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Campion & Curtis Newsletter - October 2005
Welcome to the October 2005 edition of the Campion and Curtis newsletter. We've only to look into the garden to see that spring is well and truly with us now.
Our sage is topped with beautiful purple flowers, the rosemary, thyme and mint are all growing like mad, our citrus trees are packed with white flower buds
and there's a smattering of fruit on the old plum tree. We've also been getting into the garden and putting in a few seedlings, so all going well, we've have tomatoes,
corn, beans, snow peas, carrots and strawberries to enjoy in the weeks and months ahead.
Visit the Campion and Curtis website
Spring produce
A recent cooking demonstration we had to give on seasonal produce reminded us of the beautiful ingredients that are now on hand this month. All we had to cook on was a barbecue
but this proved no problem as we cooked up a storm with zucchini, asparagus, early sweet corn, yellow and red capsicums and mushrooms. When prepared they were simply served
up on a bed of radicchio, sprinkled with sherry vinegar, new season's olive oil and lots of fresh basil leaves. The fruit selection has altered in recent weeks too with
the appearance
of the first mangoes, raspberries and strawberries, plus good quality pineapples and pink grapefruit.
Tasting Australia
October will see the world's food media turn their attention to Adelaide for Tasting Australia which runs from Friday 21st to Sunday 30th. Again there's a full program of
over 40 public events to keep visitors busy. The Hyatt Culinary Studios The LifeStyle Channel Chefs Showcase, The James Squire Food, Beer and Wine Writers Festival,
Feast for the Senses, food and wine matching, special wine events, class Acts and celebrity lunches and dinners. Speaking of which Stephanie Alexander will be hosting lunch at
Longview Vineyard on Oct 28th, enjoy lunch under the vines with Antonio Carluccio at Grant Burge on the 27th or sign up for the Starlight Tasting Australia dinner
on the 26th.
The Adelaide Food Summit is to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 25 and 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The two day event has set itself the key questions of
what and how will we be eating in the future? What are the future challenges for food producers, marketers, chefs, restaurateurs - and consumers? Another big event will
be the World Food Media Awards where wine and food authors from across the world will be vying for the gongs in this much anticipated event.
We will be involved with the James Squire Writers Festival with a session titled Food Explorers ... the road less travelled. We'll be discussing our work
writing The Foodies Guide to Melbourne, plus food discoveries, gastro-tourism and what makes our job so damn tough! We'll be joined by Sally Hammond and Joanna Savill.
The session is free of charge so come along and join us from 1pm - 1.45pm on Saturday 29th October at the Adelaide Riverbank Precinct, Elder Park, Adelaide.
Our visit to Adelaide will also see the launch of The Seasonal Produce Diary 2006.
This will be held at the Mary Martin book shop, which is right next door to the James Squire Writers Festival tent.
Well known chef and food author Maggie Beer will be doing the official launch at 2pm on Saturday 29th October. So come along and be part of the festivities.
To be held at the James Squire Writers Festival, Adelaide Riverbank Precinct, Elder Park, Adelaide.
Full details on the Tasting Australia event are available here.
The Food Lovers' Guide to Australia
Maeve O'Meara and Joanna Savill continue their new series of their Food Lover's Guide To Australia every Wednesday night on SBS at 7.30 pm. This month kicks off with
a feature on chef Brigitte Hafner (Wednesday 5th October) who writes for Epicure in The Age and Good Living in the Sydney Morning Herald, she is a staunch supported of Slow Food and with partner
James Broadway, runs the popular wine bar and eatery The Gertrude Street Enoteca. Maeve and Joanna also explore a leafy green called molokheya, Greek loukoumathes and
meet banana growers in the misty mountains of Innisfail in Far North Queensland. On Wednesday October 12th visit the legendary Pyengana Dairy in Tasmania, meet chef
Teague Ezard as he goes wild with pomegranates and the talented Chui Lee Luk from Claude's restaurant. Wednesday October 19th is the date to learn about the Kakadu
buffalo farm, then be seduced by creamy, luscious custard apples and join an extended Greek family for the most important event of the Orthodox calendar.
Wednesday October 26th meet Tassie baker Chris Jackman and see a walnut loaf that will make your mouth water. There's also a visit to a Tasmanian walnut farm during
harvest, plus Adelaide's happiest chef - Pang Ming Chui
and a guest appearance from the iconic Cheong Liew. Visit the SBS website here to get further details, recipes and producers and chefs profiles.
Real cheese
Hats off to Will Studd whose efforts towards changing the authorities rules on the importing of certain raw milk cheeses has paid off.
We'll all soon to be able to enjoy the very best raw milk roquefort with the official announcement from Christopher Pyne, the Parliamentary Secretary for
Health, that roquefort cheese from France can now legally be imported and sold in Australia. Roquefort joins the Swiss gruyčre and emmental and
parmigiano reggiano as raw milk cheeses that have been exempted from the general prohibition on raw milk cheeses sold in Australia. This change in regulation also brings
with it a secondary announcement that is possibly more exciting. This states that Food Standards Australia and New Zealand is part way through the development of a national dairy primary production and
processing standard. This will include permissions to domestically manufacture 'Roquefort-like' cheeses, where safety can be assured.
Hopefully this is just the thin edge of the wedge (excuse the pun) and specialist cheese makers will soon have the opportunity to make cheese on-farm without having to pasteurise
it along the way. Having been lucky enough to enjoy beautiful raw milk cheeses over the years, we can hardly wait.
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
In 2001 author and cook, Stephanie Alexander initiated a kitchen garden project at Melbourne's Collingwood College. Much of the impetus for the project came from
alarm at the growing rate of childhood obesity and the surrounding debate as to the most effective way to arrest this escalating problem. The Foundation believes that
children are more likely to experiment with foods they have grown or prepared themselves, and that lifelong eating habits are developed early. At Collingwood they
allowed children in grades 3 to 6 to participate in two hours a week of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food.
The foundation is now seeking financial
partners so that this pilot project can be extended and evaluated in other Victorian primary schools. The cost of the pilot project in Collingwood is about $60,000 a
year which includes a part-time gardener and a part-time cook. The project depends on public involvement in the form of volunteers who contribute over 2000 hours a
year. The Victorian Government has announced a contribution of $80,000 as the foundation looks to have at least three new Kitchen Garden projects in primary schools
across Victoria. The foundation welcomes partnerships with business, government, Foundations and individuals. The Foundation and Collingwood College staff host tours
of the program in action on a monthly basis. To tour the garden and get more detailed information visit Kitchen Garden Foundation website here.
Farmer's Markets
As many of you will know we're very keen on good farmers markets and
will be attending the Collingwood Children's Farm market on Saturday 8th. We'll be exploring the stands for wonderful honey, farmhouse cheese, fresh produce,
a few more strawberry seedlings and another taste of the amazing Jersey milk butter we were lucky enough to get a taste of last time. It's also their third birthday,
so well done to all involved, especially Miranda Sharp who has really put this market on the map for all of us to enjoy. If asparagus is your thing then why not visit
the Cardinia Ranges Farmers' Market for the annual Celebrate Asparagus Festival. With 70% of Australia's asparagus coming from the surrounding region you will not get it fresher than that.
Celebrate Asparagus Festival at the Cardinia Ranges Farmers' Market Saturday 8 October 2005, 8am - Midday Pakenham Racecourse. Collingwood Children's Farm Farmers'
Market from 8am, St Heliers Street, Yarra Bend Abbotsford.
Queensland bound
The Queensland coast is a popular spot for visitors from both Australia and overseas. It's such a huge geographical area it ha always been difficult to find information
on restaurants to visit, when the produce markets are on and the best food stores along the way. Now Australian Tropical Foods, which is an economic cluster group of
members from the food industry in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, have created a website with lots of great information on this topic. They have divided the coast up into
five areas and direct visitors to top foodie experiences. Check them out on Australian Tropical Foods
Selenium
Selenium may not be the nutritional nutrient on everyone's lips at present but if some of the world's top researchers have their way it soon will be.
Selenium appears in the food chain through soils in which crops are grown and on which animals feed. Research by Dr Graham Lyons of the University of Adelaide suggests
the current recommended daily intake of selenium should be increased to fight heart disease and cancer, possibly 130 µg per day for women and 230 µg per day for men.
He has been working on a program to fortify wheat crops with extra selenium and having the resulting grain made into flour. Just released products which use this
fortified flour include Laucke Wafer Grains and Country Life bioMAX wholegrain bread. The National Health Media Research Council's states 'recommended intake for men is set at 85 µg per day and at 70 µg for women. Selenium intakes in Australia appear to
be in the range 100-120 µg/day for adults.' If the ongoing research by Dr Graham Lyons and his colleagues provides the outcomes he's expecting we may see this figure
increased in the future and even more fortified products on the market.
Cooking classes and food tours
Tony Tan cooking school. Tony Tan is leading a culinary tour to Spain this month.
Convivial Times Sign up for chocolate appreciation on Oct 18th or the hands-on chocolate workshop on Oct 22nd.
Essential Ingredient Big name chefs include Paul Raynor with his moveable feast recipes, Ben Kim Un with organics and
Amando Percuco presents his charming Italian class.
QVM Cooking School
Try traditional Vietnamese with Jerry Mai, quick Italian with Tony Bazzarri or the dinner party mix and match session with Rita Erlich.
Cooking Co-ordinates, Canberra Meet Jimmy Pham and two of his young graduates from his KOTO cooking school in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Simon Johnson Talk+Eat+Drink Peter Gilmour has classics from Quay, James Kidman is presenting Italian the Otto way or join Anthony Puharich from Vic's Meats for the lowdown on wagyu.
Gourmet Safaris Join Gourmet Safari for a walking tour of Haberfield, the world in one day tour or a Moroccan long lunch.
Sydney's Seafood School Seafood classes from well known chefs this month include Chris Manfield and Damien Pignolet.
Click here to visit the Campion and Curtis website We have also added a new page featuring our cooking classes and food tours for corporate and social groups here.
Cheers until next month, Allan and Michele
Spring recipe
Our recipe this month comes from the 2006 Seasonal Produce Diary which is just about to hit bookshop shelves around the country. RRP $29.95 (Hardie Grant Books)
Leg of lamb stuffed with zaatar, preserved lemon and herbs
Lamb is at its best in spring so make the most of it with this tasty dish. It's a beautiful combination of Middle Eastern flavours served with a nutty pilaf.
1 preserved lemon
4 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped basil
1-2 tbsp zaatar
1 easy-carve leg of lamb
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for cooking
2 onions, diced
55 g (1/3 cup) blanched almonds
Pinch of saffron threads
400 g (2 cups) long grain rice, such as jasmine
750 ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Soak preserved lemon in cold water for 10-15 minutes.
Drain, remove pith and dice zest finely. Mix with herbs and zaatar.
Take leg of lamb, remove string if necessary, and lay lamb leg out flat.
Sprinkle lemon-zaatar mix in the centre.
Roll lamb back up, enclosing mixture. Tie with string to keep together.
Sprinkle lamb with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Rub all over the lamb with olive oil and place in a baking tray.
Place lamb in hot oven, cook for 30 minutes, turn over and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Turn over again and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until lamb is medium.
Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, in a warm place.
When lamb has only 20-30 minutes left of cooking, prepare pilaf.
Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
Add a splash of olive oil and onions, cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft.
Add blanched almonds and a pinch of saffron threads and cook until golden brown.
Add rice and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add stock and bring to the boil, stirring often.
Add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat, cover and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender and stock has been absorbed.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, spoon pilaf on a large platter. Carve lamb and arrange over the top. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
Wine match
There are a few great options with this dish. A really good shiraz would be terrific and there is no shortage of them in this country. We really enjoy Bowen Estate Shiraz,
Yering Station Shiraz, Four Sisters Shiraz, Mitchelton Shiraz and Tatachilla Foundation Shiraz when it has a few years bottle age.
A well made sparkling red would also make a great combination with this leg of lamb and its heady mix of spice, herbs and preserved lemon. In this category of wines we
have to start with Seppelt of course. They have long championed this style, even when other winemakers had long given up on it. Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz would be
wonderful, or purchase a few of the regular release wines and keep them for 6-10 years. Other favourites in this style include Banrock Station The Reserve Sparkling
Red, Fox Creek Vixen, Hardys Sir James Sparkling Red and a new one for us recently called Frog Island Sparkling Red.