We ordered two dishes for mains. First, steamed barramundi fillets and vegetables. It was a very delicate dish that could have used a bit more seasoning, but the veges and fish were all cooked very well.
But my favourite of the day was gai yang, barbecued lemongrass chicken fillets. Lovely marinade and charcoal flavours served with sweet chilli sauce.
I found the recipe in one of my books at home. It looks simple enough so I might make it one day.
While we waited for the main we looked around the little courtyard where most of the tables were located. The owners have tried to create a peaceful ambience with an assortment of Buddhas scattered through the area.
A few tropical plants also added to the atmosphere, but all in all, low maintenance seems to be the over-arching theme.
I realise that I’ve not posted about food for a long time. Probably because I’ve not taken my camera to restaurants for a while. Well, I’ll try to get back in the act, starting with a Thai lunch.
We’d been to KB Thai in Woy Woy before and had a great meal, so we were keen to try it again. We started off with some prawn won tons that were nice and light with a hint of ginger.
Next was barbecued prawns, which were less successful. They were prawns on a stick really, and after deshelling and desticking, the resulting flesh wasn’t exactly worth the effort.
In the churchyard was a large tree with spectacular flame-coloured blooms. Have no idea what this is, but it certainly made a dreary Sunday morning very bright indeed.
Just as I’d taken my last photo of the chapel, the rain came pouring down. We hastily took shelter under a little awning and looked out on to the small cemetery. Here, old sandstone headstones, weathered and lichened, mingled with newer marble ones. As the rain came down over the fields, there was peace.
Holy Cross Catholic is the oldest church on the Central Coast, and the 5th oldest church in the country in continuous use.
Built from lovely Hawkesbury sandstone, it sits on the sleepy Kincumber South peninsula, surrounded by water and fields.
The beagle slumped herself on the sofa. She was not amused. It was hot, humid, rainy; meaning no walks along the beach, and no chasing after birds and flies in the garden. But worst of all was the severe lack of attention paid to her that endless afternoon. One can almost hear her huff, “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me…”
Let’s delve a bit deeper into BB’s garden, shall we? Apart from a variety of grevilleas, there are the usual suspects: bottle brush, a rather cute green kangaroo paw with a golden stimen. Not sure what the purple flowering bush is but the flowers are pretty with its white border.
But the crowning glory of the garden at the moment is rose and blue bromeliad. Spectacular, isn’t it?
I’m continuing the Summer Blooms theme with a look around BB’s garden at Umina Beach, on the NSW Central Coast. BB has only lived at Umina for two years, but in that time he’s transformed the garden with a combination of natives, tropical blooms, and even a vegetable and herb garden.
He’s a big fan of the grevillea, since they are easy to grow and are hardy. They also come in many shapes and colours, as can be seen from these specimens in the garden.
With all the rain, my garden is quickly growing into a jungle. But it’s a colourful one at that. I love the vibrancy of the hibiscus with its multi-coloured stimen.
Static and Silence 