A Little Taste of York!!!

York is a town about 100kms east of Perth or about one and half hours drive.
 
Founded in 1831, York was the first inland European settlement in Western Australia. York is named after the City of York in England.

Farmers settled in the 1830's and concentrated on growing wheat, barley and sheep. The township did not begin to appear until 1835/36 when an army barracks and store were built and some 50 acres of land were cleared. 

In 1886 the arrival of the Railway coincided with the gold rush that took hold in Southern Cross and later Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. Miners and prospectors stopped on their way to the goldfields. There is a superb and fascinating Heritage Trail Brochure - York to Goldfields Heritage Trail - which traces the original route from York to the Goldfields and explains the pioneering work of the remarkable Charles Cooke Hunt, who laid out the line of wells and waterholes through the region during his journeys in the 1860s. It was during 1886 to 1900 that most of the town's impressive and very solid buildings were constructed. 

There still are many lovely old buildings around York that have been renovated. In one, The York Motor Museum, there is an impressive collection of old cars. Established in 1979 by Peter Briggs, it is recognized as the finest collection of veteran, vintage, classic and racing cars in Australia.

Another sight I recommend is Mount Brown Lookout, reached via Pioneer Drive east of town. It is three-hundred and forty-two metres above sea level and accessible by foot or car. For those who venture there the lookout provides a beautiful three-hundred and sixty degree panoramic view of the surrounds and town below.

Next time you want to go for a drive, go to York and take a picnic, or stay overnight at the Hotel! 


Bernadette's Chicken Caesar Salad 

 

Serves 4 people

 

Ingredients

 

250 grams of bacon rashers 

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 

1 tablespoon of olive oil 

1 cos lettuce 

1 handful of English spinach

2 handfuls of croutons 

One third of a cup grated Parmesan cheese 

2 avocados, peeled and diced 
12 cherry tomatoes, halved 

Half a cup of toasted pine nuts
One third of a cup of Caesar salad dressing 

 

 

Method

Cook the bacon until crispy, break into pieces when cool. 

 

Wipe out the fry pan and add the oil, cook the chicken strips until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

In a salad bowl, place the lettuce, English spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, croutons, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and bacon. Toss all ingredients.

Top with the sliced chicken and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Star Attraction

Star Gazing is a wonderful thing, whether in your own back yard or at a planetarium.

 

One of my fondest memories is when I went with a group of friends to Murdoch University, Western Australia to watch Halley's Comet. We looked through high powered telescopes and saw the comet and its tail.

 

Halley's Comet, or Comet Halley, is only visible from earth every 75-76 years. It was first determind in 1705 by English Astronomer Edmond Halley, after whom it is named. Halleys Comet last appeared in 1986 and will next appear in mid 2061. 

They say the further you go into the country with no city lights, the clearer you see the stars. 

 

For people that don't have telescopes and live in the city with all the bright lights, I discovered a great website on the web.

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx 

In 1608, Dutch eyeglass maker, Hans Lippershey, offered a new device to the government for military use. This new device used two glass lenses in a tube to magnify distant

objects.

There is question whether he may not have invented the telescope (at least two other Dutch opticians were also working on the idea at the time), but Hans Lippershey has been credited with its invention. He at least, applied for the patent for it first. 

Many people think Galileo Galilei discovered the telescope, he didn't. He made great improvements to it. His first construction was a three power instrument, which he quickly improved to eight, twenty and then thirty power. With this new tool, he found mountains and craters on the moon, discovered that the Milky Way was composed of stars and discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter. 

Back to earth and try my great Vegetable Lasagne!

 

Vegetable Lasagne 
Ingredients 
 
1kg pumpkin, skinned, seeded and cut into 2cm cubes
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup olive oil
8 sage leaves, finely sliced
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
8 basil leaves, finely sliced
Half a tablespoon of  dried oregano
300g eggplant, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes and salted for 20 minutes
1 capsicum, diced
2 zucchini,diced
800 grams of chopped tinned tomatoes
75 grams of butter
75 grams of flour
500ml milk
300ml sour cream
500 grams of spinach
200 grams of instant lasagne sheets
80grams of Parmesan cheese, grated

Method 
 
Preheat oven to 175C.

Place pumpkin on a baking tray. Coat with chilli flakes and season. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Add sage and turn pumpkin over. Bake a further 10minutes or until soft and golden.

Add remaining oil to a saucepan, cook onions and garlic with the herbs until soft for about 15 minutes. 

Rinse salt from the eggplant and fry with the onions for 5 minutes. Add capsicum and zucchini and cook a further 5 minutes. Check seasoning, add tomatoes and simmer until thick for about 20 minutes.

To make sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and add flour. Cook gently for 5-10 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps forming. Allow to boil, stir through sour cream. Put to one side.

Saute spinach in a little extra olive oil and cover the bottom of a 15cm x 20cm baking dish. Cover spinach evenly with lasagne sheets. Cover with pumpkin mixture and pour over half the tomato mixture and then half the white sauce. Layer with lasagne sheets and repeat with remaining tomato mix and white sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake until golden for about 45 minutes.

 

  

Nuts about Albany!

Albany is a Port city on the Great Southern Coast of Western Australia. It is approximately 418kms, about 5 hours drive from Perth.

The area was initially named Frederickstown in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. In 1831, the settlement was transferred to control of the Swan River Colony and renamed Albany by the Governor, James Stirling.

Albany is very picturesque and has some beautiful old buildings. 

One of the main visitors attractions is Whale World. Whaling was once one of Albany's main sources of income but stopped operations in 1978. The Southern Right Whale was once caught there and when numbers started to  diminish, they stopped operations. Today, whale numbers have grown again. A trip to Middleton Beach and you may see the whales bring their calves into the shallow waters where they frolic around.

For the adventurous, Bluff Knoll is on top of the Stirling Ranges, just out of Albany. If you are in good condition you can climb it, taking about 3 to 4 hours. The round trip is about 6 kilometers or 3.7 miles.

They have snow sometimes in the Winter months, as it is 1,099 metres (3,606 ft) above sea level. No snow skiing but a great view!

Traveling around the area I came across a great little corner shop/eatery and had the best lemon meringue pie.  This inspired me to share one of my favourite pies.

I hope you enjoy it. 
 
Bernadette's Pine Nut Tart

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry 
340 grams of plain flour
a pinch of salt
150 grams of unsalted butter
90 grams of icing sugar
2 eggs beaten

Method

Sift the flour and salt onto a work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the butter to the flour mix, rub through until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and then the eggs and knead a few times to bring it together. 

Then wrap in cling wrap and put in the fridge for at least an hour.

Three quarters of a cup pine nuts, toasted. (You can toast the pine nuts in a fry pan over the stove until golden brown)

Ingredients

Frangipane Filling

250 grams of unsalted butter
40 grams of plain flour
2 cups almond meal
Three quarters of a cup of icing sugar
5 eggs
250 grams unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. 

Butter and flour six 4-inch round tartlet pans with removable bottoms. 

Roll the dough out to a thickness of quarter of an inch and line the pans. Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Place the almond meal and all but 1 tablespoon of the icing sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Add the butter then eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Pour the filling into the shells.

Press 2 tablespoons of pine nuts into each tartlet.

Set the shells on a baking tray and place in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Raise the tarts to the middle rack of the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.  

To serve, remove the tartlets from the oven and place on a rack to cool slightly. Dust each tartlet with the remaining icing sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 
They are delicious with ice cream or double cream. Some have even suggested lavender ice cream.

 

Bridges, Spice and All Things Nice!

Bridges, where would we be without them?

Over the years I have been over many bridges. Three bridges stand out and all are very different. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA. Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia and Campbell's Covered bridge in South Carolina, USA.

The Golden Gate Bridge is the youngest of the three. Building started in 1933 and was completed in 1937.

The suspension bridge is 8, 981 ft (2.7km's) in length and 90ft(27.4m) wide. 

Three men were responsible for the wonderful structure. Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis. 

 A suspension, truss arch & truss causeways design made of steel.

The bridge-opening celebration began on May 27th 1937 and lasted for one week. The day before vehicle traffic was allowed, 200,000 people crossed by foot and roller skate!

Since its completion, the Golden Gate Bridge has been closed due to weather conditions only three times. December 1, 1951, because of gusts of 69 mph (111 km/h). December 23, 1982, because of winds of 70 mph (113 km/h) and December 3, 1983, because of wind gusts of 75 mph (121 km/h). An anemometer was placed midway between the two towers on the west side of the bridge and has been used to measure wind speeds. Another anemometer was placed on one of the towers.


The Sydney Harbour Bridge started construction in 1923 and was completed in 1932.

Under the directions of Dr J.J.C.Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough.

The Bridge length is 1,149 m (3,770 ft) and the width 49 m (161 ft). 

A through arch design made of steel.

Something happened when the bridge was formally opened on March 19th,1932. There were many dignitaries and the Labor Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon on the southern end. However, just as Lang was about to cut the ribbon, a man in military uniform rode up on a horse and slashed the ribbon with his sword, opening  the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the name of the people of New South Wales before the official ceremony began. He was promptly arrested, the ribbon was retied and Lang performed the official ceremony! 

The intruder was identified as Francis de Groot. He was convicted of offensive behaviour and fined £5 after a psychiatric test proved he was sane, but this verdict was reversed on appeal. De Groot then successfully sued the Commissioner of Police for wrongful arrest, and was awarded an undisclosed out of court settlement. De Groot was a member of a right-wing paramilitary group called the New Guard, opposed to Lang's leftist policies and resentful of the fact that a member of the Royal Family had not been asked to open the bridge. A similar ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge's northern side by North Sydney's mayor, Alderman Primrose, was carried out without incident.

Campbell's Covered Bridge is in Greenville County, South Carolina, USA.

The wooden, covered bridge was built in 1909 by, Charles Irwin Willis. The bridge was given it's name after Alexander Lafayette Campbell, who built and maintained the Campbell Corn Mill in the town of Gowensville. 

It was made in a relatively rare four-span Howe truss design. It features vertical iron rods and diagonal timbers that were made of pine.

The bridge is only 38 ft (12 m) long and 12 ft (3.7 m) wide.

In 1980 the bridge was closed off to traffic. The bridge itself is currently owned by the  Greenville County. The land surrounding the bridge was owned by Sylvia Pittman until 2005. Plans emerged for a park to be built around the bridge, and in mid 2005 Pittman sold 10 acres (40,000 m²) of surrounding land to the Greenville County, which paid for it. She said, "I had in mind to have this park preserved to allow everyone to enjoy it like we have." 

The initial cost of US $180,000 was covered through state and county grants.

One hundred years after it was built, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 2009 .

The next time you cross a bridge, think about it's history. The day I visited Sydney Harbour Bridge, I had afternoon tea at a little cafe near by. They served delicious Gingernut biscuits. From that day on I have loved them and here is my recipe for you to make them. 


Enjoy! 


Bernadette's Gingernut Biscuits/Cookies


Ingredients

340grams of plain flour
1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
100grams of butter
160grams of light brown sugar
4 tablespoons of golden syrup
1 large egg, beaten

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F

Line the baking trays with oven proof paper.

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl. 

Place butter into dry ingredients and mix together with finger tips until it looks like bread crumbs. 

Stir in the sugar, then the syrup and the beaten egg. Bring it all together to form a smooth pastry dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to be about 8mm thick.

Using a small round cutter, cut out biscuits until all the biscuit dough is used up. 

Place on baking tray making sure enough room is left for slight expansion of the biscuits.

Before placing in oven to cook, chill on the baking tray for 20 minutes in fridge.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Put onto a rack to cool.

 

Wild About Mushies!!!!

April is the time of year in Western Australia when the first rains fall after a very hot Summer and then up pop the mushrooms!  

Mushrooms are so delicious, I have always eaten them. Today, you can buy so many types of mushrooms.

Growing up, we often went to my aunt and uncles dairy farm and picked mushrooms. My mother cooked them in a creamy buttery sauce, very delicious on toast!

Another type of fungi which has become popular over the years is the truffle!

A great place to go is Manjimup, 300 kilometers south of Perth, Western Australia. Manjimup is known for growing the black truffle. It's climate is similar to that of Perigord, France where they have harvested truffles over the years.

Italy is renowned for growing the white truffle. In fact, the largest known white truffle came from Pisa, Italy, weighing 1.5 kilograms.

Truffles grow under the ground near the roots of oak, hazelnut and other varieties of trees. Pigs were used to locate truffles. Unfortunately, pigs ate more than they gave, so dogs were taught to dig them up and bring them to the owner.

Truffles are very expensive. White truffles cost from about $1000 to over $2000 for half a kilo. Black truffles cost from $300 to over $600 for half a kilo. 

When people cook with truffles they normally shave them so they go further!

They are very strong in taste. To me, they are like heaven!

Fresh Wild Mushroom Linguine With Truffles 

Ingredients:

1 packet of uncooked linguine
500grams of fresh wild mushroom (chanterelles, shiitake, oyster, etc)
4 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons of shallots, chopped
Half a cup dry white wine
Half a cup chicken stock
1 cup cream

Nutmeg, freshly grated to taste
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves
White truffle oil
Black truffle, shaved fresh at the time of serving

Method

Cook linguine pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan to keep warm. 

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut into thick slices. In a large frying pan, saute mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes. Then add minced garlic, sliced onion and shallots. Cook a further couple of minutes. 

Put in the white wine and simmer until wine is reduced by half. 

Add chicken stock, cream and nutmeg. Simmer until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Lastly, add drained pasta to sauce and mix gently to coat the pasta.
If required, add more chicken broth if sauce seems too thick.

Place pasta on individual plates.
Spoon any mushrooms left in the pan over the top and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
Drizzle white truffle oil over the top.
Using a truffle shaver, shave a few slivers of fresh truffle over each plate before serving.
 

Serves approximately 6 people.

I like to serve with crusty fresh white bread and a glass of white wine!

Enjoy!

HMAS Sydney and a Fishy Treat

Western Australia is the largest state in Australia. One place I visited recently was Geraldton, 424 kilometres north of Perth. It is now a city and has grown in size and population. (Approx 26,000 people).

Over the years, I went there on a few camping trips. On the foreshore, there was a yellow submarine, unfortunately it has gone. It is my mission to find out what happened to it!

Western Australia has an amazing coastline and many ships have succumbed to the reefs over the years.

One story you may have heard was the finding of the HMAS Sydney and the Kormoran.  In 2008, David Mearns an American born, long time English resident, oceanic scientist and deep water search and recovery expert, led a team to find the Australian warship HMAS Sydney and the German Commerce Raider, Kormoran.

David Mearns first heard the story of the Sydney in 1996, and it left an indelible impression in his mind. One of the world′s foremost shipwreck hunters, David had successfully located dozens of wrecks in much deeper water. Hunting the Sydney, a challenge he accepted in 2002, proved his toughest quest yet. It tested his skills as detective, engineer, marine scientist and navigator. David′s quest, over six years, took him around the world. From war archives in Germany, to the homes of Kormoran survivors, then Fremantle, Western Australia and out into the Indian Ocean. He encountered conspiracy theories, clues, cyclones and a myriad of mechanical problems. On March 17th, 2008, he finally said with excitement, "HMAS Sydney found!"

The initial search for the ships began on 24th November, 1941 after Sydney failed to respond to radio messages. Royal Australian Air Force aircraft patrolled off the West Australian coast and all high powered radio stations in Australia were instructed to continuously broadcast to Sydney. After the British tanker, Trocas rescued survivors from the Kormoran at approximately 120 miles (192 km) west-north-west of  Carnarvon on 24th November, six nearby merchant ships were instructed to search for survivors. Four auxiliary Royal Australian Navy vessels were dispatched from Fremantle. 315 survivors from the Kormoran were rescued by 30th November. The only confirmed trace of Sydney found by searchers was a single empty lifeboat recovered by HMAS Heroes.

Finally, the relatives of the servicemen that served on the HMAS Sydney and the Kormoran have closure. For many years, the location of the vessels was unknown.

A memorial is now on top of Mount Scott in Geraldton. It is made of four major elements. Steel based on the ship's prow, a granite wall listing the ships company, a bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea waiting in vain for the HMAS Sydney to return, and a dome made of 645 stainless steel seagulls . 

This mystery of the sea brings my next recipe to you. Try this tasty dish.


Salmon, Spinach, Asparagus and Avocado Salad 

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
200g of roasted salmon fillet, flaked 
150g baby spinach leaves 
1 avocado, peeled, deseeded and flesh sliced 
1 tablespoon of olive oil 
2 tablespoons of lime juice 
2 teaspoons of brown sugar 
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame seeds, to garnish

Method 

Blanch the asparagus in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, then drain once again. Pat dry.

For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the asparagus, salmon, spinach and avocado in a large bowl.

Toss the dressing through the salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with fresh crusty white bread!