Cricket and summer and, in Canberra in 1921, Dr Charles E.W. Bean, then resident at Tuggeranong Homestead and recording the Official History of World War I, built a concrete cricket pitch with his associates and established the tradition of regular cricket matches at the homestead.
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Professor Peter Stanley was MC at the recent launch of Jenny Horsfield's book A Bookshop in Wartime about its owner Verity Hewitt, and guests could imagine thwack of the bat and ball in the paddock nearby.
Dry red wine at the launch was the Homestead's 3 Yards Short referring to the insufficient concrete, dispatched from Queanbeyan to Tuggeranong rail siding then in Bean's T-model Ford, which made the wicket 19 instead of 22 yards. In the 1800s William Edward Riley recorded a "Corobberie" at Tuggeranong and the homestead's dry white is called Cold Plains, a translation of the Ngunnawal word for the valley.
Large bunches of ripening grapes hang from vines along the homestead verandah. Rebecca Lamb, a longtime member of MOTH (Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead), said there were wine grapes growing at Tuggeranong at the time of Sheriff Thomas Macquiod in the 1830s and his son, Hya Macquoid, in the 1850s. The cuttings came from the Macarthur grapes at Parramatta.
Author and historian Jenny Horsfield is also an active MOTH and says James and Mary Cunningham lived at the property from 1890, had eight children, continued the family's sheep breeding success. Mary Cunningham was a very keen gardener and she brought cuttings of asparagus from her father, Edward Twynam's famous asparagus patch at Riversdale in Goulburn, and planted them in the orchard at Tuggeranong. The Tuggeranong Creek supplied water for the garden and manure was plentiful. The asparagus patch is large and this season it has produced spears and foliage from the crowns is now covered in red berries full of seed.
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Gerry Nussio and Ann Filmer have been managers of Tuggeranong Homestead in Richardson for six years and their good news is that, from Sunday, February 14, the property will be open to the public. There is much to explore with a heritage-listed 1830s convict built barn, Black Angus cattle in the paddocks with calves at foot in coming months, 15 chooks which supply eggs for the kitchen and manure for the garden. Zucchini and tomatoes are grown in AutoPot hydro systems, there are varieties of laden plum trees, the grape vines, masses of herbs including chef's rosemary and slices of lemons and limes for Corona beer.
Ann Filmer is a keen cook and all the food served at the Homestead is made from scratch and servings come in generous quantities. A specialty is the zucchini fritters and a lemon cheesecake made to an recipe adapted from her aunt who ran a cheese shop in Toorak for years. Lavender is a feature in the garden and used in the kitchen.
Lemon meringue pie
Ingredients
Grandma's champagne pastry:
300g self-raising flour
20g cornflour
pinch of salt
150g butter
65g caster sugar
1 egg
Filling:
40g butter
75g cornflour
110g caster sugar
juice and zest of two lemons
250ml water
3 egg yolks
Meringue:
3 egg whites
110g caster sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
Method
Pastry: Combine flours, caster sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and sufficient water until pastry comes together. Knead lightly on a board and pat into a round flat shape. Wrap in baking paper and place in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 200C. Roll dough out on a floured bench to a circle and line a 20x5cm fluted tin. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Rest in refrigerator for another 20 minutes. Blind bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans or rice, reduce the temperature to 180C and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool. Turn oven temperature down to 140C.
Filling: Combine the butter, cornflour, sugar, juice, zest and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and whisk continuously until smooth, thick and glossy. Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled, add the egg yolks and combine well, Place a piece of baking paper on top to prevent a skin forming.
Meringue: Whisk the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks. Reduce the speed and add cream of tartar. Slowly add the sugar, one spoonful at a time, until combined. Increase the speed and whisk until glossy and stiff.
To serve: Fill the cooled pastry case with the lemon filling. Top with the meringue. Make swirls in the meringue with the back of a spoon. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is golden. Leave to cool before serving.