ham, cheese, chairs and lights

Some photos from the weekend, a few days of being surrounded by design, people, food and drink.

Last Friday and Saturday, Kristian was involved in an exhibition, Artisan, which featured several product and furniture designers, as part of Saturday in Design.  It was a massively hectic but enjoyable experience - there were more than 1000 people through the showroom on Saturday - and a great opportunity to be a part of an inspiring collaboration by young, Australian designers.

It was also quite a day for indulging in food and wine.  In my role as door wench, I got to meet some weird and wonderful people during the day and to see them demolish a 10kg ham, several massive wheels of brie and gruyere and countless bottles of wine.  I may have also enjoyed a cheeky wine or several but after 9 hours on my feet they were very necessary.

After the show, we kicked on at the after-party at the Piano Room, where we enjoyed some incredible canapes and by 10.30pm I was happy/tipsy crying into a burrito at Guzman y Gomez. Quite a weekend indeed!  

...

red

I'm not sure why but I've been obsessed with red food lately. Tomatoes, strawberries, capsicum, chilli - I've been craving them all, but tomatoes in particular. Hello lycopene!

My folks came over on the weekend for lunch and it was the perfect opportunity to try out a soup recipe I've been eyeing off for a while, featuring you guessed it - tomatoes, and to get some cheese and antipasto plate action happening. Nothing quite like leisurely Sunday feasting.

Rustic Tomato Soup
Adapted from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals
Serves 4-6

1kg ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine
4 large truss or heirloom tomatoes
1 fresh red chilli, or chilli flakes
4 cloves garlic
1 ciabatta loaf
2 small red onions
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
a small bunch of fresh basil
some shaved parmesan to serve
olive oil
pepper and salt

Set your oven to 220°C and put a large saucepan on to low heat.

Pull the cherry tomatoes off the vines (but don't worry too much if there are a few green tops left on), then quarter the larger tomatoes and put them all in together on a baking tray. Crush in the garlic along with the halved, deseeded and chopped chilli, drizzle with olive oil and season. Toss everything around together then put on the top shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile roughly slice up the ciabatta loaf and put the bread on another baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and put in the bottom shelf of the oven. Keep an eye on the bread periodically to make sure it doesn't get too brown.

Now peel and chop your onions and put them in a hot saucepan with oil and a good pinch of salt. Turn the heat up and leave to soften, stirring occasionally.  After five or so minutes, stir in the 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and let it all reduce down.

Once the tomatoes are done, take the tray out of oven and pour everything in with the onions. Throw in the bunch of basil and then blend everything to a rustic consistency. Ladle into bowls and serve with some parmesan on top and your crunchy ciabatta croutons.

We demolished a fairly large antipasto plate before this and I was mistaken in thinking this soup would be a light main but trust me, it's a surprisingly full bodied little number.  My Dad claimed it was like a hot gazpacho and I'm tempted to try a cooled down version of this recipe in the summer months.

...

saving the day with cornbread

The weekend was a Sydney classic - sunny on Saturday, showers on Sunday - a perfect balance for breakfasting out, wandering around yard sales (where I snapped up a few cute, glass bottles), baking and then consuming baked goods on the couch with some DVDs. K was horrified to discover that I had somehow made it through my childhood without seeing Back to the Future (great scott indeed!) so all three discs were whipped out and the 80s reminiscing kicked off in earnest.

And what to eat whilst watching Michael J Fox continually save the day? Well, popcorn aside, the cooler weather on Sunday seemed like the perfect excuse to make a hearty, comforting classic - cornbread. The last and to be honest, first time I had cornbread was on New Years Eve in Japan a few years ago made by our friend's boyfriend, an American sailor. I had never had anything quite like it - essentially savoury but with an intoxicating hint of sweetness. Perfect for a mid-afternoon feast.

Cornbread Muffins
Adapted from this recipe

1/2 cup polenta
1 1/2 cup plain flour (I used half wholemeal)
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated, reserve a small amount
1 Tbs brown sugar/ treacle
1 Tbs butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 200C and line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cases.

Combine the polenta with sifted flour, baking powder, salt and cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, treacle and milk and then combine it all in with the dry ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and top with some of the reserved cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Best eaten warm and with your favourite childhood movie. Next stop Willow or The Princess Bride! 
...