Mayor4Unley

Check out my new rooster! Before Christmas I commissioned an art work by acclaimed local artist Anna Small (of A Small Art Factory). Her website is http://www.asmallartfactory.com.au Follow her on Facebook. Anna works with metal and creates fantastic art work to adorn the garden; or to hang on a wall inside or outside. She can be found most weekends at the quality craft markets in Adelaide. Anyway, I wanted a rooster, not the usual hen on a pole. She took on the challenge and I gave her feedback on her initial design. In January Anna delivered the rooster and he has has taken up residence in the backyard chilli patch. Thank you Anna

Life is a long trail with some easy paths and some more challenging. I thought of this when I discovered a mountain trail in China, up Mt. Hua Shan. The trail starts with a gigantic set of stone stairs, called "the Heavenly Stairs." These stairs go so high up the mountainside, it's hard to see where they end. Click on the link for a pictorial view and discover what is at the top. http://www.viralnova.com/dangerous-trail-huashan/

Last night, New Year's Eve, I cooked up a treat. So simple and yet so special. I remembered a meal I had at the Aquacaf restaurant at Goolwa. A thick snapper cutlet served on top of babaghanoush with a side dish of tabouli. It was superb. A slow lunch with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc; watching the boats on the water. Yesterday I lined up at the fish shop. Surprisingly it wasn't as busy as in past years. Huge amounts of money were changing hands. People were going over-board buying prawns, bugs, crayfish (lobster), ... all the expensive goods. I bought a dozen SA oysters (the best in the world) for $14.99, some smoked ocean trout (to eat later in the week) and a few thick cutlets of Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon (with the skin on). Snapper is a stronger flavoured fish, but I thought the salmon would be more appropriate for a special occasion; and salmon is ideal for serving just slightly under cooked. Ingredients: Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon, skin on Babaghanoush Tabouli...

Last year I blogged (boasted) about my top rated stuffing for the Christmas poultry. Have a read It gets better every year; with slight improvements and a variation of flavour. This year I was determined to use dried figs and fennel seeds; instead of the usual dried Aussie apricots. Ingredients and how to make it: One large bowl. Work out how much stuffing you need. (Trust me - there is not much you can do with excess stuffing.) Buy white sour dough bread a few days in advance; it can't be fresh. (Don't use cheap and nasty supermarket bread.) Slice each end off the bread loaf and put aside; about 2-3cm thick. Cut thick slices, 3-4cm thick and trim crusts from bread. Discard the crusts. Crumble the bread by hand; not too small and not too big. Half a cup of Tandaco seasoned breadcrumbs; or just plain breadcrumbs, to hold the larger pieces of bread together. (Although, this year I just used bread.) Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic if you wish. Finely slice and dice 1 on...

That magnificent Morton Bay Fig tree at Goodwood Oval has suffered limb loss. Unley Council's arborist has assessed that the tree is in good health and will survive. Further technical examination will occur in a week, just to be sure. This is a magnificent tree. Most of us have enjoyed a picnic under the tree; sheltered from the sun; perhaps whilst watching the cricket. For a more detailed assessment read Cr Don Palmer's blog

My best ever Christmas present this year was a plant. A simple $4 plant. It's a Climbing Spinach (Basella Rubra) that climbs 2 metres. Description: Edible climber with succulent red stems and green foliage. High vitamin and iron content. Suited for salads, stew and stir fries. Maturity 10-12 weeks. Pick as needed. I've planted it next to a 2m stake and already it is heading up the pole. Also a bonus - it will have nice pink flowers. A simple gift that will give me much pleasure.

A speciality of mine at Christmas is Thyme Walnuts. Absolutely superb. Here's the recipe. Ingredients 2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped  2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped thyme ½ teaspoon salt Preparation Preheat oven to 200C. Toss walnuts, oil, thyme and salt on a rimmed baking sheet until salt and thyme are evenly distributed. Bake until walnuts are golden brown and fragrant, 10–15 minutes.
 Toss (turn) walnuts after 7 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
 Eat whilst they are fresh and crisp. Yum