“We almost went under when the beer taxes changed,” Bee Mead maker Anton Balog said. “I don’t want to dwell on those dark times. But we had to explore other options, and that’s when we started making sparkling Mead.” Those words. Gosh, they hit home. They will be familiar words to any business owner. Have I ever told you how RecipeTin Eats was born? Well, I dedicated almost a year of my life creating an iPhone/iPad recipe organiser app called RecipeTin App (i.e. a digital recipe tin). It was my first venture doing my own thing. It was a dismal failure, for numerous reasons. And the offshoot of that app was the creation of this blog, RecipeTin Eats. While no one wants to relish in failure, it’s only through mistakes that you can learn and succeed. And my failure was the catalyst for RecipeTin Eats. So when Anton told me the story of Bee Mead, I truly understood. To my very core, it really struck a cord.
Meet the Balog family, makers of Bee Mead, Australia’s first sparkling mead! Located in Mittagong, just a couple of hours south of Sydney in the beautiful Southern Highlands region, this is a family business born from generations of wine making. The Balog Brothers, Anton and and Mark, have been mad fermentors all their life. “As a kid, I just wanted to ferment everything!” Anton said. . Have you ever tried Mead? It’s made from honey (and no, surprisingly, it’s not super sweet!). I only tried it for the first time in December when I met Anton at an event. It’s absolutely delightful. That’s the best word I can think of to capture the essence of Bee Mead to me. Delightful. It’s like cider – but lighter, more refreshing. It’s like champagne, but with slightly more flavour. It’s sweet, but definitely not too sweet – this in particular surprised me. I’m actually not a fan of sweet wines, and Bee Mead is perfect for my taste. There are a variety of flavours – classic honey, Honey & Ginger, and Honey & Spice. The Honey & Spice one tastes like Christmas in a bottle – it made an appearance at our family Christmas lunch! It’s beautifully refreshing and a wonderful new addition to my summer evenings (and afternoons!?). Can’t think of a better way to end the day.
Oh wait. I can. Add some crackers topped with slices of Salami Cream Cheese Roll Up!
I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the look out for great inexpensive party food ideas that are quick to make. I just don’t have the patience to make tons of fiddly hors d’oeuvre. I’m more about party food that can be made in vast quantities without assembling them one by one – like my Smoked Salmon Bites. (PS Remind me to tell you of the time my brother and I catered my mother’s Christmas party and he spent almost 12 hours making 120 mini quiches using ONE muffin tin – BA HA HA!!!) So this Salami Cream Cheese Roll Up are for like minded people. I could describe how to make it, but it’s easier just to show you (there’s also a video below the recipe, you are permitted to watch it on the condition there is no mocking my Baby Hands!)
The added benefit of this Salami Cream Cheese Roll Up is that it can be made ahead, it’s easy to transport and doesn’t need reheating. You could serve it plain with toothpicks but I find that a little too creamy / rich for my taste, I prefer it with crackers. The weekend is here!! How about spending your Saturday afternoon on the porch with an ice cold glass of Bee Mead and these Salami Cream Cheese Roll Ups?? Cheers! – Nagi xx
PS One last anecdote from my visit to the Bee Mead farm – Anton was showing me all the local produce they serve at their cellar door. Cheese, olives, crackers, and salami. The special thing about the salami is that the local who makes it labels every salami with the name of the pig it was made from…… 😳 Hmm……. 🤔 So even though I actually created a few recipes made using Bee Mead, I thought sharing this Salami Cream Cheese Roll Up was perfect!❤️ PPS I kept the filling simple with just some capers for a pop of freshness (nice contrast to the oily salami and richness of cream cheese), but think of the possibilities! Tell me what you would make this with! PPPS These were not made with Babe. These were made using salami from my local deli!?
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Salami Cream Cheese Roll Up recipe video. You are permitted to watch this on the condition that you do not mock my Baby Hands!!! (Seriously contemplated getting a hand model in for this) 🤔
LIFE OF DOZER
I like to end my days with Bee Mead and Salami Roll Ups. Dozer prefer this. (Seriously. He’d take sand throwing over a steak any day. Weird dog.)
Today’s post is brought to you by the Balog Family, makers of Bee Mead, Australia’s first sparkling mead. Their cellar door is open to the public for tastings and meals. Visit them to say g’day, lovely way to spend a weekend! SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave
