pots & vans

After dinner tonight, Maria cleverly suggested we  make some stock from the left over loin chop bones. We sat in the van tonight with it simmering away for a couple of hours with some onion, carrot, garlic, bayleaf, herbs and pepper and salt. Can't wait to use it to enhance a dish sometime soon.

We first heard of these from our friends and fellow foodies Gav and Jules. A container of these little beauties will fill a meal with flavour. We used them today as the star ingredient in a risotto. Farmer's markets are a great opportunity to meet the growers, but the Wollumbin Gourmet Mushrooms man doesn't stop at that. He offers workshops and sells kits to help you grow your own. If you are in the Northern Rivers on a Tuesday (new Brighton) or Wednesday (Murwillumbah), you won't regret grabbing a container of these flavour gems.

It's not often that there is cause to celebrate the products associated with / branded by the big supermarkets. This is an exception. I am a fan of fruit toast, or good fruit toast at least. I'm not talking about the loaves you buy in the bread section, I'm talking about spice rich bread filled with real fruit (and sometimes nuts too). The so-called Rich Fruit Loaf from Woollies' bakery section is the best we've ever bought and is as good as anything you'll get in a cafe for breakfast. I have been devastated that since we arrived in the North Rivers 6 weeks ago, none of the Woollies I've been in to have stocked it. I've questioned bakers working at the ovens in the bakery section and had been informed that they don't stock this line. Today we had to pick up some arborio rice for dinner , and I could help myself, I had to check the bakery even though I knew "they don't stock that line". I couldn't believe my luck to see a little sign...