lifeline book fair

So... I may have indulged in more books.

I'd say we have well over 200 books in this house. Bordering on addictive my book collecting is also an appreciation of a good read. Lifeline holds a bi-annual book fair, to raise funds for the organisation. Cheap, quality literature with money going to a good cause. Who can resist? Not me!

This was my score recently!

The big big big book of Tashi
Gordon Ramsey - Cooking for Friends. I have to admit that I had to take off the book's jacket. I couldn't stand his grinning face! (the recipes look good though!)
Pirate Girl
Where's Wally x 2
Reading Eggs Reading Pack

non-fiction
Thunder and Lightening
The Human Body
Insects and Spiders
Have You Seen Bugs
Skeletons
Where Have All the Pandas Gone?

 

Famous Five Collection
Sun on the Stubble
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
the BFG
George's Marvellous Medicine
the Twits
the Children of Cherry-Tree Farm
Bumageddon
the Borrowers
Boy Overboard
Girl Underground
Once
Lemonny Snikket's Series of Unfortunate Events
Seven Little Australians
Calvin and Hobbs comic book

Wattle Babies
Tikki Tikki Tembo
the Terrible Underpants
Our Backyard Jungle

Wanda Linda Goes Berserk
the Storm Boy picture book
I Spy books x 2

A Kate Grenville novel (for me!)
Dinosaurs
Elmer
Usborne Puzzle Book - Chocolate Island
One Blue Sock

Older Fiction
Hunger Games x 2

Where IS Wally?

tilba produce markets

It's no secret that I have a sweet spot for the Far South Coast and especially where my husband and I were married, at the base of Gulaga Mountain in a valley that nestles below the mountain's presence, Tilba. (Now of River Cottage fame)

Last weekend my grandmother (in her 70's) and her beloved tied the knot in Narooma so we managed to have a few days with family. It was a stunning weekend and our visit happened to coincide with the Central Tilba Produce Markets.

Our daughter had an ear infection overnight so when I emerged after just 5 hours sleep my eager babysitters insisted I visit the markets solo! Yippee!

This is a small market celebrating everything good - a community vibe brought about lovers of quality produce (and talent.) People have literally gathered produce from their gardens, their paddocks, their chook and quail egg-laying boxes, and sewn or pickled, crocheted and sculpted with timber. I had a few conversations with the stall holders and it was a very relaxed affair. 

If you get a chance to visit make sure you save time to have a wander through the streets afterwards, visit the South Coast Cheese factory at the end of the street and a coffee next door. Oh and have one of John's organic, gluten-free lamb sausages from Bombala. 

Trust me - you'll come away with more than you'd planned. Take a few reusable shopping bags... or baskets!

Pickles and parsley, pumpkins and kale

 custard apples

John from Palarang Organic Meats. John's approach to grasses and his farm is very interesting. John inherited his family farm some years ago and has found a method of feeding his cattle (with native and introduced grasses) according to the seasons.
Take time to have a read.

My haul from Central Tilba hall. 

narooma weekend getaway

Our kids had a ball in Narooma last weekend.

It was another stunning Far South Coast getaway. My blog post about Tilba markets is on its way!

slow cooked lamb shanks (in red wine)

A few weeks ago my step-sister and I decided that if we're to keep in contct more regularly we need to have a family dinner each fortnight. I bought some beautiful lamb shanks from the Free Range Butcher at the markets and, having never cooked them before, I decided I needed to do a bit of research about the best way to prepare them. I was worried I might serve chewy lamb and there's nothing worse!

I searched through my own cookbooks for a lamb shank recipe but couldn't find one I liked. This one from Good Food (my go-to website for online recipes and recommendations for eating out.) I didn't serve my lamb shanks with a salad but I did make a very creamy potato mash (straight from the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook). This a great dish for a cold winters night!

I did follow most of the recipe but I have to say that I was home all day so I reduced the oven temp to 150ºc and cooked them for 6 hours! It is extreme, I guess, and not necessary if you don't have the time but the end product was to-die-for!

I discovered that lamb shanks are so easy to cook! AND SO TASTY! (and best served with a good, heavy red wine!)

These are my photos but apologies - we didn't get a pic of this on the plate... you'll just have to imagine it!

Here it is:

Braised lamb shanks with mint, pea and zucchini salad

Ingredients

Author: Mark La Brooy

Time: 2 hours +

Difficulty:Medium 

Serves: 4

Special options:Nut-free

Braising
4 lamb shanks (from your butcher)
1 bulb of garlic, shelled
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tin crushed peeled tomatoes (about 400g)
60g tomato paste
1 bottle of red - whatever you like
1/2 bunch rosemary
* I added 1 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch thyme
2 long red chillies
Water or stock (preferably stock) - just make sure your meat is covered

Mash
6 large desiree potatoes
100g butter, melted
100ml cream
Salt and pepper

Salad
1 zucchini, julienned (or use a julienne peeler)
200g peas
1/2 bunch mint, ripped or torn
1 lemon, juiced
75ml good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Let's get the shanks in the oven then worry about the mash and salad. Seal off the shanks in a very hot pan (the colour you add to the shanks now will determine how dark your sauce will be). Place in your braising dish. Saute off your vegetables.

After they have started to get a bit of colour, add your tomato paste and get it caramelised, then add to shanks. Deglaze the pan with some red wine and pour over the shanks and vegetables. Add the herbs and top up with stock or water (make sure they are heavily seasoned), cover with foil and bake for three hours at 190C.

2. When they are ready, the meat is wanting to fall off the bone and the sauce is thick and rich and full of winter.
3. Here is how we make mash: Cut potatoes into even four-centimetre squares and boil in water that tastes like the ocean (a good go of salt). Cook until they can be squashed against the side of the pot easily. Strain and let steam for 10 minutes - even put them in the oven on low heat (120C) for five minutes (the trick is to get as much water out as possible so you can replace it with butter and cream). Place in whatever mixer you own and start to whip, adding your melted butter and cream. Add plenty of salt and pepper. It should be smooth and creamy and bloody yummy!
4. For the salad, in a mixing bowl add your zucchini, peas, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and season.
Serving up
Place a good spoonful of mash on your plate then one of the shanks. Add a few spoons of your braising liquid and a handful of salad.

precious moments with family (and food)

I'm still dreaming of the lunch I shared with my husband and daughter today. These precious moments as a family are what I 'hold on to' when life gets hectic (which is frequently!)

Salad - bunch rocket (chopped)
1 carrot, 1 small beetroot, half fennel bulb (all thinly sliced with a microplane.)
half capsicum, sliced
half bunch mint, finely chopped
1 handful of pine nuts
400g tinned chickpeas (drained)
drizzle each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

You can eat this as a salad on its own but I drizzled the juice of one lemon over a serving each of cold-smoked salmon and this was a perfect accompaniment (or was the salad an accompaniment to the sallmon?).

It was another stunning Sydney day here and this made us feel like we really are heading in to summer!

Have you got a trick for making family moments in the midst of the chaos?