Bunya Spaghetti Napolitana

Get
1 kg ripe tomatoes (skinned, chopped)
1 onion or leek
2 carrots
4 celery sticks
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bay leaf
a dash of agave nectar
black Pepper corns
some olive oil

30 Bunya nuts, (optional)

A cup full of roasted pine nuts

Pasta
500 g organic durum wheat semolina pasta (spaghetti)

All organic & filtered water

DO
Fry finely chopped onion/whites of leek. Add finely chopped carrots and celery cubes. Stir. After all is translucent, add chopped tomatoes, garlic, agave, bay and peppercorns. Stir for a while simmer gently with covered lid. Add some boiling water if need be to cover the vegetables. Add peeled bunya nuts, cook for 30 minutes or more. Cook covered over a low heat till there is a thick sauce.
Roast pine nuts gently in dry pan. Do not burn. Set aside

Cook pasta "al dente"

Serve separate or mix in large decorative bowl and serve very hot with sprinkled pine nuts.

See also
Tomato sauce with noodles

Bunya Pine Nuts: How to Prepare for Cooking

When bunyas are ready to harvest they fall to the ground. Forget about climbing up the tree to get them. The leaves are very sharp and the nuts are right at the top of the pine. When they start falling they continue for a couple of weeks in late summer. Before that you can see if a tree has many nuts by observing its crown.
Depending on the softness of the ground under the bunya tree the large cones may be intact after they drop down. If this is the case, take the whole cone home where you can get the nuts out cleanly. But usually the nuts are scattered when they hit the ground which makes it easy to get them out but they may be dirty and need washing when you get them home. They are also among sharp leaves so be careful with your hands.If your bunyas are in a cone still, break the cone open and separate the individual nuts into a container. Be careful of sharp edges.The nuts have a tough shell which is quite leathery. It needs to be cut and will not break like a walnut or almond as it is not woody. I cut them with secateurs, slicing a thin piece of the skin on the edge lengthwise. Then you can get the secateurs to grip and cut more until the kernel comes out.I have also had success with a serrated knife, but it is hard to keep the nut still while cutting.Other people use a cleaver to cut the whole nut into two pieces and then extract the two kernel halves. This may be a faster method but may also require practice and a good method for keeping the nut in place before you chop it.When you have extracted some nuts place them in water to remove the thin brown skin. This comes off easily after just a short dip in water leaving a white and brown kernel.
Bunya nuts come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are small, round and white, others are pointy and usually they are a little brownish. A little brown gives them more character. They should taste waxy and the little white ones tend to be a bit powdery.
You will need to cook the nuts for 30 to 45 minutes. If they are undercooked they are dry. When cooked in a sauce they adopt the flavour so be careful what you cook them with. They have a unique flavour which can be overwhelmed by other foods. Given the extensive preparation it is important to be able to taste them.
Storage
Bunyas are best eaten fresh. However, when you have found a lot of bunyas you can freeze the nuts in their shells. You need to prevent the nuts from sprouting if you want to eat them. If you keep intact cones, the nuts tend to sprout inside the cones so break them up and put the nuts in the fridge.
If your fridge is not big enough for all the nuts, store the remaining nuts in a well-aired, dry place out of the sun, for example in a string bag, to prevent fungus. A short blast of direct sunlight helps to prevent fungus growth beofre you put them in a cool place or in the fridge.
See
Bunya Pine Nuts with Aubergine

Bunya Pine Nuts with Aubergine

GET
20 peeled Bunya Pine nuts, Araucaria bidwillii
2-3 large aubergines (eggplants)
3 leeks, the white parts only
2-3 skinned tomatoes
2 small carrots
olive oil
black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
salt
All organic & filtered water if possible

DO
Peal the aubergine partially
Cut into large pieces, salt and toss
Chop the leek finely, fry in olive oil.
Pour boiling water on the tomatoesStir, add chopped carrot
Skin the tomatoes, chop finely and add to pot
Cover let simmer, then add pepper & bay and a little boiling water to cover all.
Let simmer with closed lid. Add the bunya nuts, cover, let cook for approx. 30 min. After the aubergines have been drained of their dark and bitter juice a few times, wash them in filtered water and press the pieces with your hands thoroughly. Place on dry clean towel. Heat oil in frying pan and fry pieces golden.After the vegetables are nearly done add the fried aubergine pieces to the pot and simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes. The aubergine chunks should not disintegrate. The bunya should be waxy and soft. Serve hot with a green crispy salad.
See
Bunya Pine Nuts: How to Prepare for Cooking

Lemon apple compote

Get
5 medium granny smith apples
1 large juicy lemon
1 tbsp agave sirup
1/4 cup boiling water

Do
Peel and core the apples and slice into a saucepan.
Add lemon juice and flesh.
Add boiling water.
Cover the pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the apples break down.
Remove from the heat. Add the agave sirup and mix in.
Cool.
Serve with yoghurt.

This compote has a slightly sour character and tastes a little like lemon sago. It needs a lot of lemon juice.

Winter Banana with Macadamia Nuts

Get
Bananas (Cavendish bananas rather than Sugar bananas)
Macadamia (or any other) nuts
(Macadamia ) Oil
Agave nectar or Maple Syrup

Do
Coat flat baking dish with oil, cut up bananas lengthwise, arrange in dish, sprinkle a bit of syrup over the bananas. Put a few nuts on top and let stand on the winter oven to cook over a long period. When the room is filled with fragrant banana the dish is ready. Beware of letting it go black!
In the daytime watch the King-Parrots (Alisterus scapularis) in the banana plants.

Pilgrim biscuits

get
250 g unsalted butter
4 tbsp clear organic honey
2 eggs
100 - 200g organic macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
400g spelt flour

do
Beat the soft butter with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp honey while beating.
Use a whisk to beat in the eggs one at a time, alternating with the remaining honey.
When smooth, resume beating with the wooden spoon. Mix in half the flour gradually while beating, then the chopped macadamia nuts.
Add as much of the remaining flour to create a sticky mass (maybe all of it).
Cool in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Using 2 tablespoons. place heaped spoonfuls of the mixture on a buttered baking tray. They will spread out while baking. You can make them round or oblong according to the shape of your spoonfuls.
Bake for 25 minutes at 190°c on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven.
These soft biscuits are best served cut into slices. The biscuits are reminiscent of the twice baked almond biscotti from Tuscany. Also known as biscuits of Prato. As we would like to keep it local they are made from regional ingredients.

Pilgrimage, because the Way of St. James in Europe seems walkable and relative car-free. On the French section these nibbles would come in handy out of the backpack.

Garfish: a blog review

We were not present at the food bloggers’ night, but as we are the food blog nearest to Garfish and we do go there quite often, we will take this opportunity to review it.

Garfish is one of our preferred restaurants in Manly. There is always a good choice of fish and a range of interesting side dishes to go with it according to your taste. This is excellent flexibility. The chefs are very serious and visible and there is no question about the right of customers to send back food if they are not satisfied and have it corrected. But usually this is not necessary.

The staff are usually very pleasant. Occasionally we have experienced inadequately trained staff.
The main obstacle at Garfish is the traffic. It is better in winter or on a rainy day because the windows are closed. When it is fine, with the windows open, the car fumes can be very unpleasant, especially when they are jammed up at the lights as they usually are in Manly on a weekend at lunchtime. Motor bikes and vintage cars are the worst.
The second structural problem is the smoking area at the entrance. Again the windows are usually open when it is fine and the smoke fills the entire eating area. If you complain about the smoke the staff ask the smokers to stop, but complaining somehow spoils the ambience (am I the management?). In the interests of customers and staff if would be advisable to prevent smoke drift

It could also be informative to display information about fish and food on the plasma display panel instead of videocapture 'boat parking on the harbour'. Some customers would like to know where the fish/seafood is sourced from, aquaculture, place of origin etc.

UPDATE 14082011
After many disappointing meals we do not go there anymore...

Image: The roofed smoking area of Garfish, view of Wentworth St, Manly

Red Cabbage and Beetroot Stew

Get
Half a medium size red cabbage
A bunch of beetroot
3 small onions
3 bay leaves
Some agave syrup

Some Feta (Goat)
2 Tsp wholemeal flour
Marjoram
Olive oil

Do
Steam and peel the beets. Cut onions in wedges, fry in oil. Dice the cabbage finely. Fry, then add a little bit of boiling water. Add the bay, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Chop the beet in to large pieces, add a few drops of agave syrup, cover and simmer till all is heated.

Mix the flour and Marjoram on a large plate. Cut up the feta in 1 cm high wedges. Press them into the flour mixture a couple of times till it sticks. Oil a backing dish, place wedges gently on it and cook for 20 min at 200 °C or until the feta is golden and crisp.Serve with steamed potatoes, yogurt with a bit of chives and a green salad.

Sugar Banana Cake

We were fortunate to be able to harvest these bananas from a tree in the garden whilst in the Dorrigo/ Bellingen region. The recipe will work with any bananas of course. You can use more bananas mashed up and vary the amount of macadamia nuts. There is a fine balance between underbaking and leaving a soft uncooked centre and overbaking leaving the cake too brown.

Get
300g organic macadamias
10 fat ripe sugar bananas (more if small)
some lemon juice
6 tbsp honey
4 eggs separated
140g unsalted butter
half a vanilla pod
some grated lemon rind
about 150g flour
4 tsp baking powder (no aluminium or phosphate, quantity depends on the type of baking powder, do not use too much)

Do
Peel 4 bananas, cut them up and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside.
Beat the butter in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until it is soft. Beat in alternately the egg yolks and 5 tbsp honey. Beat well into a soft mixture.
Mash the remaining 6 bananas. Beat them into the mixture one at a time.
Cut the vanilla pod along one side and scrape the inside into the mixture. Grate a little lemon rind into it.
Grate 250g macadamias finely. Beat them into the mixture gradually.
Add the flour a tablespoon at a time while beating. Alternately add the baking powder so it mixes in evenly. Only use enough flour so that the mixture is thick but still falls slowly - “heavily” - from the spoon (maybe only 3-4 tbsps). Beat well.Whip the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining honey and continue beating until stiff.
Lift the egg whites under the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 190°. Butter a baking ring (spring form) and dust it with a little flour.
Add 2/3 of the mixture to the form and spread it evenly to cover the whole bottom. Place the banana pieces on top and press in a little. Cover with the remaining mixture.
Bake on the 2nd shelf from the bottom for 35 minutes. If it starts to get too brown cover it with paper after 25 minutes. It should be golden. Test with a thin knife that it is cooked. The knife should come out clean. If it is not clean, return covered to the oven for another 10 minutes and test again.
Remove from form and cool.
Store in a linen cloth.

Macadamia-Lime Marzipan Macaroons with Honey

No eggs, no flour, no dairy, no sugar.

This recipe is quite simple to make and takes little time. You can vary the amount of honey and lime to taste. Use a local honey. Tallow wood is good in Australia, Linden in Europe.

Get
500 g organic macadamia nuts, raw
8 tbsp honey, e.g. tallow wood, or linden, lime flowers
3-4 limes

Do
Grate nuts finely with a hand grater. Add honey and mix in. Add enough of the lime juice to make a paste. It should hold all the gratings together. The paste is quite sticky.
Preheat the oven to 180°c. Oil 2 baking trays (use macadamia oil or butter).
Use 2 spoons to form the paste into almost oval shaped pieces and place them on the baking dishes.
Bake for 12 minutes on the second shelf from the bottom until slightly golden. Turn off oven. Leave in open oven for another 10 minutes.
Remove from baking trays onto plates.
Cool.
These macaroons are quite moist because of the lime juice. Store on a plate wrapped in a linen cloth to prevent them becoming soggy.
An alternative presentation is to spread the paste onto the baking trays and cut it into rectangles when it is baked.

Serve with herbal tea, such as Lemon-scented verbena, Lime flowers , Lemon Myrtle, (Backhousia citriodora) or any other drink you fancy
Alterations for the southern hemisphere could be to use Australian limes, such as Citrus glauca, C. australasica or C. australis