Christine's Depot Farm lunch

by Christine

I’m late, late, late! My lunch was in January and I’ve been procrastinating about writing it up ever since. I’d rather eat than write any day. So here goes….
I was a bit apprehensive about my turn, mainly because of the heat of summer and not used to cooking for more than one or two, not to mention the marvellous food prepared by the others. But I pushed on, wanting to entertain my delightful companions in the beautiful surroundings of Depot Farm Cottage by the Shoalhaven River.

My menu for the day was:

Champagne cocktail and spiced macadamia nuts

Tomato Jelly with crab and chives

Whiting fillets poached in Riesling with grapes and tarragon

Individual pavlovas with rhubarb and mascarpone

Choosing a menu was a challenge due to the limitations of only using local produce. After a lot of running around I opted for whiting from CBD Fish Shop in Nowra. They also provided the crab I needed for my entrée. I neglected to ask the cost and was somewhat horrified when I picked up my order. Good lesson learnt! Other ingredients for the lunch came from Greengold Farm - eggs and rhubarb for dessert, the Terara Veggie Market - dutch cream potatoes (grown on their farm in Kangaroo Valley) and tomatoes from Colleen’s abundant veggie patch. Coolangatta Mountain Ridge Wines provided the poaching wine, the sparkling white and the macadamias.

It was fun testing the dishes beforehand so I ate very well for a few days instead of the usual single person’s fare. However, it was a bit much eating pavlova every night for six nights!


When my lovely guests arrived I treated them to some sparkling white from Mountain Ridge Wines infused with a hibiscus flower and spiced macadamias to nibble on.


The first course was then served.


My main course was on track until I starting making the grape and tarragon sauce. It just would not thicken. So the fish, which was very small to start with, overcooked while keeping warm in the oven. Oh well, these things happen to the best of us.


I think I redeemed myself with dessert as there were loud exclamations of delight when I served the individual pavlovas. The oohs and aahs after the first mouthfuls just made my day! Bliss!


I wondered whether I should have had seconds of dessert available after the plates were nearly licked clean!

To settle our tummies we moved to my little terrace for coffee and to enjoyed the view and cool breeze.


THE RECIPES

Tomato Jelly with Crab and Chives
1 tsp gelatine
250ml tomato juice
300g fresh tomatoes
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
1 tbspn white wine vinegar
1 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp caster sugar
Good dash of Tabasco
Sea salt and pepper
50g cucumber finely diced
150g picked crab meat
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 tbspn chives finely snipped

Soak the gelatine in cold water for five minutes. Heat the tomato juice. Add the gelatine to the juice, whisking until the gelatine is dissolved. Cool for 15 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes into half, discard the seeds and juice and chop roughly.
Whiz the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, oil, sugar, Tabasco, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir the tomato juice, add to blender and mix. Taste for seasoning, pour into individual serving dishes, and refrigerate overnight until set.

Toss the cucumber with the crab, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add a spoonful to each jelly. Decorate with the chives and serve.

Serves 4

Whiting fillets poached in Riesling with Grapes and Tarragon
750g whiting fillets
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
35 ml Riesling or other medium white wine
100g cold butter, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
100ml pouring cream
400g sultana grapes

Lemon wedges, Dutch cream potatoes and sautéed zucchini, to serve

Place fish in a lightly greased heavy based frypan or casserole, scatter with onion and garlic, add bay leaves and wine and season to taste. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and poach over medium heat for 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness of fillets), or until the fish is just cooked. Remove pan from heat, carefully lift the fish from the cooking liquid and keep warm.

Return pan to heat and boil until cooking juices are reduced to about _ cup. Strain into a small saucepan and place over low heat, then add butter, a little at a time, whisking after each addition, until incorporated and sauce is smooth. Add tarragon and cream, season to taste and mix well. Add grapes and stir until heated through (do not boil).

Serve fish with sauce spooned over and accompanied by lemon wedges, steamed dutch cream potatoes and sautéed zucchini.

Serves 4

Individual Pavlova with Rhubarb and Mascapone
Pavlova
4 large egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup of caster sugar
1 dessertspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon verjuice (or white vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Prepare an oven tray with six circles of baking paper, approximately 10cm in diameter. Dust these with cornflour. Preheat the oven to moderate oven (approximately 140deg C).

Beat egg whites with the salt until stiff and glossy. Slowly add the caster sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, ensuring sugar is dissolved. To test take a little of the egg white and rub between two fingers. If you can feel the sugar, keep beating.

When all the sugar has been absorbed, gently fold in the sifted cornflour, verjuice and vanilla essence. Do not over mix as you will take out the air from the mixture.

Carefully spoon mixture into mounds on the prepared baking paper, shaping and flattening slightly with a metal spatula.

Reduce oven temperature to 110deg C. Bake the pavlovas on the lowest shelf for approximately 1 to 1 and a half hours. Allow to cool in the oven (do not open oven door to do this).

Carefully remove the baking paper from each pavlova and place onto serving plate.
Place a dollop of the mascapone cream on top, smoothing out gently with a knife.
Then add a spoonful or two of the rhubarb and ginger mixture on top.
You may wish to decorate the plate with a dusting of icing sugar and rhubarb glaze.

Rhubard and Mascapone
One large bunch rhubarb
Half cup caster sugar
70g Buderim Ginger Uncrystallised (sweet ginger), chopped finely

400g Mascapone cheese
Half tsp vanilla essence
Half tsp caster sugar

Wash and trim rhubarb and cut into 3cm pieces. Place in pan with the sugar and ginger heat gently until the rhubarb is soft but not mushy. Allow to cool. Drain. The juice can be used to make a rhubarb glaze - optional.

Beat the mascarpone cheese with the vanilla essence and caster sugar until just combined.