This Feta be Good

Undoubtedly one of the most famous of Greek cheeses this soft pickled curd cheese has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine solution.

Feta styled cheese is surprisingly easy to make:

Ingredients

4 litres of full cream milk
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup of unchlorinated water
1 dose of MO 030 Mesophilic starter culture
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup of unchlorinated water
2 tablespoons of cheese salt

cut curd

Equipment

large stainless steel pot
cheese thermometer
large slotted spoon
long bladed knife
one 90cm square piece of cheese cloth
large colander
piece of string
hanging space

Method

draining the curd

Place the milk in a stainless steel pot and place in a sink of hot water. Mix in the calcium chloride solution and wait for the milk temperature to slowly get to 30 degC
Add the starter culture and stir well and leave at 30 degC to incubate for 1 hour.
Add the rennet solution and stir well using an up and down motion to ensure even distribution then allow to rest for 1 hour maintaining 30 degC

pressing the feta
for a denser product

check the curd for a clean break, meaning that the knife splits the curd and stays split. If a clean break is not noted then leave for another 5 minutes and check again.
Once the curd is firm and gives a clean break cut the curd into 1.5cm cubes then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Gently stir the curds for 20 minutes breaking up any clumps and all the while maintaining the temperature at 30 degC
Gently pour the curds into a colander, lined with your cloth and sitting in another large stainless steel pot or bowl, and allow to drain for a few minutes.
Tie the cloth together to form a bag and hang to drain over the 2nd pot to reserve the whey and allow to drain for 5 hours.
untie the bag and cut the curds into 2.5cm cubes
sprinkle the curds with cheese salt and allow to age for 4 days stored in the fridge.

preserved feta

Preserving

Cut the aged curds into 1/4's and pack into a sterile preserving jar with pepper corns and bay leaves and cover with a blend of half sunflower/ half olive oil. The olive oil will slightly solidify in the fridge if used on it's own, but the oil and other elements will impart a flavour that is very nice while keeping the feta fresh.

Flavouring

peppercorn feta

Peppercorn Feta:

We just mixed in the preserved green peppercorns before we drained and hung the curd. Now cut and salted it is ready for preserving

Feta Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers

Preparation:

9 mini bell peppers (tiny capsicums)
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
slice off the top of the capsicums and remove the seeds and pith. mix the salt into the water making a brine solution and submerge the capsicums in the brine for a week.

Ingredients:

store bought on the left
home made on the right

1/2 cup of home made feta
1/2 cup home made labna
sprinkle of chili flakes (to taste)
pinch of greek oregano
6 capers chopped finely
freshly ground black pepper

Method:

mash the 2 cheeses together and add the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking, I ended up adding more chili. Drain the capsicums. Put the mix into a piping bag and force into the center of the capsicums until they are full. Chili the capsicums once filled.

If you want to preserve these morsels submerge them in extra light olive oil in an airtight container in the fridge.

Eat as finger food, as part of a cheese platter or slice and put on mini toasts for an appetiser or cocktail party fair.

Arancini - Risotto Balls

Ingredients

Arancini

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
juice 1 small lemon
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock (can substitute 1 cup with a cup of whey from cheese making)
shake paprika
2 rashers of bacon finely diced
home made feta - enough to put a good cube inside the center of each rice ball
1/2 cup home made feta diced
1/4 grated parmesan
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Method

place your rice in a microwave dish with the bay leaf, lemon juice, paprika and 1 cup of liquid and cook in the microwave on high for 6 mins. Stir and add another cup of liquid and repeat. Stir add the last of the liquid and another 6 mins should finish it off.
Add the diced bacon, remove the bay leaf and stir the bacon through then let sit covered until the mix cools enough to handle and not scramble the egg.
Add the feta and parmesan and eggs and mix well.
preheat your deep fryer to 170degC
Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and take a golf

ball sized amount of the rice mixture and roughly form into a ball. push a cube of feta into the center of the ball and reform it. Dredge each ball in bread crumbs and place gently into the hot oil. Lightly brown each ball turning gently and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve hot

Feta, Pear & Rocket (Arugula) Salad

Feta, Pear & Rocket (Arugula) Salad

Ingredients

pressed feta, cut into thin wedges
firm ripe pear, cut into thin wedges
rocket leaves
shake paprika
freshly ground pepper to taste

Arrange your salad and season ... that is all

Pig Face and not a Snout in Sight

 

Carpobrotus glaucescens

Pig Face

Foraging for food always puts a smile on my face and nothing compares to the singular drive to finding that perfect dish to celebrate a native, wild food in our family menu.

So many of our local coastal sand drifts are held together with this delightful succulent that I am quietly facepalming I had not noticed it before last year and begun the process of looking at it as a food source and not just a colourful photo opportunity of bounty and beauty.

This succulent ground running creeper with fleshy leaves and little purple flowers and dark red to purple fruit may be found on  Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian coastlines. The plump, juicy leaves can be eaten raw or boiled as well as being made into a pickle and have a salty taste that will add a unique flavour to meat dishes, can be added to salads and combines well with mushrooms, eggs and seafoods. You can apply the juice to sandfly bites or make a poultice of crushed leaves to apply to burns and scalds. The Ngaruk willum people of Port Phillip Bay, Victoria used it as a balm to minimise pain.

Pig face Fruits

The fruit, also known as beach bananas, has a sweet taste similar to strawberries, figs, bananas and kiwi with that salt tang making it interesting.

Very little nutritional information seems to be available in this sweet and savoury treat other than to state that on top of it's high sodium level it is a good source of other minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

 

Recipes:

Pig Face Waldorf Salad

Pig Face Waldorf Salad

2 Apples, diced
4 Celery Stems, sliced
1 cup walnut halves
1 tbsp honey
1 cup pig face fruits, pealed
2 egg yolks 1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch white pepper
1 cup olive oil

Toss the walnuts in the honey and place in a medium oven for 15 minutes to honey roast the nuts, allow to cool and set aside
Place egg yolks, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a small ceramic bowl. Whisk until well combined.

Add 1/2 cup oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, to egg mixture, whisking constantly until well combined (this will take about 15 minutes). Add remaining oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until well combined. Add 2 tablespoons hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly.

Combine the apple, celery and pig face fruits in a bowl and dress generously with the dressing. Roughly chop the walnuts and stir them through and serve.

Pealed Pig Face Fruits

Pig Face Riata

1 cup of natural yogurt
pinch salt
1/2 cup pig face fruits, pealed
1/2 cup cucumber, grated and drained of excess liquid
2 sprigs fresh mint, finely shredded

Combine all ingredients and chill to serve with a curry

Pig Face Riata

Pig Face Riata

 

 

 

 

Pig face Pickle

Fresh Greens packed tight

1 cup of pig face leaves
1 sprig fennel frond
2 sprigs dill frond
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 small dried red chilli
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt
2 small bay leaves
4 cloves
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon pepper corns

Soak the pig face leaves over night in water.

Place the fresh greens into a clean sterilised jar packing as tightly as possible.

Cook up the vinegar, salt, sugar, bay and spices until the pickling liquid boils and pour over the greens then seal and allow to cool.

Store in the fridge for at least a week and serve with cold meats, cheese platters, in dressings and tartare sauce.

Pig Face Pickle

My kingdom for an Artichoke

Garden fresh Artichokes

How could I not have extolled the delights of artichokes before now? Incredibly it took the charm and delight of a dear follow blogger to pull me up and remind me of this deep and abiding love of this thistly vegetable.
 

Plump Artichoke

Young Artichoke Plant

I watched our seeds planted in the greatest of hopes grow into silver downy leaved monsters and then produce a bounty of spiky flower heads which are our gourmet delight. Seeing them plump up made recipes dance in my head.

Nutrition

From a nutritional standpoint artichokes are low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. They are also a good source of Niacin, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and Manganese.

Artichoke is used to stimulate the flow of bile from the liver, and this is thought to help reduce the symptoms of heartburn and alcohol “hangover.” Artichoke is also used for high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), kidney problems, anemia, fluid retention (edema), arthritis, bladder infections, preventing gallstones, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, to increase urine flow and assist with liver problems.

How does it work?

A perfect Artichoke

Artichoke has chemicals that can reduce nausea and vomiting, spasms, and intestinal gas. These chemicals have also been shown to lower cholesterol.

Traditional peoples have also used artichoke for treating snakebites and as a tonic or stimulant.

In foods, artichoke leaves and extracts are used to flavor beverages. Cynarin and chlorogenic acid, which are chemicals found in artichoke, are sometimes used as sweeteners.

 

In Mythology

According to the Greek myth, the first artichoke was a beautiful young mortal woman named Cynara who lived on the Aegean island of Zinari. One day one of the twelve gods of Mount Olympus, Zeus (King of all Gods), was visiting his brother Poseidon (God of the Sea). As he laid eyes on the sensuous and very beautiful Cynara who was bathing on the shores, he noticed she was strong,confident and unaffected by the presence of the god. He so was impressed by her strength that he instantly fell in love and seduced her. Zeus decided to make Cynara a goddess so she could be closer to his home on Mount Olympus. Zeus would meet with Cynara whenever his wife, Hera (Queen of all Gods), was away.

Stunning Artichoke Blooms

However, Cynara greatly missed her family and became homesick, so occasionally sneaked back to visit the mortals. When Zeus discovered this un-goddess like behaviour, in a fit of jealous rage, he hurled her back to earth transforming her into the first unusual but striking artichoke plant. The artichoke was covered in thorns to protect its vulnerable heart, until it dried from within only to release an exquisite spiky purple blossom, a spectacular flower to match the goddess’ beauty.

Thus, the botanical name for artichoke is the female name Cynara. Artichokes were considered an aristocratic vegetable and were known in history as ‘food for the Gods’. Due to the story of the desirous god Zeus, they were also considered an aphrodisiac. Although ancient artichokes were very pretty and the flower very striking, their thorny exterior demanded that they be isolated. As a result of Zeus’ resentment, Cynara remained untouched for hundreds of years and appreciated by no one. Zeus hoped no one would attempt to search beyond the tough fibrous thorny leaves to find her sweet, sensuous heart. Contrary to his belief, humans’ curiosity and determination did attempt to risk tasting this striking, thorny vegetable only to be rewarded with it’s delicious flavour.

Recipes:

 

Artichoke leaf tea

1 large Artichoke Leaf, freshly cut
1 litre water
1 teaspoon honey (optional and to taste)

Place fresh leaves in boiling water for 5-15 minutes.
Allow it cool.
If the taste is too bitter, it can be sweetened with honey. 

May be useful to normalise cholesterol, for the relief of digestive discomfort and lowering blood sugar.

Note: it is best to consult a physician before starting any medicinal herbal treatment.


How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes

Method:
How to Cook an Artichoke

1. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorny tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.
2. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke.
3. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
4. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.
5. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.
6. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker (about 15-20 minutes cooking time). Cooking time depends on how large the artichoke is, the larger, the longer it takes to cook.

How to Eat an Artichoke

Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonnaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.

1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.
3. Continue until all of the petals are removed.
4. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

Stuffed Artichoke

Stuffing- 1:1 ratio finely grated Romano cheese to breadcrumbs. Mix with olive oil until it starts to stick together, and to the side of the bowl. Prepare artichoke, cut leaves, stem, and top. Stuff mixture into leaves. Prepare the pot with 2cm water, and a dash more olive oil. Bring to a boil then turn the temperature to the lowest setting. Place stuffed artichokes in the pot and let them steam for 2-3 hrs.

Artichoke with Garlic Mayonnaise

Home grown artichoke with home made Aioli

Cook the artichoke per the above method


Aioli
3 egg yolks
150ml olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Beat the egg yolk until turns paler. 
Add salt, pepper and garlic and beat some more. 
Slowly drizzle oil while continuing to beat the mixture until emulsified completely and thickens. 
Slowly add the juice and beat until thick and glossy.

Aioli Verdi

Artichokes filled with aioli
on a bed of aioli verdi

1/2 serve Aioli, per above
1 cup broad beans
3 sprigs mint, leaves finely shredded
Blanche the broad beans in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove and plunge into ice water.
Drain the beans well and place the beans, aioli and mint into a processor and pulse until a sauce consistency is achieved.
Serve with your prepared and cooked artichokes as well as the aioli.

Artichoke with Bacon

When there is bacon ... let there BE bacon.

Artichoke with bacon and aioli

Pan fry your bacon until crispy and scatter on your artichokes with aioli.

Artichoke with Garlic Prawns

Artichokes with garlic prawns

4 large prepared artichokes, cooked, halved and kept warm
400 gm prawns, pealed and deveined
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 sprigs of dill
200gm butter

melt the butter and sweat the garlic gently until tender. Turn up the heat to a sizzle and saute the prawns and add the dill.
Serve in the prepared artichokes with all the buttery pan juices.

Prisoners of the Season - Ho frickerty HO!

I have to admit to a really large dose of seasonal "bah humbug". I don't enjoy the marketing frenzy of retailers that begins even before the ridiculousness of Halloween is over and I don't enjoy the all holds barred of other people's determination to enjoy their idea of festivity even in the face of the discomfort and detriment of others.

Merriment should not impact on the health and welfare of others in the community and when objection is raised for very valid reasons it seems ill fitting to direct invective at the beleaguered and distressed.

Case in Point?

Take the silent and oft unnoticed, but debilitating neurological disorder epilepsy for instance. How many in the community would even consider the effect of flashing lights for most of the night on a sufferer? The lack of sleep entailed in traffic? loud laughter? raucous exclamations? screaming children? How many people are aware that flashing lights and lack of sleep can be key precursors to seizure activity? how many care?

This is not my usual foodcentric mode, but my foodcentricity all began with a desire to find a place of wellness and fulfillment, not just for myself, but for my small family each with variety of silent, invisible illness and so the plight of those who also suffer such ills is not lost on me and those who may know me would know I care so very deeply.

What am I trying to say?

Well ..... Don't malign those who take less enjoyment in the frivolity and excess of the season than you as they may well have a very good reason.

Take into consideration that your flashy over the top displays of lack of consideration can in fact be detrimental to others.

Take with you, if you are more inclined to more sedate and considerate modes of celebration, our thanks because even though you may not realise it those not of your ilk keep us and many like us imprisoned in our homes after dark .... unable to take advantage of any evening occupations and enjoyments.

If, in your estimation, I sound bitter and at variance to the season of the Holy Dollar and that doesn't suit whatever you keep under your silly red hat then I'm afraid that's just too bad. Catering to the chronically ME-centric is not in my best interests ....

Table for Amy: dining out with locavore intentions

It is not often that we eat out and less often do we find ourselves in a place that echoes our sentiments and our ethics as sincerely as Table For Amy.

Our biannual treks to Sydney are always rushed affairs filled with stress and appointments and an extreme desire to get back home as soon as possible, but my driving ethic also demands a stop, revive survive every 2 hours and so Kiama got our attention this time round for a revival with coffee and a bite to eat high on our agenda.

Serendipity played Her part in where we stopped simply because I know how hard parking can be in the centre of Kiama and so thinking ahead I promptly stopped at the first available parking space in Collins Street.

Table for Amy Cafe!

Straight in front of us down a grassy terrace were the original workers' cottages and in one was the quaintly and quirkily named Table for Amy Cafe.

Specials board at the door

The first glance says retro styling shabby chic, but the menu celebrates local produce and an imaginative food styling that really drew me in. Who can resist pulled lamb burger with fresh salad, grilled chat potato and home made tzatziki?

pulled lamb burger with fresh salad, grilled chat potato and home made tzatziki

I nearly did until the welcoming and charming staff happily allowed me to forgo the bread in the burger as I don't eat bread.

pulled lamb with fresh salad, grilled chat potato and home made tzatziki

I even got an insight into what made the pulled lamb so incredibly sweet and stickily scrumptious and walked away with the recipe dancing in my head, but no spoilers! If you want it too you will have to try it and be really nice to Judy whose recipe it is ... and if you ask prettily she will share with a smile and some delightful conversation.

We were also served the biggest latte ever offered in a cafe I am sure ... drowning was an option and the coffee didn't disappoint with well rounded roasted notes and an absence of extreme bitterness sometimes found in locally roasted beans. Someone knows their coffee!

Picnic blankets at the door as well as a warm and friendly welcome

Also on offer are picnic baskets filled with house specialties complete with rugs to pre-order for that romantic or family moment on the grass. This Sunday comes complete with live entertainment and Wednesday nights are a local hit with special roast nights.

Prices struck me as incredibly reasonable and servings generous. We grabbed 2 servings of baked goods, a fig slice and a fruit slice, for our continued trek home which didn't disappoint either and made the last 2 hours of our journey sweetly interjected with crumbs and yumminess.

Herman The German Friendship Cake

A friendship cake? what is this nonsense?

It's wonderful nonsense! The wonders of natural fermentation, the slow food process which is fully self invested and the prize of a delicious cake at the end. Then you can share the fun adventure with a friend. When our friends Teresa and Ben offered us our very own Herman starter we were intrigued as we had a sourdough bread starter already and we love anything new that improves the quality of our menu through natural process.

Herman is a natural sourdough starter designed for cake and the concept of global friendship being tied together with a starter is not entirely new, but this was my first experience with it.

Herman comes to you as a cup of starter that you feed and grow and nurture and it is hard to contain the sheer joy of seeing the bubbles and froth when this little guy gets going.

The Instructions are clear and easy to follow and a basic cake recipe comes with Herman.

If you want to start your own Herman these instruction are freely available on the fun website dedicated to the friendship cake phenomenon, but I will include them here:

Our Herman starter

What You Need

Firstly, make sure you have the following:

• 5oz plain flour
• 8oz castor sugar
• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• Half a pint of warm milk
• 2 fl oz. of warm water

What You Do

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water for 10 minutes then stir.
2. Add the flour and sugar then mix thoroughly.
3. Slowly stir in the warm milk.
4. Cover the bowl in a clean cloth.
5. Leave in a cool dry place for 24 hours
6. Now proceed from day one of the 10 day cycle.

Recipes

 

Sourdough Fruitcake

Measure	Ingredient
1 cup	sultanas
½ cup	craisins
4 cups	Wholemeal spelt flour
1 teaspoon	Baking soda
1½ cup	Dried currants
1 teaspoon	Salt
1 cup	Plus 2 tb Blackberry nip or other wine
1 teaspoon	Cinnamon
1 teaspoon	Cloves
1 teaspoon	Allspice
1 cup	Sourdough Starter
½ teaspoon	Grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons	Butter
3 cups	Candied fruit; cherries, pineapple, orange, citron and ginger
1 cup	raw sugar
1 cup	Brown sugar
3	Eggs, well beaten
1 cup	Chopped nuts
2 tablespoons	Grated lemon rind

Method:

into the baking pan

Soak dried fruit in 1 cup wine overnight. Remove starter from refrigerator and set, tightly covered, in warm place overnight.

It should be in at least a two cup container as it will just about double its volume overnight. In the morning, cream butter with sugar and beat in eggs and lemon rind. Drain wine from raisins into creamed mixture. Stir in starter and 3 cups of the flour sifted with the soda, salt and spices. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of flour over the fruit and nuts in a large bowl. Toss and shake until well-coated.

Add to batter and mix thoroughly. Turn into loaf pans which have been generously buttered. Let stand in warm place for 30 minutes. Bake in oven preheated to 145degC with a pan of water on floor of oven and rack as near as possible in middle of oven. Bake about 2-½ hours for medium-sized loaves watching carefully to see that they do not brown to quickly. Test with toothpick. Remove from oven, turn pans on sides and allow to set for a few minutes before taking from pans. When cold drip 2 tbsp. of wine over each cake. As soon as it is absorbed, wrap tightly in cellophane freezer paper and store in refrigerator or freezer. They improve with age.

Sourdough Fruitcake

Dutch Hot Cakes

Ingredients:

Dutch Hot Cakes

2 cups plain flour
pinch salt
1 egg
1.5 cup warm milk
3/4 cup of Sourdough starter
1 cup sultanas and currants
butter or oil for cooking

Method:
Place the flour and salt into a bowl, put in the egg and 1 cup of milk. Mix to a smooth batter, then add the rest of the milk and fruit. Oil or butter a skillet or griddle. Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the hot surface and cook on both sides until browned. Butter and serve hot.




* With gratitude to Herman The German Friendship Cake

Abalone on the menu

Haliotis

One of the joys of a coastal idyll is the bounty of the sea, bay and tidal reaches. The first sighting of abalone on the rocks off our favourite swimming beach churned up all the possibilities of seafood adventures. Allow me to share some of our journey to date into enjoying haliotis ... the abalone.

This aquatic mollusc has an edible and highly prized foot muscle and is valued around the world as a delicacy. Eaten cooked and raw it has great diversity in cuisine and tradition. In the wild it may be found on rocks dining on red and brown algae and other vegetarian fair.

legal size Abalone

Great care should be taken when fishing for this creature as many licencing and harvesting rules are in place according to the local jurisdictions. In NSW a minimum size is enforced of 11.7cm as well as a bag limit of 2 per person. In some local areas a recreational limit is placed so that only weekends and public holidays may be observed as legal for abalone catches. Abalone may not be taken from the wild using scuba so free diving and snorkelling are the only way to legally take abalone from our waters.

Cultural references:

Our Mauri neighbours well love their pāua and have a rich legacy of recipes including fritters, steaks, sausages and baked in the shell. The legend of Pāua is such that Tangaroa, the sea god, gifted the lonely Pāua with a coat of many colours as well as the hard camouflage for protection so that his beauty was his own and charged him with the duty of adding more colour to his coat every year. True beauty comes from within.

In the Americas abalone was most esteemed among the Navajo. Echoing a distant past, abalone, as one of the Navajo's four sacred stones and plays a significant role in many of their myths. As one of the four sacred stones, abalone is associated with the creation of the sacred mountains that mark the boundaries of the Navajo homeland, a building material of the first Navajo hogan, and was also a part of the first loom, a vital part of the Navajo culture.

The native peoples of California see abalone is a Spirit Woman who is ever present, front and centre, during  every ceremonies. The chiming of abalone pendants suspended from the ornately decorated dresses worn by the women evokes strong feelings at every ceremony. Multistrand necklaces of abalone are worn by both the men and women. Abalone Woman transformed long ago into a form of wealth and the belief is that she is the feminine form of wealth.

In forms of magick abalone has been used for centuries in jewellery, carvings and as a vessel for offerings and cleansing and embodies all the aspects of the water element including love, beauty, gentleness, caring, comfort, peacefulness, delight and solace as well as romance, fine food, and creativity (especially poetry and music). An abalone amulet may protect the wearer from negativity, especially anger, depression, fear, and/or sadness. An abalone talisman can help you move past negative emotions, bring you in touch with your own inner beauty and will  inspire creativity, especially in writing. Ritually abalone should only be teamed with silver to enhance contact with its attributes.

Nutrition:

Nutritionally abalone has a lot to offer as it is very low in Saturated Fat. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Vitamin B12, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin K, Pantothenic Acid and Selenium.

Abalone is highly regarded for its health benefits and is believed to promote healthy eyes, alleviate colds and arthritis, reduce fluid retention and improve circulation.

Recipes:

Abalone Fried Rice

abalone fried rice

Ingredients:

2 x abalone, prepared and thinly sliced
2 x eggs, beaten
3 x shallots, finely sliced
2 x garlic cloves, minced
1/2 x red capsicum, sliced into fine, long strips
2 x bacon rashers, sliced into fine batons
6 x snow peas, topped, tailed and sliced
6 x pea sprouts (the green non flowering tendril)
1 cup long grain rice cooked to instructions
2 Tbls olive oil, cold pressed
2 Tbls catsup manis
1 Tbls mirin

Method:

Prepare your omelette: in a non stick pan with a small portion of the olive oil gently cook your beaten eggs until slightly golden brown underneath, but barely set on top, fold in half and set aside to set and cool.
Slice the omelette once cooled.

Prepare your rice in advance and allow to cool uncovered to reduce moisture content. Prepare all other ingredients before you start.

Heat your oil in your wok and begin the stir fry with your garlic then add bacon to render a little of the fat. Add the abalone and fry briefly then add the capsicum, shallot and snow peas.
Add your rice and stir fry coating the rice in the oils and fats and flavours.
Add the catsup manis and mirin and the pea sprouts.
Just before you serve stir through the omlette and allow it to reheat.

Garlic Butter Abalone

garlic butter abalone

 

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
4 abalone, trimmed and finely sliced

Method:

In a heavy based pan melt your butter with the olive oil and saute the garlic until translucent and the butter well flavoured. Toss in the abalone slices and sizzle until it curls and is slightly caramelised.
Serve with the garlic butter over rice and a garden salad.

BBQ Abalone

BBQ abalone

Ingredients:

4 abalone, trimmed whole
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 rosemary sprig long enough for basting

Method:

Using a very sharp knife slice the abalone not quite all the way through so that the shell side of the foot muscle is intact. Mix the olive oil and garlic and marinate the abalone for at least 1/2 hour.

BBQ on a hot grill using the rosemary to continually baste the meat as it cooks and takes on the smoky flavours.

Serve immediately with your choice of BBQ sides.

BBQ abalone sliced and served with quinoa