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Lighthouse on South Coast


Yacca Local Grass Tree


Collecting Seawater


Enjoying Aragosta

POSTCARD NO 1:
KANGAROO ISLAND , SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Kangaroo Island is a natural paradise off the coast of
South Australia with a balmy Mediterranean climate.
It is quite large - about 155km long by 55km wide -
and mostly limestone with a little granite.
Limestone and granite make for wonderful beaches
with fine sand and clear turquoise water.
The sea around the island teems with fish large and
small so it is a sought - after spot for fishermen.
The local lobsters are famous and there is an abundance
of whiting , snapper and other good eating fish.
The island itself is about a third national parks and
reserves, some with the most striking wind-pruned
coastal vegetation that reminds me a lot of the "macchia"
or coastal scrub you find in Sardegna,Italy where my
family has spent a lot of summer holidays.
The rest of the island is agricultural,both grazing and
special produce for which it has a growing.We tried
Kangaroo Island organic chicken which was truly
exceptonal and the organice eggs."Island Pure" is a
sheep dairy making yoghurt and cheeses.At breakfast
we ate their yoghurt with a handful of almonds and
spoonfulls of the local organic honey made by Ligurian
bees.The island has been a Ligurian bee sanctary since
1885.The bees have a reputaiton for being gentle and
hard-working and , together with the honey they
produce , are exported internationally.
Dotted across the island are an increasing number of
vineyards - you are after all almost within sight of
McLaren Vale and the limestone coast vineyards on
the mainland across form the island. I really enjoyed a
rose wine from the "Islander" vineyard , a new 300 ha
enterprise started by French investors. Served cold it
was an excellent accompaniment to the local seafood.
We stayed at a small house on a spectacular private
beach called King George Bay. At dusk the wallabies
( a species unique to the island) would hop from the
surrounding scrub. Most accommodation on the island
is self-catering and there are few eating establishments.
There is an excellent supermarket in Kingscote , the
main town , where you need to stock up on supplies as
the local stores are few and far between. This is all part
of the old-world charm of this very unspoiled place.
The highlight of our eating was the local lobster which
we tried in various ways.
My favourite was Arogosta al verde ( Lobster with
Fresh Greens ).The lobster is served warm with broard
beans and fresh asparagus.Broard beans are something
I find you cann use frozen when the fresh beans are not
available so the dish can be eaten almost year-round.
It looks spectacular with the cream and red of the
lobster and the bright green of the vegetables.
Whenever I eat it now I am sure it will remind me of
the pleasures of this wondeful island.

RECIPE:
ARAGOSTA AL VERDE (for 4 people)
• 1 live lobster of about 2 kg
• 2 bunches of fresh asparagus
• 1 packet frozen broad bean
• juice of 1 lemon
• about 1/2 a cup of virgin olive oil
First you must drown the lobster in plenty of fresh
water. It will take about 20 minutes.
Fill a large saucepan with sea water and bring to a rapid
boil. Drop the lobster into the pot and once the water
boils again, let it cook for 12 minutes ( I do not like my
lobster over cooked)
Let the broad beans thaw and then remove the skin.
It is a labour of love, but well worth it!
Bring some more sea water to the boil in a separate
saucepan and cook the asparagus until just tender,
about 5 minutes. Scoop them out and put them on a
serving dish. In the same water drop in the broad beans
and as soon as the water comes back to the boil, let
them cook for just 1 minutes, then drain them.
With a knife detach the lobsters tail from the body.
Remove the outer shell and slice the tail into 2 cm
rondel.
Arrange the lobster over the asparagus, sprinkle some
lemon juice and olive oil over it, then some Murray
river salt ( a coarse, pink salt)
As a last thing add the broad beans over and around
the lobster.