Fruits of the Sea & Other Yummy Goodness

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Fruits of the Sea!!!
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OK I seem to have a Sea Theme this week and what could be better on a hot summer's day, or a stormy winter one for that matter, than feasting on the bounty of the wild, delicious sea!! OK so you don't usually 'see food' on my blog. One reason for that is I have a few food allergies and over the years it has become so annoying and complicated that food lost it's allure for me. Another is as I only cook for myself I get a little lazy.
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However, thankfully I have no issues with seafood!! Which is lucky as living in Australia, seafood is fresh and plenty and if you live near the coast so are the restaurants serving these delights. So no cooking, just yummy goodness!!
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Well now that I have you sold on moving to a beachside suburb in Australia, the food I've shown here today comes from a New Zealand fishing town and restaurant named 'Fleur's Place'. I found this article again today flicking through an old Australian Country Style magazine. Every page in the article is graced with soulful photography and the delightful food and decor of Fleur's Place.
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I love every detail of these images. The food presentation, the vintage cutlery and the gorgeous blue-green dinnerware which I seriously need to own myself!! I think I would jump on a plane to NZ right now if I thought I could purchase that dinnerware!! Of course I would stop by Fleur's Place and sample the fine food, wine, and wistfully look out to sea!!
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Now a bit of a surprise here.. that soft fluffy bread you see in the image above is actually cheese!!! Cheese made from milk and seawater!! Nope not kidding!! Here is the recipe that came with the article, so if any of you are game, please give it a try and make like Little Miss Muffet! Don't forget to let me know how you fare!
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Saltwater Cheese

3 cups seawater

[or plain water with 25g dissolved salt]

3 cups full-cream milk

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  • Heat seawater and milk in a large saucepan.
  • As liquid begins to boil, it will separate and curds will form. Remove from heat at once and pour through a cheesecloth lined sieve to capture the curds.
  • Sieve should be rested in a bucket or pan of ice-water to prevent the liquid from curdling further.
  • Tie cloth corners together and hang for approx 30mins to strain off excess liquid.
  • This will result in 2/3 cup of soft sweet cheese! Serve with crusty bread and a glass of port!
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Oh and before I go, thank you everyone for your lovely comments on my last post. I think I'll have to go out and buy Photoshop now and I may even try my hand at painting too... or get really crazy and make the cheese!
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Julie b



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IMAGE SOURCE: 1st image is Botany Bay - taken by me [Being Ruby]
The remaining 'food' images are by Kieran Scott scanned from an article in Australian Country Style. Food and recipe by Fleur Sullivan of Fleur's Place.
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39 comments:

Blondie's Journal said...

The cheese has piqued my curiousity, as I am on a mission to start trying different cheeses other than my old standbys. I have been working my way through some of the hard ones. Now, where shall I find fresh seawater in the Midwest United States? Hmmm...will have to sleep on this.

Does your magazine have a buying guide in the back? You might be able to find those pretty dishes. I like them, too

I applaud you for considering painting again!

xoxo
Jane

Tamerie Shriver Halliday said...

You are making me hungry! I LOVE seafood and living beside the ocean is definitely a good place to be. In fact, Thursday is my day to have fish tacos for lunch!

Hugs,
Tamerie

Maya @ Completely Coastal said...

I love seafood..., I make it for special occasions, which can be any weekend really. The cheese certainly sounds interesting, but I have to confess, it's to elaborate for me to even try. I love good food, but only if I can make it in less than 30 minutes, and preferably in one pot!

Chemin des Muguets said...

Julie,

Thanks for the trip to the seaside, and the recipe for the Seawater Cheese. Now that's a first. I have never heard of it. May give it a try, though I doubt the Carmel seawater tastes as good as the H2O downunder.

Off for my ramble.

Love,

Marjorie

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Oooo , Julie,
I could eat that shellfish hotpot right now.
I've just had a prawn sandwich but it doesn't quite match up to that dish !!!!
Whenever I eat out I nearly always order fish or shellfish. It's my favourite.
Like you, I love the china and cutlery.
Next time I'm at the coast, I'm going to bring home 3 cups of sea water (I don't think it would taste as good without it) and I'm going to make the cheese.
More recipes, please. XXXX

Mise said...

I sometimes make a very similar cheese but with lime juice instead of the seawater. It turns out wonderfully, but somehow lime juice doesn't have the glamour of seawater. I guess I'll have to don my wellington boots. That's an exceedingly tempting photo.

Luiza said...

The dinner plate, on your image, looks delicious...
However, I´m not a fan of seafood. I wish irt could taste , the way it looks =D...

I love cooking, so you never know... Maby I´ll make that cheese...
Thank´s for sharing.

Take care !

Love/
Luiza

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

I would fight you to the death for those dishes dear Julie....gorgeous! How beautiful are your images and how hungry I am now listening to your descriptions of that bountiful repast! If I weren't a million miles away...I'd be right over to break bread with you....I mean cheese...
love ya! :) Laura

Julie B. [Holland] said...

Julie, your sea theme reminds me if where I spent a summer in Terrasini at "Chitta del Mare" in Sicily.
The sun was brite, the sand so warm (HOT)the men so handsome but thats another post! The resort was just beatiful.A slide that went right into the Mediterranean Sea, lots of good food and entertainment. As I write this post here in Holland we have about 6 inches snow and about -6. So these sea side photos are great! .... Ciao Ciao... the other Julie in HOlland :)

simon said...

yes seafood is good! :oO Food allergies would be a pain though. :o/

rjerdee said...

Your blog friends are right...you are already an artist, painting with the computer. I've never seen such mysterious yet clairvoyant pictures before. A visit to your blog is always enchanting because of the images.

Angie Muresan said...

That is some fluffy cheese! Maybe the restaurant will sell you their dinnerware? It is so pretty and dreamy.

Ange said...

Where in NZ where where where??? As for the dinner service - I have a friend with one like that in France - well, the same colour ;-) Now, the cheese. I BET YOU'RE NOT ALLERGIC TO CHEESE ;-) Neither am I and good job too, where I live that would be equivalent to a criminal offense!! Dying in that blue again ;-)

Carole said...

I love seafood though I don't seem to eat enough of it. Nothing better then a great seafood restaurant. Your going to think me crazy but I think I might try that cheese recipe. I'm going to copy it and see if g wants to try it with me. We already make bread( not with a machine either) how hard could cheese be?:))
Your photo editing is getting better and better
xo,
carole

red ticking said...

i am completely drooling.,.. x pam

Dumbwit Tellher said...

A girl after my own heart dear Julie. I love..love..love seafood. Did you know that listed today in our Huffington Post (online) that Australia and New Zealand have been voted in the 10 ten place to live in the world? No surprised to you I expect. But, I ask you, why am I here? The Saltwater cheese fascinates me. So good to read your comment this evening.You are the best & I value your friendship immensely. Hope your enjoying the beach & your well deserved R & R?! xoxo deb

Elaine said...

That cheese looks yummy. I never met a cheese I didn't like.

The seafood looks wonderful, but a trip to New Zealand sounds even more wonderful!

Samy said...

I have said it before but am saying it again, visiting your blog is always a treat.
I love the china too, do you know where its from?
I am not a fan of seafood, I wish I was and have tried a few times but dont know why :(

Jg. for FatScribe said...

Really like your blog! So glad to have discovered you via Deb over at Dumbwit Tellher ... Happy New Year (I really liked your "flicking" 2009 goodbye and dating the older brother. classic.) and we'll see you around the dial. -Jg.

Elaine Power said...

That sea food hot pot looks yummy & now you have my taste bud's drooling Julie with the sea water cheese (yummy) :)

A Refocused Life said...

Wonderful post and images. Your photographic art is absolutely beautiful. I love food images - I study the image detail by detail. It will be fun to try the cheese making with my granddaughters this spring when we go to the beach. They have so much fun helping prepare evening dinners. Thanks for sharing.

love lives in the kitchen said...

dear julie,
i would like to wish you a happy new year: may the 2010 be full of joy and happiness! thank you for your beautiful and inspiring blog. i love the pictures in this post, they are so romantic...
have a sweet day, justyna

desde my ventana said...

I was born next to the sea and it is one of the things that more I need in Madrid.
Your images are really beautiful and your photo is wonderful,

Have a good day,

DMV

count it all joy said...

Julie, I just love this post....the colour palette that you bring to your blog is so soothing and calming to the soul. Like you, I immediately became fixated on the vintage cutlery and dinnerware...Country Style is one of my favourite mags. In fact, I stole half an hour this morning away from the sproglets to read it with a cup of coffee...I could feel all the knots in my shoulders relax immediately.

The recipe has intrigued me...if I can unearth a sieve from the sandpit and find some cheesecloth, I'll give it a go.
Hope you've had a lovely week. Meredy xo.

desde my ventana said...

I was born to the north of Spain and there all the regions are bathed by the Mar Cantábrico, to which so much I yearn.

Hav a great weekend,

DMV

Unknown said...

This is one of my favorite posts of yours, Julie, for many reasons, not the least of which is that exceptional beach photo. And that cheese recipe! Well, I am clearly going to have to try making that. It sounds simple enough to do and I am crazy mad about cheese ... just love the stuff!

Shellbelle said...

Okay, I'll be the crazy one and try making the cheese. I think it would be a big hit at The Hut.

You get busy and buy Photoshop. I can only imagine what you will be able to do with that program and I imagine it would be AMAZING! You have such an eye and already create stunning images, PS would take you to the next level and beyond.

btw, I wish I could paint also.

Pooch Purple Reign said...

mmmm cheese. and what a crazy idea to make it !!
so crazy i might even try it!
~laura

erin's art and gardens said...

i have never heard of that cheese! i think i would have to use salted water though cuz that just doesn't sound right, just using seawater?! those photos are scrumptious...unfortunately, being landlocked here in tennesse, seafood is never fresh. so...your "fruits of the sea" painting is beautiful!!! i just love it! have you considered trying your artful hand at water colors? the investment is not bad and your interest in all things sea worthy would lend itself to that medium...just make sure you buy good quality brushes which makes all the difference. have a good weekend creating!
erin

Tess Kincaid said...

Yummies! Seafood is my fave, but can't eat shellfish, though. Allergies. Bleh.

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Makes me want to head out to the beach!

Jen Beaudet said...

Hi Julie! Oh...I would love to live in Australia, by the sea and eat seafood everyday! I love that old cutlery too! Your photo looks like a watercolor, it's beautiful! You know, a lot of artists sell images like this. Just a thought...I'm off to make some clam chowder(from a can). take care! :)-Jennifer

Shelia said...

That cheese looks yummy. What I wouldn't give to have a scoop...shelia

Thanks for the recipe.

ANETTESHUS.COM said...

Wow!!! These photos are just gorgeous!!! Are they yours, Julie?!

Have a nice day!!!

Hugs
Anette:)
xx

beachvintage.com said...

Hi Julie, This is amazing.....saltwater in cheese, I love this idea. Hope you had a great New Year and look forward to reading your blog in 2010.

Renée Finberg said...

omg
that cheese looks awesome.

beautiful post and images.
xx hugs

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Ahh..Julie, Fruits of the Sea...just perfect for this weather we are having!!! That cheese looks amazing♥x

Brabourne Farm said...

Delicious post - it looks good enough to eat! Leigh

Glennis said...

The salt water cheese sounds delicious and easy enough to make, never heard of it before.
If I was more of a cook I would make it, but those days are gone. Now I mostly laze around when not taxi driving, which I do in both Blenheim and Picton.