i would spend my last $20 in the world on . . .

Greetings all,
Oh yes, i'd blow my last $20 in the world on seafood, hell yeah.  Mmmm, smoked salmon to be precise, it would fit the bill nicely. 

 Blob of horseradish cream, squeezes of lemon, salt & pepper + sprouts & dill. 

 Like my salmon rose??  One child claimed this all for herself!!  We just ate off the platter, like cavemen.  There was fork jousting between my 4 starving-hungry-salmon-lovers.

 Oh i can still taste it.  I held back 100gm of salmon, just in case . . . my son couldn't eat fast enough so i played hero mother & presented him with extra salmon after the girls left. 

The horseradish was a delicious addtion, thanks for the recommendation Jamie Oliver.  It was hot but reminds me of my mummy, she used to make a mean horseradish cream sauce for our roasted vegetables, mmmm. 

Aren't you loving Spring, Australia?? I just planted dill in my herb barrel, we eat a lot of seafood here.  Have you ever tossed dill in with chicken & mayo on a roll?? It's a winner.  Try it for lady like luncheons or just because you love yourself.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday 'produce markets - what do you take home??'

Greetings all,

Rather enjoying my Social Commentary Sunday series - last week certainly ruffled some feathers about school homework & assignments, i loved the many comments from teachers, thank you!! 
This week is just a simple observation & thought on your local produce/ farmer/ handmade/ homegrown markets.  How do you approach them??  With a shopping list; a dream menu; a learning experience; or whatever the season has to offer you??

We have been trying to buy as much as we can from local produce markets for almost 15 years/ since we married, figuring organic, local & fresh is best for our bodies & eveyone's wallet. 

 I give special kudos to any producer who takes the time to engage with our children & tell them how things are grown, harvested & presented to them.

 I love discovering new & exciting produce, like these dragon fruits to show the children!!

 I get a bit Homer-Simpson-dribble-like when i see bread, oh, hello Sour Dough my old friend.

 We're a bit mushroom mad in our family, i can't wait to grow our own - although my husband is not so keen . . . his father grew them so successfully when handsome soldier was a child, EVERY meal came with mushrooms.  What a great source of iron.

 Our children are also big meat eaters, so put them in front of any European meat producer, they will try all the samples & say things like "i promise i'll tidy my room all week if you buy me some salami".  Who can resist such a deal??  "Make it a tidy room for a month" - i drive a hard bargain!! 

 Love a bit of presentation effort, especially when my high schooler is learning some fancy fruit chopping techniques.  So very 1970s housewife, but endearing.

 What a gorgeous setting for a produce market.

 Coffee who those who drink it, as you might know, i don't drink tea or coffee, certain it saves me a fortune.  Ditto for alcohol.

 Beware the mandarin monster lurking under the trees.  If only you could get a 7 year old boy to dispose of his mandarin seeds in a pleasant manner, as if they need any excuse to spit - something i find completely revolting, actually makes me feel sick - hearing someone spit!!

So what did we take home from the market today?? 
A good 90 minutes of watching our wide eyed & hungry children taste test truffles, olive oils, salmon, cheeses, meats, breads, olives, lasagne, peanut brittle, fruits & more. 
We physically brought home this bounty + a tonne of fruit & the simple stall holder suggestions of . . . pan frying the duck in simple spices . . . having the Morton Bay bug for afternoon tea (yes please) . . . the truffle duck pate can be used over & over - just lay the clarified butter over the top again . . . the smoked dill salmon can be broken up in a simple creamy pasta (delicious, having that tonight) . . . salmon dip on sour dough (secret addiction of mine) . . . how Kalamata olives are grown from the actual Kalamata olive tree cutting, not seeds, they love a cold snap & will grow well in Canberra. 
What an education, positive experience & fantastic way to spend a Sunday morning as a family!!  If you picked up on the 'we' & 'our children' - you guessed it, my husband is with us, yahoo.  Thank goodness as i went through my $50 in a flash at the market, he's my back up piggie bank/ enabler of my duck/ salmon addiction.  Love Posie