Tomato bottling party

On Sunday, as I was putting rubbish in the bins, I heard a cheery call from the neighbour's side of the fence.. "We're bottling today..are you coming for lunch??" Am I coming for lunch????? Of COURSE, I'm coming for lunch...Mary is a renowned fabulous and effortless cook. Of course I'm coming for lunch. SO of course, she's up at five, cutting up a million tomatoes, bottling and then turning around and whipping up lunch for the 11..guests and helpers and hangers on (us), she's accumulated during the morning.





We arrived just as they the work was over, and the 44 gallon drum was being filled ready to boil.



We're a multicultural little party..Mary, Greg and Daniella,.. Mary's 2 sisters and husband(Italian),a Maebashi student(Japanese) Mary hosted 15 years ago for a few days, who's remained friends over the years and now lives in Sydney with her Singaporean husband, Mary's Sri Lankan friend Nedra, and us - the token Aussies! So ,we arrived to find Mary and her sisters whippping up food in the kitchen - home baked bread, fried zucchini flower fritters, italian tomato salad, peppers, aubergine,pasta.. the Italians have this food thing SO sorted!! Our contribution was to bring a couple bottles of red and eat the food! Good on us!

This bread is FaB!!!!

Vivienne (in the red top) is the fabulous bread baker, Lucia the chief cutter-upper, and Daniella busy taking iphone shots to send to Adam ( living in Thailand).


Daniella and Sutoku (no idea how to spell)


Pretty soon we're sitting around the tables, lots of food, wine and laughter.. I may have been Bavarian in a previous life..think I'll come back Italian though.. It's so relaxing and friendly and fun and such good food!!







At some time in the afernoon, we adjourned inside out of the heat, and Mary produced bottles of homemade limoncello from the freezer...

View from where I'm sitting


Daniella made cupcakes mmmxoxo


We staggered home -full of food and wine sometime later that night. no dinner for us! And thank you Mary and Greg - must be world's best neighbours!