deliciousMay 2016的目錄

ONE OF THE greatest gifts my mother gave me was the ability to cook, and she encouraged me to love it as well. Growing up, she gave me a great deal of autonomy in the kitchen, and I remember baking on my own from a very young age and enjoying the solitude, the creativity and the sense of achievement. These feelings stay with me today, and it is a great pleasure that I now have a daughter of my own who enjoys being in the kitchen (and a son who also thoroughly enjoys licking a bowl or two). It is a real privilege to have children to cook for and cook with (not that it’s always easy finding something everyone likes!). My daughter looks forward to studying home economics when…

“AT THE FARM, I MAKE MY OWN BREAD, REAR MY OWN GOATS FOR MEAT, AND BREED PIGS FOR GUANCIALE AND PROSCIUTTO, PORK CHOPS, OR TO BARTER IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.” GARLIC & PRESERVED LEMON RAINBOW CHARD SERVES 4 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 bunch rainbow chard, stalks cut into 4cm lengths, leaves chopped, blanched and refreshed 11/2 cups (375ml) vegetable stock 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained 1 preserved lemon, flesh and white pith removed, finely chopped Goat’s curd and toasted slivered almonds, to serve Heat oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chard stems and cook for 1 minute or until softened. Add stock, chickpeas and preserved lemon. Season…

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I AM A HUGE FAN of all things pastry. If it’s sweet, shiny, golden and sticky, I’m as happy as a kid in a sweet, well, pastry shop. My sisters and I would make Chelsea buns when we were growing up, the only problem was that in a household of seven they were always demolished within the hour! But we all still make them now, which is a true testament to how delicious they are. Chelsea buns are sweet scrolls made from a yeast-risen dough enriched with egg. The dough is risen, rolled out, spread with brown sugar and butter, sprinkled with dried fruit, candied citrus and sweet spices, then rolled up and cut into rounds. It’s then left to rise again, baked and finally glazed with sugar. I don’t…

A lip-smacking Southern US menu might be a step away from Brody Petersen’s Canadian roots, but he and Australian wife Liesel have become addicts after opening Surly’s, an American-themed barbecue joint, in Sydney’s Surry Hills, where the menu skirts across the Southern states in a best-of line-up of slow-smoked brisket with pickles, hot wings, sticky pork ribs, house-made cornbread and much more. Surly’s is one of several restaurants run by the couple through Parlour Group, including Canadian dive bar The Stuffed Beaver in Bondi, doling out poutine and Bloody Caesars, and Art Deco Riley Street Garage in Woolloomooloo – “a big warehouse-style venue where you can have a $100 banquet all sat at the bar,” says Brody. There’s more to come, too. They’ve just taken over The Village Inn in…

IT’S FUNNY HOW RECIPE writing takes you on a journey. This feature was going to be a vegetarian dinner party, starting with the spiced carrot and lentil soup, but as I thought about the other recipes, more and more warm spices with a particular nod to the Indian subcontinent made me decide on creating an Indian-themed feast. The hero dish is a lovely flaky samosa pie with buttery homemade pastry that makes for a great centrepiece. I like to serve it with a minted yoghurt and a glazed pumpkin and crispy chickpea salad topped with fried paneer, which can also make a light midweek meal on its own. I had planned to serve gulab jamun (Indian doughnuts soaked in a sugar syrup) for dessert, but my journey took me to…

OVEN-ROASTED MEATBALLS WITH KALE PESTO AND MOZZARELLA SERVES 4 500g beef mince 1 egg 3/4 cup (75g) fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 cup (65g) kale pesto (from delis) or basil pesto, plus extra to serve 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked 1 tbs olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 700ml tomato passata (sugo) 1 cup (100g) grated mozzarella Basil leaves, to serve Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine mince, egg, breadcrumbs, pesto and one-quarter chopped garlic in a bowl. Roughly chop half the oregano and add to beef mixture. Season, then form into 6cm meatballs. Heat oil in a deep ovenproof frypan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, for 6-7 minutes until browned all over. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion and remaining…

BRAN & BROWN RICE CARROT MUFFINS WITH GINGER ICING MAKES 12 1 cup (120g) oat bran 2 cups (250g) brown rice flour 2 cups peeled grated carrot 1 firmly packed cup (250g) brown sugar 1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil 4 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp each ground allspice, cinnamon and ginger 1/2 cup (125ml) milk CRYSTALLISED GINGER ICING 1/2 cup (100g) chopped crystallised ginger 1 tbs brown sugar 250g cream cheese, at room temperature Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 12 hole (1/3-cup capacity) muffin pan. Place all muffin ingredients and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin holes. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes…

ESPRESSO CHEESECAKES SERVES 8 Begin this recipe 1 day ahead. 250g pitted prunes 100ml dark rum 170g amaretti biscuits, crushed 80g unsalted butter, melted 2 tbs almond meal 1/3 cup (80ml) espresso coffee 200g pure icing sugar, sifted 500g cream cheese, at room temperature 3 egg yolks 3 titanium-strength gelatine leaves 150ml milk Cocoa powder, to dust Place the prunes in a bowl with the rum. Set aside overnight to soak. The next day, grease and line a 20cm x 30cm brownie pan with baking paper. To make base, combine amaretti, butter and almond meal in a bowl. Press into base of the pan and cover and chill. Whiz prunes in a food processor with 2 tbs soaking rum until smooth, adding more rum if needed. Spoon over the base.…

Muscat is one of the world’s most exotic cities and an exceptionally safe place to wander around. Omanis are friendly, generous and tolerant, although it’s essential to be covered correctly when visiting mosques, such as the awe-inspiring SULTAN QABOOS GRAND MOSQUE , completed in 2001. The city is situated on an old port, where the Sultan lives in one of his eight palaces. The neighbouring town of MUTRAH with its lovely corniche, a waterfront boulevard lined with charming old Portuguese houses, is a must-visit. the highlight of Mutrah is its 200 year-old, labyrinthine souq (marketplace) with its shops selling pungent perfume in jewelled bottles and the traders hawking gold jewellery, khanjars (traditional daggers), sacks of frankincense, copper coffee pots and burqas from…

9.00am HOLE IN ONE Kick off the day with the best Montreal-style bagel outside, well, Montreal. According to legendary kiwi chef Al Brown these thin, sweet wood-fired bagels are better than their more famous New York cousins, and his bagels at Best Ugly (cnr Wellesley and Nelson Sts) give both a run for their money. Hand-rolled and wood-fired over Manuka hard wood, it’s worth going downtown for these doughy rings alone. 10:30am HIGH FASHION Head waterfront to Auckland’s hip designer hub Britomart (130 Quay St), home to some serious homegrown fashion talent, including Karen Walker, Zambesi and Kate Sylvester. The ferry terminal is just minutes away, so why not escape the city and wind down at Waiheke Island for lunch? First wander to uber cool diner The Store (5b Gore…

Scandi secret Looking for natural hydration? Try Sealand Birch, a Scandi specialty made from pure water sourced from birch trees. With no added sugars and plenty of antioxidants, it’s a great thirst quencher or addition to iced-tea and cocktails. Visit: sealandbirk.com. pressing the issue Whether it’s the green juice of your dreams or a simple glass of OJ, for the perfect start to the day, the Kuvings C7000 Whole Slow Juicer has you sorted. Its cold-pressed technology brings top-notch juices to your brekkie table. Visit: kuvings.net.au. glass half full Can’t finish your bottle of wine? No problem. With the Vintec WineArt Wine Preservation System you can keep bottles of wine from spoiling for eight days and at the correct drinking temperature, too. Cheers to that! Visit: vintec.com.au. getting steamy Follow…

“Indian meals are often overlooked for wine pairing with most opting for beer, but rosé and aromatic whites can really work well.” Mike Bennie, drinks writer SPICED FEAST INDIAN BANQUET Tandoori eggplant skewers, p 74 Eastern Peake Pinot Tache Rosé 2015 Baked butter chicken, p 96 SC Pannell Pinot Grigio 2015 Cardamom pistachio cookies, p 112 Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling 2013 “Cooler weather calls for days best spent baking and sharing the bounty of your efforts with friends and family.” John Hannan, digital producer COMFORT FOOD BEST BAKING Gluten-free potato, leek & creme fraiche galette, p 44 Cavolo nero & sausage pizza, p 122 Baked berry cheesecake, p 118 “Fresh autumnal ingredients, coupled with slightly drying, tannic, yet flavourful drinks will keep your palate dancing in cold weather.” Aaron Gaulke,…

RAINBOW CHARD Those vivid mixed bunches of white, yellow, ruby red and pink stemmed chards you find on shelves – commonly referred to as rainbow chard – are confusingly cut from different varieties of the same plant, related to sugar beet. Swiss chard and silverbeet (actually the same thing) are most common, but the coloured specimens are becoming increasingly popular. Like silverbeet, stalks and leaves can be treated as separate vegetables, with succulent stems making a juicy addition to minestrone or taking well to rich sauces and leaves working as a pleasantly coarse substitute for spinach in gnocchi or Greek spanakopita (spinach pie). BONITO There are several varieties of bonito found across the globe, with three main commercial varieties commonly sold in Australia (generally just sold under the label ‘bonito’).…

By the GLASS Melbourne has very quietly become the best place in the country to order by the glass. Joining Andrew McConnell’s MARION WINE BAR in the CBD, EMBLA , a little sister to Carlton’s The Town Mouse, is pouring a mix of organic and biodynamic drops. Domestic darlings such as Adelaide Hills’ Gentle Folk and hip Patrick Sullivan wines are chalked up next to Julia & Navines organic Spanish cava and Corsica red. The kitchen is equipped with a woodfire grill giving a lick of smoke to their wine-friendly fare. Local calamari, perhaps, with a buttermilk sauce, or simple roast chicken ready to pair with a New York chardonnay. Nearby, BAR ESTRELLA is slinging wines the Spanish way with free tapas (fat slices of tortilla, say, or hunks of…

BAKED, NOT STIRRED Often the best food and wine matches tend to be totally individual, contextual (I mean, who you’re drinking with is just as important as the combo of wine and food!) and usually done without fanfare at home. It’s also often the most common foods that bring out the most interesting and satisfying matches with drinks. We’re used to a raft of Kimye-style high end matches: Champagne and caviar, Chablis and roast chicken, Bordeaux and roast beef. But what about dishes that require just a fork to eat, maybe chopsticks, or even – shock, horror – your hands. It got me thinking about what goes with baked goods. These are the one-handed heroes of the food world that are built in single serves (mostly) and can be consumed…

NO TIME FOR MUCKING around here and spinning some ridiculous (and probably fictitious) story about what baking means to me, full of sepia-toned images of weathered hands kneading dough. No, we’ve got serious business to detail the coolest bakes from around the world – no easy task given the global obsession with combining flour, sugar and butter in baked treats. Perhaps the easiest way is to break it down into category winners – a bit like a bakery Oscars. Puff Pastry: croissant and sfogliatella. Cronuts, cruffins, morning buns out of San Francisco, or the Danish kouign amman (Breton cake) all make quite an impression, but for me they’re still not a patch on the simple croissant. So, let it be the first of our great bakes. Specifically the flaky, slightly…

MY CHILDHOOD was filled with Mum’s homemade sponges – iced for afternoon tea, with Granny’s chocolate sauce on special occasions. I do love a sponge, but there’s nothing like a simple vanilla cake – and this one really personifies simplicity. Made using my ‘measure and beat’ method, the ingredients for this cake are all simply thrown into a bowl together and beaten – it really couldn’t get any easier. Topped with an easy passionfruit buttercream (which uses the same no-fuss method), this cake makes a wonderful standby for any occasion and is definitely one to add to your baking repertoire. BakeClass (Murdoch Books, $45), by Anneka Manning, is available in bookshops nationally. To book a bake class with Anneka, visit: limeandtonic.com.au . EASY VANILLA CAKE WITH PASSIONFRUIT…

MENU Recently we’ve done barbecues because they’re relaxed, easy and outdoors. We might pick a main and then do corn on the cob, green beans and seasonal veg. Keep it simple. TABLE Mud Australia has beautiful and organic plate-ware. We also have a lot of Merci linen from Paris or fun prints to mix up the colour scheme; I keep a neutral palette then spice it up with linens, food and flowers. PLAYLIST We really like 70s and 80s rock, Steve Miller or Creedence Clearwater Revival. Everyone sings along. Or a bit of early 90s: Farside, Jurassic 5, Souls of Mischief. Music from when we were teenagers. DRINKS We always throw some cans of beer in an esky. Just simple – Melbourne Bitter, VB or Pabst Blue Ribbon. But we…

COCONUT-POACHED CHICKEN LETTUCE CUPS WITH MINT SALAD SERVES 8 AS AN ENTREE 2 cups (500ml) coconut milk Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced 1 tsp fish sauce 2 x 200g Lilydale Free Range Chicken Breast Fillets 1 bunch Vietnamese mint, leaves picked 1 packet baby cucumbers (qukes), sliced 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 long red chilli, sliced 1 green lettuce, outer leaves removed Place the coconut milk, lime zest and juice, lime leaf and fish sauce in a saucepan over low heat and stir to combine. Add the chicken and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Refrigerate chicken in the poaching liquid until cold. Toss mint, cucumber,…

HOISIN CHICKEN BAO SERVES 4 (8 AS AN ENTREE) 1 packet frozen bao buns (from Asian grocers) 11/2 tbs peanut oil 700g Lilydale Free Range Chicken Breast Fillets, sliced into 1cm-thick pieces 3 garlic cloves, finely grated 1/3 cup (80ml) hoisin sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce 1 tbs rice wine vinegar 11/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked 1 packet baby cucumbers (qukes), sliced lengthways 1 small red chilli, sliced (optional) 1/4 cup (40g) roasted peanuts, skin on Place buns in a large steamer and set over a wok of boiling water. Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes until soft, pillowy and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add half the chicken and…

SPELT is a fibre-rich grain in the wheat family. It has a nutty flavour similar to barley and is commonly used in cakes, muffins and breads for a denser consistency and darker colour. From supermarkets and health food stores. RYE is a grain that is lower in gluten than wheat flours and has a tangy flavour. Rye creates deliciously dense baked goods (see Postcard, p 140, for a Swedish apple & cardamom rye cake). From health food stores. MILLET is a small, yellow ancient grain that has a mild corn-like flavour. Rich in iron and B vitamins, this gluten-free grain works well cooked as porridge or try it toasted and then cooked like cous cous for a gluten-free alternative. From health food stores. TEFF is a fine grain, about the…

AS MORE AND MORE people seem to declare war against wheat, I feel my connection with baked goods growing stronger by the day. I admire the strength of character needed to give up on something as delicious and inviting as a freshly baked loaf of bread! It’s not simply the flavour I would be missing, it’s the ritual of baking – that excitement that springs out of knowing that each bread is always slightly different, the seemingly interminable wait while the dough is resting, and the anticipation to finally tear it apart and devour it. Baking can seem daunting, so why not try my foolproof ciabatta, soft with a golden crust – you don’t even have to knead it. For the time-poor, my grissini dough is made in a food…

“FROM THE TINY GREEN RABBIT BAKERY, FERNLUND MAKES TRADITIONAL SOURDOUGHS, DARK RYE LOAVES, SWEET BREADS STUDDED WITH PLUMS AND ALMONDS, AND EVEN CRISP BREAD.” EVEN A VISITOR TO IKEA can recognise Swedish culinary classics such as kanelbulle (cinnamon rolls) or the open-faced smorgas sandwich, but beneath the pearl sugar and the smoked salmon there’s another ingredient that’s even more essential to Nordic food: rye flour. It’s only when I find myself in front of the sweltering ovens in a downtown Stockholm bakery at four in the morning with master baker Tina Fernlund, that I begin to appreciate how varied and underrated rye bread really is. A few minutes with Fernlund and I discover a range of Nordic breads, each with its own special qualities: Finnish ruis bread, Swedish limpa, German…

“WALKER SEAFOODS ARE THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS TO ACHIEVE THE MSC GLOBAL STANDARD.” I ONCE WORKED WITH a lady who hated eating. In fact, if it weren’t vital for survival she’d gladly give eating a miss. Once a week she dined on canned tuna in the office, but not nicely tossed through a salad or on a sandwich with cucumber. Just nuked, obliterated, given a napalm death in the zapper. The pungent stench of her gift to gastronomy made it feel like I was working on the canning line of a Whiskers factory. Needless to say I’ve not eaten canned tuna since. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but those cans of tuna couldn’t be further from the stunning silver bullets swimming the seas between Cape York, Queensland and…

THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN this month is Mike McEnearney’s eagerly anticipated new restaurant No. 1 Bent St By Mike, and you’re invited to an exclusive first taste. The brand new venue (the builders and painters are making their finishing touches as we go to print) at The Wintergarden in Sydney’s CBD, features McEnearney’s switch to formal dining with a menu that perfectly reflects his ethos of seasonally-led food made using locally sourced and house-made produce. “We’re looking forward to being a part of the CBD, where the food just gets better and better. No. 1 will have a small daily-changing menu with a strong focus on produce. And although the setting may be more formal, I hope it will feel familiar to those who loved Kitchen By Mike,” says…

It’s the kind of documentary-style television that gets viewers hooked: man rearing beast or bird, then slaughtering it for his own sustenance. Such is the remit of River Cottage Australia , the show on which former Melbourne Vue de Monde chef and now television host and farmer Paul West grows, sources and rears his own food in Central Tilba, five hours south of Sydney. It’s the dream of many urbanites, a rural idyll where long lunches are held al fresco; a pig, a tomato patch and a dog called Digger the lunchtime entertainment. But it’s not all cups of tea fireside. “Stuff goes wrong. But that’s nothing new. No matter how hard you work, nature has bigger plans. Farmers go out and put the work in, but sometimes it doesn’t…

”Icing is simple in theory but difficult to master, so practice makes perfect. For best results, use clean bowls and utensils and palette knives and scrapers without dents in them. You can use hot water to heat your palette knives to ensure a smoother finish on your cake, but don’t heat ganache or buttercream too much as they won’t adhere to the cake. Make sure your cake is chilled before attempting to ice as the icing may melt. Get inventive with piping bags and nozzles for a final flourish.” VANILLA & LEMON FROSTING Use as an icing for 1 large cake or 12 cupcakes. 300g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature 250g pure icing sugar, sifted Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped 11/2 tbs…

GUT HEALTH IS of paramount importance to our wellbeing; if your gut is struggling it can affect the health of your entire body. Many ancient sciences and medicines rank gut health as the primary focus for optimum wellness and there has been much research in the West in recent years to underpin this. There also seems to be just no getting around the fact that gluten can be a big trigger for gut inflammation in some people. If you do have a gluten intolerance, don’t be fooled by packaging with ‘gluten-free’ and assume that it means ‘healthy’. Always make sure to read the ingredients. My general rule is that if it has more than six ingredients, most of which you can’t pronounce or have numbers attached to them, it’s probably…

CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY Receive a bonus *  Kenwood Food Processor Attachment, valued at $169, with the purchase of any Kenwood Chef Sense Colour Collection mixer featured here. Available until 15/05/16. THE KENWOOD CHEF SENSE COMES WITH FIVE HANDY TOOLS SO YOU CAN WHIP, KNEAD, CREAM, FOLD OR COMBINE HEAVY MIXTURES – ALL WITH ONE APPLIANCE A Modern classic Adaptable, easy to use and pretty enough to leave out on display, Kenwood Chef Sense Colour Collection mixers are set to become a benchtop fixture in kitchens everywhere. They come with five bowl tools – a dough hook, K-beater, whisk, creaming tool and folding tool – to cover all your baking needs. For everything else, a range of more than 20 attachments – including multiple pasta rollers, shapers and cutters –…

“THE PIE PROJECT IS ALL ABOUT EXPERIMENTATION, APPRECIATION AND ENJOYMENT – WE WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WONDERFUL ANTICIPATION AND JOY OF BAKING. THIS BOOK ISN’T ABOUT FINE-DINING DESSERTS, THESE ARE JUST GOOD RECIPES FOR THE HOME COOK. WE HOPE THAT EVERY PIE YOU MAKE TELLS A NEW STORY, AND YOU MAKE IT YOUR OWN PERSONAL PIE PROJECT.” BLACKBERRY & GINGER PIE SERVES 6 If you can’t find a 17cm pie dish, make another half batch of pastry to fit a 20cm pie dish. 500g frozen blackberries 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar 1/2 cup (160g) cherry or raspberry jam 25g crystallised (candied) ginger, chopped 2 tsp cornflour 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbs water 1 tbs demerara sugar Thickened cream, to serve PASTRY 11/3 cups (200g) plain flour 1/4…

“I’VE TAKEN FAVOURITE FLAVOUR COMBOS – FROM ESPRESSO MARTINI COCKTAILS TO SEASONAL PAIRINGS – AND TURNED THEM INTO IRRESISTIBLE DESSERTS.” BANANA & CARAMEL BANOFFLE (COOKIE DOUGH WAFFLE SANDWICHES WITH BANOFFEE CHEESECAKE) MAKES 6 You will need a waffle maker or waffle iron. 1/2 firmly packed cup (125g) brown sugar 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar 250g unsalted butter, softened 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups (300g) plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 200g dark (70%) chocolate, melted CHEESECAKE 500g cream cheese, at room temperature 2 small ripe bananas 450g jar dulce de leche 3 eggs 1 cup (250ml) thickened cream Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm x 3cm-deep lamington pan with baking paper leaving 3cm overhanging. For the cheesecake, whiz cream cheese and…

“BY CHOOSING AUSSIE-GROWN PRODUCTS YOU ARE KEEPING FARMERS LIKE ME IN BUSINESS.”BRUCE WEEKS Bruce owns a tomato farm in Nanneella – a small country town in rural Victoria. “I believe knowing where produce comes from and how it has been grown is an essential part of the cooking process these days,” says Bruce. “People tend to reach for the cans of Italian tomatoes at the supermarket, but the quality of Aussie tomatoes is just as good, if not better, and you are supporting the Australian economy instead of sending our money overseas,“ says Bruce. “It’s not just the farmers you support but their employees, the nurseries, and the people working in the factories who process the tomatoes.” OUR GOLDEN SOIL “Australian soil is perfect for growing tomatoes. We have self-mulching…

I LOVE TO BAKE . It’s so therapeutic and relaxing, experimenting with flavours and textures – nothing beats a good cake, sweet pastry or melt-in-the-mouth cookie. Late last year, I was invited to create a limited edition cookie for Byron Bay Cookie Company to celebrate their 25th anniversary, to mark the beginning of a larger brand ambassadorship to create new flavours for their existing range. That first recipe was a passionfruit and dark chocolate shortbread with a second flavour of salted caramel popcorn soon to be released. Passionfruit is my all-time favourite fruit and it partners perfectly with dark chocolate, the flavours bouncing off each other and adding that touch of lushness to the buttery shortbread. These melting moments are an Aussie classic and have that same sweet tang against…

I am afraid my teeth might just rattle out of my head as we’re driven on the rocky roads, not much more than goat tracks, which cross the ancient mountain range that rises beyond Oman’s capital, Muscat. I’d be terrified if it wasn’t so beautiful. The landscape of deep ravines and soaring craggy limestone peaks, coloured rust and slate green, seems inhospitable to vegetation, and yet the region is known as Oman’s ‘bread basket’. To be frank, I’m more concerned with the way our guide navigates the switchbacks that climb up to the ridges, than looking for a fig tree. I don’t like heights and we’re about 3000 metres above sea level here. From the highest point, we see rocks, hundreds of miles of rocks. Magnificent mountains, folded like lava,…