winosandfoodies

Bush Tucker Tours

That's me in the white hat down the far end of the table.  My favourite Aunt , Mim  sometimes referred to as Muriel, decided we should do the Bush Tucker  winery tour when I spent a little time with her in Western Australia on my visit last year. That's her next to me holding her glass high. 

Packed into a mini bus with about 20 other people from all over the world we set off from Bussellton to visit 4 wineries, the  Bootleg Brewery ,  Margaret River Chocolate Company   and the cheese producer  Margaret River Dairy Company  .

Our first stop was at  Flying Fish Winery  where we tasted a flight of wines presented by a very knowledgeable young woman.  Ideal if you don't know a lot about wine but perhaps a bit basic for most regular wine drinkers. 

Lunch (above) was served during our stop at Moss Brothers   and included some rather unusual items of bush tucker including bardi grub paté.  I preferred the smoked emu and kangaroo meats for my lunch.

One of my favourite wineries was included in the tour - Hayshed Hill.  They have the prettiest cellar door and I came away with a case of Pitchfork Pink Wine.

The mini bus driver encourages laughter and loud singing so it helps to taste plenty of wines and swallow rather than spit!

 

The Packing Shed

This rustic little eating place The Packing Shed   is about an hours drive up into the hills behind Perth  in Western Australia.  On my trip to Perth last year we spent a leisurely Sunday  relaxing and enjoying wines produced on the estate,  to accompany our lunch  under a shady tree in the sun.  Various tables of differing shapes and sizes , complete with mismatching chairs, are dotted under trees outside what was once the packing shed of an orchard.
Sadly the food was nothing special, however the ambience more than made up for the lack of originality. Desserts were an improvement on the mains.

Surprisingly the flies were not as prolific as I expected for a bushside setting. Staff keep a can of Aerogard under the counter just in case.

Flan From Mireille

This very simple flan has been adapted from Mireille Guiliano's book French Women Don't Get Fat.  It is one of those quick easy recipes suitable for lunch or even as a breakfast dish.

ASPARAGUS FLAN
16 asparagus stalks or 1 can asparagus
120g streaky bacon coarsely chopped
8 eggs
500ml milk
250ml cream
salt and pepper

If using fresh asparagus peel, boil in salted water for 5 minutes, drain and cool. If canned drain.
Saute bacon in non stick pan till crisp. Drain on paper towel.
Combine eggs, milk and cream. Season to taste.
Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180C
Pour egg mixture into baking dish, about 25cm x 2.5cm deep.
Sprinkle in asparagus and bacon.
Bake 15 - 20 minutes till custard is set but not dried out.
Serve immediately with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Signs of Summer

Summer tomatoes

Hay Hay It's Donna Day #2 Roundup

Glutton Rabbit has completed her Donna Day  round up.   Check out the entries and cast your vote for the cutest.

Thank you to everyone for joining in.  I am very impressed with the creativity of the entries.  You are all STARS.