A Byron Families New Life in Hobart--delicious.

[sea food]

Hobart, Tasmania

We’ve only been in Tassie for a month, we are however already starting to understand the Hobartian mindset. Having chosen a quaint terrace in the oldest part of town we set about exploring the hinterland.
Live “crays” at the wharf for $26/kg, down to the channel for mussels that we picked off the rocks then around to Oyster Cove for some of the largest oysters I have ever shucked. On the way back we stopped at a road side stall for organic garlic and new season Pink Eye potatoes.
Once home we de-bearded the bucket of mussels, split half the oysters between the salamander and the ice tray, chopped a bit of pancetta, found the Worstershire sauce and started our Kilpatrick. Back to the chopping board for a bit of garlic and rosemary mashing, once soaked in oil and seasoned we drizzled the infused oil over the cut and cleaned cray.
Banged a huge stock pot full of salted water on high, once boiling whacked in the linguine and a spoon of our infusion and kept it on a rolling boil.
Butter in the largest pot to fry a small hand full of shallots then white wine, tipped in the mussels once the pot came up to speed and boom, they gape to reveal a mouthful of salty water.
Took the Kilpatrick out from the Salamander and plated next to the fresh oyster on ice, slipped the cut, drizzled crays under the salamander and the smell over powered everyone upstairs.
Drained the al dente linguine and tossed it in with the bubbling mussels and a hand full of cut parseley a squirt of lemon and bada bing skaboosh it was ready to rock.
Uncorked a couple of chilled Merlots from our hinterland sojourn and called everyone to the table out in the sunshine, a very pleasant 22 degrees and not a fly to be seen.
Once all were in attendance I rushed to the salamander to remove the steaming red cases, urgeoning with fluffy white clouds of flesh. Tadaa!
The days are mild, only ten or so degrees separating the morning from the midday high, the ambient humidity is surprisingly dry, the washing is bone dry before lunch, the sunlight pierces our french doors in the upstairs bedroom at 6am and doesn’t disappear until after 8.30pm, very frustrating for the kids!
Our uninterrupted views of the Derwent and sandy coloured hills of the Eastern shore are a source of constant activity, yachts tacking and jibing, huge passenger liners obscuring the entire Eastern Shore line, container ships and ferries, we are reminded of the vital unbillical cord nourishing the settlement that this week celebrates its bicentenary.
The town itself is full of buildings constructed before our nation was Federated. The history is palatable, our little terrace was built in the 1850’s and has received scant attention since then, well may be the interior has had a few of layers gaudy wall paper and successive coats of paint but the outside has been unspoilt, the thumb prints of the makers of the bricks clearly visible in the odd brick.
The kids are enjoying daycare and school, the variety of ethnic groups is refreshing, there are people from all countries and all social groups, housing is cheap in Hobart so the vacuous affluent haven’t cut the life out the town, very few four wheel drives cruise the streets with their windows wound up and the air cond on and CD blaring psudo world music.
The Salamanca markets each Saturday are a must with a variety of tantalizing produce displayed by the people that make it. The market takes over the whole street and bands, buskers and browsers all taking advantage of the sunshine. The fresh produce stalls provide us with our weekly provisions, while other essentials can be aquired from the little shops that dot the market square, no need to hand over your fly buys or frequent flier card, the people behind the counter are your neigbors and the store they operate is generously stocked with local products that are surprisingly cheap. The Deli is to die for, with wine tatsings and a small chalk board outside the tells us when the next wheel of such and such a cheese will be cut, an event not to be missed as the specialty cheeses here are created without homogenized milk in small capacity factories that have perfected some of the European style cheese that we only dreamt of in the bay. The fruit merchant supplies all manner of m
anna, cherries are in season ($3/kg) while soil grown vine ripend tomatoes are in abundance($3/kg) the peaches nectarines and apricots are overwhelming at less than $2/kg. When we visited the orchards, past Sorell, half an hour from home we made ourselves sick on Youngberries, Strawberries and cherries, the trees were described by our eldest as “Christmas trees with decorations you can eat!”. The bows of the cherry trees nearly touched the ground under the weight of their bounty of sweet ripe white cherries.
Time for me to pop up the road to the baker for some organic stone ground 16 hour proven rye bread that he lovingly kneads each morning($3.20 each), Oh I must get some milk too(unhomogenised Organic single origin Tasmanian 1 Litre $1.60).


Love from the Hobartians.

[obisghost]

Hey "sea food" - I get the impression you aren't missing Byron then...

[Guest]

On the contrary, there is so much here that reminds us of home. None of the people however, well OK there are a couple, I bumped into Jenny Coman yesterday and a collegue from Byron High is down on Bruny Is. But we miss the community and the love that overflows from the rainbow region.

[kk]

Hey Hobartian, you make a holiday in Tassie sound very tempting. Can you increase the temperature down there?

Will still endeavour to come down and have a look while you are there and you can cook me some of those great local dishes.

[Camo]

whaddyamean increase the temp? it is beatiful here! 22 degrees and sunny today. One way fares from $169 mean there is no excuse.
If you do come I can let you know about accom down here. Email me. Are you from Byron?