TOPICS : a few tastes of 2008, in season snacks and cocktails

RECIPES : no guest recipes today, us bellysisters seem to have no trouble coming up with party nibbles and drinks on our own

NIBBLES:

Sister Tess:

oyster shooters - make a jug of bloody mary or virgin mary (no vodka), maybe with a little horseradish and a little extra lemon.  At the last minute pour into shot glasses with a fresh raw oyster in each glass

haloumi sang choi bow - grill or fry in a little olive oil some haloumi cheese, cut into small squares, put on mild crunchy lettuce leaves with a mint or tarragon leaf, add a few drops of lemon juice and olive oil

fried schoolies - the other type of schoolies - dust small green prawns in seasoned flour or cornflour, briefly deep fry in olive oil, eat at once with salt and lemon

things on leaves - try serving your favourite dip on a leaf - a lettuce, Asian green, spinach
or go glam with Thai flavours on a betel leaf (leaf at farmers markets)

things in glasses or on spoons - both bellysisters have seen a lot of this at parties but still going strong - try a cold veg soup in a very small glass - go plain but good for the bulk, a little glamour on top

Sister Simon:

and from Luise on the front desk:

bruschettas - toasted Turkish bread with diced tomatoes and herbs or avocado and smoked

salmon

DRINKS:

Sister Simon

[while waiting for Simon's recipes, here are 2 from the net - the ginger beer one sounds  very similar]

homemade ginger beer

from ABC Tasmania
Chef: Sally Wise

It always fascinated me as a kid that you could grow a living, breathing ginger beer plant by simply mixing up ground ginger, sugar, yeast and water. Here's Sally Wise's take on the topic.

You need: Yeast, ground ginger, sugar, water.

Plant:
    * ½ teaspoon dried yeast
    * 1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger
    * 1 rounded teaspoon sugar
    * 1 cup lukewarm water

Method:
Mix all together in a jar, cover with a piece of muslin and secure with a rubber band.
Each day for the next week, add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

The plant:   Divide the plant left in the muslin into two halves. Place one of these in a glass jar with a cup of warm water. Then next day start feeding as before, that is, one teaspoon of ginger and one of sugar each day. The other half of the plant can be discarded, or you can have two plants 'on the go'.

To make up the Ginger Beer:

For the syrup, mix together:
 * 4 cups of sugar
    * 24 cups of warm water
    * ½ cup strained lemon juice

then:
Strain the ginger beer plant through two layers of muslin.
Pour the resulting liquid into the syrup and mix well.
Bottle and seal. The ginger beer should be ready to drink by the end of a week.


homemade lemonade

By chef Serge Dansereau in Gourmet magazine:

Serves 20
Lemonade
1 litre (4 cups)       lemon juice
1.7 kg       white sugar
2       lemons, sliced
For preparation:       a few kaffir lime leaves
To serve:       still or sparkling mineral water and ice


1     To make the lemonade, boil the juice and sugar together. Pour the boiled syrup over the sliced lemons and lime leaves and allow it to steep until it is cool. Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the lemonade. This mix will keep for a week.
2     When ready to use, mix one part of syrup to 3 parts still or sparkling mineral water. Plain tap water could certainly be used. Fill a glass with ice and top with the lemonade.

anything muddled - sr Simon suggests you invest in a muddling stick - muddled drinks are very popular and delicious, Louise loves a mojito, Simon says play around with recipes and include local in season fruit (mango, watermelon, lychees, finger limes), sr Tess had a lovely moment with a strawberry, basil and vodka creation

Sister Tess - pink grapefruit is just coming in and lovely with vodka and lots of ice and a dash of Cointreau

CONTACTS:

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eating well, staying active project - ph 02 9310 2999
www.ncahs.nsw.gov.au/tooty-fruity - the Tooty Fruity Veggie program in Lismore
www.healthyactive.gov.au

www.potato2008.org - lots of potato info and recipes

www.slowfood.com

www.choice.com.au

go to youtube for some yummy Eartha Kitt clips, Winston the dieting pig and Sarah Silverman f***ing a babybel

the cheesemakers - Bangalow Cheese Co, Tweed Valley Whey and soon Nimbin Valley Dairy - at markets and delis