Scenes from our country Christmas

We experienced all sorts of weather during our stay in Armidale, the highlight being the rain we got on Christmas Eve and night.

After a lazy Christmas, by Boxing Day we were ready to get out for a long walk.  We thought that after the rain the Dangar Falls would be gushing and so they were. 

We woke this wallaby and her joey from their slumbers - they didn't seem to mind and let me get up close to take a photo. 

A walk around A&R's property in the afternoon

Photo by Liam Nethery

Hens rounded up for the night at the Chook Hilton.

Strawberries in December 

 A local beer - Dobson's New England Pale Ale had to be sampled.

Before another delicious meal

M's Moroccan lamb, A's peach and buffalo mozarella salad with pomegranate and R's flat breads

What was I doing you may ask while they were preparing this repast- trying to write a Christmas post!

Headed home the next day - with a stop half way at Gloucester for a hamburger.

For my north American readers - note the beet(root).  This is the classic Australian version. 

Fresh and juicy, messy to eat - but fantastic.

We had a wonderful, relaxing country Christmas - I hope you did too.

Quintessential Sydney

The Opera Bar at the Sydney Opera House is one of those places that to me represents the best of Sydney tourism and hospitality.
On the forecourt of the Opera House - it is truly a place that is relaxed, welcoming and festive- where locals and visitors can mingle.

Whenever I used to walk past on my longer walk down to the ferry from the office in the late afternoon it always reconfirmed my feeling that if that if there was one place I would send a visitor to Sydney for a relaxed sunset drinks - it would be the place.
Overlooking the harbour with a direct and closeup view of the bridge - it doesn't get better than this.

Sunday lunch there today with my cousins K and P was everything I had anticipated

We shared a few plates and a few glasses of cold white wine and enjoyed the great atmosphere.

Prosciutto thin crust piza

Popcorn shrimp/prawn

Chorizo and white beans with salsa verde

Our conversation covered our lives, shared memories and family stories.

The sun was gentle, the breeze soft and the air full of laughter.

A trip home on the ferry reminded me to take the time to look around and appreciate the beautiful city I live in

Beautiful Sydney.

Doing lunch

Looking at the crowd today, in Sydney plenty of men and women find the time to do lunch.

I just find it hard to fit in with work.

When I can do it - I really enjoy it.

Friends BdR & JS and I headed to Pendolino, an Italian restaurant in the Strand Arcade, one of Sydney's oldest and most beautiful shopping centres.

Strand Arcade

It was a very dimly lit, intimate space. 

We started with this variety of bread - olive, walnut and white with three different oils. The Sanguinella was my favourite 

The special "lets do lunch" meal

was handmade sweet pea ravioli with gorgonzola cream and burnt butter

 A delicate pasta, fresh pea filling and creamy sauce - decadent!

We shared two desserts 

A nougat,  Ligurian honey and almond milk semifreddo with candied almond and crostoli

And a vanilla bean and goat curd bavarese with a textured strawberry salad

BdR has been known to take her holidays in October - just to go to as many Crave Sydney International Food Festival events as she can.

JS loves the pasta and ambience of Pendolino.

A great choice for lunch or dinner.  I'd go back again.

Good Food

I am really loving the new Good Food pullout in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Haven't been sure about the recent revamp from Good Living - but I was salivating this morning over breakfast looking at the recipes this week.

In season here now we could and should be eating asparagus, broad beans, podded peas, snow peas, zucchini and zucchini flowers, spinach - most of which has been on my plate in the last couple of weeks.

 I am also ahead of the recipes this week as I cooked myself a chook last Saturday night (and am eating leftovers this week)

I decided then as I ate this favourite meal of mine alone that roast chicken is best eaten with the one you love (or people you love).

My taste buds are going to be tempted at lunch today.  I am off to another Crave Sydney lunch  at Pendolino.

Really and truly, I am not one of those ladies who lunch!

Only in October.

Home again

Back from our short break to Connecticut and New York, including a three night stay in the city - 

New York City that is...

I am still reeling from the orgy of wining and dining, city street life and entertainment we experienced.

Sorting through my mind and photos for a post tomorrow.

In the meantime it's back to reality.

First job today was to pick up sticks strewn around the yard from the storm before we went away.

 And to gather these beautiful pears from under our old pear tree.

Delicious.

All over the place this weekend

A busy weekend where my farm life and city life happily merged.

 Friday night off to the city for an excellent dinner at Harvest with our friend Gwen.

On Saturday Max and Sue flew up from Memphis in their very tiny plane and spent the night with us.

Max took off for some acrobatic practise and flew over the farm to give us a show.  

My heart was in my mouth as he dipped and dove above us, then for a finale did a drop that involved the plane sounding like it had stalled and was about to crash....

I was still shaking when he came back.

Why do you do it, I asked?  

"It's fun" he said calmly with a smile. 

A relaxed dinner outside under the stars ended this special farm day.

Sunday night a taste of city life again, this time in the beautiful historic home of our friend Jeff.

As we arrived the sun was shining on the house and I couldn't resist taking this photo.

It looks like it could be the French Embassy

As I walked into the foyer I couldn't help but feel the difference between 

our modest farmhouse and this elegant townhouse.

In the late 1800s the original owner used the top floor as a ballroom for Friday night dance parties. 

The stories that could be told....

Dan Dan cooked a delicious Chinese meal for us featuring vegetables and two fresh fish - one steamed with ginger and green onions, and the other stir fried.

Lots of fine wine was served.

We ate under a magnificent chandelier in the dining room

And were watched over by this fascinating woman

A weekend that encapsulated my two diverse worlds perfectly.

A bit of city life

It's been a few weeks since we have left our farm life for a taste of city life and I was really ready for it.

Don't get me wrong - I love being on the farm - but I also like to know that the buzz of a city is not too far way.

We headed into St Louis for a few reasons (not just for me to get my fix).  To look at an armoire I saw on Craigslist, to Costco to stock up, and also to check out Home Goods.

I was also looking forward to dinner in a city restaurant, where people dress up, eat later, the lights are low and the atmosphere casual and sophisticated.

1111 Mississippi meets that criteria and is one of our favourites.

We decided to try the Thursday night Wild Game Menu - Prezzo Fisso/ Prix Fixe/Fixed Price.

This was a three course menu with two glasses of Italian wine to match.

Restaurants offering this type of menu can really show off their skills and also give the customer a chance to try a wider range of tastes.

First course

Char Crust pheasant leg, with pecorino polenta, fennel-apple compote and bourbon figs.  The pheasant leg was beautifully cooked - juicy with a wonderful char flavour- and cut by the fennel and apple compote

2nd course

 Grilled pompano (a saltwater fish from Florida), was served with cherokee purple and golden tomatoes.  The tomatoes were really juicy and  flavourful, and were complemented by an arugula (rocket) and pancetta jus

Third course

The venison leg was stuffed with goat cheese and served with yukon gold mashed potatoes and mushroom veal ragout - a perfect combination.

The three "smaller" courses was plenty, the wine was good  and I really enjoyed the meal and atmosphere.  Great value for $34.99!

We headed happily home to the farm, leaving the city behind us.

The best of both worlds.

Margaritaville!

We were out looking for paint, hardware and a headstone yesterday afternoon 

in the blazing heat.

Stopped to buy groceries for dinner, changed our minds, decided to not cook and have Mexican instead. It was earlier than we usually eat - but when we walked into the restaurant we were surprised by the numbers of people and the bouyant mood.

The waitress had our order of frozen Margaritas on the table before we blinked.  Icy cold and refreshing - not as potent as the ones Mark usually makes from scratch  - which was probably a good thing.

As we looked around the restaurant we noticed that everyone was downing margaritas without restraint - we hadn't finished our first before the table across the room were onto their third! More people arrived, all ordering margaritas. Everyone was laughing and chatting. This, we thought, is obviously where the country town folk party on a Tuesday afternoon!   

Some tasty food, onto our second and suddenly we were laughing too.

It wasn't until we got our bill  that we realised the Margaritas were 99c each.  

We had hit Margarita Tuesday. 

So we had another!

Eating well

Preparing and eating food is a pleasure/passion I enjoy in both my lives.  

"We're eating well" - I say when we have just finished another meal
that looks as good as it tastes, that is well balanced- aroma, flavour, and texture - and leaves us feeling happy and content with our lot in life.  

On the farm, when we have more time to prepare, present and eat our meals, often using our own produce, I seem to be saying those words a lot.
Some highlights from July.

Fried stuffed zucchini flowers, shrimp, green beans and sage leaves

4th July ribs

Peach cobbler and Mark's homemade vanilla icecream 

Left over grilled ribeye made into a salad with a tangy lemon dressing, tomatoes and green beans from our garden

Salade Nicoise - also with our tomatoes and beans

Zucchini, pea and corn saute with farfalle pasta

Roast local pork chop on a corn fritter,  green salad with a mustard thyme dressing and peach mojo

Sunday night's roasted corn risotto

I am looking forward to August

Bon appetit!