The Vegetarian Butcher
Sometimes you just have to bluff your way into a job, but
maybe not when it comes to cooking for a herd of hungry, carnivorous full-blooded grey nomads, especially when you are a long-term, wood chip eating
vegetarian cook.
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| The herb garden at Fraser Range adding flavour to many a meal |
When it was time for the cook at Fraser Range to go on leave
for four days I was allowed to roam free in a stainless steel, commercial
kitchen. Highly excited, I started two hours earlier so as to get my mind
wrapped around the conundrum that is cooking for a large crowd. This kitchen
has two store rooms, a walk in fridge, a walk in freezer and nooks and
crannies everywhere. Trying to find anything was almost impossible on that first day. I
remember looking for a can opener, even had to get one from our caravan. After
many days I spotted it attached to a bench, glaring at me as I was walking past
it.
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| The "smoko" table for a much needed break |
As luck has it, fish and chips, and fisherman’s basket was on the menu. A relatively easy dish for a non-fish eating boaster like myself. In the first seven hours, I whipped up three, if I may say so, cracking salads followed by a familiar recipe of chocolate Weet-Bix slice covered in icing and coconut. At Fraser Range you never really know how many may come to dinner on any given night. It has varied between 10 and 30 diners so large quantities need to be prepared each night. During any late afternoon the office can call through the meal bookings which could suddenly blow out alarmingly -“struth – have I got enough food” was the repetitive line in my mind.
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| You never know who's going to rock up |
My saving grace in this situation has more often than not been my beautiful partner Julie who was rostered on to cover the last four hours. She knows way more about cooking meat than I ever will, although it had been many decades since she’d had Tom Cruise coming for dinner.
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| The set up in the 'Dinning' room as it was spelled |
That first night we worked our backsides off and rode that
ever increasing adrenalin filled wave of excitement. From preparation to cooking
to plating up and then just holding your breath to gauge the reaction of the
crowd. An under cooked stroganoff or a dry roasted pork,
may turn out to be my last supper as the cook at Fraser Range. This night, however, the smallish crowd to my
surprise, applauded when I sheepishly entered the dining area. Delighted and
definitely more than pleased, I was encouraged to run the kitchen gauntlet again
and again.
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| I looked a bit like 'Barby' (as in BBQ) |
I have since cooked beef lasagne, crumbed chicken (whilst thinking I was cooking a lamb roast with pork crackling), shepherd’s pie and beef strugglenoff (it was) all for the first time in my life. For dessert there was Barbs apple crumble, sticky date pudding, trifle and impossible pie. Not bad for a
'vego' on a cattle station.
“Could have butchered it mate"
Grey Bits
Cooking on a remote station can be tricky as supplies are
not readily available. At Fraser Range the nearest shop is 100kms away – bugger
of a trip for a cup of sugar!
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| A work ute at the back of the kitchen |
The internet provided awesome recipes. I loved the Naked
Chef for his no-nonsense recipes - he saved my bacon several times.
For life-saving desserts (after a cheesecake tragedy) here
is a proven recipe which did save the day on several occasions (thanks to Dolly for this one – she knows
who she is). The grey-nomads loved it –
many asking for the recipe.
Impossible Pie
. 4 eggs
. 125g butter
. ½ cup plain
flour
. 2 cups milk
. 1 cup
sugar
. 1 cup coconut
. 1 tspn vanilla essence
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