre with tapenade, the markets, hilltop villages and the white and grey limestone of the Alpilles.

That helps blow the rain clouds away.

Another city

A quick trip to Hobart this week for work - site inspections and sponsor meetings for the Awards.

This is my third visit in as many years and in that short time there has been a lot of change.

A very strong local food and wine culture continues to flourish - lots of great cafes and bars, bakeries and patisseries and restaurants.

Tried to get to Garagistes for dinner which was highly recommended and had excellent feedback on Tripadvisor.

I was curious (and nervous) about a menu featuring fried pigs ears, smoked eel and caramelised salsify. 

Unfortunately closed on Tuesday night - so headed to Salamanca and dinner at Smolt

Loved the small roast chicken, with kipflers, shallots. So simple, but so good.

A Moorilla Estate Pinot.

It was wet and chilly outside - but I was in heaven.

PS. Everyone is talking about MONA.

We had a quick behind the scenes tour of the Museum (it is closed to the public Tuesday).

Will be back for the longer version next trip.

Best way to get there I hear is by boat.

What is a new Recipe?

For me – it"s trying to make something for the first time. 

This week Good Living had a very simple and quick recipe.  

It’s been on my mind all week.

It combines all my favourite textures and flavours- gnocchi, tomato, basil and garlic. Yum.

It's very easy and all I had to buy today was some fresh ricotta.  

I stress fresh. 

There is nothing else  like it.

First, the gnocchi


Ingredients

500g fresh ricotta
2/3 cup grate parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tspn salt
1 cup plain flour

Place ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes to drain off any excess juice

Draining ricotta

Place drained ricotta in a bowl with grated cheese, eggs and salt. 

Add flour and mix to form a dough. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky and wet. 

Mix gently- with love

Divide into quarters and gently roll into two centimetre diameter logs on a lightly floured surface.

Cut into two centimetre pieces and place on a lightly floured tray. 

Press down with a fork to make indents in each gnocchi.

Gnocchi resting 

Now the sauce

Ingredients
1 tbspn olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 punnets cherry tomatoes quartered ( I used baby romas)
1/2 cup basil leaves

Heat oil, add garlic and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes and basil, cook until hot and then reduce to low and simmer for eight minutes

The finale

To cook the gnocchi,  drop into a saucepan of simmering, lightly salted water and remove as soon as they float to the top, after one or two minutes. Place in a warmed bowl, top with some of the tomato sauce and gently mix. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan.

Belissimo!

Light and fluffy- and a taste of summer.

PS

I halved the recipe and it worked perfectly.  

After draining the ricotta the gnocchi took only 10 minutes to make and a few minutes to cook.

I froze half to see how that works for a quick midweek meal.

Even better,  I'll be able to make this on the farm with our own produce!

Walking and talking

A beautiful winter Sydney day.
Perfect for catching up with a good friend while we walk and talk.  

It's very relaxing and we cover a lot of ground in conversation and steps.

Today Deb and I enjoyed the sunshine along the harbour foreshore near home.
We talked travel, food, family, friends, health and work.
Our life, really. 

She couldn't resist a shot of the view half way through the walk - put me in it and sent the photo straight to Mark on the other side of the world.

The view, the harbour bridge and me
Photo by Deb Solomon

Hi Honey!

A little ray of sunshine.

Monday morning, on my way the office, after a wet and grey weekend.

Seen out of the corner of my eye

Not just any vending machine 

Havaianas

Bringing back thoughts of the beach, sunshine, salt and summer.

Don't worry if you don't know your size!

Dinner for One

Saturday night. Dinner for one.
Lamb kofta, with a spinach, sweet potato, feta and walnut salad,  drizzled with a yoghurt, garlic and herb dressing and a caramelised balsamic.

Delicious. 

No need to compromise when eating alone, I say.