by Krista | Jul 24, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
The light in Australia is unlike any I’ve ever seen. It is clean and bright and feels so alive.
I love it.
In the afternoon it softens to the most intense gold, glowing and warm, even in the dead of winter. This is my favorite time to go for a walk on our farm: Citadel Kalahari.
I’ve started taking our goats out for a daily trek through the bush. They love it! Dashing from one succulent bush to the next, stretching up as high as they can to nibble off tender leaves.
This little fellow loves eating so much that he gets utterly absorbed in it and never seems to notice when the entire herd wanders off. I keep an eye on him and laugh every time he suddenly realizes he’s all by himself and hoofs it off through the grass to find his mother.
I take them for their walk in late afternoon, simply because the soft winter light makes it even more pleasurable.
While they’re munching along, I get to explore a bit too.
This week I nearly scared the liver out of myself by almost stepping on an enormous (but harmless) yellow and black blue-tongued lizard. Yipes!
A while later I had the unnerving sense that someone was watching me, and looked up to spot a lone kangaroo peering at me through the grass. 🙂
I’m very happy we have so many gum trees for the winter light to filter through, so many meadows of long, golden grass for the setting sun to glimmer through.
I feel lucky every single day to live in such a beautiful place. It may not be Paris or Amsterdam or even my beloved Italy, but it is infinitely precious to me.
On such beautiful days I feel the need to spoil us a little.
Turnips may not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to food indulgences, but they may be after you try these little beauties. 🙂
I often have a surplus of vegetables around my house, mostly because I get so excited at the Warwick Farmer’s Market that I forget I’m only cooking for two and come home with BOXES of plum tomatoes, Lebanese cucumbers, and silverbeet.
This week I had an abundance of root vegetables: turnips, parsnips, potatoes, etc., so I decided to make root veggie pancakes. I didn’t want plain ol’ pancakes though, so I jazzed them up a bit with Feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and added a dollop of garlicky plain yogurt and a drizzle of roasted tomato puree.
I love when healthy things taste so good you feel like you’re getting away with something. 🙂 That’s the case with these little pancakes. We had them cold and plain for mid-afternoon snacks, piled them high with the aforementioned yogurt and tomato puree, and warmed them slightly with a sprinkling of Worcestershire sauce. All of them are good, especially eaten in the glow of the setting sun.
What is your favorite healthy indulgence?
PS – If you’d like to know more about life on our Australian goat farm, visit us at our blog: http://www.citadelkalahari.com/or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/citadelkalahari
Feta Root Veggie Pancakes
Ingredients:
6-8 small turnips, peeled and cubed
1-2 parsnips, peeled and diced
3-4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Feta cheese, grated
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3-4 green onions, sliced
4 eggs
olive oil for pan
Toppings:
plain yogurt mixed with minced garlic, green onions, and salt.
roasted tomato puree (roasted tomatoes whizzed up in the blender until smooth)
Directions:
- Dump turnips, parsnips and potatoes into large pot. Cover with salted water and bring to boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat slightly and simmer 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender enough to mash with a fork.
- Drain vegetables and let cool 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, Feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and green onion. Mix well.
- Add four eggs and mix very well.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add spoonfuls of vegetable mixture to make disks about 2-3 inches wide.
- Cook until disks bubble on the edges (like pancakes). Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Flip again if necessary to ensure even browning.
- Remove cooked pancakes to platter and cover to keep warm while you cook the remaining batter.
- When ready to serve, arrange three pancakes on a plate, top with garlicky yogurt and/or roasted tomato puree, or eat plain.
- While good warm, they are also good cold straight out of the fridge as a snack.
by Krista | Jul 17, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
It is a cold, dark and windy day in Queensland, so I’m escaping to a summer morning in Italy when the sun was warm, the breezes cool, and we had a whole day to do whatever we liked.
On such a day a leisurely breakfast on the sun-drenched terrace was essential. We lingered long over fresh strawberries and toasted ciabatta topped with fried eggs or spread with Nutella. How lovely it was to be outside in our pjs, talking for ages with dear friends as the birds twittered cheerily in the orchards below us.
After breakfast we piled into our rental car and headed down the hills near Perdifumo, wending our way past ancient villas, lush olive groves, and roadsides carpeted in a profusion of wildflowers.
We stopped often, spilling out of the car to stretch our legs and soak in the views of emerald hills and cerulean skies.
The road was narrow and rutted, twisting and turning down the hillside heading towards the Adriatic Sea.
At last we saw it, vivid blue against the sandy beaches and red-tiled rooftops of the seaside town of Santa Maria.
We meandered our way through the unfamiliar streets until we found a parking spot, then hauled our bits and bobs down to the beach, eager to kick off our shoes and plunge into the cool, clear water glistening in the early morning sunlight.
What a jolly time we had on the beach that morning: swimming, tanning, hiking up and down the beach, reading under a bright blue umbrella, napping happily in the sunshine, taking pictures like mad. 🙂
I loved the wildflowers growing by the road, little kids bathing suits hanging out to dry, and the rocky shore that rose up on either side of pristine sand, the water aglow with lime green seaweed and gold lichen clinging to the stones.
As much as I love these wild winter days in Australia, I can’t wait for spring and summer to arrive with brilliant sunshine, blue skies, and long days to putter and adventure in.
What do you love most about summer?
by Krista | Jul 11, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
Today at Across the Cafe Table we’re sharing our favorite festivals from around the world.
I grew up attending two festivals every year: Scandinavian and Scottish. They were highlights of my year, places where I met the same dear friends and ate traditional foods that we dreamed of all year long.
Now that I’m in Australia, I’ve started new festival traditions.
I’m very excited about the Jumpers and Jazz Festival coming up this month in nearby Warwick, Queensland. With chocolate workshops, wine-tasting, yarn-bombing and lots of great music, it looks like a jolly time indeed.
The best festival I’ve attended recently is the Abbey Medieval Festival on Bribie Island. The largest medieval festival in the Southern Hemisphere, this festival is a flamboyant celebration of all things medieval.
Yesterday I showed you pictures of a medieval gypsy caravan and wedding (click here to see pictures)
There were so many other sights to see!
Like these medieval Syrian dancers who twirled, dipped and shimmied to the beat of drums as they gracefully waved silk scarves.
Adorable children dressed up as Vikings complete with their own little wooden swords and shields.
You could take a ride on camels like this fellow who looks like he’s grinning for the camera. 🙂
Or cheer wildly for gallant knights showing their prowess and chivalry on the field of battle.
When the battle was over you could wander from one medieval camp to another, learning how to make braided trim and amber jewelry from the Vikings or how to bind books from the French.
And you couldn’t miss out on the wonderful array of shops where you could find everything from hand-made pottery and beautifully wrought iron to exquisitely soft furs and luscious felted wool.
Do you like attending festivals? What is your favorite one?
by Krista | Jul 4, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
Last time we went on a stop-any-ol-place-you-like drive through the Italian Alps. (Click here to see photos)
Today we’re heading up, up, up into the mountains to a stunning lookout atop a waterfall.
The drive alone is absolutely gorgeous, the road narrowing as it winds through pristine alpine villages and emerald green meadows.
The higher we get the rockier the terrain as the treeline thins and craggy cliffs emerge from behind fluffy white clouds.
The windows are wide open letting in warm, late afternoon sunshine and cool mountain breezes.
It feels exquisitely wonderful to be alive.
My stomach lurches only a little bit as my friend Margo expertly guides the car up the edge of the mountain. I try not to think about the sheer drop to our left and keep my gaze fixed on the soaring peaks aglow in sunshine. Knowing I’m only a little ways away from Switzerland makes me happy and distracts me from unpleasant fears of plummeting to my death.
At last we emerge on the mountain top, and any anxieties are quickly forgotten in the stunning vistas that await us.
We are speechless.
Without any explanation needed, we spend the next while alone with our thoughts, gazing across the mountains, down the plummeting stream, letting the winds cool our faces as we try to take it all in.
With hardly another soul around, it was the perfect place to be quiet, to rest, to be still. A wonderful spot to let all the stresses and anxieties of life melt away.
Next time I’ll show you more of this mountain top reverie.
Where is your favorite waterfall?
by Krista | Jun 26, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
It is cozily stormy and wintry in my part of Australia today, so it is a perfect time to close my eyes and imagine that I’m back in the warm, lush gardens of the Kroonluchter Atelier De Rode Hoeve outside Amsterdam.
Being the only one in the garden enhanced the sense of utter serenity and stillness I felt as I sat on a rough stone bench by the pond and absentmindedly stroked the soft fur of a kitty who nuzzled my hand and purred loudly.
I smiled at the delightful hodgepodgery of the garden, a modern swing in chrome and black just down the path from a perfectly splendid Scandinavian gate intricately carved and painted a marvelous blue.
I was smitten by the pretty little cottages alight with the glow of dozens of chandeliers hanging inside them.
Wrought iron swans sat gracefully among the reeds while wrought iron geese cavorted in a gently burbling creek.
This was my favorite cottage of all. How I’d love to have one like it in my garden someday, a whimsical blue hideaway perfect for long afternoon naps and cozy afternoons losing myself in a good story.
After such an inspiring day in the fresh air, comfort food is definitely in order. Pasta is always comforting to me, especially with homemade sauce and cheesy garlic bread.
This is one of my favorite sauces, particularly rich and flavorful because I roast the tomatoes with garlic before I puree them and add caramelized onions and savory sausage. Roasting the tomatoes adds time to the cooking process, but it’s absolutely worth it.
I like this dish best with my brother Ryan’s garlic bread: a lovely crusty loaf sliced and spread thickly with a mixture of butter, mayonnaise, grainy mustard, green onion, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Place slathered bread under the broiler until the topping bubbles and browns. Serve hot.
What is your favorite comfort food on an overcast day?
Roasted Tomato Sauce with Sausage
Ingredients:
20 Roma tomatoes, washed, dried and halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 tsp fresh herbs of your choice, chopped fine (rosemary or oregano or basil)
1 pound good quality ground sausage
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line baking sheet with baking paper (tomatoes will stick to aluminum foil).
- In large bowl gently stir tomato halves, minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until tomatoes are coated.
- Place tomatoes on baking sheet cut side up.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes (or longer) until tomatoes are well-roasted and garlic is lightly browned.
- Let cool 5-10 minutes.
- While tomatoes are cooling, heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and fry, stirring regularly, until onions are almost caramelized.
- Add fresh herbs and cook 1-2 minutes. Pour onion into large saucepan and set aside.
- Return frying pan to heat and add sausage, frying until well-browned. Add to saucepan with onion-herb mixture.
- Pour tomatoes into food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Add to saucepan with onions and sausage. Stir to combine and heat to boiling. Lower heat and simmer gently twenty minutes.
- Pour over hot pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan.
by Krista | Jun 14, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
Serendipity – a happy accident, a pleasant surprise
Today at Across the Cafe Table at the Travel Belles we’re discussing serendipity.
The islands of Malta and Gozo were places of non-stop serendipity for me. My trip to Malta was last minute, a case of get the cheapest ticket going somewhere and go! I did no research, no planning, and had absolutely no idea what to expect.
I was wonderfully, beautifully surprised. (Click here for stories on the Inland Sea, the Azure Window, the cliffs of Sannat, and the exquisite flowers of Gozo.)
On my second day in Gozo I was about to board a boat to go visit Malta’s Blue Grotto, when suddenly in the jostle and lurching of boarding, my camera was dropped and disappeared beneath the crashing waves.
I was gutted. My camera may be tiny and cheap, but it is a treasure to me, my way to capture the beauty around me and record memories for future remembrance.
For a moment we were all stunned and then one of the Gozitan boys dove overboard and somehow found it on the bottom of the ocean. I knew the salt water was its death knell, but I hoped beyond hope that the pictures could be saved. A lovely elderly British couple we had visited with earlier saw the debacle and instructed me to hand over my camera into their keeping so they could attempt to salvage something while I went to the Blue Grotto.
Trying not to let the loss ruin my trip, I handed it over, thanked them profusely then took a few steadying breaths and boarded with my friend Barbara.
I’m so glad I went instead of moping over the loss of my camera. The speed of the boat, the wind in our faces, the sun on bare shoulders – oh, it was glorious! Barbara felt so bad about the incident she insisted that I use her camera to record our little adventure. It meant so much to me.
I had no idea there was a Blue Grotto in Malta, but there is, just across the bay from Wied iż-Żurrieq on the tiny island of Filfa. Our boatman took us in and out of all sorts of caves, including the Blue Grotto, and we watched divers plunge into the crystal clear water.
Filfa is uninhabited save for a unique species of lizard, and it is wild and weathered, buffeted by winds and waves into a place of rugged beauty. When Malta was a British colony, the British Armed Forces used the island for target practice! Thankfully it is now protected under Maltese law.
When our boat tour was done, we bid farewell to the rugged cliffs of Filfa and motored back to Gozo.
As we clambered up the stone steps, we were greeted by the British couple who had not only kept my camera for me, but rinsed it thoroughly with fresh water and hung it to dry in the piping hot Maltese sun. The camera was beyond repair, but thanks to their kindness the memory card was saved, along with the hundreds of pictures I’d taken on our trip.
Losing my camera was not the highlight of my day, but meeting that lovely couple who ended up saving all my pictures was indeed serendipitous. A most happy accident.
For more tales of serendipity, head over to the Travel Belles: Across the Cafe Table.
For information on boat tours to the Blue Grotto in Malta, click here.
What is the last “happy accident” you experienced?
