Category: Food

Road Trip – The Full Story – Pt 2 Friday 29th August


Following on from my previous post, Friday morning arrived and we headed back to the chaos that is my grandsons house where it was agreed that he and I would go out and do that touristy thing while the girls stayed to look after the smaller girls.

During a previous visit to WA Gerry and I took a trip up to Exmouth and on the return leg it was planned that we would make a stop, just south of Kalbarrie, to visit the Pink Lake, aka the Hutt Lagoon at Port Gregory. Back then our plans were thwarted by bush fires and we were diverted away from the area.

So the plan was for us to take a trip up to the lake and have a spot of lunch. It was also a great opportunity to spend some one on one time with Ryan. After a pleasant drive, we arrived at Hutt Lagoon with the water being a beautiful pink.

Guess Who? – Yours Truly

However, no sooner had I reached for my camera than a breeze blew up, ruffling the waters surface, and the pink colour disappeared. Ryan had warned me about this but we had hoped to avoid it happening. It was still very pretty, judge for yourselves.

Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory
Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory
Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory

Thankfully the wind reduced and normal service was resumed.

Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory
Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory
Hutt Lagoon – Port Gregory

While climbing up to the view point there was plenty of flora and fauna to view including this perky little fella, a Western Bearded Dragon.

Western Bearded Dragon – Pogona minor

Once we had satisfied our curiosity at the lake, we headed off to the small town of Northampton for lunch. But lunch was delayed whilst we took a small detour

….. to visit the Lynton Convict Depot or alternatively known as the Port Gregory Convict Hiring Station. Convicts were brought here to provide workers for the Geraldine Lead Mine and for local settlers.

Lynton Convict Hiring Depot according to Wikipedia ……

The Lynton Convict Hiring Depot (1853–1857) was the first convict depot north of Fremantle, Western Australia. It was established on 22 May 1853 

Magistrates Quarters
Site Plan
The Depot Summary
The Lock Up
Depot – Interpretation Centre

The depot was operational between 1853 and 1856, and was designed to hold up to 80 convicts although it is believed that actual numbers varied between five and forty. However, most would have slept under canvas as the depot wasn’t completed unti 1855.

When the convicts eventually moved into the building their accomodation would have looked something like this. Sorry about the image quality.

Convict sleeping arrangements

I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be in close proximity to up to forty bodies with dubious hygene habits. Especially during WA’s summer heat.

An interesting site with an interesting history. Should you visit, wear tough footwear as the ground is somewhat uneven.

Linga Longa at Lynton

Having had our fill of WA history it was time to attend to our bellies, and so we continued our journey to Northampton. Rachel had done some research and suggested a coffee shop, on the main street, named The Shearing Shed.

Parking up, we ambled across across the street to a small but busy cafe with a huge menu. Ryan had a burger while I had a “Boss Cocky” which is basically a filled, two egg omelette served with fries and salad. Very tasty. These we consumed, sat outside at a picnic bench style table.

Rush Hour – Main street Northampton WA

According to Wikipedia ……

Northampton is one of the oldest towns in Western Australia, having been declared a townsite in 1864.

Opposite The Shearing Shed – Northampton WA

Replete, we clambered back into Ryan’s car and headed back to join the girls. It had been a really nice day out.

Back at Ryan’s it was time to join the fray and engage with the girls. Or should I say whirling dervishes. They really are a pair of pocket tornadoes, and both with the boundless energy of a Duracell Bunny, they soon had me exhausted.

And so, after the evening meal, and with the girls in bed, we headed back to our chalet for a little R & R.

Remembering


Yesterday,  9th August, would have been Steves birthday. It was the first since his passing earlier this year.

We thought we would honour his name by having a meal and raising a glass at one of his favourite destinations.

And so it was that we found ourselves heading up to Mindari to visit The Boat. Mindari is about 60km north of Perth, normally an easy drive of an hour or so.

The Boat @ Mindari, WA

However, yesterday was very wet, and the drive took a bit longer. The conditions on the highways were diabolical. The wipers were going at their max rate for most of the journey, and the road spray was severely reducing visibility.

Having safely arrived at The Boat, we grabbed a table and ordered our drinks and meals. Obviously, given the weather conditions, we opted to sit inside.

Chilli Mussels for Gerry, Garlic Prawns, and Rice for Denise and Battered Barramundi with Chips for me. Oh, and a sharing platter of cheesy garlic bread. All the food was, as usual, very well cooked and tasty.

We raised a glass to Steve and wished him a happy celestial birthday, The Boat, being  one of his favourite eateries, he would have approved.

While having our meal, I noticed that we had an observer, keeping tabs on us.

The drive home was much better, dry and sunny.

Blowing The Cobwebs Away


We have been in WA for nearly a month now. Having travelled out from the UK to support our daughter following the passing of Steve, her husband.

Up until now, our time has been filled with preparations for the funeral and general mundane household shopping trips and, most recently, collecting Steves ashes from the funeral home.

To be honest the weather hasn’t been the best but yesterday we managed to get out of the house for a couple of hours. This is the  first time that a trip out hasn’t had a purpose. By that, I mean it was, just to get some fresh air, for a change of scenery.

Interesting Sculpture – Rockingham, WA

We opted to drive down to Rockingham, forty odd kilometres south of Perth, to walk along the foreshore. After a forty-five minute drive, we found ourselves on the prom.

The sun was shining, and the sky was blue, and with a temperature of 20°C it really was very pleasant. We had already planned to have fish ‘n’ chips, and so it was we found ourselves sitting in the sunshine enjoying an al fresco lunch.

Gerry, Denise & Molly on Rockingham prom

Freshwater Cobbler in crispy batter with crispy but fluffy chips. The Cobbler was a first for me. The lady who served me in Nae’s Seafood & Grill informed me that it was a kind catfish. It was very tasty, but it’s not Cod or Haddock. However, it did hit the spot.

View From Rockingham Foreshore

Then, it was time to head back along the prom and back to the car. And, after a forty minute drive home, we were soon sitting in the lounge with a very welcome cuppa.

The brisk, but not unpleasant, sea-breeze definitely blew away the cobwebs we had accumulated.

Shame the weather forecast for the next few days shows a temperature drop and plenty of rain and thunderstorms.

A Bit Of A Pickle


Yes, as the post title suggests. I have got myself into a bit of a pickle.

Well, perhaps I should say I’ve worked myself into a bit of a pickling frenzy.

Recently, I have found myself with more veggies than I can utilise and unwilling to waste them, I have been looking for alternative uses.

Watching MasterChef I had often wondered about the pickles that contestants rustle up in such a short space of time.

Pickled Carrots w/Garlic

After a bit of Googling, I have determined that what they are actually preparing are “quick or fridge pickles.” They are quick to prepare but are intended to be used fairly quickly.

Pickled Cavolo Nero

These “quick” pickles can be eaten almost immediately but benefit from a period of marination. This can be a few hours or several days.

After marination, once opened, they will typically be good to eat for a couple of weeks, provided they are kept refrigerated.

Pickled Beetroot

To preserve fruit and veg for extended time periods one has to resort to “canning”. Currently I am not exploring that option.

Pickled Radish

My first attempt at quick pickling was with radishes. I made two jars just a fortnight ago, and the first jar has already gone.

They are yummy and very moreish, in my opinion.

Like Dill Pickles, of which I am a big fan, they are great to add to salads, sandwiches, burgers, or as a side on a plate of cold cuts. Giving a crunchy, zingy bonus to a meal.

Now, the Pickled Chilli’s are something of an unknown quantity.

Spicy – Pickled Chilli’s

With carrots, beetroot, and the cavolo Nero I have a point of reference. I know what they taste like so I can extrapolate the likely effect of the pickling.

These Chilli’s  will present me with the veggie equivalent of  Russian Roulette.

There are three varieties mixed together in these jars. Two are red peppers (Mirasol or Cayenne ???), which are from plants given to me. The third, round, and plum coloured (Chocolate Habanero ???) were donated by a friend. So I have no idea of the heat.

This will be an exciting experiment.

To be honest the whole pickling process is an experiment and the veggies keep presenting themselves for testing. I already have Cucumbers, Courgettes and Onions lined up, also Cauliflower and roasted bell peppers.

Further out on the horizon I am considering Sauerkraut and Kimchi but the process is a bit more involved. Also, I am the only person in my sphere of friends and family that actually like either so it does seem to be somewhat indulgent to make this just for me.

We shall see.

Let Down Again


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/11th-october-2024-page-4_4f0207dc/content.html

A few years ago this site was the home of Marconi Underwater Systems. The site was closed, and the Marconi buildings and surrounds became derelict. The site has remained an eyesore for many years.

Around 2012 I, as a member of the Waterlooville Residents Forum, attended a presentation on behalf of a potential developer. At that time, per the presentation, the plans were to build a 60 bed hotel and restaurant. They also planned a car showroom and a drive thru restaurant. The developer went to great pains. He assured us that the drive thru was not going to be another McDonald’s.

Outline Application APP/12/00652 was submitted 4th October 2012. The recommendation was that permission be granted for this application. Since that time, the Marconi (BAE) buildings were demolished but the site remained undeveloped.

Until that is, along came Lidl and, yep, McDonald’s. But the remainder of the site remained untouched.

And now the council appear to have given the go ahead for a new KFC, Aldi, and Costa.

It’s not as if our little town doesn’t lack for coffee shops and cafe’s. As for fast food drive thru’s, we are surrounded. Nor are we short of Aldi stores, we actually have seven within a ten mile radius. Costa Coffee is even more pervasive with ten in a four mile radius.

There is a significant amount of residential construction in and around Waterlooville. With all the new residents I would agree that there is a need for eateries. But I would argue that there is a greater need for entertainment centres. Waterlooville residents frequently call for a cinema complex / bowling alley. Sadly nobody hears the call

And so, the construction of these three businesses leaves me disappointed. I feel that we, the residents of Waterlooville, have been let down again.

Last Knockings


This is pretty much the last knocking of our tomato crops this year. There are just a few green tomatoes yet to ripen.

We have had a good crop this year, but sad to say, it could have been better. We sort of  screwed up.

We have two pyramid planters, but we, by mistake, planted bush/trailing varieties in one.

Oh well, lesson learnt. Overall, we are pleased, and the flavour of homegrown fruit and veg is always superior.

These varieties are all very sweet, but the little orange ones are sooper sweet.

Mediterranean Chutney


Pretty much every year, Gerry and I make a couple of batches of Mediterranean Chutney.

Today, earlier than usual, I started our first batch of the year, which will make 6 to 8 Kilner jars of this delicious gloop.

Preparation Complete

This chutney goes down so well that I will have to do at least another batch to cope with the freebies that will be handed out to friends and family.

Cooking almost complete

This spicy chutney made with tomatoes, courgettes,  aubergines, onions, and peppers is good to eat with cheese, steak, chicken, well just about everything.

The Finished Product

And so we have eight and half jars of chutney. Unfortunately, there is a huge question mark over the quality of this batch.

Just after adding the sugar and vinegar for the final hour of cooking, we were subjected to a power outage. I had the jars in the electric oven to sterilise. The power was off for around 45 minutes, which meant that I had to restart the sterilising. During this time, the chutney caught on the bottom of the pan. I’m hoping that the flavour of the chutney has not been spoiled.

Time will tell. All being well, the chutney will be ready to eat in a couple of months.

Confused ?


Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrated Christmas !

Yes, we had a full turkey roast with all the trimmings. We pulled crackers, put on our paper hats and read out the mottos, told corny jokes, played “Who am I?” And Charades.

Why ? You may ask.

Simply, Gerry and I were too ill on the run up to and thru Christmas and New Year.

We were supposed to go to my daughters for Christmas dinner, but it didn’t happen, and it was decided to defer to a later date. I made a chocolate bomb back in December. Since then, it has been languishing in our freezer. The bomb was delivered, and chocolate sauce made applied and duly devoured.

Chocolate Bomb

And that’s how we ended up celebrating Christmas in March.

We had a fine old time and returned home after five or so hours, feeling pleasantly plump.

From my cracker ….

JOKE

What did the Scarf say to the hat ?

I’ll hang around here, and you go on ahead !

QUESTION

A boy and a doctor went sailing. The boy is the doctors son, but the doctor is not the boys father. Who is the doctor ?

Cracking Deal !!!


That’s one he’ll of a saving. I’m glad I didn’t buy at the earlier price.

Wrinklies Lunch – The Ferryboat Inn


We are the Wrinklies. A small group of friends and their partners, who, at one time or another, worked together and are all retirees.

Today was the first of, I hope, many social lunches in 2024. It was certainly our first gathering since before Christmas due to most, if not all, of us contracting some kind of flu, which basically knocked us out of commission, in some cases for weeks.

The selected venue for our inaugural gathering was The Ferryboat Inn, situated on the easterly tip of Hayling Island.

I have been visiting this pub for over fifty years. My first visit was while I was an apprentice in Portsmouth Dockyard. Many subsequent visits were made on my return from boat fishing trips, disembarking at the nearby jetty. And then there are these purely social gatherings.

So it was not our first time at this pub, but it has been a while, certainly pre-covid.

There were seven of us in our group and all enjoyed their meals with the exception of me.

My wife had the Hunters Chicken, while Eric had Steak and Venison Pie, Mary had Scampi while the remaining four had Fish n Chips.

As I said earlier, all the others enjoyed their meals, with at least one declaring “best fish n chips ever”.

Unfortunately, my meal was sub standard. The batter was ultra crisp, just shattering when I cut into my fillet, the batter would not stay with the fish. And the fish, instead of being flaky and moist was dry.

So, I drew the short straw.

I didn’t complain as I didn’t want a replacement meal, meaning I would be eating when everyone else was finished. And it wasn’t inedible.

Will I go back ?

Yes. I never write a place off on the basis of a single meal.

One other negative comment. I ordered bread and butter to go with my meal, having noted that they were going to charge £1 per slice. There was I thinking it would be a nice crusty bread, maybe granary, ciabatta or something special. Nope, two slices of slightly dry sandwich bread from a loaf that probably cost £1.50 That’s not a bad profit.

I’ll end this on a positive note. The apple and ginger crumble dessert served with a jug of custard was lovely.

Overall, a very pleasant couple of hours were spent with friends in a great location. Had the winds been a little quieter and the temperatures a bit higher, we might have been tempted to go for a walk along the shoreline.

Looking forward to the next Wrinklies gathering and discovering the next venue.