Smoking on the verandah.

It was a stormy rainy day and
I had the day off,
so head down to the ocean and out of the city
to stay with P, B, J and T.

So it was on a June evening down by the ocean town of Jan Juc,

the moon shone like a lost finger nail

and we decided to Smoke some fish.


These three little guys.

Australian Salmon caught by

the infamous ocean beach fisherman Ben!


We soaked the blue gum in a little bit of wine and water

and put them in the iron smoker box on the grill
in the BBQ.

And then we made salad and potatoes
and chocolate croissant bread and butter pudding
while the smoker heated up and smoked.




We used organic Fennel and Oak leaf,
Coconut oil chocolate butter,
mustard, lemon and potatoes.

We didn't use these Olives
because Phebe's is still soaking them
in brine- But how gorgeous are they!


It was a freezing icy cold night.
Across the way die hard footy players
trained on the oval.
The smoker heated up
and we put the fish on the grill
then head inside to wait for it to smoke.


Comet waited,

Lou Lou the visiter waited,

Iridescent Lorry waited...
(and a little prayer was said for his fellow pescados
who's lives would feed us.)

Taiig made Ned Kelly's cell
with storm trooper guards while he waited..



and Jaspur made a Osama Bin Laden Leggo man while he waited...

Lou Lou and I read cook books while we waited,
and the rain maixed in with the organic Shiraz

as we all waited....

Soon the smell of the smoked fish
blew in with a gust of hail and wind

It was ready-
note the corn cob, we threw that on near the end-
Good thing too as it was superb.


And we were ready to EAT





Don't even ask how we fit in Dessert

But we did!!


We were all content
except for poor old Ned
in his cell
he was less happy..poor Ned.


Thank you Phebe's, Ben, Jaspur and Taaig,
Comet and Lou Lou. You are all wonderful.

Beachcombers

My dear dear friend Pheobe and her family
have recently made a sea change.


To here, JanJuc.


Ben, Phebe's husband reads the sea
like an open book.
He fishes right on the sand...



and catches snapper like this.


The night before I arrived,

Ben and the boys caught and gutted
a gummy shark.
It had a squid inside it that was fed to Comet the dog.



Ben also made this tomato relish.


Phebes and I made this green tea ice cream
with Pheobe's special christmas present.


I made a fennel, carrot and broccoli sprout salad
with a lemon and mustard dressing....


and chips.


Ben and Phebes cooked.





It was the freshest, most delicious meal.




caught from here.
Real sustainable fishing.

Cherry baby

There are moments in spring when life is truly beautiful.
Cherry season, the wait is worth every breath.
It only lasts a few weeks, but I dont want to eat them any time outside
of their deliciously short season.
Every year, just before christmas we have boxes of organic cherries for sale.

One year R brought a box from us and took it to Moscow.
She shared them with her Russian family in Gorky park,
letting the tiny fruits stain her fingers like blood.

I often think 'what a perfect christmas gift', if you're so inclined.
Tony's dad always buys a box of mangos for everyone for Christmas.

When I was young
camping with my family in our 'camper van',
we stocked the cupboards,
the doors of which
as we drove around corners
would occasionally fly open,
with canned goods.
Our dessert would often be a can
of SPC fruit salad.
My God we loved it!
Once my Dad sent us into a
frenzy of excited can opening
due to the promise of cherries in the salad.
We were easily amused!

Camping in an area with history of bushrangers
and the promise of C H E R R I E S
How wonderfully exciting!

But much to our disappointment
SPC ( brought for the namesake
my mothers initials are S.P.C)
fruit salad contained
one sole cherry.
ONE! There were four of us!
We were a family that, when Dad brought fish and chips
on one of Mum's nights off,
he would bring home four different chocolate bars
and we cut them up and shared them,
so we all got a bit of everything!

In our mustard coloured tupperware bowls
we divided yellow and white cubes in sloshy juice and
ONE CHERRY!

I kid you not.

This morning as I started work
Tony cut up nectarines, plums, apricots
and cherries, and served me a stone fruit salad!
( Which, in order to eat easily while working,
he had pitted all the stones)
As I tucked into my delicious breakfast
the halved cherries sent me straight back to
Melville Caves and my families camping cuisine.

Today I ate my fresh delicious organic fruit salad
made and served by the person
who is my family,
my work, my X boyfriend all in one.
Yes indeed, I thought,
Life is truly beautiful.