The Annual Good Friday Activity at Ballandean.

Every Good Friday, our neighbours, Mario and Rosalie Costanzo, host the locals to a get-together, based around DIY pizzas.
Rosalie makes a huge amount of dough for the bases. 
Mario fires up the pizza oven.
Early arrivals help with the setting up of tents.

The locals have arrived.

Every guest arrives with their favourite pizza filling, plus wine, wine glasses, and chairs.

Everyone takes turns to make their pizza, which Mario then slides into the pizza oven, and cooks.
It doesn't take long to cook, and then it is cut into bite-sized pieces and distributed.
Easy.

The table where the dough is rolled. Our hostess, Rosalie casts an eye back to me!

One pizza prepared and ready for the oven, a second being rolled out. Wine is on the table behind this.

...and into the pizza oven.

The kids also enjoy participating in the preparation.

A pear and blue-cheese pizza coming up.

Our host Mario checking the next pizza.

...and now a new pizza-cooker! An apprentice.

The "apprentice" with Mario, who flours the pizza paddle.

Let's play in the water!

When bellies are full, and hunger is satisfied, there is fun to be had just mucking about on the rocks below the weir.

It is a wonderful time.
We all catch up on one another's comings and goings, drink some really good reds, eat some excellent pizzas.
At this very busy time of year, when most of us grape-growers and wine makers are flat strap picking, and fermenting, Good Friday, when all cellar doors are closed, is the time to relax, and enjoy one another's company.
All this with thanks to Mario and Rosalie.
A great day!

For Emma.....Fig Chutney recipe.

Just for you Emma.....and I am more than happy to pass it on.
And best of all.....it is so easy...easier than making Fig Jam.
So here goes....

The ingredients...

Here are the ingredients...and being the cook that you are, they can be varied to suit yourself.

850g of figs
150 ml balsamic vinegar
100 ml red wine vinegar
300 g brown sugar (it didn't make the above photo...not sure why)
1 lemon.....zest and juice
2 red onions   
2 teaspoon of mixed spice
10 g of fresh ginger OR 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
raisins.

 As you can see, I had no red onions, and also not having any nearby shops to dash to, I substituted white onions.  And I had to use ground ginger.


METHOD:

Quarter the figs.
Thinly slice the onions.

Fry the onion until lightly caramelised.
Add ALL other ingredients, EXCEPT the figs.
Season with Salt and Pepper.
Bring to the boil.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add figs, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bottle while hot, and add lids.
Allow to cool.



The photos of the process are not very good Emma, but you get the idea!

Before adding the figs....smells delicious despite looking like this!

Figs added.

After cooking with the figs, for 15 minutes.

5 jars of fig chutney (& vineyard in background)

And it is delicious....we have already sampled it. Yum.

Fig Jam.....but please don't call me "Fig Jam"

Yes, I know. I know. It's an acronym for "F*** I'm good. Just ask me" 
So I hesitated, for weeks, truly, before I posted this blog, because I don't think I'm good.....I just enjoy making and eating fig jam.
And  we have 10 fig trees here on the farm (yes, we love figs).

One of our fig trees, with figs in various stages of ripeness.

Two varieties of figs....on their trees ready to be picked.  I have to get them before the birds do!

There is no way that all the crop can be eaten...either as is, straight from the tree,  or roasted with sugar and then enjoyed with yoghurt, or ice cream.

One picking, and ready for jam OR drying OR chutney.

So what to do?
I dry some.   Great as snacks.

These have been halved, and dried...takes about 24 hours. Ready to be packed away.

Or I halve fresh figs & then grill them, with sugar , to make a delicious dessert...eaten with cream or ice cream or yoghurt. Whatever takes your fancy.

I have made fig chutney.  Lovely.

Fig chutney coming up! Ingredients assembled.

And bottles and bottles and bottles of fig jam.
(Is your mouth watering?   Maybe you don't like figs......???)

During the season, which is now, ripe figs are picked practically every day.

For jam, all I do is weigh them, then chop them up, and place in a saucepan.
I add about 75% of their weight in sugar...equal parts figs and sugar is too sweet for us.

Figs cut, sugar added.

Then cook.
I don't add water or any sort of liquid to the pot. The figs make their own juice with the sugar.

Cooking away.       Ready to start testing to see if it's done.

Easy.
Or as Jamie Oliver would say, "easy peasy"

We now have enough bottles of fig jam to keep us happy until this time next year when the figs crop again.

All done and dusted. Another few bottles of fig jam.

And don't you love the way home-made jams and chutneys are in such a variety of bottles and jars?  Can you pick the ex-Vegemite jars from the bottles in the photo?    Yes, the yellow lids are a give-a-way aren't they?.     Waste not, want not, as I was told as a child.

And that's just one session of jam making.....I have many many bottles stored in the wine cellar for use over the next 12 months.

But please DON'T call me Fig Jam will you?