Winter Food & Wine A Slice of Damon As the clouds roll in and the days grow darker, what better way to stay warm and snug than with a hearty bowl of soup. Match it up with some crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a cozy winter delight. The possibilities and flavour combinations for soup are endless. This will be extremely evident throughout the valley over the next coming months. The aromas of stock and slow bubbling blends will become very apparent in Barossa restaurants, promoting satisfying bowls of homely comfort. Soup is a great starter for winter functions, a crowd pleaser at corporate meetings and is a convenient ‘grab and go’ feed. Some of my favourite varieties include: Cauliflower and Rosemary; Leek, Parsnip and Potato; Cream of Sweet Potato and Carrot; Tomato and Basil; Chicken and Barossa Noodle; Cream of Asparagus; Field Mushroom Veloute; Broccoli, Zucchini and Blue Cheese; Thai Style Beef and Mushroom; Spicy Chorizo Minestrone. Whether it is a traditional family recipe, a classic combination, or a more adventurous pot of ingredients, scrap the canned soup and get cooking. It will warm your senses and boost your immune system! Don’t forget the wood oven bread!
Mulligatawny
Damon de Ruiter
Makes 2 litres of soup Preparation and cooking time 1½ hours 100g butter 300g onion finely chopped 1 x clove garlic finely chopped 30g curry powder 120g flour 30g tomato puree 2½Lt beef stock 75g chutney finely chopped 100g apple finely chopped 50g rice 100ml cream Method 1. Melt the butter in a deep pan, add the onion and garlic and cook to a light brown colour. 2. Add curry powder and flour and mix in well. Allow to cool. 3. Add tomato puree, mix in well. 4. Add the hot stock gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps.
5. Bring to the boil, skim and season 6. Add chutney and finely chopped apple to the soup 7. Simmer for 45minutes 8. Pass through a fine strainer into a clean pan and re boil 9. Cook the rice in boiling salted water, drain and add to the soup 10. Finish with cream and season to taste before serving
Enjoy!
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Your local kitchen & cookware specialist! 10 - Winter Food & Wine, “The Leader”, June 1, 2011
More and more young people are taking an interest in healthy eating and trying their hand at raising home-grown vegetable gardens. Mrs Erica Bartsch from the Barossa Nursery, Nuriootpa said there has been a rise in seedling sales, and people are choosing to grow their own vegetables so they have control of chemical use and can pick them at their freshest. “Store-bought vegies are often kept in storage which erodes away the flavour and Vitamin C, and people growing their own vegetables can monitor the chemicals being used.” Seedlings are a safe option for those new to growing a garden because they don’t need much work, said Erica. Mrs Erica Bartsch with a range of “It is easier to grow vegetable seedings from Barossa Nursery. seedlings than seeds; you can water them with a seaweed-based solution called Seasol, In the wet weather, slugs and snails will apply again a week later and then leave be common and can be prevented with Spinosad, Dipel and snail bait. the rest up to nature.” “Spinosad is a very safe spray to use Popular choices to plant during the cooler weather are cauliflower and that will instantly kill caterpillars, whereas broccoli, and are at their optimum before Dipel exclusively kills caterpillars, but the white flowers appear on the broccoli will take the bug a few days to die after eating the poison.” and when the heads look full. Aphids and cabbage moths will put “Home-grown broccoli and cauliflower heads probably won’t reach the size of holes in the leaves of the vegetables store bought ones, so they are best and can be prevented with Confidor to pick when the head looks full,” she or Pyrethum. “When purchased from home said. “I would definitely recommend garden stores, these chemicals are cauliflower because it is high in Vitamin very dilute and won’t cause problems C and antioxidants, and can help to health, just remember to always wash the vegies before eating or prevent cancer.” An important thing to watch cooking them.” out for when raising a vegetable Erica said as well as keeping up garden is common pests, which with the insecticides, a regular light can usually be prevented with light hoe would help keep the weeds in chemicals from home garden stores. check.