Borlotti bean and kale soup great for all seasons

Spring is in the air!!  One brave soul in the water at Balmoral

I started out by saying 'Before winter ends' but  have changed this to  "This kind of dish can be eaten at any time of the year."  It's quick and easy as well as being healthy.  I don't really see it as being 'soup' - more like a vegetable side dish.  I made a wonderful dip from left overs by draining off most of the liquid and blending it coarsely, then served it warm with toasted flat bread. Great for picnics.

Borlotti bean and kale soup

To serve 4
1 x 400g can borlotti beans (or canellini beans)
1 tbsp  olive oil
I large brown onion coursely chopped
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
2 celery sticks thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/4 tsp dried chill flakes
1 tbsp  tomato paste
1 x 400g can diced Italian tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups kale, stalks trimmed, shredded - spinach or silver beet can be substituted
1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
Pepper to taste
6 slices sourdough baguette
85g  fresh low-fat ricotta

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
Add onion carrot and celery - cook stirring occasionally for 6-7 minutes or until soft then add garlic and chilli and cook for I minute.  Add tomato paste,  diced tomatoes and stock - bring to the boil and simmer partially covered for 10 - 15 minutes.  Add beans and cook for 2 minutes until heated through then add kale for 3 - 5 minutes or until wilted. Season with pepper.
Meanwhile toast the baguette slices until golden and spread with ricotta. 
To serve ladle the soup among serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

 

Affection for a Prince - from conversations in Mosman Daily

Hi to Readers of Mosman Daily
Clarifying any confusion re marital status

From Mosman Daily

re  - marital status re Conversations - July 25 - Affection for a prince

 

 

Just wanted to point out that Claire Mitchell and Chris Maait are co-authors of the book, 'Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours'.

They are both married  - but not to each other.

Cheers Claire and Chris
Claire Mitchell - 0421 319 496    Christopher Maait - 0431 044 075

mosmanmeanders@gmail.com

 

 

Prince Paul is a real prince

My favourite photo of Paul Delprat
as he is kindly launching 'Mosman Meanders'
Thanks Prince Paul

No matter what political ideas they have, I know that many people in Mosman feel for you as they read in the Mosman Daily about the result of your 20 year driveway dispute.  After all that time and effort I  know you must be feeling very disappointed.   

 

I also know that many in the community express affection for you, along with admiration and respect for the contribution you have made and continue to make for the Art Community in Mosman.   "Local artist, Paul Delprat,  and many others worked to achieve a Mosman Region Art Gallery which came to fruition in 1998.  The Gallery's profile as a destination for artists and collectors was raised, with Margaret Olley and Ken Done being the initial benefactors." 

Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours

I think that you are a real prince!

Claire

 

Embracing Asian flavours with traditional ingredients

Perhaps, as a result of the lack of an initial food identity, we now enthusiastically embrace the flavours of the world.  New generation chefs, bravely push the boundaries of 'Italian Nonnas' by being playful and developing new techniques with traditional ingredients.  

Australian palates in general have evolved from the early experiences of the bland Chinese eateries, to embrace authentic Asian flavours.

Vietnamese Style Beef Fillet

A classic roast dish with Asian flavours hits the spot for winter dinners.

 



 

To serve 4

1 Beef fillet - trimmed

6 star anise

 

Marinade

2 tbsp lemongrass, chopped  (white section only)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lime, juiced with a little zest added

1 long red chilli, finely chopped

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

 

Make 6   2 cm cuts in the beef and press the star anise halfway into the cuts.  Combine the rest of the ingredients - reserving 1/3 for sauce, coat beef with the rest.  Set aside for an hour or longer.

 

Sauce

1 small onion or equal amount of leek
Reserved marinade

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp chinese wine or mirin

Heat a little sesame or olive oil in a pan, gently fry onion or leek, add marinade, fry for 1 minute, then add stock and wine.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.   Strain and place in a serving jug to reheat for serving on the table.

 

To cook the beef, wipe off excess marinade and sear in a little oil in a heavy pan or on a hot plate, until browned (about 5 minutes each side);  transfer to an ovenproof dish and place in oven at 120 degrees for 20 minutes, (for rare beef)   Add any meat juices to sauce and serve slices of beef with  roasted carrots, parsnips, leeks cut lengthwise; roasted potatoes and green beans. 

 



 

Seafood Chowder to warm you

 Seafood Chowder

Hi Mosman Lovers
Now that Winter has finally arrived, I thought I'd warm you up with this lovely winter dish  found on P 82 of 'Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours'.

American whalers in the 1830’s, who rowed from their whaling ships to collect the oysters, clams and cockles for their beloved fish chowder, gave the bay its name. Typically chowder is a rich and creamy soup full of chunks of ingredients that almost make it like a stew.
There are all kinds of variations using everything from seafood and poultry, to just using vegetables. Enjoy -  Cheers Claire

40g butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 large stick celery, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
4 cups (750ml) fish stock
3 cups (750ml) milk (or combination of milk & cream)
12 raw prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined12 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 2cm pieces
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and cracked black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 3 minutes or until softened (do not brown).
Add the flour and stir until the mixture bubbles and begins to come away from side of pan. Cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat. Stir in the fish stock and milk, scraping to dislodge any sediment on the base of pan to avoid lumps forming in the soup.

Return pan to heat, reduce to low and cook for 25 minutes.  Add the prawns, mussels, salmon and parsley and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until seafood is just cooked through.  season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

  

In Mosman flowering shrubs and trees reign

In Mosman flowering shrubs and trees reign providing constant

 flowers throughout the year, whether it be the 'Alice in Wonderland' Camellias or their  delicate cousins, the Sasanqua, which flower through autumn,winter and spring, leaving paths of pink petals. 
They are a constant delight to the senses as we walk around Mosman, when I can't seem to stop taking photos.

 

Sasanquas leave a path of pink petals

 

Camellias brighten the Autumn landscape

 

 

Balmoral alive and well on Mothers Day

 

Happy Mothers' Day

Balmoral was alive and well as we had an indulgent breakfast at one of the cafes. 

With G sitting on one of the park benches engrossed in the Sunday paper, I was free to wander around the rocks bordering the Island.

 

The two curves of sand of Hunters Bay, are now simply referred to as Balmoral but the northern end used to be called Edwards Beach, named after the elder son of Captain John Edwards, known as Balmoral's first permanent resident separated by Rocky Point  known as the 'Island'. 

 

Fabulous weather for walking, exploring, and taking photos.

 

 

Eve's Salad perfect for ANZAC Day



Pomegranates and figs in Tuscany

 

Warm fig and pomegranate salad

This ticked all the boxes for me when I took it along to a friend’s ANZAC Day BBQ , which actually turned out to be a fabulous dinner party!! Luckily I had chosen an elegant salad rather than “Diggers Delight”.

OK, so why did it tick the boxes, you ask?

· The pomegranate dressing has an interesting flavour due to my new 'must-have in the frig’, Pomegratate Molasses. ("Molasses… Molasses… it's icky-sticky goo, Molasses… Molasses… it al-ways stick -to -you"). No, this is not your usual molasses. It adds a complex but not too sweet flavour to many dishes.

Pomegranate seeds add an interesting crunch as each little seed explodes in your mouth.

· The warmed figs – I love figs in every form and have happy memories when G and Istole them from an ancient tree in the garden of a long deserted villa. They were firm, sweet and were warmed by the Tuscan sun; I felt like Eve. Perhaps Adam and Eve ate a fig and not an apple which makes sense since they were wearing fig leaves. So the BBQ’d warmed figs hit a high note with me.

Here it is... for 4 servings

Eve's salad

4 large ripe figs cut in half . Brush or spray cut side with olive oil. 1 pomegranate - cut in half. With a citrus juicer, juice one half to yield 1 tbsp juice after removing some of the seeds to retain with seeds from other half.
70g goats cheese or Danish feta crumbled

Dressing
Combine 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 2 tsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lemon juice
Season with salt & cracked pepper

To serve Combine 50g rocket leaves with a handful of basil. Just before serving, warm the figs through , cut side down, on a BBQ. Add figs

and cheese. Drizzle with dressing and scatter with pomegranate seeds

It would be great to receive your feedback or suggestions. Click on "0 comments". You can choose 'anonymous' from the drop down menu if you don't have a google account. Or send an email - mosmanmeanders@gmail.com
 

"My time must be spent doing my work" Ruth Burgess

'Meandering around Mosman'  today involved spending time with Ruth Burgess at Mosman Art Gallery. 

With the  Mosman Art Gallery backdrop of a lifetime of images from her backyard forest, expressed through Ruth's  woodblock prints - she guided us through how it was done. 




Mosman  Art Gallery - 
Ruth Burgess - Artist  

 

 

 

Hand of the printmaker

 

 

Material of the artist




Woodcut with paint applied

 

 

The final woodcut - three block, printed on Japanese paper



Interpretation of  forest 

For a long time I have lived in this forest,  

symbolic inspiration of the printmaker
to express the landscape's power and energy.
Forest canopy and its understory
insects, birds, moon, distant sky, wind
create chaotic order; an  enigma of illusion.

 Meditative Zen-like  process
equalises wood, ink, paper, tools
with the imagery and hand of artist.
There is no formula; you are not alone
wood and paper work with you,

ink the servant of the woodcut.

 

'My time must be spent doing my work'  Ruth Burgess 

Poem from Ruth's words - Claire Mitchell

 

 

 

 



Shopping in Mosman - the right length for skinny jeans?

Hi there

 "I shop therefore I am" - a new twist on an old saying.  And of course the first item we need is a pair of well fitting black jeans to kickstart the season.  In Mosman we have an enviable variety of boutiques which showcase a well chosen selection of the best designs - not always the most expensive.
So today, I found a great pair of semi skinny, not too low rise and in a fabric that kind of keeps you in.

 A few years ago, I visited my friend  R, who owns a beautiful store 'Shop at Next Door' which stocks an extensive range of jeans with fabulous tops and accessories.  I  learnt the ins and outs of how to wear skinny jeans - with boots of course but also with killer heels, flats and flip flops. R says that the worst mistake you can make when taking up jeans is to make them too short - flared jeans need to be almost to the ground but skinny jeans are a little tricky to get right. Have them as long as you can make them without cupping the bottoms too much; a certain amount of cupping however is necessary for the look and with summer jeans you can fold up the bottoms for a casual look.


This is what she says on her site http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/ - click on Jean Scene at bottom of Home Page.


'No, you do not have to be skinny to wear skinny jeans. It's all about how you wear them that makes the difference. Going into a Wisconsin winter, we all know how great it is to throw on your favorite skinny jeans with a pair of boots and a big oversized sweater. It's the one time that living in the frozen tundra makes fashion fun as well as practical. But thankfully that is all behind us for another seven months or so. So now what? Well a picture is worth a thousand words. Wear skinny jeans with killer heels, your favorite flats, barefoot if the moment is right and of course your favorite flip flops. You can wear a skinny jean scrunched around your ankle or cuffed for a casual look. That solves some of the length issues, which is nice for us as well as you. Of course we'll always shorten them for you if need be.'


I'm off now to take up some jeans - because they're usually too  long for me.  I learnt from R how to do a professional job but am under threat of dire consequence if I devulge the secret. Sorry!
Claire
By the way - if you want some tasty food ideas that will help you to be able to fit into your jeans go to www.fitinyourjeanscuisine.com
 

Ruth Burgess is a star

 Hi there
Make sure you see this exhibition.
I'm passionate about it because it's not only amazing from a exhibition of her works, but also from the physical process which leads to the producing of these works.
Claire

Ruth Burgess: From the Forest - 30 years of woodcuts and wood engravings

Saturday 16 March – Sunday 19 May 2013

From the forest celebrates the art and life of Ruth Burgess, who has had a career spanning three decades and is widely regarded as a leading force in Australian printmaking as an artist, teacher and mentor. With her home and studio immersed in a verdant rainforest in Turramurra on Sydney’s northshore, the enduring themes evident within her work are the spirituality and the immediacy of her bush environment and the interconnectedness of man and nature.
Ruth Burgess’s first visit to China in 1988 proved an artistic and spiritual revelation and her life and practice has been profoundly influenced by China’s paintings, calligraphy and Buddhism ever since. While her artworks share many of the aesthetic qualities of Chinese and Japanese woodcut traditions, Burgess’s works have a distinctly Australian sensibility and a visual iconography developed through living with such proximity to the Australian bush, its flora and fauna.
Ruth Burgess’s art practice stands apart from her peers through her intensely original, distinctive and compelling woodcuts and the palpable sense of unfettered energy they contain. Together the artworks in this exhibition reveal the artist’s continuing journey through landscape, figuration and abstraction and the marriage of process and material in her work.

 

Great support for Balmoral Burn

There are many organised activities around Mosman but what always amazes me is how many people participate in or support them. 

The next major sporting fundraiser is the Balmoral Burn and anyone who has walked up Awaba Street can imagine the burn that running up this very significant hill would incur.  The start line is at the bottom of Awaba Street, Balmoral. The course is 420 metre straight up Awaba Street hill. There is a race category for everyone!
See you there (but as a supporter only!)
Claire

From the Mosman Daily

 

Enjoy foreshore walks this Easter

Enjoy foreshore walks this Easter - Photo  - Christopher Maait

With the glorious Easter  weather, why would anyone not be out enjoying our foreshores?  We suggest you arm yourself with a copy of Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours and treat yourself to beautiful harbour walks,  connecting sites to rich history and cultural background insights.

 

Then when you've built up an appetite, drop into a local cafe for coffee or a snack, or prepare beforehand with your own picnic using recipes from the book.

Enjoy the moment.

Claire

 

 

 

Dark Chocolate Easter eggs are good health news

Have you heard the good news about dark chocolate?

Summarised from Ease Easter Guilt": go for dark chocolate - Nicola Conville, Sunday Telegraph 24/3/13
Easter promises calorific overindulgence but according to studies by researchers from Monash University, the choice of dark chocolate offers significant health benefits, including improvement of blood flow and a "feel good" factor.
It's a healthier option, especially since with a 70 per cent cocoa component, dark chocolate generally contains less added sugar and fat than milk chocolate, with other studies stressing it be part of a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise.

Sounds like great news to me!

Happy Easter to you all.
Claire  - lover of dark chocolate
ps - in 'Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours' on Page 90, Coco Chocolate - Sydney Chocolate School, at Middle Head,  have submitted a fabulous recipe for Chilli chocolate figs. These are to die for.


It would be great to receive your feedback or suggestions. Click on "0 comments". You can choose 'anonymous' from the drop down menu if you don't have a google account. Or send an email -
mosmanmeanders@gmail.com

$120,000 raised by Balmoral Swim!

What a fantastic effort!   
Claire
Article - Mosman Daily 21/3/13

Photo - Claire

 

 

Photos - David Swift 

 

Balmoral Swim - relish the moment!

Hi there
What a great day - the photos say it all!
Overheard from "We can beat cancer" participants - "Relish the moment - can you believe you are here doing it?  Be proud because you are amazing."
Makes me wish I was doing it too.  Claire

 

 

 

Navy presence at Balmoral Swim

 

Balmoral Swim is a fabulous spectacle

It's a fabulous spectacle well worth attending.  See you there.

Balmoral Swim
The annual Balmoral Swim is on March17 to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia. The 250m junior swim will start at 9-30am and the 1km main event race kicks off at lOam. To register visit:- www.balmoralswim.com.au

Balmoral Swim History

The Balmoral Swim was initiated within the Mosman community as a “Swim for Cancer”. Funds have been raised since 1990 to benefit targeted cancer-related charities:

• the Cancer Council;
• Camp Quality;
• Tsunami charities in 2005 and,
• CCIA.

The CCIA has been the beneficiary of funds raised since 2006. CCIA is the only independent medical research institute in Australia dedicated to research into the causes, better treatment, prevention, and cure of childhood cancer.
The event has been organised since 2005 by the locally-based Balmoral Beach Club and a number of community members who founded the swim. All members of the committee are volunteers, as are the many helpers on race day.
The local council, Mosman Municipal Council, has actively encouraged and supported the swim as a feature in the local calendar.
The Balmoral Swim committee encourges community participation. The locally based Navy at HMAS Penguin contribute by helping to lay the course and assist with safety on the day. The local Scouts group (1st Balmoral Sea Scouts) helps with a sausage sizzle and many local business support the event.
In 2010 the swim was awarded the Benefactors Award in recognition of outstanding support for the CCIA . This award belongs to the community of swimmers and volunteers who have supported the event every year.
 

Fennel and Orange Salad

 

The following recipe has a special significance to me since I was served this refreshing dish in Tuscany.
Italy loves citrus and this dish is by Alvina who served it with Walnut Pesto Pasta, followed by Poached Figs and homemade icecream.
Baby fennel from Mosman providores is at its best at present.

Fennel and Orange Salad

Serves 6
1 bunch rocket or curly endive leaves
1 small fennel bulb
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
1 red onion, sliced
20 black olives
Orange Dressing
3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh fennel leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp orange rind, grated
1/2 tsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place rocket or endive on a large platter. Arrange fennel, oranges, onion and olives attractively. To make the orange dressing, place ingredients in a screw top bottle and shake to combine. Pour over salad and serve immediately.
(http://www.timeintuscany.com/)

 

Has my heart been taught to whisper, ‘You belong to Sydney-Side.’

"But the city set in jewels rose before me from ‘The Shore.’"
Photo - Christopher Maait - Mosman Meanders

 

Sydney-Side

Where's the steward?—Bar-room steward? Berth? Oh, any berth will do—

I have left a three-pound billet just to come along with you.

Brighter shines the Star of Rovers on a world that’s growing wide,

But I think I’d give a kingdom for a glimpse of Sydney-Side.

 

Run of rocky shelves at sunrise, with their base on ocean’s bed;

Homes of Coogee, homes of Bondi, and the lighthouse on South Head.

For in loneliness and hardship—and with just a touch of pride—

Has my heart been taught to whisper, ‘You belong to Sydney-Side.’

Oh, there never dawned a morning, in the long and lonely days,

But I thought I saw the ferries streaming out across the bays—

And as fresh and fair in fancy did the picture rise again

As the sunrise flushed the city from Woollahra to Balmain:

And the sunny water frothing round the liners black and red,

And the coastal schooners working by the loom of Bradley’s Head;

And the whistles and the sirens that re-echo far and wide—

All the life and light and beauty that belong to Sydney-Side.

And the dreary cloud-line never veiled the end of one day more,

But the city set in jewels rose before me from ‘The Shore.’

Round the sea-world shine the beacons of a thousand ports o’ call,

But the harbour-lights of Sydney are the grandest of them all!

Toiling out beyond Coolgardie—heart and back and spirit broke,

Where the Rover’s Star gleams redly in the desert by the ‘soak’—

But says one mate to the other, ‘Brace your lip and do not fret,

We will laugh on trains and ’buses—Sydney’s in the same place yet.’

Working in the South in winter, to the waist in dripping fern,

Where the local spirit hungers for each ‘saxpence’ that we earn—

We can stand it for a season, for our world is growing wide,

And they all are friends and strangers who belong to Sydney-Side.

‘T’other-siders! T’other-siders!’ Yet we wake the dusty dead;

It is we that send the backward province fifty years ahead;

We it is that ‘trim’ Australia—making narrow country wide—

Yet we’re always T’other-siders till we sail for Sydney-side.

Henry Lawson

The Bonny Port of Sydney - Henry Lawson

 




As the harbour lights of Sydney
As we see them from the Shore
Photo - Christopher Maait from 'Mosman Meanders'
 





The Bonny Port of Sydney

The lovely Port of Sydney
Lies laughing to the sky,
The bonny Port of Sydney,
Where the ships of nations lie.
You shall never see such beauty,
Though you sail the wide world o’er,
As the sunny Port of Sydney,
As we see it from the Shore.
The shades of night are falling
On many ports of call,
But the harbour lights of Sydney
Are the grandest of them all;
Such a city set in jewels
Has ne’er been seen before
As the harbour lights of Sydney
As we see them from the Shore.

I must sail for gloomy London,
Where there are no harbour lights,
Where no sun is seen in winter,
And there are no starry nights;
And the bonny port of Sydney—
I may never see it more,
But I’ll always dream about it
As we view it from North Shore.

Henry Lawson :

"Joyous" Skinny dip at Mosman

Mosman Daily  - Feb 21, 2013

 

Mosman man wins ultimate award in cimematography

From the Mosman Daily -  Feb 21   2013

Walnut Pesto thrives in Tuscan Mosman

Alvina's Bell at Podernuovo is calling me to lunch - happy memories!

Pesto is a favourite subject of mine.  This year, in my Mosman garden, one punnet of basil planted here and there, yielded constant harvest of a favourite, most aromatic herb.  

Traditionally Pesto  is made with pinenuts - perhaps they were plentiful in Italy but they still had to be super labour intensive!  Have you seen the way they have to extract each little precious pinenut.   An alternative is Walnut Pesto which evolved from the need to find ways to use the walnuts which drop from the old walnut trees on the property.  For family meals and for variation, I use a variety of nuts eg almonds and herbs for pesto - such as parsley & coriander.

We worked in the fields with Umberto, doing what needed to be done - digging out stones, picking grapes, making wine etc. 

I cut the lavender and rosemary back before winter - I had helped to plant it a few years ago but since everything grows so quickly it needed cutting back.

Alvina's bell is a suspended bronze bell which she rings when lunch is ready. She has tended the vegetable garden, harvested its bounty, applied her endless creativity, and the call of the bell means that a delightful lunch awaits. We eat, exchange experiences of the morning, make plans for the evening meal (everything revolves around food of course) then retire to our villa for siesta - maybe to doze or perhaps to read the current novel which was being circulated.

Alvina's Walnut Pesto Pasta (to be served with tomorrow's Fennel and Orange Salad)
Serves 4
400g (13oz) cappellini or angel hair pasta - sea salt and black pepper to taste
Pasta comes in different shapes and sizes like angel hair or capellini, fettuccini, fusilli, linguini, macaroni, spaghetti, etc. Capellini or angel hair pasta are long strands of pasta that are commonly used with light sauces.
Pesto
Large bunch fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 large handful chopped walnuts
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Shred basil leaves and place in a blender with crushed garlic, walnuts and about 2 tblsp olive oil. Puree until smooth and then add the parmesan cheese and a little more oil.

Place pasta into boiling water with salt and cook for around 15 mins or until el dente which means firm to bite.
Pour over the drained pasta and garnish with fresh basil. Add a few more chopped walnuts and parmesan to taste.

http://www.timeintuscany.com/

Click on 'comment' at bottom of page to have your say or email

mosmanmeanders@gmail.com

 

          

Pre Mosman Meanders Photo Field Day


A beautiful day of 'lightwriting' on a field trip at Bradley's Head, Mosman, Australia, with photographer Christopher Maait.  Thanks Chris for your expertise and guidance at the Mosman Community College- and in helping me to feel confident and aware re taking better photos; (as I hope you will agree from viewing the video below.)


Chris - Yes I know, I focused on the background
instead of on you.

Cheers Claire
ps - this was before we started the book - see how much younger you look!

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