Wedding of the Year

Osbornes Flat Hall, Yackandandah, Victoria
31st December 2008
When you live in Hong Kong having Christmas in England and New Year's Eve in Australia is a bit of a big commitment, but some things need to be done. I left Exeter train station at 10am Sunday morning and when I finally parked the car in Yackandandah it was Tuesday lunchtime; I'd come via London, Yuen Long, Brisbane and Melbourne. With the whole wedding happening outdoors the evening was truly beautiful in its simplistic grandeur. The ceremony by the dam, dinner under the setting sun and a live band beneath the stars to welcome in 2009.

As this is a food blog I thought I'd mention the delights we ate and drunk. Instead of the usual catered crap that tends to be served at weddings this event was all about home cooked goodness prepared with love. The bride and her family and friends made many of the dishes that were served picnic style. This is how the menu looked:

Grissini with Prosciutto

Baba Ghanoush

Osborne Olives

Benjamin's Beef with Relish

Local Smoked Trout

Dolmades

Potato Terrine

Spanakopita

Chickpea Balls with Halloumi

Tomato and Mozzarella with Basil Oil

Seared Zucchini Strips

Green Salad

Sour Dough Bread

Wedding Cake

Maz's Famous Ice-cream

Strawberries
The booze was just as much a task of love. Last July I helped bottle beer and there was a tasty range of homebrews to choose from alongside some great Aussie wine. The beers included:

Lovers Pale Ale

Orange Roughy

Kickback Ale

Thirsty Sanchez

Sparkling Ale
While a late contender the evening definitely took the crown for 'wedding of the year'. A truly great weekend amongst great friends that made me almost miss Australia.