Make "olives" not war...

~ Olive Pickling Recipe ~ 

The end of the olive season is nearly here, so don't delay if you are wanting to try your hand at olives in brine.  

Here's a family recipe you may like to try:  

1. Pick the olives fresh from the trees if possible, but olives from the markets would be fine (or side of the road where they sell grapes for wine making season).  
2. Make a cut length way on each olive with a sharp knife.  
3. Place in a bucket with fresh water and then change the water each day for 7 days.  
4. Make a brine using 100 grams of salt to each litre of water (the water level should just cover the olives).
5. Bring the brine to boiling point.  
6. Allow the brine to cool for 5 minutes.
7. Place the olives in sterilised sealable jars.
8. Cover with the brine, seal and leave for 1 month.
9. Before using a jar of olives, wash off the brine, cover in olive oil, add fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, and leave over night for the flavours to go through the olives.

(Fennel or fresh chilli are also nice flavours. Always keep the jars topped with olive oil to cover the olives). Enjoy!   

~ Segmento: Italian Culture Magazine ~ 

We would love to tell you all about the great new Italian culture magazine; Segmento, which has been come about from the Segmento Manager, Daniele Curto's vision "Australia needed a voice that highlights the achievements which influences our culture." And here at Home Make It, we couldn't agree more! Hence why we are now the proud stockists of the free magazine, so pick up a printed copy when you next pop in to the stores or check it out online.

Look out for the upcoming Home Make It stories and recipes which will feature in the magazine including the story "Learn the art of making homemade salami" in this month's edition of Segmento Italian Cultural Magazine, Pages 8-9.  Yep, that's us! :) Grab yourself a copy of the magazine to learn everything from meat preparation, mincing the meat, mix the ingredients, filling the skins and curing. Included is our Hot Italian Salami Recipe. 

 

~ Rose Creek Estate Open Day - Last Sunday in August 2015 ~ 

Rose Creek Estate, 2 Craig Street, East Keilor

I had the pleasure of visiting the Rose Creek Estate in East Keilor a couple of weekends ago. Rose Creek Estate produces award winning wines and olive oil, not to mention the most amazing vegetable garden and fruit orchard I have ever seen!  Spread over 7 acres and hidden away in the heart of the northern suburbs, Rose Creek Estate has been dubbed  " A bit of Tuscany in the Keilor East". I'm sure I am not the only person who has arrived at the address 2 Craig Street, East Keilor only to think that I'm at the wrong place! How could a vineyard and olive grove be tucked behind a suburban house in a suburban street in Keilor East? But I kid you not! It exists! Tony and Lina Siciliano have created an Italian country lifestyle with all the Italian food and beverage traditions imaginable.  

Tony and Lina Siciliano (Rose Creek Estate, East Keilor)

Tony and Lina very generously open up their property several times a year to the public to share their Italian heritage, market garden, winery and orchard. The next Open Day is:

• Sunday 30th August, 2015 from 11.00am to 5.00pm. 

Rose Creek Estate

2 Craig Street, East Keilor. 

Entry: $5.00 per person. All proceeds from Rose Creek Open Garden are being donated to the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, supporting pleasurable food education. 

• Wine tasting and sales
• Olive Oil tasting and sales
• Wood-oven pizza
• For tasting - wood-oven baked bread with home grown herbs, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and marinated olives. 
• Roasted Chestnuts
• Coffee and Cakes.  
• Walk around their market garden, see the baby chickens, chooks, guinea foul and peacock.  

If you can't get to the Open Day on the 30th August, 2015, you can meet Tony and Lina and purchase their award winning produce including their Olive Oil at Farmer's Markets around Melbourne.

• 2nd Saturday - Collingwood Children's Farm (End of St Helier St, Abbotsford)
• 3rd Saturday - Gasworks Farmers Market (Cnr Graham & Pickles Sts, Albert Park)
• 4th Saturday - The Slow Food Farmers Market (1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford)

If you get along to one of the Farmer's Markets or the next Rose Creek Estate Open Day, ask Lina for her famous Olives in Brine Recipe! In fact, if you are looking to purchase a new recipe book, you will be delighted with Growing Honest Food written by Gabriella Gomersall-Hubbard about Rose Creek Estate and the Siciliano family.  

 Growing Honest Food by Gabriella Gomersall-Hubbard