sallyhammond.com.au

PARADISE ON A PITA

 

Pittwater is an idyllic area, and Steve Ingram once lived overlooking the aptly named Paradise Beach just along from Clareville Beach. I live not far away and have visited the beach several times but never walked on it because the six car spaces available for visitors are always full.

Obviously the place made an impression on Ingram too because when he began making his range of gourmet dips there was just one name that worked, he felt – Paradise Beach Purveyors.

The company is based in Manly Vale – in premises coincidentally next door to a commercial kitchen I once ran in ‘a former life’, and just before Christmas he dropped by and very generously shared some of his range with me. It was perfect timing as the Pita Bits were ideal for those many drop-in-and-stay-for a-drink occasions that crop up around the holiday season and the dips were extremely well-received, as they should be. 

This company has been scooping up awards lately as easily as their pita bits deal with dips: 2007 Sydney Royal Show Champion Dip, 2 Gold and 2 Silver Awards; 
Most Successful Dip and Dairy Dessert Exhibitor; 2007 Melbourne Royal Show
Champion Dip and 7 Gold Awards. 

Rightly subtitled gourmet dips, it would be a shame to simply pop these mindlessly into our mouths while sipping bubbly (although, trust me, they are ideal companions for that) and talking about the year’s events. Who would ever go back to French Onion Dip when you have these!

So I decided to play around with them a little and discovered that: the Smoked Salmon & Wasabi Dip
is ideal when mixed with some sour cream and spooned into wonton cases – wonton wrappers which had been oil-brushed and baked in small muffin trays until browning and crisp. Topped with a feather of dill, and voilá they provided a very special treat with almost zero work. Another day I used the Tzatziki
(another medal-winner) in a similar way.

The Smoked Trout and Chive Dip worked wonderfully as an accent on the ocean trout tart I served at Christmas lunch. Later when Sydney’s weather did its classic return to winter (as it is so prone to do in mid-summer) I used the last of the Pesto Swirl to fork through some pasta. Just in case the dip-maker is reading this, I did do it right to begin with. This is a very pretty dip – enough to win it the gong of Champion Award winning Dip at The 2007 Sydney Royal Show - and is designed to be turned out on a plate with the red and green pestos gently swirled across the top to make a truly effortless yet knockout dip for crackers and breads. I did do that too, Steve!

The Classic Basil Pesto and Chargrilled Red Pepper Pesto worked on several bruschettas of various persuasions too during that hazy week after Christmas, helping ham and various leftovers to assume new personas.

There are several other dips too in the range: Lime and Lemongrass Seafood Dip spiked with mild green chilli spice paste, a Chilli Crab Dip with Paradise Beach’s own Thai Chilli Jam.  

But wait, there’s more. Paradise Beach released its inner-Lebanon with not one, but three types of hummus: Full-flavoured Classic Hommus, Orange & Pomegranate Hommus and Caramelised Onion Hommus.

Steve Ingram (without a drop of Mediterranean blood in him, he says) is still passionate about getting it right, it seems, and he swears that they chargrill and peel fresh eggplant every week to make the Baba Ghanoush and it’s so good their Lebanese friends love it. Best of all, their Lebanese friends’ mother have given it the thumbs up, which is better than any Royal Show medal. 

Paradise Beach Purveyors, 02 9907 8056,  info@paradisebeach.ws