Campion and Curtis
Australian Food & Wine Newsletter 
March 2004 
 
Welcome to the March 2004 edition of the C&C newsletter. As you'll be well aware its the beginning
of autumn and the traditional period of harvest, so expect a bumper crop of food news here too. We've been out and about organising our food tours for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, which is less than three weeks away. In keeping with the autumn theme we've included a couple of our favourite recipes for this time of year at the end of this newsletter. Enjoy.

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In-season
We've had a good chance to wander through a couple of our produce markets in our home town this past week and there's no doubt that autumn ingredients are starting to make their presence felt. Grapes are looking and tasting glorious with big fat cardinal and waltham cross varieties readily available. We've been enjoying new season akane apples which are not too sweet and have a lovely crisp texture.Tiny corella pears are also appearing, and would be perfect if you're looking to serve poached pears for dessert. The first pomegranates are available along with a host of different plum varieties.
 
Tomatoes are looking good, and it seems to be a year where small is best. The cherry tomatoes and baby romas we've eaten are the ones with the best natural sweetness and flavour. There have been some amazing looking eggplants with white skin and purple stripes, apparently they taste as amazing as they look. There's also been a huge increase in the varieties of potatoes and mushrooms on market stalls. So get out there and start cooking with the new seasons ingredients while they're so good. Perhaps make the effort to visit one of the many farmers markets you've been hearing about. Then come home and cook up a storm with the seasons best.
 
Feasting time
 
Attempting to put together our pick of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is an unenviable task. Just where do you start when there's a 66 page brochure to work your way through containing over 100 events crammed into 17 days? We figure that you've heard plenty about big name events such as the Spice Bazaar at Victoria Harbour, ABC delicious double acts, Snagtastica and the Vogue Food Studios and have instead tried to search for a few hidden gems:
Food News
 
Christine Manfield is about to visit our shores for cooking classes and demonstrations so we thought we'd have a look at what the Brits think of her cooking at 'east at west' dining room in London. Matthew Fort writing in the Guardian said "Manfield's cooking seems to spark off severely divergent opinions. There are those who think it pretty whizz-bang and there are those who, frankly, think it bloody awful. I am firmly in the whizz-bang camp. Not only do I find the dishes themselves brilliant - brilliant, that is, in terms of colour, contrast, definition, complexity and balance; brilliant, too, as in vivid - but that the contrast between them also sets up a kind of rhythm between the sets of flavours." He gave her a score of 17.5/20. Just last month Tatler magazine's annual restaurant awards saw her win the title of 'London's best new restaurant'. Sounds like things are moving along quite nicely indeed.
 
St Kilda Farmers’ Market is the latest to join a long list of urban markets on offer in Melbourne. They plan to operate on the fourth Saturday of the month between 8.00 am – 12.30 pm. So put Saturday March 27th into the diary now. Peanut Farm Oval, Chaucer & Spenser Streets, St Kilda.
 
The Big Cheese. Will Studd has announced the remaining four parts of his TV series Cheese Slices will be completed by the Lifestyle Channel. The first two episodes aired late last year with very good viewing figures it seems. The series explores benchmark cheeses such as traditional English cheddar, gorgonzola, goats cheese in south west France, parmigano and tallegio, just name just a few. It seems there's also been interest from overseas TV stations to air the show as it takes an international look at cheese.
 
Melbourne's Vue de Monde restaurant has an incredible menu on offer later this month as Julian Castagna presents his new release wines alongside recent years releases. The menu sounds incredible with dishes like Canadian scallop wrapped in pancetta with a gruyere crust, placed over cauliflower puree and dressed with an osso bucco sauce. Salad of crispy fried pigs ear with roasted Port Philip Bay prawns, herb & truffle vinaigrette. Main course will be Roast sirloin of Wagyu beef, resting on parsley puree topped with local asparagus and beignet snails, drizzled with pan juices and a sauce béarnaise. Sounds like quite a night. Bookings for this 7 course feast on Monday 22nd March ($199.00 pp), 03 9347 0199 www.vuedemonde.com.au
 
Divine Wine. If the wines of McLaren Vale are something you love or would like to try more of then this is definitely for you. Andrew Wood has his annual wine roadshow dedicated to the wines of this famous district and expects to have around 35 producers represented and on for tasting. In Melbourne on 3rd March, , Sydney on 10th March and Canberra the following evening, March 11th. Bookings and full details on (03) 5422 7500 or go to divineonline.com.au

The Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association has just released a new touring map to this ever growing wine region. The map includes details and opening hours of over fifty peninsula wine companies from relative newcomers such as Foxeys Hangout, Marinda Park, and Scorpo to well known labels such as Elgee Park, Osborns and Main Ridge. The maps also includes information relating to local restaurants, food producers, markets, and wine tour operators for those who prefer someone else to do the driving. Available free on (03) 5989 2377 or mpva@mpva.com.au
 
The annual Tastes of Rutherglen is on again from March 6-16th with a range of events on offer. A regional produce market will be held at Cofield wines (makers of a seriously good sparkling red by the way). Each weekend sees local restaurants teaming up with local wineries to offer a $15.00 pp wine/dish combination. Simply pick up a glass for $5.50 to get started. For your free program call 1300 787 929.
 
The Coeliac Society of Australia contacted us recently to let us know about a website they run dedicated to providing information of use to those who require gluten free food. It seems the number of people being diagnosed with this condition is growing so it's good to know there's advice on hand. Contact them at www.coeliac.org.au
 
Food Tours and cooking classes
 
Convivial Times are certainly starting the year off with a huge variety of classes for food lovers. Greg Doyle of Pier Restaurant hosts a Chefs Table on Tuesday March 9, followed later in the month by Peter Kuruvita of Flying Fish, Armando Percuoco of Ristorante Buon Ricordo and many more. Workshops this month include an Ice Cream Master Class at Serendipity and Hands-on Breadmaking Classes at Brasserie Bread Co with Michael Klausen. Full details and bookings on www.convivialtimes.com.au.
 
Queen Victoria Market Cooking School have lots on offer including Richard Momesso of Il Bacaro presenting a great sounding class here on Saturday 13th revolving around the use of salt, seafood and olive oil. Seafood is again the focus when Yvan Meuiner steps into the kitchen on March 16th. Stewart McVeigh of The Hotel Sofitel is booked in for Thursday 25th March to showcase some of his highly regarded food including a wonderful blue swimmer crab ravioli with scallop mousse, poached oysters and champagne veloute. Bookings on 03) 9320 5835.
 
Gourmet Safaris are off to Mudgee at the end of March on a special visit to trip to coincide with the annual End of Harvest Festival. As well as visiting people who make beautiful food, the tour group will also be guests at a special gala dinner where  tour leader Maeve O'Meara will be a guest speaker. Tour runs from Friday 26th - Sunday 28th March. Full details on www.gourmetsafaris.com.au
 
Cooking Co-ordinates Later this month you can get inspiration for vegetarian cooking with a class dedicated to meatless cooking with Mary Wills on Saturday, March 20. The following Saturday Graham Green, renowned chef/owner of The Green Herring, will share his secrets to making terrines. This will draw on the best of seasonal ingredients and includes a stunning leek, potato and Brie terrine; a simple pork and veal picnic terrine; and a galantine of corn-fed chicken, roast capsicum and thyme. Bookings via the website www.belconnenmarkets.com.au  or telephone 02) 6253 5132.  
 
Sydney Seafood School There’s lots to learn at here including the secrets of traditional Chinese salt and pepper prawns and the contemporary chilli salt squid on March 4th. Saturday 6th offers a Chinatown shopping trip followed by a Thai seafood cooking class. Damien Pignolet from Bistro Moncur is in on the 13th to present a menu of modern French-bistro style food during a 3-hour hands-on lunch workshop. Christine Manfield, now working at East@West in London, will be back for a special class on Saturday 20th too. This is bound to be very popular session so get your bookings in now on 02) 9004 1111 or visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au
 
Talk + Eat + Drink. March 9th brings Steve Manfredi to prepare much-loved vegetable dishes from his native Italy. In this class you will see why vegetables are so esteemed in Italian cuisine. On March 20th Andy Harris (editorial director of Australian Gourmet Traveller and The Wine Magazine) and Simon Johnson team up to demonstrate some great recipes using many of the products that Simon has sourced over the years. Christine Manfield jets in to the demonstration kitchen for two very special classes on March 23rd and 27th. Join her as she talks about the look and feel of her new restaurant east@west, and cooks some of her favourite dishes from the menu. A food opportunity not to be missed. Bookings on 02) 9552 2522.
 
The Melbourne Foodies Tours we've organised for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival are selling fast. If you're keen to get out and about during the festival join us as we embark on tasting, talking and walking tours around Melbourne (CBD) , Fitzroy and Chinatown with Tony Tan. We'll also be taking to the road on the Great Foodies Cake Tour. Expect lots of tastings along the way and the low-down on the best places to enjoy great food in this wonderful food city. Bookings on 03) 9652 0611.
 
A few drinks
We've been lucky enough to enjoy a few excellent Aussie wines over summer. Fettlers Rest chardonnay from Geelong way was absolutely stunning, which is saying something from two us who are not known for their love of chardonnay. It was beautifully balanced and absolutely delicious with a recent dish of chicken saltimbocca. Also excellent was the Coldstream Hills Briarstone that was a delicious blending of cabernet and merlot. Try it with a few steaks brushed with a little pomegranate syrup for an excellent match. If it’s a fresh zesty riesling your after we loved the fragrant citrus flavours in a bottle of Clonakilla we enjoyed with friends. If you've recently tried a wine which you think was outstanding - let us know and we'll pass the word around.
 
Cheers, Allan and Michele
 
To unsubscribe to this newsletter contact us at Michele@campionandcurtis.com
 
Tomato, olive and anchovy pasta sauce
Try this tomato-based pasta sauce with a few other goodies thrown in for good measure.
 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
500g (1 lb) fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp anchovies, chopped
2 tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed and chopped
100g (3 1/2 oz) pitted kalamata olives.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh herbs
 
Heat a heavy-based pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook onion until soft, add garlic, cook for a minute or two, then add tomatoes. Allow to come to the boil, then reduce heat, add anchovies, capers and olives. Cook for 5–8 minutes until sauce reduces. Add fresh herbs of your choice (basil or parsley), check seasoning and serve with the pasta of your choice.
 
Baked apples stuffed with figs and hazelnuts
Baked apples are an old-fashioned dessert that deserve renewed interest. Choose a slightly tart variety such as Granny Smith or Jonathan.
 
150g (5 oz) dried figs
125 ml (4 fl oz–1/2 cup) muscat
20g (2/3 oz) butter
Grated zest of 1 orange
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) orange juice
50g (1 3/4 oz) chopped roast hazelnuts
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
35g (1 1/3 oz) dry breadcrumbs
6 apples
 
Thinly slice figs and place in a small saucepan with muscat, butter, zest and orange juice. Place over medium heat and stir until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool mix with hazelnuts, nutmeg, ginger and breadcrumbs.
 
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Remove the core from each apple leaving a wide opening at the top to allow easier filling, also prick the skin with a fork to ensure they do not split during cooking. Divide the fig and nut mix between the apples. Place the apples into a buttered baking dish; add 1/3 cup of water, cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking a further 15 minutes or until apples are tender.
 
Serves 6