I was given a couple of buckets of strained off fresh raspberry pips, a by-product of a food business' making coulis. In actuality it was destined for the menagerie here, or the compost heap A few hours afterwards I noticed a smallish amount of luscious scarlet liquid had risen to the top of the pips. … Continue reading Raspberry Pips? Yes Please!!

Plum royalty - more than 20kg greengages fresh picked from daughter Stephanie's tree. There were pears too (also organically grown), a gift from a friend of a friend - about 10 kilos in all. A day of fast track and intense bottling ensued in the cooking school kitchen, but well worth the effort. All are … Continue reading Plum Royalty – Greengages!

Wednesday morning tea platter, a slice from the cake of yesterday. It kind of evolved as it came together. It could best be described, I guess, as a chocolate strawberry "poke" cake. The chocolate butter cake base was indented (with the rounded end of a wooden spoon handle) and strawberries poached in Morello cherry juice … Continue reading Chocolate and Strawberry Cake Invention

The pickling of onions saga continued today...... vinegar spiced, boiled briefly and then cooled. I made two different types - one with Tasmanian Pepperberries added and one batch without. The Pepperberry version is my favourite - beautiful colour. I guess that will mean pink pickled onions. While the vinegar cooled and the onions were drained … Continue reading Cherry Juice and Onions

Yesterday we were able to find a 20kg bag of best quality Tasmanian pickling onions. So today Robert is at his self-appointed task of peeling them all. A ghastly chore I think, but he sets himself up well so the worst of the fumes are blown away in the breeze. In a few minutes I'll … Continue reading Pickling Onions Time Again

It's that time of year again - just look at these beautiful scarlet jewels, Morello cherries. Because we are a little later picking this year, they are bursting with flavour and juice. These were picked today at the property of lovely friends.So ripe and luscious - perfect to be preserved for pies and tarts.

Wednesday morning tea offering today. An experimental banana caramel upside down cake - thankfully it worked out just fine and used up over a kilo of very ripe bananas. For the next course was a Strawberry Chantilly Ice Cream Cake, which I'd made a day or two ago especially to serve as a treat today. … Continue reading Wednesday morning tea platter offerings

When we run a Bottling the fruits of the season class here, as we did yesterday, I always get carried away with shopping for produce in the days beforehand. Once I see those beautiful summer fruits, I simply can't resist buying by the boxful where, quite frankly, a few kilos would have sufficed. Hence, the … Continue reading Bottling the Fruits of the Season class

I know it's a bit early for an afternoon tipple, but it's still 38 degrees here so a little indulgence is in order. An oat stout for me (I like it served in a wine glass) and a blackcurrant beer for Robert. He brewed them himself incidentally, and they are both jolly good.

The preserving frenzy continues in the cooking school kitchen. Last night bottles of Moor Park apricots, the ripest of the ones I bought a couple of days ago, were stewed and then preserved. They were so naturally full flavoured and sweet that there was absolutely no need to add any sugar at all. These will … Continue reading Preserving frenzy continues