Life in Raro as We Know It -Team Raro has an Outing

Wednesday
After our quite Lo-Al Day, we got back into it.
Lana was determined to get The Graham Green, right, so she made it from a recipe we found on the Internet and a big improvement
We only used the little cocktail glasses, as it was midday

So it was Cold Roast Pork and Ms Lana’s excellent German Potato Salad for lunch.

Lana got this recipe off a website, that she subscribes to
www.cookscountry.com
She thought this sounded interesting and we did like it
Girls in the kitchen

Went particularly well with the cold roast Pork.


2 tablespoon sugar
1 cucumber peeled quartered. Seeded and cut into ¼ inch slice
½ cup white vinegar
½ tsp dried dill
S &P


3 pounds small red potatoes scrubbed and sliced ¼ inch thin
½ cup white vinegar
Salt

8 slice of bacon chopped
1 onion minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup coarse grain mustard
¼ cup chopped parsley

First
Turn the cucumbers into a quick pickle
Add sugar, vinegar, dill and salt to cucumbers
Leave 20 minutes
Then
Bring potatoes, ½ cup vinegar, 1 tsp salt and 8 cups of water to boil
Simmer till just tender,10-15 minutes
Drain and return to pot

While potatoes cooking
Make dressing
Fry bacon in large skillet over med heat until crisp

Drain
Discard all except for 2 tablespoons fat
Add olive oil
Add onion and cook to soften just lightly browned

Drain cucumber,
Reserve juice
Whisk juice with mustard and 1 tsp pepper
Add to skillet, bring to simmer

Pour dressing over warm potatoes and leave to absorb the dressing
About 20 minutes
Stir parsley, drained cucumber and bacon into potatoes
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
Transfer to serving bowl and serve

It will keep a day in airtight container in the fridge

Very nice.
Quiet day, people grabbed rays when available
Mr Heinz laboured over the Jigsaw

6pm Start Old people’s hours.
The compulsory photo.
The camera person moi was a little previous on the shot

Here ya that's better

Off to Waterline. To be fair it was early but we did want to see the sunset..
We were joined by Tim and Tina, The Tipitinas. They are on their last days.


Waterline was a great favourite of ours from previous visits… the first time we went there with Sheryl and Michael 2005. God hasn’t that time flown.
So off we went again.
We all ordered cocktails. We think that we should take a hip flask with some vodka or something just for a little top up, we have found them a bit weak. But pretty though.

Anyway, something worked, as you can see, from the shape we all ended up,
Maybe it might have had something to do with the many bottle of wine, consumed!
Ate the Ika Mata… Sorry restaurants, you cant shape up to the men in our family’s versions. Dan and Chris Rock

Parrot fish was fish of the day, mine came with a nice mushroom sauce. Tasty.

The Team Shot

So the alcohol kicked in

Then the band came out. They were excellent,

Chris the owner did a set as well. Musical family.
We did have a good time but it was an expensive night out.
Probably enhanced, by the large pre-dinner cocktails and a substantial amount of wine.
But as Dale said, you don't go holiday to save money.
Good food, but we do just as well at home. Will do lunch next time.

Caponata - Island Style - Got Pimms Sussed.

Mr Dale, cooling down in the Pool, with a fizzy, yummy Pimms

First the Pimms
I like it but usually find them too sweet.
With these ingredients I reckon I have cracked it.
Big handful of ice into the glass
60 mls Pimms No 1 Cup
Dash Cointreau
Top with Bundaberg Ginger Beer

Garnish with couple of slices cucumber
and orange

While we were having morning coffee and scone at Café Jireh, delightful little Café across the road from the airport in Rarotonga. I was flicking through a Delicious magazine (as you do) and came across this Jill Dupleix recipe for Caponata

Sounded great and I had nearly all of the ingredients. Off to the local roadside store for the missing bits.
The produce in Rarotonga is excellent.
Copied it down on a credit Card slip.
(you have to do something interesting with them or it is too too depressing.)
It was excellent, we ate it with some Beef and Guinness Sausages from the Westmere Butcher brought up by Katie.
The addition of the vinegar and the sweetness of the sultanas are so, so good.

1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely sliced
1 large egg plant cubed
1 red capsicum cubed
1 courgette cubed

400 gm tin tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
350 ml of stock

½ cup capers
¼ cup olives
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sultanas
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tsp sugar

Handful of chopped parsley and basil

¼ cup toasted pine nuts.

Put oil in pan med heart
Add onions
Soften, don’t brown
Add celery, eggplant, courgette and capsicum

Cook about 5 minutes till all soft
Add tomatoes, garlic and stock
Simmer about 15 minutes

Add capers. Olives. Red wine vinegar, sultanas, orange zest and sugar
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Simmer another 5 minutes just to soften the sharpness from the vinegar

Just before serving add chopped herbs and pine nuts

And then what do you do with the leftovers
(3 sausages yet to be cooked and a bowl of Caponata)
Well turn it into Toad in The Hole (Sort of)

Remove the meat out of the sausage skin
Dip in egg and breadcrumbs and fry till just brown

Lightly grease an ovenproof dish
Lay the little balls in there

Meanwhile beat and season 4 eggs
Add to Caponata and pour over the Balls

Into 180C oven
Bake about 15 minutes

Cut into squares and serve, sitting down in front of movie of your choice with a glass of wine.
Delicious

My friend Babara is running an event on her blog Winos and Foodies to celebrate LIVEstrong Day,  October 2nd 2010. Read her amazing story on her blog.

 My Heart, drawn by my beautiful Grandaughter Mia aged 8

'
It's  Cancer Awareness Day. For the last 4 years that Barbara's event has been around. Food Bloggers from all over have been  creating Blogs with "A Taste of Yellow". :People making food with a yellow theme and usually some wonderful photography. It has been a fun event  for a serious Cause.
This year luckily we have been blessed. No new cases of cancer amongst our family or close friends. That's fantastic. It is so hard on everyone, when a loved one is diagnosed with this ghastly disease. Barbara's story is an inspiration to us all.  Also my friend Ellen's daughter and fought and won her battle as well, have a look at her blog. BatMom
Its a fascinating account of her battle. I notice that she hasn't posted since June. She's well and now making the most of her life with her adored family and friends.

My contribution this year, is not food I have actually cooked. It is an account of our trip to the Game Fishing Club here in Rarotonga.

We have discovered this wonderful little Fish and Chip boat shop called The Flying Boat, with some of the best Fish and Chips. They up there in the Top 5.
It was a windy day but we were sheltered
The waves were crashing up against the reef, it was noisy and wild.

There was a bit of Drama.
Mia told Cleo, that her Beanie Babies
seen below

would be washed away in the waves.
Oh dear, no matter how many times you say sorry, it won't wash with a 3 year old.

So off to the car, complete with babies and the Fish and Chips.
You can just see her in the background, in the blue car.

In a way that was a bit of a bonus, we got to eat in peace.

Yellow food, at it's best.
Golden Crispy Fried Fish and Chips, Pineapple Fritter on the side
served with a straw coloured, crisp, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and some beautiful Frangipani with a "Touch of Yellow", to decorate our table.

Food fit for a King.

Rarotonga- Intrepid Safari Seekers -Getting Troppo in Raro

"I love this Rongatonga!"

Two stunning mermaids

Chris took the little girls out for an adventure.

It was quite a journey, They went to visit Penelope Pig our constant neighbour and Wastemaster. Penelope has a baby, which Tony our hos,t is fattening up for a feast. We are supplying very good quality food for them both. As you might imagine that information is not for small ears.

Some interesting sights en route.

Beach Sculpture!

They made it down to the beach.  Ms Mia Photographer of the Year. Hard to believe she is only 8.

Chris then became a pack horse, as the small one found it a little hard traveling back up the hill.
We have discovered two excellent beaches with good swimming holes.
 Ms Lana our last Intrepid explorer, found this one on the southern side, now named after her, "The LeiLana Beach"

and then, Chris found "The Noever Beach", named by Ms Cleo (her name for the Whatever Bar) which faces west and is perfect for afternoon sunning and swimming

Aha, what a good idea, plastic chairs for the beach

 Very Ms Sheryl, so off to the Onnia Warehouse for a couple of chairs. Grandma's shouldn't have to sit on the mat on the sand, me thinks!

So on the way home dropped off at the Game Fishing Club for Fish and Chips from the cute little boat shop.
Very good Fish and Chips. Will be back there.

Katie took the girls to collect shells, whilst waiting for the Fish and Chips

Can't get a lot better than that.