A few months ago, when visiting Markington, I shared a little bit of detail in this previous post.

Good fortune has me passing by Markington again for a few days and it is a great opportunity to give you an update on the Glamping at Markington.

Down in the Copper Beech Glade, a magical gypsy camping experience is now well established by Jules and Hank. Tucked away in the grounds of historic Markington Hall, ancestral home of the 19th century slave emancipist William Wilberforce family; past the old mill and millrace is the Copper Beech Glade where the trio of gypsy wagons are located. They provide accommodation in an enchanting setting for a short stay or a longer holiday.

To get to Markington one can travel numerous paths, however I like to pass via Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Harrogate is my idea of a romantic English country town (city?).

Three vans are settled under the magnificent huge Copper Beech trees with a vista of the Markington brook babbling by. “The River Robert” meanders its way through the grounds of Markington Hall completing a truly magnificent backdrop of English countryside.

Rosita is the larger van for a comfortable and romantic sleep for the couple staying in her.

Carmen has her fiery red exterior and conjures up passion in my mind, for the couple staying in her.

Bella is cheeky and gorgeous. Again, for a couple or this one decks out well for kids to stay in her.

Within the glade, close to the caravans is a fully equipped wooden cabin with a veranda for guests to utilise. Comfy sofas, tables and chairs, cooking facilities and all imaginable necessities are catered for. A cooking area, both inside the cabin and outside to suit whatever fancies the guest. Bathroom facilities have a touch of “outback Australia”, Jules’ little touch of home influence. Don’t be fooled though, this outback look does not mean that the bathroom facilities are rugged. It is fantastic!!!

Settled in front of the caravans is a camp fire. Hanging over the fire, a kettle is gently boiling in ready for the never-ending English cup of tea. I also have the perfect vision of a pot slow cooking a fantastic stew. In fact, I am so inspired by the imagery I am going to create a recipe; “Copper Beech Glade Gypsy stew”.

Can’t you imagine the folklore and storytelling that will happen around this fire circle?

The perfect and impressive completion of this site has to be the toilet block. The long drop natural composting, discreetly located toilet block is impressive……as far as toilets go!!

Jules and Hank have created this enchanting and welcoming get-away, set amid historical grounds seeped in history for the discovering. An environment that is so relaxed, yet all of “Maslow’s basic human needs” are so thoughtfully and efficiently catered for and met.

Those of us who know Jules and Hank can attest to the gracious, generous and caring hosts that they are. In all the years of visiting and staying with them at High Mill Farm, later at Wallerthwaite Farm and now at Markington Hall, our visits have never been anything else other than splendid. Reading through their guest book certainly confirms this is not just unique to us. We feel so blessed and thrilled to count them amongst our “bestie” friends.

If you ever pass this way and decide to have a glamping experience, tell them that DC sent you!!

Cheers DC XX

Photos used in the post are provided by Julie Wilberforce, photographer.

When guest Chef Alfie Spina said he could return for some more workshops, there was no hesitation in what would be on the menu. After the feedback and response to his first Pasta Perfect class, we agreed a follow up class would be well justified. 

Deb with guest Chef Alfie Spina

Following the always-inspiring demonstration, showing how easy it is to make fresh pasta, Alfie shared with us recipes for broad bean, spinach and pea ravioli, squid ink spagettini with prawns, pappardelle pasta with rabbit ragu and fettuccini with “Mama Love” sauce. (The secret to this sauce is home-made Passata that is made and stirred with a lotta love over a long time).

This is a happy pasta face!

People were able to take their pasta dough with them to make more at home and of course, the magic of pasta is you can do almost anything to make up your own sauce……let the experimenting begin.

The gallery of photos on our website will have your mouth watering!!

In the next workshop, Alfie moved us away from “meals” as such, to pates and terrines.

Admittedly, pates and terrines are not everyone’s preference and some would suggest it is a more acquired taste.

Terrine

However, watching Kate and Alfie’s 19 month son Enzo, eat all these fabulous foods, makes a mockery of that folklore!!!

Duck liver pate with port jelly and date puree, salt cod pate served with pickled fennel, pork terrine with fig balsamic jam and Escabeche of mackerel with tomato jam were prepared, assembled, cooked and consumed with many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as we smelt and tasted delicious and full flavours.

Duck liver pate with port jelly

One of our ‘Frequent Cooks’, Katie, was very pleased to be back doing classes with Alfie again and commented that meeting people like Alfie, “keeps me inspired to keep experimenting with my cooking”.

Another class participant, Alan, told us “Alfie was fantastic, his food sensational and the atmosphere of the class convivial. 
I certainly learnt a lot from it and will be experimenting as a result. Thanks for the experience”.

Salted cod pate with pickled fennel

While sitting here writing this blog, I have been reflecting how fortunate I have been to meet some incredible chefs and how generous it is that they are willing to spend time in a strangers kitchen and share their love of ingredients and cooking with some of us local Gippslanders. 

As I commence planning the next schedule and hopefully, a full program for next year, I do hope I can maintain the opportunity for people who want to learn more about cooking and extend their repertoire for a shared table.

I know Alfie has some exciting opportunities coming his way in the near future, so I am not sure when we will be able to have him in the Plough Creek kitchen again. So until we do, a huge thanks to him for the information and teaching he has offered us this year.

Watch out for some of his recipes that I will share in my next recipe column. 

Happy Tastings. DC xx

Last weekend PCCS was thrilled to host the return of Chef Kate Spina (nee Connor) from Sydney. Kate has specialised as a Pastry Chef in recent years and is certainly a popular guest presenter with PCCS participants. I have spoken about Kate in previous blogs. I was so thrilled when she agreed to return for a couple more workshops at PCH.

Deb with guest Chef Kate Spina

Kate did not disappoint. It is hard not to be all gushy when you watch someone respect the ingredients and love what they do so much AND be prepared to share that skill and knowledge with others. This time we were treated to her expertise in “Bread Making for the Home Baker” on Saturday morning and Sunday morning she shared her tips for successful “Pastry 101”.

In the Bread class we learnt about wet and dry dough, all about yeast (quite a lot of commentary after Kate’s throwaway line of yeast having sex to reproduce in the dough), about the environmental conditions that help bread prove the correct way and how much muscle power goes into effective kneading. One participant commented that “much of the information Kate shared they had read in a book, but being hands on and watching an experienced Chef, just made it all click and so much easier”. 

Four guys and two gals produced pita bread, fruit and nut buttermilk flatbread, focaccia and white herbed loaves and rolls. We shared a platter of delicious accompaniments and everyone took home with them dough to make their own focaccia as “homework”. 

Breads and shared platter

Kate gave strict instructions that she wanted photos to show what their bread looked like at home. And I can tell you, she was thrilled to see the photos and successes sent by text the next morning.

Sunday morning pastry class was also rewarding for those who attended. Flaky pastry, Filo pastry and Brown, burnt butter pastry were transformed into Quiche Lorraine, Raspberry Galettes, savoury and sweet strudels, Sable Bretons (some with orange curd on top) and Frangipane pear tart.

Quiche and savoury strudel

One of the comments that resonated with all of us was, “Who would ever have considered making their own filo pastry? Now that I have done it and it is so easy, why would I not make it?”

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the participants who attended the classes and for supporting our cooking school.

Again, as previously, huge appreciation to Kate for making what seems like difficult cooking so much more achievable for us at home, in our kitchens. So rewarding and SO MANY happy tastings!!

DC  XX

OK….Lets have some clarity, up front, about this blog. YES I am a collector. YES I have stuff (some people say a lot of stuff!). YES I am a bower bird. YES I do have a well equipped kitchen (I have been collecting kitchen stuff for a long time) and YES I like to have a busy, at times, messy home.

But an interesting thing happened last week, which created a very peculiar reaction from several people, to an implement they found in my kitchen drawer. So while this collective of folk were having a giggle and teasing me about my overstocked pantry and well equipped kitchen, one of them located a kitchen implement and wondered what is was. It appeared that quite a few people wondered what it was. It became the object of considerable mocking of me over two days. What also befuddled them was that I had not one, not two, but four of these particular implements. (Please note and to my own defense, they were of different sizes!!).

The said implement that caused so much mocking, conversation and consideration, looked at first glance very much like a pair of scissors. Until you laid them sideways and it was obvious they had four, five or six sets of blades. The handles are “non-denominational” – that is, they can be used by lefties or right handed people.

Do you have any of them?

Even the two guest Chefs for the weekend were bewildered by them. “What are they?” Kate Spina asked. “Yeh, what the hell are they?” retorted IKE. “I have never seen them before?” said Alfie. Andrew (my BFF!) commented “Oh, they are herb scissors!”. Of course he was correct!!

The said instruments of much mocking!

Now I have to say that these implements have made their way to my kitchen not by my own gathering and collecting – all of them have been gifts to me from others!! 

Do you have unusual and quirky stuff in your kitchen drawers?

Do people give you quirky and unusual presents?

Just wondering ….. DCx

Over a week since the last blog and boy, how the days have whizzed past quickly. I am sitting in the airport heading to a conference,  where I will be part of a speakers panel (not unusual for me to be on a flight to somewhere for work) and reflecting on the last week.

I have been busy with my day job……I have cooked a PCH Roast Lamb for a shared table of people I have never met before ……Have to say it was nice that Dave came home for a visit and thought it would be cool to invite friends round for dinner. I am trying to decide if I am courageous enough to post the PCH roast lamb recipe  – will people think I am a big fraud if I “publish” my own recipe?.....Actually it is my adaptation of a number of recipes – so does that make it my recipe?......Was part of a panel at a conference in Canberra last week, which meant I had an opporutnity to catch up with some very dear friends while there……Busy organising the kitchen ready for return classes with Kate and Alfie next weekend….Had a Skype chat with a wonderful friend in New York………And now finalising a work trip that will take me to Copenhagen and Berlin soon.  OH yeah, posted some letters to some friends – what a treat to go to the post office and send little parcels, the old fashoioned way!!!

Recently, I applied for a conference that is for bloggers who are into the “food  blogging” scene.  Missed out,  as it has limited spaces available. I was surprised that I felt so diappointed. I guess since I have found this blogging world to be so much fun and have met some amazing people as a result, I felt that this particular conference would  be a real buzz. I love reading other blogs and I do hope that there are people reading mine who find them a pleasant read. It is an interetsting space to be in. I feel like I am talking to a good friend when I write these blogs, but I am not sure what the face of that friend looks like. I have no idea who or how many people read them, but every so often soemone tells me they love reading them, so my friend,  I hope you are well today and that this blog finds you happy and enjoying some happy tastings.

DC xx

When I married, I married a family. Complete with in-laws, dog and 3 stepsons. Now, it would take a long time to tell ALL the stories about Michael, Shane & David. Some of them would script a sit-com, some a romantic chick flick….Some would rate as horror tales!

But the one thing they seem to have inherited from their father is a sense of occasion and celebration. I have observed that these 3 sons of Tezza’s always seem to acknowledge Father’s Day with him. Arriving a day late, however, still with a sense of purpose of visit, No.3 man/child arrived tonight. Davo went fishing to the west coast of Australia via Darwin about 10 years ago......Occasionally he ventures back to the east to visit.

Father and No.3 son, Davo. 

Davo arrived with a big white box…..in it was 13 kilos of Bluebone (Black spot Tusk Fish or Bald chin Groper – depends where you come from!!), Coral Trout, Goldspot Cod and Blue Line Emperor. All cleaned, filleted and packaged ready for us….

Drawer in my freezer now well packed!