Fig-Tree-at-the-Foreshore

Just love this shot of Hazel up a tree on the foreshore. 

Shared Fish and Chips although there is a story to the experience. 
Fish and Chips #1. Nobbys Kiosk - ordered a seafood plate, a new idea with cutlery and soft shell crab among other things and we were disappointed to find most of the deep fried inclusions still cold in the centre!  Even though it is not our style, we took the uneaten plate back to the service and collected a full refund.
Fish and Chips #2. Returned to Starfish Cafe at Queens Wharf and had our second seafood order.  Shared fish and chips and the lightly battered fillets were divine.  Especially enjoyed the aoli and the breezy atmosphere.
Ice Cream at Scratchleys.  Perhaps a little languid with the service, but licking pink ice cream is an ideal accompaniment to a walk along the harbour foreshore.

Last Day of Summer?

Spent the afternoon at Dixon Park for a change.  Of course Merewether Baths are closed for cleaning on a Monday.  Loved the thigh blaster walk through the dunes, and the total emptiness of the beach, just an older couple and two kids with their mother. 
Dixon Park has that vast expanse where the weight loss monkeys plough through the dry sand, and if you lay down a certain way it is easy to imagine there is no civilisation nearby.
Amazed at my little 10 month old who crawls through the sand like a pink bulldozer.  Once we put her down she is busy crawling knees and palms through the sand, oblivious to us until she gets a few metres away.
Similarly, the 34 month old runs to the middle distance without raising her head, engrossed in the meditation of jogging along the lines of the quad bikes.
Overcast, small surf, tepid water, empty beach with warm grey skies - perfect autumn day at the beach.

Crispy Green Prawns with Chinese Garlic from the Co-op

This time of year there are green prawns to be bought from the local Fish Markets.  As recently of last month it was not possible to buy local prawns "green" - instead they were flown in from South Australia.  The unseasonable rain has flushed out a supply of medium green prawns that having been cooking well - moist, with succulent flesh and that al dente mouthfeel.

Living with my daughter humming the co-op radio ad can be a little embarrassing at times!!  Fresh Fish from the Co-op, boom, boom, repeat and on it goes..

But the revelation that KC had sourced some local Hunter Valley green prawns "still wriggling" was a fantastic way to leave Bar Beach and wait patiently with snadpaper undies whilst the car idled outside the co-op.



Once we returned home we shelled, and deveined the prawns.  The process of deveining the prawn lends each 'little lobster' a delightful tendency to butterfly on the grill.  And with the increased surface area available for flavour absorption and crispiness, we watched as the prawns made slow stretching arcs like yoga poses whilst they cooked.  Room temperature Audrey Wilkinson Semillon made for a smart and crisp wine to sip on whilst the barbeque flamed and the prawns curved.

And here are the Hunter Valley Prawns - note the honey barbeque colour contrast with the clean alabaster of the deveined dorsal?

Simple, hands on eating with a fresh nor-easter and some clean semillon... enjoy.

Double Bar Beach Sunday

Firstly, welcome to our Family Journal.   Well sort of a family journal and also a way of sharing how we progress towards a sustainable, productive future using our limited funds based on an old house in Merewether. 

We have two active young children and a thriving gourmet hamper business.  We spend plenty of time at Bar Beach (at tea bag corner)  and Merewether Baths (largest saltwater baths in southern hemisphere) with our girls and juggle government jobs with our love of gourmet food.

Lacking a photographer in the family, we have felt the obligation to share our photos and experiences in a lasting way through this blog.

Since we have regular exposure to the Newcastle Food and Wine Scene, and love participating in wine and food, we offer new experiences and images of our plate.