New Home

Well Hello!

 

I know it's been a little while between posts but I'm still here working away behind the scene!  I have some very exciting news......The Valle Laguna blog now has a new home!  Just like families, we've out gown our little home here and to allow us to develop and grow we needed more space.

I have so many wonderful and exciting project on the go at the moment.  I'm totally amazed at the opportunities this little blog has unearthed for me and I really hope you keep following along so I can share them with you.

This is the link to the new website.

 

Valle Laguna Blog

If you would like to keep in touch please subscribe to the new blog. See you there!

Lemon Rush

 

 

Not sure about everyone else, but I'm ready for the warmer weather to start. I've just about cooked everything in my winter repertoire and my taste buds are ready for a change! Is it just me or do we all seem to stick with the tried an tested recipes? I think it's a time/effort scenario. In winter if I can cook it in bulk and freeze leftovers I'm happy, or just throw everything in the pan and let it cook by itself. I'll sometimes try a new variation-but mostly it's the same dish just re-worked. Lamb shanks got a re-work this year. Traditionally I've gone the Italian route with a tomato base sauce, but this year I was into the Moroccan spices. You can find my recipe in list above or in a previous post here. The addition of dried apricots, prunes and chickpeas made for a nice change in many of the Moroccan dishes I tried, but the one I really loved was the preserved lemons. The sharp fresh flavour of the lemons was just so good. Sharp & fresh aren't usually words you associate with winter cooking. Anyway we have an abundance of lemons this year so I thought I'd give it a go and preserve some of our lemons.
This is a recipe based on the one in Stephanie Alexander's book "The Cooks Companion"

Preserved Lemons & Lemon Curd

 

 

Preserved Lemons

250g Coarse Kitchen Salt

10 Lemons, washed and cut into quarters

1 Bay Leaf

2-3 Cloves

extra lemon juice

 

Place a spoon full of salt into a sterilised jar (approx.1 litre capacity)

In a separate dish mix the lemons and salt. Stephanie suggested massaging the skin...I think this would have been easier before I'd cut the lemons.
Place the lemon quarters into the jar along with the bay leaf and cloves. Press down on the lemons as you go to release as much juice as possible. I found that squeezing each piece as I put it into the jar helped released more juice. Place any leftover salt into the jar along with the extra lemon juice. The idea is that the lemons are covered by the juice. I found that I was a little short on the juice so I topped it up with some boiling water. I also added 2 extra teaspoons of salt so that the brine remained salty enough.
In every recipe that I've read they always mention that if the lemons are not covered by the brine they can develop a white mould on them. Apparently its harmless-it just looks yuck!

You can probably see from the picture of mine that because the jar wasn't packed tight with lemons so when I added the extra water they floated to the top. I'm not sure if this is going to effect the end result-we'll just have to wait and see. I did get a tip from my friend Natalie from at Moore Farm Fresh Produce. She sliced her lemons so they sat flat in the jar. This allowed her to stack them up to the top of the jar. Clever! I think I'll try this next time.



 

 

 

Winter Update for the Villa

As I've said before, winter is my favourite time in the Hunter Valley.  A few days spent relaxing in front of the fire with a good book can do amazing things for the soul. The villa is totally prepared for  winter. The wood is stacked up ready for the fire, winter weight doonas and soft blankets are now on the bed's and we've re stocked the book shelf with new books and magazines.


If you feel like a weekend away in the beautiful Hunter Valley drop me an e-mail. Weekends fill up fast, but don't forget about the mid-week option. Rates are lower and availability is easier.

 

 

 

www.vallelaguna.com.au

enquiries@vallelaguna.com.au

Winter Weekend

Heading back from our afternoon walk and we caught the last rays of daylight just before the sun dipped behind the hills.

Another perfect weekend here in the Hunter Valley. For the first weekend in ages we didn't have any specific plans. It was  actually lovely to take life at a much slower pace for a change. I rode my horses, we caught up with friends and took the dogs for a long afternoon walk. Total rest and relaxation!
It also meant that I had time to potter in the kitchen. I had  Moroccan Lamb Shanks simmering away on the stove for most of Saturday afternoon. So delicious and so easy. I've put the recipe below.
I also made a batch of Paris Butter. Have you tried it? It's similar to a herb butter but with a few extra ingredients. Well worth the effort I must say. Once you made it you can keep it in the freezer for a few weeks.  A small knob on top of a beautifully cook steak is just out of this world. Also great to add to a bowl of steamed vegetables or boiled potatoes. Plain food is my nemesis...I know adding butter to steamed vegetables is counter productive but  you really just need a tiny bit....or so I keep telling myself!

Speaking of food! I'm looking forward to this upcoming weekend. We have the "Taste of Wollombi" food & wine festival happening on Sunday. It will show case all of the wonderful food and wine producers in our little valley. It's an easy drive from Sydney or Newcastle so it's a perfect day out. Hopefully this stunning winter weather will continue and it will be a big day for the local community. I've added the link below if you need a bit more information. Hope you are all having a great week so far.

http://www.visitwollombi.com.au/events/

Moroccan Lamb Shanks

1 tablespoon of olive oil

4 Lamb shanks

1 large leek, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1L Chicken stock** 

600g  sweet potato (kumera) peeled, coarsely chopped

1 x 400g can chick peas, rinsed, drained

12 dried apricots roughly chopped

Fresh coriander to serve.

** I didn't have liquid stock so I used stock powder with boiling water and it was perfectly fine.

Here's how it's done.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish (one with a lid) over medium heat. Add the lamb shanks and cook for a few minutes. Turn them a few times so they are brown all over. You don't want to actually "cook" then just brown them. Once they are brown transfer them to a plate.

Add the onion, carrot and garlic to the dish and stir until combined. Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon. Stir together for about 30 seconds. Add a small amount of stock to the pan and stir to release any of the browned lamb that may have caught on the bottom of the dish. Add the remaining stock. Return the lamb shanks to the pan. Put the lid on and cook over a very low heat for about 1 1/2 hours. The pan should be only just simmering. If the liquid is evaporating during this time add some boiling water.

Finally add the sweet potatoes, chick peas and dried apricots. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest for 10 minutes.

Serve the lamb shanks on a bed of couscous with some of the delicious sauce and sprinkled with coriander. Enjoy!

Note: I've cooked a few variation of this dish. It's also great with lentils and prunes. Just depends what I have in the cupboard. I also great served with brown rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Whats in a name?

Valle Laguna (Pronounced Var +Lay Laguna)

What's in a name? A great deal apparently.  When we first purchased our farm we tried to re-name it. We tossed around many ideas but none really felt right. We tried combining our first names, our surnames, even our initials. We then moved onto other things like local flora or fauna, and indigenous words that had historical significance. Nothing seemed to fit. We where also mindful that there would be a business element to our farm, so we didn't want anything too cliché like Kangaroo Crossing or Wombat Hollow. Great names, but they didn't quite fit the vision we had for the far. Friends that stayed with us tried to be helpful, but I have to say the quality of their suggestions decreased as the wine consumption increased!

Anyway, over time we got busy with building and what to name the farm seemed to lose it's importance. We have always just referred to it as "the farm" but at the back of our minds we knew it would eventually need an "official" name. Turns out it already had one and it was brought to our attention quite by accident. We were filling out some paperwork (neither of us can remember exactly what is for) and the property was referred to as Valle Laguna. We did some checking and sure enough it was a "registered" name allocated to our property.

The original owners had Italian heritage so they incorporated the Italian word for valley, Valle. Given that we are located in a valley, in the township of Laguna...in the Hunter Valley .... it's not hard to see where they got their inspiration........

Darn it! It seems so simple. Why couldn't we come up with a name? As I sit here now, a few years down the track I don't think we where ever meant to re-name it. Perhaps it's like the superstition

that sailors have about re-naming boats. It brings bad luck.

I've settled into the name. The only real issue I have with it now is the pronunciation. It's not easy for people. Whenever people call about accommodation there is always that awkward moment when they cant quiet get their mouth around the first word. I always jump in and say the name for them, much to their relief.

So for the record the Italian pronunciation of Valle Laguna is Var +Lay Laguna.

I've also been informed that the Spanish word for valley is also Valle. The Spanish pronunciation is Va+Yay  Laguna.

VarLay, VarYay, whatever..... If you'd like to come and stay with us just call and we'll work it out!!

www.vallelaguna.com.au

Hope you have a great day. Cheers Kylie

Almond Cake with Lemon Syrup

So the weather forecast was not entirely correct. Go figure!!

Saturday was ok, so I managed to ride both of my horses, weed around the fruit trees and give them a little fertiliser. (aka horse poo that I'd picked up.) I then tackled a few of the more mundane household task that I had been putting off. Funny how they don't magically disappear even when you ignore them....

Sunday was cold and raining. Most people would find this depressing but I found it just perfect for relaxing by the fire reading my book, drinking cups of tea and eating cake. Almond cake with lemon syrup to be precise. With lemons from our very own tree! Recipe below. Hope you enjoy.

Cake

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g melted butter

1 cup almonds- (1 cup almonds blitzed in the food processor)

Lemon Syrup

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

2 Lemons thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 160C and grease either a large loaf tin or a square cake tin.

Note for young players- a loaf tin works best. The cake takes longer to cook in the square tin and you risk the outer edges drying out.

Lemon syrup; combine the sugar, water and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon slices and simmer for 15 minutes or until they are completely soft. Arrange the slices on the base of your cake tin and then pour in the syrup.

For the cake batter; combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and tripled in volume. Fold in the flour and baking powder. Then gently fold in the butter and almonds.

Spoon batter into the cake tin, smooth over the top and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for about 5 minutes then turn out onto a platter making sure to collect all of the syrup. Serve as it is or with vanilla ice cream!! 

Wednesday ...with a view to the weekend

Is this just the most perfect time of year? Look at the weather forecast for the weekend. PERFECTION.

I'll be making the most of the beautiful days. The garden is starting to look a bit tired but there is still plenty to do before the winter frost arrive. Weeding and mulching around the citrus trees will be first on the list. Also draping nets over the trees to protect the fruit from the cockatoos. It's such a shame because the trees look so beautiful when they are loaded with fruit. However nothing breaks your heart more than to see all of the almost ripe fruit laying on the ground. 

The cooler weather also means we light the fire at night. Our nights look a lot like this...

We've also been busy preparing the villa for our guest over winter.

Check out the website to see the new photo's.
www.vallelaguna.com.au

What's on for the weekend?

I love Wednesday. The working week is half done and the weekend is clearly on the horizon. So what have you planned for the weekend?

Autumn in the Hunter Valley is my favourite time of year. The trees have started to change colour,  the days are clear and the temperature is still pleasant enough to be outside. My weekend will certainly involve riding, probably catching up with some friends and defiantly some food & wine. I have a beautiful wood fired oven that I inherited from my Grandmother. It's the focal point of the kitchen in winter. Cooler weather calls for slow cooked food.  

If you feel like a getaway here are a few suggestion on how to spend your time in the Wollombi Valley.

Stay with us at Valle Laguna for 2 nights, and we'll give you the 3rd night free.

E-mail us at enquiries@vallelaguna.com.au or visit the website www.vallelaguna.com.au

We have some wonderful options for dining.

 The Great North Trading Post is popular with visitors and locals! They have great food all weekend and live music on Friday nights . www.gntp.com.au

 Mulla Villa is an original 1840 convict built sandstone Magistrate’s house and is quiet the dining experience! They are open for lunch and dinner. www.mullavilla.com.au

The Wollombi Tavern is not only your typical country but it's the home Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice. No visit to the valley is complete without a little taste! www.wollombitavern.com.au

Saturday, visit the art exhibition by Guntis Janson " Paintings from the Studio" at the Wollombi Cultural Centre, Wollombi.  Open weekends 10am to 4pm, from Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 May 2015

or 

Indulge in a little bit of wine tasting at one of the many local vineyards. www.wollombivalleywinetrail.com.au
My personal favourite are the Stonehurst Methode Champenoise and the Lemoncello liqueur from Wollombi Village Vineyard. 

Happy planning! I guarantee you'll love our little piece of paradise.

 

Fashion Friday

This is where we indulge in a little fantasy. We put aside the hum drum daily tasks, and let our mind wander .
Today we're talking about my current "girl crush" Amal Clooney. The women has style!!

Sure she has the money to buy anything her heart desires, and designers would no doubt be tossing clothes at her from every angle, but she manages to maintain an edginess that is uniquely her own style. I think her style also gives us an insight into her personality. I love the fact that every time I see her in the media I'm gently reminded that there is so much more to her than just looking good in clothes and there might be bigger issues in the world that what she's wearing. Maybe that's part of how she uses fashion & the media to her advantage. Her way of taking some of the light off herself and shining it onto the issue of human rights. I can't imagine anyone who has been privy to the details of human atrocities as she has, could take herself or fashion that seriously. I also don't think she could care less about what we thought of her fashion choices.


Her work wardrobe it is a no brainer. She sticks with simple suits and beautifully tailored dresses. These are the go to pieces for any professional women. No time wasted trying to work out what goes with what. An assortment of shoes & handbags easily matched to any of the suits or dresses. I very stylish "capsule wardrobe" if you like. This is a women who knows she will be photographed and critiqued from every angle. The only aspect she leaves for discussion is if we personally like the outfit or not. End of story. On with the real business. Human Rights.

Her casual wardrobe shows a more fun side. I think she has a really cool style. More rock chic that human rights lawyer that's for sure....

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Another Job for Winter

There is nothing I love more in winter than sitting in front of the fire and gazing into the flames. The  warmth seems to reach into every corner of the room. What I dont love is the extra work that it creates. Aside from the work involved in collecting and stacking the fire wood, there is the monotonous task of cleaning it out each day and re-setting it.
I'm not sure if it's the type of wood that is being burnt or the effect of a slow smouldering fire that causes the glass to turn black. Whatever it is, it's a nightmare to clean. Over the years I've tried many different methods of cleaning it off. Hot soapy water, Gumption, vinegar & bi carb soda. None really worked that well and they all made a huge mess. Then out of the blue my Mum gave me the secret recipe. In my world this is what's known as a "Game Changer".

Take a few pieces of newspaper, scrunch them up then dampen them slightly with plain old water. Dip it into the cold ash at the bottom of the fire. Using a circular motion wipe the inside of the glass. Hey Presto! The ash makes a fine abrasive paste that takes off the burnt on black soot.

 It might take a few pieces of paper to get it totally clean, but I just throw them into the fire and they dry out by the time you need to re light the fire. If you do this at the first sign of discoloration then it's a 2 second job.

 

 

Week Of Wild Weather

Wow! Can we just take a moment to reflect on this week of crazy weather? I mean really enough already.

Monday & Tuesday saw us flooded out of the farm. The creeks came up so quickly. I feel nobody was really prepared for this flood. Previously when we've had flood warnings or the creeks are "up" and they predict more heavy rain you assume that flooding is likely so you get yourself prepared. Add wind gust of over 100klm per hour and its serious stuff.  Come Friday the water levels had dropped so we were able to get into the farm to asses any damage. Luckily there was no damage to the house or villas, and we only had a few trees down across the fire trails. Others in the Hunter Valley were not so lucky. Tragically 4 people were killed in flood waters and may people lost their homes.
Due to the widespread damage across the region it took 7 days for the power to be restored.

 

Saturday afternoon brought the second wave of freaky weather in the form of a hail storm. Sydney was hit the worst, but we got a light covering of hail that made the paddocks look like a winter wonderland.

 

Some of these photos are mine, others I've taken from the Wollombi Fire & Flood Face Book page. The FB page is run by volunteers who do the most amazing job in keeping people connected in times of crisis. Community spirit at its best!

 

Old is new again.

What's that old saying?..."the more things change the more they stay the same".

A few years ago we were offered an old vacuum cleaner. At first I said no. We already had a vacuum that we left in the shed along with a host of cleaning stuff for the villas. If I needed a vacuum for the house I'd just walk up and get it. Then I had second thoughts. We only have carpet in the bedrooms so I didn't need it that often. The vacuum was in perfect working order, and it had all the extra attachment even one called a "Power Head". Perfect for all that 60's shag pile carpet! So then I relented and said yes. It would be handy to have in the house. Trent was not so convinced, but as ever he was very supportive. He even managed to find a new connector for the hose on e-bay. Seriously is their nothing you can't buy in e-bay?
I nick named her Betty Draper.

The first few times I did the vacuuming with Betty, it was a bit of a laugh. I could imagine house proud women of the 1950's being totally in awe of Betty. After a few uses I could also see why housewives of the 1950 loved a "Bex and a good lie down"! Betty wasn't actually that old, probably a child of the '70's more than the '50's but never the less, Betty was hard work. None of the extra piece were ever on hand when I needed them so I was forever walking back to the last room to retrieve the missing bit. The power head attachment was fantastic but it required an extra cord to be plugged into the vacuum for it to work. She was big, noisy and cumbersome but I persevered because she was free and it wasn't like I was using her that often. But then I was. Our love affair went downhill fast.

Enter her replacement. I named her Ruby. Because she's red. Original name I know.

Ruby Meile is compact, quiet and whooshes around behind me like a ghost. All of the attachment are hidden on board, and she has 3 power head options. Realistically I'm never going to be THAT type of house proud person, so the additional 2 are still in the box. I didn't pay extra for them, they just came with the vacuum. I wonder if Betty's attachments were optional extras?
I guess the bit that made me laugh was the fact that even though Betty still did the job, I wanted Ruby.  She was easier to lug around, smaller and with whiz bang air filters, defiantly better for my health...We women can justify anything can't we?
I had succumbed to consumerism and clever marketing. Much like Betty's original owner I suspect.  I could have persevered with Betty until the very end, but seriously vacuuming is a dull thankless job at the best of times. Why prolong the pain?

Winter Wardrobe

It's February and there is the tiny hint of change in the air. The nights are getting cooler and a few of the leaves have started to dry out and slowly change colour. I cant wait for winter. Crazy? Maybe, but it's my favourite season. I love everything about winter.
The "first drop" of winter fashion has started to arrive in stores. This is my signal to start sorting.  What I have, what I need and what I want. Over the years I've developed my own style. The outfit's I wear time and time again. The things that work for me and suit my lifestyle. It's one of the many things I enjoy about getting older. No longer do I feel the need to spend a small fortune on this season must have. I might pick one or two things replace something that is worn out or add a splash of this seasons colour, but overall I stick with what I know suits me and suits my lifestyle. I like the ease of winter layering. Starting with a simple silhouette of core pieces then adding scarves, jackets, hats, gloves, and boots. So what are my core pieces for winter?
Weekend/casual wear will always be jeans or tights, a fine wool jumper and a jacket. Depending on what I'm doing I'll wear boots or flats. I then pull the look together with a scarf.  I've also fallen hard for the poncho over the last few seasons. It's a more relaxed and fun look than the jacket and it a great way to breath new life into the core basics. 

 

Looking at what women have been wearing in the northern hemisphere over winter I'm predicting cobalt blue as this season colour. 

I also noticed a lot of lace up shoes. I'm approaching this trend with caution. It could be tricky. Much like over the knee boot where it's a fine line between chic and cheap, this flat lace  up could have you looking totally on trend or like you are wearing school shoes.