Fifty-Plus News - Pastiche with Virginia Hill

Grazing on the Gold Coast

Seeking some winter inspiration, I joined a group attending De Bortoli’s ‘On the Vine’ cooking school, with presenter Diane Seed, an Englishwoman who has lived her life in Italy and written many books on Italian food and wine.
The excursion over the lush green rolling hills of the Yarra Valley and on to De Bortoli’s well-tended vineyards was a delight and some interesting and different food ideas were gleaned from this international presenter.
So it was with considerable interest that I explored the cornucopia of cafes, restaurants and clubs along the Gold Coast, where shivering Victorians retire or hibernate over winter to enjoy perfect 22&Mac251; sunny days, without wind or humidity.
Having a friend on hand to point you in the right direction helps, because as you can imagine, feeding holes vary in the quality of their food and, more particularly, service varies where the grace and charm tend to depart when popular places become overly busy!
If it’s cheap and cheerful you’re after you can’t do better than the local Surf Clubs and Yacht Clubs where out of towners can sign in for a meal after producing a current driver’s licence. Palm Beach Surf Club has recently undergone renovation and now offers a pleasant deck with umbrellas where you can sit and sip wine and enjoy a small but succulent lobster thermidor with a healthy salad for $17.95.
The Southport Yacht Club on the Main Beach of Surfers Paradise has a pleasant Bistro with many reasonably priced seafoods available. I tried an especially gutsy seafood chowder, which is an easy meal in a bowl, made from local fish, and then followed it with their own banana lemon delicious and coffee, eating well for $25. For something smaller try the chargrilled octopus with a salad, if you’re looking to avoid the mountain of chips that seem to accompany many of the plates of food served up along the Gold Coast, and wash your meal down with chianti at a cost of around $30 per head.
More interesting in its food approach is the inappropriately named Funky Sun café and bar on the Broadbeach Mall, which aims to feature locally grown meats and wine, enabling us to try Queensland beef and lamb. The beef rump was tender and flavoursome, cooked rare and served with a light wine sauce and fresh vegetables, whilst the Tandoori lamb served with sweet chilli pesto melted in the mouth. We followed these courses with coffee grown in the highlands and our bill was around $30 excluding wine.
It was at this meal that we were introduced to Sirromet wine, which is locally grown at Mt Cotton, and after trying their Seven Scenes Merlot, we decided to visit and take a cellar door tasting tour. Sirromet (or Terry Morris spelled backwards) is a multi-million dollar enterprise started in the mid nineties and boasting all the up-to-date wine making equipment money can buy, so the tour around the production plant was interesting, finding out exactly how modern technology is used to make the one million bottles of wine sold annually.
Chambourcin, a North American grape, is grown locally as it is ideal for hot climates and certainly develops into a flavoursome fruity red and sparkling red. However, there are many different wines to choose from grown in other parts of the state, ranging in price from $12 to $30 per bottle. You can taste them with a mezze or cheese plate of food for around $20 and then order, and ship home.
If you have something to celebrate or are looking for a little ‘over-the-top’ opulence, wander through Palazzo Versace, to Vie bar and restaurant, which aims at a new concept in degustation dining. Contemporary décor and food are the hallmarks, with first quality wines. Our luncheon meno was small but select. A trio of interesting seafood entrees, followed by a blue cheese, pear and walnut tart, then a to die for creamy pistachio dessert. This was an elegant and interesting lunch with speedy service and sunny view of the marina with a bill, excluding drinks, of around $50 a head.
And to keep yourself fit in between all these meals, make sure you take a brisk one-hour walk along the beautiful white beaches morning and evening.
For those of you looking for a bit of spring inspiration, I will be giving a cooking class at Victoria Market Cooking School, Melbourne on Tuesday 7 September at 6.30pm.
Meantime, try this simple scallop chowder for spring.

SIMPLE SCALLOP CHOWDER Serves 4
2 slices bacon, chopped
400g fresh scallops
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup diced peeled potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup fish or chicken stock
1/4 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon marjoram, finely chopped
2 to 2 1/2 cups milk
Pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crisp in a large saucepan then drain on paper towels. Add scallops to pan and cook 3 – 4 minutes until opaque. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Stir onion, potatoes and celery into the drippings and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
Add stock and bring to the boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 8 – 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
In a jug, combine flour, marjoram, milk and pepper to taste. Blend well then add to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Cook a further 10 – 12 minutes stirring regularly, until thickened.
Return scallops to pan and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes until scallops are thoroughly heated.
Serve with crusty bread.

• Contact Virginia Hill at her Cooking Centre, 10c Cromwell Road, South Yarra, 3141, telephone 9804 7235, email: virginiahill@i.net.au Use the same contact details for copies of 'Zap to the Max' $19.95 plus $5 delivery charge. Virginia also presents a radio show on 3RPH every Tuesday morning, beginning on 6 April, 2004.

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