Newsletter, June 14, 2008

Hello all,

The past couple of weeks have been so busy for us, but I am sure nobody has noticed that this newsletter is a couple of days late. Well, we hope not, anyway.

Regional events are one of the great ways to bring people to your doorstep, and when you think of it, a very cost-effective way. No postage, no shipping costs, no export fees – the customers come to your doorstep, spend lots of money, and take their purchases away with them. All you have to do is throw a party! And invite everyone.

That is what Lovedale does every year for their Long Lunch, a fixture on the Hunter Valley calendar. Have a look at some of the pics we took and maybe plan your own ‘long lunch’ or extravaganza in the coming year. 

For now, enjoy this newsletter. We are getting lots of positive comments about it, but we’re interested to also hear of any ways you think it may be improved.

Here’s a good slogan for the next couple of weeks:

Never tell people how to do things.  Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. - General George S. Patton

Keep warm,

Sally & Gordon Hammond

A HUNTER GATHERING

The word is, in the Hunter, that some wineries do most of their annual turnover in the one weekend of the Lovedale Long Lunch. We can believe that too after attending there last month, the first time we have made it on one of the Hunter’s biggest fixtures.

Many of the seven participating wineries had twenty or more (we counted them) big buses parked on their grounds. That’s a lot of people visiting one small part of a wine region. And that’s apart from the many, many cars parked in the ad hoc parking areas.

Best of all, the atmosphere was that of something between a race meeting and a hen’s night – with guys invited. Anything went, it seemed, with huge Texan hats on some men, fascinators on girls’ heads and fancy dress for a few others. The rest of us got right into enjoying the wine tasting at the various venues and some great catering by local restaurants. Check out the Diary Gallery

We had stayed overnight at the lovely Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley at Pokolbin (great breakfast, and superb coffee too) so it seemed only natural to seek out Sandalyn Estate where Redsalt, the Crowne Plaza’s restaurant, was doing the catering. Let me tell you the braised Mandagery Creek venison paired with the 2003 Sandalyn Estate Conservatory shiraz was just perfect.

The rammed earth building itself is simply elegant too, burnished with rust and red accents that match well with the timber chairs, white clothed tables and comfy banquettes, amply supplied with cushions. It’s the sort of place you want to stay long in, and return to often.

But best of all, from a regional perspective, the team is dedicated to using the freshest, local, seasonal food. What’s more they may pick up supplies on the way to work. Otherwise the local producers drop it in themselves. “Saves the carbon footprint,” one waitress told me proudly.

Which is a reminder of River House at Noosa with their 50km radius dinner mentioned in the news items on the Australian Regional Food Guide site this week. If you have a restaurant, how about roughing out a menu to see how many dishes you could make using produce from within a set distance of your kitchen?

FOCAL POINT - Would you like to take your own professional-looking images for your business?

The digital revolution has changed the appearance of life in many ways, not the least being the explosion of digital images that have been spawned by a bewildering array of digital cameras. Point and shoot now has an 'after' dimension of 'look', as people review the display screen after shooting.

With new outlets provided by web sites, newsletters, advertising, press releases and media kits, more and more people are requiring quality images. There is considerable scope for improving photographic technique and editing skills. Keep watching this space for photography tips and clues. You will be amazed at how quickly you can become a competent photographer, producing all the images you need for your business. This regular column is another practical way that we can help your business. And, no! The camera is not this week's prize.

This Newsletter - Choosing the right camera for the job.

TEST YOUR MEMORY

What is this? 
HINT: it’s a fruit, and someone listed on this site grows it. The Enlightened One would find these quiet hills a handy place to live.

If you know what it is, use the SEARCH function to find out who is the producer, then tell us the name of both the grower and the fruit.

Too tough? Not when you know what the prize is this time. Read on.

AND THE WINNER IS THE NEXT PRIZE-GIVER.

The winner of the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Hamper was Tony Phelps, who with his partner, Rochelle O'Mara, run A Taste Of The Region, in Winchelsea, Victoria, in the Great Ocean Road region.

He was the first person to tell us that Scoop @ The Shed is in the lovely Fleurieu region of South Australia and is owned by Rachel McMillan & Claudia Lisle-Worner, who moved the business into its current premises in May 2007.

Now, in a rather lovely game of ‘pass-the-parcel’ (or in this case, the hamper) Tony was so thrilled to hear he had won, that he has offered to donate one of his "All In Good Taste" hampers (worth $59, plus delivery). Click here for more details.

Delivery is only within Australia (but it wouldn't be a prize without terms and conditions!), and only to over-18's, as a bottle of wine is included. Full name and address required, obviously. Be quick to supply the first correct answer, and it’s yours. Email us

SLOWLY DOES IT

Cittaslow Katoomba, Blue Mountains.

Did you know, Australia has two Cittaslow towns, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains and Goolwa in the Fleurieu region of South Australia. But before you joke about the term, read on . .

Postcard from Cittaslow Katoomba 
Katoomba village in the heart of the Blue Mountains offers more than picturesque views and a breath of fresh air. As one of only two towns in Australia officially recognised as Cittaslow towns, an Italian idea developed from the Slow Food movement, Katoomba is part of an international network of cities where the focus is on using local, seasonal produce, supporting small producers and restoring time-honoured methods of production as well as local culture and traditions.

To experience Cittaslow Katoomba:

• Meander through remnant rainforest to the Megalong Valley to enjoy a tasting at the Megalong Valley Olive Grove, or enjoy a weekend away in the comfortable warmth of its on-site self-contained cottage.

• Stop in at the Megalong Valley Tearooms to enjoy a traditional morning tea using the same cast iron urn and family recipes used for generations – including the famous home-made apple pies.

• Conditorei Patisserie Schwarz at Wentworth Falls still uses the original culture for its sourdough breads and bakes traditional Christmas recipes unchanged for hundreds of years. Phone: 02 4757 33 00.

• Participate in the Katoomba Heritage and Art Walk through the ‘slow precinct’ – emphasising the art, history, architecture, natural beauty and iconic small businesses of the area, on foot.

• The Hominy Bakery specialises in organic, stone-ground flours creating a variety of old-fashioned baker’s cakes and pies. Phone: 02 4782 9816 • Walk through Blue Mountains Community Gardens and collect your own herbs to make a pot of fresh herb tea, or admire the apple trees, some of the oldest varieties from Cleopatra's time.

• The Paragon Restaurant has been hand-making chocolates and truffles since 1916, with the original box design still in use and interior décor of the restaurant classified by the National Trust. Join a ‘Death by Chocolate’ workshop to learn the artistry behind the hand-made chocolates or simply taste your way around the heritage store. Phone: 02 4782 2928

• Sample shiraz, rosé and riesling wine at Dryridge Estate, the only local winery in the Blue Mountains. Grapes grown at the valley vineyard are hand-picked and used to create the wine using an eclectic mix of Old and New World practices.

Click for more information on Cittaslow Katoomba, and the Slow Food movement.

POWER IN NUMBERS

We are now offering Silver Plus Premier Listings for Groups. Any regional group of five or more can apply for this great deal. Learn more.

Email us about how your local shire, regional group, consortium, or other body can arrange for Premium Listings of all their members. There are many benefits for groups and individuals and we would welcome a chance to discuss these with you.

SALLY’S RECIPE

BEETROOT MY WAY 

When I was a child, no one bought tinned beetroot.  My mother would boil up several beetroot in a big pan, rinsing off any dirt but being careful of course not to trim the top or root too closely as it would ‘bleed’ all that lovely rich colour away into the cooking water. Of course we had grown the beetroot too, and some of the smaller, sweeter leaves might be kept to add colour and texture to a salad. We grew nasturtiums too, and sometimes she would add a finely chopped leaf to a salad as well, to give a peppery flavour.

After the beetroot was cooked, I had the job – one I still count as my kitchen favourite – of slipping off the skins from the large tender purple globes. It’s fun to do as they come off so easily, as does the stumpy root and top. And I never take the advice to wear gloves. The pinkish tinge on my fingers soon goes. 

Then she would slice the beetroot thinly, place them in a bowl, and pour over some hot water, plenty of white vinegar, some sugar and a pinch of salt – and always add one or two cloves for flavour. I guess many mothers did it exactly the same way, just as they made the condensed milk mayonnaise to go with the rest of the Sunday lunch! A bowl of sliced chilled beetroot was a staple on every summer lunch table, and a terrible trap to serve yourself as it was so easy to drip the juice on the good white tablecloth.

So, now what is my spin on such a standard recipe? Just like Mum I cooked some beetroot, the other day, slipped off the skins, cut them into wedges (but they could as easily have been sliced) and packed them into a tall Vacola jar, the last one I have from my early energetic days of bottling everything in sight. Why? The jar takes up so much less room in the fridge, and there’s no need to seal it firmly. A sandwich bag slipped over the open top works fine. 

Then all I did was sprinkle in a little salt and fill the jar with verjus, just enough to cover the beetroot. No need to add sugar or water, I found, as the verjus seemed to have the right proportion of sweetness, at least for my taste. I do like recipes with two ingredients.

If you have a good two-ingredient recipe, let us know, and we can put it in the next newsletter. I’ll then give you two recipes which only have ONE ingredient!