The Vale - Mediterranean of the South

see_feel_eat — Mon, 25 May 2015 22:34:51 GMT

Rimmed by the hills of the Mt Lofty Ranges, McLaren Vale slides over geometric patterned vineyards into the Gulf of St Vincent. This truly is the land of sea and vines, but also abundance of produce, world class restaurants, hills, rivers and of course, the wine.

My travel treasure is McLaren Vale, the gateway to the Fleurieu Peninsula, just 45 minutes south of Adelaide.

An allure so similar to the Mediterranean has brought generations of free settlers. From Australia's best Grenache wine, young winemakers now experiment with alternate varietals, like Sagrantino, Fiano, Vermantino.

Young Farmers Scholarships have resulted in a boom of new farms producing heirloom fruits and vegetables, including indigenous ones, that make their way onto the plates in the region's restaurants, all of which seem vibrant, renewing and fresh.

Here the pace of life is slower, people stop to chat, to have a laugh. Neighbours come out to meet in the morning. Whole towns come alive on market day Saturday. People are more open and sharing too, with seasoned winemakers giving freely of their time & expertise to the new generation.

Clean fresh air is matched by distinct seasons, and the calm ocean waters of the Gulf of St Vincent.

Visits became dreams.

Dreams became plans.

Plans became reality.

I now call McLaren Vale home, and explore the beautiful hidden treasures of this diverse and compact region.

Passport & Plate - Green Soba Noodles

see_feel_eat — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:16:53 GMT

Ingredients
Yield – 2 serves.

SOBA NOODLES

1 cup organic buckwheat flour (try a health food store)
1/3 cup plain wheat flour
100ml water
Shortcut: Skip this step for a midweek dinner and buy soba noodles

GREEN VEG

2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 spring onions sliced (white part)
½ cm piece of ginger finely diced
8 baby zucchini halved, cored and grated OR 1 bunch silverbeet stem removed finely sliced
1 ripe avocado, halved and scored
1 tsp shiro (white) miso
½ lime (juice only)
Tamari
Sesame oil
Japanese 7 Chilli Spice (try an Asian supermarket). Bonus points if you’ve brought back Chilli & Yuzu citrus spice from Japan
Whole or ground white and or black sesame seeds
Small rectangle of nori, sliced into strips

How to prepare this recipe
FIRST, MAKE YOUR NOODLES

In a mixer with dough hook, or in a bowl with your hands, combine the flours and water. Knead until a ball forms, adding a little extra water if crumbly.

Run the dough through your pasta attachment, or roll & cut your noodles by hand. Flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to a 2mm thick rectangle. Flour the top of the rectangle, and fold in half. Flour again, and fold in half again, before slicing from the short side with a ruler to guide your knife, making even, thin flat noodles.

PREP YOUR GREENS

Put a pot of water on to boil.

Heat olive oil in a fry pan. Add the zucchini or silverbeet, garlic, half the ginger, half the spring onion, a few shakes of the Japanese chilli, the miso and saute until just tender.

COOK THE NOODLES

Once the water is boiling, drop in the noodles and stir gently to ensure they aren’t stuck together. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain. Rinse and refresh the noodles well in a large pot of cold water. Move the noodles about in the water with your hands to rinse off excess starch. Drain.

COMBINE THE DISH

Add the avocado, remaining ginger, lime juice and a few splashes of sesame oil to the zucchini/silverbeet mix and combine. If using zucchini, wait until any water has been boiled off.

Turn off the pan and add the noodles to the pan of vegetables. Gently combine with tongs.

Divide into bowls, and garnish with spring onion, sesame, sliced nori, and an extra sprinkle of Japanese chilli powder.

The story behind this recipe
Pop, fizz, glug, glug, glug.

Finest sound in the world

Bubbles shared with friends & family in the heart of the home, the kitchen.

Mum loves this dish. Soon after the idea came to me, we made it together. Now it's permanently on the menu when she visits. Along with the obligatory glass of bubbly of course.

With the bright lights of Sydney two years in my rear view mirror, the abundant bounty of 'the Mediterranean of Australia' – McLaren Vale – my new home, still excites me.

From the beauty where the hills sink into the vineyard plains, and slip into the sea, I journey each year to Japan. Somewhat like a pilgrimage. To find snow, peace in the mountains, and huge bowls of warming ramen washed down with crisp beers topped with more than a third of head.

It’s also here in the snowy peaks of Nozawa Onsen that I sup daily on handmade buckwheat soba noodles, presented on a lacquer plate with dipping sauces. At the little on-mountain diner I frequent, a cuckoo clock chirps when meals are ready for service. After a meal, the happy hostess brings a plate of peeled and cut prized Nagano apple with a smile and a dozoo. This is my happy place.

At home we don’t have the same cold. Also less of the wild eating abandon I show on holiday (need to keep ski-fit!). Local flour mills grind Australian grown buckwheat into fine flour that makes perfect higher protein soba noodles. The green vines and hills surrounding me inspired the green ingredients – baby zucchini, soft creamy avocado, spring onion. Salty umami from tamari and miso, freshness from lime. My annual take home treat of chilli yuzu sprinkle that just makes everything taste better.

And those slippery, slurpable, burpable noodles.

Now they are always made for a coming together of family of friends, always served with bubbly, and tinged with memories, stories and longing for Japan.

From Mountain Top to McLaren Vale

The Vale - Mediterranean of the South

Passport & Plate - Green Soba Noodles