“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly” – Van Morrison
Lovely ones,
Well not exactly Blue Mountains related but we have just returned from a week in the South Coast of NSW – specifically, Culburra Beach.
I forget how beautiful and un-spoilt that part of the world still is. Glorious beaches, friendly folk, the ability to take long walks and enjoying wonderful things to eat and drink (both homemade and at restaurants).
Culburra is 2 ¾ hours from Sydney and the drive is pleasant (most of the time!). Passing through small and large towns, you finally get to the vacation rental and immediately hear the waves. You know you are on holidays when you hear the waves.
First things first. What we made to eat on our week away:
A lovely, simple, and delicious Provençal tart. Store bought puff pastry (there is no shame!), Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and tomatoes. That’s it. Fabulous.
Lemon curd to have on freshly made bread. You only use egg yolks for the recipe so keep the whites and use them for meringues or a pavlova.
My sister made bread, No-Knead Honey Whole Wheat Bread – The Clever Carrot and we tucked into it with butter, jams and the homemade curd.
The bread is fabulous as it proves overnight and then baked in the morning. The house fills with the aroma of fresh bread, and I don’t think it is overstating it to say that it is one of the world’s best smells.
Roast potatoes with rosemary salt. Does it get any better?
A simple salad with left over bits and pieces from the fridge and a zingy, sour cream dressing to finish it off nicely.
We used another sheet of the puff pastry to make simple apple tarts. Squares of pastry, covered with thin slices of apple (we used Red Galas), sprinkled with sugar, and baked. Again, simple, easy, and fabulous holiday fare.
Some herbed ricotta which is such an easy dish to make, and everyone LOVES it. Perfect on baguette or on more of that delicious homemade bread. As an aside, I think I ate my entire body weight in bread this past week….
We ate out several times including here 메인 | The little snapper where we had great food and lovely cocktails. An amazingly tender Teriyaki steak with a zesty salad, a seafood platter with prawns, crab balls and local fish and a fabulous Aperol spritz made by the local distillery.
The local Culburra Bowling Club also did amazing wood fire pizzas which just hit the spot on a chilly night. Lovely bases with great toppings. Perfect for a casual and easy meal.
And did I mention how friendly everyone is?
While away, I was contacted by the casting agent for the next season of Master Chef. They are looking for participants for next year’s show. You can read more about it here: CAST IT REACH. Remember that to apply, you can’t have had any tertiary or professional cooking training in the last 10 years. Applications close 13th August 2023.
And continuing the food competition theme, these folks also reached out. The World Food Championships. Read more and enter here: HOME – World Food Championship
As some of you know, I am a sucker for old cookbooks. And recently I acquired (I know, I know!) books to add to the (ever expanding) collection. One book is the Scottish version of the CWA dated 1934 and I have already started reading, adapting, and making recipes from it.
As I said to a friend earlier this week, “don’t you just love recipes that have teacups as measures and anything with lard must be good!”
The other beautiful thing about the book is that it contains morals. And there is nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned moral I say.
Like this one, which is charming:
“Life’s but a day to each one given
From earth to scale the heights of heaven
Who fill it full with love’s bright light
Need fear no gathering gloom of night”
Stay tuned for recipes from the book that I will adapt so they are useable by folk in the 21st Century.
Until next time, may your life be full of love’s bright light!
Diana x
