1 July 2007

Vintage Grape Jelly

• 250mL 919 Vintage
• 3 teaspoons edible gelatin
• 100mL boiling water
• 200g seedless red grapes [eg Flame, Menindee Seedless], destemmed
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Dissolve the gelatin and sugar in the boiling water.  Cool slightly. Add the 919 Vintage and stir well. Place the grapes into a fancy serving bowl, pour the gelatin mixture over. Allow to set in the fridge.

A perfect summer dessert.

• 1.5kg gravy beef, chuck steak or oyster blade
• 3 peeled and sliced onions
• 1 cup 919 Durif
• 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon seeded mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 420g can crushed tomatoes
• 300g mushrooms, whole

Coat the slow cooker lightly with oil. Layer the ingredients in the following order: onions, mushrooms, beef, tomatoes. Mix the condiments in the 919 Durif and pour over the top of the beef. Cook on LOW for approx. 7-8 hours, depending on your cooker. Serve with mashed potatoes, honey carrots and broccoli.

*** If you don't have a slow cooker, place into an over-proof dish and cook for approx 3 hours at 120 oC.

This is a favourite no-fuss meal during vintage: put it on before leaving for harvest at day-break, and it's ready for the evening meal.

• 750g ripe blood plums [Satsuma]
• 1/2 cup 919 Vintage
• A little water
• Sugar to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Wash the plums and place in an ovenproof dish. Dissolve the sugar and stir the vanilla paste through the 919 Vintage. Pour over the plums, add enough water to cover the fruit until their crowns poke out. Bake in a low oven [120oC] for 35 minutes or until soft, basting occasionally with the liquid.

Environmental tip: This can be cooked at the same time as the Rich Beef in the oven.